An old popular song around Philadelphia is: “You Can’t Get to Heaven on the Frankford El” [Elevated train for those not familiar]. But that is not entirely true! It is true that there is no stop along the route where the door will fling open and you can step out into eternal sunlight and peace. There is no conductor on the train [with wings under his coat] who says: “Next stop Heaven, have your tickets ready please.” But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have your eternal destiny decided while click-clacking along above the crowded streets below.
Imagine you are on the train heading home from work with one of your co-workers sitting next to you. She has just given you a Bible as a gift. You have been asking some questions about spiritual things lately and she thought you might like a Bible of your own. You knew she was a church-going person and were curious about what she believed. The only verse in the Bible you know is ‘John 3:16’—because someone is always holding it up in the end zone of football games! You don’t even know what it refers to. Your friend helps you find that passage and you read—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
You’ve heard enough about Christianity to know that Jesus is called the Son of God, so your question to her is, “What does it mean to ’believe in him’?” Your friend tells you: “it means more than just believing that Jesus once lived on the earth and that He was a good person who taught about love. First, it means accepting what Jesus and the Bible has to say about your spiritual condition without Jesus in your heart and life. ” She helps you turn to another passage, Romans 3:23, where you read—“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You tell her: “I know that I’m not perfect, certainly not God’s kind of perfect, but I am not an evil person.”
She smiles at you and says: “I don’t think you are an evil person, but there is an easy way to test to see if you are a sinner or not. Have you loved God with all of your mind, body, soul and strength? And have you loved your neighbor, other people, as you have loved yourself.” It’s your turn to smile as you shake your head a little responding: “No way! Does anybody do that?” “Not that I know of” she returns, “certainly not me!” Turning again in the Bible she goes on: “Well, that is what Jesus taught here in Mark chapter 12 that we have to do if we are to obey God’s most important commandments.” After showing you what Jesus said in red letters there, she asks you; “So, if you admit that you haven’t kept God’s most important commands, then you accept that your spiritual condition is that of a sinner, right? You, like me, are a person who sins, right?” You nod your head and say; “That seems pretty clear to me. Guilty as charged!”
She flips a few pages ahead in the Bible and stops at Romans 6:23, points to the passage and asks you to read it. You read; “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” She gets out the paycheck she just picked up at work and says: “We both got one of these today, right?” You nod, wondering where all of this is going. “We deserve what is in our envelopes, don’t we?” she continues. You give a little smirky laugh and say: “We deserve more than what’s in our envelopes!” “I agree” she says with the same kind of laugh, “But that isn’t going to happen too soon, is it?” You both shake your heads strongly to that.
Continuing to hold out the paycheck, she goes on: “Think of this. We did our work and got paid for it, underpaid for sure, but we got our wages. The Bible here is trying to show us that the wages, or payment, that we deserve and have earned, so to speak, from being sinners who have not obeyed God’s commands, is to die; to die physically, but also die spiritually.”
“You talking about ‘the fires down below’ with the cat in the red underwear and pitchfork”, you say jokingly. Her face turns a little bit serious as she replies: “There are different views, even in Christian churches, about Hell and eternal punishment, but it is clear that whatever form God’s judgment takes on it can’t be pleasant. God has a right to judge what He has created if that creation refuses to follow the path He set before it, don’t you think?” “You got no argument from me, sister”, you say with raised eyebrows and your best imitation Southern voice, “I’ve got no desire to find out what ‘form judgment takes on’. It’s bad enough here on earth sometimes. That’s why I started asking you the questions at work. Something inside has been urging me on somehow.”
“So, what does a poor old sinner like me have to do to get into Heaven?” you ask her sincerely, “how do I get this ‘gift of eternal life from God’ the passage spoke about?” “You’re a good student” she states with a twinkle in her eyes, “You heard that part, didn’t you? That is what we call the Good News!
The bad news, of course, is that we are all sinners deserving of a paycheck far worse than the one in our envelopes. But God has made a way for us to receive a gift. The gift is free to us, but it cost Jesus His life to make it available to us.”
