If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven? “I asked the children in my Sunday School class. “NO!” the children all answered.

“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?” Again, the answer was, “NO!

“”Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” I asked them again. Again, they all answered, “NO!”

“Well, I continued, “then how can I get into Heaven?”

A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”

Quoted from funny(at)net153.com email list

There is an old story about the Greek Marathon. Muscular, conditioned runners paced nervously near the starting line for the long-distance race. The time was near. They “shook out” their muscles, inhaled deeply, and put on their “game faces.”

In the midst of it all, a young stranger took his place at the starting line. His physique was awesome. Taking no notice of the other contestants, he stared straight ahead. Two prizes would be awarded the winner of the Marathon: a magnificent bouquet of flowers and the honor of standing beside the king until the conclusion of other contests.

There seemed to be no question among the runners about who would win the prize. It is alleged that the stranger was offered money not to run. Someone else attempted to bribe him with property. Refusing the offers, he toed the mark and awaited the signal to run. When the signal was given, he was the first away. At the finish line, he was the first to cross, well ahead of the rest.

When it was all done, someone asked the young man if he thought the flowers were worth as much as the money and property he had refused. He replied, “I did not enter the race for the flowers. I ran so that I could stand beside my king!”

Those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ are “running the race” (I Cor. 9:24-25). It is a race that has a prize for those who finish (notice, not those who finish first, but all who finish). This prize, according to Paul, is an “imperishable crown.” The rewards for those who enter heaven are described in scripture with a lot of terms — “many mansions”, “streets of gold”, “tree of life”, and the list goes on and on. All of those things are attractive. That’s why God tells us about them.

But I would be willing to give up all the streets of gold and settle for a small corner of a shack as long as I can know the reward of being able to stand beside my King. That’s what I look forward to more than anything else. It is the one thing that will make heaven the wonderful reward that it will be.

“…The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.” (Rev. 22:3)

Run the race with diligence. Your King is watching and waits for you at the finish line!

Alan Smith – Quoted from CCECstorylist: www.injesus.com/index.php

Old man Fielding, the miser, at last went to his reward and presented himself at the Pearly Gates.

St. Peter greeted him with appropriate solemnity and escorted him to his new abode.

Walking past numerous elegant mansions finally they arrived at a dilapidated shack at the end of the street.

Fielding, much taken aback, began, “Why am I left with a rundown shack when all of these others have fine mansions?”

“Well, sir,” replied St. Peter, “we did the best we could with the money you sent us.”
Quoted from www.cybersaltlists.org email lists

In June of 2006, Warren Buffet, the world’s second-richest man at the time, announced that he would donate 85 percent of his $44 billion fortune to five charitable foundations.

Commenting on this extreme level of generosity, Buffet said: “There is more than one way to get to heaven, but this is a great way.”
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/27/business/main1753895.shtml