“God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change. But when the Day of God’s Judgement does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgement.”

2 Peter 3:9-10 MSG.

The End. You’ve seen those words plenty of times and probably heard them read at the end of a children’s story. Maybe you’ve even written those words when a chapter came to a close in your life, and you thought it was officially “the end” of something for you.

But the end of things as we’ve always known them is coming. Time is running out. Those words shouldn’t scare you, but help you understand something you already know:

One day you’re going to leave this world. You’re either going to die a natural death, or you’ll be here when God sends Jesus to come back for His children. If you’re ready, you will be caught up, lifted up to be with the Lord forever. No one knows the day or the hour of when that will take place. Only the Father knows. And when it happens, it’s going to happen quickly – in the twinkling of an eye.

It will be the end of your life as you know it. If you’re ready, you’ll be lifted up. If not, you will be left behind.

The time to play nice and dance around the subject is over. Look around. This world is getting awfully dark and painful, and evil is pressing in harder. It’s time to get ready. It’s time to choose.

You must make a choice, precious soul. Choose while you still can, so when “The End” comes, you’ll be ready. Accountability and judgment are coming. Dragging your feet at a time like this is dangerous. And not making a choice is no excuse. You can’t get into Heaven that way. The only way is through Jesus Christ.

Sin is ugly, nasty. Someone drenched in it can’t be in the presence of our holy and pure God. The only way to be made clean is to accept Jesus’ blood – His sacrifice for YOU.

When you accept Jesus, you’re no longer covered in sin – you’re washed, made clean in His blood.

Of course, this isn’t a license to keep on sinning. Over time, He changes your heart and makes those sins detestable to you.

But the time to choose is now. The time to get ready is now. If you haven’t chosen Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you can right now by saying this prayer out loud:

God, I come to you in Jesus’ name. I confess I’m a sinner in need of your forgiveness. I confess with my mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead. Please come into my heart, Jesus, and make me clean with your blood and prepare me for all that is to come. Steady me and be with me through it all. And thank you for giving me peace that I can know right NOW that when I leave this earth, I’ll be with you in Heaven for all eternity. It’s in Jesus’ name I pray and ask all these things. Amen.

If you just said that prayer, there is great rejoicing in Heaven over you! And one day, you’ll see those who’ve gone before you, those you’ve been missing since they went home to be with the Lord. What a reunion!

And now when “The End” comes, you will be celebrating with ALL who’ve accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior as you welcome in the wonderful new beginning that waits on the threshold of eternity. And you’ll spend it in the glorious presence of the One who loves you more than you can possibly comprehend.

It will be an amazing new beginning to a never-ending, true story that may begin a little like this:

Once upon a time, you entered Heaven, free of pain and sadness as Jesus smiled at you…