Repentance

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"  (Acts 3:19).


      "Repent" is a word that most people are uncomfortable with. Repenting means completely turning around and walking away from sin. True repentance causes a complete change in lifestyle and way of life.


      Paul tells us, under the unction of the Holy Ghost, that we should repent and be converted. This is the only way for our sins to be blotted out, or erased. Then the Lord will refresh us. If we do not repent, we can not be forgiven.  


      
" From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17).

    From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus preached repentance. He was stressing the importance of people everywhere to repent. Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sins, and without forgiveness of sin, there is no way to go to Heaven. Living a good life, doing good deeds and being kind to others, isn't enough to go to Heaven. It takes repentance; completely turning around in the other direction, and walking in the opposite direction.    Jesus said:



" I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."  (Luke 13:3).



    Baptism, alone, won't save you. Church membership won't take you to Heaven. Paying tithes or helping others won't forgive your sins. It takes repentance.  This scripture is very clear that without repentance, there is no hope of eternal life in Heaven.

     Have you repented today? Are all your sins forgiven? Perhaps you repented in the past, but have things in your life now that are not pleasing to God. If you have sin in your life, you are in disobedience to the Father and are in danger of eternal separation from Him. Take this opportunity now to repent of your sins. You must truly be sorry for the things you have done. Confess these things to Him, acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins. Accept His sacrifice and receive forgiveness for your sins. Repent and turn from your sins. Don't go back into that lifestyle any more, and according to our scripture, you will be converted, your sins will be blotted out and you will receive refreshing from the Lord.
     Don't delay. Repent today. It will be the best decision you ever make!

No Going Back

 "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  (Luke 9:62).


       When I was a child, my father and I were walking to a store at the end of our road. This road was a little over a mile long, but seemed longer to me at the time. I remember when we were over half way there, I told dad that I was tired. I asked him if we could go back home, because I didn't think I could keep walking on.  I can still hear my late father's gentle voice as he said to me, "We are closer to the end than we are the beginning. It would be farther to walk back than to go on ahead. Just think about the treat you will get at the store and the trip won't seem as long."  I have never forgotten that.

     Christians are walking away from the faith on a daily basis. Pastors walk away from their responsibilities. People think it would be easier to just go back than to press onward. They are tired and weary. The enemy convinces them that they can't continue on, so they should just revert back to their old ways.
If we could see just how close to the end of this life we really are, we would not consider ever going back.

     Jesus said in this passage that even if we look back, we are not fit for the kingdom of God. This is a strong statement. It means we aren't even worthy of going to Heaven if we even look back.  We are told in Luke 17:32:


  "Remember Lot's wife."


      When God was about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness and abominations, He was sparing Lot and his family. He gave them simple instructions:


  "And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." (Genesis 19:17).


     They were told to walk forward and not to look back. There was nothing behind them that they needed to focus on. They were told to move ahead and continue to a safe distance, and to not look back at what they were leaving behind.


 "But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."  (Genesis 19:26).

 
     She disobeyed, and as a result, was destroyed.  Her life was taken from her and all who saw this pillar of salt knew what had happened. It was a reminder to everyone. These people in Luke 17:32 knew about it, otherwise Jesus would not have told them to remember her. He is telling us today, don't turn back and walk away from the Lord. Don't look back, don't go back, don't entertain the thoughts of life back there. There is nothing back there but heartache, pain, sin, strife, and separation from the Lord.

      We are closer to the end than to the beginning. This life is like a vapor. It will soon be over.  Which direction are you walking in? Are you pressing toward Heaven, or have you given up and are walking back in the old way of doing things?  Walking back will only bring destruction.   Paul said:


"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,    I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14).

     Paul knew the importance of looking forward and not looking back. He knew there was nothing behind him worth focusing on. He knew he could not help others if he was constantly thinking of going back to his old ways.

     Which way are you walking? We are close to the end. Time is running out. There is nothing behind us worth going back to. Don't give up. No matter how the enemy tries to discourage you or entice you to go back. Your soul is at stake and nothing is worth going back for. Nothing is worth going to Hell for. Stay focused on what is ahead, forget what is behind.  Think about the rewards we will receive in Heaven if we remain faithfully on the course.


Remember Lot's wife

Are You Thankful?

