Background:

I have been thinking about the love of God a lot lately and how He cares so for His children.  I’ve been thinking about Heaven too and how God has reserved a special place just for me because I am one of his saved children.

I became a Christian when I was twelve years old when our church was having a revival.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  My Sunday School teacher was the elderly Mr. Meek.  Actually one of the things I remember about Mr. Meek is that he was a terrible communicator … especially to twelve year old boys.  He stumbled through every lesson … week after week.  Twelve year old boys, and there were about ten of us in his class at the time, are rambunctious and the last thing they want to do is listen to a stumbling and bumbling teacher.  So we talked to each other, picked at each other, squirmed and basically misbehaved much of the time in class.

Mr. Meek was just that … he was meek.  He would never get upset at us or confront us individually in class about our behavior.  But he had a masterful plan that worked over time to bring law and order to the class time.   You see, after each class he would draw one or two of us aside.  His message was always simple and easy to understand … “Do I need to talk to your parents about your behavior in Sunday School?”  That put the fear of the Lord in each of us at least for a while.  You see, when I was raised if the teacher, at church or school, threatened to talk to your parents it was serious business.  You could expect some form of corporal punishment was on the way in addition to a formal personal apology to the teacher, usually with your parents present.  Just thinking about what you faced would improve your behavior, at least for the rest of the day.  Yes, that is what Mr. Meek did.  And guess what?  It worked! He eventually got control of the class and never lost it the rest of the year.

Mr. Meek was still a terrible communicator, but he loved his class and wanted to see each of us saved.  He showed up every week and never failed to tell us that Jesus loved us and wanted us to go to Heaven.  However, the thing that I remember the most about him is that he was the person who confronted me about my need for eternal salvation.  He told me that I could be saved through asking God to forgive me of my sins and praying to receive Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.  At Mr. Meek’s continual prodding, I stepped out in our late spring revival on a Sunday morning during Sunday School seeking to be saved.  It was a special service designed for children ready to turn their life over to Christ.  I remember that special time as the evangelist, Dr. Don Berry, personally and individually led me to confess that I was a sinner in need of forgiveness and right then and there I asked Jesus to come into my heart.

That was fifty-seven years ago!  Things have never been the same since.  In the simple mind of a child I knew that I had accepted Christ and that I was “saved.”  That was good enough for me for a long, long time.  I wasn’t thinking about heaven and the eternal life that God had granted me when I was saved.  But now on the other end of my lifeline here on earth, let me tell you that I get excited every time I think about what God has granted me … eternal life with Him in Heaven.  Eternal life is longer than forever.  It is infinite.  It has no end.  God is the Master of time!  (If you haven’t already done so, please see my recent article “In His Time” at this link:  In His Time – Jim Davenport)

God has written down my name on the Lamb’s Book of Life and nothing can remove it … even physical death on this earth!  Our church keeps a ledger of those members who have passed on to eternity.  Fittingly enough, we call it “The Glory Roll.”  We have made a practice as we remove their name from our church roll of adding them to our Glory Roll.  Of course, we clearly recognize that God had already written down their name in His Glory Roll when they were saved.

Scripture:  (all NIV unless otherwise noted)

Luke 10:17-20 – 17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”  18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Revelation 3:5 – He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation: 20:15 – If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Discussion:

In Luke 10 Jesus appoints seventy-two followers to send out two by two ahead of Him to every town and place where He was about to go (vs 1).  Jesus told them that the harvest of souls to be saved was plentiful but the workers were few.  Their instructions were to make way for the coming of the Christ, to heal the sick, and move on to the next town if they were rejected.  To their astonishment the seventy-tw0 returned to Jesus with great joy in their heart.  They were ecstatic that even the demons had submitted to them.  Jesus told them that that He had given them authority over the demons and that it was because of Him that they had no power over them.  But the important thing that Jesus pointed out to these Christ followers is not related to the power over demons at all.  Instead Jesus, with a joyful heart, says that they should be rejoicing because their name is written down in Heaven.

When you are saved, God writes your name down in “The Lamb’s Book of Life.”  The “Lamb” is Jesus.  It is His book.  It is God’s Glory Roll.  The names of all those who are going to Heaven through the saving grace of Jesus Christ are written there and will be there for eternity.  In Revelation 3:5 Jesus promised that He“will never blot out” the names of those who are saved and that He will acknowledge each of their names “before My Father and his angels.”  Their reward will be an eternity in Heaven.

The consequences for those whose name is not written in “The Lamb’s Book of Life,” God’s Glory Roll, are also eternal.  Revelation 20:15 tells us that they will spend their eternity in “the lake of fire.”

Reflection:

I am so glad that as a twelve year old boy I accepted Jesus as my Savior.  My name is already written down in Jesus’ book.  How about your name?  Is it already written down in “God’s Glory Roll?”  If not and you want make sure that you to will spend your eternity in heaven, then just like Mr. Meek I am confronting you with this question:  Is it time that you gave your heart and life to Jesus?  Follow this link for an outline of how you may do just that.  How To Become A Christian

I have a missionary friend in Europe who is home in the states as his mother is in her final days.  He shared his prayer today with his supporters.  I am certain that he would not mind me sharing it with you as well.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for <his Mom, name omitted> and for the many, many ways you have blessed me through her life. Now as she continues to hang on to this life by what seems like a thread, I ask that you glorify yourself in her final moments on earth and through her death, whenever you choose to call her HOME.  I thank you for what awaits her…as Peter calls it…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade kept in Heaven for her…not to mention the godly loved ones and saints that have gone before her…the cloud of witnesses that might be watching and waiting for another daughter of God to finish her race and cross that finish line. May her welcome be becoming of the godly woman that she was and is.

And, Father, in your mercy reduce her suffering, and give grace to those of us caring for her and waiting for her to cross that finish line.

With a heart that is heavy and light at the same time I pray in the Name of the One who has already finished the race…my Savior Jesus Christ,
Amen

The mother of my missionary friend already has her name on The Glory Roll!  It is this knowledge that gives my friend peace.

I sang in a southern gospel quartet for twenty years when I was younger.  The name of the group was The Good News.  We finally retired because most of us had too much on our plate to keep it going.  As I wrote this article I couldn’t help but think about one of the songs we recorded, “When I Get Carried Away.”  The song was exciting and we received a strong response every time we sang it.  The audio of the song is available on youtube at the following link:

When I Get Carried Away – The Good News

If you are online reading this article you can click on the above link to hear the song.  I have included the lyrics below so you can see how it relates to this topic.  Why not sing along or hum as you listen!  The roll that the song refers to is God’s Glory Roll!!  I’m sure you can see why this song still excites me today.  My name too is written down on “God’s Glory Roll.”  Hallelujah and Amen!!

When I Get Carried Away

I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll gonna get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away

Well, I don’t know why I become a little shy
When I get around a whole lotta people
And I can’t figure out why I never can shout
About the love that floods my soul
I must confess, I can’t express
The feelings deep inside me
The things I know and cannot show
One day will overflow

I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll gonna get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away

Well, I’ll pass the clouds and shout so loud,
It may sound like thunder
My tearful eyes may fill the skies
Until it looks like rain
When I leave this world past the gates of pearl
And stand before my Savior
I let my soul let the glory roll
When from the roll He calls my name

I’m gonna let the glory roll when the roll is called in glory
I’ll gonna get beside of myself when I get beside the king that day
I’m gonna have the time of my life when the time of my life is over
I’m gonna get carried away when I get carried away