Before You Face God on Judgment Day

Are you ready to face God?

No one will miss that great and dreadful event. Not the Jew nor the Muslim. Not the Catholic nor the Protestant. Buddhists and Hindus will be there too. Oh, and let's not forget the atheists and agnostics; they'll be there with obvious looks of surprise. All will stand before God to give an account of this life.

The End of the World

Jesus said, "The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares [weeds] are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them [tares] is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world"(Matthew 13:38-40).

Are you producing fruit in your life as God desires through obedience to the Gospel? Or are you of the weeds that will be gathered in the end and burned in the fires of hell?

Awake, Sleeping One!

What keeps you from God? Are you afraid of losing your family? Friends? Social standing? Does not the prospect of losing your soul overshadow those fears?

Do not wait for a convenient time to come to Jesus. God wants you now! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). God is calling "all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man [Jesus] whom he hath ordained"(Acts 17:30, 31).

There is a day appointed. Time is running out.

Are You Looking Back?

Jesus Christ expects His true followers to continue in obedience to His commands. Mere lip service will not do. Don't look back as Lot's wife did and suffer the consequences of disbelief (Genesis 19:26; Luke 17:32, 33).

James said, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). The question is not simply, "Are you a believer?" but, "Are you an obedient follower of Jesus?" Concerning those who believe but do not obey, Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

Are you in a fire of testing, my brother, my sister? Consider Jesus' example--how He endured the cross for us while we were yet sinners.

Or consider an example from history: In 303 A.D. Andronicus, a Christian, after having been thrown in prison and scourged and his bleeding wounds rubbed with salt, was brought out and thrown to the wild animals. Finally, he was killed with a sword. Before the death blow fell on his head, this brave martyr said, "Do your worst. I am a Christian. I will never serve your gods, nor do I fear your master, the Emperor. Commence your torments and make use of every means that your malignity can invent. You shall find in the end that I am not to be shaken from my resolution."

"He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13).

Two Places Prepared

The Bible says there are two places that have been especially prepared--one for the righteous and one for the wicked. Jesus said to His followers, "In my Father's house are many mansions.... I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2). Heaven is being prepared for the righteous. But describing the future judgment of the wicked, Jesus said, "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew 25:41). Hell was prepared for the devil, and all who follow the devil will go there with him.

The decision you make in this life for or against Jesus Christ will determine which "prepared" place will be your eternal destiny.

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