"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."  (Luke 17:12-19). 

    These men who were lepers were not supposed to be in public places due to their uncleanness. If they got around anyone, they were to shout, "Unclean!". These men were not abiding by the laws established in Leviticus 13.  They took a risk by approaching Jesus; it took faith believing He could heal them. He didn't lay hands on them, He didn't pray over them. He told them to go show themselves to the priest. This was what anyone with leprosy was to do when the leprosy was gone.   As they started on their way to the priest in obedience to Jesus, they were cleansed.

     One of the lepers was a Samaritan. This complicated things even more, because according to John 4:9,  Samaritans were not supposed to have any dealings with the Jews. Yet, he took a risk and came back to Jesus to thank Him for his healing. He worshipped, praised and gave God the glory for his healing. He pushed aside all the reasons why he shouldn't, and just did. He didn't mind what others might think, he just knew he needed to thank Jesus. Jesus told this man that his faith had made him whole. The others were healed and cleansed; and that is a wonderful miracle, but this man was made whole. This means that any damage done to his body from the leprosy was completely erased and restored. This was more than a cleansing, it was more than a healing. He was completely made whole; simply because he was grateful and worshipped the Lord.

     In 2 Timothy 3:1-5,  we see a list of how people will be in the last days. This is an extensive list; and in this list, we see the word "unthankful".  As we look around us, we see unthankful people everywhere. Even children today for the most part are unthankful. They want more and more and come to expect even more. 

      God gives us miracles every day of our lives. We wake up, and are breathing; without even stopping to think about each breath. Do we stop and thank God for what He has done? Do we thank Him for the many miracles He gives us every day? Are we truly thankful, or do we just greedily expect more and more and more? 

       He deserves our praise, glory and honor. He deserves our thanks and gratitude from the bottom of our hearts. He is worthy of our worship. 

       How thankful are you?

You Must Know Your Enemy

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (1 Corinthians 2:11). 

      In any kind of sports or competition, there are opponents; competing with one another for a common prize. They train, exercise, practice and drill. They want to be the best they can be in order to win the prize. In addition to the physical aspects of this preparation, they must also study their opponent. They must learn the moves and skills of their opponent. They know that in order to win against their opponent, they must know all there is to know about this opponent.

      As we go through this life, we have an opponent; an enemy. This enemy fights us daily for the prize:  our soul. He wants to defeat us no matter what. He will stop at nothing to gain that victory over us. Should we not be diligent in learning the tactics of the enemy of our souls?


     "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8).


"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  (John 10:10).


"for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night."  (Revelation 12:10).


"When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."  (John 8:44).


"And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts."  (Mark 4:15). 


"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"  (Revelation 12:9).


     These are just a few Scriptures which show us who our enemy is. He is a thief, who comes to steal, kill and destroy. He steals our joy, peace, hope and strength.  He will destroy us if we allow him to.  He is an accuser of the brethren. He will falsely accuse us. He will lie to us and about us. He steals the Word of God from us; causing us to be powerless. He knows that we can use the Word to defeat him, so if he can steal it from us, he has stolen a powerful tool from us.  He is called a dragon and serpent. He is a deceiver. 

      Looking at these descriptions and characteristics of him, we can determine that he is not our friend. He is not on our side. He does nothing to benefit us. He is only out to hurt and destroy us.  Why would anyone want to follow him? There is no good in him.

      God is love, peace, joy, hope, and kind. He helps us in time of trouble. He hears us when we pray. He answers our prayers. He protects us. He forgives us of sin. He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is our rock and strong tower. He is our deliverer. He gave us His only Son, Jesus to die for our sins. He is our everything. 

     Looking at these descriptions and characteristics of God, we can determine that He is all good all the time. He is on our side. He only benefits us. He is our life. Why would anyone not want to follow Him? Why would anyone not want to love Him and reach out to Him?

      Obey God. He leads to joy, peace, hope, love and life eternal in Heaven.  Don't follow the devil. Satan only leads to destruction. He leads us to pain, misery, heartbreak, fear, worry, anxiety, hopelessness, and despair and eternity in Hell.

     In order to defeat your enemy, you must know your enemy.  Know his devices and tactics.   Don't fall for his lies and deceit. 