“I’ve always heard people talking about Jesus ‘dying on the cross for our sins” you let her know,
“But I’ve never understood how that helps me get into Heaven.”
She flips through the pages of the Bible again and then tells you to read what it says at Acts 2:37. You read: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles;
‘brothers, what shall we do?’” “See,” she interrupts your reading, “they are asking the same question you are. Peter had just told them about Jesus’ death and resurrection and how they were guilty before God and now they are moved to find out what they need to do. Read on and see the answer they received. You need to do whatever they were told to do.”
You start up reading again, “Peter replied, ‘repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” You hand the Bible back to her with a little puzzled look, but with some expectation for whatever is coming next.
“To repent,” she starts to explain, seeing that you’re not sure exactly what Peter meant, “is to admit that you’ve done wrong--like being a breaker of God’s laws as you and I agreed we are--and then to be sorry for that and to seek to be forgiven by the one we offended, in this case, God, the Creator of all things. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice for our sins. He chose to take those ‘wages’, the paycheck for our sins, even though he never sinned. He died in our place—your place and mine—so that we could get a chance to be forgiven. Then he rose from the dead to prove that he had the victory over sin and death. I can’t tell you that I understand it all. It is so amazing, almost too good to be true, but I believe it and it has changed my life.”
“I know it has,” you tell her with a smile, “I remember when people were afraid of you and that crowd you hung out with. You have really changed.” “It is only by God’s grace and forgiveness,” she says softly, and you see tears welling up in her eyes, “now I have God’s peace inside of my heart. I was never at peace before, no matter what I had or did. And that is what I want for you. There is great peace in knowing that your sins are forgiven and that Heaven awaits you.”
“That’s what I want”, you say, surprising yourself with how strong your feelings are as you say it.
She closes the Bible and then looks you in the eyes and says; “If you really mean that, then you are ready. But it is not just some one time prayer or signing on some dotted line. It is a commitment of your heart and mind and soul, just as Jesus commanded. God knows that it is all new to us when we start and only requires of us what we can give at that moment. He will help us to carry out His will. That is why He sends His own Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to live inside of us, just as Peter said He promised to do. That is what Jesus meant by being ‘Born again’, or ‘Born from above’. It is to have the Holy Spirit come to live within us. There is so much more to learn about the Holy Spirit and living the Christian life. That will come. I found so many people to help me. Even some of those people who had been afraid of me before.
First, you must make a commitment to the Lord. It is more than just getting some free ticket to Heaven, or ‘Fire insurance’, as some jokingly say, to keep you from the ‘fires down below’ we talked about earlier.
“I really want to change my life,” you tell her, “not just get a ticket to Heaven, what do I have to do?” “There is no one prayer that everybody has to say” she informs you, “But if you repeat the following prayer after me and believe in your heart what you are saying, I believe God will honor your faith and commitment and grant you forgiveness and the free gift of salvation. Do you want that?” “Sure,” you respond, followed by a deep breath, “but right here on the train? Don’t we have to be in a church or something?” “No,”she says excitedly, “God is everywhere, even on the Frankford El. We can pray right here.” “I’m ready,” you let her know and then you close your eyes, not concerned at all about who is watching or not. This is probably the most important moment of your life and you don’t care what anyone watching might be thinking. “Repeat after me” she says and you do.
“Dear God…I Bill…confess that I am a sinner…and I repent of my sins… and am sorry for not
obeying your commands…I put my trust in Christ alone…I believe He died for my sins…and that he
rose again from the dead…He alone can save me…I receive your forgiveness and your free gift of
salvation…I receive your promised Holy Spirit to live within me…help me live my life pleasing to
you…In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.”
You exhale a big breath and feel some tears well up in your eyes now. “Does everybody cry” you ask. “No, there is no set response everybody is suppose to have,” she answers you, “it is important to remember that it is about faith and not feelings. However, feelings are okay. God made us with emotions and they can be used for great good. I just don’t want you to think later on ‘I don’t feel anything’ and then wonder if God is still with you. Some people have gotten confused that way.”
“What do I do next?” you inquire, “should I get baptized like Peter instructed those others?”
