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Offend In One Point

By Guy K. Henry

www.GuyHenry.com

Martha and Blanche had been going to the Blue Bird Restaurant for years. They enjoyed eating lunch almost as much as they enjoyed their other activity, storytelling. The ladies would look around the restaurant and exchange juicy tales on the other customers who were there.

"Did you hear about Maisey?" Blanche said between bites of her baked potato.

"No, what about her?" Martha asked as she tore off a piece of her sandwich.

With that, Blanche began to repeat a story about Maisey that she had half overheard at the library.

Not to be outdone, Martha had a brand new story to tell on Mr. Jenkins. By the time that the ladies had cleaned off their plates, they had told stories about almost everyone who was at the restaurant.

The waitress handed the ladies their bill when both of their eyes fell upon the table of Mr. Thomas Goode. Then they looked at each other with expressions that asked, "Have you got anything on Mr. Goode?" Together they shook their heads.

"That Thomas Goode certainly lives up to his name," Martha whispered.

"I know!" Blanch answered, "He is always so good."

Martha then said what they were both thinking, "It is so frustrating! He never gives us anything interesting to talk about!"

"I suppose," Blanche answered pretending to be shocked at Martha's honesty. "I suppose that heaven must be filled with people like Thomas Goode!"

"Well," Martha pondered, "If a man like Mr. Thomas Goode doesn't make it into heaven, then there is not much hope for the rest of us!"

Thomas sipped the last of his coffee as he wondered what Blanche and Martha were giggling about. "Those two ladies must be at their storytelling again!"

Thomas then picked up his bill and walked to the cash register. "Good afternoon ladies," he charmed as he passed Blanche and Martha's table.

"Oh, he is such a nice man," Blanche cooed as Martha nodded.

"Mr. Goode, that will be three dollars and nineteen cents," Cathy said after pressing the register's buttons.

Thomas handed her a five-dollar bill, and Cathy returned his change. Then Cathy watched him do something that no one else ever did.

Now, many people dropped their change into the collection jar for little Chris Stuart's heart operation. But Mr. Goode's hand dove into his wallet and fished out a twenty-dollar bill that he added to his change. No one else did that!

As the twenty floated down into the jar, Cathy thought, "Mr. Goode is such a kind and generous man. I know that he will have many rewards when he gets to heaven!"

"Have a nice day, Cathy!" said the smiling Mr. Goode.

"Hey! I am supposed to say that!" Cathy laughed, "You have a nice day too!"

The bells on the door jangled as Thomas Goode began his walk down Main Street.

"Hi Mr. Goode!" came a young voice behind him.

"Well, good afternoon Billy," said Thomas. "I believe that I have something for you…" he continued as he searched his jacket pocket.

"Is it a roll of LifeSavers?" Billy asked.

"It sure is!" Mr. Goode announced as he pulled a roll from his pocket and whisked it into Billy's hand.

"Oh, Thank You!" Billy said as he popped the topmost candy into his mouth. "I want to be just like you when I grow up!"

"Why thank you, Billy," Mr. Goode answered, "that is a very nice thing to say."

Thomas continued walking down the street to the Baptist Church. He glanced at his watch and smiled that he was five minutes early for the special afternoon prayer service.

Pearl and Velda watched Thomas as he climbed the steps of the church. "Look at that!" Pearl said.

"At what?" Velda asked.

"Look at Thomas Goode," Pearl explained, "I'd say that he goes to church every time they open up the doors!"

"He certainly never misses a chance!" Velda agreed. "I could only hope to be half as religious as Thomas Goode."

"Hmph!" Pearl snorted. "He spends so much time at the church. As if he needed any help getting into Heaven!"

The two ladies chortled as Thomas disappeared into the doorway of the church.

"Good afternoon Thomas," greeted Pastor Greene. "You seem to be the only one here today."

"That is fine Pastor," Thomas assured, "The two of us can pray together."

Pastor Greene and Thomas began to pray.

"Dear Heavenly Father, Dear Almighty Wondrous and Awesome God…" Thomas prayed.

Pastor Green peeked at Thomas with one eye and thought, "What a beautiful prayer!"

Thomas continued praying. "We humbly beseech thee to bestow thine infinite blessings and mercies upon this town."

Pastor Greene reflected, "I wish that I could pray as nicely as that. That must be how they pray in Heaven!"

Forty-five minutes later Thomas ended with, "Amen and amen."

The two men stood up. Pastor Greene commented, "Thomas, you must have a gift for beautiful prayer. That will come in handy when you get to Heaven!"

"Well Pastor, I am not so sure that we will be praying in Heaven," Thomas gleamed. "But that was a very nice thing for you to say."

As the years passed Thomas Goode's wonderful reputation spread through the entire town. Almost every one was aware of Thomas' good works.

