Do you believe in immortality? Many people don’t answer “yes” or “no,” they say: “I’m not sure.”
But we can be sure of our answer: Yes. Throughout the gospels (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible), Jesus continuously talks about God’s Kingdom-the place of immortality and throughout the New Testament books, Jesus’ disciples (students/followers) continue to talk about this. The Old Testament also tells us about it. The entire bible is the story of God’s never ending love of us, the revealing of His future plans for us in eternity and how we can be certain of being with God in eternity.
Why don’t more people talk about this? We talk about death. Why not talk about life instead? Why not talk about the eternal future? Eternity is so much more exciting to look forward to than anything here on earth. Our physical death is just a transition to something better, if our faith and trust is in Jesus. Why don’t we focus all our attention on eternity? Isn’t that being short-sighted thinking about the “here and now” without regard to “eternity”?
What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Luke 9:25
The earth and heaven will be completely destroyed someday (2 Peter 3:10), but God has a new earth and heaven planned for His “children.” Jesus destroyed death when he died on the cross and resurrected (that is why his resurrection is celebrated among Christians in the springtime). The absence of death in God’s Kingdom is referenced here:
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
Revelation 21:4
But not everyone will experience this: those who reject Jesus and his teachings will have a different experience:
“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Revelation 21:8
When we finally understand what Jesus did for us, how much he loves us, we are filled with gratitude and want to do all we can for him, for God’s kingdom, for God’s will which is to have as many people as possible come to his kingdom. Jesus came to save us. Until our eyes are opened to this, we just don’t “get it”- even though we know the “facts.” I was like that. I knew the words, but it wasn’t “real” to me. It didn’t happen until I started seeking God, reading the bible and praying daily, then I finally understood; it became real. Jesus very openly tells his disciples about this happening (it’s God that allows us to finally understand, when we truly seek to know Him):
He (Jesus) replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
Matthew 13:11
If something in the bible doesn’t make sense to you, ask someone knowledgeable, ask several people, pray about it, read all the different entries in the bible on that subject. You can do a word or topic search, but keep at it, don’t give up or forget about it because evil wants you to do that, so you will become separated from God, destroyed. Don’t blow this off, your future depends on what you do, your persistence matters.
If something bad happens after you start seeking God, expect it, it will happen. I didn’t know about this, but experienced it and then, after the fact, was told by others. This happens because evil is real and wants to separate you from God. Just push through it and seek God more. The bad will be temporary, just keep trusting and praying to God during that uncomfortable time.
If you hear about what Jesus did, but then don’t stay connected in prayer and through scripture, your focus can easily go towards worrying about things in your life or about building up wealth. Don’t worry about anything, pray about it and trust God. He will provide. Don’t focus on building up wealth, you can’t take it with you; it’s meaningless and can become an idol (something more important than God) which will then separate you from God and miss out on eternity.
I believe in immortality, through Jesus. Jesus proved immortality to be real by his own resurrection from the dead when he ate and visited with friends and his physical presence after death was witnessed by hundreds. We have immortality because Jesus paid the penalty of death for us. (More about this) Recently I read this book: The Resurrection and You, if you are skeptical about the claims regarding Jesus, read this book. It addresses many questions. After reading that book, I have a different, more meaningful understanding of the commonly known holiday of Easter. The greatest act of love (dying for the benefit of someone else) was done by Jesus for all of us. I am grateful to Jesus. Remember this on Easter.
Recently during an evening walk, I started thinking about mental strength, discipline, endurance and the reward. Our mind can be the first to give up when our bodies could endure more, therefore having mental control and discipline is what can turn average people into athletes. And we get a reward for the mental strength and discipline by design: it’s the release of endorphins – “those happiness hormones”.
We seek that reward in life, so while I’m on that subject, I’ll share Healthline’s suggestion of 8 natural ways of obtaining endorphins:
Exercise
Laugh
Listen to Music
Get Acupuncture
Eat Dark Chocolate
Have Sex
Dance
Meditate
Mental Strength certainly helps in athletic ability, but it also helps us in every day life situations. A common description for Mental Strength is resilience. When a person has mental strength, they are resilient. Becoming a resilient person is beneficial for all of us. Mental Strength or Mental Toughness is described as:
“The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of stress.”