“That would be a good thing” she says lightly nodding her head, “first you need to meet a Pastor or a leader in a church and begin becoming a part of a faith community. They will help you in the next steps. The Bible teaches that those men and women who asked Peter and the others, ‘What shall we do?’ did repent and were baptized and then they devoted themselves to being taught about Jesus and the Scriptures, as well as to prayer and worship and to becoming committed followers of their new Lord.
There is a whole new life ahead of you. I need to be honest and tell you that it won’t always be easy and you may lose some friends or even family members over your decision and your new life in Christ. Some will come around later to see what a great benefit it was to you, but some may not.”
“Can I come to your church?” you ask her, hoping she thinks it’s a good idea. “Sure, if you want to” she responds with joy in her voice,“ we meet at 11 AM on Sunday. If you need a ride, let me know.” “I’ll be there’’ you tell her as you get up to get off at your stop, “thanks again for the Bible, I’ll bring it with me on Sunday.” As the door opens and you go to step out, you turn to her and say: “Hey, remember the song, ‘You Can’t Get to Heaven on the Frankford El?’. Well, I guess they were wrong about that!” She laughs and waves goodbye.
You had entered the train that day a ‘seeker’ who felt drawn to find out more about God. You left the train a ‘newly born’ believer who is ready to start a whole new life.
The above story was not a true account, of course, and yet something like that happens all of the time, all around the world, on trains, buses, planes, in cafeterias, school yards, parks, and anywhere where people meet and someone can share the Good News about the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Do you know your sins are forgiven and do you have the peace of knowing Jesus died for you and that Heaven awaits you? If not, then even this website can be a place where you can find that peace! Read the story again and place yourself in the position of the person who is searching for God’s peace and an assurance of Heaven.
When you come to the prayer that our imaginary friend Bill prayed, place your name in there instead and repeat those words. If you do, then please let us know by calling the church at 215-673-4410. We would love to talk with you about your decision and your next steps.
Now, if you are interested in learning more about spiritual things, like “How Do I Get To Heaven?’ or some other question, and just want to talk to someone in person or just ‘listen in for awhile’ please call or just come out to one of our services or events that are listed on this website.
May God’s peace be with you in all that you do.
[Written by Tony & Jean Marie Tilford]
Imagine you are on the train heading home from work with one of your co-workers sitting next to you. She has just given you a Bible as a gift. You have been asking some questions about spiritual things lately and she thought you might like a Bible of your own. You knew she was a church-going person and were curious about what she believed. The only verse in the Bible you know is ‘John 3:16’—because someone is always holding it up in the end zone of football games! You don’t even know what it refers to. Your friend helps you find that passage and you read—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
You’ve heard enough about Christianity to know that Jesus is called the Son of God, so your question to her is, “What does it mean to ’believe in him’?” Your friend tells you: “it means more than just believing that Jesus once lived on the earth and that He was a good person who taught about love. First, it means accepting what Jesus and the Bible has to say about your spiritual condition without Jesus in your heart and life. ” She helps you turn to another passage, Romans 3:23, where you read—“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” You tell her: “I know that I’m not perfect, certainly not God’s kind of perfect, but I am not an evil person.”
She smiles at you and says: “I don’t think you are an evil person, but there is an easy way to test to see if you are a sinner or not. Have you loved God with all of your mind, body, soul and strength? And have you loved your neighbor, other people, as you have loved yourself.” It’s your turn to smile as you shake your head a little responding: “No way! Does anybody do that?” “Not that I know of” she returns, “certainly not me!” Turning again in the Bible she goes on: “Well, that is what Jesus taught here in Mark chapter 12 that we have to do if we are to obey God’s most important commandments.” After showing you what Jesus said in red letters there, she asks you; “So, if you admit that you haven’t kept God’s most important commands, then you accept that your spiritual condition is that of a sinner, right? You, like me, are a person who sins, right?” You nod your head and say; “That seems pretty clear to me. Guilty as charged!”
