Matthew 7:21-27
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
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Sages throughout cultures and religions often share wisdom that points to the heart of what it means to be spiritual and find our true selves, things that many of us followers of theirs find hard to stomach. There are a couple of places in the Bible where Jesus warns his followers that just saying God’s name is not enough, and that word service or even service to “God,” “Jesus,” or “the Lord” is not a qualifying act for heaven at all. In fact, as our reading from Matthew illustrates, Jesus told these followers that not even prophesying, driving out demons, and performing miracles in God’s name are enough for the Lord not to cast us away. I don’t know about you, but for most of us, I think it’s been a while since we’ve driven out anyone’s demons! So, what chance do we have? Well, as Christ’s words often attest to, finding the heaven within and uncovering our intrinsic relationship with God is less about outward trappings of belief and religiosity, and more about turning away from our emphasis on outward manifestation and turning within to our very core. You see, it is our choice to step away from hell and enter heaven. This means quieting our minds and opening ourselves to God’s Will, God’s Compassion, and God’s Truth – whatever we may call it.