EVA:The next best thing  by Bill Bennett

   {...Who is this guy standing in my doorway...',...HE THINKS...}

   "Good afternoon Sir, my name is ..."

   {...I heard about these guys that do this...I'll bet they think they
can earn some kind of brownie points, or maybe that crazy preacher down
the street put them up to it...} "Er, Ah, Nice to meet you"

   "We're visiting in the neighborhood today, and we wanted to let you
folks know about the services at our church, do you presently have a
church your attending?"

   {...oh, oh...I haven't been to one since my kid sister asked me to
be Joey's God-parent...I wonder if Father....what's his name put him up
to this?...what WAS the name of that church...?} "Well, yea, we attend
St. Mary's, quite happy with it." {...that oughta hold him - he better
not get personal...}

   "I'm glad to hear that you DO attend a church. Many folks now days
don't bother worshiping the Lord these days."

   {...yea, I guess so...} "Well, we've always enjoyed going to church,
it's a nice wholesome family activity, not many things we can do as a
family anymore." {...fortunately, church gets out before the ball game
starts, don't mind missing the pre-game show since The Greek left...}

   "It's really nice to meet someone that has a sincere interest in
what's good for himself and his family! I consider Church an important
part of raising my kids, it's good that you're concerned for the rest
of your family."

   "Yea, well, I guess nobody's perfect, but we're trying to raise 'em
right. Godda have some religion in the family." {...besides, those
church picnics are a BLAST! It's the one time of the year nobody feels
bad about missin' church because of a hangover...And the old lady
really does pretty good at BINGO...}

   "Say, How many Children do you have?"

   {...WHAT??...here comes a lecture on birth control...} "Ah, Three, 2
girls and a boy in the middle of 'em. Great kids, ya know? Turning out
pretty good." {...for only being in church at Christmas & Easter...}

   "Really? We got 3 girls and 2 boys, love every one of them."

   {...wanna adopt mine?...maybe you can straighten them out...maybe
THIS guy IS from St. what's it's name, 5 kids?...he's still wet behind
the ears - get a-load of that hair-cut!...}

   "I'd like to invite you out for the special services we're having
this weekend, we're having Bro... come and ... funny guy and ... really
enjoy him ... provided for the kids ... at 10:30 am and ... personally
invite you and ... "

   {...oh no, here it comes...} "Well, I appreciate the invite, but,
I'm really happy with my church, born and raised in it. We'll probably
go there till we die. The wife is pretty attached to the folks there."
{...espically those BINGO games on Wednesday nights...}

   "I can understand, it's important to be committed to things now
days. Setting a good example for the kids is important."

   {...hmmm, that Gopher/Wolverines game starts pretty quick...} "Yea,
well, like I said, thanks for the invite, anyways, but I think we'll
pass on it this time, ok?"

   "I know I've taken up much of your time, and I appreciate the
opportunity to talk with you..."

   {...too much time - hit the road, O.K.?...}

   "...Would you mind if I asked you an important personal question
before I move on?"

   {...finally took the hint...} "Sure, I guess so."

   "If this afternoon you sat down in front of your TV to watch the
ball game, and the picture tube exploded, and you became what men call
-dead-, then in a moment, you stood before the Great God of Heaven,
what would your reaction be?"

   {...wha?...} "I donno, HELLO!, I guess......why?"

   "If in this moment you realized that THIS Great God is totally
sinless and demanded perfection from everyone before they could be
allowed into His presense. What do you suppose your chances would be?"

   {...OH @#%&**!...} "HOLY @#%&**!!!! We're in a heap of trouble! I
mean, well, I've been OK, sure I slip now and then, but the 'good lord'
knows I don't mean it. I mean, I never raped nobody, or did drugs, and
I've given money at church when I could." {...sure, she loses a few
bucks now and then at BINGO...}

   "Did you know in the Bible is says: There is none righteous, no not
one? That means nobody really measures up to GOD'S STANDARDS of
perfection."

   {...I coulda told you THAT dummy...} "Well, He ain't gonna throw
everybuddy out, He loves us, ain't that in the Bible too?"

   "That's the Greatest part about God, that He loves us so much that
He has already provided a way that ANYONE that wants to, can be made
perfect and holy before God."