The American Psychological Association (2014)
Searching for “how to build mental strength” the results identified many articles and books covering this topic, however the most complete book addressing this was not listed as a reference book. Many people probably wouldn’t even think of reading this book to develop mental strength, yet it has the best examples of mental strength within it and words of wisdom making it an excellent reference book on mental strength. This book is the Bible. After studying the Bible, and hearing various sermons or bible studies from Pastors of churches, I realized how so many of the common topics or reasons people go to therapists are addressed in and solved by the Bible! If the Bible was referenced, we would know the answers, the solutions to so many problems. To illustrate this point, the list below was obtained from various articles about “how to build mental strength” and I added a few links to the Bible’s verses, chapters or books that illustrate and direct people towards these habits. There are many more than what I’ve referenced- they can be found throughout the Bible.
taking full responsibility for their status: Matthew 16:27
In summary, the Bible has excellent examples of mental strength throughout. Paul who wrote the letters to the Thessalonians, Ephesians, Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians and Romans in the Bible exhibits this mental strength in many of his letters and during the time he was imprisoned. Jesus exhibits this in his avoidance of temptation (Mark 1:13) and when Jesus followed through with God’s will: (Luke 22:42). Most of Jesus’ disciples were executed but had such great mental strength that even the threat of death did not keep them from telling people about eternal life. So if you want to improve your mental strength, read the Bible, you will be amazed at how it will change your life. This isn’t “just a book”, this is the “living word” of God. (2 Timothy 3:16)
(This is a link to the podcast on Spotify for this post, if you prefer to listen.)
Wake Up. When the world took notice of the “pandemic” in 2020, it made me wonder: Is there more significance to this? Affecting the entire world, is this a “wake up” call from God? I think it was. It is now 2022 and the “signs” have not ceased, they have increased. Most who study bible prophecy and are honest about what they discover, will tell you, we won’t know for certain when the final 7 years starts, but approximately 3.5 years into the 7 years, we will know (once the man of lawlessness, AntiChrist, is revealed). Until then we will only see signs, Jesus tells us those signs in Matthew 24.
Preparation Time. I’ve been thinking that we might be in the final 7 years and while the timing of it shouldn’t be our focus, the preparation should. I feel a sense of urgency knowing how long it took me to “get my life in order” (meaning with God). It wasn’t overnight! I can see other people that I care about are just like me before my eyes were opened – so that is what concerns me and brings out this sense of urgency. We may not have much time, but others don’t feel that way or see the urgency like I do. I know I can’t do it for anyone, but I care about them. It is exhausting having conversations when you know that someone doesn’t see it, understand it or doesn’t believe it and I can’t force a belief on anyone, all I can do is pray, which I do. If someone believes, they will take action, if they don’t, they will stay the same. The urgency is always present because we are not guaranteed to live “X” number of years, anything could happen at any time. So the urgency is present whether it is 7 years from now, or if God says our time is up unexpectedly. It is a race against time in that regard.
My Question to God. As I mentioned, it’s not enjoyable telling anyone that there may be a short time before Jesus returns, so I prayed (2/12/22) and asked God if we are in the final 7 years and asked what should I be doing right now? As I’ve done before, in prayer, I ask God about something, then open the bible to see what scripture shows up (it is consistently relevant to me). When I asked the question above, this was the page I opened to:
Then I called my sister and told her what happened and said this doesn’t say anything about the final 7 years so I guess I should back off a bit. But she pointed out, you asked 2 questions: one was is it the final 7 years and the second was what you should be doing. She had a point. So I told her I would try again and let her know.
My answer. I prayed again and asked God to show me something that would let me know if we are in the final 7 years. I didn’t want to affect the outcome of what page was opened (i.e. knowing what part of the bible is Old Testament vs New Testament and turning to a certain area of the Bible influencing the outcome) so I placed the bible on the spine of the book and let it open. Well first, the cover opened and it was a blank page, Second the same think happened, then the 3rd time it opened to Ezekiel 38 (about Gog and Magog). When I saw that I called her again and said this is about the time after Jesus returns, so I guess we are not in the final 7 years. And I went about my day, not giving much more thought to it. But then I watched this video and Amir mentions Ezekiel 38 unfolding! That certainly caught my attention: click here for the video but it was too late at night when I watched it, so I decided I would look into that scripture more the next day, which I did, I searched for studies on God and Magog; I watched this and then re-read the scripture, I can see the third opinion: This war likely will be a long war that could begin before the man of lawlessness is revealed and finish at Armaggedon, when Jesus returns. It was certainly an interesting theory, one that I hadn’t heard before and certainly made turning to Ezekiel 38 more relevant regarding the final 7 years. It seemed to be an affirmation to me. I wouldn’t jump to this conclusion if I didn’t have prior questions answered in this way, some that were future events that occurred the way the scripture indicated, and not the way I hoped it would be. Another point, it’s always God’s will, not ours and no matter what we plan, God’s will/His word, will prevail. This is a humbling experience because we realize we ultimately don’t have control of anything. If you haven’t learned that yet, just wait, you will learn that eventually.
