If one were to ask, “Do you think you’re going to heaven?”
Many folks might say:
“Well, I hope so.”
“I think I might.”
“I doubt it because I haven’t been to church in ages.”
“I’m not that ‘churchy’ kind of person.”
“I’m pretty sure I won’t.”
“When you are dead, you are gone.”
Or might you meet the kind of person who would say, “You bet I am going to Heaven. My ticket to heaven has already been punched on the Cross.”
What is the difference?
It amazes me to discover that so many people are not quite sure, hope they might, or are indifferent about the topic.
What about you?
Are you sure you will meet Jesus in Heaven when your tour is done here on Earth?
Now that I have been retired for the last 18 years --but not really, I have been asked many times by recruiters and heads of insurance agencies, big and small, to study for my license and come to work for them with promises of significant success, big money, and becoming a prominent salesperson in their agency.
Our lovely daughter is a most successful full-service insurance and financial agent. I know how hard she works every day to provide people with the services they need. It is not for me.
I try to convince the recruiters that I am not in the least bit inclined or interested in selling insurance.
When they are taken aback by such a definitive remark and ask why not, I calmly say, “I would much rather sell assurance than insurance.”
My kind of product is a sure thing, no doubt about it, and a legitimate promise.
As I said, my ticket to Heaven was already punched 2,000 years ago on the Hill of Golgotha, just outside the walls of ancient Jerusalem.
I can assure you of another thing: I also know how to help you validate your ticket to Heaven.
Let us look at your spiritual resumé to see how well you would qualify.
How often have you gone to church, other than Christmas, Easter, weddings, or funerals, in the last ten years?
Oh, and how much have you contributed to the big golden plate that gets passed up and down the pews?
How many scripture verses have you memorized, or how many Bible stories have you read to your kids?
Have you sung in the chancel choir, served on any church committees lately, or organized a warm church meal for homeless people downtown?
How well do you know Jesus -- enough to love Him? Been baptized yet?
What kind of responses to these questions would contribute to your composing an outstanding resumé to get you into heaven?
You know, there is a long line waiting to get in.
I hope the above questions qualified as absurd to you and generated a deep snicker or two.
The reality is that not one admirable answer to the questions above would lead to getting your ticket punched to get into Heaven or even on the trolley to get you there.
It would not matter what font you use, what style of writing, how good your spelling and language usage are, or how many references you list on the end of your resumé.
What would matter?
It is simple and uncomplicated, more so than composing a resumé.
There are three things you need to do to be welcomed into Heaven:
• avow that you believe Jesus willingly sacrificed His life on the cross for your sins and eternal salvation,
• confess your sins to seek His forgiveness,
• and welcome Jesus into your heart and your life.
It does not cost anything; you do not have to do it at the altar in front of a crowd of people in a church or promise a litany of someone else’s beliefs.
It would be best to look forward to a gradual and positive change in who you are, how you think, and how you feel.
You will be very starved to find out about what the Bible has to tell you, how to talk with God, and how to serve him.
You will want to know how the life and teachings of Jesus transform you into an adorable, likable person, and make life decisions that will bring about a significant impact on who you are.
It will simply feel good and give you a more positive and encouraging outlook for the rest of your life.
God would love to see you in church this Sunday so you can better understand why one would benefit from going to Heaven and what it takes to get there.
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