   {...is this guy one of those JWs...?}

   "You see, He sent His own Son, Jesus Christ to come to take our
place of punishment. The Bible goes on to say: The wages of sin is
death. This death is the spiritual death the Book of Revelation talks
about, the lake of fire."

   {...here we go, fire and brimstone...he's gotta be a JW...} "Yea,
well, there's alot of stuff in the Bible, I've read it and it's not for
me. I leave that kind of stuff for the Father." {...what the heck was
his name???...Klock?...na...he's a polack, something
SKI...Klockski?...na...Slockski?...na...}

   "Sometimes it can be difficult to understand, but since we know God
DOES love us, the SAME God wants us to know and made sure the things we
NEED to know are easy to grasp. In fact, did you know that God promises
in His Word, the Bible, that we CAN KNOW that we can stand in front of
God with all of our sins forgiven, ready to enter into the wonderful
place He has prepared for those that love Him?"

   {...ya gotta be joking...} "Really? That sounds nice, but isn't that
kind presumptous? Who really KNOWS whether or not they're gonna make
it? I think we'll all find out in the end, one way or another."
{...besides, Father...@$*&%...ah, what is that name?...}

   "Well, sir, I don't want to take up any more of your time, if you
could, real quick, take a look at this verse of Scripture here in St.
John's first epistle, right here."

   {...man is that print small...} "Yea, well, that's nice."

   "See, it says that we may KNOW we have ETERNAL LIFE - that means we
can KNOW TODAY where we will spend eternity"

   "Ok, that's fine for you, so what's that got to do with...."

   "Sir, it is your own sin that will keep you from the presense of
God, and force God to judge you unfit for His heaven, a place where NO
SIN can ever be allowed."

   {...HEY, wait a minit...who does he think he is???...} "What makes
you think you stand a better chance than I do then? You don't even know
me?" {...that outta hold him...who does he think he is anyhow?...
...telling me I'm goin' to hell?...}

   "Actually, on our own merits, our best efforts, what things we do to
please God, those things all added up together still can't erase the
bad things we have done. God calls those bad things SIN, and like I
said earlier, the wages, or payment of sin, is death, eternal
seperation from God."

   "Then nobody's gonna make it, right?"

   "That's true, nobody COULD ever make it on their own. Something must
be done to take care of that sin."

   "You mean to tell me God is gonna fry us all for nothing?" {...who
is this guy? I never heard this kind of stuff before?!...}

   "If there was a way that we could have the sin removed, or taken
away from us - better yet, if there was a way that SOMEBODY ELSE could
PAY the penalty for our sins FOR US, wouldn't that be better to let
that person take our place so that we COULD FREELY enter heaven?"

   {..oh, I git it...he's gonna hit me up for money for masses...} "How
much would it cost? I mean, who keeps track of that kind of stuff? God
doesn't have a demerit card up there, does He?"

   "No, He really doesn't need to keep track of our sins. One is all it
takes to send us on our way to hell. He's perfect and demands
perfection before anyone enters heaven. The price of sin MUST be paid
in full. The Apostle James says in the second..."

   {...great, wait till the old lady hears this!...she's gonna have an
extra warm place...all to herself...hehehe...}

   "...keepeth the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty
of all."

   "Just ONE? That don't sound too good for some guys I know."

   "No, not good for any of us. But God, who was rich in mercy and
grace, sent His Son, Jesus Christ to take the full punishment and die
in OUR PLACE. He, and He alone payed the FULL PAYMENT PRICE for our
sins, and provides the satisfaction God requires, so that we can FREELY
enter heaven. That's the Good News!"

   {...NEWS?...nuts, probably missed the opening kickoff...oh well, a
few more minutes ain't gonna hurt...makes a good story for happy
hour...can hardly wait to tell the guys!...} "What do you mean
'FREELY'? Everything costs something, you tellin' me ANYONE can go to
heaven?"

   "That's RIGHT! That's why we call it the Good News! The price for
sin has been paid..."

   {...how much did I put on them Gophers?...or was it the
Wolverines?... @#*%&...forgot to pay the bookie!...}

   "...only by the complete sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ, His
shedding of blood in our place, can we be made acceptable in the sight
of God."

   {...gotta concentrate here...too many distractions...too much stuff
on my mind...is this guy for real?...} "Wait a minit...you mean to tell
me that the Jews didn't really kill Jesus, but that He died to pay for
our sins? I never heard that before."

