Let’s work backwards from the least to the most important.
But first this disclaimer: there are not just 10 reasons. This is but the tip of a great big ice burg hiding away from the secular world.
10. Join the club
Christ is the only Son of God, but He was not alone. He was not the Lone Ranger. He surrounded Himself with not just twelve apostles but literally hundreds of disciples. He positioned himself to speak to thousands at a time. And made sure the inner circle learned and remembered everything important. Christ first created the word “Church.” He said it would be built upon His foundation. The Apostle Paul further explained that the church was ‘people’ connected to one another like bricks. In another place he likened church to a body with people representing various members and parts. One whole; many members. Christ was not separate from it. He was the head. So, let’s say for argument sake, as a fellow Christian that you are a pinky finger on the right hand. Are you of any use to Christ, to God, if you are lying on the ground in the backyard, while the other hand is wrapping a bandage on the wound where you should be? God never compares us to bees where unthinking hive creatures are manipulated by a queen to go out and accomplish various predetermined tasks. The queen bee does not love her workers and expects that many will simply die off and never return. Your God created you with love, loves you still, and allows you free will to make your own choices. But you are a finger not a bee. But you are of no use to Him separated from his body. You’d not be a Christian member. You’d be a dead used-to-be finger of God.
9. One big happy family
Remember the Sabbath and to keep it Holy. That is the 3rd Commandment. One day a week set aside to rest and reflect on Him. But was this just for HIM? Or was the day set aside also for you? We know from both the old and new testaments that it was not done alone. First families and then congregations gathered together to share this rest and reflection. After all this was a God who created families because it is not good that man should be alone. As men began to share worship, He began to give them direction and comfort through His priests and prophets. The modern day equivalent of the prophet today is the pastor, preacher and evangelist that prepares and then delivers God’s word to us that edifies, encourages or convicts. Messages that stir or bring to remembrance our Lord and Savior. Why do we need this?
8. Spiritual checkup
While as Christians we are never to compare ourselves one to another. We are asked to measure ourself in God’s mirror: His commandments. Seeing our shortcoming there we seek salvation first, and after salvation, restoration of fellowship when our sins separate us. Our separation from other Christians can widen that gulf or worse: lead us into a false sense that we can be Christian ‘our way’ and often without having to face other Christians. Then, like the body with a member missing, how does a missing finger touch a brow? Christians need other Christians to comfort or be comforted. To chasten or to edify. To bless or be blessed. He uses our hands and hearts and the hands and hearts of others in our local church as HIS hands. We touch one another, being one body.
7. Safety in numbers
Animals all gather together in the presence of a predator. We call them herds. And while predators do kill animas out of herds, think how many animals would be vulnerable if they travelled alone. Even lions, tigers and bears don’t go it alone. Why wouldn’t you ally your self with people of like interest? Especially in a world where old fashioned ideas like love, fidelity, forgiveness and family seem to be at odds with the culture. The first ‘church’ at Christ’s resurrection all worshiped of ‘one accord’ and with that kind of love and like-mindedness accomplished many, many miracles. God is still in the miracle business for anyone still willing to gather in His name in one accord.
6. Safety in understanding
Cults are created by the absence of the daily-checked but non-evolving, forever settled written word of God. Agnostics, doubters and atheists are more often created by unenlightened readers of scripture without the Holy Spirit trying to discern spiritual things. Churches have been splitting for centuries over slights, or evolving mistranslations. Some more liberal churches use cultural mores no longer even preaching from the inspired word of God. A good bible-believing, whole word preaching church is a Christian’s only defense for keeping his own spirit and those of his family clean from the influences of this world.
