And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. <\/i><\/p>\n
\u2014Luke 21:34<\/i><\/p>\n
4750<\/b> Preparing For Heaven, Anyone? <\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cMamma,\u201d said a little child, \u201cmy Sunday-school teacher tells me that this world is only a place in which God lets us live a while, that we may prepare for a better world. But, Mother, I do not see anybody preparing. I see you preparing to go into the country, and Aunt Eliza is preparing to come here; but I do not see anyone preparing to go there. Why don\u2019t they try to get ready?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Prairie Overcomer<\/i><\/p>\n
4751<\/b> If Jesus Came Home<\/b><\/p>\n
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two. <\/p>\n
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you\u2019d do. <\/p>\n
Oh, I know you\u2019d give your nicest room to such an honored guest<\/p>\n
And all the food you\u2019d serve to Him would be the very best, <\/p>\n
And you would keep assuring Him you\u2019re glad to have him there \u2026 <\/p>\n
But \u2026 when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door<\/p>\n
With arms outstretched in welcome to our heav\u2019nly visitor? <\/p>\n
Or would you maybe change your clothes before you let Him in, <\/p>\n
Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they\u2019d been? <\/p>\n
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn\u2019t heard, <\/p>\n
And wish you hadn\u2019t uttered that last, loud and hasty word? <\/p>\n
Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymnbooks out? <\/p>\n
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? <\/p>\n
And I wonder. \u2026 If the Savior spent a day or two with you, <\/p>\n
Would you go right on doing the things you always do? <\/p>\n
Would you go right on saying the things you always say? <\/p>\n
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day? <\/p>\n
Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace? <\/p>\n
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace? <\/p>\n
Would you sing the songs you always sing and read the book you read? <\/p>\n
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed? <\/p>\n
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you\u2019d planned to go, <\/p>\n
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so? <\/p>\n
Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends, <\/p>\n
Or would you hope they\u2019d stay away until His visit ends? <\/p>\n
Would you be glad to have Him stay for-ever on and on, <\/p>\n
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? <\/p>\n
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do, <\/p>\n
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you. <\/p>\n
\u2014Author Unknown<\/p>\n
4752<\/b> Ike Said \u201cI\u2019m Ready\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
Just before General Eisenhower died, Billy Graham was invited to visit him at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. He was told he could stay thirty minutes. When he went in, the general was wearing his usual big smile, even though he knew he didn\u2019t have long to live. <\/p>\n
Later Billy Graham told what happened:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the thirty minutes were up, he asked me to stay longer and said to me, \u201cBilly, I want you to tell me again how can I be sure my sins were forgiven and that I am going to heaven, because nothing else matters now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI took my New Testament and read him Scriptures. I pointed out that we are not going to heaven because of our good works, or because of money we\u2019ve given to the church. We are going to heaven totally and completely on the basis of the merits of what Christ did on the cross. Therefore he could rest in the comfort that Jesus paid it all! <\/p>\n
\u201cAfter prayer, Ike said, \u201cThank you I\u2019m ready!\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n
4753<\/b> Casket On His Porch<\/b><\/p>\n
In the city of Cleveland, Ohio, on the front porch of a home in a thickly-populated residential section is a neatly-wrapped, full-sized casket. It has been there for years. It has become an object of sight-seeing. It is of such macabre interest, and of such an unbelievable nature, that Ripley included a reference to it in his \u201cBelieve It or Not\u201d column. <\/p>\n
An aged cabinetmaker, who lives alone, made the casket and placed it on the front porch of his home. There it awaits the time of the oldster\u2019s demise. <\/p>\n
\u2014Walter B. Knight<\/p>\n
4754<\/b> Enacting Death Becomes Reality<\/b><\/p>\n
Two years before his death, Mike Hanzas, who lived alone, began to make preparation for his demise. He bought a lot in the cemetery. Weekly, he visited the site where his mortal remains would be interred. He planted grass there and mowed it regularly. On Memorial Day, he placed flowers on the grave site, for he said, \u201cI want to see flowers there now. I won\u2019t be able to see them when I\u2019m gone!\u201d<\/p>\n
A while later Mike went into a funeral home. \u201cI want to buy the casket which will be my new home,\u201d he said. Whenever he passed the funeral home he would go in. Standing beside the casket he would say, \u201cThat\u2019s where I\u2019m going to live someday!\u201d<\/p>\n