    Follow the Lord. Turn from sin and the Lord will help you defeat your enemy. 

God Sees You

"And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians," (Exodus 14:24).

     Have you ever felt like you were surrounded by a cloud and just couldn't get away from it? While inside that cloud, you may feel isolated, alone, forsaken, and depressed. You might even wonder where God is and if He even knows you are in this dark cloud?  

     Perhaps you feel like you are going through the fire and can't see the way out. You can't seem to find God during this time. Maybe you are feeling afraid, lonely, abandoned, or hopeless.

      In this passage, the children of Israel were fleeing from Pharaoh, and Pharaoh's army was closing in on them. God protected them from the enemy with clouds during the day and fire at night. It is possible that the children of Israel may have wondered where God was. They may have questioned if He even cared about them. They were being pursued by the enemy; which was closing in on them.

     It is encouraging to read in this passage that God looked through the cloud and fire and saw them. He was aware of what they were going through. He knew where they were and what they were facing and feeling. He was not ignoring them. He had not abandoned them. He saw them. He was watching them. He was working things out for them when they didn't know it. 

      Be encouraged today:  God sees you. He knows where you are. He knows the clouds that are surrounding you. He understands the fire you are going through. He is concerned about you. He is working things out for you; even when you don't know about it. He cares about you. He doesn't ignore you. He doesn't abandon you. He loves you and will not leave you or forsake you.  Look up and know that He is watching you and looking out for you.

      

You Are Valuable to God

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12:6-7).

     

       Have you ever felt like no one even knew you existed? Have you ever felt invisible? Do you ever think that no one would miss you if you were not around? Would they even notice? Would they care? The devil tries to make us feel like no one cares about us. He convinces us that no one loves us and we are not important. If we listen to his lies and believe them, we will live our lives accordingly. Our lives will be fruitless because we feel like we don't matter and are not important.

      Jesus was saying in this passage that even the sparrows, which were plentiful and not real valuable, are noticed by God. He knows when one lands on the earth, he knows each one of them. He goes on to say that we are more valuable than those sparrows. He says that every hair of our heads are numbered. This means He is so personal with us that He knows how many hairs we have on our heads. Wow! He knows more about us than we know ourselves. He is a personal God Who cares deeply for us and is aware of our thoughts, our intents, and our attitudes. Nothing that happens to us takes God by surprise. He is aware of it all.

      God loves you more than you could ever imagine. He cares for you and wants you to know how important you are to Him. He wants you to realize just how valuable you are.  Look at what He says about you:

"But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;" (1 Peter 2:9).

      He puts great value on you. You are on His mind always. He watches over you and hears you when you call out to Him. He hears you when you pray. He sees your tears, and knows your struggles. He understands your feelings and cares so deeply for you. 

      Don't believe the lies of the devil. Don't believe that you are not important. Don't believe that you are not worth God's love. Don't believe that you are not precious to God.  Believe God's Word that He loves you. He sent His Son to die for your sins. If you were not loved or valued, He would not have done so. You were worth Jesus dying for. You were worth that supreme sacrifice. You are worth salvation. You are worth grace, mercy and love. You are worth forgiveness and all His blessings. He loves you enough that He wants you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Repent of your sins today, accept Him as your Savior and receive His love. His love is real. 

      You are loved!  

Walk in the Light

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:7).

"But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him." (John 11:10). 


        When I was a child, my father asked me to go get something out of his truck for him. It was dark outside, so he gave me his flashlight. I thought this flashlight was fun to play with. I moved it from side to side, in circles, up in the sky, and everywhere.... everywhere except my path to the truck. Dad called to me from the door and said,"Keep the light on your path, and walk in that light, and you won't trip and fall over anything."  When I became a parent, I told my children the same thing concerning the use of a flashlight.

       As we walk through this road of life, sometimes, darkness comes. Sometimes it's difficult to find our way. We have access to the Light, (Jesus).

"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12). 

      If we walk in our own path, we walk in darkness. In this darkness, there will be obstacles, hurdles, pitfalls, obstructions and things in our way that will cause us to stumble and fall. God has called us out of the darkness into the light. This world is full of darkness. People's hearts are dark and cold toward one another and toward God. They are missing the light. They need Jesus. It is up to us to share the light with them. We are to shine forth the light of Jesus so they can find their way.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  (Matthew 5:16). 

