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Being Ready for the Final Days.
by Nellie Shani This past Sunday Florence died. She drove herself to the church, parked her car, reached for her Bible and then made a move towards getting out of her car. She stepped out of her car alright - and appeared at heaven's gate! The way our pastor announced it was very inspiring. "I have some good news this morning...a little sad but good news all the same. Florence left us this morning to go to her new home. She died in the parking lot." At 83 years old, Florence had fought the good fight, finished her race and kept the faith. Still very attractive and always well dressed, Florence was a 'greeter' at our church and I always looked forward to her warm hand shake. It is interesting that when people talk of the final days, they think mainly of the second coming of Christ. Each individual has their final days that will lead up to their demise from this earth. My concern is not for those who are ready, but for those for whom life seems like an endless journey of relaxation and fanfare. A parable is told in the Bible of a man who had just gotten a bumper harvest. He made grand plans of building a bigger granary then relaxing so he could eat, drink and be merry for the rest of his life. God's response to his grand plans were, "You fool! Tonight your soul will be required of you. Then who will enjoy all the things you have stored for yourself?" If you were going on a long journey, would you not prepare for it? You would probably buy your ticket, pack your belongings and get ready. If there is anything that is a certain and sure fact for every individual, it is the fact that one day we must all take that final journey out of this world. Shouldn't we be as diligent to prepare for it as we are when we prepare for earthly journeys? Hebrews chapter nine and verse 27 tells us that "It is appointed for man to die once then after that, to face judgment." This is the same judgment that is spoken of in Revelations chapter twenty and verse 12 and 15 "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books...if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." We must all be ready for our final days. Death comes to all without favoring race, gender or social status. How do we get ready? "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" John chapter one verse 12. Nellie Odhuno Shani is a Counselor, Conference speaker and writer. Her first books are available on amazon.com, Barnes and Nobles and on her author's websites. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |