Do you want to go to heaven when you die?

After listening to Chuck Swindoll on the radio, eight-year-old Debbie asked six-year-old David, "Do you know about Jesus?"

Expecting a new slant on the old story, David replied, "No."

Sister continued, "Sit still because this is really scary." After explaining the gospel as only an eight-year-old could, she popped the question.

"Now, David, when you die, do you want to go to heaven to be with Jesus, God, your Mommy and Daddy, and big sister, or do you want to go to the lake of fire to be with the Devil and bank robbers?"

David thought a moment, then replied, "I want to stay right here."

Jim Abrahamson

1001 Quotes, Illustrations, and Humorous Stories: For Preachers, Teachers, and Writers.

Keep playing!

The folklore surrounding Poland's famous concert pianist and prime minister, Ignace Paderewski, includes this story: A mother, wishing to encourage her young son's progress at the piano, bought tickets for a Paderewski performance. When the night arrived, they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on stage.

Soon the mother found a friend to talk to, and the boy slipped away. When eight o'clock arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quieted, and only then did they notice the boy up on the bench, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on the stage and quickly moved to the keyboard.

"Don't quit—keep playing," he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obbligato. Together, the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and again, "Don't quit—keep playing." And as we do, he augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created.

750 Engaging Illustrations.

Christian Significance

A STORY is told of the Pope when he was scheduled to speak to the United Nations delegates. His plane was to land in New York, from where he would be taken by limousine to the UN building. However, there was bad weather in New York and the plane couldn't land. The plane landed instead in Newark, New Jersey. They sent the limousine to pick up the Pope in Newark but they were running awfully late. The Pope got in the car. The driver was driving much too slow for the Pope. He said, "Driver, can't you go faster?"

The driver said, "I'm sorry, sir. I can't. I'm already in trouble. I've got outstanding tickets. If I drive fast and risk getting another ticket, I would jeopardize my license and then wouldn't be able to drive anybody and would lose my job."

The Pope thought for a second, then said, "Well, I've got to get there. I'll tell you what. Let me drive." So the driver got in the backseat and the Pope got behind the wheel. The Pope put his hand on the wheel, revved up the engine, and took off. He went winding down streets like he was driving a race car.

As he got close to the UN building, a policeman saw the speeding limousine doing all kinds of twists and twirls and turns. The police car's lights began to spiral as he went after the limo and pulled it over. One of the policemen got out, the other stayed in his car. The ticketing officer got out, got his ticket book, and went over to the window. He knocked on the window and signaled to roll the window down. He looked at who was driving the car, closed his book, and then went back to his own vehicle. The policeman who was still in the vehicle asked his partner, "Aren't you going to write him a ticket?"

"Nope!"

"You're not going to write him a ticket?"

"No, no, I'm not writing this guy a ticket. You don't understand the importance of this guy who's in this car."

"Well, he can't be more important than the mayor, can he?"

"Oh yes, he can!"

"Wait a minute. He can't be more important than the governor of New York, can he?"

"Yes, he can!"

"Well, he cannot be more important than the president of the United States, right?"

"Yes, he can!"

The officer was confused. "Now wait a minute! Who can be more important than the president of the United States?"

"I don't know who the guy is, but the Pope is driving him!"

You don't ever have to feel like you're a nobody if Jesus is in your life. You're never a nobody if He's behind the wheel of your car. You're never a nobody, no matter what anybody says about you, because if Jesus is behind the wheel, Satan can't ticket you. You are somebody because Jesus is in your life.

[Spiritual Identity, in Christ; Blessing]

Rom. 8:28-39

Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking.