A Ticket To Heaven

And where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your health sales Treasures in Heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and where thieves do not break in and steal. Where your treasure is there where your heart be also? No, one can serve two masters either. He will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon. Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life what you will eat or drink. Or about your body what you will wear. For is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes. Just look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap or store away in Barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

May the Lord at his richest blessing to that reading this word that spray. What's loving God? If we paused before you and this time, certainly we give thanks to you for the gift of life. But also the gift of eternal life. There are many across this nation. Brothers around the world who are suffering from the an epidemic that has touched all of our lives in various ways. Certainly, we would pray for those who have lost loved ones because of it. We also pray for those who have been affected by it in some way.

It is our prayer that something good might come out of this experience. Perhaps that many would turn their hearts into you. 4:30 to do the world is constantly changing For Better or For Worse. You are always the same yesterday today and forever. So may your blessing continue to be a phone this nation helping all of our hearts turn into you.

They only think about but I've been titled a ticket to heaven.

Maybe a little different, but I want to share some of my thoughts with you. You know, we're all accustomed to buy things whether it may be a bag of potato chips or even the Empire State Building. Everything has a price.

Perhaps I should say every tangible or material thing has price. in today's world the price of items has risen quite a bit since I was a kid I was long time ago, but Remember telling someone recently had when I first started driving about a hundred years ago gasoline was about fifteen $0.17 a gallon and occasionally been have gas Wars where two stations or more would be competing for their business and it I've seen it as cheap as $0.10 a gallon. And also it was kind of a common practice for service stations to offer premiums of a lady glasses or or dishes or something. If you bought 10 gallons a member getting several sets of glasses for my mother back back in those days. Hi. When I took driver's ed. We were driving a 49 Chevrolet, which I found out the trash about that time was about $1,300.

I looked at the other day to see if you could even buy a your basic Chevrolet car today. You can't get a 6 cylinder straight straight 6, but with with nothing else no, no real acessories other than just what comes standard price is about 10 times that amount just the cheapest thing possible. Certainly things have a have changed a lot. That would be become so accustomed to buying things and buying and selling. I know people who are always collecting or making investments in in cattle or or Lander homes or whatever with the intent of selling them for a profit.

Someone told me recently and I never could find it. They said they'd read an article entitled something like a buying and selling of the presidency. I didn't I couldn't find the article. I found something similar to it. But you know us Outsiders. We don't seem to know a whole lot that goes on in, Washington DC. Electric makes the news like a a recent break-in did but I'm told a handful of the wealthiest men in the world pretty well control everything that happens there and perhaps the latest presidential election is proof that the seat of the Oval Office is one of those things that is for sale. But what about heaven? What does it cost to buy a ticket to heaven? well

I'm not sure how many laws that we have on the books in our nation. I don't know.

I do remember judge Stein used to say that we had way too many. He said the the legislature State Legislature all to meet once every 10 years just kind of get reacquainted and then even add and that goes double for congress another works. We had way way way too many laws. But the most of our laws affect us a whole lot until we break them. But now back in the days of Jesus. The Pharisees had a set of laws. I think there were 613 of them some of the things they were told they must to do. And then some that they must not do and they had to do these in order to get into heaven. It was kind of how they bought a ticket to their equivalent of Heaven. Now since that time there are I don't know how many different groups of juice today and each one has their own kind of set of rules and regulations. Most of them are I shouldn't say most of them. Some of them are pretty much like the Pharisees were There was a another group called The Sadducees as Sadducees really only function was to take care of the temple or the church. So they did not have any any expectation of life beyond Earth. So they kind of do away with them. But but the others certainly had a an expectation that if you followed all the rules and regulations, then you would be able to go to heaven. NR scripture reading portion of what we would call The Sermon on the Mount Jesus was saying he was talking to his listeners about the the Treasures in Heaven. Where you at? Now where you've all heard people say, where are you? You can't take it with you. I said the same thing you can't take anything with you. And I said the Hershey's do not have trailer hitches. You can't pull U-Hauls. I think I shared a story once or heard the story of a I have a gentleman who had great wealth and he solicited three helpers he knew he was dying and he he wanted to to be sure that he took money to heaven with him. So he got each one of these three fellows that he gave each one of them $10,000 and he said I want you to put this in my casket when I die. So I'm a I'm going to take money with me. So when it came time for them to do so the first guy said well, I can't I can't give you the full 10,000. He said I had to use part of it. So he said I'm putting $6,000 in. And II would said well, I'm glad you did because I have to confess that I had to use some of that money to and so I've got I've got 7,000 to put Ian and third gentleman who happened to be a lawyer. I shouldn't say that but he said don't worry about it guys. I've got you covered. Alamo pretty in a check for the full $30,000 and he took out the money that the others had put in and stuck in his pocket. So I guess that was his way of saying here you here she is $30,000. Well, we know that he didn't take cashed heaven with him either but I don't think that was really what Jesus was talking about what he was talking about Treasures. She said do not store up Treasures on Earth because you cannot serve both God and Mammon or another word for Satan. You know, I remember sometime back. I talk into a friend of mine. And I said something about 2. We were talking about making trips and I said have you made a reservation for heaven and he looked at me kind of odd, and I said, you know, have you accepted Christ as your savior so that when you die you go to heaven. Edna he said no, but I will someday.

And then I I told him I remember the story of a friend years ago. Who? Capta kept putting off that decision. And I got a call one day from his wife and I can't even read the gentleman's name now, but she said my husband is beside you and he wants you to come and he's in bad shape he's dying and it won't you to come and see him so I took off up there and I went in and I said something about two. Are you ready to make that decision and he nodded? Yes. so

Had a short prayer and he accepted Christ and about five minutes later. He passed away. So when I was talking to my friend, I told him this story and I said though. What do you think would have happened? If he had died before I got there or something like that. We all without receiving Christ and He thought for a few minutes and he said well, I'll tell you what preacher. I'll I'll think about it. And I said, well don't think too long. And I happen to think of another story. And I said, let me tell you this that I remember story. I read if a minister who went to see of an elderly gentleman who hadn't been to church recently and he went in and they could they talk for a little bit and he said we've been missing you in church and ask about the gentleman says he's his excuse but he said he hadn't been feeling well or something like that and they sat there for a little bit. And that is chili they have fire going in the fireplace. And so after a while the minister got up and went over and took the poker and he separated one little piece of wood from out of the fire and I sat back down and it wasn't long before that piece of wood. Just kind of cools off and changed change back to just a piece of black wood. And he said I didn't say anything and pretty soon. The gentleman said well, I see your point. I'll be there Sunday. So maybe we need concrete examples, but is it important that you make a reservation for heaven?

and if so, how I remember years ago. There's a couple here in town that too. I was friends with.

And they were telling me that they were.

He has been thinking about going on a trip place where I usually saw them once a week something like that, either one or both. And then no. It's been awhile. I happened to see the the husband and it dawned on me that you know, I hadn't seen him in a while. So I said to build been missing you. And he said well we we've been on our trip. Outside off. Where did you decide to go? He said we we went around the world. We've been thinking about this for a long time. We did a lot of planning and saw the sights that we wanted to see so I didn't take much encouragement to get him to elaborate. He's the one that like to talk and fell in all the details. So he did he was telling me all these things places. They went and everything and places. I've never been and he got through and I said, well, what do you think was your favorite out of all those he said to

To me. It was the Taj Mahal hands down.

And I asked wife and he began to tell me I had read something about the Taj Mahal, but I wasn't sure about the details or anything and he was telling me something about the story of it. And the the beauty of the place star course prompted me to go ahead and and look it up later. I didn't ask him about the cost of it wasn't any of my business, but I said something about to it took a lot of planning to plan that trip. Didn't it? He said yes said we've been studying maps and and the Talking fruit for several months about places. We wanted to see and up ask it how long he said it it took from the time they left and they got back but it seemed like it was several weeks that they spent. But he said it was a starting to eat a lifetime thing. Now tell you this simply because his beautiful and satisfying is that trip must have been to them? It couldn't possibly be as a turtle a fulfilling. As a trip to heaven. Now I know their trip around the world. They saw lots of things.

but I have been fascinated since I guess the first and I meant to look up the date and I didn't several years ago. There was a Baptist preacher who?

Have a hoot was killed and eventually he wrote a book called 90 Minutes in Heaven. And he talks about the things that that happened during that time and since then I've been very sensitive to people's talking about dying and going to heaven my red one just this week and it's called 27 Minutes in Heaven about their experiences and so forth and usually they end up with something like being told by either an angel or God or something that it's not your time yet. You've got you've got something else to do. doubt there seems to be a kind of a commonality in all the stories that it's just not their time. They have other things to do but they say there's a question in English. What is what is it that I have to do?

They're not summer summer told they have a mission to fulfill and others art, but there seems to be a common denominator is the what they see the the beauty of what they have seen their that's something that is unearthly the colors that I see the the flowers are bigger and the Aromas are beautiful Skies or you know, I seem to be a different color and so forth. It's just it's just something that You can't even imagine as a human so.

Is difference and some of them talk about people they self remember one one youngboy.

Ask if he'll talk. Of time. He was supposed to be in in heaven. He died on the owner.

Table during surgery and bluish brought back to life talks about to having seen basically two people that were significant in his life. He saw his grandfather. And said that the gentleman told him that he was his grandfather and so forth and that kind of piqued his dad's a curiosity. And so he began to get pictures of his grandfather. The dad's father and said is this who you saw and the pictures he showed them where ya Takin not too long before his father had died and the boy would say no, that's not pop.

Eddie find me a sound of a picture from the Save the prime of his life.

Some years back and he said his this is this pop and he said yeah, that's him there. He looked at a very healthy condition and then the second thing. He I've ever he he told his mother. He said I didn't know I had a sister. And she said well sure you do. That's Sally sitting over there and he said no, I mean another sister. and she got her attention and he said I saw her in heaven. Well, it turned out that the she had had a miscarriage sometime between these two children and

he said that he was told that this was his sister. So to me, it says two things first of all that maybe maybe in heaven. We're in better physical shape. Then we are here on Earth. And the second is the fact that I've wondered, you know, all of these children have been aborted.

Are they are they now in heaven? They weren't just waste thrown away, but they're actually living Souls there.

I can't say for sure. butter

to me. It's fascinating.

and Graham Billy Graham's daughter several years ago wrote a book Heaven Anda ended she wrote this faster than books, but she said this she said when we get to heaven not only will we be greeted by Jesus. But also will all be perfect. Which is encouraging to some of us. She said there be no more disagreements or Angry Words. No more hurt feelings or misunderstandings. There may be no more neglect or busyness. There be no more interruptions or rivalry jealousy or Pride or broken homes or selfishness or saying of any kind.

That sounds like heaven.

I get curious about some of these things and had to look up see how many times is the word Heaven mentioned in the Bible. Turns out to be approximately 600 a little bit less than 600 and they're fairly evenly divided between the old and the New Testament. So maybe we can conclude that heaven is important to both God and man. So the question is, how do you get a ticket to Heaven? How do you make these Arrangements? How do you make a reservation for heaven for first of all, we need to say simply that you can't buy your way like the like the guy that was going to take the money with him for some strange reason thought it would be important. You can't you can't buy a ticket to heaven. The only way you can get there is through belief in Jesus Christ as your lord and savior.

So if you haven't already made this reservation for your trip to heaven. You need to do so. We never know when the next moment. Might be your last.

Let me close with his little personal note.

on August 9th 2012 Which is about on eight and a half years ago, I guess.

Wonder Bar are former student an excellent stated beautiful young lady athlete was off going to college.

And she did something. She shouldn't have been doing. She was texting and driving. and up apparently did not see the truck in front of her. And was killed instantly.

now fortunately, I know that that she was a was a Christian very active in her church and so forth so she had made her reservation. So I'm assured that she's okay now.

We can't see her. But someday we will she's okay. Dutch braid most gracious and loving God Father we know that it is extremely difficult for us without faith. Even comprehend anything like heaven. But we have faith that what we do know is true when Jesus told the thief on the cross today this very day. You will be in with me and Heaven. He meant what he said.

So help us to hang onto our believe. And if we haven't already. Help us make that commitment. that Arrangement by accepting Christ as our Lord and our savior so that when the time comes we will truly have a place in heaven a land of perfection. In his name we pray amen.