She flips a few pages ahead in the Bible and stops at Romans 6:23, points to the passage and asks you to read it. You read; “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” She gets out the paycheck she just picked up at work and says: “We both got one of these today, right?” You nod, wondering where all of this is going. “We deserve what is in our envelopes, don’t we?” she continues. You give a little smirky laugh and say: “We deserve more than what’s in our envelopes!” “I agree” she says with the same kind of laugh, “But that isn’t going to happen too soon, is it?” You both shake your heads strongly to that.
Continuing to hold out the paycheck, she goes on: “Think of this. We did our work and got paid for it, underpaid for sure, but we got our wages. The Bible here is trying to show us that the wages, or payment, that we deserve and have earned, so to speak, from being sinners who have not obeyed God’s commands, is to die; to die physically, but also die spiritually.”
“You talking about ‘the fires down below’ with the cat in the red underwear and pitchfork”, you say jokingly. Her face turns a little bit serious as she replies: “There are different views, even in Christian churches, about Hell and eternal punishment, but it is clear that whatever form God’s judgment takes on it can’t be pleasant. God has a right to judge what He has created if that creation refuses to follow the path He set before it, don’t you think?” “You got no argument from me, sister”, you say with raised eyebrows and your best imitation Southern voice, “I’ve got no desire to find out what ‘form judgment takes on’. It’s bad enough here on earth sometimes. That’s why I started asking you the questions at work. Something inside has been urging me on somehow.”
“So, what does a poor old sinner like me have to do to get into Heaven?” you ask her sincerely, “how do I get this ‘gift of eternal life from God’ the passage spoke about?” “You’re a good student” she states with a twinkle in her eyes, “You heard that part, didn’t you? That is what we call the Good News!
The bad news, of course, is that we are all sinners deserving of a paycheck far worse than the one in our envelopes. But God has made a way for us to receive a gift. The gift is free to us, but it cost Jesus His life to make it available to us.”
“I’ve always heard people talking about Jesus ‘dying on the cross for our sins” you let her know,
“But I’ve never understood how that helps me get into Heaven.”
She flips through the pages of the Bible again and then tells you to read what it says at Acts 2:37. You read: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles;
‘brothers, what shall we do?’” “See,” she interrupts your reading, “they are asking the same question you are. Peter had just told them about Jesus’ death and resurrection and how they were guilty before God and now they are moved to find out what they need to do. Read on and see the answer they received. You need to do whatever they were told to do.”
You start up reading again, “Peter replied, ‘repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” You hand the Bible back to her with a little puzzled look, but with some expectation for whatever is coming next.
“To repent,” she starts to explain, seeing that you’re not sure exactly what Peter meant, “is to admit that you’ve done wrong--like being a breaker of God’s laws as you and I agreed we are--and then to be sorry for that and to seek to be forgiven by the one we offended, in this case, God, the Creator of all things. Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrifice for our sins. He chose to take those ‘wages’, the paycheck for our sins, even though he never sinned. He died in our place—your place and mine—so that we could get a chance to be forgiven. Then he rose from the dead to prove that he had the victory over sin and death. I can’t tell you that I understand it all. It is so amazing, almost too good to be true, but I believe it and it has changed my life.”
“I know it has,” you tell her with a smile, “I remember when people were afraid of you and that crowd you hung out with. You have really changed.” “It is only by God’s grace and forgiveness,” she says softly, and you see tears welling up in her eyes, “now I have God’s peace inside of my heart. I was never at peace before, no matter what I had or did. And that is what I want for you. There is great peace in knowing that your sins are forgiven and that Heaven awaits you.”
“That’s what I want”, you say, surprising yourself with how strong your feelings are as you say it.
She closes the Bible and then looks you in the eyes and says; “If you really mean that, then you are ready. But it is not just some one time prayer or signing on some dotted line. It is a commitment of your heart and mind and soul, just as Jesus commanded. God knows that it is all new to us when we start and only requires of us what we can give at that moment. He will help us to carry out His will. That is why He sends His own Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to live inside of us, just as Peter said He promised to do. That is what Jesus meant by being ‘Born again’, or ‘Born from above’. It is to have the Holy Spirit come to live within us. There is so much more to learn about the Holy Spirit and living the Christian life. That will come. I found so many people to help me. Even some of those people who had been afraid of me before.