 "that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;" (1 Peter 2:9).

      If we stay in the light, we will not lose our way. We will see all the things the enemy puts in front of us that are meant to hurt or destroy us. We can walk around them and walk victorious to the other side. 

       We are to walk with the Lord; daily, in prayer, studying the Word and living for Him. We must repent of our sins daily to ensure we walk in the light. We are to stay in the light. Sin brings darkness and separates us from the light.  Each of us have a choice. What's your choice? Darkness or light?

How Can God Love Me?

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."  (1 John 3:1)


        The devil tries to convince us that we have messed up so badly that God doesn't love us anymore and can't forgive us. He tries to make us think that we are failures and will never overcome. We then feel that God has given up on us. If he can convince us of these things, then we will give up hope. This is the devil's strategy. 

       We all have made mistakes. We all have failed at one time or another in our lives. We all have fallen short and missed the mark. We all have sinned. 


"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23).

     Sometimes, when we mess up, we feel like the worst person on the earth. We get angry at ourselves for falling short. Sometimes, we even reach the point that we say we can't forgive ourselves. We even believe that God can't or won't forgive us. People bring up our past and remind us of what we did, so we feel that we can never overcome it, so we hang onto the guilt and shame of it; when Christ has come to set us free.

      In Acts 9, we read about Saul. He persecuted Christians and enjoyed doing so. He had no fear of God and no remorse for his actions. Then, he met the Lord. Once he had that encounter, his whole life was changed. His name was changed to Paul (we know him as the Apostle Paul). He wrote much of the New Testament, and became sold out for the Lord. He didn't say, "Lord, you can't forgive me, I've been too bad. I've done too many horrible things and I'm hopeless." Instead, He embraced forgiveness and salvation. 


     In 2 Samuel 11,  King David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba, who was married to Uriah, who was in battle. Later, when David found out that Bathsheba was expecting a child, he had Uriah put on the front line of the battle to ensure he would be killed so he could marry Bathsheba.   In Psalm 51,  we find King David's prayer of repentance; and in Acts 13:22, God refers to David as:  "a man after mine own heart".  How could he be a man after God's own heart after all the horrible things he had done?  He repented with great sorrow and turned from his sin. This is the key to receive forgiveness.

   In Luke 22,  Jesus had been arrested and was hours away from His crucifixion. Three different times, someone approached Peter and recognized that He was with Jesus. He denied each time. He finally cursed and said he didn't even know who Jesus was.  Later, he wept bitterly and repented. In the New Testament church, Peter was very influential. He preached about the Lord and won souls to Christ. He was imprisoned several times for preaching in Jesus' name. God didn't say, "Peter, I can't forgive you, you have done something so horrible that you are doomed." He didn't tell Peter that he messed up too badly. Peter repented, put it behind him and led others to Christ.


      So, no matter what your story is, no matter the things you have done in your past; if you have repented and turned from those sins, you are forgiven. They are in the past and they are under the blood. Stop letting the devil try to tell you that God can't forgive you because you've been too bad.  Don't let him convince you that God can't love you and that He won't forgive you. Don't believe the lies from the enemy that God can't use you for His kingdom because of your past sins. 

      Many people won't repent because they are convinced that God won't forgive them anyway. They won't even go to church because they feel they have been too bad.   These are lies from the enemy. Don't believe them. 

      If you have not repented of your sins, it's not too late. Confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you. Accept Jesus' love for you and His forgiveness. You have not been too bad that He can't forgive you. He loves you in spite of your past. Repent, let it go and move on.  Experience His love today. It's the best peace you will ever know.

Don't Catch What the Devil Throws at You

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices." (2 Corinthians 2:11).

      Remember the game we played at school called "Dodge Ball"?  Just as the name implies, when the opponent throws the ball at you, you are to dodge the ball and not let it hit you. If it hits you, you are out.

      The devil is always throwing things at us. He throws temptations, attitudes, anger, lifestyles, or anything else he can throw our way. Just because he throws them at us doesn't mean we have to let them hit us. We are to stay alert and watch out for his tactics. He is out to get us. He wants us out. He wants to defeat us

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (1 Peter 5:8). 

