There's only one route to heaven

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the Truth and the Life;
​no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”
John 14:6

​It is getting to be about the time of the year when families are beginning to plan their vacations. Even if you haven’t made any reservations yet, many people have begun to at least talk about where it is that they want to go this summer. I can remember roughly fifteen years ago or so, we decided to take our children to Santa’s Land in Cherokee, N.C. I remember fondly going there as a child and wanted our kids to experience it too. If you have never been, it is not a big park and really hasn’t changed since I was little, but I enjoy going just the same.  That year I was planning out everything, please keep in mind this was before GPS, or at least before we had one. I looked at the map, found Cherokee and we headed out. When we arrived at the spot on the map that I was aiming for, I found out that Cherokee County and the Cherokee Indian Reservation were not the same thing. I was in Cherokee County and Santa’s Land was in the Cherokee Indian Reservation.  I had missed my destination by 60 miles. Needless to say I was not happy. I didn’t enjoy telling the family that I had planned to go one place but had ended up in another place.

For many people eternity will be the same way. Most of the world wants to spend eternity in heaven. People will serve on committees and work with charity organizations to try to get brownie points with God. Some people will donate to churches, animal rights groups and children’s cancer funds, thinking that they are earning God’s favor in doing good deeds. Many will hold the doors open for other people or allow a car to merge in front of them in traffic, because it looks good on them. Granted, all of those things are fine and good, but not a single one of them will get you to heaven. 
In the thirteenth and fourteenth chapter of John, Jesus is explaining to His disciples that He is getting ready to be crucified, laid in a tomb, rise again and then return to heaven.  He wanted to prepare them for the day that He would no longer be with them physically. He wanted then to continue preaching and teaching and not fall apart. Jesus went on to tell them that while He was gone, He would be preparing a place for them and one day they could join Him. Good old doubting Thomas said, “…Lord, we do not know where you are going how do we know the way?” John 14:5. Jesus has just told them that He was going to His Father’s house, heaven. Then Jesus reminded them of how to get there in verse six. Jesus said, you can only get there through a relationship with Me. No amount of good deeds or helping the homeless can get you there. Only believing in the Son of God’s death, resurrection and accepting His forgiveness can get you to heaven.

Don’t leave this life planning to end up one place only to end up in the wrong place. Make sure you have Jesus as your Lord and Savior so that you can get into heaven.