First, you must make a commitment to the Lord. It is more than just getting some free ticket to Heaven, or ‘Fire insurance’, as some jokingly say, to keep you from the ‘fires down below’ we talked about earlier.
“I really want to change my life,” you tell her, “not just get a ticket to Heaven, what do I have to do?” “There is no one prayer that everybody has to say” she informs you, “But if you repeat the following prayer after me and believe in your heart what you are saying, I believe God will honor your faith and commitment and grant you forgiveness and the free gift of salvation. Do you want that?” “Sure,” you respond, followed by a deep breath, “but right here on the train? Don’t we have to be in a church or something?” “No,”she says excitedly, “God is everywhere, even on the Frankford El. We can pray right here.” “I’m ready,” you let her know and then you close your eyes, not concerned at all about who is watching or not. This is probably the most important moment of your life and you don’t care what anyone watching might be thinking. “Repeat after me” she says and you do.
“Dear God…I Bill…confess that I am a sinner…and I repent of my sins… and am sorry for not
obeying your commands…I put my trust in Christ alone…I believe He died for my sins…and that he
rose again from the dead…He alone can save me…I receive your forgiveness and your free gift of
salvation…I receive your promised Holy Spirit to live within me…help me live my life pleasing to
you…In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.”
You exhale a big breath and feel some tears well up in your eyes now. “Does everybody cry” you ask. “No, there is no set response everybody is suppose to have,” she answers you, “it is important to remember that it is about faith and not feelings. However, feelings are okay. God made us with emotions and they can be used for great good. I just don’t want you to think later on ‘I don’t feel anything’ and then wonder if God is still with you. Some people have gotten confused that way.”
“What do I do next?” you inquire, “should I get baptized like Peter instructed those others?”
“That would be a good thing” she says lightly nodding her head, “first you need to meet a Pastor or a leader in a church and begin becoming a part of a faith community. They will help you in the next steps. The Bible teaches that those men and women who asked Peter and the others, ‘What shall we do?’ did repent and were baptized and then they devoted themselves to being taught about Jesus and the Scriptures, as well as to prayer and worship and to becoming committed followers of their new Lord.
There is a whole new life ahead of you. I need to be honest and tell you that it won’t always be easy and you may lose some friends or even family members over your decision and your new life in Christ. Some will come around later to see what a great benefit it was to you, but some may not.”
“Can I come to your church?” you ask her, hoping she thinks it’s a good idea. “Sure, if you want to” she responds with joy in her voice,“ we meet at 11 AM on Sunday. If you need a ride, let me know.” “I’ll be there’’ you tell her as you get up to get off at your stop, “thanks again for the Bible, I’ll bring it with me on Sunday.” As the door opens and you go to step out, you turn to her and say: “Hey, remember the song, ‘You Can’t Get to Heaven on the Frankford El?’. Well, I guess they were wrong about that!” She laughs and waves goodbye.
You had entered the train that day a ‘seeker’ who felt drawn to find out more about God. You left the train a ‘newly born’ believer who is ready to start a whole new life.
The above story was not a true account, of course, and yet something like that happens all of the time, all around the world, on trains, buses, planes, in cafeterias, school yards, parks, and anywhere where people meet and someone can share the Good News about the free gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Do you know your sins are forgiven and do you have the peace of knowing Jesus died for you and that Heaven awaits you? If not, then even this website can be a place where you can find that peace! Read the story again and place yourself in the position of the person who is searching for God’s peace and an assurance of Heaven.
When you come to the prayer that our imaginary friend Bill prayed, place your name in there instead and repeat those words. If you do, then please let us know by calling the church at 215-673-4410. We would love to talk with you about your decision and your next steps.
Now, if you are interested in learning more about spiritual things, like “How Do I Get To Heaven?’ or some other question, and just want to talk to someone in person or just ‘listen in for awhile’ please call or just come out to one of our services or events that are listed on this website.
May God’s peace be with you in all that you do.
[Written by Tony & Jean Marie Tilford]