One day Thomas became very sick.

"Thomas," Dr. Harris said, "I am concerned about you. I would like to check you into the hospital."

Thomas agreed to go.

"I'll call the hospital to let them know that you are coming," Dr. Harris said with a heavy heart. As he dialed the phone he thought, "Why does a man who is so good have to get so sick?"

A few nights later Thomas was lying in his hospital bed. Nurse Janet Detwiler came into his room carrying a cup full of pills. When Thomas had finished swallowing the pills, Janet spoke.

"Mr. Goode," she began, "You know that you are very sick."

"I know that dear," Thomas warmly answered.

"And I want to ask you a question," Janet continued.

"Go ahead," Thomas said wondering what she wanted.

"I need to ask you," Janet said, "Have you ever trusted Jesus to take away your sin?"

Mr. Goode frowned. "My sin?" he said, "Do you know who I am?"

"I did not mean to insult you," Janet persisted, "it is just that every one of us needs the forgiveness for sins that Jesus offers."

"You must not be aware that I have dedicated my entire life to serving God," Thomas growled. Then he remembered to smile, "May I suggest that you share your talk of forgiveness with those patients who need it and leave me alone."

"But," Janet began.

"Now leave me alone," Thomas said as he closed his eyes. "I am very tired."

The next time that Mr. Thomas Goode opened his eyes, he was no longer in the hospital.

"Where am I?" Thomas wondered aloud.

It took Thomas a few moments to realize that he was now standing in heaven!

"Oh! At last!" Thomas said excitedly. "I have finally arrived at Heaven! I have worked so hard all of my life to get here!"

Thomas watched from the side as others were called before him. He noticed that many of the people had lead quite rotten lives, and yet they were welcomed into Heaven with, "Well done!"

Thomas looked up at an angel who was standing next to him, "Boy, if sinners like that can make it into Heaven, then I have got nothing to worry about!"

The angel gave him no answer.

"Mr. Thomas Goode" Thundered a voice from the front of the room.

Thomas grinned and stepped forward, waving his hand in the air. "I am over here! Lord, Lord, Over Here!"

"Open the books," came the command.

Thomas took a deep breath and thought, "This is the part that I have been looking forward to! Finally all of my good works will now be recognized."

The angel read, "November 15th, 1998, Thomas tells a lie to get out of helping Mr. Smith clean out his garage."

"June 8th, 1982," the angel continued, "Thomas is Jealous that a visiting preacher prayed a 'nicer prayer than mine'."

The angel continued reading a list of wrong things that Thomas had done. Thomas knew that they were all true, but something was wrong. Finally, he could stand it no more. "Are you going to list only the bad things about me? What about all of the good things I did?"

There was no answer.

"February 21st…" The angel continued.

"Oh, I get it," Thomas interrupted. "You are going to read my short list of little mistakes, and then you will compare it with my long list of good stuff! Right?"

Still, there was no answer.

After a long while, the angel closed the book and said, "That is it."

"Excuse me!" Thomas complained, "That is not it! You seem to have forgotten about all of the good things I have done!"

Then a voice came from the direction of a very bright light. "I do not know you."

Thomas turned to face the light. He had to cover his eyes as he said, "There must be a mistake, you know me! I have done good things for you all of my life!"

"I never knew you," came the voice from the bright light.

"Hey listen!" Thomas cried, "I gave money to the poor, I helped people, and I went to church all the time! Just ask anyone, I lived a very good life."

"I do not know you!" echoed the voice again.

Then Thomas heard a new voice. It belonged to his nurse, Janet.

"Have you ever trusted Jesus to take away your sin?" Janet's voice echoed.

Tears flooded Thomas' eyes as he remembered the answer he had given. He recalled chasing Janet away believing that he did not need his sin to be forgiven. Then Thomas dropped to his knees and wept, "I did not realize that my sin was a problem."

The voice from the light spoke to Thomas one last time. "I never knew you. Depart from me."

With those words, Mr. Thomas Goode was dragged forever away from the God he thought he knew. Instead of spending eternity in Heaven, he was thrown into a fiery lake, forever separated from God.

According to the Bible, we cannot earn our way into Heaven. Even the good things we do are rotten!

Isaiah 64:6a "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags"

Sadly, people who think their goodness gets them into Heaven have it backwards, and are headed for trouble.

Matthew 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

It is not the good things that earn our way into heaven. It is our disobedience that keeps us out of heaven.

James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

But Jesus is our way back to Heaven!

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Jesus is the ONLY way!

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

And Salvation comes by trusting that Jesus paid our punishment with His blood.

2 Corinthians 1:9-10 "But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (10) Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;"

Won't you ASK Jesus to take away your sin?

Romans 10:9-10 "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. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Now, because of Jesus, we can be a part of good works!

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

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