Are you ready for heaven?

A few years ago, during a time of turmoil with a family member, whom I knew had not accepted Christ and, in fact, knew nothing about the Lord – I told him that he needed God in his life. His response was, "I don't need your God. We [his wife and he] have an angel looking over us."

Not only did his statement sadden me, but the near contradiction in terms (he believed in angels, but not God) brought a deeper sadness to my heart.

"Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." - John 14:1

No amount of scripture or prayers has helped this young man and his wife, but they continue to remain in our daily prayers despite them casting us from their lives – calling us "delusional" in our beliefs.

As the recent years have progressed, I've seen more and more people turn away from the Lord. Even those who lacked a Bible-based church upbringing and knew nothing, are hardening their hearts.

People are taking sides more quickly and more firmly now

We all know the Lord will give people only so many chances and then their hearts will be hardened.

"Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: 'You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.'" - Matthew 13:14-15

Not too long after the conversation with this family member who believed in angels but not in God, I was praying for him, his wife and their young child when I suddenly stopped as the Holy Spirit spoke to me, clearly saying, "Stop. Their hearts are hardened. You must not worry or be sad for them – it is done. But you must continue to pray."

I finally found ease and comfort from this as it helped me to let go of the emotion tied to their spiritual removal from belief in God and from my agony over the estrangement from them that began over something having nothing to do with prayer or belief in God.

In the past couple of years I've seen more and more people taking sides. Some are coming to the Lord with a fervor and others are clearly taking the other side.

Television shows, movies, magazines, Internet and the news has become filled with explicit sex, drugs, and a fascination by many of things that are dead – from zombies to vampires.

Some of the most popular TV shows and movies today involve zombies, death and destructions (Game of Thrones as an example), bondage and masochism (50 Shades of Gray) and more. Meanwhile, simple romantic comedies can barely last a season on television. People want to see the blood and gore, death, sex and drugs before anything else.

Reality shows are popular because they revolve around turmoil and arguments.

It's no wonder minds are turning from God and toward that which lives on earth.

"Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." - 1 John 4:4

But there are those who DO believe

Meanwhile, those who do believe are gathering and bringing God's word to the masses in creative and new 21st century ways.

Don Piper, a minister and author of "90 Minutes in Heaven," ministers around the world and is now bringing his story to the big screen this fall. Producers have been focused on getting Piper's story right, scripturally based and even allowed Piper on the set throughout filming.

Producer Paul LaLonde has brought the first "Left Behind" book to the big screen too – it debuted in 2014 amidst criticism that it wasn't scripturally based enough. I've read the book series several times and seen the movie. LaLonde did a marvelous job on bringing the movie based on part of the first book in the series to film.

And he clearly is a believer.

Just because the movie wasn't full of scripture, doesn't mean it didn't compel some to pick up a Bible and begin reading, attending a Bible-based church or seeking someone who could tell them more about God.

A number of biblical movies have gone to film in recent years from Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" to "Noah" to "The Bible" - a mini series that covered a number of books of the Bible, among others.

"Heaven is for Real" was another movie based on the real story of Colton Burpo, a child who went to heaven during surgery and returned to life to talk about what he'd seen.

Dr. Mary Neal wrote "To Heaven and Back" about her experience of drowning while kayaking, going to heaven and returning back to life. Like Piper and Burpo, the experience changed her life.

It seems God is bringing His message to us loud and clear.

Heaven IS for real so we'd better be prepared

"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." - Matthew 25:13

It's more important than ever to be prepared. With social media, Internet websites, TV shows and movies spreading the message, there's no shortage of places to turn to for instruction.

Recently a different family member from the one with whom we are estranged, asked me to buy her a Bible. The mother of three boys and a stay at home Mom with no religious background, she knows she needs God in her life.

She asked me for a children's Bible – for herself to read and understand as well as for her children.

It matters not how we arrive at God's door, as long as we arrive – believing in Him, worshipping Him and walking in faith.

"And Peter said unto them, 'Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" - Acts 2:38