Has anybody ever asked you about heaven? Or what happens after you die? Most people today, don’t even think about these two questions, because like all of us we are just too busy thinking about the business of life. Work, family and leisure occupy most of our time and thoughts. However, sooner or later we are going to have to give some serious consideration to this question of what happens to us after this life is over. Believe it or not it is not something that we can just keep putting off until we are old and gray. There is no guarantee or warranty that comes with living. When asked whether they would like to go to heaven or hell, almost everyone would agree that heaven seems like the better choice over the latter. However, according to the Bible both places do exist and are the only two possible destinations after we die. But how do we get to heaven and avoid hell? You may get a lot of answers on this question. Someone might say, "Join our church and you’ll go to heaven". Another might say that "you have to strive to be good and earn your way, and that should be enough." People have so many different opinions and ideas, but who is right? The only way to know for sure is to read what God has said about it in the Bible. The Bible gives us a lot of information on the hereafter, the good news and the bad news. First the bad news. Romans 3:23 says that "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." What that means is that all of us, you and me have sinned. We have missed the mark of God’s perfect standard. When we lie, cheat, lust or hate we fall short of that standard that God has set. Now you be saying to yourself, I’m not so bad. So what if I’m not perfect, neither is anyone else. Well that’s just the point, none of us are. And none of us can ever be perfect on our own, not by our good works, our kindness or even our religion. Nothing that we do will ever be enough to warrant God’s approval. In fact because of our sin we have accrued a debt with God. Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death." In other words our sinning has earned us the penalty of death. We deserve to die and be separated from God forever. This all seems very depressing and hopeless ... But, the good news is that even though our sin separated us from God making it impossible for us to go to Him, God came to us through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 tells us that "God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Let us suppose that you were in the hospital dying of some incurable disease, and the doctors told you that there was no hope that you would get well, unless someone were willing to take that disease out of your body and put into theirs. If that were possible, and I were willing to do that for you, because I love you so much, what do you suppose would happen? Simple, you would recover, and I would die in your place. Or suppose that you were on death row, sentenced to die in the electric chair for a terrible crime, and I came to the prison and was willing to take your place so that you could go free. What would happen? I would die in your place. I would die instead of you. The Bible tells us that this is exactly what Jesus did for each one of us. He took the penalty of our sins upon Himself when He was nailed to the cross and died in our place. Three days later Jesus came back to life from the dead, conquering both sin and death. But how could He do this? He could do it, because Jesus is the Son of God who was without sin, but was made sin for us in order that we might be made righteous through Him. God the Father sent His Son for this very purpose. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." Jesus Himself also said these words; "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die." "Do you believe this?" You may be saying to yourself, "This is wonderful news, but how can I be saved? The answer is by believing in Jesus Christ and trusting Him, and Him alone for the forgiveness of your sins and eternal life. That is what will get you to heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace [undeserved favor] you have been saved [delivered from sin’s penalty] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one should boast." Does this make sense to you? What is it that is keeping you right now from asking Jesus to be your personal Savior? Think very carefully on this, because there is nothing more important than your need for Jesus Christ. It is the most important decision that you will ever have to make in your life. Tell God right now that you want to trust in His Son and receive Him as your personal Savior. You can do that by praying this simple prayer: "Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know my sin deserves to be punished. I believe that Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the dead. I trust Christ alone as my Savior. Thank you for the forgiveness and everlasting life that I now have. In Jesus name, amen." If you prayed that prayer with a sincere heart, then you have been saved by your faith in Christ. Remember that it is not the prayer that saves you, but trusting in Christ. He did all that was necessary for our salvation. John 5:24 tells us, "He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." If you heard God’s word through this testimony, and believed on His Son Jesus than you have been born-again and have eternal life. This eternal life is based on fact and not feeling. But what do I do now? Speak to God each day through prayer Philippians 4:6-7. Read and meditate upon God’s Holy Word the Bible on a daily basis Joshua 1:8. Worship with God’s people in a good Bible believing church Hebrews 10:24-25. Tell others about what Jesus has done for you, and share His message of love with them Matthew 4:19. If you received Jesus Christ into your life as a result of reading this message, then please contact us here at 1st Bible Baptist Church. Our mission is to share the love of Christ and meet the spiritual needs of God’s people. We would love to have you join us each and every Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m for worship services, and at 6:00 p.m. for our evening service. The most wonderful thing about being a Christian other than knowing for sure that you will go to heaven one day, is the fellowship and love that is shared among fellow Christians. The people of 1st Bible Baptist Church are warm and caring people who desire to reach out to you. Please come and join us.