5. Faith is contagious by contact
Many children of the sixties, who stopped reading bible stories or praying when these things were taken out of public schools, never sent their own children to church. We have four and five generations now removed from God. If you are a Christian with children who does not attend church you are showing them just how unimportant Christ is in your life. I can look back to a time before I was a Christian and remember sitting in a pew with my father and mother. I remembered the seriousness, the occasional furrowed brow, even a few tears. These are as vivid to me today as the moment I saw them. Even before I accepted Christ in my life I KNEW there was a real God. I witnessed Him served. Why should your children ever bow before a God you won’t even leave the house once a week to go hear about. Why would they want too? He will be as real to them as Santa and the Easter bunny. And they did go see them once a year until they knew they weren’t real either.
4. Peace that passes all understanding and a dozen more almost unbelievable benefits.
Those stay-at-home Christians who rarely, if ever attend church, don’t even know what it is they are missing. Mostly because they find it hard to believe. They are saved. Lately they wonder about that too. They live defeated lives. Wondering, worrying, hoping, doubting, fighting, crying and pleading with no power behind their prayers. They see faithful attending worshipers and wonder why they can’t get that peace that happiness they see. They wonder if it is an act, or worse, a delusion. How can anyone be that patient, that joyful that trusting that God has everything in control? They’ve gone a couple times, suffered through. How many times does it take? Then. Like a sudden summer rain, or a sheet ice wall suddenly crashing down, it happens. The eyes see. The heart opens. Things that seemed non-existent are now daily mini-miracles. Faith builds upon faith. Why wasn’t I living like this before? Abundantly. My cup running over.
3. Peter, Paul and all the apostles, and past prophets say so.
Forsaking not the assembly of one another. And the more so as THAT day approaches. Yes. That day. The day when everything is done. For some that was yesterday. For some tomorrow. And a few of us Christians will be here when Christ raptures his church away. Every major and minor prophet and every writer of the New Testament has suggested more than a ‘casual’ assembling of the congregation during our brief lifetime. Don’t treat their word casually.
2. Jesus says so.
If Christ says so, do we actually need more reasons than this? And He did spell it out a number of times. But the number one reason is:
1. God says so. (Commandments 1, 2 and especially #3)
God not only says this many, many times, He speaks this through His prophets, His patriarchs, His priests, His apostles and through His only begotten Son. Given the gravity of all of this: if you really ARE His, shouldn’t you absolutely be obeying His instruction to be in church?
First a word to my fellow Christian Conservatives:
Before you call me a liberal or socialist, read carefully through this list then suggest better ways to make effective use of private resources and still stop the expansion of taxpayer debt. We need to do things differently. The ‘Old Way’ is like the definition of insanity: Doing the same old things but expecting better results
Why DHHS cannot go back to the way things were before Obamacare: the ‘old way’ things were done needs fixed
While we all know what a disaster Obamacare is, back when it was being considered, I was proposing legislation that would fix the flaws in the old way of doing things. At the time West Virginia’s two Senators were both Democrats pushing Obamacare and were not interested in the fixes I was proposing. Since Obamacare’s decline, interest has returned to the ‘old way’ which is very workable. But as I said in 2009, it needs some serious tweaks. Let’s look at some of these:
Working poor need to deduct medical insurance on Snap benefit eligibility
Years ago Snap was just called ‘Food Stamps’ and even the working poor were eligible for them. Eligibility and quantity was based on income, number of dependents and qualifying household expenses. Rightfully, things like rent or house payments were on this list. Car payments were not; that is an extravagant convenience. Home insurance and even basic phone service were eligible. But if there was one thing absent it was (and after 40 years still is) a deduction for medical insurance. Even serious and responsible working poor could see that buying home insurance and getting the deduction from their gross income got them more food for their family. But paying for medical insurance even at a discount rate from their employer was an expense that was not deductible and thus they often elected no coverage. In the 1970’s through the 1990’s this caused a great accumulated debt of medical cost for the poor, whom when they were sick or ill, went to the ER which had to, by law, treat them. Taxpayers were saddled with this debt. It could have been a fraction of this cost if the government had allowed this deduction to the working poor. This still needs to be fixed.
