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Accountability

"He [Jesus] also said to His disciples: 'There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, "What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship."'"¹

It was a sad day when on "July 16, John F. Kennedy, Jr., along with his wife and her sister, were killed when their plane crashed into the waters off the coast of Massachusetts. They were buried at sea with their ashes being scattered at a site not far from where they died."

Friends say John F. Kennedy, Jr. will spend eternity where generations of his family have sought escape, solace, and recreation—at sea.

"We all came from the sea," his father, the 35th president, a Navy veteran and an avid sailor, said in 1962. "We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea—whether it is to sail or to watch it—we are going back from whence we came."

"That the sea would factor in so largely in his death is rather ironic," said Wendy Northcross, vice chair of the John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum. "And his remains will ultimately stay with the sea."²

Well, not quite.

Not even the sea itself, in all of its mystical glory, will shield us from our day of accountability with the Lord. Our souls do not remain in the sea. Whether we are rich or poor makes no difference, for every one of us will stand before God and give an account of ourselves, or as the Bible also says, "It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment."³

I only hope that JFK Jr., his wife and her sister, were prepared to meet God, for neither the sea nor anything else apart from the salvation offered through Jesus Christ could save them or anybody else.

And Dear Reader, if you have never accepted God's forgiveness and are not absolutely sure you are ready to meet God, you can be, today, by accepting God's free pardon for all your sins and accepting Jesus as your personal Savior. To help you do this, be sure to read, "How to Be Sure You're a Real Christian" at: http://tinyurl.com/8glq9.

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank You that You have made it possible for me to stand before You at the end of life's journey without any fear of being judged for my sins and failures. This is because Your son, Jesus, died in my place to pay the penalty and judgment for all my sins. This I believe with all my heart. Please help me to be sure that I am a true Christian and am ready to meet You face to face. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus's name, amen."

1. Luke 16:1-2 (NKJV).
2. Adapted from AP Reports, July 19, 1999.
3. Hebrews 9:27 (NIV).

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