Have you ever been invited to a dinner party and asked the host, "What should I bring?" "What should I wear?"
The host often says, "Nothing, just bring yourself. Just come as you are."
You and I have been invited to God's dinner party, a magnificent feast in heaven we can enjoy when we die.
What do you think He will say to you when He rings your dinner bell?
I believe He could say two things.
First: "I only want YOU to come. Bring nothing you've earned or accumulated in your life. No baggage allowed. Just you."
Second: "I'm calling you right now, this split second. Ready or not, here you come. You better be ready, because you are coming as you are."
When God calls you and me, we go, regardless of how we are dressed, and what we are doing. He invites us to come we are. He wants us to be ready on the heavenly starting block, totally warmed up and prepared.
Also visit: Have You Met Jesus at the Pool?
Listen to God's Words
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. (Psalm 23)
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. (Isaiah 25:6)
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:13)
For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. (1 Timothy 6:7)
Also read: Ezekial 38:7, Matthew 25:1-46, Mark 13:32
What Others Say
"Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend on Heaven." Confucius
"How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between Heaven and Hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man." Johnny Cash
"I don't believe our works save us, but I believe they follow us into Heaven and bring glory to God." Max Lucado
Think About It
How much time do you take in the morning to prepare for your day, or for a dinner engagement, compared to the time you take each day to prepare for eternity.
Imagine what your friends and loved ones would say in your eulogy, regarding your faith and relationship with the Lord. What do you think about that?
Think about preparing yourself for eternity in terms of what an track athlete has to do to in preparation for the moment he steps up to the starting block. Make a list of changes you need to make to get into spiritual shape.