Prepare For Your Time of Eternal Transition

Prepare For Your Time of Eternal Transition

Greetings in the matchless and powerful name of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God. I pray that you and your family are prosperous and in good health.

“To Be At Peace With God In Eternity, One Must Be At Peace With God In Time”

If you have loved ones that have transitioned from time to eternity, then you know what it feels like to be going about your daily affairs, and then suddenly be overwhelmed with a mixture of sadness and joy. For the most part, these duos of emotions are the result of reflecting and remembering them. For me, the sadness comes from missing them, and the joy comes from knowing that one day I will be with them again. You see, most, if not all my loved ones that have transitioned, did so in the Lord. At some point in time, they obtained peace with God by receiving Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, as their Savior and Lord; but not only did they obtain peace with God through Jesus Christ, I too have obtained peace with God by accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord; therefore, I know that I will be with them again one day. In this I am fully persuaded, “those who die in the Lord will also rise in the Lord on that resurrection day, never to be separated from God again.”

In the final chapters of Thessalonians, Apostle Paul, going on to explain the nature of the ''day of the Lord,'' corrects what might have been said by false teachers. The Christians of Thessalonica were possibly struggling with false teachings and rumors about what happens to a believer who dies before Jesus returns. Paul exhorts his readers not to grieve as those who have no hope, that is, the unsaved. He goes on to explain that when Jesus returns, He will resurrect the bodies of departed Christians, this includes ALL departed Christians, and then He will rapture or catch up living Christians to be with Him forever. Paul then instructed the Thessalonians to encourage one another with this truth.

1 Thessalonians 4:6-18 Now we don’t want you, my brothers, to be in any doubt about those who “fall asleep” in death, or to grieve over them like men who have no hope. After all, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again from death, then we can believe that God will just as surely bring with Jesus all who are “asleep” in him. Here we have a definite message from the Lord. It is that those who are still living when he comes will not in any way precede those who have previously fallen asleep. One word of command, one shout from the archangel, one blast from the trumpet of God, and the Lord himself will come down from Heaven! Those who have died in Christ will be the first to rise, and then we who are still living on the earth will be swept up with them into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And after that we shall be with him forever. {PHILLIPS}

Those Who Died in Christ

In this I am thoroughly convinced, the same God who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise from the dead, those who die {sleep} in him, and we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.

while I and so many other Christians believe this to be true, many people do not. Many perceive eternity as a figment of the imagination, especially the imagination of Christians. For the most part, these are those that make jokes about all things pertaining to eternity, this includes, but is not limited to, jokes about heaven, hell, God, and Satan. They make light of eternal things and cling tightly to temporal things. They set their heart and affections on things here on earth, failing to realize that it profits a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his soul.

Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? KJV

Mark 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life [in the eternal kingdom of God]? AMPC

They not only make light of eternal things and cling to temporal things, and they not only set their affections on things here on the earth, but they spend every waking moment of their lives on the now, the present. “Live hard,” they say, “play hard,” they say, “go ahead and do you,” they say, “besides you only live once,” they say; but in all this gibberish, they give no thought to dying. They give no thought to the day of judgment in which all men will stand before Yahweh, the judge of all men, and give an account of their lives.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Those in Christ will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The primary focus of this judgment is rewards. The believer’s sins, past, present, and future, were judged in Jesus upon the cross. His one-time sacrifice dealt with our, those in Christ, sin forever.

Romans 14:10-12 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we [believers will be called to account and] must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be repaid for what has been done in the body, whether good or bad [that is, each will be held responsible for his actions, purposes, goals, motives—the use or misuse of his time, opportunities, and abilities].

Those that did not receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment. This is the final judgment prior to the lost being cast into the lake of fire.

The book will be opened {Revelation 20:12}. This book will contain records of everyone’s deeds. Remember, God is omniscient, He knows all things, including our every thought, word, and deed.

Another book will be opened, and it is called the “book of life” {Revelation 20:12}. If one’s name is not found written in the lamb’s book of life, that person will not inherit eternal life but will receive everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

So, not only do they make light of eternal things and cling to temporal things, and not only do they set their affections on things here on the earth, and not only do they spend every waking moment of their lives on the now, the present, but they give no thought to eternity, that is, where and with whom they will spend it. For many, they just assumed that when they die, life is over and there is nothing else to be said or done; however, their assumptions are wrong. When we, all men, die, life is not over, it is just beginning. You see, you and I are more than a body, we are spirit beings who possess a soul and live in a body. The cessation of our body to live in time does not negate or annihilate the existence of our soul and spirit, which at death will transition into eternity.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 May the God of shalom make you completely holy — may your entire spirit, soul and body be kept blameless for the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. {CJB}

You see, at the moment of death, the spirit of man returns to God who gave it, and the soul, the real us, will make its abode in one or two places, heaven or hell, and the body will eventually return to the dust from whence it came.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the Spirit shall return unto God, which gave it.”

