How to be Sure of Heaven

Can we really be sure we are going to go to heaven?

Without a doubt, we can be absolutely sure.

• The trouble most of us have is attempting to get there the wrong way. One of the most common ways is through a religion. The truth is, you can belong to every religion in the world and still miss out going to heaven.
• Another way that many believe will get them to heaven is by doing all kinds things that look like holy works. This also will not get you to your objective (heaven). Works only come into play after salvation.
• One more common belief is we can get to heaven if we keep the ten commandment. Well, even if we keep them all (which no one can), will not get you to heaven.
• That's a pretty heavy concentration of seemingly goodly righteous things. Well, what if I did all these things together over the rest of my life -- would that possibly get me into heaven? Again, the answer is NO! So? What will get me there?

 There is only One Way. First off, we are all sinners as Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." And guess what? Sin cannot enter into heaven. However, when we look at Romans 6:23, it says, "The wages of sin is death, but the Gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ." So how do we go about getting this gift of eternal life from God that is available through Jesus Christ?

First, we must remember the main reason Jesus came to this earth was for the redemption of sin. Since sin cannot enter into heaven, it has to be paid for at some time, in some place, by somebody. Jesus paid the price for every sin ever committed by mankind. Yet, it is not automatic. We have a free-will to accept what Jesus did for us or reject it. If we choose to reject God's free Gift of eternal life -- the wages of sin is still death. We can choose to use the death that Jesus paid for our sin, or we can pay for our sins our self. In case we choose to pay for them ourselves, we get all the benefits that come with it such as eternal death, hell and the grave, and Satan as our master for all the eternal death.

Now let's look at the alternative -- accepting the free-gift from Jesus Christ. Here is how the Bible tells us to go about it. Looking at Romans again, this time from chapter 10:9&10, which tells us, "If you shall confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." "For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." These two things will get you to heaven -- confessing Jesus as your Lord, and believing that God raised Jesus from the dead (His death, burial, and resurrection.)

So how do I know for sure if I was sincere when I do these two things? For one -- the not so good things you used to do before, you will despise. Another -- you will be able to understand the Bible when you read it, because the Holy Spirit is living within you and only He can interpret the Word of God. Also, sin will be utterly discussing to you from now on.

What to do next after your New Birth? Confess Jesus as Lord to others and be not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. Find a good church home that is preaching and teaching the Bible message without compromise.

For those who take these steps, may God bless you in the coming days, study the Word and be strong in the faith. We would love to hear from you if you will and leave a comment. God loves you.

"Phenomenal New Books Interview"

     Interview from "The Phenomenal New Books Show"
         with host J. Sneebold and author T.R. Bosse.

                                             Click on link below:

                            https://vimeo.com/250558252

Has the Immoral Minority Overtaken the Moral Majority?

With the Presidential Election coming up, I have republished this blog in light of the times. Even after the people have voted for their candidate of choice, this article will be relevant as the people have made the decision of whose moral values they wish to follow.

Sin is a word most people hate to hear, let alone be accused of committing. The Bible declares tears do not exist in heaven, but the late Reverend Jerry Falwell must be fighting them back. The morals in today's society have plummeted to an all-time low. Has Reverend Falwell's Moral Majority army of the 1980's and 90's now become the Moral Minority? With the past several elections over, Americans selected whom they desired as their leaders. Did they vote for someone with strong moral principles, someone who would guide us with wisdom of God's Word and His will for our nation, or did they risk placing our nation in jeopardy. The voter must realize that when someone votes for a candidate, he is agreeing with that candidate's platform? In other words, the voter embraces any immoral viewpoints, which his candidate may have.

Perhaps the biggest tragedy in America is the attempt to rid God from every venue of life. Each Christmas season that evidence becomes more evident. However, a close second, is one that must bring even God to tears -- abortion. For any clear thinking individual to dare compare the tragedy of abortion to any war we fight is a tragedy in itself. What the poll show at the time of this writing is that between 65 to 70 percent of Americans agree that the issue of abortion either does not matter anymore, or a woman should have the right to abortion anytime she desires and at any age she happens to be. Moreover, the polls also show something else. What do you suppose is more important than the issue of abortion? That's right, the good old root of all evil -- the pocketbook. The candidate who can promise the most entitlements gets the cherished endorsement.