Working poor need 100% reimbursement on medical expenses on Federal Income tax lowering their adjusted gross income
The working poor don’t actually pay taxes. However most with children do get ‘Earned income credit’. This check gets them a small paltry to catch up on debts, fix needed transportation, or generally provides needed relief from poverty. And the working poor know more than any other class how to balance finances for survival. Even with insurance payments acting as deductibles for food stamp eligibility, the family has additional medical expenses through the year: deductibles, co-payments, medicine and more. We could continue to let these accumulate as unpaid debt from a class of people that cannot afford them. Or we can let them be paid throughout the year and that money be ‘reimbursed’ to them as a 100% add-on to their ‘Earned Income.’ Yes, the government is still picking up the check on these for the working poor but the debt hasn’t been allowed to accumulate and thus rise through the year with interest and penalties. It also lets the responsible worker feel better about paying these debts as they happen knowing he will be reimbursed come ‘tax time.’ Anything less than 100% reimbursement defeats the cause as it simply would be allowed to accumulate as public debt. Another incentive would be to allow those medical costs and co-pays in arrears at ‘tax time’ to be paid after the first of the year but before ‘Earned Income’ is calculated and reimbursed. Thus hospitals and clinics benefit from late payers.
Anyone making less than $150,000 dollars must get 100% deduction on out-of-pocket medical expenses
For 40 years I have filed my own taxes. But in 2002 when my wife was ineligible for medical insurance (prior existing conditions – more on this later), I accumulated more than 10,000 in medical expenses for her for the year. ($900 a month in medicine and four $1,000 MRI alone). This that year was more than one-third if my $28,000 gross income. So naturally, I assumed this would merit me a big deduction at tax time. Wrong. First: the deduction is calculated by multiplying the expense ($10,000) by 0.07 percent. That $700 sounds good. But then, that is not the deduction. You subtract that $700 from the Standard Deduction (which that year was $7,000 for two). The deduction is equal to any difference above the $7000 standard deduction). It quickly appears that only those making over $100,000 can break even with the standard deduction. While those like me that year can barely meet bills or buy food. Anyone under the $100,000 gross threshold should get at least 50% deductible write-off if not the entire out-of-pocket expense for which they have proper receipts.
Welfare recipients need to have spend-down thresholds eliminated on catastrophic events
Here is a real example: Michele (not her real name) had an accident and was air-lifted to a remote hospital. A working poor woman who had recently changed jobs she was without insurance. Her medical bill upon her release 15 days later was $38,000. Because she had a husband and a child, DHHR said they could pick up the bill if she could reach the spend down limit in three months. Her limit: $42,000. They would NOT pay the bill if she did not reach that debt. She had three months for her and the other members of her family to run up another $4,000 in medical bills. You bet they did. This was one family. Multiply this by millions in this boat. Is it any wonder the past four decades we have racked up billions in Medicare debt? How ridiculous this is. Instead of paying medical bills as they stand we were having families run up additional debt intentionally. We need to fix this.
For all classes ‘prior existing’ rules must be returned to pre-1998 status (24-month ineligibility)
In 1998 Republicans made some badly needed reforms to the Welfare system. But one change was catastrophic. They let insurers talk them into eliminating the ‘prior existing conditions’ clause. At that time, insurers that provided employee insurance policies could not turn down anyone if they paid into the system for 24-months before beginning coverage. This 24-month buffer was to offset possible future charges. What was unexpected is that all insurance companies adopted this policy and used it to deny coverage to people that had even ‘unrepeatable’ risks. Millions of people were thrown off medical coverage and many of them ended up on government doles, expanding our debt.
Separate ‘catastrophic illness’ rider must be available to all (DHHS 100%, $ difference covered if necessary) and an arrangement can’t be negotiated by insurance companies with Congress
For those with prior existing conditions, and certainly those facing catastrophic illness or recovery from life-threatening accidents specialized catastrophic care should be made available at minimal or no cost. If there is one argument for government paid medical coverage it is this. Careers end, people lose homes, families are devastated. America is bigger than this.
