A Cloud Is A Cloud!

I Thess 4:16-17 "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: ans so shall we ever be with the Lord."

I remember as a little fellow how much fun it was to lay on the ground looking up into the sky at the different cloud formation and try to decide just what they looked like. For instance, there were some strange looking dogs floating around up there or a weird looking dragon ready to pounce upon an unsuspecting cloud that looked just like, well, I don't know, but I am sure it was something he wanted to eat. Later, when I was in high school, I had a science teacher who was overjoyed by gloomy, cloudy, rainy days. He began to teach us about those clouds - what kind they were and what they would do to the weather patters. Of all that he taught us, I remember very little. Come to think of it, I don't remember any of it. One thing I knew then that hasn't changed and that is that clouds are fascinating and in most cases, very beautiful. I still am infatuated with clouds today, but for a much different reason. I often say that I enjoy clear sunshiny days, but I always want there to be at least one cloud in the sky. Why? you ask. Because almost 2,000 years ago there was a group of believers that had gathered outside the city of Jerusalem with Jesus, who had been crucified and risen from the dead 40 days prior to this encounter. Jesus gave them some last instructions and then Acts 1 tells us that He ascended back to His rightful place in Heaven, on a cloud. Not only that, but the Angel of God that was there promised that when Jesus comes back for His Church, He will do so on a cloud. Most of us are convinced that His return could be at any moment. So, I look for a cloud and especially get excited as the sun goes down and the glory of that shining orb lends a halo around the clouds - could it be the Glory of God this time? Yes, a cloud is a cloud, but there is still going to be one very special one.