Heaven's Gate

Therefore Jesus said again, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:9-10).

With stores and homes filled with colored eggs, bunny figurines, and candy galore it's hard to tell what people are celebrating this month. There is very little evidence of the true meaning of Easter as commercialism and pagan traditions have hijacked our most sacred feast. Cute little bunnies don't offend most people, but a wooden cross with a message of salvation in a church or residential yard does. Why such contrasting reactions? Because rabbits and candy don't stir our hearts to repentance; they are not the gateway to everlasting life.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (I Corinthians 1:18). The devil loves to distract us and put diversions in our path. Satan doesn't want people to worship Jesus as their Messiah. He'll thwart all evangelism efforts by deceiving the minds of the unsaved; cleverly convincing the masses they don't need a Savior. Satan casts doubt on the validity of God's sovereignty and His standards of holiness whenever he cunningly whispers, "A just God would never send good people to hell, would he?" Lucifer's lies about the severity of our sins lead many to conclude that Christ's death and resurrection is not enough, or not necessary at all, for entrance into heaven.

Don't believe the devil and his evil schemes! He's a murderer of your soul and robber of abundant life. Believe the Passover Lamb whose blood shed at Calvary covered your sins forever. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd: I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--I lay down my life for the sheep" (John 10:16).

Do you know the voice of your Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ? Do you read His words in the Bible and pray for His Holy Spirit to guide you in truth, obedience and salvation? Have you laid your life down before Him in worship and thanksgiving? If so, then Easter will be a joyful celebration of Christ's triumph over sin and death for all who trust in His sacrifice. Two gates are placed before you, which one will you enter eternity through--the one that leads to hell or heaven? Therefore Jesus said again, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:9-10).

Your fellow herald for Christ,

Mary

Getting to Paradise

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

It's popular to talk only about God's unconditional love for humanity but not of His hatred of our sins. We can even gaze upon paintings or statues of Jesus nailed to the cross without being repentant. The horror of His crucifixion may stir up emotions of sorrow for all that Christ suffered, but do we put ourselves there among those scoffers on Good Friday demanding His torturous death? Most people are hopeful they will enter heaven because they believe they have lived a pretty good life; never seeing themselves as God's enemy who is separated from Him because of their sinful nature. It's easier to put other people into the category of criminals as we falsely believe we have earned our entrance into paradise.

Not long ago I was one of those people; desperately striving to pay my own way and judging other sinners more harshly than myself. In my eyes my good deeds far outweighed the bad and my sacrifices and rituals erased my shortcomings. Praise God for saving me from myself--what a hypocrite I was! It is only by His grace and His Holy Spirit that I was able to understand what Scripture tells us in John 14:6-7 when Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.”  

One of my favorite stories is the conversation Jesus has with the criminal beside Him on the cross in Luke Chapter 23.When Jesus was crucified He hung on His cross between two criminals. In verse 39 one criminal hurled insults at Him saying: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” This thief wasn’t sorry for his sins. He just wanted Jesus to rescue him from the agony of crucifixion. The other thief acknowledged he was a sinner and deserved punishment, but proclaimed Jesus was perfect and did not. This criminal feared God and in verse 42 he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  In verse 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Why do I like that story? Because of the message of hope that Christ has paid the price for our entrance into paradise (heaven) with Him if we place our trust in His finished work on the cross. There was no time left for that repentant dying criminal to do anything (no good works) that would make him worthy of being in paradise (entering into heaven immediately upon his death) with Jesus. The only thing he did was to believe that Jesus died for his sins. This is the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It’s all grace. 

On this Easter weekend if you died today would Almighty God welcome you into His heavenly kingdom? There's only one way to be sure--acknowledge your sinfulness and that Christ is your Savior. Until you bow before Jesus in adoration and repentance at the foot of the cross you will never walk beside Him in paradise. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

Your fellow herald for Christ,

Mary

Bright Monday

“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).


What a bright Monday it is as we continue celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The grave could not hold Him as He passed over from physical death into eternal life. Our great hope as Christians is this truth—we will join our Passover Lamb in heaven one day. His death sealed our life and citizenship in His kingdom. What joy to know we who believe in Jesus are forgiven of our sins!

The world outside my window is filled with signs of new birth. Azaleas, geraniums and mandevilla adorn our yard. Soon the peonies, roses and hydrangeas will bloom. Baby birds excitedly chirp in the holly tree by our porch. Spring, with all its grandeur, is only a glimpse into the beauty the new Earth will reflect when Jesus returns to reign. Death used to grip me with fear, but no more. Jesus took away all my anxiety, and I cannot wait to cross over to see where He lives with His Father. Then I will be truly alive!

Let the peace of the Messiah fill your heart each day as you pray to Him. He will fill you with His love; for no one understands your pain better than Jesus. With such a bright future ahead of us, we can’t remain sad for long. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my Word and believes in Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

Check out this video depicting Christ's resurrection:

http://downloads.cbn.com/cbnplayer/cbnPlayer.swf?s=/vod/MW131v2_WS

Your fellow sojourner,

Mary

Great Words; Great Hope

"He is not here; He has risen, just as He said."

These are great words filled with hope for those who believe in the sacrifice on the cross, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Praise God we have a reason to celebrate! Jesus is not dead--He reigns in heaven, seated at His Father's right hand, and one day will return to rapture His followers. Knowing that we will one day be united with Him forever brings great joy to my heart.

I pray the miracle of the Easter message encourages you to rejoice in the knowledge that the victory has been won. Believers in Christ can celebrate resurrection day every day; not just once a year on Easter Sunday. Some of the greatest words man has ever heard ring true for all generations: "He is not here; He has risen, just as He said."

You fellow sojourner,

Mary