One day Mike invited a nephew and the rest of his family to come to see him. After a hearty meal, Mike began to dispense some canned goods and personal effects among his visitors. Then he handed his nephew his will. As he did this, he dropped dead of heart failure! <\/p>\n
So far as we know, Mike Hanzas had made every provision for his body but none for his soul. <\/p>\n
4755<\/b> King Insures Own Throne<\/b><\/p>\n
The only King to insure himself against the loss of his throne was Prajadhipok, King of Siam from 1925 until he was forced to abdicate in 1935. Having taken out unemployment insurance policies with French and British underwriters early in his reign, Prajadhipok was able to live comfortably on the income from them until his death in 1941. <\/p>\n
\u2014Selected<\/p>\n
4756<\/b> Shackleton Found Them Ready<\/b><\/p>\n
While on one of his expeditions to the Antarctic, Sir Ernest Shackleton was once compelled to leave some of his men on Elephant Island, with the intention of returning for them and carrying them back to England. But he was unavoidably delayed, and by the time he could go for them he found to his dismay that the sea had frozen over and his men were cut off. Three times he tried to reach them, but his efforts ended in failure. Finally, in his last effort, he found a narrow channel through the ice. <\/p>\n
Guiding his small ship back to the island, he was delighted to find his men not only alive and well, but all prepared to get aboard. They were soon on their way to safety and home. After the excitement ended, Sir Ernest inquired how it was that they were ready to get aboard so promptly. They told him that every morning their leader rolled up his sleeping bag, saying, \u201cGet your things ready, boys, the boss may come today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The return of the Lord Jesus to this earth is much more certain than Sir Shackleton\u2019s return to Elephant Island. Christ\u2019s promise to return to claim His redeemed is established upon His Word and His character. It is still \u201cthe blessed hope\u201d of all who love Him\u2014a hope that will not fail. <\/p>\n
\u2014Al Bryant<\/p>\n
4757<\/b> Packing A Lifetime In 15 Minutes<\/b><\/p>\n
Mrs. Helen Van Dyke, an 82-year-old American woman, was routed from her home in Cairo at the height of Nasser\u2019s charge that the U.S. was winning Israel\u2019s war for it. She was told to pack her things and report to the Nile Hotel in 15 minutes. She begged her captors: \u201cI have lived all my life in Cairo. How can I pack up a lifetime in 15 minutes?\u201d She was soon led forth hobbling with her cane into the hotel. <\/p>\n
\u201cHow can I pack up a lifetime in 15 minutes?\u201d What a question! Someday, any day, maybe this night, will come the command, \u201cGive an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.\u201d How sudden may sound the summons? <\/p>\n
Then I may be given, not 15 minutes, possibly but a few moments, to \u201cpack up a lifetime.\u201d Can I check-through to the Eternal City? My little \u201cCairo\u201d has never been my continuing city. This is not my homeland. <\/p>\n
How long would it take the reader to \u201cpack up?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Prairie Overcomer<\/i><\/p>\n
4758<\/b> The Fool Gave Him Back Staff<\/b><\/p>\n
There was a certain nobleman who kept a fool, to whom he one day gave a staff, with a charge to keep it till he should meet with one who was a greater fool than himself. Not many years after, the nobleman was sick, unto death. The fool came to see him. <\/p>\n
His sick lord said to him. \u201cI must shortly leave you.\u201d\u2014\u201dAnd whither are you going,\u201d said the fool.\u2014\u201dInto another world,\u201d replied his lordship. \u201cAnd when will you return? Within a month?\u201d\u2014\u201cNo\u201d\u2014\u201dWithin a year?\u201d\u2014\u201cNo.\u201d\u2014\u201dWhen, then?\u201d\u2014\u201cNever!\u201d\u2014\u201dNever?\u201d said the fool. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what provision hast thou made for thy entertainment there, whither thou goest?\u201d\u2014\u201cNone at all.\u201d\u2014\u201dNo?\u201d said the fool. \u201cNone at all? Here, then take my staff; for, with all my folly, I am not guilty of any folly such as this.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014Bishop Hall<\/p>\n
4759<\/b> Epigram On Preparedness<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 Chance favors only the mind which is prepared. <\/p>\n
\u2014Louis Pasteur<\/p>\n
See also:<\/b> Faithfulness . Watchfulness .<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. \u2014Luke 21:34 4750 Preparing For Heaven, Anyone? \u201cMamma,\u201d said a little child, \u201cmy Sunday-school teacher tells me that this world is only a place in … Continue reading “PREPAREDNESS”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5227","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5227","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5227"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5227\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5227"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5227"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5227"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}