Other thoughts: Insurance companies must:
Not discharge covered individuals when limits have been reached.
Not refuse coverage for individuals based on ‘prior existing illnesses’ for coverage other than those conditions.
Meet varying state laws if allowed to cross state lines for coverage.
Be able to adjust ‘minimum’ packages (state compliant) similar to what auto coverage does for customers who can’t afford or need premium policies.
Private policy is the best policy
America works best under its Founding Christian principles including Capitalism. Where possible free market principles must reign supreme. But as you can see, the socialistic policies of Obamacare did not work. Nor did the system as it previously existed. But by tweaking the previous system so that we don’t fall into the same financial pratfalls, nor let the public debt run out of control, America can get this done.
God creates man and has dominion over him. Painting by Michelangelo from the Cistine Chapel in Rome, Italy.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
Let me define ‘which’ God. I don’t mean Ra, Zeus, Odin, Dagon, Baal or any of the various pagan gods. I don’t mean any of the cult gods of ‘isms:’ Buddhaism, Mormonism, Islamism, etc. I mean the one-true and only living God of the Judean and Christian Bible. And before I get any ‘ism’ objections: there is no other ‘bible’ in the world where prophecy has been fulfilled: Not the Mormon bible. Not the Quran.
Judeo/Christian biblical prophecy has been proven fulfilled. The Old Testament writings ended 470 years before the birth of Christ. 120 years before the birth of Christ, the Essenes buried copies of this scripture in sealed jars in caverns along the Dead Sea. Rediscovered in 1947 these ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ are (with the exception of Ester), a complete version (albeit translated from Hebrew) of the Old Testament EXACTLY as it has come down to us today. So those 360 prophecies of Christ fulfilled 120 years after these scrolls were buried is proof positive that scripture regarding details of Christ was fulfilled (i.e. Isaiah Chapter 53 which is often called the ‘fifth gospel’ in its detail written 400+ years before its fulfillment).
If you want a modern fulfilled prophecy how about this: in 1948 after nineteen hundred years of being a fallen nation that disappeared in history, Israel suddenly became a nation again. In the same location, speaking the same original language, worshiping the same living God just as many of the Old Testament Bible prophets predicted that it would.
ALPHA AND OMEGA
In the last book of the Bible, God speaking as the glorified Son (part of the triune nature of this one living God) identifies himself as the alpha and omega (being the beginning and the end of the Greek alphabet) thus declaring himself the beginning and end of all things. (Revelation 1:8 and 22:13) Indeed John calls Christ the ‘Word.’ The living embodiment of the father’s declared word from the beginning. (John 1:1-4) So it is that the Bible declares itself the infallible, inerrant and God breathed word of God. (1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21) If this claim is true, then final weight must be given to God on any subject on which He has revealed His will. The first being: as creator who created and sustains all things even now (Ephesians 3:9, Colossians 1:16-17) His word is final. And because it is inerrant, He does not make mistakes.
LET GOD BE TRUE AND ALL MEN LIARS
If there are mistakes, they are made by men. Even Holy men like Abraham, Moses and Jacob made mistakes. That’s why God uses their mistakes and the inspired words of multiple men to show us both his inerrancy and his will. We are required as his progeny to earnestly study that word and follow his will. Life not only goes better for us in this world but is NECESSARY to enter into life in the next. Along the way, we can sometimes be led off the path by others or even our own misunderstanding. The mistakes are then our own. Not Gods.
FOR THIS CAUSE: ONE MAN ONE WOMAN
God calls all the shots here. His game: His rules. In fact, He tells mankind to reproduce and fill the Earth and subdue it. Two people of the same sex cannot reproduce (more on this later). One male, one female forever unified as ‘one flesh’ two halves of one whole in God’s sight. (Genesis 2:24, and for those who believe Jesus did not address this: Matthew 19: 4-8) As I said: His rules. He even says they become one flesh: one whole person. To ‘shop around’ making yourself one flesh with a dozen other people is an abomination to Him. You can’t wish away forever any more than you can ‘put away’ your other half of your flesh.
