Michael Nalepka:  

Hello All. I want to share with you the greatest story ever told. No, it's not about "religion" or trying to earn you way to a better place when we all do our final graduation. :) It's about Jesus Christ. So, some of you knew me perhaps as a bit of a class clown, kind of always getting into some kind of disturbance or trouble. Well, that can happen when your parents aren't really fully engaged in your life. Trust me, I am NOT a victim. Nor do I ever blame my parents for anything. I loved them dearly and they have both went on to heaven in the last 15 years. I grew up a Catholic but never really got into all the ritualism and rules. But I do love my Catholic brothers and sisters. Wonderful people. So I left Fridley and went on to UofM for a short stint before departing Minnesota and moving to the south. I LOVE the south. First was Texas for 8 years, then Florida for around 20 years. Got remarried to my love today and moved to where she lived, Birmingham, Alabama. We now reside today in probably the greatest middle sized city in America - Nashville, Tennessee. What a fantastic place to live. Plus, and the biggest plus people, is NO STATE INCOME TAX. That's right. Why do you think everyone flees the high tax blue states to the south like Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Look at that State of Minnesota line on your next payroll stub. BTW- Mine in Tennessee says $0. That right, zero!! So what are y'all waiting for? It's a pay increase, a much better economy, wonderful friendly people in the South, and very mild winters with a couple of light snows. OK, so see you there. I have two questions to ask you. 1) If you were to die today do you know for sure that you're going to heaven? 2) If so and you were to stand before God and he were to ask you "Why should I let you into My Heaven?" What would you say? Perhaps you might say you've lead a good life, have tried to be as nice as you can to people, given money to charity, brought up nice children, took care of your Mom or Dad, or perhaps you haven't robbed any banks or done much bad stuff. That's all well and good. However, none of that has absolutely anything to do with going to heaven. So I'll make this short and succinct out of love and respect for anyone reading this: Heaven is a FREE gift. It is not earned and it is not deserved. The bible says "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Romans 3:23 So hmmmmm, if all have sinned and fall short of God's glory how do we obtain this "Free Gift of Eternal Life" you may say. It's soooo easy my friends. So here we go (all good I promise): 1) Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Okay, yes that what HE said. HE said he is the ONLY way to Heaven and to The Father in Heaven. Again, I didn't say that, HE (Jesus) said that. 2) Then he said "… unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) Yes, one must become a born again person in Christ to see the kingdom of God when your time comes. Again, that is what Jesus said. So that gets us to the conclusion. (See, that was short) I am confident that you know about Jesus dying on the Cross. Right? And probably most of you know about the 3 crosses? If you don't, the bible says in Luke the 23 chapter that 2 thieves were condemned to die by being crucified at the exact same time as Jesus. One on either side of him. So....3 crosses. They both scoffed at Jesus, mocked him, and said some terrible things to him. But do you know that of everyone in the Bible, all the people ever named, thousands and thousands of names and genealogies, God had a calling on the man on the 3rd cross. We never knew his name. We don't know if he ever did any good works, ever. He never knew about Jesus most likely...no TV preachers back then. So guess what? Out of all of the characters good and bad and different in the entire bible from Genesis through Revelation, God gave the man on the 3rd cross more promise and more assurance that he was going to heaven than anyone in the bible? Why? No good works, no nothing except skepticism and insults hurled at Jesus. But something happened. As he was about to suffocate from being crucified he changed his mind in the last minutes of his life, and based on what was happening around him, he had a change of heart and all he did was one thing. Just one thing that granted him more promise and more guarantee that he was going to heaven than anyone in the bible. So what was it....I know you're dying to ask that. So let me tell you. All he did, ALL he did, was he had a change of heart and looked at Jesus sincerely and said : 3) “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, …"today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43) So God gave more promise and more guarantee to the guy that deserved it the least in the bible just so when YOU read this (Right Now) you'll know that there is nothing you've ever done that God wont' forgive you for. But YOU have to take the next step. What is the next step? Here's what the bible says to do next. YOU have to step out of your comfort zone and simply follow this biblical passage (this is SO easy folks, really): 3A The bible says “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) That's it! That all you need to do (with a contrite heart and meaning it mind you). You can't just robot talk your way into heaven. It has to come from the heart. A one on one with God. Pour it out to Him and He will grant you that wish and desire for eternal life in Christ. Here is all you need to do (again with an open heart and believing in what you are praying, sincerely): Prayer the Prayer of Eternal Salvation similar to this (doesn't have to be exactly but you could do this word for word if you want): Lord Jesus, come into my life and be my Savior and Lord. Forgive me of all my sins. I turn over my life to you Jesus. I believe you are the Son of God. I believe God raised you from the dead. I will follow you all the days of my life. I trust in you alon...Expand for more