The blink of an eye

It has been an interesting couple of weeks.  I am a “list person” (one for the church and one for things at home).  As I worked through my list a week ago Friday, I was feeling accomplished.  I had made great progress on the outside list and had started on the inside list.  But it was lunchtime, and I had been outside for about four hours, so time to clean up and re-hydrate.  I sat down to drink some tea before heading out to do my five errands for the day (a couple visits, bank, pick up strawberries at Sam’s and something else).  I was ready to walk out the door to do what I had planned, then I blinked and everything changed. 

With that one blink, a line appeared vertically from the top of my sight to the bottom in my left eye.  I blinked again and now the line had branches and within just a few seconds a growing blurriness across my vision.  I went and looked in the mirror and I couldn’t see any problems.  But once the eye doctor looked in my eye, he could see a torn retina.  This required immediate attention to make sure it did not detach.  My immediate circumstances changed literally in the blink of an eye.  Fortunately the doctor is confident this is a temporary situation.

I Corinthians 15:51-52 says “Behold, I tell you a mystery:  We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.”  My pastor when I was a teenager said that “twinkling” is faster than a blink; it is the sparkling in an eye when light crosses it.  Far faster than a blink.  There is coming a time, a moment, a twinkling of the eye when everything will change; not temporarily, but for eternity.  For in that moment we (believers/followers of Christ,) will be changed never to be the same.  Our location will be changed — we will be in God’s presence forever.  Our existence is changed, meaning no more temptation, no more contending with sin, no more death, no more pain or tears, no more separation for eternity.  All in the twinkling of an eye.  

Unfortunately, in that same twinkling the opportunity to replace unbelief about Christ with belief and trust in Christ will be lost forever, as will be those in unbelief.  All in the twinkling of an eye — faster than a blink, and I have experienced how life can change from one blink to the next.   There will be no plea deals, no parole, no extenuating circumstances, no bail, no trial; only judgment based on what a person has done with Jesus.  God’s full wrath fell on Christ on the cross so that one would be required to face God’s wrath unless they remain in unbelief about Christ Jesus. 

That is the reason the end of I Corinthians 15 (55-57) says, “O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I look forward to the distortion and blurriness of my eye ending, but I would be perfectly fine if the twinkling of an eye mentioned in verse 52 happened before my next blink of an eye.  What about you?

Pressing on…

Ron Tipton, Senior Pastor