How to Get to Heaven by Larry Refsland
"Don’t leave home without it!” I’m not talking about your American Express card; I’m talking about your map! If you’re going on a trip to a place you’ve never gone before, it’s a good idea to bring along a map. Or you’ll be stopping every so often to ask directions, and you know how embarrassing that can be! Speaking of asking for directions, do you know how to get to Heaven from your town? I’m serious! Some people think the road to heaven is found by doing good deeds. Others would say you take the highway of “trusting your church” to get you there. But, according to the Bible, there is only one road to heaven and that is the person of Jesus Christ. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is death.” Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me” (John 14:6). The Bible makes clear the point that the way to Heaven is by accepting the free gift of God’s grace by faith. In Romans 10:9 it says if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. In order to say truthfully that Jesus is Lord, you must turn over to Him your life and ask him to lead you the rest of your life. He will lead you to Heaven. You’ll never make it there on your own ability or merit. You must become a follower of Jesus Christ. So go ahead, get out your roadmap to eternity, the Bible, and check the directions. You can get on the right road today by asking him to lead you. Have a safe and joyful journey. “You’ve been adopted!” Every orphan wants to hear those three words. Families that have opened their hearts and homes to a child know what it’s like to go through the agonizing waiting and hoping period while the legal process is completed to officially recognize a child as their own son or daughter. The child has a new name, a new home, and a new heritage. He or she becomes entitled to all the benefits of this new family: the food, the shelter, the clothing, and most of all, the love of a father and mother. For whatever reason, the birth parents were not able or willing to give the child the care it deserved and needed. The adoptive parents assumed all of those responsibilities.
What if the child refused the adoption? What if they chose to continue to live as orphans, or remain in a neglected home, even though the adoption had all been arranged and paid for? That wouldn’t seem probable, much less very wise. The Bible says that God’s gift to us is his offer to adopt us into his family. It says that Jesus Christ paid for the adoption with his own death on the cross. Whoever trusts in him has the right to become one of God’s children. This offer is to everyone, everywhere. Many people, however, reject God’s gift. They choose to try to make it on their own. That’s sad, because they cannot enjoy all the benefits that come with the adoption. Only by accepting God’s offer can we hope to live forever in his kingdom. Only by trusting Christ can we have access to the help and power and advice of the Heavenly Father. Will you take God up on his offer? You can be a child of the King! Your Heavenly Father is waiting to hear from you! “When I was a kid, I used to walk five miles to school in chest-high snow, up-hill…both ways!” We’ve all heard the accounts of “when I was a kid”. You’ve probably used them yourself; I know I have. If you’re like me, your family had certain expectations for each person in the family. Every child, for example, had chores. In my family, my little sister would set the table, I would clear off the table after dinner, and my older brother would dry the dishes as Mom washed them. I always encouraged my brother to finish up the uneaten potatoes or vegetables, because I hated finding Tupperware bowls to fit leftovers into. The point is everyone was expected to do his or her share of the work to make life better for all of us.
You know, the family of God isn’t any different. Your church is like a family. The Bible says that we grow and become strong as we build one another up in love and as each part does its work. You wouldn’t expect to get all the benefits of living at home without doing some of the work. The church family is the same way! This weekend, go tell your pastor you want to know what your chores are! After you’ve revived him, tell him you aren’t kidding! There’s no telling what God will accomplish when each member is doing his and her part. Be a participator, not a spectator in your church family. Everyone will win that way. |
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May 2016
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