I have yet again outdone myself in doing something embarrassing and goofy. I would love to say I make these things up, but unfortunately, I actually do them!
My latest brain lapse was when I pulled into the parking space to pick up curbside delivery for LongHorn Steakhouse. I was looking forward to that steak and Wild West shrimp as I called the phone number and told them I was in the black Explorer in parking space #2.
They soon called me back and said that there was a white car in space 2. I looked around and replied, “Well, there is a white car next to me in space 1, but I am definitely in space 2.”
Soon a nice man was next to my car and asked about my order. I pulled up my email and showed it to him. “That’s LongHorn,” he replied, still waiting. “Yeeees???” I drawled in a bewildered voice. He gave me the patronizing look one would give a three-year-old. “Ma’am,” he smirked, “This is Abuelos.”
Yes, I really did pull up to Abuelos to pick up my LongHorn order. Lol! In my defense, they are right next door to each other. But as much as I wanted that LongHorn, and as much as I thought I was in the right place, I wasn’t going to get LongHorn from Abuelos.
People right now are planning to spend eternity in heaven but have pulled up to the wrong parking space and are not going to get what they want. Wait. Isn’t that awfully narrow-minded for Christians to think that their way is the only way?
Cultural catch phrases tell us that we should be tolerant and that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere in your belief. It’s the popular idea now that “whatever you believe is true for you, and whatever I believe is true for me.”
But it didn’t matter that I sincerely believed I was at LongHorn. I was wrong. The lie that people buy in today’s culture is that there is no truth. But truth exists. If I were to point to a blue crayon and say that it is yellow, that would be false. My belief does not change reality.
Jesus clearly referred to Himself as the only way to heaven. In John 14:6 He stated, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That statement is not a subjective statement. It is objective—it is either true or false.
The Bible tells us everything we need to know about the truth of Jesus’ identity and how to get to heaven. But the Bible does even more than contain information for us to learn.
When we read the Bible, which is called the sword of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit reveals to our hearts the truth about God and ourselves. John 16:12a says, “When he, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.”
It is the Holy Spirit who draws us to know the truth, whether we are reading the Bible ourselves or hearing Biblical truth in a sermon or conversation. But truth definitely exists.
According to Lifeway Research, approximately 90% of Americans own a Bible, but more than half of those have read little or none of it! The truth exists whether they read it or not. I didn’t read the sign when I pulled up to Abuelos, or I would have known the truth that I was in the wrong place.
There are lots of people who are “good” by the world’s standards, who are kind and loving, but who still won’t go to heaven because they are in the wrong place. They are relying on works or knowledge or other wrong ways to know God.
In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.” That’s probably the saddest verse in the Bible. All those people who have created their own versions of truth will be missing out. Even those people who do lots of good things.
Those good works are like filthy rags next to God’s perfect righteousness. God is a righteous judge, and our sin deserves death. But our Creator died for His creation.
Our Almighty God loved us so much that He left the glory of heaven, took the form of a man, experienced sorrow and temptation and suffering just as we have, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross not to pay the penalty for His own sin (because he had none), but to pay for ours.
So we could be declared righteous. So we could know Him.
Knowing God isn’t just knowing about Him and believing He existed. I know about Abraham Lincoln, but I never met him personally.
But I know God personally. I talk to Him every single day, multiple times a day. I love spending time with Him. He talks to me through the Holy Spirit revealing truth through the Bible, convicting me, correcting me, encouraging me, and guiding me. We are tight. We have a relationship.
I pray that you have that relationship. If you don’t, please read the Message Tab at the top of my blog. Feel free to email me with questions at deeperrootsblog1@gmail.com. And remember—there is truth. Don’t park in the wrong parking space. You won’t get what you want.
ETERNITY [I WROTE THIS ALMOST 4O YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A BABY CHRISTIAN :-)]
Well, the day had finally come, and sooner than I’d thought.
I really wasn’t ready. How off-guard I had been caught!
But the Lord is the one who claims our lives, so I stood in misery,
Not believing I had heard Him right when He said, “You don’t belong to Me.”
“But, Lord, I always went to church and usually did what’s right!
I believed in You,” I said defensively, “And I said some prayers at night.”
“You’re forgetting what you learned,” He said, “Back in your days on earth.
The only thing I want to know is did you have a second birth?”
“Well, yeah, well, uh, I guess so,” I stammered nervously.
“Jesus never was your Lord!” He broke in angrily.
“There are so many people,” He added, “Who claim to know the Lord.
Yet how they live—it grieves me—no different than the world.”
“Well, tell me then,” I ventured, “Just how to be a Christian.”
God said, “I told you how on earth, but you just would not listen.”
He added, “People in your country see me in a funny way.
They say because they’re not an atheist—They’re ‘Christian’ for living in the USA.”
“Some try so hard to do good,” He said, a sad look on His face.
But no one will ever be good enough. Salvation’s only by My grace.”
He continued, “I want you in church—that’s so. But heaven’s not found in church rolls by far.
Just because you are sitting in a garage, does that necessarily make you a car?”
I listened as He talked on, explaining how to come to Him,
And wished with all my heart that I could have a chance again.
“Everyone has sinned,” He said, “And sin can’t see my face,
So fellowship with Me was broken. But Jesus took sin’s place.”
“That sin needed a payment—death from its ugly trap.
But Jesus died in the world’s place. You could say, ‘He took the rap.’
Men can therefore have their fellowship with Me once again restored.
Because Jesus rose up from the dead and is still alive as Lord.”
“They must place their lives in Jesus’ hands and let Him control all.
But the number willing to do that are sadly very small.
See, trusting is the answer. Believing is involved,
But believing entails trusting. The two must be resolved.”
“Satan and his demons believe in Me, no doubt,
But one great factor’s missing—it’s trust they are without.
You can believe a chair will hold you, and claim your belief is there.
But proof of trust will not be seen till you sit in that chair.”
“When I, the Living God, dwell in a soul it should seem strange
That in that person’s life we see no evidence of change.”
“What about those with real bad sins?” I interrupted Him.
“Those who have done some awful things—do you forgive all them?”
He answered, “Yes, some live in sin for years, but no matter what the sin,
I look in the soul and then forgive if the heart wants to be right again.”
He stopped, then finished, and I saw how stupid and how blind
I’d been back when I lived on earth and said, “I change my mind!”
“Lord, I see now and feel really bad of how foolish I have been,
But I am sorry and will repent if You’ll only let me in!”
He sent me then where I belonged, cast me out and closed the gate.
He quietly said with a tear in His eye, “No, it is too late.”
c. Bobbie Perkins