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           In the book of Exodus we read that God tells us,

“You shall have no other gods before me.”

                                                            Exodus 20:3.

Here is one of the absolute values of Christianity. Christians are to have no other god’s except the Lord God Almighty.
Sadly however to many people especially here in North America have many other gods. Gods that they put ahead of the One True God. These gods range from the god of materialism, to the gods of politics, to their love of self and much more.
As Christians we must be careful that we don’t let other gods into our lives. Just because you have said the sinners prayer doesn’t mean you will necessarily get to heaven.
Leonard Ravenhill an English/American evangelist has said,

“The sinner's prayer has sent more people to hell 

than all the taverns in America.” 

                                                   Leonard Ravenhill

“I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again

and that's true of England!” 

                                  Leonard Ravenhill 

To be a Christian you have to truly believe the teachings of Christ and to put those teachings in your day to day life. You have to be willing to give up everything. As someone has said,

F. A. I.T. H. 

Forsaking 

All             

I               

Take Him. 

That means putting aside the gods of this world, materialism, money, politics, self. It means being willing to follow Christ to the grave if necessary.
So my question to anyone reading this who claims to be a Christian is, Are you willing to
Forsake all and follow him?
Please think about it.

Going to Heaven?

Going to Heaven?
Luke’s gospel records
“To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:  
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.  
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 
“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14.
Do you go to church on Sunday? How about during the week? Do you go to church during the week? Are you active in the church? Do you fast? Do you tithe?
Do you know you can do all of the above and not go to heaven?
Sadly many people who go to church including those who are in places of responsibility in the church, Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, Pastors, Evangelist, may not be going to heaven.
O they’ve prayed the sinners prayer and do good work in the church, but just because they do this doesn’t mean they are going to Heaven. It does not mean they are justified before God.
The evangelist Leonard Ravenhill once said,

“The sinners prayer has sent more people to hell

 than all the bars in America.” 

                                                   Leonard Ravenhill

Sadly the sinners prayer has become a formula, at least here in North America. It can and does many times give a person a false sense of eternal security.
I believe you can go to heaven without saying the sinners prayer. All one must be willing to do is confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe God raised him from the dead you will be saved.
The apostle Paul writing to the Romans explained it this way,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:9-13.
So my question to you the reader is, Do you truly believe Jesus is Lord?
Your answer to that question can have eternal consequences.
Remember Jesus warned,
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:21-23
Please think carefully about it.

2 Quotes

2 Quotes
Leonard Ravenhill the English/American evangelist said,

“The sinner's prayer has sent more people to hell 

than all the taverns in America.” 

                                                     Leonard Ravenhill

He also noted,

I doubt if 5% of professing Christians in America are born again

and that's true of England! 

                                       Leonard Ravenhill

Jesus said,
“Many will say to me  on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  
Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22,23.
Sadly I believe Ravenhill’s statements. There are many who may think they are going to heaven that are not. They believe because they have said the “sinners prayer” it is if you will their ticket to heaven.
The sinners prayer is not found in Scripture and some Christian scholars and Pastors have questioned it’s effectiveness. Some see it as giving a false sense of security.
The bottom line is that Christian’s believe you are saved by your faith in God and the salvation that comes through Christ Jesus. The apostle Paul stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
Saying a prayer of any kind does not guarantee you getting to heaven. The only guarantee of getting to heaven is as I said above truly having faith in God and the Salvation that comes through Christ Jesus.
No one can tell if you are truly saved. Salvation is a deeply personal thing between the individual and God.
Part of the problem in North America and particularly in the United States is going to church is part of the culture. You go to church because your family has always gone. Your friends go so you go.
A pastor I knew who’d come to Canada from the mid west states, the so called Bible Belt, in the United States to set up a church was quite shocked.
He’d lived all of his life in the United States and always thought Canada was like the States. To make matters more confusing for him at first, was the fact that he had decided to start the church in one of the most ethnically diverse areas of Canada.
As he told me where he came from even if individuals only go to church only at Easter and Christmas they considered themselves good church goers. And most have Bibles in their homes. Christianity in the area he came from in the States was very much cultural. Not so in Canada.
It is when Christianity and belief in God becomes part of the culture that people may think they are going to heaven when they are not.
I believe it is therefor the duty of those who truly believe in God. To look around them in there church congregations in particular and see if there are any lost souls. People who know all the right things to say and do in church but are not truly saved.
Thus my questions become
If you attend church are you personally absolutely certain that should you pass into eternity to day that you will get to heaven?
Please think about it.