How Far is Heaven?

2009-09-14T09:24:00.005-04:00

As a former Pastor and Prison Chaplain, many people have asked me;

“How do I get to Heaven?”

Some would say the answer is quite simple,
others would say, a bit more complex...

Let me ask you a question(s):

~ What are your spiritual beliefs?
~ Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?
~ If you were to die today, where would you go?
~ If you were wrong, would you want to know?

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

The fact of the matter is,
we ALL have sinned, EXCEPT JESUS

~ No one is perfect (no not even the Virgin Mary)
~ We all have let God down….

We were born with a sin nature

Let me give you an example:
Look at these little babies. If you put two babies in a crib together with only one toy, a rattle perhaps, they would fight and fuss over keeping that rattle all to themselves. No one "taught" these babies to be selfish.
Oh my, yes, even little babies have sin.
If sin can be seen as early as the infant stage:

~ Do you think children have sin?
~ Do you think teenagers have sin?
~ Do you think adults have sin?

Yes, we are all born with sin
It comes down from Adam and Eve
………Original sin if you will

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

Since we have ALL sinned, then we are ALL separated from God without Jesus

~ God can not be associated with sin
~ God can not be with sin
~ God does not want to be near sin

But God loved us enough to provide a plan to save us

~God gave us Jesus to be the One who saves us
~ Jesus went onto the cross to be the final “Sacrifice” for ALL OF MANKIND

But why a man as a sacrifice?
Why Jesus as the sacrifice?

Consider this for a moment:

If you were to bring Chinese money home to America after a business trip or a vacation, you could not spend that Chinese money here in America, right?You would have to change the Chinese money denomination into American money denomination, right?

That is how it is with God providing Christ as the One who saves us

~ The sacrifice for mankind had to be a man for mankind

~ The sacrifice had to be in the same denomination

as mankind, it had to be a man

So why did it have to be Jesus as the final “Sacrifice?”

The sacrifice had to be perfect

The sacrifice had to be sinless

Check this out:
Jesus was born sinless
Jesus was not born with the original sin that all descendants of Adam and Eve were born with because…..

Jesus was conceived by the “Virgin” Mary when the Holy Spirit came upon her. Thus Jesus was not born of the seed of man, as is the rest of mankind ie.,

Man + Woman = Original Sin child
Holy Spirit + Woman (Mary) = Sinless Jesus

Make sense?

Let me sum it up for you, God loved us so much that He provided someone to save us from life separated from Him forever

(yea, it’s hell)

God loved us enough to provide us with a “Savior”…..Jesus

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John 3:3
Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Many people have heard this term, “Born Again” before,
but what does it really mean?

Certainly we do not “re-enter” the womb of our mothers and get "born again"

Born Again refers to a “New Life,"
A new life in Christ

~ Dying to our old way of life
~ And being born into a new way of life
~ A life following and trying to be like Jesus

It is a 180 degree turn around
It is as if you were walking one way
(the way of selfishness, ugliness, crime, addiction, sex) and you make a 180 degree turn around and start following Jesus as your LORD and the One who saves you

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

This is simple
This is straight forward
This is Black and White

The only way to the Father
The only way to God
The only way to Heaven

……..is through Jesus

Romans 10:9-11
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord
And believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead You will be saved
With the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness And with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

This is more than acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God
This is more than acknowledging Jesus as a great Teacher
This is more than acknowledging Jesus as a great Prophet
This is more than acknowledging Jesus as a good Man

There are many who will acknowledge all of these things

No……this is about:
ACCEPTING Jesus into your life

This is about:
Admitting to all that will hear,
that you believe that Jesus is your LORD

Admitting that Jesus is the one you choose to follow now, dying to your old self,
And now living for Him

This is about being “sick and tired” of being “sick and tired”

This is about admitting you can’t do this life on your own anymore

This is about admitting that you can no longer go on in the ways that you have been conducting your life

This is about going to heaven,

and not going to hell

This is about living for Jesus now,

and not living for yourself

Revelation 3:20
'Behold, I stand at the door and knock;

if anyone hears My voice and opens the door,

I will come in to him and will dine with him,

and he with Me.

Do you feel that tugging on your heart

right now?

It’s time...

It’s time to put away all the arguments and follow Jesus
It’s time to stop making excuses, and follow Jesus
It’s time to stop putting it off, and follow Jesus….today

It’s time to follow Jesus
…..right now

Some will accept Jesus in a church
Some will accept Jesus by raising their hand
Some will walk to the front of the church

Some will meet Jesus right at their computer screen

...and finally give in

There are no magical words to say
There is no special formula prayer for being with Jesus

It’s a relationship, not a religion

If you’re ready to accept Jesus as your Lord
Please read, pray, and accept the words below:

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Jesus, I don’t understand everything
But I know I need you

I believe you died on the cross to be the One who saves me

I’m tired of living this life I’m living
I’m tired of the ugliness in my life

Please change me
Please forgive me

Come into my life Jesus
Be real in my life Jesus
I want to be with you in heaven forever
Amen (I agree)

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If you just made the choice to Follow Jesus there are some important things that will help you to continue in your relationship with Him.

Not more rules,

rather three things that will help you have a blessed relationship with your new Lord

1. Get involved with a Bible teaching church
2. Pray in the morning each day
3. Read your Bible each day

Now go and tell someone about your great news!!

including me, send me an email! kevinc911@yahoo.com