What is next? God doesn’t reveal things without His purpose in mind. As I was reading prior chapters in Ezekiel to get a better understanding, I read Ezekiel 33, verse 6: 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’ It made me reflect, I don’t want to be responsible for someone’s demise, if God is showing me this and telling me we are in the final 7 years, I need to communicate this!
All Christians: I think this applies to you right now too: If your eyes are opened to what is going on in the world, use that wisdom to help those who are not yet aware.
Maybe someone will be impacted by what happened to me, maybe by you, or various sources? I know what happened to me a couple days ago, what has happened to me in the past and what time period I believe we are in right now: The End Times. Even if I am wrong, if I misunderstood or let my personal thoughts influence this, the final 7 years doesn’t matter, but preparation does. (Technically there is a benefit to getting right with God sooner than later, you could possibly not die an earthly death, you could ascend to meet Jesus when he returns, but that shouldn’t be the goal, it is just a benefit if a person has prepared prior to Jesus’ return and is living righteously) 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17NOW is the time to prepare, no matter if we are in the final 7 years or if it turns out to be far into the future. Being prepared (spiritually) is the most important thing to do right now. Pray to God, reconcile with God, repair that relationship, ask for His Spirit to guide you daily and give you wisdom and discernment about what is happening right now. If we seek Him, He will reveal Himself in a personal way to each of us. Don’t put this off. What if war happens unexpectedly and somehow you or I am in the area of destruction? Will you be ready? Have you told God you want His presence? Don’t fear what can happen to the body, fear what can happen to your soul. (Matthew 10:28)
God has amazing plans for us in the future, when we become immortal! You don’t want to miss out on this! Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 I can’t wait for this period; I’d like to miss the in between period, but that is not likely!
Let’s just get to the point. Russia is currently setting up outside Ukraine. China has been threatening Taiwan. Iran is enhancing its nuclear capacity and openly expresses its unacceptance (to put it mildly) of Israel and the United States. The Middle East in general is continuously in some level of conflict.
If you haven’t done this yet, it’s time to make sure your ETERNAL future is in the place of your choosing, because you may not end up where you expect. You need to make a decision and take action now. So here are 12 questions to know where you may end up and find out what you need to do if you don’t get the answer you want:
Do you believe that JESUS is the ONLY way that you can be in eternity with God? (You can’t be “good enough” based on your own actions.) Yes or No?
Are you familiar with the 10 Commandments? Yes or No?
Do you admit that you break God’s commands? Yes or No?
Do you know the following is prohibited by God and those who continually do this (and don’t change these ways) will not enter God’s eternal kingdom? (sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, theft, lying, slander, “magic” such as seances, astrology, mediums, practice of witchcraft, spiritist, interpreting omens, casting spells, anger, getting drunk, sexual perversion, false teachers of religion, false prophets of religion, pride, a person who stirs up conflict in the community, a person who loves and practices any false teaching, hypocrites, taking advantage of other people, practicing homosexuality, slave traders, anyone who speaks against God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit), being conceited, prioritizing money or wealth) Yes or No?
Have you rebelled against/sinned against God by doing anything in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
Have you asked God for forgiveness and subsequently made an effort to avoid all things listed in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
Have you told God that you want and intend to be obedient to Him by not breaking anything in #3 and #4, even though it is hard to do and you will mess up occasionally, but not regularly? Yes or No?
Do you ask God for forgiveness then change the behavior if, or when, you do anything listed in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
Have you publicly shown your commitment and surrendered to God and without hesitation state your belief in Jesus being the Son of God, the Messiah, who made it possible for you to be in eternity with God by being Baptized? Yes or No?
Have you asked Jesus for God’s spirit (the Holy Spirit) to help you live according to God’s will? Yes or No?
Do you know God personally? Do you have a personal relationship (ie. pray, read the bible, study the bible) with God? Yes or No?
