Here's THE Greatest Survival Tip I Ever Discovered

We all know it, don’t we? Something is terribly wrong with our world, and things could go downhill fast! But there IS hope! Allow me to share the greatest survival tip I’ve ever discovered - with you. Let’s get started...

What is THE Ultimate Survival Tip?

Over the years, I have passed on survival tips, tricks and training to help you and the others we serve. But I’ll be honest, I think I learn more from you guys than I share... So I was curious what you, our fans, followers and friends, thought was the MOST important survival tip - The "Ultimate" Survival Tip, if you will. Here are a few of my favorites from the hundreds of responses we received: - Stay Positive and Believe You Can Survive - STOP = Stop, Think, Observe, Plan - Never Give Up - Become Friends with Bear Grylls - Control Your Core Body Temperature... in Other Words... Stay Alive - Always Have Toilet Paper - Be Prepared - Because You Never Know... - Avoid Situations Where Survival Tips May Come in Handy - Pray. Then Act - Don’t Die - Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best Which is your favorite? Mine is, “Prepare for the Worst, Hope for the Best.”

You Are Part of the Ultimate Statistic?

Some of these tips are good advice. Some are just funny. But NONE are THE greatest survival tip I’ve ever learned. So stand by, I’ll get to that in a minute... The plain and simple fact is, that regardless of how many cool survival tips we know, no matter how much we train, how far underground we build our survival bunker or how many years of food we have stored up to prepare and position ourselves to outlast a WCS (Worst Case Scenario) we are still only delaying our participation in the Ultimate Statistic...

What is Ultimate Survival Statistic?

Doctors agree, 10 out of 10 people will one day die. Whether it’s tomorrow, next week or in 80 years from now, every one of us will die. Regardless of our training, stockpiles, connections, wealth, health, wisdom or position. And for some, maybe even you, death may come knocking at your door long before you’ll use a single #10 can of beans or bag of rice stored in your basement for survival. After all, 154,000 people will die in the next 24 hours. And most will die unexpectedly. Now, I’m not saying you are going to die today, but what I AM saying is that we are all taking great effort to prepare to survive a bit longer on this earth IF a disaster strikes - but we all KNOW for certain that one day death WILL come our way. We just don't want to think about it. I know I don't! So, if you are preparing to survive a disaster that may or may not come - shouldn’t you have a plan to deal with death, since you KNOW that death WILL certainly come? No, I’m not talking about a putting together a will and making sure you have enough life insurance for those you leave behind (although these are good things).

So I Feel Like I Need to Ask You This...

“Do you know where you are going, when your heart beats for the last time on this planet we call home?”

Why Do We Die?

Okay, now that we have established that death is inevitable for all of us, AND the fact that surviving a WCS is not... let me ask you, 
"Why do we die?" There’s probably a million opinions as to why we die. I don’t know about you, but for me opinions don’t cut it with such serious and eternal matters. So I went back to the book that I have grown to trust as my manual for life, the “Good Book,” the Bible, to search for some answers to share with you. The biblical explanation as to why each of us will die is really quite fascinating. It essentially says that we die because we have sinned and rebelled against God and His laws (Romans 5:12 and Genesis 2:17). And it boils down to “the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23). In short, we get paid our just wages for sinning against God. And those wages are death. If that doesn’t slap you upside the head, I don’t know what will.

IS there Life after Death?

It’s one big question, “Is there life after death - and what does that look like?” The answer to this question is fundamental in not only how you and I die but also how we live the rest of the days we have on the earth.

Exactly What Happens After We Die?

Do we simply cease to exist? Is life a revolving door of departing and returning to earth in order to eventually achieve personal greatness (which is reincarnation)? Does everyone go to the same place, or do we go to different places?

Is there Really a Heaven and a Hell?

The Bible tells us that there is not only life after we die but two places we can go. One place is called heaven (or paradise). It’s a perfect place that has NO sin, no suffering, no war, no disease, no death and no bad people. It’s the place where those who have faith in Jesus get to live an eternal life so glorious that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9). The bad news is that those who are bad people and don’t love God (or place their faith in Jesus) will live in a terrible place forever. This place is called hell. “Their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur...” (Revelation 21:8)

Are You Serious... Heaven and Hell? Come on David...

