Family
Preparation

If you haven't read the first two articles in this series, please start there:

• Spiritual and Emotional Preparation

• Physical Preparation

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If you have done that, let's talk about our families.

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First, I am assuming if you are reading this that you have given your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If not, please contact us and we'd love to talk to you about what that means!

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With all of that done, let me ask you a question:

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Is all of your family saved? I don't mean, do they go to church or call themselves Christians. I mean, have they given their lives to Jesus and is it evidenced by the fruit of a changed life? My preacher has said it like this. If they were tried in court, accused of being a Christian, is there enough evidence to convict them?

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I suspect everyone reading this has family members or close friends that are not saved or are not sure. My concern for my unsaved family is far more intense than my concern for whatever difficulties I may go through in the coming years.

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Because no matter what happens to me, I know that I am filled with the same Spirit that raise Jesus from the dead. I know that the God who created the universe not only lives inside of me but cares for me, leads me, helps me, strengthens me, gives me wisdom and courage, and comforts me. And I know that when I die - whether I die a natural death or a martyr's death, I am going to take my last breath here and and instantly be in the presence of my Savior where all suffering and pain will be gone forever.

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But my family doesn't have any of those assurances now or in the future.

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Here's is why it matters.

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The Bible says that there is really a tribulation coming. Now, you may be a Christian who believes you will be raptured out of this world before tribulation hits. I disagree for a few reasons but let's save that argument for another day. Because if you are right, then I will be thrilled to be raptured out sooner than later. (If you want to see a few of my reasons, read the footnote at the bottom of this article.)

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So, even if the Christians are raptured out of here, the unsaved will not be. They will be left to endure the tribulation. They will be left to be deceived by the devil or endure the wrath of God not being protected by the blood of Jesus. At some point, they will be faced with a choice - take the mark of the beast...worship the devil or you will not be able to buy food, have a home to live in, etc.

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And if they take that mark and worship the devil, they are lost forever. There is no second chance once that decision is made.

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Our unsaved family and friends can do all they want to prepare physically but they aren't prepared spiritually. No one is prepared. The only reason we can have confidence is because when we stand before God it will be seen through the blood of Jesus which cleanses us and takes away our sins.

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What Should We Do?

Pray! Pray for your unsaved family and friends. Ask God to soften their hearts, prepare them, speak to them, do a quick work, make Himself known to them. Ask God how you can be His hands, feet, and mouth in sharing your faith with them.

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Speak! Now is not the time to hold back. Yes, they may get upset or offended or whatever. What is that to their ETERNAL salvation? Ask God to give you open doors and the words and then to give you the BOLDNESS to speak to them.

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Ask! When you share your faith, make sure you ask them if they would like to have the same saving relationship with Jesus. Don't just leave it up to them to know to ask. Offer it. Help them pray and talk to Jesus if they'd like. Read the Bible with them. Help them find a good church. Help disciple them so they grow quickly.

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Pray Some More! If they don't jump right in the first time, don't give up. If they reject you or your faith, remember, they are rejecting Jesus and not you. Pray all the more. Pray that God won't let them get away from the truth of their sin and His love. Pray that He will send person after person across their path who will be bold enough to share their faith.

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Never Give Up and Never Stop Sharing His Love and Truth!

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You are the "someone preaching" in the verse below which is a continuation of the verse from the top of this page.

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How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?

And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14)

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Footnote: If you are reading this footnote, I assume it is because you are at least curious about why we don't believe in pre-tribulation rapture. Here are a couple of reasons:

1. We believe Jesus is only coming back once to rapture His church AND take over rule and reign of the earth.

2. We take the Bible literally where it says in Revelation 13:7-8 that the beast will make war on the saints. There have to be saints here for that to happen.

3. We do NOT believe that we will endure God's wrath but we are preparing to endure the wrath of the enemy if that is God's will for our lives. Just as Jesus said in the Garden before taking on all our sin and the wrath of God to save us, we say, "Not my will but Yours be done, Father." It isn't easy but we will endure with His help!

4. We take literally Matthew 24:15-28 where Jesus shares what we believers should expect during the great tribulation and how to be prepared. He wasn't speaking to the unsaved there but to the saved.

5. As I said above, if I am wrong no big deal because I get raptured. But if you believe you will be raptured before the tribulation and you wrong:

• Is your relationship with the Lord strong enough that you can endure?

• Do you trust God enough that you will still love and obey Him even if He doesn't take you away?

• Are you strong enough in the Lord that that you can resist taking the mark of the beast when faced with an ultimatum to either take the mark or lose your ability to buy and sell or protect your family?

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Don't take my word for it. Study the scriptures and ask God to reveal the truth to you and prepare you accordingly!