Many say, “Our marriage was a mistake.” Many do. God does not. In fact, God says: “Men love your wives and be not bitter against them .” (Colossians 3:19) and another place He says: “Men love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.” (Ephesians 5:25). See the pattern? Your love for your wife is a sacrificial one, even if she treats you unjustly. Divorce is NOT an option with God. That is why “till death” is part of the wedding vow. Many children today are raised by a single parent. And while many do the best they can, this is not the way God intended.
And it shows in a corrupt culture that no longer honors fathers or parents, lives selfish lives, have multiple sex (not love) partners, have multiple pregnancies that often end in abortion, live with instead of marrying spouses and often partnered with the same sex. God is not honored, not worshipped and people live as they come to believe and pass on to surviving children: there are no rules and they can do ANYTHING that pleases them. Instead of subduing the Earth, they are conquered by it, losing not just faith, but their very lives. All because they choose not to do things God’s way, because they think he is wrong, mistaken. God doesn’t make mistakes.
SUBDUE THE EARTH, NOT WORSHIP IT
Subduing the Earth is opposite of submitting to it. And the Earth changed after God called it “good” and had to curse it when sin entered the world. It changed drastically after God flooded the world and started again. So while we all admire the beauty of the world around us, it is His, created for Him by Him. His rules. And while it is ridiculous to suggest that man can do anything to cause or affect any weather related event, or produce any man-made gas that would change the temperature or toxicity of the climate, God is still in control. The curse still reigns and cannot be lifted by man: only God.
That does not mean we are given license to pollute. But eliminating sulphur or soot from fossil-fuel plants is a far cry from calling carbon dioxide, a necessary live-giving gas necessary for all living plants, a ‘pollutant.’ Science has proven over and over again that nature, often by the oceans, regulates all carbon dioxide in the Earth. Nature’s God does not do this by accident. It is not by accident that God has proven all past environmental extremists’ predictions to become false. God had already declared how the Earth ends, which does not involve any pollutants, atomic bombs or any other human manufactured device or failure. Those who insist so, do not believe there is a God who created the Earth nor that He sustains it without human help. God is still in control; He does not make mistakes.
MEN ARE MEN AND WOMEN AREN’T
Only men are fathers. No woman can be a father. Neither can she procreate a child without a man. God identifies himself as our father. Fathers are the beginning of the family and the first of the institutions He created: the family. Research has proven over and over that no matter how well single women raise children without fathers they fall far short of those raised in families with fathers. In fact, research shows even after grown, those raised without a father long to discover and foster a relationship with him. It seems to be innate.
This is why no same sex partnering with another woman will never replace the role of a father. It is also why a parade of revolving male partners will never replace a father figure who ‘anchors’ the family as its spiritual and physical leader. Children raised without this anchor cannot understand the ‘fatherhood’ that God describes of Himself throughout the Bible: His permanent presence and support; His discipline and expectations of His children; His strong arm of defense and protection; His love and mercy and generosity even when unmerited and undeserved. To children with fathers (however imperfect as humans) indeed understand these things as God gave them an example and they learn that God is far more perfect than their own father.
Children raised without fathers often find a substitute role model for one. In today’s environment this can lead to involvement in gangs, or cults, drugs and worse. And for young men who are raised entirely without male roles additionally run the highest risk of becoming effeminate. God’s institution of the family, anchored by a godly father was his insurance that parents would make fewer mistakes. God doesn’t make mistakes.
WOMEN ARE WOMEN AND MEN SHOULDN’T BE
Some young men raised without good strong fathers; or raised in families where the mother has usurped the male’s role as leader, tend towards effeminacy. They want to become their mothers; or find they can obtain their life goals by emulating the strong women they see as their pseudo-father. Whether cross dressing, homosexual or full on transsexual: these ‘pretend’ women can never fulfill roles as real women, wives or mothers.
