Which are you preparing for?

Did'ja ever wonder about how concerned we were over Y2K? What happened? We were told that you had to be prepared, have water and canned goods on hand. We were told that our bank accounts could possibly be affected, and some people prepared to close their accounts.

Our young people in church back then were given an opportunity to ask some questions. One of the questions was, "Is the world coming to an end?"

Our youth were fearful, and why not? Adults, who should have known better, were so fearful!

But let's suppose for a while that this was the day God had chosen for his Son Jesus to come back for his people!

Jesus said in Matthew 25:13, "Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh." He also said, "Therefore be ye also ready for such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh."

Are you prepared for this? We are in a new year. Why do people make preparations for vacations or retirement and neglect preparations for eternity? Why are people so worried about the big earthquake, or so many other things, and make preparations for something that may never happen, but neglect preparations for something that will happen?

Do you have water put back in case of emergencies? How about your supply of living water? Do you have food put back just in case? Did you remember to have the word of God to feed on? In John 6:35, Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

What about light? Do you have a generator or oil lamps put back? Jesus said in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Remember the foolish virgins who took no oil with them and their lamps went out? Oil is a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Has your light gone dim, or is it completely out? Replenish the oil of the Holy Spirit. You are going to need all of these when Jesus comes.

None of these things you have prepared -- bottled water, canned goods, batteries, a generator or money -- will save you. If this were the day Jesus came back for his people, and you were not ready to meet him, your preparations would be in vain.

Your preparations would be a lot different. You would be making preparations for a tribulation period of seven years, a time when man will cry out for the rocks to save him.

One woman wanted to become more thankful. I liked her suggestion! She started what she called a Thanks-Living jar. Each evening she wrote on a small piece of paper one thing she thanked God for and dropped it in the jar. Some days she had many praises, and on difficult days she had a hard time finding something. At the end of the year, she emptied her jar and read through all of her notes. She found herself thanking God again for everything he had done. We just finished another year. Some of it was good and some of it wasn't, but God had been there through it all.

Pastor Ray Stedman in California once told his congregation, "On New Year's Eve we realize, more than at any other time in our lives, we can never go back in time.... We can look back and remember, but we cannot retrace a single moment of the year that is past."

In an increasingly chaotic world, what a hopeful thought that this could be the year Jesus returns. Are you prepared? Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour? Have you made preparations to spend eternity with God, or have you neglected the most important preparation of all?

A new year has come to pass. Eternity: It could be the next minute! Which are you preparing for?

I would like to invite you to my church, Grace Fellowship on Highway 34E, just 4 miles from Marble Hill. Our Sunday morning service starts at 10 a.m. Our praise and worship is great, and Pastor Monnie Jones preaches God's word.

Our Wednesday service, which I call Family Night, is at 6:30 p.m. There is something for everyone, including Bible study for adults, and children have their own services.

LOUISE HUGHES is a longtime Bollinger County resident who has contributed to The Banner Press for 50 years.