Are You Ready?

Memorial Day is a national holiday set aside for the purpose of honoring those who paid the ultimate sacrifice of their lives while serving in the United States Military. I strongly believe we owe these brave and unselfish warriors the respect of setting aside a portion of that day each year to remember what our freedom cost them and their families.
After attending two different Memorial Day services on May 30th, I came home after lunch and listened to the messages on my home voice mail. Someone from the hospital left a message that one of our church members had been taken to the Emergency Room, "and did not make it." When I heard the name, I thought it surely must be a mistake. This man was the picture of health and only 51 years old. He was engaged to be married in September, had a strong faith, and was liked by all who knew him. But, physical death happens to us all (Hebrews 9:27). At no time are we made more aware of that truth than when someone we knew and loved, someone we spent a lot of time with, is suddenly no longer with us. The writer of the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes, reminds us, there is "a time to be born and a time to die"
(3:2). We greet the birth of a baby with celebration and the death of a loved one with sorrow. Both life and death are a reality of the human experience.
Because this individual had a relationship with Jesus Christ as a result of his commitment to Jesus Christ, I am confident he is present with the Lord right now (II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21). Some people have a warning that death is imminent. Most don't. When that day and moment comes that we take our last breath, will we be ready? Will we be prepared to meet our Lord? Everyone will someday see him. And when we do, we will either see him as our Savior, or as our judge. What we choose to do with Jesus while we still live in the flesh, will determine how we see him when we leave this flesh.
Don't wait until later to put your life in order. There may not be a later (James 4:13-17). If we know what we should do, let's do it now! For scripture is clear, "Now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of (our) salvation" (II Corinthians 6:2). If you are not sure what steps to take in order to be ready to see Jesus now, please give me a call. God loves you and so do I!
Kerry