1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Recently our granddaughter and her husband were with a tour group in Paris. The guide alerted them to be careful with their possessions as the area they were about to enter was notorious for pickpockets.
Our granddaughter was extremely careful to be alert and protect her belongings. Suddenly a young woman tried to shove some sort of literature at her. She repeatedly said no, but the woman pressed in her face. While my granddaughter was trying to push the aggressive woman away, she felt her cell phone being taken from her jacket pocket. The thieves quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Things can happen so quickly that we often are not able to defend ourselves. We experienced a similar loss when we visited Hawaii. Joyce and I decided to go to the beach and chose to lock Joyce’s purse in the car trunk for safe keeping. (So we thought!) When we returned to our hotel and opened the trunk, the purse was gone. Thieves had pried open the door, ripped open the back seat and, in probably just a few seconds, the purse was in their possession.
As we read today’s Scripture, we are forewarned that the coming of the Lord will happen in a fraction of a second. The rapture of the church is drawing near and we cannot delay in preparing for eternity. Will you be a part of God’s people who will be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air?
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil