Let me introduce myself. The Lord graciously saved me in 1976 while a sophomore in high school. In 1981, He used a vespers program about the life of Bob Jones Sr. to call me to preach. I was married to Georlene Hagan in 1984. The two of us served the Lord through various ministries including pastoring until the Lord took her home in March of 2012.
In July of 2013, the Lord gave me a new wife (Sylvia Johnston). Sylvia was raised in a Christian home, accepted the Lord at six years old, and had never previously married. I have a degree in Christian education. Sylvia has a degree in music education.
My experience is extensive and my resume is large. I have preached over 3,500 times with hundreds receiving Christ and hundreds more making decisions of rededication. I have over 25 years of experience helping youth groups double and triple in attendance.
How to get to HeavenRomans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”.
Genesis 1:27 tells us that God created us in His image. Being in His image means that we are given choices. As God makes decisions, He created us with the ability to make decisions.
Imagine having an existence where you were the only one that made any decisions. It would be like owning a collection of dolls, and never having any communication. Even if you could program those dolls to talk, it wouldn’t be like talking to someone that could talk by their own choice. Even if you could program the dolls to love you, it would not be like having someone love you because they make that choice. God gave Adam and Eve (our earthly ancestors) the ability to choose. They chose sin. At that point sin entered into the world (Romans 5:12). We all inherited a sin nature because of our relationship to Adam and Eve.
All have sinned. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death”. God will not allow anything that defiles to enter into heaven (Revelation 21:27). If He did, heaven would be no better than earth. It would be full of sin. Hate, murder, adultery, lies, perversions of all sorts would fill heaven. Praise the Lord that He will not allow that to enter heaven!
He has prepared a place for the devil and his angels called hell (Revelation 20:10).
He is not willing that any person should perish (suffer in hell for all eternity), but that all should come to repentance (II Peter 3:9).
Romans 6:23 finishes with the statement, “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Jesus Christ is God’s Son. He came to earth to live a sinless life, and then give His life on the cross to appease the wrath (principled anger) of God upon sin.
So, how do you get to heaven?First: Admit that you are a sinner. Not just that you have done wrong, but that you have a sin nature, and are drawn to sin.
Second: Admit that you cannot save yourself. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-10,13; John 1:12)
Third: Acknowledge that Jesus Christ (God in flesh) died for you, and was victorious over sin by rising again from the dead.
Fourth: Accept Him as your personal Savior. Call upon the Lord right now!