250YEARS
1776  ·  America 250  ·  2026

An Old-FashionedTent Meeting

Five summer nights under a white canvas on Boston Common — where a city distracted by a World Cup stopped, sat down on a folding chair, and heard what our founders believed.

Boston Common
June 15–19, 2026
7 PM Nightly
I · THE GATHERING

A tent on the oldest park in America

For the week the nation turned 250, a tent went up on Boston Common — the same green where colonial militia once drilled and where Whitefield preached to thousands in the open air. The old paths were never really closed; we simply pitched canvas over them again.

The plan was simple and unhurried: an independent Baptist, old-fashioned tent meeting, the kind most of New England has not seen in generations. Glass-globe lights strung corner to corner. Folding chairs in the grass. A banner behind the platform with a single, steadying word from the prophet Hosea. And out front, snapping in the harbor breeze, a striped feather flag that read only: Revival Meeting.

A City of Boston sign reading Boston Common, Founded 1634.
Boston Common — founded 1634, the oldest public park in America.
The Revival Meeting tent on Boston Common, with the city skyline behind and a vast crowd gathered on the grass.
Day One · Boston Common

The doors open onto a crowded green.

The tent stood at the edge of a gathering that filled the Common — thousands had come for the World Cup, and the Gospel went out to meet them.
II · BY DAY

What carried on the wind between matches

Boston Common doubled as the FIFA Fan Festival. By day, tens of thousands streamed past on their way to the giant screen. So the tent never went quiet. From morning until the evening service, it spoke to everyone who walked by.

Patriotic Anthems

Hymns of the republic and old camp-meeting songs drifted out over the lawn — music a passing crowd recognized in its bones, even when it couldn’t name the tune.

Music on the Air

Live family music — piano, strings, and voice — and, between sets, “Meditations for Orchestra” by Glenn Christianson played over the speakers from noon to night, filling the Common with the sound that has always marked a revival before a single word is preached.

Voices of the Founders

Excerpts from the founding fathers, read aloud between songs — the convictions behind 1776, in their own plain and God-fearing words.

The Gospel, Spoken Plainly

Audio from the Gospel film, and narrations of the week’s two tracts — America 250 and How to Get to Heaven from the World Cup — played for most of Boston Common to hear, so the way of salvation was always within earshot.

A vast nighttime crowd seated on Boston Common watching a World Cup match on a giant screen, the lit city skyline rising behind.
The festival & the tent

Two crowds, one green.

Thousands gathered on the Common each night for the World Cup — the very lawn where the tent stood and the Gospel went out.

It was an unlikely pairing — a World Cup watch party and an old-fashioned revival, sharing the same patch of grass. But that was the point. The people were already here. Norway shirts and Morocco jerseys, strollers and backpacks, fans from Texas and Russia and Scotland and Lynn.

The tent did not ask the city to come to church. It brought the church to the city, set a chair in the path of the crowd, and waited with a tract and a kind question.

A large crowd at the FIFA Fan Festival watching the Morocco-Norway match on a giant Hisense screen, skyscrapers behind.
Down at the FIFA Fan Festival by City Hall — Morocco vs. Norway on the big screen. We blanketed that crowd too, hand to hand, with the “How to Get to Heaven from the World Cup” tract.
A hand holding a stack of How to Get to Heaven from the World Cup tracts in front of Park Street Church on Boston Common.
“How to Get to Heaven from the World Cup” — outside historic Park Street Church.
The Old Fashioned Tent Meeting handbill: 250 Years, 1776-2026, Boston Common, June 15-19, 7pm nightly. Come hear what our founders believed.
The handbill — and the front of the America 250 tract — passed hand to hand all week.

“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”

Hosea 6:1  ·  the banner over the platform

III · BY NIGHT

Seven o’clock, and the lights come on

Each evening at seven, the festival noise gave way to something older. The string lights warmed against the dimming canvas, the chairs filled, and Evangelist Caleb Garraway of Remnant Ministries stepped to the simple wooden pulpit beneath the Hosea banner.