God calls both men and women abominations (Lev 18:22, 20:13, Roman’s 1:24-32) when they have and desire same sex relations. This is a strong word and probably encompasses these words too: liar, unbeliever, sinner, adulterers, and idolaters. Yes liar: because they think God made a mistake when He created them in the sex they are and should disregard Him on this matter. Unbelievers because they would prefer a lie to the real truth, thus believing they are right and God is wrong. Sinners because they pursue their thoughts, which become desires, which become imagings, which become actions. Each of these steps being a sin. Adulterous because God has declared these things abominable and yet they continue. Idolaters because they have now put themselves, their lifestyle, and continuing identity above both their creator, and the original purpose He intended for them. Worse. They have turned their nose up at God, saying they know better than Him what their purpose and course in life should be.
Others have been convinced God still accepts them in this identity and overlooks their sin. That God, through Christ, accepts them blindly out of love. They have been taught in error that their continuing abomination is covered by grace. They have never heard or forgotten that grace and salvation comes when they acknowledge sin and ask for forgiveness of their sin. Then they ask Christ to come into them and change them to His likeness. And at that moment Christ sends the Holy Spirit, (that third part of the triune Godhead) into them who begins to make that transformation. He changes desires; He instructs and leads one to the scriptures and helps in their understanding of them, and their desire to read and study them. He convicts when old desires and sins come calling and brings scripture to remembrance.
No REAL Christian can continue to live an abominable lifestyle and yet claim to be transformed. Not possible. Christ says you will know the tree by its fruit. Christians without fruit aren’t Christians (Matthew 12:33) Sorry. His rules; His way. Those who CONTINUE in their sinful nature have not actually been transformed and thus not saved; they are still on a path to an eternal hell; even if they believe a lie otherwise. You cannot wish, dream, pray or pay your way into God’s acceptance of an abhorrent behavior contrary to his word. His rules; His way. God doesn’t make mistakes.
MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY
Frank Sinatra brags in his song that ‘I Did It My Way.’ And that appears that is the new cultural montra even among the American population, the great majority of which claim to be Christian. And yet across all denominational lines church attendance is down. Apparently even most who call themselves Christian think they can do things their way too. “All things work together for good to them that are the called according to HIS purpose.” (Romans 5:8, all caps my emphasis). And some Christians wonder why their lives aren’t blessed. “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:1-2).
Worldly Christians living ‘their own way’ miss out on his blessings too: not just the lost. After all, you are to conform to His likeness, go His way not petition him to accept your likeness and bless your route. About that highway you want to be on: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14, and the words are a quote from Christ).
You’d be better to stay on His road than be on your own highway to hell. Hell isnt’ a mistake. God did not create it for men. He created it for Satan and his angels. (Matthew 25:41) But it enlarged itself for men because, foolishly, while men are offered an escape, they CHOOSE to go to hell, rather than Him. Men make mistakes; God does not.
OBEDIENCE BETTER THAN SACRIFICE
Unfortunately even some Christians see obedience as sacrifice. They think it a burden to read their bible. Worse to actually follow the path it sets before them. To actually spend two or three hours a week sitting in Sunday school, under the conviction of a sermon or in prayer or worship. They imagine this is adequate enough sacrifice for a good life that God has promised them. They are easily excused from services if other obligations demand it and just as easily indignant when unexpected bad times come; as though what little faithfulness they had shown was payment for avoiding it.
Often this is just a level of Christian maturity. Mature Christians, understand that reading and obeying the word is no burden but a joy and a safeguard for stumbling or falling into temptation. They know assembling together is the second institution God gave them for their protection. That similar to the family, this larger group offered opportunities to read and understand difficult scripture wisely and inerrantly. It allowed them to meet their own needs and those of other families and share all this with bigger communities. And to do this while praising and worshiping the Heavenly Father. And it helped them to share burdens as times of testing came upon some or even all of them.