     We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus. He has given us the victory. He gives us strength and power to overcome the enemy. Jesus gave us authority over the devil. So many people do not walk in this power and authority. They stand there and allow the devil to continually throw things at them and they don't fight back. They just accept this as the way life is. At this point, the devil wins. It's time to fight back. It's time to stop allowing the things the devil throws at us from hitting us. Don't let him win. 

     

     

I Am Only Hurting Myself, Right?

"Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom." (Genesis 13:12). 

      How many times do people justify their sins by saying, "I'm not hurting anyone?  It's my life, it's my decision, and my decisions only affect me."  The devil has convinced people that their choices and lifestyles won't hurt anyone else. 

      Lot didn't think about how pitching his tent toward Sodom would affect his family's lives.  By living there, his children were exposed to immorality, and his wife lost her life. If Lot had not chosen to pitch his tent toward Sodom and later move into the city, these things would not have happened to his family. His choices affected not only him. (Chapter 19).

     Families are destroyed because people thought their choices wouldn't affect anyone but them. They selfishly make decisions about their lives, not realizing how the lives of those around them will shift.  It's like lining up dominoes on the floor or table and knocking one over. All the other dominoes will fall one right after another. We call this the "domino effect".  One decision impacts all other decisions; therefore changing the lives of people around us.

    All it takes is for one person in the house to wake up grumpy and critical, and before too long, everyone in the house is irritable, grumpy and critical. This is the perfect example as to how one person's actions impact others.  In the same way, if one person wakes up cheerful, pleasant and happy, then soon others in the house will become cheerful, pleasant and happy. 

   So when someone says "I'm not hurting anyone but myself", they are deceived into believing a lie. Don't get caught up in this deception. Don't believe the lie. Realize that each decision you make will change people around you. Choose wisely. Choose with discretion. Not only is your soul at stake, other people's lives depend on you.  

     

Is Being Good Enough Good Enough?

"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 18:11-14). 

       All of us like to believe that we are a good person. We don't like to think that we have anything in our lives that would separate us from God. We sometimes think that everyone we meet is saved and going to Heaven when they leave this world. This is not the truth.

     We believe that because we aren't murdering someone, or stealing from someone or doing some kind of "evil" thing, that we are guaranteed eternity in Heaven. This is simply not true. Look at the Pharisee in the passage above. He abstained from evil and even paid tithes. He thought this guaranteed him a spot in Heaven. Yet, his heart was not right with God; therefore, he missed out on his eternal reward.   Just doing good things, or just abstaining from evil things is not enough to save our soul from Hell.

     Just believing in God won't take you to Heaven. Just saying a prayer now and then won't get you there. Just doing good things for others; however noble they may be, won't save your soul. Attending church, joining the church, being baptized and paying tithes won't save you. All of these things are good. They are all necessary.  However, none of these things will save you. 

   
  It takes the blood of Jesus to save a soul from sin. It takes confessing the sins, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died and rose again on the third day. It takes living a sold out life for Him. It takes seeking Him daily and repenting from all sin. It takes a relationship with Him daily. It takes denying ourselves and our desires and following after Him. 


    So many people believe because they say prayers before bedtime that they will go to Heaven when they die. However, the Bible says:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21). 

"If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" (Psalm 66:18).

"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." (John 9:31). 

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? (Luke 6:46).

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."  (John 7:13-14).

     These Scriptures, and many others, show us that just being good, or just doing good things  isn't enough. It takes a relationship with Christ. It takes accepting His sacrifice for sins, repenting of those sins, confessing Him as Lord, then turning from the sins and living a life that is pleasing to Him. 

      So being good enough is not good enough. People say that God is a loving God and will not send anyone to Hell. This is true. He is a very loving God. He is love. He doesn't send anyone to Hell. Anyone who goes to Hell, does so by their own choice. God made a way to escape Hell. Jesus paid the price to avoid Hell, so anyone who goes, sends themselves. Don't be deceived into thinking that just because you are a good person that you are automatically going to Heaven. 

"Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." (Isaiah 5:14).

     " For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast". (Ephesians 2:8-9).

      It's not good enough to be good enough. It takes the blood being applied to our sins and living for the Lord. Don't delay. Turn to Jesus today.