Is the Spirit of God residing in you? Yes or No?
If you honestly answered “Yes” to ALL the questions above, you can know that you will have eternal life with God. If you answered “No” to any of the questions above, then you have work to do if you want eternal life with God.
Here are some (but not all) links to scripture validating the questions above:
Christians have very different view points on this subject: some never heard of it, some don’t believe it, some think the “rapture” will happen before “the tribulation” occurs, some think it will happen in the middle of “the tribulation” and some think it will happen at the end of “the tribulation”- before God’s wrath occurs. In my opinion, the timing doesn’t matter, but a person’s knowledge about this event and preparation does matter. As we know, the Bible is open to interpretation and people present compelling reasons for their beliefs, but the truth will exist (despite any erroneous beliefs), so on this subject (because it is not a Heaven or Hell topic, but could be), it’s important to know about it and consider all views, look into it yourself, pray about it and most of all be prepared no matter what interpretation turns out to be correct on the timing. The “Rapture” event is in the Bible, I can confirm that!
NORTH AMERICAN(the Rapture)(according to some millenarian teaching) the transporting of believers to heaven at the Second Coming of Christ.
When I first heard it explained I heard that it was derived from the Latin word which had the meaning “snatch, carry off” which is where “rapture” came from. In scripture, the Greek word is harpazō which is defined as:
to seize, carry off by force
to seize on, claim for one’s self eagerly
to snatch out or away
raptura ( Latin)
rapturus ( Latin) Future active participle of rapiō (“snatch, carry off”).
So that is how the word “Rapture” came about, and Yes, it (the event) is in the Bible.
Jesus was crucified, was dead for 3 days, then rose from the dead and visited numerous people, it was reported that he had been seen (alive again) by a group of over 500 people over a series of days. (1 Corinthians 15:6) He then ascended, was “carried up” while he was giving a blessing to his disciples. (Luke 24: 50-51), (Mark 16:19) (Acts 1:9) In a similar way believers will ascend. Enoch was also believed to have experienced this, maybe that’s why Paul refers to Jesus as the “first fruits” (plural) because Enoch also went this way; and fruit, seeds, growing, and harvesting is a commonly used symbol used throughout the bible.
Secondly, where is “The Rapture” of believers mentioned in the Bible?
BABY CHRISTIAN. Before I read and began studying the Bible, I never heard of “the Rapture”, yet I called myself a Christian. I was a little shocked at what I found in the Bible: so many things I never heard about, nor remember being taught. Not knowing much of what is the Bible, besides the “famous” Bible stories of Noah’s Ark, The “edited” 10 Commandments, Miracles, The Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and I was raised “Christian.” What I realized is that I was “a baby Christian“- at least that’s what I call it now! I didn’t understand what a true Christian/Believer meant or entailed. But I think this is very common, Paul refers to it in the Bible! I believed in Jesus and I knew I was supposed to “be good” and I hoped in the end, God would decide that I lived my life “good enough” to make it to Heaven. I now know those beliefs are not correct, according to the Bible: we can know right now if we WILL or we won’t be in eternity with God: it is a simply a heartfelt DECISION (decide to love God, prioritize Him, ask Him to guide your life, give your “control” to Him/surrender, willingly accept His commands with the intent to abide by His commands) we choose and by the grace of God, a “gift” made possible by Jesus’s death and resurrection, we are offered eternity, because God loves us that much! A hugeamount of anxiety goes away when a person finally comprehends this! We can be “saved” while we are still broken, imperfect people, working towards improvement, if we simply choose God, prioritize God in our life, believe the information found in the Gospels about Jesus.
Places that mention “the Rapture” (being taken, caught up)
Matthew 24: It’s important to read and pay attention to every statement in this chapter in regards to the timing of the rapture. It tells us “one will be taken and the other left” when Jesus returns. I believe Jesus will take the one who prepared and leave the one who is not prepared, as the wrath will occur next. Also in Revelation 14, One like the Son of Man (Jesus) gathering his people, the “good grapes” (the earth was harvested) and then leaving the remainder for the angels with the sickle. Logically thinking when a harvest occurs, the good is gathered and the rest is left to perish, right?