I hate to be the bearer of doom-and-gloom, but as a thinker and a realist, I no longer see a silver lining in the clouds anymore. The fringes surrounding America's future are showing right now. Today foreclosures are out of control, oil prices are gushing skyward, food prices are hard to swallow, medical cost make you sick, all the while the dollar keeps declining. Notice, the one thing we want to protect is the very item being affected -- the pocketbook.

Today's abortion issue is merely one among many moral issues that needs fixing. Throughout history, we have had watchmen like Noah, Jonah and others who warned of impending danger and the need to repent. Yet, many times the warnings were ignored, while at other times, including 9/11 and Katrina, everyone was caught off guard and by surprise. Are we living in a period of time, which is repeating the warnings of the past? Could another impending disaster be looming round the corner? Have we paddled beyond the river of no return? Is there still gold at the end of the rainbow?

These are questions we seek answers to, but another question each of us must ask ourselves -- "What matters most, my pocketbook or my morals?" Your vote will tell exactly where you stand. As I see it, if America's morals are not right, the American dream will become the American nightmare. Maybe, just maybe, Jerry Falwell and the Moral Right were right after all.

"Born-again" Through Wisdom

Proverbs 1:7 declares, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and thereby from wisdom we also get understanding and knowledge. In a broader sense, Wisdom is the application of how the "Born-again" experience is realized.

1.) When we realize who God is and the power of His might, the fear of the Lord is ignited and initiated within our heart.

2.) By seeking out the attributes of God through His Word or the witness of His people, the beginning of Wisdom (the fear of the Lord) turns into a desire for more Wisdom. In the search for more of who God is provides us with the confrontation that God is not only just, but also a loving God who desires our love and fellowship in return.

3.) When we yield our love and fellowship over to God by making Jesus the Lord of our lives, it opens up a new and greater understanding of who God is. That understanding of God in return, stimulates us to continue to seek for an even greater understanding of who God is and His love for us. As Proverb 9:10 points out, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of  wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding." Thus, understanding is gained through wisdom.

4.) Understanding of God then provides knowledge. When we have understanding of how something operates, we store that information into our database called the heart, and when a situation comes up concerning a specific situation, we recall our knowledge from the database that applies to that particular circumstance. So it is with understanding of God's Word. The more you study it, the more the Holy Spirit reveals to you and the more He reveals to you, the more you understand and therein knowledge is attained and retained.

Here we see how Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding from the Book of Proverbs is activated in the "Born-again" experience as mentioned by Jesus in John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." Notice, you do not see the Kingdom of God by growing up into a church or by becoming a member of a church or merely stating that you are a Christian--you first must become "Born-again." We have other articles about becoming "Born-again" in this blog site.

In the above illustration, it must be mentioned that the secular mind cannot teach you the things of God, because they are foolishness to him as 1 Corinthians 2:14 clearly points out. When you seek out knowledge from a secular viewpoint, you are seeking knowledge from someone who has never received the wisdom, understanding and knowledge of who God is. In other words, the love of God has never permeated his heart because the world and the flesh remains embedded therein and not the Word and the Spirit. Without the fear of the Lord activating a desire to know who God is and knowledge of His Word, understanding cannot motivate the individual to become a "Born-again" believer in God's Kingdom. John 3:3, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." You cannot see the wind, but you can fell it. Likewise, you cannot see the Spirit, but you can feel Him -- and it all begins by making Jesus Lord and believing in your heart that God raise that same Jesus from the dead. Yes, God has made it that simple for us

Are You Going To Heaven?

Heaven? Is there any way to know for sure that Heaven will be your new home when you die? Jesus gave us the answer to that question in John's Gospel in chapter #3. Simply stated, you must first be Born-again to enter into the Kingdom of God. But what does that term mean and how is becoming "Born-again" accomplished?

First of all you must be aware that the Bible tells us that sin cannot enter into heaven. Therefore, most people believe you can get into heaven by keeping the ten commandments or other laws. As you are probably aware -- no one can keep the commandments and laws. Simply stated, since no one can keep the commandments or laws, no one will ever get into heaven. Romans 3:20 states that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in His sight: for the law is the knowledge of sin. Can you then go to a priest and confess your sins to him? By no means. You are still attempting to be justified by the law.

