ALL ABOARD!
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 (KJV)
“13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
We were very poor while I was growing up, but I have some wonderful memories of my early childhood. My dad would take me to town every other Saturday for us to get our haircut at my uncle’s barber shop. My dad’s haircut was 50 cents and mine was 25 cents.
The barber shop was upstairs in one of the old downtown buildings. The windows were wide and went from the ceiling to the floor. I would set in the window while waiting to get my hair cut. The barber shop was on Main Street, and the Southern Railway Depot was across the street from the barber shop.
It was a highlight for me to watch the passenger trains come into the station. They would pull up and stop and the conductor would get off the train. Mr. Bryant from the post office would drive up in his old green dodge truck and would load and unload mail bags from the truck and the train. Then he would slowly drive about 4 city blocks down Main Street to the post office with his newly arrived mail.
It was fascinating for me to watch this on my barbershop visits. I enjoyed watching the conductor do his work quickly while the train was stopped. I would watch the train slowly pull into the station and come to a complete stop. The conductor would open the door and let the steps of the train down before stepping off the train.
The conductor was always dressed up in his conductor’s uniform. He always wore a conductor’s hat, and a long chain hung down from his belt that was connected to his train pocket watch in his pocket.
The conductor was a very important person on the train. He was the person that kept things on track. He supervised and coordinated the activities of the train. He was in charge of the entire train and its crew. He was responsible for the train, and its contents. It was his job to see that the train got to its destination safely and on time. He was responsible for seeing that the train operated efficiently and stayed on schedule. His pocket watch was an important piece of his equipment.
All railroad employees were required to carry the same kind of watch. They were manufactured to a particular specification that was prescribed by the railroads and the Federal Railway Administration. All employees’ watches underwent an annual inspection by a certified watchmaker or jeweler repairman. The watchmaker would give the employee a card as proof of inspection and also made a report to the railroad company.
Any employee that did not get their watch inspected was taken out of service. If the watch did not pass inspection, they had to be repaired or replaced. At the beginning of each tour of duty, all members of each train crew were required to compare time with each other and the standard clock in the depot. If they did not have access to a standard clock, they were required to compare with the nearest train order Operator or Train Dispatcher
It was the conductor’s job to watch signals, observe track conditions and open and close track switches, set and release hand-brakes and connect air brake hoses to couple and switch cars. Passenger Train Conductors were responsible for collecting tickets and dealing with passengers. The conductor must be physically fit. He had to possess a certain amount of stamina and coordination to walk the length of a moving train
The conductor ensured the passenger safety and comfort as they went about collecting tickets and fares, making announcements for the benefit of passengers, and coordinating activities of the crew to provide passenger services.
The conductor would take the tickets and help everyone get on board the train. Before he boarded himself, he would yell, “all aboard” while he was still on the ground. The "all aboard" was for the benefit of the passengers, in case someone was still on the platform or in the station that was supposed to catch that particular train.
After the Conductor gave the “all aboard,” the Flagman (or sometimes the Conductor) would use a hand signal by day and lantern waving signal by night to give the engineer (the driver of the train) the go ahead.
The engineer was the driver of the train, but he couldn’t move the train without the Conductor’s permission. The train couldn’t move until the Engineer pulled the throttle. The Engineer couldn’t pull the throttle until the brakeman released the brakes. The Brakeman couldn’t release the brakes until he received a signal from the Flagman. The Flagman couldn’t give the signal until the Conductor called, “All Aboard."
The Conductor couldn’t call “All Aboard” until all the passengers were on the train. Maybe this is why the phrase, “What a way to run a railroad!" has been repeated so many times.
As you can see that a series of events had to take place before the train could move. It was fascinating for me to watch the Conductor say “All Aboard” and get on the train. The Engineer would blow the whistle, and get the train ready to move. The train would start out slow, and then would begin to pick up speed and move down the track.
•There were very strict and necessary rules of railroad operation.
•They had to adhere to the strict compliance of these rules.
•The Bible has set forth commandments and rules of life that we must adhere to.
•We are going to spend eternity somewhere, and it is very important that we obey the commandments of the Word of God.
•There is no excuse for us to be ignorant of what is going to happen.
•We have hope in the hereafter.
•Death for a Child of God is only falling asleep in the arms of our Lord.
•1 Thessalonians 4:16 (KJV) “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” (KJV)
•1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV) “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”
•There is going to be a series of events that will take place.
•There will be a shout.
•There will be the voice of the archangel.
•There will be a voice of command.
•There will be a sound of the trump of the Lord.
•The trumpet blast will be a signal and a summons for the dead in Christ to rise from the dead, and the children of the Lord that are alive to come up.
•1 Thessalonians 4:17(KJV) “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
•1 Thessalonians 4:17 (NIV) “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.”
•All the church, the saints of past ages, and the saints of the last age, shall ascend together to meet the Lord.
•That glorious meeting shall never end.
•The Church of the Living God is getting ready to pull out.
•We are not going on a train, car, boat, or plane.
•There are some steps that must take place before this happens.
•There is a series of things that must happen, just as it did before the train could move.
•Jesus came to earth, and He went away, but He is coming again.
•Acts 1:9-11 (KJV) “9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
•The Bible tells us that He would be coming in the clouds of heaven. (Matthew 26:64)
•We are also told that they would see Him coming in a cloud with power and great glory. (Luke 21:27)
•Time of His coming is unknown.
•No man will know the day or the hour of His coming. (Matthew 24:36)
•We are to be ready for He is coming in an hour ye think not. (Luke 12:40)
•The Day of the Lord is coming as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
•We must be watching and ready for His coming.
•Revelation 16:15 (KJV) “Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
My wife had a surgical procedure done a few days ago. They let me go back in the holding area to see her after she came out of surgery. I saw the door that went to the operating room, and I noticed a sign on the door. It stated, “Authorized Personal Only, Proper dress apparel required.
In Matthew Chapter 22 we read of a parable that Jesus gave. A king made a marriage for His son, and he sent forth his servant to bid people to the wedding. He told them that he had prepared a dinner, and asked them to come to the wedding. They would not come, so he sent the servant forth again. They made light of it and went their ways. He told his servants that the wedding was ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
He told them to go to the highways and bid them to come to the wedding. The servants went to gather all they could find to come to the wedding.
•Matthew 22:11-14 (KJV) “11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: 2 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
•You must be prepared.
•Jesus is call to you, but are you one of the chosen ones that have obeyed His Word?
•The coming of the Lord is going to happen quickly.
•Matthew 24:27 (KJV) “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
•The coming of the Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)
•The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. (James 5:8)
•We are to keep His commandments without spot. (1 Timothy 6:14)
•We must be watching for His coming.
•Luke 12:37 (KJV) “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”
•Matthew Chapter 24 gives us many signs of things that would happen prior to the 2nd coming of the Lord.
•We can see many of these things happening before our eyes.
•Luke 21:28 (KJV) “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
•The call is coming forth, “All Aboard”.
•Are you preparing to get on board?
•The door will be shut soon, and the whistle (the sound of the trumpet) will be blowing.
•Then the church will quickly move up into the clouds.
•Are you ready, and where will you spend eternity?
•Matthew 25:33 (KJV) “And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”
•The sheep represent the Christians, and the goats represent the sinners?
•Can you hear the Conductor calling out, “All Aboard”?
There is something that has stuck out in my mind all these years about the Train Conductor. He would always look at his Train Pocket Watch to see what time it was before, calling out “All Aboard.”
It is time for us to look in the Word of God for the signs of the time to see what time it is. I believe that Jesus is standing on the platform calling out with a loud voice, “All Aboard”.
We need to get on board today.
