Almost Home :: By Dennis Huebshman
In 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, Paul wrote, “I tell you this, brothers, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead shall be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed. For this perishable body must put on immortality.” (ESV – all emphasis is mine)
When Paul says that we shall not all sleep, he is telling us that there will be people on this earth who will not die. When the Trumpet of God sounds, and there’s a cry of command with the voice of an archangel (1 Thessalonians 4:16), the dead in Christ will rise up to meet the Savior to be reunited with their souls and to receive an immortal body. This event is commonly known as the Rapture.
One thing to remember is that our Heavenly Father knows where every single body on this earth is from everyone who has perished or will perish while here. It doesn’t matter if only a molecule or two remains; the souls will be joined to those remains to become a complete, forever immortal body.
Next, after the dead in Christ rise up and receive their new bodies, those who are true believers in the Savior will rise up to meet Him in the air, and our bodies will transform from the human mortal to Heavenly immortality. From that time and all through eternity, we will be with the Savior as part of His precious flock.
For those who are not in Christ, they will remain in their graves or wherever their remains ended up until the White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15. Their new immortal bodies will not be for the glorification of the Lord but will be sentenced for all eternity to the lake of fire or hell. The ultimate antichrist and false prophet will be the first occupants of that place, followed a thousand years later by Satan (Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10). It will be continuous punishment forever.
There will be different degrees of punishment, and it should be understood that Satan will receive the harshest punishment possible. From there, it will depend on what a person did in their lives, as they will be responsible for every sin they ever committed, great or small. For some, they may have led a “good life” but never accepted Jesus as their Savior.
For believers, we will appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). This is not for us to be condemned forever but to gain or lose rewards for what was done while we were alive here. Because we received and accepted the free gift of Salvation by calling out to Jesus to be our Savior, our sins, as told in Psalm 103:11-12, will be as far as east is from west. That does not mean we receive a free pass to get away with sins, but we have been given a pure pathway to forgiveness in 1 John 1:8-10. It also does not relieve us of possible discipline from the Father for any sin we do commit. This is no different from any parent disciplining a child who has done wrong to help them learn (Hebrews 12:5-11).
Jesus, Paul, James, John, Peter, and others told about what would be taking place toward the end of this era. Reading newspapers and watching news broadcasts on TV, we are witnessing Bible Prophecy coming to life more each day. Our Savior said that when these things begin to happen, He would be close to returning for us (Luke 21:28).
Those of us who have Christ in us can see the rapid transition toward pure evil more than ever before. Just a decade or so ago, true satanic worship was mostly behind closed doors. Today, it’s out in the open everywhere, and there are even “churches of Satan” being established in numerous places.
While some are “fainting with fear” and others are scoffing that Jesus is not coming back, believers are actually encouraged that the Word of the Lord is true and accurate. About the only thing that hasn’t happened is Israel being attacked by a coalition, and the appearance of the evil one.
We’re getting the feeling of being “Almost Home,” which is a song by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa, and performed by Keith and Kristin Getty in 2022.
1). Don’t drop a single anchor; we’re almost Home. Through every toil and danger, we’re almost Home. How many pilgrim saints have before us gone? Not stopping now, we’re almost Home.
2.) That promised land is calling; we’re almost Home. And not a tear shall fall then; we’re almost Home. Make ready now your souls for that kingdom come; no turning back; we’re almost Home.
Ref) Almost Home, we’re almost Home; so press on toward that blessed shore; Oh Praise the Lord, we’re almost Home.
3.) This journey ours together; we’re almost Home. Unto that great forever, we’re almost Home. What song anew we’ll sing around that happy throne. Come faint of heart; we’re almost Home. (Ref)
4.) This life is just a vapor; we’re almost Home. That sun is setting yonder; we’re almost Home. Take courage, for this darkness shall break to dawn. Oh, lift your eyes! We’re almost Home. (Ref x 20)
For the scoffers (2 Peter 3:9: 3-4) and all who think that the word of the cross is folly (1 Corinthians 1:18), their bubble is about to burst. Yes, there are those today who worship Satan and all the evil he represents, but the time will come when they will realize their folly. Sadly, it will be too late to do anything about it then.
Our Savior died on that horrible cross to pay a sin debt that He never earned. That debt was yours and mine. Even though He was sinless, He willingly shed His pure blood to cover the sins of all who would receive and accept His wonderful gift (John 10:18).
Please know that sins of our past can be forgiven if we will reach out to Jesus to be our Eternal Savior (Romans 10:9-13). God does not make promises that He will not honor, and if He said something in His perfect word, it’s an absolute covenant.
Those who have truly asked Jesus to be their Savior need not fear leaving this earth. Those who are putting off reaching out to Jesus need to consider that no one is promised another day here. To believe one can call out and be saved when the Rapture starts is foolish. When Paul states, “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,” he’s telling us the event will be over in less than a minute. No one could ask forgiveness in that short period of time.
The best case scenario is to take a minute right now and consider which forever you want to be in – Heaven with Jesus, or hell with Satan. It’s just that uncomplicated, as there are no other options. For those looking for the “hidden punchline,” there isn’t any.
Life on this earth is measured in limited days, months and years. Heaven is forever – never ending. So is the lake of fire, from which there are no pardons or mercy. It doesn’t seem like a tough choice, but some are so consumed with this world that they aren’t looking ahead. Don’t be one of them! Choose Life! Choose Jesus Today!
Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus!
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