To these, obedience was neither a burden nor sacrifice, but a joyful willingness to service out of gratitude to their creator. (1 Thes. 5:18). To those grateful for the real promises of salvation, forgiveness and eternal life, ten hours in service is not enough; ten percent of their income seems not enough; they praise and sing to him throughout each day they draw breath; they not only read scripture they memorize it and perpetually share it; and they pray, incessantly, for others and themselves even in the face of great loss, grief, pain or at the point closest to death. These have discovered obedience is no burden. Indeed it is joyful gratitude in practice, and it comes with the best perks in the world. Sure, rain falls on the righteous and the lost, but a life lived with the Savior is abundant with riches: joy even in the face of death; peace that passes all understanding; understanding of His love and role for you in this world; the assured place reserved for you in eternity.
And if these are just some of the perks of obedience, then what is sacrifice? God said that even a cup of water given in love and in His name to one who needs it deserves a reward in Heaven (Matthew 10:24). He says the praise for Him out of our lips is a sacrifice He covets. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13). God did it first. Many still do. Many more are willing. You may never get the opportunity to make THAT sacrifice. Still, if a reward is earned just for sacrificing a little time and effort to give a cup of water, how much more incentive do you need to join a local church body and lend a hand. And here is one more incentive, Christ said: “Insomuch as ye have done this unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40). Serve your Savior: He takes it personal. These promises for rewards in Heaven for small tokens of love and sacrifice. These are promises, not mistakes. God doesn’t make mistakes.
ONE LAST SIMPLE THING
if, after reading all this, and it occurs to you that you might not be saved and have the assurance that you are heaven bound, you can indeed be saved and have this assurance. What follows below is God’s salvation plan. Sometimes it is called the Roman’s Road because the Apostle Paul laid out this great, yet simple plan mostly in the book of Romans in the New Testament almost 2,000 years ago. Read through this plan and think about each scripture, then at the end you will be led through a simple prayer.
Realize that you are a sinner that has transgressed the Holy laws of God.
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
And you have ‘earned’ punishment for sin that is just
“For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)
But, God has provided you an escape.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life is through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
And what must one do to receive this gift?
“That If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Roman’s 10:9-10)
Sound simple? It is. It can’t be that simple? Yes it can. All the heavy lifting has already been done by Jesus who took the punishment for you, if you will accept him as Lord over your life.
Paul, even in his day, had skeptics of the simplicity of this plan. He said “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18) and “But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)
If you want to receive Jesus as Lord of your life, be embued by the Holy Spirit, and saved into Heaven for all eternity, all you must do is ask:
From your heart, in all earnestness, pray a simple prayer something like this:
“Lord Jesus. I know I am a sinner. I know you died to pay for my sins, and was raised again on the third day, seen of men and later lifted to heaven, to eternal life for all who believe. I believe. Please forgive me of my sins. Send the Holy Spirit into me and transform my life and grant me eternal life in Heaven. Amen”
The words matter less than the intent. I’ve seen children eternally saved by simply asking: “Jesus save me.”
If you weren’t saved before, you are now. Don’t discount the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work He promised he will. May I suggest a place to begin? Find a local God-fearing, Bible-believing church and attend services this coming Sunday morning. Before then, do this: out of the New Testiment read The Gospel of John, Romans, Ephesians then the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit will not only provide you the incentive but guide you into understanding. After this you can tackle all scripture, especially the old testiment. Begin there with First Samuel. Oh, and welcome to eternity. If I don’t meet you in this life, I certainly will in the next. And if you are saved I WILL see you in Heaven. It is a promise of God. And he always delivers. Men may make mistakes, but God does not.
NOTE: If there are mistakes in this article: spelling, grammatical, factual or otherwise they are all mine. God and his doctrine are inerrant.
