Are You Prepared?

Death is inevitable. It will ultimately happen to all of us as is the way for mortal men and woman. The apostle Paul said, “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 sound.” A Christian has nothing to lose by death, but each Christian should die with honor and dignity. In Philippians 1:19-26 Paul spoke of his own death while imprisoned in Rome awaiting trial. If found guilty of treason, he would have faced execution which was the punishment at the time for refusing to acknowledge Caesar as Lord. Paul, for whom death was very much at hand, had a distinctively Christian approach to the subject. In verse 21, Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Paul could talk about death as a gain because Christ was the center of his life and his reason for living.

This world is not a Christian’s home — heaven is. Home is defined as the abode of one’s affections, peace, or rest; one’s native place or country. Remember, the Christian’s citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20). Death is harmless to the people of God; its darts leave no sting in them. David said in Psalms 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”The promise of scripture is that God, our good Shepherd, will be with us as we travel from life to death. Along the way, it is up to each of us to ensure we are ready to meet the Lord. If you haven’t made Christ the Lord of your life, there is still time to do so. Please stop and pray and ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins and write your name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Your future will be secure in the arms of God and Heaven will be your final destination.The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp (Rev. 21.23).

Hope is the key to heaven that chases the darkness away.