Matthew 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which able to destroy both {soul} and {body} in hell.

As a child growing up, church attendance was mandatory for my family. Every Sunday, my family and I would find ourselves sitting in church. First, we had Sunday school and then church or what we now call worship service, and when the evening came, usually around six, we would find ourselves sitting in church again. Unlike the sermons being preached today, mostly every sermon that was preached included heaven, hell, and love. Of all those sermons, one of my favorites, even to this day, was a sermon entitled, “Heaven Is A Prepared Place For A Prepared People.” It was my favorite because it gave me an assurance that my grandmother, who had transitioned in the Lord, was indeed, in heaven. The other reason it was my favorite was that my oldest sister, Jackie, was the one who preached it. These sermons were not motivational speeches or some two-step PowerPoint sermon, no sir, no ma’am; these sermons were fire and brimstone sermons that convicted nearly every soul in the house; and every now and then, souls/men that were just passing by the church house would be convicted as well. It was a normal thing for souls that were passing by the church to hear the shouts of jubilee coming from within the church and then come running into the church, falling at the altar pleading for the forgiveness of their sins. Those were the good ole days.

Although the times have changed, make no mistake about it, God, nor His word has changed, and never will. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His Word is forever settled in heaven. My friend, there will come a day when you and I will transition out of time and into eternity. Be it by death, or by being caught up {raptured}, it will happen, and of that day and hour no one knows. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it would be that death is a part of this fallen world, and it does not discriminate. It can overtake the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the educated, and the uneducated. Death is on an assignment to steal, kill and destroy, and it does not care about who it overtakes. But thanks be unto God who gives us the victory in Christ Jesus. For those of us in Christ, sin has no dominion over us, and death is a defeated foe. All those in Christ can say as the writer says in 1 Corinthians 15:55

1 Corinthians 15:55-57 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I beseech you by the mercies of the living God, prepare for eternity today, do it, and do it now. Make no mistake about it, there is coming a day in which you and I will transition out of time and into eternity. This transition may come by death or by rapture, nevertheless, we need to be prepared. I think that there is nothing more heart-wrenching than men transitioning out of time and into eternity unprepared, that is, having not accepted Jesus Christ as His Savior.

So today I beseech you by the mercies of the living God, prepare for eternity today, do it, and do it now. Once you transition out of time into eternity, it will be too late, and by default, you will experience the second death, that is, eternal separation from God in the lake of fire that burns with brimstone.

Revelation 20:10-15

King James Version

10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Before I go, if you don't Jesus in the pardon of your sins, I want to pray with you and for you. It is my prayer that as you were reading this post, the Holy Spirit was convicting you and drawing you to a place of repentance. Please know that it is not God's desire that men perish. For this cause, Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Through the acts of redemption, Jesus saved us, but it is a salvation that must be personally appropriated. Yes, salvation is a free gift from God, but it must be personally appropriated/received. It is through this means of salvation, Jesus, who is the way and the truth and the life, that you and I are able to obtain peace with God. Those that accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord have peace with God here in time, and in eternity; therefore, when we transition from time to eternity, we can do so without fear. We can transition peacefully because we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I said it earlier and I am saying it again, you can not be at peace with God in eternity if you were not at peace with Him in time.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you today acknowledging that I am a sinner in need of your saving grace. I repent of my sins, known and unknown, and with Your help, I turn from my wicked ways. I acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God and that He is King of kings and Lord of lords. I believe that Jesus died upon the cross for my sins and on the third day was resurrected by Your Spirit. I further believe that You have given Him a name that is above every name, and that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord. Jesus, I receive you as my Savior and Lord. Today, I willingly deny myself, take up my cross and follow You. Where You lead me, I will follow. Baptize me with the Holy Spirit and that with the evidence of speaking in tongues. In Jesus' name, I pray, amen!

If you prayed this prayer and received Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, let me be the first to say welcome to the Body of Christ. Now pray and ask the Father to lead you to the shepherd that he has ordained for you. God bless you, and again, welcome to the Body of Christ, and on the day of resurrection, we will be caught up together to meet Him in the air.