Yep, I knew Ernie Banks. Many of you did as well. Mr. Cub, as we used to call him when we weren’t calling him Mr. Sunshine. Some regard him as one of the greatest baseball players of all time and I knew him. I remember the day in 1977, when he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as the day he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. I remember the first time I tried to meet him. My cousin Don and I were at Wrigley Field to watch the Cubs play and it was Mr. Cub Day. After the game, Ernie decided to exit the field by walking through the stands. Everyone started running towards him to get his autograph, so Don and I had to plan our strategy well. We laid back a little and watched as the fans made their bid to crowd around him. Ernie decided to continue up the stairs, out of the box seat area and head up into the grandstand seating. Once we saw that, we knew our move would be to stay a ways ahead of him and stand in the aisle. Since the narrow aisle was trimming the crowd back as he walked, we would be sure to meet him head on. We couldn’t run to the aisle to make our way upward, so we decided to start hopping over the seats to create our own path. I had a problem though. Without regard for the fact that the seats were folding, I planted my foot firmly but too deep into a chair. As soon as my weight hit the seat, it folded, causing me to fall backwards, trapping my leg in the seat, with me hanging off the front lip.. Don, my brother cousin, saw what happened and came to my rescue thus securing for both of us a missed chance at meeting Mr. Cub. I was about 10 years old then, but later on in life, I finally got my chance to meet Ernie at O’Hare Airport while boarding a plane. I got a chuckle out of him when I told him my story. Ernie died in 2015 and I’m glad that I got to know him.
I also know Donald John Trump, the 45th and current President of the United States. We all knew him before entering politics, when he was a businessman and television personality. Now settle down. I’m not here to discuss politics or ways of doing business, all I’m telling you is that I know him.
Paul McCartney is someone I know as well. We go all the way back to 1964, right before he and the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. Few people know that his first name is really James and that because his father’s name was James, he chose to go by his second name, Paul. I got to know the rest of the Beatles as well and enjoyed knowing the members of Wings and his other bands. You know them too.
I know Jesus Christ, the only Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity. I’ve known Him from the time I could reason, as a matter of fact, I talk to Him everyday.
But, here’s the thing guys. It’s not who you know or whether I know “The Don”, knew Ernie or know Paul and Jesus, The real thing is whether they know me.
The most important question of all is whether the Lord Jesus knows me. Look at the following scripture verses for some insight:
Matthew 7:21,22: Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Luke 12:8: And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God.
John 12:26: If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.