For many years I thought of myself as a Christian. If you asked the question, would I go to heaven when I die, I would have had different answers, depending on what day it was when you asked. I believed that if I were a good person, I would go to heaven and if I were not, I would go to hell when I died. I find that most people think the way I did before I truly became a Christian.

It was 1989, the year after my grandmother passed away. I thought if any one was in heaven it was she. I still think she may be in heaven, but not because of the kind person she was. She was one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She was kind and quiet. When she did speak, I would listen because her words always had great value. Her death in 1988 broke the hearts of many people. I'm not at all surprised that she took her final breath, on a beautiful Sunday morning, about the time her little country church was finishing up its morning service.

For the next year I did a lot of soul searching. I thought about how many different religions there are, and how they seem to have a good effect on society. People learn good behavior and practice good morals because of the influence of religion. It is true that there are good and bad, but for the most part, good seems to be tied to religious organizations. At one point I accepted the idea that they were all truth. Now that I think about it, how silly it was for me to think that.

I was on a journey for truth and began to realize that I had no hope. If good behavior were going to get me to heaven, I would never make it. Grandma, now her good behavior would bring her a reward but no, my behavior or morals were taking me to hell and I knew it. I was frustrated with God and myself. I was terrified that I was going to hell and taking my wife and two children with me. What to do?

One evening two men stopped by my home; they were from a local church. They asked me the heaven question and I told them a big fat whopper, I was a Christian and heaven bound. The truth is, I didn't know what it truly meant to be a Christian. They invited me to their church on Sunday and I went. I heard this message about being saved and gave it some thought. It took a few weeks but one day I was home alone and feeling very stressed. I looked up and told God that I knew I was a bad person and would go to hell when I died. I also told God that I would take His Bible and read and study and do my best. I told God that when my final day would come, if He wanted to cast me into hell after doing my best, that was on Him. I showed God that I was serious and I opened my Bible. I was in Luke chapter 15 and began to read. Even as I write this, my eyes are filled with tears. I read the story of the lost sheep, coin and son. It was so obvious, what God was saying to me was, welcome home son. For the very first time I understood why Jesus died on the cross. Jesus opened the gates of Heaven for sinners like me. He paid the price for my sins and hell was not going to take me down. I now understood what it meant to pray and ask Jesus into my heart as my Savior and my Lord. Amazing that I happened to have the TV on but it was on mute. I saw a television evangelist on the screen so I took it off mute. At that moment he was encouraging viewers to pray with him, if they have never asked Jesus into their hearts as Savior. I prayed that prayer and was born again.

You don't have to go to hell when you die. Jesus paid the price for your sins. If you were to pay for your sins, hell is the price. You too can talk to God and be saved. Ask Jesus into your heart as your Savior and your Lord today!

Life Verse = Joshua 1:8  "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."