The preaching was direct and unhurried — the plain Gospel that the founders knew, that sin is real, that Christ died and rose, and that any sinner who will return to the Lord may be saved. Families filled the front. Strangers who had wandered in from the match stayed for all of it. And night after night, people rose from those folding chairs and came to the front to pray.

Evangelist Caleb Garraway lifting an open Bible high as he preaches beneath the Come and let us return unto the Lord banner.
Evangelist Caleb Garraway · Remnant Ministries

“Come hear what our founders believed.”

The Book held high — the same Gospel that built New England’s first meeting houses.
A young string and wind ensemble plays at the front of the tent as the congregation follows along.
The orchestra leads the singing.
A young woman sings and plays piano while the evangelist sings beside her at the microphone.
A special number before the message.
People gathered at the front of the tent in prayer at the close of the service.
The invitation — heads bowed at the front.
Music under the canvas

Old hymns, belted out over the rain

Through the open tent windows you could see the Common turn green-gold in the evening light, and beyond it the city going on with its night. Inside, congregational hymns rose and swelled over the rain that came and went across the week — the whole tent singing out together, the kind of singing that softens a heart before a single point is preached.

It is no small thing to hear hymns belted out, in a tent, in the middle of a modern city. More than a few people stopped simply because of the sound.

Singers at the microphone by the tent window as rain streaks the clear panels and green grass shows beyond.
Hymns belted out by the window as the evening rain passed through.
Choirs, voices & instruments

A week filled with sacred music

The music came from many hands and many churches. Singers and instrumentalists from Commonwealth Baptist College, Central Baptist Church, New England Baptist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, and Heritage Baptist Church lifted the old songs together — piano and piano, violins and cello, brass and woodwinds weaving under the voices.

The Van Gelderen family came all the way from Wisconsin to lead the choir, sing, and play, bringing a godly spirit of musical excellence to every service. And one evening Pastor Todd Bell sang “Like a Prodigal Son” — a moment that hushed the tent and turned more than a few hearts toward home.

A rainbow arches over the Revival Meeting tent at dusk on Boston Common, the sky washed pink and violet.
IV · A Sign in the Sky

“I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.”

Genesis 9:13

A vivid rainbow over the lit tent at twilight, the Revival Meeting flag in the foreground.
Dusk over the Common — the bow above the tent.

The night God hung His own banner over the tent

One evening the rain cleared just as the service was underway, and the whole sky over the Common turned to rose and lavender. Then, arching clean over the white peak of the tent, came a rainbow.

It was hard not to think of Noah. After the storm, God set His bow in the clouds — a promise that He had not forgotten the earth, and a sign of His mercy toward people who deserved judgment. Here was the same God, the same promise, written across a city sky while inside the tent sinners were returning to Him one by one. The banner inside read “Come, and let us return unto the Lord.” The banner outside needed no words at all.

V · THE HARVEST

Seventy souls, one at a time

70+ souls saved across the five-day crusade — each one a name, a face, a story God was already writing.

Every day, more than thirty soul-winners fanned out across the Common — working the watch-party crowd, the tent, and the paths between — tracts in hand. Pastor Joe Hawkins had them scattered all across greater Boston: at the tables, on the benches, in Downtown Crossing, out in the suburbs. These are a few of the testimonies they brought back to the tent.

Evangelist Caleb Garraway

Remnant Ministries

On Tuesday night, toward the end of my message, two college-aged ladies approached the tent and sat toward the back. After the service they made a beeline for me, and one said, “Preacher, sir, I have been searching for God in my life and for true religion. How can I be converted?” I smiled ear to ear and told her I would love for my wife to share that with her from the Bible. Both of them were saved that night.

On Thursday a man from Scotland — in a kilt and full World Cup regalia — stopped at the side of the tent to listen. He became so absorbed that he walked up a few feet behind me and stood looking down at my open Bible, to the surprise of the crowd. Afterward he hugged me and said in his thick brogue, “When you said to look at the Scriptures, I couldn’t help but want to see it for myself. It felt like my heart was being drawn out of me. Tonight I got saved. Pray for Scotland.”

That same night a well-to-do man came up after the service: “I live across the Common in the apartments. I could hear the singing and had to find out what was going on. I got saved tonight. This is what Boston needs!”

