IS MY NAME WRITTEN THERE?

        Recently I heard Dr. David Jeremiah in his series on heaven tell the story of a gifted soloist who was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy couple.  She was thrilled and honored to be part of this special day.  She was especially excited because she and her husband were invited to the reception at one of the most elaborate locations in the city.  It was a place that she would never have been able to afford to attend otherwise. Following the wedding, with great expectations, she and her husband came to the reception location, a restaurant high above the city skyline.  When they arrived at the door the receptionist asked for their names.  But their names weren't on the list.  She replied, but I was the soloist.  The receptionist said that made no difference, their names weren't on the list.  Then they were ushered to a freight elevator which took them back down to the main floor.  On the way down the soloist remembered that the invitation included an RSVP which she had forgotten to return.  Her name wasn't in the book, so she wasn't allowed to enter the reception gala. No exceptions. There is one book whose contents should concern us above all others. It is called "The Book of Life." That book is mentioned eight times in the New Testament. Once, it is called "the Lamb's Book of Life" - the book belonging to the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rev. 21:27).   Jesus speaks of the importance of having our names being "written in heaven" (Lk. 10:20). Paul speaks of "fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life" (Phil. 4:3). That it lists those who qualify to enter into the heavenly kingdom is made clear by the warning in Revelation: "Anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 21:15). And, "There shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (Rev. 21:27).  This issue concerned Mary Kidder years ago. Born Mary Ann Pepper (1820-1905), it is said she was blinded in her teens, but slowly recovered her sight. We know little more about her, except that she had a gift for writing poetry. Mrs. Kidder penned about a thousand hymns, but only this one has remained in common use. In this song published in 1878, she asks the penetrating question, "Is My Name Written There?", meaning in the Book of Life.  Being denied access to heaven is a much worse fate than not being admitted to a gala reception.  But it will be the fate of many. The Apostle Paul states it succinctly, "I declare to you the gospel …. That Christ died for our sins" (I Cor. 15:1, 3). When the Philippian jailer asked, "What must I do to be saved?" Paul answered without hesitation, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." (Acts 16:30-31).  Is your name written there?  Don't put off making that crucial decision.  Tomorrow might be too late.  Now I do personally have a minor problem with the words of this song.  The question it asks is one that every person needs to answer.  But for those who can answer "yes", I prefer the response "Yes, my name's written there."  I trust that this is your response.

1.     Lord, I care not for riches, neither silver nor gold;

I would make sure of Heaven, I would enter the fold.

In the book of Thy kingdom, with its pages so fair,

Tell me, Jesus, my Savior, is my name written there?

Is my name written there,

On the page white and fair?

In the book of Thy kingdom,

Is my name written there?

2.     Lord, my sins they are many, like the sands of the sea,

But Thy blood, O my Savior, is sufficient for me;

For Thy promise is written, in bright letters that glow,

"Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them like snow."

Is my name written there,

On the page white and fair?

In the book of Thy kingdom,

Is my name written there?

3.     Oh! that beautiful city, with its mansions of light,

With its glorified beings, in pure garments of white;

Where no evil thing cometh to despoil what is fair;

Where the angels are watching, yes, my name's written there.

Yes my name's written there,

On the page white and fair?

In the book of Thy kingdom,

Yes my name's written there?

Listen to it here.   LISTEN