Mustard Seed - January/February 2013 - The Twinkling of An Eye

THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE

As we go about our daily affairs; how many of us ever take the time to study and meditate on one of the most important aspects of our spiritual change by God: that of the resurrection and your inheritance reserved for you in Heaven, that will be bestowed upon you when Jesus Christ returns to this earth? While our Great God does not intend for us to know all the details of our coming transformation from flesh into spirit; He has piqued (to excite and arouse) our curiosity about our change, by causing certain scriptures to be written down to inspire us to aim for the mark of eternal life (Phil. 3: 14) that we seek!

The Coming Change

Men and women of God from ancient times had a vision of something better for them down the road. Notice what Job said about his desire for the change in Job 14:14-15 in which he asks the question first and then gives the answer: "If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shall call, and I will answer thee: Thou will have a desire to the work of thine hands."

It was said of Abraham in Heb. 11:9-10 "For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." The other men and women of faith listed in Hebrews 11 all knew that they were living in temporary lands as strangers who desired a better inheritance (reserved in Heaven now) and had a vision of a permanent homeland (residence) in The New Jerusalem to come down from Heaven with Almighty God (Rev. 21)!

What Jesus Said About This New Spiritual Body

Jesus revealed to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, the difference between flesh and spirit in John 3:1-13. He reveals in Verse 3 "... except a man be born again, (from above of the Spirit) he cannot see the kingdom of God." Note: our first birth is from a woman. We are begotten of God's Holy Spirit after repentance and water baptism (verse 5) which is the down payment of our future inheritance. Our second birth (of the Spirit) will be at the first resurrection, or changed in the twinkling of an eye.

Jesus explains the nature of the Holy Spirit, comparing it to the sound of the wind; that you can hear the sound, but cannot see where it is going, so is everyone who is born of the Spirit! Example: Christ revealed Himself to Abraham and Moses in human form. God's angels also revealed themselves in human form to others. So we see that spirit beings can be visible and invisible depending on the circumstances. From the past up to the present, spirit beings are all around us every day unseen by us! They are present to help and protect us on our spiritual journey towards salvation (Heb. 1: 14)!

At The Twinkling of an Eye

I Cor. 15, the famous 'twinkling of an eye' chapter is where Paul brings into clear focus the knowledge about the change that will come to the saints of God! He states in verse 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." This is also referred to by Paul in I Thes. 4:15-18. We are also told to "...comfort one another with these words." (I Thes. 4:18). Therefore, let each one of us daily give praises and thanks to God for this great opportunity "To Be Born Again of Spirit!"

George A. Bratcher