Good morning to all. Just 2 reminders:
(1) Wednesday, tomorrow is our day of fasting and prayer starting at 6:00 a.m. Details will be sent later today and
(2) Genesis Covenant Church will have an very important meeting with all its members on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m., September 8, 2021. The link will be sent later today.
September 7, 2021
I was reminded by a friend that this month, September, is National Preparedness Month. This time of the year is when we think about getting prepared for winter, for sure we are going to receive some snow and some very cold weather. We usually prepare by ensuring we have enough fuel or wood to keep us warm or we check our furnaces to make sure everything is working properly. Some of us take the thought of preparedness more serious than others. Some of us have already started preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Most of us have heard the story about the ant and how he spent his time preparing for winter by storing up food. The grasshopper, however, used the summertime to play his fiddle and dance the days away. The grasshopper came to an unhappy end, while the ant enjoyed winter, happy and warm.
Now is a good time for us to stock up on items that will assist us in protecting ourselves from COVID-19. Prepare, for the number of positive cases continue to surge, therefore, we should prepare ourselves to have adequate masks, staple supplies and food, etc. We should already be prepared to receive a booster vaccine, for it is suggested by CDC that this is a possibility. Well, if they start giving them today, I would be one of the first in line to receive it.
Even when we put the best plan in place, sometimes it just seems we cannot prepare enough. The people in Louisiana and other places thought they were prepared for Hurricane Ida, but many of the people loss everything, some even loss their lives, and others all worldly possessions. Houses in those areas are built, or can be built high enough and sound enough to withstand the flooding and the wind, supposedly. We are grateful to the meteorologist for giving us warnings about storms that are coming our way. There are times we may be asked to evacuate our homes, but some prefer to sit it out. I think they do a pretty good job in attempting to prepare us for what is coming.
Teachers, administrators, children and others are preparing themselves to go back to school for the first day this year. They had to prepare themselves like never before. Every student and teacher will now be required to wear a mask and still practice social distancing. This school year will be an unprecedented one.
It is believed that members of several right-wing militia, extremist groups are preparing to return to Washington D.C. for another insurrection. Whatever the plan is for these groups, be assured and believe that all law enforcement agencies who are required to protect our government and country will be ready this time.
We should also be preparing ourselves for death. Don’t stop reading yet! I know we do not like to talk about death, but it is inevitable and we would be doing our families and ourselves a great service if we prepared ourselves for it. Why not start now writing your own obituary? Who knows you better than you yourself? Why not make sure your insurances are in order so that paying for your funeral expenses will not be a burden to your family. Lastly, I know this is a repeat, but get your Last Will and Testament done. The worse thing any of us could do is leave our personal business in disarray.
Jesus teaches us in a parable, Matthew 25: 1-13 the importance of being prepared. “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look!” Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him. Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise replied, No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves. And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you; I do not know you. Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day or the hour.”
It is wise for us to prepare for the future earthly events, but more important than anything else is for us to be prepared for Jesus’ second coming. The Bible says no man knows and not even the angels know the time of Jesus’ coming. But when Saint Paul spoke to the Thessalonians, he said children of light will know the season. May we start by being obedient to the gospel as we prepare for his coming.
Not a sermon, just my thoughts!
Robert Earl Slade, Pastor
This is an important email message from Genesis Covenant Church delivered to you by One Call Now.
© 2011 – One Call Now
