A Pastor’s Thoughts: Are You Ready?   

By Pastor Wayne Sibrava, Living Water Baptist Church —

The immediate often drives our lives, and it sets our day in motion. Deadlines, schedules, appointments, and interruptions are where our energies go. As for me, today my journey to Ayacucho, Peru, begins with a flight to JFK, Atlanta, Lima, and finally to Ayacucho, Peru, which is in the Andes Mountains. There are events that we know about, that we plan for, and that we’re ready for. Then there are unexpected things that happen, such as health scares, accidents, a phone call, and many other surprises that can occur at a moment’s notice.  

There’s another event that we can’t plan for, but we should prepare for. This is when we die. The statistics on death are very compelling: one out of every one person dies. There is no escape. It could be an illness or accident, but for all of us, death is certain. I hope and pray that I  have 20 years left before I die. But I don’t know, nor does anyone know, the day.  

The bigger issue is whether or not I am ready to die. The afterlife, what’s on the other side of life, is mysterious. Yet we’re not left in the dark. The Bible teaches that there is a heaven, a place of life, and there is a hell, a place of torment. While I’ve heard people say that they don’t believe in heaven or hell, the fact of the matter is that you can’t stay here.  

Are you ready to die? Have you prepared yourself for that eventuality? You don’t have to hope that when you die you will go to heaven. You don’t have to wish or think that when you die you will go to heaven. You can know with 100% certainty that when you die, you will go to heaven.

The Bible says: 1 John 5:13 (NLT) 13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. Herein is a definitive statement that clearly says, “you may know” and yet there are many supposed ways, based on various opinions, on how you can know you will go to heaven when you die.  

Carefully and clearly understand what the Bible says about how you can know. According to the Scriptures, we must understand three things; call them A, B, and C. A: We must admit that we are sinners. Romans 3:23 (NLT) 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s  glorious standard. B: We must believe that Jesus died in our place for the sins of the world. Romans 5:8 (NLT) 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. C: We must confess Jesus as our Lord. Romans 10:9–10  (NLT) 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.  

If you are not ready to die, I appeal to you to make life’s most important decision: that you trust Jesus as your Savior now. I made this decision over 50 years ago, and I am praying that you will do so now, even as you read this article. May God richly bless you!