In a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the personal wealth of billionaire Bill Gates was described in terms that the average person can better understand. The net worth of Mr. Gates is calculated at $37 billion. This brief article attempts to quantify such wealth by revealing how many 747s would be filled to the doors with that amount of money. Could you imagine opening up the door of a 747 jumbo jet and finding it packed with dollar bills? However, you would not have to work your way through one 747, or ten, or even one hundred. Approximately three hundred 747s would be lined up on a runway and packed to the fill to store $37 billion.

The article goes on to say that if Mr. Gates purchased a Lamborghini for the sticker price of $250,000, in relationship to his personal wealth, it would be like an average American spending sixty-three cents! Although the article stated that $37 billion could purchase all the houses in four states: Alaska, Wyoming, North, and South Dakota. Obviously, even $37 billion could not by the houses of a number of highly populated American states. Perhaps, Gates could buy one highly populated state if the total housing of those four states equaled that one state. What state would such a person want to own? Colorado would be a beautiful one!

In doing some of my own calculations, if Mr. Gates wanted to get rid of all his wealth in one year, he would have to spend approximately one-hundred million dollars a day, assuming no gain in interest by having it placed in a passbook savings account. Even at a measly 3%, he would be accumulating over three million dollars a day! If he wanted to spend it all in an average life time of 70 years, from the day of his birth he would have to spend 1.4 million every day of his life, again assuming no accrued interest. Maybe he would have to buy those three-hundred 747s so that he could store it there, rather than in a bank otherwise he would be gaining more money than he would be giving away daily. Of course, it would cost Mr. Gates $20 billion to purchase those three-hundred brand, spanking new 747s (at a cost of $65 million each). A money saving suggestion would be that he purchase fewer planes and convert his net worth into one-hundred dollar bills. Then he would only need three 747s, fully packed, at only a cost of $195 million. One 747 could hold it all if it were converted to $1,000 bills, but each bill requires registration with the government. Also, it is hard to get change if he were to find himself buying a simple ice-cream cone.

Whatever the vast wealth of any single individual or noteworthy American family, what cannot be purchased is eternity with the God of heaven. The Bible says it this way, "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul." Obviously, there are many people who are selling out for far less than the whole world. Even Bill Gates possesses the wealth of only a small corner of this world.

The birth of Jesus speaks of a gift offered by God to all men. Jesus came into the world as the Saviour. He was born to die. The Easter season is a time to remember that the gift of salvation is available to all, regardless of personal wealth. "The gift of God is eternal life" which cannot be purchased. It cannot be purchased by belonging to any church or denomination. It cannot be purchased by engaging in any religious rituals. No amount of giving or church attendance can buy God's favor. Although many are hoping that their good lives will merit them heaven, the Bible states, "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast."

Heaven is available to all men through faith! A Christian, according to God's Word, is one who has put their trust in the saving work of Jesus on the cross. If you have never bowed your head, and said to God the Father, "Father, I am a sinner, and I need Jesus as my Saviour. I want to trust Him as my only hope of heave." Why not do that today? You can then mark Easter '98 as the time during which you became one of the richest people on earth!