How Do We Prepare To Leave?

Q. In “The Anti-Christ and Mr. Obama, Part 2″, 11/22/08, you state at the very end:

“For us it’s enough to know that the signs pointing to the End of the Age are appearing all around us. This is not happening so that we can hunker down and prepare for the storm. It’s happening so we can begin making preparations for our departure. Whether it’s several months or several years is also immaterial. The sooner we act the better prepared we’ll be.”

What are the preparations that we are supposed to be making?

A. We should prepare by becoming less concerned about the things of this world and more urgent about the things God wants from us. These things include living the way He wants us to live, helping with the work of the kingdom, and using the resources He’s given us for purposes that reflect our gratitude for being saved.  1 Cor. 3:10-15 says that after the rapture we’ll undergo a judgment where we’ll be rewarded for what we’ve done during our lives.  We should use the time we have to make sure there are things we can be rewarded for, instead of having all our works burned up in the flames. Matt. 6:19-21 says that we shouldn’t store up  the treasure God has given us for our own benefit here, but to store up treasure in heaven.  I believe we do this by using what we’ve been given to help others who have less, instead of buying more for ourselves.

Above all, we’re not supposed to worry about what’s happening to the world around us, but to focus on seeking God and His righteousness.  If we do that, He’s promised to take care of our needs. (Matt. 6:31-34). Paul said that we should fix our eyes not on what is seen which it temporary but on what is unseen, which is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).  He meant to focus on the next world instead of this one.