Learning Center - Women's Bible Studies

Are You Prepared to Meet God?
by Rev. Tina McGehee

My mother’s death got me thinking: If I were to die tomorrow, would I be ready? I’m not speaking physically, but rather, spiritually.

For some people, death will come as a surprise. We know we are going to die but we don’t know when we are going to die. On my mother’s side of the family, we’ve had several sudden deaths. One day that person was here and the next day they were gone. In the majority of those cases, the person died young – in their 30’s or 40’s. Were they prepared? I’d like to think they were. They knew Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior but what was in their hearts? I honestly, do not know.

Let’s take a look at this spiritually. What spiritual legacy would you leave? We all know one thing is for certain: One day each of us is going to die. We are all going to stand before God and we will be judged according to our actions. It doesn’t matter if you are the Queen of England or the homeless person living on the street – you are going to be judged according to your life. There is no escaping it.

We all know God is Spirit and we need to understand that we are also spirit. We are a spirit covered by flesh. The question is, where do we want our spirit to reside? There are only two places – heaven or hell. I want to quote Scott Harrup from “The Pentecostal Evangel”: He says “We need to make each day count. We need to embrace each moment as God’s gift and listen to His guiding Holy Spirit when making even the simplest plans. This isn’t bondage; it’s freedom to a degree nonbelievers cannot know.” Isn’t that powerful?

How will people remember you? Do you make each day count? When someone is coming to you for a hug, do you hug back? When a child is reaching out to you for love, are you loving them or are you turning your back? If your parent is older and needs help, are you helping them or turning your back? If a homeless person needs food, will you turn the other way? If a person needs God in their lives will you tell them about Him or will you resist the urge? Why not allow the Holy Spirit to guide your life instead of you guiding it? Listen to God. After all, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. It is your communicator from God. Listen to it.

I read something from Hal Donaldson that made me evaluate my own life. It is the “10 things to do before you die”. It is a spiritual list of things he wanted to do before he died and as I read them, I thought – these are the same things I want to do before I die. I’ll list them and you can decide if they pertain to you. Perhaps they don’t; perhaps you have a different list of things you want to do. Remember, we are speaking spiritual – not worldly. Try this exercise on your own and see what it brings you:

Leave a legacy of love and faith. How do you want your friends and family to remember you? As a loving, kind person or as a cranky, mean person?

Mend broken fences. Repair your broken relationships. You need reconciliation. Remember, with God’s help, you will learn to love that person instead of hating them.

Open your heart to strangers. It can be scary to open your heart to a stranger. Maybe you’ll see someone who needs help. Instead of turning the other cheek, go to them and offer help. Maybe it is that homeless person on the corner who needs a sandwich. Give it to them. Maybe it is that Spanish speaking family who needs help. You may not know how to speak Spanish but you can try to help by finding someone who does speak Spanish. Maybe they need food, water or just a smile.

Bless your church and your pastor. Your church and pastor need to know they are appreciated. It is hard to be a pastor; they are people just like you. They have a calling from God to help minister to others. They need your prayers and your notes of thanks. Pray for your church. Pray that the people of your church come together in a way that shows love – not backbiting or gossip.

Embark on a new spiritual discipline. Maybe you do read your Bible daily. Why don’t you ask the Holy Spirit to show you what to do? Maybe you need to fast and pray a little more, maybe you need to pray for someone else at a certain time or perhaps you need to memorize a scripture a week? God will show you if you ask Him.

Donate Your Time. If you can donate your time by helping others, do it. It could be as volunteer at a church outreach for the poor, going to school to help teach others or else going to a food bank to help donate time. Volunteers are needed everywhere – just look around.

Witness one-on-one. People need to hear of God’s love. Many times people are reaching out to you in their daily speech. A lot of people don’t know God’s love. Tell them how God helped you. Tell them how you feel inside. Don’t hesitate, tell them.

Record your life’s mission statement. “Write a letter in advance that explains your life’s priorities, your dreams for your children and grandchildren, and your joy in being a part of the body of Christ. Your personal mission statement will become a lasting testimony when you leave for your eternal home.”

Establish a financial plan – tithe, prepare for yourself and your family. It doesn’t matter how little or how much you make. If you can only save five dollars a month, then do it. Five dollars is better than nothing. Make sure you leave a will. If you only have your grandmother’s clock, then make sure you give it to someone who will appreciate it. Don’t give it to the sister who is on drugs and will sell it to feed her drug habit.

Prepare to meet God. The most important thing to do is ask Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior. Your decision will be the most important thing you’ll ever do. Always ask Jesus into your life on a daily basis. Tell Him to forgive you for your sins and to reveal anything you might have done that was wrong during the day. Ask Him into your life on a personal level. He wants more than anything to be intimate with you. Pray this with me:

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I believe you are my Lord and Savior. I ask that you remove my sins and wash me clean. Please come into my life. If you prayed that prayer then we believe you are born again. Please read the following scriptures to understand: Romans 3:23, John 3:3; John 3:5-7; 3:16 and 1 John 1:9. Let Pastor Ty and I know that you made this decision. We will pray in agreement with you that your walk is strong.

I hope this exercise makes you think just like it did for me. Here are some scriptures to study as you do your exercise:

With Christ’s love,
Pastor Tina McGehee