After darting quickly into the men's locker room I changed into my gym uniform as fast as I could. The fact that the room was empty confirmed my fears that I was late for class. So as soon as I tied my sneakers, I bolted out of there and ran post-haste and stat down the hall to where that day's class would be with the thought in back of my mind that the gym teacher would promptly assign me 20 push-ups upon my arrival for my tardiness.

Swinging around the corner, I spied the classroom doors, burst into the room head down, and ran smack dab into the volley ball net from which I ricocheted and fell backwards onto the floor!

The teacher and the whole class roared with laughter at the sight, while I opened my eyes to see what I had hit. Whether he felt I was humiliated enough or my mindless stunt made his day, or both, the teacher did not assign to me any push-ups as I got up and timidly took my place amongst my fellow high school students.

This fun memory from the late 1960s crossed my mind the other day and I just had to laugh all over again.

That sure was hilarious, but it reminded me of Luke 24:34-35 that speaks of a time that will soon come: "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth."

This was spoken by Christ in connection with His reply to His disciples' concern about end time events. It is specifically found in the parable of the budding fig tree which can primarily represent Israel.

Christ was warning of the period many of us call the Great Tribulation, the darkest time that Israel will face when the Antichrist rules the world and the False Prophet will bind the souls of men to this wicked ruler.

While that most dismal situation gives way to the return of Christ which ushers in His Millennial Reign and the spiritual salvation of the remnant of Israel, we still should respond to the first phrase in verse 34, "And take heed to yourselves."

The only way to be ready is to be in Christ. That is, we must make Him King of our lives and must remain committed to Him. Otherwise we will blindly run into a snare that will result in no laughing matter.