But God was not finished. As we headed home, my ten-year-old daughter Alyssa was strangely quiet and asked if she could talk with Katie and me back at the room. When we shut the door she burst into tears: “I need to get saved!” She had been doubting her salvation for months, and that night God broke her heart over her need for Christ. She knelt and sweetly accepted the Lord as her Saviour. It was so precious.

Katie Garraway

Tuesday, June 16

They were on the Common the night before they left for summer jobs in other states. They kept saying, over and over, that they felt drawn toward the tent — that it wasn’t a coincidence God had brought them there. They wanted to know more about Jesus and how to get to Heaven, and they came to the front after the service so I could talk with them.

I made sure they believed the Bible is true — they did — and then I walked them down the Romans Road. They took it right out of the palm of my hand; they were so ready. They prayed with me one at a time, and afterward asked, “How do we know what the next step is, if that’s even the right way to say it?” They want Bibles. They want to grow.

Both of them mentioned homosexuality, and I explained that God loves the person even though His Word doesn’t condone the sin. They understood completely, and asked whether, as they grow as Christians, God would take that desire away. I told them yes. They said this meeting was meant to be — and they aren’t wrong. I got a picture with them, and I’ll be praying for them to grow.

Thomas Michael

The first two souls

After fifty-two years of handing out thousands of invitations to New England Baptist Church, Pastor Hawkins and Evangelist Garraway decided to move the Sunday service before the meeting to an early afternoon, at 1:30, instead of 6 PM — to give us extra time to prepare and rest before the big Monday kickoff.

I took my rest, then went down to the church at 5:45, thinking maybe someone who hadn’t heard about the change would show up. Sure enough, in walked Cecil, looking for a service. Three or four of us were there, so we held a little service right in the front hallway with the air conditioners running. We sang a few hymns he knew by heart, shared our testimonies, and explained salvation to him — and with tears in his eyes, he prayed and trusted Jesus. He seemed so happy and thankful that we’d taken the time to make it clear for him. He came back the next night and went forward to make it public. The first of the seventy souls God saved through the five-day crusade.

Knowing Pastor Hawkins had thirty soul-winners spread across greater Boston, I decided to work some of the outer suburbs. There I found a gentleman who let me show him how to be saved; once he understood the Gospel, he bowed his head, prayed the prayer of repentance, and put his faith in the Jesus of the Bible. He is a police officer at Tufts University in Medford — soul number two for the week. To God be the glory for His blessing on the effort put forth by New England Baptist Church, led by Pastors Joe Hawkins and Gary Corbin, the host pastor who has been doing a tent meeting for 42 straight years, and Evangelist Caleb Garraway.

Al Banda

At the tent & around the Common

These two Scots, Jason and Zach, just called on Jesus for the forgiveness of sin at the Boston Common tent.

And this is Charlie and Yarna — he’s from Texas and she is from Russia. Both of them called on the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of their sin and invited Him into their lives.

While witnessing in front of the tent, I commented on a young man’s shirt, thinking it said “Maine” — it actually said “Vans.” He stopped suddenly and asked, “How do you know I’m from Maine?” We then spent thirty minutes in a spiritual conversation. His name was Thomas, twenty-eight years old, saved but running from God. A meeting by mistake is no mistake when God is involved.

On the first night, while walking around the Common, I stopped to witness to a group of seven teenagers. Two of them, Brian and Clayton, said their recent conversations had been about what happens when a person dies. I shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His victory over the grave. They acknowledged their sin and called on Jesus for forgiveness. I also showed them John 1:12 — that as children of God we cannot keep living in sin without being disciplined, as a father disciplines a son.

Al Banda with Jason and Zach, two young Scotland fans, outside the tent.
Jason & Zach, visiting from Scotland
Al Banda with Charlie from Texas and Yarna from Russia on the Common.
Charlie (Texas) & Yarna (Russia)

Samuel Fried & Jacob S.

Tuesday afternoon

William walked by the table on Tuesday afternoon and told us, “I have been waiting to talk to somebody about God.” Brother Jake sat down with him and opened up the Gospel for over twenty minutes. What a joy to watch this young man turn to Christ and believe the Gospel.

