Which way to heaven?

"Once more Jesus said to them, 'I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.'" - John 8:21 (NIV)

A popular bumper sticker in some cities calls for us to "coexist." The letters are made up of the symbols of various faiths, such as an Islamic crescent moon making up the "C," a Star of David as the "X," and a Christian cross at the "T." It reflects an attitude that no matter what you believe, no matter what your faith is, you will go to heaven when you die if your good deeds outweigh your bad.

However, sadly, that is bad theology. For starters, many faiths such as Christianity and Islam are exclusive beliefs, as in according to their teachings, their way is the only way to heaven. According to them, all other faiths are not the way of God or whatever higher being there is and will not help you in getting to heaven when you die.

So if each faith says they are the way, which way is THE way?

The Bible teaches that only faith in Jesus Christ is sufficient in any of us getting to heaven. Jesus himself is quoted in John 14:6 as saying,

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (NIV)

Jesus is quoted in Matthew as saying,

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." - Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV)

Romans 10:9 tells us,

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (NIV)

But why do we need a savior? Won't our good deeds, if they outweigh our bad ones, be enough to get us into heaven?

Unfortunately, sadly, no, they are not enough. Romans 3:23 says that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And even if we tried to be good, it still isn't enough:

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." - Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)

Jesus also had this to say about calling on God to let us into heaven, even if you go to church on a regular basis:
 
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" - Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
 
So how do we get to heaven then? One of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16, says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Eternal life means spending eternity with God in heaven. Death, in the eternal sense, means spending eternity apart from God, wallowing in our sins.
 
That is why Jesus is different.
 
"But he continued, 'You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.'" - John 8:23-24 (NIV)
 
Romans 10:9-10 says that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. It's as simple as that.
 
Want to know more? Feel free to contact us today.

Nothing but the best

Source: Orthodoxfaith.info

"'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.'" - John 2:10 (NIV)

Back in Jesus' day, wedding banquets were the norm for those getting married, especially if either the husband or wife came from a rich family. While the wedded (most likely from an arrangement set by their parents) were honored initially during the ceremony and early in the banquet, it soon became a drunken party in which the guests drank wine to their hearts' content. And as anyone who has either drunk too much or has seen it at parties, typically at some point the quality of the drink, whether it is beer, wine or some other alcoholic beverage, was not as much a concern.

Oftentimes, the story told in John 2:1-11 is analyzed as among Jesus' first miracles, when he turned water into wine. It did provide a glimpse into who he is, and a glimpse into how he often would get the attention of those around him (through miracles).

This story also can be viewed as the difference between this world and heaven. Yes, there are some good things in this world, whether it be family, works of art, marvel engineering feats, etc. These can and should be celebrated.

However, heaven, as described in the Bible, and what we as followers of Christ get to look forward to, is so much more.

"I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.'" - Revelation 21:2-4 (NIV)

Our physical bodies, some in better shape than others, also will be the best they can be.

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." - Philippians 3:20-21 (NIV)

To get to God's best, though, we have to come to faith in his Son, Jesus Christ.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 (NIV)

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" - John 14:6 (NIV)

To those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, this is what they get to look forward to. For those who have yet to take that step, all you have to do is ask (Romans 10:9-10). If you would like to talk more about that or ask questions, please feel free to contact us today. It will be the biggest decision you will ever make.

The 11th Station of the Cross: Admitting Your Mistakes

Courtesy: Libreria Editrice Vaticana

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" - Luke 23:39-43 (NIV)

The two criminals who were crucified with Jesus had different approaches to life.

One remained angry at the world, shouting insults at Jesus and daring Him to do something. He was defiant and was leaving this world in the same manner he likely had lived most of his life on it, mainly looking out for himself.

His partner, however, knew this was the end. He had determined that the way he had lived his life was no good, and that the punishment he was now receiving was what he had deserved. He was repentant, or truly sorry for what he had done.

The second thief also saw Jesus for at least part of what He was. He knew that Jesus had committed no wrong, and had not deserved to be crucified. In prison, he had probably heard about the trials before Herod and Pontius Pilate. He might have also been present and saw the notorious murderer Barabbas released instead of the innocent Jesus.

So, at the end of his rope, the second thief turned to Jesus and asked for forgiveness. He wanted to go to Heaven, where he knew he would at last have peace.

Jesus saw this, knowing what the thief had done and how he had lived his life. He saw a truly repentant man who wanted to change his ways and get right with God.

In the celebration of the Stations of the Cross by Pope John Paul II in 1991, the minister prayed this prayer:

"Lord, grant us perseverance that we may never stop seeking you."

The Bible tells us repeatedly that we are to always seek God, since He is the source of life, peace and everything else. Life may be hard, and we may have done things that we know are not pleasing to God. But there is forgiveness found in Christ, and all we have to do is ask for it.

Now as a treat, here is Third Day's "Thief:"




(Editor's note: This is part of a series of the Stations of the Cross.)