Gonna Go Up to the Spirit in the Sky

My parents were children of the 60s. Growing up, we listened to "oldies" all the time. Here in Cedar Rapids there was a local oldies show on WMT-radio Saturday nights, where you could request your favorites. A consequence of my childhood environment is that while I can't remember too many movie lines (see a previous post), I can remember a ton of music lyrics. Some of you remember "Spirit in the Sky," from Donovan. I think the same guy did "Mello Yello." He may have been pretty "mello" when he hit the recording studio.

But I like the message of "Spirit in the Sky."

"I'm going up to the Spirit in the sky,
That's where I'm gonna go, when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest,
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best."

I like it cause I believe it.

I grew up going to church on Sunday morning and Sunday nights, and Sunday school classes. I even preached my first sermon when I was 14. I knew at an early age that I needed some "fire insurance." Hell was real, man, and I didn't want any part of it.

I was baptized when I was 10 because I knew that I when I died and they laid me to rest, I wanted to go to the place that's the best. I knew that was heaven. I also knew that the path from here to their had something to do with God and Jesus, and something in my life called sin. I didn't know much about sin then, but I did have a younger brother and I supposed that if I took Halloween candy out of his pumpkin instead of mine, that was probably enough to choke on the flames of Hell.

In all seriousness, I'm thankful to have grown up in a home where God was honored. And I'm blessed to have had people in my life that introduced me to Jesus early and often. Particularly during my college years, a patient guy named Ed Gund bought me lots of Diet Cokes and made me take my faith by the cross and live it or give it up. Ed married Michelle and I few years later, and then we lost touch.

I know many in my life share my faith in Christ. I know that others don't. And to my shame, there are some who probably don't know how important the message of Jesus has been to me, because I've not shared it with them. You always sit in church on Sunday and are convicted to go share your faith with the masses, and by Monday morning, you just sort of weave your way through life and forget what it's all about.

Friends, Jesus died for me and for you, so that we might enjoy the love of God both in this world and the next. If you've not taken hold of that promise for yourself, I don't know how you get through life. If I can be a resource for you to know more about the importance of this fact, I welcome your feedback.