Having God On Our Side

America is the land of envy, people from all over the world desire to live here. Other nations are jealous of the wealth God has blessed this nation with. Even the poorest people in this country are envied.

Illus: The Census Bureau tells us that in 2003, a family of four is considered to be living in poverty if they make as low as $18,400 a year.

While that may seem like poverty, can you imagine how much that would be to people in other countries who have incomes of one thousand to three thousand dollars a year?

When we look at other countries, we recognize that the poorest of this nation are better off than some of the richest in other nations.

Have you noticed, while some may complain that according to the Census Bureau they are living in poverty, they are not making any plans to move elsewhere.

We are a blessed people! Some are blessed in such a way that it staggers our imagination trying to comprehend their wealth.

Illus: For example, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, has had his personal net worth soar to over 40 billion dollars. (You heard me correctly, I did not say million, I said billion)

• Listen, he made this money in the 22 years or so since Microsoft was founded in 1975.

• If you presume that he has worked 14 hours a day on every business day of the year since then, that means he's been making money at a staggering half-million dollars per hour, which is around $150 per second.

• That means that if, on his way into the office, he should see or drop a $500 bill on the ground, it's just not worth his time to bend over and pick it up. He would make more just heading off to work. We're assuming about 4 seconds to bend down and pocket the bill. Of course he can afford to hire people to follow him and pick up any $500 bills he may drop.

• Consider the average American of reasonable but modest wealth. Perhaps he has a net worth of $100,000. Mr. Gates' worth is 400,000 times larger. Which means that if something costs $100,000 to him, to Bill Gates it's as though it costs 25 cents.

• You can work out the right multiplier for your own net worth. To you, a new Lambourghini or Diablo would cost $250,000, but in Bill Gates dollars that's 63 cents.

• Consider this, you might buy a plane ticket on a Boeing 747 for $1200 at full-fare coach. In Bill Gates dollars, he could buy *three 747’s*. One for him, one for Melinda and one for young Jennifer Katherine, for the same price.

But as we consider the wealth that has been bestowed upon some, we see they are blessed people. But thinking of blessings, THE GREATEST BLESSING that any of us can have is TO BE A CHILD OF GOD. When we get to heaven, we are going to see how blessed we are to be a child of God.

At the present time it is hard for us to comprehend the greatness of heaven, because the devil is so busy trying to make the life of sin look desirable to everyone. And he has been very successful in convincing some that he offers the best that life has to offer. The only way he can do this is to DECEIVE people into believing it.

Illus: One day while walking down the street, a highly successful lawyer was tragically hit by a bus and was killed on the spot. His soul arrived up in heaven where he was met at the Pearly Gates by St. Peter himself. "Welcome to Heaven," said St. Peter. "Before you get settled in though, it seems we have a problem. You see, strangely enough, we've never once had a lawyer make it this far, and we're not really sure what to do with you."

The lawyer said, "No problem, just let me in."

Saint Peter said, "Well, I'd like to, but I have higher orders. What we're going to do is let you have a day in Hell and a day in Heaven, and then you can choose whichever one you want to spend an eternity in."

The lawyer said, "Actually, I think I've made up my mind...I prefer to stay in Heaven!”

St. Peter said, "Sorry, we have rules..." And with that, St. Peter put the lawyer in an elevator and it went down-down-down to Hell.

The doors opened and he found Himself stepping out onto the putting green of a beautiful golf course. In the distance was a country club. Standing in front of the country club were all his lawyer friends.

They ran up and shook his hand, and some of them gave him a big hug as they talked about old times. They played an excellent round of golf, and at night they went to the country club where they enjoyed an excellent steak and lobster dinner.