Last week, the massive cyclone Phailin made landfall on India’s eastern coast. Before the storm moved in, hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes and sent to shelters further inland. Many people, however, did not want to leave their homes.

A government minister, said, “Many people refused to move, they had to be convinced, and at times the police had to forcefully move them to safe places.” Isn’t it strange that some people, even though they know danger is coming, refuse to do what is necessary to save themselves?

Yes, sometimes, terrible things, like earthquakes, happen without warning, and we have no time to prepare. But, often in life, many of the bad situations that we face are preceded by multiple warnings; and how things turn out when those situations make “landfall” is determined by how we act right now.

The Bible repeatedly warns us about several things that will happen to us:

1. We will die. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die…”

2. We will face God, the Judge of the universe. Hebrews 9:27 goes on to say that after we die, we will face “the judgment.”

3. We will either be accepted into God’s Heaven or we will be sent to eternal punishment in Hell. Matthew 25 says, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…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.”

Death, judgment, and going to an eternal destination are things that will happen to every human being who has ever lived. And while God wants death to be a pleasant experience for us and wants us to be accepted into His heaven to live for all eternity, He will not force us to make the decision we need to make to get there. He will not do like those Indian police officers who had to drag people out of their homes in order to save them from the cyclone.

Revelation 3:20 tells us what God does: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

Right now, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is standing at the door of your heart. He is knocking repeatedly. He is waiting patiently. He wants you to make the right decision before it is eternally too late.

What decision does He want you to make? He wants you to choose Him as your Lord and to trust Him as your Savior from the eternal punishment — the everlasting fire — spoken of in Matthew 25. All of those who open the door to Jesus Christ and trust Him as their Savior will live in God’s kingdom for all eternity. In John 14:2-3, Jesus Christ told His disciples, “In my Father’s house (God’s kingdom) are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Wouldn’t you like to have a house in God’s kingdom? Wouldn’t you like to be where peace, joy, and happiness reign for all eternity? To do so, you must make a decision for Christ while you are alive on this Earth. You must believe on Jesus Christ as your Savior from your sins and the punishment of sin.

Allow me to explain it further.

First, you must recognize that your sins have separated you from God. Even though Adam and Eve were the first to sin, we must each take responsibility for our own actions. And the Bible says, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” In honest repentance agree with God about your sinfulness and admit your need for forgiveness. First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Second, you must realize that God loves you, and believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins—taking the punishment you deserve. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only thing that makes it possible for God to forgive us of our sins and allow us to live in the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ for eternity.

Third, you must accept Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin and sin’s consequences by believing that he died, was buried, and rose again, and receiving Him into your life by faith. Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you accept Jesus Christ into your heart, you will begin a relationship with God that will last for eternity. You will become a child of God with a home in Heaven where you will spend eternity. If you want to begin this relationship right now, you can pray a short prayer to let God know that you have decided to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour so that you can spend eternity with Him. Please repeat after me and mean it from your heart.

Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today and forever. Amen.

If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! I want to congratulate you on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

Believe by faith. Share the faith. And keep the faith! God Bless You!