I had the wonderful opportunity to preach last night in downtown Buffalo at the Buffalo Sabres vs. Dallas Stars NHL game last night. \u00a0Buffalo lost 3-1 to the top team in the league.<\/p>\n
Ironically the game had a Buffalo NO-Goal.<\/p>\n
The message the Lord put on my heart was this. \u00a0 If you are not saved, no matter how many good works you did in your life, you will basically hear, “No goal” on Judgment day and be cast into hell. \u00a0 Or perhaps “Wide Right”! \u00a0The actual words Jesus uses in the Bible to many are “Depart from me, for I never knew you.”<\/p>\n
The words we want to hear simply are “Enter!”<\/p>\n
I preached until just after game time. \u00a0People were running faster and faster the closer it was to the puck drop. \u00a0 Think of heaven like that. \u00a0People will rush to the door, and an Angel could ask for “your ticket to enter”. \u00a0 \u00a0Jesus is our ticket to heaven. \u00a0The bible says to many who do not know Jesus, that “the door was shut.”<\/p>\n
Imagine if the arena owners did that if you didn’t enter by 7:00pm. \u00a07:01, a minute late, and the door was shut. \u00a0You went home, and didn’t get a refund. \u00a0What would be even scarier is if you were a minute late, then you were sent to jail. \u00a0And the arena had 50 doors and loud boastful people pulling you to enter each door. \u00a0 But only one door, a worn out beat out door near the back of the arena was the only acceptable one.<\/p>\n
The bible says “whosover’s name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”<\/p>\n
It wasn’t the only thing that was preached, but I believe I was to convey the urgency of Judgement Day. \u00a0I had addressed the idea of how quickly we can have a face-off with eternity in my tract, Game 7 Sudden Death Overtime. \u00a0 The idea was that life was like a Game 7 game in overtime, meaning it can go on for several more “periods” but at any instant it will be over. \u00a0And there is no next season in the game of life.<\/p>\n
The NO Goal and Wide Right are famous phrases in Buffalo. \u00a0The Buffalo Bills lost to the NY Giants in Superbowl 20 by 18 inches. \u00a0 A last second field goal by Scott Norwood sailed wide right. \u00a0And Buffalonians lived a “what if” ever since.<\/p>\n
Eighteen inches is the distance from the head to the heart.<\/p>\n
If you only have a head knowledge of Jesus Christ you don’t have Christ. \u00a0Jesus said YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN. \u00a0We need to be saved God’s way. \u00a0And that is when we believe in and with all our hearts. \u00a0Ye shall seek me and find me when ye search for me with all your heart, promises God.<\/p>\n
God also promises at salvation to put a new heart in us. \u00a0A heart that has a love of God.<\/p>\n
It is great someone has the talent to shoot a hockey puck past a goalie. \u00a0It is wonderful someone has the talent to stop a hockey puck before it goes in the net.<\/p>\n
However, Jesus Christ made the sun out of nothing. \u00a0A million times bigger than the earth. \u00a0Perhaps we are looking at the lake of fire and don’t even realize it. \u00a0Maybe we aren’t. \u00a0 But Jesus Christ is who we need to be in awe of.<\/p>\n
Salvation straightens out our priorities out pretty fast. \u00a0It is not a new leaf, but a new creature. \u00a0When you are saved, God changes your desires, your direction, and your destiny.<\/p>\n
Watch a hockey game. \u00a0 But realize it is a distraction. \u00a0 Not only for life in general, but it keeps us from thinking about eternal matters too.<\/p>\n
Eternity is a long, long time and you cannot afford to be wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I had the wonderful opportunity to preach last night in downtown Buffalo at the Buffalo Sabres vs. Dallas Stars NHL game last night. \u00a0Buffalo lost 3-1 to the top team in the league. Ironically the game had a Buffalo NO-Goal. … Continue reading