The Way to God and into Heaven

Blaise Pascal, the French philosopher and mathematician said to his friends:
"You have two things to lose, the true and the good; and two things at stake, your reason and your will, your knowledge and your happiness; and your nature has two things to shun, error and misery. Your reason is no more shocked in choosing one rather than the other, since, out of necessity, you must choose. So that is one point settled. But your happiness? Let us weigh up the gain and the loss in wagering that God exists. Let us estimate the chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is. "That is very fine. Yes, I must wager; but I may perhaps wager too much." Let’s see. Since there is an equal risk of gain and of loss, if you had only to gain two lives, instead of one, you might still wager. But if there were three lives to gain, you would have to play (since you are under the necessity of playing), and you would be imprudent, if you were forced to play, not to chance your life to gain three at a game where there is an equal risk of loss and gain. But there is an eternity of life and happiness. And this being so, if there were an infinity of chances, of which one only would be for you, you would still be right in wagering one to win two, and you would act stupidly, being obliged to play, by refusing to stake one life against three at a game in which out of an infinity of chances there is one for you, if there were an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain. But there is here an infinity of an infinitely happy life to gain, a chance of gain against a finite number of chances of loss, and what you stake is finite."

God exists.
Can you imagine that He is interested in your life and wants to become connected with you?

Blaise Pascal one one occasion also said: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. “

Imagine you are a guest in Japan: You are walking through the rain to your host and mud is sticking to your feet. You enter the house and go straight to the guest room onto the tatami mats, where the Japanese don’t even wear their house slippers, tracing dirt through the whole house. Will your host tolerate this? Of course not!
Simple politeness requires you to respect customs and traditions. And your host will politely kick you out of his house if you don’t adhere.
 
Just like the shoes in this example, our heart and soul are dirty and laden with sin (adultery, theft, lies, fraud, murder in thoughts, idolisation etc.). God cannot let us into His eternal kingdom the way we are.
The bible says that His kingdom will last forever. In the last book of the bible, the Revelation, it is written: “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 22,5)

The trap - and everybody is in⁽¹⁾

	A man fell into a deep trap. He tried to come out by his own strenthgh, but the walls of this pit were very slippery. After a long time, with many abortive attempts, he stopped. Now he knew, that he would need help from outside.
	Sometimes, a man passed by and outed hisself as a buddhist. He looked down into the pit and said: " Why are you crying? Suffering is the basis of life. Go down into you and have meditation. Learn the path to overcome the suffering. He went away without practical help.
	Not long a time after that, there were coming the Jehovah's Witnesses. They said: "Good day. The headquarter in Brooklyn/New York sent us to bring the message of Jehova. It would be very good, if you would study continual our paper the 'Watchtower'. And buy our book about the paradise. If you will be a member of our association, you can be saved.
	Not long after that, an esoteric came. She said: "Do you know, I will bring you my pyramid of glas. If this pyramid will stand over this pit, then you will be influence by a cosmic energy. Maybe aliens from outerspace will recognize you, will bring you into theire world and you are no more in this pit. I am a medium of Mr.Spock. Shall I connect with him?"
	Later, an atheistic psychologist came. "These allegedly hole, what you call pit, is a product of your phantasie or too strict education. It is only an imagination. Good man, the hole world is wide open for you. You must fully unfold. Think positiv and this bad hole of your neurosis will go away." No help again!
Would't they all help......or maybe, they couldn't?
	While he was thinking about this question, a man, not like the other, jumped down to him into the pit. Where did he come from? No matter! - This man bowed down, so that it was possible to climb upon his back and reach the surface of the earth. Finally saved!
	Later, the rescued man came back and recognized, that his selflessly helper lost his life, while he helped him.

No Religion.

The message about Jesus is not a religion! It is a message, that makes free!
Our biggest problem is our sin, she seperate us from god.
Sin is like the pit in this comic. You are sitting in a whole und you can't come out alone.

It will not help to be religiously. The concept of the religion is, that we can come to god with our own strengh.
Unfortunately, to much people overlook, that the almighty god is a holy god and nobody can come to Him.
The message of the Bible is another message as the religions: God became man in Jesus Christ to make us free from sin.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3, 16


We would like you to discover and get to know what is important to God. We invite you to experience similar things.
The following pages might act as an encouragement and help you get an idea of what God is like. The biblical text, the New King James Version, should be read in context.

The detail of Your Life (greatly enlarged)

Detail of the Eternity

When God created heaven and earth, He also created humankind. He wanted creatures whom He could love, and who could love Him as well.
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you”
Jeremiah 31, 3
“With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd”
Psalms 18,26
See also: Psalms 40, 17 und 1.John 4, 16 – 19
 

He transferred the responsibility and authority over the earth to humankind.
“Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth..”
Genesis 1,26
 

Satan made humans violate God’s commandment. He caused them to mistrust God and to sin, by telling them that they could be like God.
“For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3,5


In losing the community with God, mankind also lost the authority over the earth to Satan.
Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”
Luke 4,5 – 7


Satan was once the highest angel Lucifer, who rebelled against God and wanted to sit on God’s throne, but he failed. After that he was cast out of heaven.
“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart:
I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.”
Isaiah 14,12 – 15


Now not only Satan but also mankind were refused access to the eternal kingdom of God.
“But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
Revelation 21,27
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.”
1 Corinthians 6, 9+10


Our original purpose and goal in life is being a child of God. Even today, mankind thinks he can be disobedient to God and that he can master his own life. Sin means “deviating from a goal”, or “missing the goal”.
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God..”
Romans 8,14
“Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered
abroad.”
John 11,51+52


Every one of us will have to die one day and stand before God.
Whoever choses to live on earth without God, will have to live without him in eternity as well.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;”
Romans 3,23
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
Hebrews 9,27+28


However, we cannot enter the kingdom of God the way we are, because sin is still ruling our lives. God is a holy God.
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
Isaiah 59,2


In all religions, people are searching for God. But the God of the bible was always searching for people, even if they did not want to come to Him and return to His kingdom.
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are
sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing!”
Luke 13,34 and see also 2 Kings 17,13 + 2 Chronicles 24,19


But God loves humankind so much, that He sent His son Jesus Christ, to save us from darkness and bring us into light.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
John 3, 16
“The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned..”
Matthew 4,16 + Isaiah 8,23-9,1


In former times, people used to sacrifice animals so that God might forgive them their sins. When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He was the sacrifice, which holds good for all eternity. By this, He removed the separation of God and man.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5,8 + Hebrews 9,11-14
“And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, nd to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”
Revelation 5,9


Jesus has defeated death and He is risen from the dead.
“whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”
Acts 2,24


And we can personally meet this risen Jesus in our daily lives.
“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”
John 1,12


If Jesus hadn’t risen, He would have only been a good teacher or founder of a religion. But Jesus is risen and He lives.
“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty
And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!.”
1 Corinthians 15,14 + 17
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
1th Corinthians 15,20
 
 
What does this mean for me?
The perspective is this: We can find new life through Jesus Christ, have a personal relationship and fellowship with God, and get to know Him - how He really is - if we believe in Jesus Christ, give Him our lives and subordinate under HIM as Lord.

But those who choose to live here on earth without God are choosing to do so for eternity as well, and will end up living in hell, which is very real.

Please visit the following pages:
How I becom a child of God
Chinese signs and the Bible
Fullfilled Prophecy of the Bible
Discoveries of biblical artefacts and places

´© Artist William C. Ressler, Email: williamressler@earthlink.net

 (1) 1 Taken over from "Franz, Freaks & Friends". With friendly permission of the CLV-Publishing Company,  www.clv.de