Be Ready

I’ve been getting ready for Christmas deliveries:  shoveling the sidewalk, pulling back the curtains so the UPS, FedEx, or USPS driver knows I’m home, getting dressed a little bit earlier so I can answer the door, checking email updates, tracking packages, etc. etc. etc.

And I’ve been watching for porch pirates. Those pesky thieves that want to steal what doesn’t belong to them.

But there is something else, something much more important you and I need to be ready for, watching and waiting with eager anticipation and really, a soul-stirring urgency:

Jesus Christ is coming soon. (Revelation 22:20.)

As we edge closer to the day we celebrate Jesus’ birth as that babe in a manger some two thousand years ago, we need to look forward to His return.

ANY. DAY. NOW.

It’s going to happen and no one can predict the day or the hour. (Matthew 24:36, Luke 12:40.)

If you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Satan would love to steal the gift of your salvation through Jesus Christ by lying to you, telling you it’s not for you or you’ve sinned too much or you’re not perfect enough.

Or maybe Satan is telling you there’s time to do that later, that you’ve got time to make things right with God.

But what if you don’t have more time?

Jesus came for you. He died for you. All you have to do is accept Him and believe.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18 NIV.)

Satan wants to destroy all hope. He wants to steal the knowledge that Jesus Christ is returning to take us home, that God has not forgotten or abandoned His children. Satan tries to take all of this from us by distracting us, especially during the Christmas season.

The enemy wants to dilute our faith and focus. He wants to keep us so busy buying and shopping and planning and running around to the point of exhaustion and depression and the sense that something is just “off.” Like the nostalgia of the “good old Christmas days” is gone or has grown stale.

Perhaps what has grown stale is the reality that there is only one God and we are either choosing Him or evil chooses us by default.

You and I…we can’t stand in the middle, trying to please people and hoping to please God somehow. When we do that, we’re putting people and their opinions above God. That, my friend, is idolatry.

We either stand with God or fall with the enemy.

Are you ready, my friends?

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10: 9-10 NIV.)

(Photo from Pexels.com.)

The Night I Almost Died

I was lying on a gurney in the ER, listening to the doctor explain how bad I was hemorrhaging. I’d had a C-section just six days earlier and wanted to be at home with our baby girl, not back in the hospital.

But I was admitted, had needles poked in both arms and hands, and remember the strange weight, the bags of blood lying by my leg as the nurse began the transfusion.

I was so thankful. I stared at those bags and thought, “Where would I be if those people hadn’t donated their own blood?” I knew the answer. I thanked the nurse as I leaned my head back on the pillow.

I fell asleep under a pile of heated blankets and when I woke up, I was in a different room with only a small light shining from behind me. There was an IV in my arm, and I was still lying in a hospital bed. The TV on the wall was quiet and there were no sounds coming from beyond my closed door.

Everything was still except the excruciating pain in my body. I’d been given a medication to induce labor; these were the same labor pains I’d had hours leading up to the emergency C-section six days earlier. Only now, I was alone with no cheering section and there would be no child to come from these pains, dulling my memory of the intense cramping.

I sobbed alone in the dark. I called the nurse and begged her to help me, to please give me something for the pain. It seemed I would have to wait.

As I remember that dimly lit room, it was there I needed God the most. I have no doubt that He was there, sitting in the shadowed corner, just waiting for me to call on Him.

But I didn’t call on Him. Why? Well, I’d been to church as a little girl, but I thought God was just this bigger-than-big Person who wanted nothing to do with me. Unless I messed up. Then I knew He’d show up on the scene to punish me with some ginormous lightning bolt.

Besides, I didn’t really need God. I was a good person and that was enough. I’d never intentionally hurt anyone or done some catastrophic wrong. So I thought I was good. If someone had asked me about heaven, I just assumed I’d end up there because I was, well, a good person. Oh, I’d found out about Jesus when I was little, even spent time with God in the woods behind our house (for that story, click here). But somewhere in my grownup mind, I moved away from Him. Maybe I thought He was going to ask me to give up everything fun, and I’d have no life whatsoever. (That, my friend, is what Satan wants us to believe, and it’s a big fat lie.)

But I can tell you how deathly alone I felt in that hospital room that night. The heaviness, the pain, the loneliness – it was unbearable. If only I would have known the truth about God, I would have called out to Him.

Perhaps He would have stepped from the shadows, His eyes so powerful and radiant and yet gentle as He smiled at me, bringing me comfort. Or maybe He would have remained unseen as He rested His hand on my head, singing over me, and bringing me such a peace I would have fallen asleep as the sound of His voice washed over me.

