I read some time ago about a great conqueror in ancient history, Philip of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great. He was an amazing thinker who never wanted to forget that even though he was great, he was still a human being.
So here is what he did. It is quite unusual. Every morning at sunrise he gave instructions for a slave to wake him up. The slave would not address the king as “Your majesty” or “sir.” Instead, he called him by his name and said to him every morning, “Philip of Macedonia, remember that thou must die.”
Imagine waking up like that every morning. Someone calls out your name and says, “Wake up. Get out of bed and don’t forget that you must die.”
A man was hiking out in the woods in the middle of nowhere. He found a sundial. On that sundial he found these solemn words: “Stop traveler and consider. It is later than you think.”
The scripture says it like this, “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) The book of Ecclesiastes observes, “There is a time and season for matter under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die.”
A gentle reminder - - - that day is surely coming for each one of us. How ready are you for that day? I am beginning this Sunday a series of messages on “Facing Life’s Ultimate Foe.” I invite you to join us.
First Methodist radio broadcast - - Sundays, 8:00 AM - - KELB 100.5 FM
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