The Wordless Book

The wordless book is a booklet with colored pages, each representing an aspect of the Christian gospel.  In London in 1866 Rev. Charles Spurgeon preached a sermon entitled, “The Wordless Book.”  He told about an elderly minister who put three colored pages together and often looked at them to remind himself of three things: (1) His sinfulness (black), (2) Christ’s blood poured out for him (red), and (3) The cleansing provided for him (white).  Nine years later, Lay Evangelist, D. L. Moody, added a page to the booklet and shared with 12,000 children “A Book with Four Leaves.”  Since then, Bible verses were added along with a gold page and a green page (added in 1875 and 1939).  The pages explained are:

1)    Gold – represents Heaven.  God loves us and wants us to be with him in his heavenly home.  Jesus said, “My Father’s house (heaven) has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:2-3).

2)    Black – represents Sin.  Sin prevents us from being with God.  The punishment for our sins is that we cannot be with God in heaven because our hearts are not clean.  The Bible reminds us, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

3)    Red – represents the Blood of Jesus.  God loves us so much that he sent his Son, Jesus to provide a way for our hearts to be made clean.  Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins and make it possible for us to be forgiven.  The Apostle John says, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (I John 1:7).

4)    White – represents Clean Hearts.  When we sincerely admit that we have sinned, ask God to forgive us, believe that Jesus died to take the punishment we deserved, and invite Jesus into our lives, God makes our hearts clean.  John says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).

5)    Green – represents Growth.  Once we invite Jesus to come into our lives, it is important that we grow in our relationship with Jesus. We can do this by talking to God (praying), reading God’s word (the Bible), and obeying him (doing what he asks us to do).  The Bible says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (II Peter 3:18)

Through the death and resurrection of Christ, and our hope and trust when we by faith personally receive Jesus into our lives, we can enjoy the spiritual freedom that God offers.  Let’s take time to allow the wordless book – gold, black, red, white, green – to speak to us as we respond to the message of the gospel.

Where are you Going?

Where are you going?” was the question the traffic officer asked the motorist who, because he was late for an important meeting, had rushed the light making a quick left turn in front of oncoming traffic.  The motorist was a seminary student who told the officer, “I’m studying for the ministry, and I was hurrying to get to a special meeting.”  To which the officer replied, “You better slow down, or you are going to get to heaven before you want to.”  He gave the student a warning ticket and let him go.

The question the officer asked is a good question for all of us to consider about life.  “Where are you going?”  Isn’t it logical to think that life consists of more than simply living a few short years and then dying?  I’m afraid that many people are rushing through life trying to enjoy every minute, but they forget to answer the all-important question, “Where are you going?”

Listen to what the Bible tells us about heaven:

1)    Heaven is God’s gift to us.  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

2)    Heaven can be ours through Christ.  And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:11-12).

3)    Jesus is preparing heaven for those who have put their trust in Him.  “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

4)    Our good works cannot attain heaven.  “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).

5)    Heaven is assured to those who personally receive Christ. “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

So, “Where are you going?”  Are you ready to meet God?  Are you confident that if you should die tonight you would go to heaven?  You can be ready to meet God and be assured of heaven.  How?  All you need to do is to put your faith in God and trust Him alone.  Pray to God.  Ask Him to forgive your sins, come into your life, and be your Savior.  He will.  And then with complete confidence your answer to the “Where are you going?” question will be “heaven”. The Apostle John confirms this when he says,  “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13).

Reality

Just last week I received word from a good friend of mine who came out of his bedroom one morning and discovered his wife on the floor, dead from an apparent heart so attack.  His wife was in good health so this was something that was not expected; but it was a reality.  She was a believer in Christ and had accepted Jesus as her Savior years ago.  So, the assurance my friend has, based on his wife’s relationship with the Lord is that she is in heaven today.  This incident reminded me that all of us need to be ready to meet the Lord at any time.  That instant when our life here on earth is snuffed out, could happen when we least expect it.  However, those people who have a personal relationship with the Lord can be assured of heaven.  That is a reality.

Just last week I finished reading a book by Bob Ricker called Assured of Heaven.  How appropriate to be reminded that it is possible for us to have assurance of heaven and not just hope that all things work out for the best.  Listen to what the Living Bible says, “And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him all the Christians who have died” (I Thessalonians 4:13-14).  The scripture also says, “For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have wonderful new bodies in heaven, homes that will be ours forevermore, made for us by God himself and not by human hands” (II Corinthians 5:1).  Have you put your faith in Christ?  Are you ready to meet Him?  Do you have confidence that you will spend eternity in heaven?