Now, just in case you are laughing, skeptical or even mad right now, and don’t believe there is a heaven and hell... let me ask you, “Where do YOU say that we go when we die? Okay, got your answer? Now, let me follow up with this question, “What if you are wrong?”

If I am Wrong, I have NO Regrets... How About You?

I have followed a path I believed was true. Along the way I have lived my life for others, been made a better person, lived according to good and right biblical principles that brought much love and fulfillment to my life. I have a WONDERFUL wife of 28 years and 2 grown and married children, and four cool grandchildren. Our kids and their spouses love Jesus and get to live the awesome legacy that my wife and I have enjoyed. This life has not been perfect. We have suffered much, grown a ton and gone through hard times. But it’s been a good and blessed life. And through all of life’s joys and sorrows - we have had a keen sense of the Lord being right there with us - along the way. So if I am right about heaven and hell, I am looking forward to hanging out with Jesus in a place beyond my wildest dreams - forever!!! Either way, whether I am right (which I have pretty strong evidence that I am)... or wrong, I believe I’m the better man for it. But if you don’t believe in a heaven or hell and are wrong, and you are not good enough to get to heaven - there IS hell to pay... and from what I have read, hell sucks!!! Big time!

Are You Good Enough to Go to Heaven?

So let me ask, “Are you good enough to go to heaven? Or asked a different way, “Do you think you are a good person?” You probably do. The most a common reaction to this question is, “Hey, I’m a pretty good person, and I’m certainly no Hitler or Osama Bin Laden... and I’m better than most.” But the problem, according the the Bible is that being “good enough” is NOT “good enough” to get you into heaven (Romans 3:23, Romans 3:10-18) You see, Heaven is a perfect place, and if you’ve sinned even one time in your whole life, you are disqualified. Don’t get mad at me, I didn’t make the rules. Here’s the problem.

The Fatal Mistake

In today’s culture we often make a HUGE mistake thinking that God’s standards are the same as ours. This is like saying that we should have no laws, and every person should just do whatever they please, according to what they believe is right. The last time I checked...this is called anarchy. But this is often how we deal with God’s clear standards as recorded in the 10 Commandments.

Have You Sinned Against God?

As we talked about earlier, each of us WILL die because we have sinned against God. Let’s see if that’s true for you: 1) Have you ever lied (even once -this includes, white lies and half truths)? 2) Have you ever stolen (anything - no matter how small)? 3) Have you ever committed adultery? No!? Jesus said, “Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her, has committed adultery already with her in his heart.” That’s a tough one... and one that nailed me. If you have said, “Yes” to any or all of these you are a liar, thief and an adulterer at heart. And we’ve only take a look at 3 out of God’s 10 Commandments.

So, How Will You Do on Judgement Day?

Will you be innocent or guilty? Now tell the truth. If you are honest with yourself, you know you will be found guilty. And when you are found guilty, you deserve hell not heaven!!!

...Long Silent Pause...

BUT, that’s not God’s will for you! He provided a way for you to be forgiven. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in your place and take your punishment by being nailed to a cross for YOU! “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

THE Greatest Survival Tip I Ever Discovered!!!

Okay, here it is... If I ever give you a survival tip that you should seriously consider... this is THE one! Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, came to the earth to give us a gift of eternal life. “But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Essentially, this means, Jesus was killed in your place. Jesus took on the punishment that each and every one of us deserve because of our sins (Romans 3:23, Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 6:23) and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our sins. ONLY Jesus could take the punishment for your sin, and my sin, and every sin past present and future, because He was totally without sin himself and was the perfect sacrifice (the only sacrifice God the Father would accept) for us (1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:19). Three days later, He (Jesus) proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave. Something NO one else has ever done - ever! He remained on the earth for forty days and was seen by more than 500 people before ascending to heaven (1 Corinthians 15:6). Romans 4:25 says, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” This means that he paid for our sins in full and was raised from the dead to prove that it was true. His bodily, visible, documented resurrection was the proof! The resurrection of the Christ is a well-documented event and has never been disproved. We celebrate this every Easter. This also means that Jesus is NOT in the grave. Every other religious leader is in the ground to this day. But NOT Jesus. Jesus is alive! The apostle Paul challenged people to question eyewitnesses of Jesus’ resurrection for its validity, and no one was able to contest its truth. The resurrection is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Because Christ was raised from the dead, we can have faith that we, too, will be resurrected and live with Him in Heaven. And that’s pretty cool.