1 Corinthians 15: especially verses 23 and 52, this is when the resurrection occurs for those “who belong to Him” meaning those who have surrendered/given/chose to give their life to Him
1 Thessalonians 4: this tells us those who have died (as Believers) will rise first, then those true believers who are still alive will be “caught up to “Jesus in the clouds when he returns (the Second Coming)- I think this happens to protect the true believers during the Wrath of God. This is very interesting because this could be something we experience!
What are the various beliefs about when it happens and why do people believe what they do? Here is an excellent resource (link) for detailed thoughts and opinions about this question: www.gotquestions.org
Are the Rapture and the return of Jesus are the Same Event? To be honest, this is my thought/opinion. I have a different view from the Got Questions link: I believe the second coming and the rapture ARE the same event after reading the bible, I don’t think the rapture is kept “secret,” because it is revealed in the Bible, for any of us who read it. It is only “a secret” for the people who don’t read the Bible, they will not know about this, that’s where the “secret” is. There are many “secrets” about the universe that only those who read scripture learn. After reading the Bible, my opinion is that Believers will go through Tribulation, but will not go through God’s Wrath, I believe the rapture is the first resurrection described in Revelation. (Revelation 20: 4-6) and because in Daniel 7:21-22: The “saints” are being persecuted by the AntiChrist (described as the “horn”) so how could the saints be persecuted if they were already raptured? In Daniel 7:25 the saints/holy people are persecuted for 3.5 years (a time, times and half a time)- just prior to Jesus’ return. Revelation 13:7-8 this says that the saints will be at war with the beast that was “given authority” through the power of Satan, the ruler of the air- the saints are those whose names are written in the book of life.
Defining Saint. It’s probably important to define the word “saint” because I understood through the religion I grew up with there was a special process that had to be done to determine if someone was a saint and there were miracles involved typically, but today, I believe differently, yes those are definitely saints but so are more people than those who were involved with miracles, there is much to study in the original scripture to arrive at this conclusion: (link here) from this, I believe that “saints” or “holy people” are all those who have surrendered their life to God; those who have God’s spirit residing in them as a result of surrendering their life to God. As Jesus once said, “only God is good” meaning we are all sinners, there is not one person who is “good” naturally, it is a choice that someone makes; therefore all people have the ability to be a “saint” or “holy”. It is a choice and when a person chooses to live their life according to God’s commands, God sends his spirit to help that person (God’s spirit resides within a person), therefore they are a “saint”. Revelation 7:13 also seems to explain this: those who have washed their robes (ie. symbolically made themselves “clean/holy” by changing their natural ways, deciding to live by God’s commands).
Defining Tribulation. As I mentioned, my opinion is Believers will go through Tribulation, but not Wrath. So what is the Tribulation? Everything that happens before Jesus returns (Matthew 24: 29-30) John 16: 33: Jesus warned everyone that in this world we will face trials, trouble, etc. known as tribulation (but it is temporary). Tribulation is the persecution, trouble, affliction caused by evil people/Satan, not punishment from God prior to Jesus’ return. The Great Tribulation is the final test of faith that God allows to happen, just like he allowed a test of faith with Job, just like he allowed with Abraham and Issac, just like he did with Noah and the flood, just like he did with Moses coming out of Egypt and the manna. Why should we think we will avoid all tests when some of the most faithful in the Bible were tested? We need to be prepared. If we are certain that we will avoid the Tribulation, then what happens if we see these things occurring? Will we doubt God’s promise? Will we think we are not in the Book of Life? Will we loose faith? No, we shouldn’t. We should keep this possibility in the back of our mind (or in the forefront ideally), we could very well be here during the Tribulation, but remember it is only a test of our faith; it is not punishment from God. We just need to endure it, persevere, don’t loose faith, because Jesus forewarned us about this.
Defining Wrath. As I mentioned, my opinion is Believers will go through Tribulation, but not Wrath. So what is the Wrath? Wrath is God’s punishment. Here is a link to wrath references. God is not going to punish His people (the people who have committed to Him; made Him a priority; agree to live by His commands, have His spirit residing in them)! God’s wrath is pretty intense. Here is a link, if you want to know about it.
