Raised from the dead in the blink of an eye.

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

A moment.

A twinkling of an eye.

Did you just blink? Is that considered a twinkling of an eye? Surely a blink only takes a single moment.  How quickly the dead will be raised from their graves. How amazing swift will the breath of life from God be returned to those who lost it as they breathed their last, however long before.  Six thousand years long?  Surely those who died in Christ, in the grace of our Savior, when the world was almost brand new- Abel the first to die, he too will be raised from the dead.   You say  the Bible tells us  that Abel's blood cried out… and I tell you, that's truth.  A lot of blood cries out doesn't it? Seriously. Any and all who are murdered have blood that is crying out their wrongful death.  That doesn't mean Abel has been crying out knowingly for 6000 years, how AWFUL that would be.

Jesus calls death a SLEEP, and a SLEEP it is.

In that single moment when the dead are raised to life upon the sound of the last trumpet when Jesus returns, all the dead are woken up from their long sleep.

Bodies will form instantaneously as the LORD calls them from death's grip.  Bodies that have long disappeared, the dust of the bones thousands of years dead having mingled with the dust of the ground until it is indistinguishable from any and all dirt will take on life once more.  God knows all His people and NOT one will be lost, not one!  This miracle of being raised from the dead is the HOPE we have after living our lives for our Savior, for His will. Life everlasting, life eternal, life in reality unlike this sin-filled existence we know. 

Incorruptible bodies,  with the breath of life that returned to God upon death given back to those bodies and all that makes us who we are as His children restored to us- all the dead in Christ will live again!

This is the message of the gospel, this is the good news, this is eternal life- this is the message that our Savior came to deliver to all of us! This is our HOPE.

Jesus never talks about us having a wonderful life here and now.

Remember this--

'

Heb 11:36  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

Heb 11:38  (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

Heb 11:39  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. '

These are only some of the awful things that those with faith have endured.

Why do we imagine anything at all that is awful for us in any and every way is unexpected?

Somewhere along the line people decided that God is supposed to only allow good things to those that are His.  Yet it became perfectly clear to our God that no matter the earthly favors He bestowed upon His people they inevitably turned on Him.  The plan of salvation meant the AWFUL torture and sacrifice of God the Son, and it means that we too can expect no less a life. Over and over God's people have endured suffering, we have to comprehend that this is a reality. We should be willing - through the grace of God- to suffer ALL things for Him who suffered all things for us.

Eternal life awaits all who are Christ's.

All who live simply for this world and not for eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, seeking the will of God, all through His love - give up eternity! They give up eternity!  They live for now, for this awful world, seeking what pleasures they can gain from it and they don't worry about eternity. If ONLY there were some way to open all eyes, to open all hearts to salvation!

Please Lord, help us! Help us to let You work Your will in us! Let the Holy Spirit live in us!  Use us as You can Lord, please we would be YOURS now and forever!!!!!!!

PLEASE!

All in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, our Lord! NOW, and FOREVER!