{"id":42129,"date":"2014-06-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-06-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/former-new-york-mayor-says-hes-earned-heaven\/"},"modified":"2014-06-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-06-30T00:00:00","slug":"former-new-york-mayor-says-hes-earned-heaven","status":"publish","type":"sermon-illustrations","link":"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/pastors\/preaching\/sermon-illustrations\/former-new-york-mayor-says-hes-earned-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"Former New York Mayor Says He&#8217;s &#8216;Earned&#8217; Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>During an interview before his 50th college reunion, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg confessed that his mortality has started dawning on him, at 72. He also said that he&#39;s been sobered by how many of his former classmates have passed away. But the author of the interview concluded, &quot;But if [Bloomberg] senses that he may not have as much time left as he would like, he has little doubt about what would await him at a Judgment Day. Pointing to his work on gun safety, obesity and smoking cessation, he said with a grin: &#39;I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I&#39;m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in heaven. 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