Can a man under the law forgive another individual who is also under the law his or her sins? The Bible says that only God can forgive sin. In any case we cannot be saved by the works of the law even if we confess our sins to a thousand priests. If we could, then Jesus died in vain. We are saved by grace and not by the works of the law or by any deeds of the flesh. We are save by grace through faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross and in that fact alone takes away our sins by His shed blood and opens the door to heaven for us. It is not by works of righteousness that we have done, but by His mercy He has saved us.

Let's carry this a little further and consider a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes 9:3:

• "There is an evil among all things that are done under the sun...the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead."

The hearts of men are evil of evil because we were all born into sin. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - (Romans 3:23) Sin cannot enter into heaven. If it did, it would be just as bad there as it is here on earth. So we must get rid of our sin first if we want to enter into heaven. That is where "we must become born-again" comes into play.

Ecclesiastes goes on to say that: "The living know that they shall die, but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more reward; for the memory of them is perished. Also their love, their hatred and their envy is now perished; neither have they any portion of any thing that is done under the sun."

All of our hurrying and backbiting is over in the grave. So, did God just haphazardly put us on this earth without any reason or purpose? The Bible says "God made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." Why did He do that? The next two verses tells us -- "So they should seek the Lord, if haply they seek after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us. For in Him we live, and move, and have our being...for we are also His offspring." - (Acts 17:26-28) We are His offspring, but sin has kept us apart. What is the answer? "Born-again"!

So back to the question, "Are You Going To Heaven?" The primary answer to that question is "Have you been Born-again?" Jesus said: "Unless a man is Born-again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." The next question is: "How do I know I have been Born-again?" Two things are necessary to be Born-again. First - repentance. The Bible states in Isaiah 55:7, "Let the wicked forsake their ways." Second - Romans 3:23 states: "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." and Romans 6:23, "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus." Therefore, by repentance, (which is the forsaking of our sinful ways) and calling upon the name of Jesus Christ and invite Him to become Lord and Savior and believing in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead. This is how we become born-again. After that happens the following verse kicks into play.

• "But scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." - (Galatians 3:22)

When we make these two decisions on our part, God takes over on His part. Our part is to initiate the decisions and desire for salvation. God will not violate our free-will, but He awaits for an invitation from us. When we have repented and invited Jesus to become our Lord, we are Born-again according to the Scriptures. Do this now and the next time someone asks you if you are going to Heaven, you will know for sure and answer with a definite - ("YES I am, but -- how about you my friend?.")

Have You Been Born-Again?

Jesus told us in John 3:3 that except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Jesus went on to explain the difference between being born of the flesh, and becoming born of the Spirit. Except a man is born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus makes the distinction between the fleshly birth of water to the spiritual birth of the Spirit. That concept is supported in John 6:63, whereby Jesus tells us that it is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.

Being a Christian is not simply because your parents were one, or you walk into a church building, or do as other religions (Bud-hind-lums), where if you want to join them they tell you to see their priest or leader and he will write your name on a piece of paper. Christianity is a covenant with God (as Abraham made in the OT), this is a New Covenant with God through Jesus. Thus, when you invite Jesus into your life to be your Lord and Savior, you are in essence, making a covenant with Him.

Many say they have tried Christianity, but found it was not as they supposed. For that reason, they wind up making a covenant to bash Christianity as much as they can. All this came about because they did not keep their end of the covenant and now they place the blame upon God. What was the real reason that Christianity did not turn out as they supposed? It was simply because they made a one-sided covenant. A one-sided covenant never works. Isn't that like what some couples do when they get married - where they secretly say, "if I don't like her (or him) later, I will just divorce."

So how do we know the "Born-again" experience is real? There are no rituals or signing-up involved. Everything is done by faith and a free-will. When an individual makes a covenant relationship with God to make Jesus their Lord and Savior, that individual becomes born-again and the Spirit of God takes up residence in that person's heart. You have heard that the proof is in the puddin; in this case, the proof is in the heart. What better proof could one ask for? Do it now and prove it for yourself and ask Jesus into YOUR heart.