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"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare." (2 Peter 3:10 NIV)
When a friend of mine was evacuated from his home and town, due to wildfire, I asked him if he had taken all his important legal papers, identification and medical files with him. He told me that he had not. He had simply left quickly. My friend did not have what has come to be known as "Go-Bag".
A "Go-Bag" is a bag that one keeps ready in case of an emergency evacuation notice, something which is happening frequently due to the shift in weather patterns our world is experiencing. Fires, floods, landslides, hurricanes, tornados and the like can come upon us with very little or sometimes no warning, and having a "Go-Bag" ready and waiting can make a huge difference when it comes to dealing with long term evacuations or the possible loss of your home and property.
Similarly, the Scriptures remind us that the day of the Lord’s return will also come upon us when we least expect it. When that day comes, there will no longer be time to prepare to meet our heavenly Father. The time will be passed to ready our spiritual "Go-Bag" everyone on the earth will be evacuated to an eternity spent with or without God.
The apostle John writes these words: "And this is the testimony (statement or proof): God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11,12 NIV)
Jesus, the Son of God, offers us our spiritual "Go-Bag" for free, it is known as salvation. Knowing him as our personal Lord and Saviour, trusting Him for the forgiveness of our sins which makes us holy and acceptable to God, assures us that our name is written in God’s book of life. Not knowing Christ however, condemns us to judgment and eternal death in the lake of fire known as Hades (See Revelation 20:15 NIV).
Each one of us is going to be evacuated from this earth, whether it is by death or through the return of Jesus. This is a fact, a given. The question is, are you ready? Is the Spirit of Jesus residing within your heart through your acceptance of the free gift of salvation, your "Go-Bag" which He offers to all mankind? If not, why not?
Prayer: Lord God may the eyes and hearts of the peoples of the world be opened to see their need of salvation in Christ, that their spiritual *go bag* will be packed up within their hearts on the day You call us to Yourself. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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