s Jesus taught His way through the villages and towns of His day He encountered people of all ages and levels education and sophistication. Some were rich while others were starving. Many were from a Jewish background while others had some pagan influence. He was able to deal with them all at their level and with their understanding. He also had the same basic message for them. The message was to get right with the Creator through Him and be ready for His return as Judge. Last Sunday at Hillside we studied from the book of Luke in chapter twelve. Jesus taught the people there to live in a state of readiness, to be alert.

These truths are still valid today. It seems rather shallow to speculate on the time of Christ's return after He has said that He will return when least expected. The message here is simply always be ready and live faithful lives. This puts the burden on all of us to think about our priorities and how ready to meet Him we truly are. It also gives a sense of urgency to helping those who don't know Him get acquainted with Him right away because we don't know how long we have to get the word out. It might be today, or tomorrow. That makes "now" really matter.

We are looking forward to this Saturday morning. We'll have another men's fellowship breakfast at 7:30 am. These gatherings provide the chance for men and boys to meet for great food and good Christian fellowship. There is always a short devotional thought brought by one of the men that is tailored to the needs of growing Christians. Everyone is invited.

If you are interested in not having to wait in line for a good meal and great entertainment the evening of Valentine's Day, then call the church and make a reservation to attend Hillside's banquet. A local restaurant will cater the meal and the entertainment will be Branson quality with a Christian emphasis.