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I remember sitting in social studies studying strange Egyptian Pharaohs who spent their entire life preparing for death by building tombs and filling them with stuff. Who in their right mind would spend their entire life preparing to die?

Most people think about preparing for life. We prepare to go to college, get a good career, marriage, buying a home, children, promotions, grandchildren, retirement …. but what then? One thing probably not on the list is planning to die.

We could die at any moment. But death is not the end. It is the beginning of what has no end. There is "eternal life (1 John 5:11-13)," or "eternal destruction (2 Thess 1:9)." So preparing to die takes more than making out a will or organizing a funeral service, and preparing for life takes more than planning for college or a career.

"… whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it (Mark 8:35b)."

We must lose our life to Christ through obedience to the saving Gospel, which is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Cor 15:1-4). We obey the Gospel by dying to ourselves - repentance, by being buried with Christ - baptism, and being raised up to live a new life of loyalty to him as Lord. Romans 6 describes this process well.

So, if we want to plan for living, then we will plan to die. In planning to die, we are planning to live, and will escape Hell, the second death (Rev 21:8). Don't let death just "happen" to you. Make preparations now!