1 Thessalonians 1: 10: This tells us Jesus will deliver the saints from wrath, not from Tribulation.
1 Thessalonians 4: 13-17: This happens with the sound of the Trumpet (and this is usually a warning signal)
In summary. The Bible is clear to me that the “Rapture” will occur. There are many differing opinions which I shared and explained my personal opinion too. Ultimately when it happens doesn’t matter as much as being prepared PRIOR to it happening. That means seek God, reconcile/make up with Him, don’t be an enemy of God, tell Him you choose to give Him the rest of your life, ask Him for the Holy Spirit to help you through the rest of your life, then you/we have nothing to worry about! The rest is in His very capable and powerful hands. We will be “fine”, and better than “fine”, once Jesus returns! After God’s wrath, it is going to be AWESOME. This is what God has planned: Revelation 21
Did you ever consider: what if all this “biblical truth” is in front of your eyes, not to condemn you, but to reach you out of love? Have you ever experienced this situation with a friend? You saw something that was harmful to them, they may know it too, but they don’t want to accept it. You try to encourage them out of love (because you care about them) encouraging them in a different direction, but they won’t accept what you are saying and they keep doing what you know is, or will be, harmful to them if they keep going in the same direction. What if God loves you so much that it hurts Him to see what’s happening in your life because He knows the ultimate outcome and He doesn’t want you to experience it? One fact I know is true: God works through people in our lives, there are no “coincidences,” things happen for a reason, this reason: to fulfill God’s will. God will work all things (even the bad stuff) for the ultimate good in His people’s lives.
I just had another “coincidence” occur: people saying the same thing I was thinking but didn’t want to accept. This morning I prayed to God and asked Him to point me to relevant scripture that He wants to be shared and when I opened the bible, it happened again (another affirmation) what if this is the truth? I opened the Bible to this: The left page was this (Acts 8:20 – 32) and the right page was this (Acts 8:33-Acts: 9:11). As I was linking Acts 9:11 just now, I mixed up the numbers accidently and entered Acts 1:9-11! Read it! Wow.
If you read any of my prior posts, you may notice the underlying “truth” which I’m hesitant to express, but weighs heavily on me. What if we truly don’t have much time ahead of us? Are you prepared? Am I prepared? How much time do we have to get prepared? I can’t answer how much time we have, but I can share that I feel a sense of urgency and I have a hard time accepting it, but it only keeps being affirmed: by the bible and by religious leaders (Pastors, Rabbis and Muslims). This situation is like a child having a great time playing on a playground and the parent calling the child, saying it’s time to go. Some children obey willingly and other children throw a temper tantrum because they are not ready. This represents all of us, right now! We are the children and God is calling us. Which child are you? (I was the temper tantrum child, I’ll be honest about it, but I’ve accepted it now and I’m not sad about it. I’m prepared to “leave the playground,” because something better is waiting for me and you, if you believe.)
These are the words that I’ve been hearing lately: “It’s not going to get better.” Who wants to hear that? None of us! Why do you think I didn’t want to accept it? Those who read scripture (Christians, Jewish and Muslims) are all saying the same thing right now. I’ve listened to each. That’s one subject all faiths agree upon. It is concerning because, as a Christian, I believe the bible after reading it: prior predictions (prophesies) came true, many other reasons (I wrote about here) and the purpose (2 Timothy 3) of the bible is very clear to me.
I searched the bible, not accepting what religious leaders said, I didn’t trust them. I wanted to know what does the bible teach us about “getting ready”? It’s pretty simple actually: “come as you are” with a desire of seeking God, understanding the truth and a willingness to let God lead your life. We are not perfect people and we will never be (until God completes us and gives us immortal bodies- yes that will happen). But right now, don’t worry about “cleaning up” your life before willfully giving the rest of your life to God, if you do that, you will be setting yourself up for a long struggle, don’t waste your time: Commit to God while your life is still messed up, God’s power will help your life get cleaned up. What’s impossible for us is possible with God (Luke 18:27). Jesus called this process “being born again” (John 3). This is simply making a decision.
If you choose to commit to God, believe in Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead your life, you have nothing to fear about the future. God has incredible plans for our future; it’s something to be excited about. (John 14 and Revelation 21 and Revelation 22)
Once you make the decision, stay connected to God because you will need Him to succeed: pray as often as possible, take time to study the bible (know what’s in it so you don’t believe lies), find other people who have made the same choice as you for encouragement when times get tough (gather together), and get a bible if you don’t have one. Currently, we have internet access to bibles, but what if we don’t someday? We need to know what is in it, so we aren’t manipulated in the future. I was told about a study bible which I bought and have shared with other people who found it helpful. It is helpful because it includes many common questions (the top 100 most asked questions) and biblical answers to them. Here is a link to the study bible I have, if you want one?
S.A.I.L. 