“Now I say this, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood CANNOT INHERIT the KINGDOM OF GOD (heaven) nor does the perishable (phthora: corruptible) inherit the imperishable (aphtharsia: incorruptible).” (1 Corinthians 15:50) This simply means we cannot go to heaven in these bodies we have RIGHT NOW.
“Listen! I am telling you a mystery. We will not all die. But WE WILL ALL BE CHANGED (allassō: to exchange a mortal body for an immortal body). That will happen in a flash, as quickly as you can wink an eye. It will happen when the last trumpet sounds. The trumpet will sound, and the dead (who will come back with the Lord) will be raised TO LIVE FOREVER. And WE WILL BE CHANGED.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) We will, at this time, receive our immortal, eternal, perfect bodies. No more glasses, no more hearing aids, no more depends, no more Band-Aids.
“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ (who Christ brings with Him) WILL RISE FIRST. Then we who are alive and remain SHALL BE CAUGHT UP (harpazō: to snatch away, in Latin the verb is rapio (where we get the word rapture) meaning “to take away by force.“) TOGETHER WITH THEM IN THE CLOUDS TO MEET THE LORD IN THE AIR. And thus, we shall ALWAYS BE WITH THE LORD. Therefore COMFORT ONE ANOTHER with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18)
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham