Real Change!

Todays article is writen by the Dean at the Inter-Lutheran seminary who is also a pastor in our ALC church in Painesdale, MI. I hope you enjoy this article! John


So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your
labour is not in vain in the Lord. (I Corinthians 15:51-58)

Have you ever consideredthe duration of the twinkling of an eye? (Twinkle, as it is used here,is a synonym for “blink.”)

How long does it take to blink? However you may measure it, it’s very fast. When Christ returns to the earth again it will take that amount of time for us to be In the Twinkling of an Eye changed to be like Him. This is how complete His victory is over sin, death and the devil; there’s no agonizing or prolonged process but a change in a moment. The victory is Christ’s and when He returns we will receive the full benefit of His victory in an instant.


The ancient church fathers understood this reality and they lived their lives in a reflection of it. In their awareness of the finished work of Christ they had a clear sense of eternity, that everything would change in a moment but once the change was complete
there would be an eternity of unchangeableness. Right now times in our world are difficult: budgets are strained, political situations are in flux, there are conflicts all around us, and the future, in the estimation of many, is bleak and uncertain.

Sadly, that simply shows that the world has the wrong view of reality. The fathers had the right one; they knew that the times were always in God’s hands and they also knew that they themselves were held preciously in those same mighty hands. They lived in the assurance of the promise of a day that would be brighter than the finite mind could imagine and, with that day in mind, they persevered through tribulation.

May God grant that we sense the power of His hands that uphold us even now, the hands from which no man is able to pluck us (John 10:29). And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.(Philippians 4:7)

God’s peace,
Pastor Jay Weidner
Painesdale, Michigan