   "Jesus loves us so much that He was WILLING to pay the complete
price for our sins. That meant coming to earth, being born to a virgin,
living a perfect life so He could someday be the PERFECT and COMPLETE
and SATISFYING sacrifice for our sins."

   {...wow!...this is too much!...I gotta get outta here...but...} "So,
that's what you meant by being able to know your going to heaven when
you die?"

   "Precisely. Once we realize that God demands perfection, that we've
broken his standard of perfection by sinning, we realize that the price
is TOO HIGH to pay. It is Jesus Christ that payed the price for us. We
need to personally accept His finished work on the cross for ourselves,
no longer to trust in ourselves, but solely trust in what He did."

   {...can't stand it!...wanna git outta here...know this guy is
right... what's happening to me???...} "That sounds too easy. Is it
really that simple?"

   "If you had the choice TODAY to surrender your best efforts and
exchange them for the perfect work that Jesus Christ accomplished,
would you be willing to admit what God already knows - that you've
sinned against Him, and ASK Jesus Christ to take your place & save you
- would you?"

   {...@*$&%...my hands are sweatin'...feelin' strange...wanna go, but
I wanna listen to him...} "I donno, it sounds nice, but..."

   "God loves you so much that He purposely made the way of salvation
simple. It's people that complicate things. You can have the joy and
peace that you ARE on your way to heaven, and that God is waiting to
WELCOME you with OPEN ARMS instead of behind the JUDGEMENT BAR to cast
you into hell."

   {...can't stand it anymore...} "Well, I donno, I'm not really the
religious type like you. I'd like to go to heaven, and I'm working at
it, but..."

   "You can receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour right here in
the doorway. If you realize your condition before God, and realize that
something must be done on your behalf, I'd be willing to help you pray,
asking Jesus to save you."

   {...PRAY?...oh *@$%& - opps!...} "I donno, not much for praying..."

   "Then let me help, you repeat after me - better yet, I'll pray, and
you put it all in your own words. It's your heart that God sees, He's
ready and listening."

   {...aahhh...is that the phone?...} "Right here? I mean, we can pray
right here?"

   "Yes, let's bow our heads, let me pray, and then you pray after me.
OK?"

   {...ouch, my toe hurts...darn door...} "OK, I guess..."

   "Heavenly Father, we thank you for helping us understand the Great
Salvation you've provided in Jesus Christ. Lord we ask today that you
receive...."

   {...Can God REALLY hear me?...} "Oh GOD! I am a sinner. You know
I've tired to be good and do right, but I believe you when you said in
the Bible, it ain't good enough. I want to ask you to forgive me, and I
wanna accept Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I know he paid the price for
me, and I wanna trust Him now. Oh, God, help me to trust Him now, and I
wanna live for you from here on." {...I think I wanna jump up and down!
I did it! Hot dog! I feel clean, like everything's gonna be alright!...}

   "Amen! Welcome to the family. Would you think about coming to church
this Sunday and..."

   "Hey! Wait till I get ahold of my wife! And the guys at work! I
think I'm gonna explode or something! I gotta go tell somebody! Here,
Puffer! Puffer, come here!"

   "...Puffer?..."

   "He's my dog...Puffer? Come out here!"

   {...good night, what have I done? This guy's really on fire...}
"Let's take a few minutes and sit down if we can and take a look at
some more Bible verse here on assurance..."

   "PUFFER!!! Come here, I wanna tell you somethin' Puffer? Huh? Bible?
Yea, I wanna see that, what elses in it for me?"

   -------

   What is the next best thing to going to heaven? What a wonderful
thing, to have the opportunity to share the Gospel. Despite the
temptations and distractions of the Devil, the Word of God and the
clear testimony of a Christian can bring that God send conviction that
leads to Salvation in Jesus Christ.

   This story is fictional, but your life is not. The two individuals
portrayed here are make-believe.

   However....

   God's Holiness and intolerance for your sin is REAL. Only by
realizing He demands perfection and trusting in the finished work of
Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary can we be assured of Heaven. Your
next decision may be the last you ever have the chance to make. Will it
be to receive the Greatest Gift ever given - or will it be to return to
your own efforts and someday face the judgement of God? We urge you to
surrender your life to Jesus Christ and you too can enjoy that peace
and joy that surpasses all understanding.

   Bill Bennett 

   This article originated on the Salvation Online Network