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![Dear Friend,
Thank you for visiting the HopeforUtah web site. This site is a ministry of Hope Baptist Church located at 160 South Main in Payson, Utah. Our hope is that you understand how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord. The way to this relationship is only found in God’s Word, the Holy Bible. There is also answers to having hope, help and peace in every area of your life because we believe that the Bible has all of the answers to the questions and problems pertaining to this life.
Thanks again for visiting this site. I hope and pray that you find the hope and peace that you need. Please feel free to contact us with questions or comments.
HAPPY EVER AFTER
In stories told and read many times the last line is “And they lived happily ever after.” and of course that makes us fill good. If it said, “And they all died.” it would drag us down. Or if it ended, “And they never got to see each other again.” that wouldn’t be very uplifting.
We, as a general rule, like happy endings to stories. I know I do. One thing for sure everybody wants in there life is a happy endings. We like happy endings to our days, our careers, our trips, our sicknesses and diseases, and especially to the end of our lives here on earth we desire a happy ending.
People, on the most part, aren’t looking forward to the end of their lives but know that it’s coming just the same. In other words, to the story of everybody's life here, they would like it to read, “And they were happy in the ever after.”
The Bible speaks of a happy ending : 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” What a happy ending. Also we read in Matthew 25:33, 34 “...enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” [34] “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” These are very happy endings.
Not everybody’s life story will have a happy ending. We find this throughout the Word of God. To name a few, we see in Psalm 9:17 “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”; Luke 16:23 “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,”; Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”; Revelation 14:15 “And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night,” In other words, not every one goes to heaven when they die, not everyone has a happy ever after. We read in Matthew. 25:46 “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:...”
The good news is that everyone can have a happy ending. It is possible for everyone to go to heaven at their life’s end here, if they prepare for death before death. The Bible proclaims: 2Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
It is possible for all to take advantage of His promise. Acts 20:21 “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is accomplished by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Romans 10:9, 13 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” [13]“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
You see, Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, came to earth and became a man, He lived a sinless life, He suffered, bled and died for yours and my sins. Isaiah 53:5-6 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Then, after three days Jesus rose again from the dead bodily. His sacrifice is sufficient for all but only efficient for those who call.
If you want a “Happy Ever After” you must call upon the Lord believing, accepting His free pardon for your sins before you die. Why not confess the Lord Jesus Christ right now and be saved.
Pastor Kent Boykin](Home_files/shapeimage_2.png)
