Heaven.

Going to heaven is a more frequent topic of conversation than you might think.  Of course it comes up among church goers, but I hear it at funerals and in hospitals from people who are not regular church goers.  It comes up in casual conversations with people who find out I am a believer.  I have discovered that that for most people there are three basic views about going to heaven.  

1. I wish I was going to heaven.  This is usually expressed by someone who thinks they are not good enough for heaven.  They have done things, or are doing things, that they assume disqualify them from eternal life.  But God is able to make wishes come true.  If you really wish you could go to heaven … it is possible.  Jesus died for your sins.  All of your sins.  You can die with him and have a new life.  You can be forgiven.  You can live forever in heaven.
2. I want to go to heaven, but…  This is often said by someone who acknowledges that heaven would be a good place to end up, but they are not sure what to do about it.  It may be a matter of desire.  How badly do they want to go to heaven?  Jesus is the way to God, but the Jesus way is one of total surrender.  You surrender your will to follow the will of Jesus.  You deny yourself in order to follow him.  And that is a hard road that most people will not choose.  But if you want to go to heaven, it is possible.  You just have to decide if you really want to be there.
3. I will go to heaven.  Getting to heaven is not a moving target you can never be sure you hit.  It is not based on some mysterious point system where you get points for doing good things and lose points for doing bad things.  Getting to heaven is based on believing in Jesus.  He is the way to God.  And you can know you are going to be there forever.   

You can know you are going to heaven.

-Steve Ridgell