Are we ready?

    Apparently there were people in the time of Jesus that thought the way people still do today.  During the time of Jesus many individuals believed that when people died in natural disasters or were the victims of an attack that they must have been more guilty than others.  The idea was that God caused these things to happen because they were more sinful than others.

     Jesus quickly dispels this myth.  God does not cause some to die because they are more guilty than others.  Instead Jesus points out that unless we all repent, we too will all perish.  (LUKE 13:1-5) The point that Jesus was trying to stress is the importance of being ready to face eternity.  We never know what will happen in the future.  We must be prepared for the future today.  The time to be ready for eternity is to be ready today.

     As I think of these teachings from Jesus I can't help but wonder how many people from 9/11 were ready to face eternity?  How many people during hurricane Katrina were ready to face eternity?  These are just two examples, but it really goes for any natural disaster or attack by man.  Are we ready to face eternity today?

     The thing is that many people may think that they are ready.  Later in the same chapter Jesus is asked the question "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?"  Jesus does not answer the question, but instead tells them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door.  Many people will try to get into the kingdom of heaven in a variety of ways, but Jesus states there is only one door by which people may enter.  These individuals will know who Jesus is and what he taught.  As they are standing outside the door crying out to be let in, they are heard to say "We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets."  But Jesus will reply "I DON"T KNOW YOU."  In other words I did not have a relationship with you.

     The sad news is that there are many people today who know a lot about Jesus.  They have even enjoyed being around other Christians, perhaps fellowshiping with them.  They have heard the teachings of Jesus, but the problem is that they have never made a commitment to be His disciple.  They have not placed their faith in Him as the only way to spend eternity with God.  They have not prepared themselves for that day today. 

     However there is another angle in which we need to consider this idea.  What are we doing about it?  What are we doing to communicate to people the need to be ready for eternity today?  We never know what the future may hold.  We do not know what will happen tomorrow or next week.  We might be driving down the road minding our own business when suddenly we wake up some place else.  Are we ready for that day?  It is not my intention to scare you or to manipulate you into believing in Jesus.  Yet it is my desire to stress to you the importance of being ready for that day.

     Do you think that the people who died on 9/11 were ready?  Do you think the people who died in hurricane Katrina were ready?  Perhaps those events happened to open our eyes to our own mortality and lead us to make sure that we are ready as well.  In the words of Jesus:  "Do you think those New Yorkers that died on 9/11 were more guilty than you?   Do you think those from New Orleans were more guilty than you?  I tell you no!  But unless you repent, you too will all perish." 

     Are we ready?  Are you ready?  What are we doing about it?