The Ultimate Proof of Life After Death

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the ultimate proof of life after death. Christ was only the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. Physical death came through one man, Adam (of Adam and Eve fame), to whom we are all related. But all who have been adopted into God's family through faith in Jesus Christ will be given new life (1 Corinthians 15:20-22). Just as God raised up Jesus' body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus' return (1 Corinthians 6:14).

The Choice is Yours

Although we will all be eventually resurrected, not everyone will go to heaven. You must make a choice, and this choice will determine your eternal destination. The Bible says that it is appointed for us to die only once, and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). We will all be judged according to our works... and even one sin disqualifies us from heaven. This means that without a ticket from Jesus, there’s NO way to work, earn or reincarnate your way to heaven (John 14:6). Those who have been made righteous by and through faith in Christ will enjoy eternal life in heaven, but those who reject Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is not simply a state of existence, but a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience never-ending, eternal wrath from God. Hell is described as a bottomless pit (Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:1) and a lake of fire, burning with sulfur, where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). In hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, indicating intense grief and anger (Matthew 13:42). God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires them to turn from their wicked ways so that they can live (Ezekiel 33:11). Remember we are ALL in the “wicked” category without faith in Jesus Christ. But God gives us the DIGNITY of Choice and will not force us into submission; if we choose to reject Him, He accepts our decision to live eternally apart from Him, cursed and in eternal fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 21:8). Life on earth is a test, a preparation for what is to come, if you will. For believers in Jesus Christ, life after death is eternal life in heaven with God (Revelation 21:1-27, Luke 23:43). For unbelievers, life after death is eternity in the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41). Ouch!

How to Receive Eternal Life - And Live Forever!

So, how can you receive eternal life after death and avoid an eternity in the lake of fire? I’m glad you asked!!! There is only one way— by acknowledging your sin, turning from it, asking forgiveness and having faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only ticket to heaven. He’s the only parachute, He’s the only life raft. There is NO other way. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die...” (John 11:25-26).

The Free Gift of Eternal Life Is Available To All

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). Just in case you are thinking you might just hold off on all this “Jesus stuff,” I hate to tell you that (according to the Bible) YOU will NOT be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. And so, you are at risk every day of your life... It’s a bad gamble (at best) to put off Jesus. Your eternal destination is determined in your earthly lifetime by your reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). When you trust the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for the sin that you have committed against God, you are guaranteed not only a meaningful life on earth, but also eternal life after death, in the glorious presence of Jesus Christ. I personally am looking forward to hanging out with Him! And I’d love to hang out with Him, with you!!!

Jesus is the BEST I have to Give You!

There is NO other survival tip, no gold or gear that I can give you of greater value than this loving recommendation: “Turn from your sin, ask God for forgiveness, and trust Jesus for the rest of your life.” I have been a believer in Jesus now since 1986. He has never let me down... although I have failed him many times. Yet He remains faithful. And He has changed -and is changing- me, for the better. He has somehow changed my hard, selfish and rebellious heart. And He is making me more caring, and selfless, a better man, a better husband, a better father, and friend.

So THE Ultimate Survival Tip is... “Trust Jesus!”

If you want a pardon for all your sin, and a NEW start, you can talk to Jesus right now: Lord Jesus, I believe You died on the cross for me and that You were penalized for my sins so I could be set free. I now turn away from evil and ask You to be my personal Savior and Lord. Please forgive me for my sins and make me a part of Your family forever. Thank you, Jesus!

Have you made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior?

If so, please let me know. It would be my pleasure to pray with and for you and help point you in the right direction as you live out the rest of your life as a follower of Jesus.

NOW What?

If You Are Wondering What to Do NEXT in Your Journey with Jesus... Click Here to Save Yourself Some Pain - and Learn How to Grow as a Christian (from my friend Ray Comfort - at Living Waters) Have a really blessed day!

~David