Deadly

My mother had only one sister, my Aunt Ilene.  Aunt Ilene was eight years younger than my mother.  I remember spending the night with Aunt Ilene and Uncle Damon before they had children.  They let me and my younger brother do anything that we wanted to.  Phillip and I jumped on their bed, and they just laughed!  I remember eating pepperoni for the first time at their house.  When I was twelve years old, Aunt Ilene would pay me and my brother to mow her grass.  My mother would drive us to their house, we would use Aunt Ilene’s mower and gas, and she would pay us well for mowing her yard.  It was a pretty good arrangement for Phillip and me.  One day, Uncle Damon had been cleaning the mower using kerosene.  The kerosene was clear and was in a glass on the porch.  Their toddler son, Norman, was thirsty and he picked up the glass and drank the kerosene.  I remember Uncle Damon pushing us kids into their car and rushing to the hospital with Aunt Ilene cradling Norman.  Half-way there, a patrolman pulled us over.  Uncle Damon frantically explained the situation to the patrolman, who said, “Just follow me.”  With his escort, we made it to the hospital quickly where Norman was treated.  Hey, it was an honest mistake.  Water is clear and kerosene is clear.  Water is kept in a glass and the kerosene was in a drinking glass.  Norman was just a toddler who made a mistake.  But his mistake was almost a tragic mistake.  Hey, did you know there are worse mistakes than that?!  Many folk are trusting in their religion to get them into heaven.  Others are trusting in their good works to get them inside the pearly gates.  But Peter said in 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.”  Hey, Jesus Christ is the only Way!  Don’t trust in religion.  Religion can’t save you.  Don’t trust good works.  Good works can’t save you.  Religion and good works may look like the way to heaven, and religion and good works may be found in a church building.  But like the kerosene in a drinking glass, religion and good works can be deadly.  Remember, only Jesus can save you.  You can trust Him!