Today,
in this world, we cannot imagine not being able to get wherever we
want to go by one means or another. While studying or just reading
about the past we easily learn that transportation has taken many
forms and many unbelievable strides. Centenarians who passed away in
the 20th Century had lived to see unbelievable change in modes of
transport from horse and buggy to spaceships.
In
the beginning, transportation was by foot. And that continues to be a
popular mode, even today. Then came the domestication of animals and
a whole new animal dependent transport system came into being; from
oxen to horses to camels and even mules and donkeys, not to mention
ostriches and elephants. Much of this type of transport was
encouraged by the invention of the wheel and the development of the
harness and yoke. It was a surprisingly long time before we moved
beyond that type of transport. But when we did, we really did!
Today,
we are “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” travelers; not to mention
boats and ships of so many sizes and purposes they cannot all be
named. And, beyond that there are rockets and spaceships and a
“travel home” that circles the earth over and over again.
We
have sent humans to the moon and we have sent equipment and
sight-seer mechanical objects into space to see things closer up so
that we can experience with our eyes what we cannot be present to see for
ourselves, just yet. It would seem we can go just about anywhere now
and even more places later on.
But
there is one place we will never reach by man made means. We cannot
get there from here on our own: That place is Heaven, God's Home,
which is outside this universe; unseen and unreachable through the
works of man. Not the works of our hands, but only by the Grace of
God, through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lord. The Way –
the only way – “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” “No man
comes to the Father but by me!”
If
you doubt what I say, “Google It.” Go out there and search for
what the Bible actually says about how to get to heaven. But while
you are looking, do not be led astray by your assumptions about the
Law. The Law did not ever save anyone! It condemned them, and
it condemns all of us. We are sinners and the Law was used to try to
keep some order in the lives of those stiff necked people who kept
wandering off from God and His Love: looking for love in all the
wrong places. The Law was a reminder of the purity and Holiness
of God; a standard to guide the people back to Him when they
wandered away.
The
Law never saved anyone, nor did good works teleport anyone into the
home of God. Only God can bring someone into His Home, by invitation
and acceptance. And His invitation has always been – Look to my
Son!
But
“keeping” the Law is not the only behavior that will not
get you into God's family and into His home. Being a good person will
not work either. Yes, Jesus wants us to love our neighbors as
ourselves and to comfort and support the poor. But He does not ask
anyone to do this in order to be saved. He is talking to
people who are already following Christ about good ways to behave as
a representative of Him. Being nice, being good, doing good deeds
without knowing Christ as Savior will add up to zilch.
There
is nothing a woman can do or say or design or build that will get that woman
into God's Heavenly realm. The only thing that a woman can do that will
get herself into heaven is to answer God's loving invitation
to look to Him and to trust Him to forgive her sins and to make her a
new person in, and through the shed blood of Jesus Christ His son; by
the power of the Holy Spirit. If you do that you will know that
something happened in your heart and spirit that is stunning and
powerful and life changing.
From
there you will start traveling down a road you never knew existed and
you will do that in partnership with the Holy Spirit.
You
will still be bound, temporarily, to this earth and man made transportation; but you will have a hope in your heart for the
transport of a lifetime, into the arms of Jesus Christ, and into the
Heavenly realm that is His family home. Now, that is a trip to look
forward to. And that is a trip that can only be taken by those who
have surrendered to the Saving Grace of the One True God and the Lordship
of Jesus Christ, His Son.
May
we all be aware of this “limited time” offer and turn to God for
all that we need. And may we all love our neighbors enough to share
this message with them before it is too late. God bless you all. Amen
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