But we all have to face that “dimly lit room” where death is as real as the skin on our hand. Maybe you’ll survive like I did.

But what if you don’t?

Are you ready for that moment? Will you call out to a nurse, a family member, or will you call out to Jesus Christ Who is waiting; the One who has always been waiting for you to call on Him?

There is no detour around the only way to heaven. You can’t take a back road marked “Good Person Way” or “Church Goer Alley” or “Volunteers Enter Here.”

The only way to heaven is through Jesus Christ.

Just like the night I nearly bled to death but received a blood transfusion that saved my life, Jesus Christ gave all of His blood on the cross to save you and me.

That night I had to sign a paper agreeing to the blood transfusion. That was my part. The nurse did the rest.

Today you can agree, you can accept and claim Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior out loud, right now. You can claim His blood over you. That’s your part. Jesus has already done the rest.

The night I almost died, the doctor told me if I had waited until morning to go to the ER, I would not have survived. I’m so thankful I didn’t wait. Not only do I know Jesus as my Lord and Savior now, but I’ve had fourteen amazing years with my husband and our “baby” girl.

Please don’t wait to call on Jesus Christ:

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10 NIV.)

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV.)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 NIV.)

You’re Invited

One day, I’m going to close my eyes and the next time I open them…well, let me put it this way…I won’t be seeing my alarm clock or my room. Ever.  This is going to happen to you too.  There is nothing we can do to stop it or prolong it when it’s our turn.  All the money, all the stuff, and all the accomplishments that seem so grand here, will stay here.

I’m sure you’ve heard all of this before. Maybe you’re reading this thinking, Blah, blah, blah. Yes, I know.  One day I’m going to die.  We all are.

But what you don’t know is when I woke up a few days ago, God told me to invite you. He even showed me a piece of cake in my mind that I received today (I LOVE how He does that!!) to help you understand something.  There’s going to be one awesome feast after we leave this earth, and one day you will leave this earth.

You can’t come to the feast unless you accept the invitation. You can’t RSVP at the door.  It will be too late.  The door will be shut.  But you can RSVP now.  Right now while you have a minute.  You don’t know, tomorrow may be the day you open your eyes and you’re not here anymore.

See that piece of cake? It’s for you.

RSVP: Please forgive me God for all the things I’ve done wrong, all the sins in my life. I do believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son and that He came to take the punishment for my sins.  Yes, Jesus.  I accept You in my life, in my heart.  And thank you for the invitation.

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT.)

Crunch Time

Are you going through a crisis in your life? Or maybe you just have a lot of questions about the things you’re going through and you want answers, you need answers.  The right ones.

The Bible has every answer for every problem you have. That sounds crazy, doesn’t it?  But it’s true.  It’s not just for those individuals who were living during biblical times; it’s for us, you and me, right now.

Do you feel alone?

God says He’ll never leave you.  (Hebrews 13:5.)

Are you having marital problems?

God gives us a plan.  (Ephesians 5:22-33.)

Money issues?

Jesus taught a lot about money.  (Matthew 6:24.  This is only one example.)

Concerns about the lack of morality in the world today?

God explains.  (2 Timothy 3:1-5.)

Consumed with fear or discouragement?

God says He’ll be with you wherever you go.  (Joshua 1:9.)

Afraid to die?

If you choose Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the best is yet to come.  (John 14:1-6.)

Don’t understand what you’re supposed to do with your life?

God knows exactly why He created you, and He wants to tell you.  (Jeremiah 29:11-13.)

Have serious trust issues?

God is THE One you can trust.  (Proverbs 3:5-6.)

Struggling with illness?

Go to God in prayer.  (James 5:14-15.)

Afraid of what the future holds?

God is always in control. (Isaiah 46:9-10.)

Feel like you’re worthless?

God made you. You have great worth.  (Matthew 10:29-31.)

Do you take the time to read the Bible? If not, why?  (I promise I’m not trying to badger you!)

Are you afraid to read the Bible because you think you won’t understand it? There are so many translations to choose from so you can find one that you understand.  (I use the NIV a lot.)

Are you worried about what other people might think; that you’re some fanatic or nut? Maybe they’ll think that and maybe they won’t.  But don’t worry if they do.  You’ve got a ton of people on earth and in heaven who know you’re very wise to read the Bible and will be cheering you on as you grow closer to God.

Or maybe you’re simply afraid you’ll have to change if you read the Bible. Just remember, the caterpillar changed into a butterfly.  So do you want to crawl around through life or feed on God’s word so you can soar?  Perhaps it’s crunch time for you.

Open up the Bible, my friend, and let it feed your soul.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” (Psalm 32:8 NIV.)