Sunday Mornin' Hope : Saying Good Bye

During our family Bible study I was telling what I thought my dad might be doing in heaven right now. He was a mining engineer in Northerm Michigan. With my wife and kids I was saying a bunch of lofty things my dad might be over. My 9 yr old Judah chimed in "He might be in a hot tub."

Job 19:23-
23 "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! 24 "That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! 25 "As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. 26 "Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another.

Today was a hard yet beautiful day as we said goodbye to our former children's pastor. She passed away last week from a horrible car accident on the highway. We know she's in heaven right now, but still our hearts grieve for her and the family. She's probably just getting off the train at Heaven Station. Evangelist/pastor Jesse Duplantis had a vision of heaven. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdkscraL2RA) In it he recounts that people go to heaven in one of those cable cars at a very fast pace. But once they get there, they take their time. There's no hurry.

This week my wife and I are planning to make a living will. We're leaving on a cruise ship to Cozumel and Progresso Mexico for a week. So just in case, we want to make a will. I asked one of my sons what he might want of ours. He mentioned the TV and computer. One of my daughters asked for my lazyboy chair. I really have a wonderful family. They're not materialistic minded. Those two children had to think hard before coming up with that.

Are you ready to say Good Bye? Have you made a will? Do you have everything right with God? Will the reverend at the funeral try and preach you into heaven. Some funerals really make me mad. Because so and so is a good person, they MUST be going to heaven. We don't get there because of our good personality or how we treat others. We can't get there by earning it (doing good works). It's all by grace.

Ephesians 2:8-9


For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;lest any man should bost.

So it's easy yet hard to get to go to heaven. We can't earn our salvation, it's free. But it costs you everything. You have to give everything up to serve Jesus. That is very hard for most of us. But really, what do YOU have that's better than heaven? Just before my daddy died, he was visited by Peter in a dream. Peter said "Louie! You've found favor with the great God Jehoveh! He has given you the opportunity to take one thing with you to heaven." Within a month my dad passed away from cancer. But before he did, he went to the bank and converted all his assets to gold bars. He had quite a few. As he approached Peter at the gate, he was dragging a heavy suitcase (thank God for casters). Peter said "Welcome Louie! You made it and I see you brought something with you. What did you bring all the way to heaven?" My dad slowly opened the suitcase revealing a dozen large gold bars. And Peter just laughed "You brought pavement?"

Re 21:21 -
And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.


I think there's a song about you don't see Uhauls at funerals. Whatever you earn and gather here on earth, stays here. You can't take any of it with you. When you say Good Bye here, you walk alone thru the gate of death into eternity. What you decide here determines your future. I hope to hang out with you in heaven. I'll be at gate 7 waiting for you with a cool Coke. There's 12 gates up there, so don't get lost.


So what's the right way to say "Good Bye"? Give your heart to Jesus Christ fully. Ask Him to forgive you of all your sins. Some of you might need more time than others (LOL). Ask Jesus to come into your heart and live there forever. Then spend quality time with Him everyday by reading the Bible and talking to Him. I remember hearing of a guy praying with another guy (drunk) in a bar to receive salvation. The Christian said "Just repeate this prayer....Dear Jesus forgive me of all my sin...." The man who was drinking said "Dear Jesus, I'm so F#$%%$d up right now..." But God heard that prayer. He doesn't care how you say it. He just wants you. And He doesn't ever want to say Good Bye to you.


Mt 7:23 -[ "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'


Mt 25:41 -"Then He will also say to those on His left, `Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

God never sends people to hell. They send themselves because of their decisions. He really wants to say "Well Done! Come on in and enjoy forever with me."


Mt 25:21 -
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

I can't wait to meet you in heaven. Remember gate #7 We're gonna ride!

I'm praying for you.





Dino

Thanks Dino...