Brother Jake sitting on a bench with William, an open Bible between them.
Brother Jake opening the Scriptures with William

Bob Owen

At the tent meeting

My touch of Heaven at the tent meeting came when I walked into a group from a false religion — Hare Krishna. A young teenager there was open to the Gospel, and she let me share Jesus Christ with her.

Then her father came over, wondering what I was talking about, so I shared Jesus with both of them — until he did not want to hear any more. Satan used him to take her away before she could hear the rest of the message. But she kept the tract I gave her and said she would read it later.

I pray that God the Father, through the Holy Ghost, will draw her to His Son Jesus, and that Christ will raise her up on the last day as He promised.

A teenage girl in a blue shirt at the tent meeting, with Hare Krishna devotees on the Common behind her.
Open to the Gospel on the Common
The same young woman in a blue shirt, the city and crowd behind her on Boston Common.
She kept the tract to read later

Phil Salerni

Emmanuel, age 19

I had one young man trust in Christ. Emmanuel is nineteen, and he told me he had been trying to connect with God. His mother is a believer and had been praying for him. I told him it isn’t a matter of connecting, but of trusting God to save you. I preached him the Gospel; he saw his condition, and he asked the Lord to forgive his sins and save him. He said he was now a believer and wanted a Bible — so I gave him a New Testament.

Marilyn Michael

Tuesday evening, June 16

On Tuesday evening I was walking toward the Gospel tent when I noticed a young Muslim woman sitting alone on a bench nearby. Because I needed a place to sit, I sat down near her, and we began a friendly conversation about why she was there.

Then I shared my own salvation testimony, opened my New Testament and read the Scriptures with her, and asked if she would be willing to pray the prayer of salvation — and she did pray. Then she left quickly for an appointment, and we exchanged names and phone numbers. Such a sweet blessing, as my soul-winning has become almost non-existent in recent years.

Pastor Joseph Hawkins

Downtown Crossing

I was handing out tracts at Downtown Crossing when two people named Gracie and Youda each took one from me. As they looked at it, I asked them both whether they had ever thought about eternity — what would happen to them if they were to die. Gracie said, “I have been thinking about that very thing recently. I’m not sure what would happen if I were to die.”

I began to walk them both through the Gospel as the Spirit gave me direction. They were glued to the message, even though the friends they were meeting up with were being loud — they actually told their friends to stop, and kept listening. When I finished, I asked if they would like to ask Christ to save their souls. They both prayed and asked Him to save them, and afterward they were thrilled and thankful.

Rob Morris

Tuesday – Friday

On Tuesday I struck up a conversation with a fried-dough vendor named Chris. He had never heard or read a single word of the Bible. On Wednesday, Denis and I came back and brought him a John and Romans and a gospel tract, and I promised I’d bring him a whole Bible on Thursday.

Thursday it rained, and he wasn’t there. Friday I was running in circles trying to fix the piano and sort out the sound, and I nearly ran out of time to get to him at all — but God wouldn’t let it go. So I went, Bible in hand. And right there at his cart, I used his brand-new Bible to lead him to Christ.

That same Friday night, after the service, four young men — college kids, early twenties — were lingering around the tent. I went over to them, and they had a flood of questions: why does God allow sin? Why didn’t He just make more people choose Him? I opened the Scriptures — that He is not willing that any should perish, that He writes His Word on our hearts, that Hebrews 2:3 asks how we shall escape if we neglect so great a salvation. Somewhere in all of it, the questions stopped. They broke, bowed their heads, admitted they were sinners, repented, and asked Jesus to save their souls.

Angelee Banda

One afternoon, many benches

Marilyn was a young lady sitting on a bench with her boyfriend. I gave them a gospel tract and told them I was from the tent meeting, telling people how they could go to Heaven. I asked her: if something happened, was she one hundred percent sure she was on her way? She said, “I was just thinking about that.” I sat down beside her and presented the Gospel, and by faith she willingly accepted Christ, then walked to the tent to hear the service. Her boyfriend was under the influence and didn’t get saved, but he sat under the tent and listened.

Gabriel was walking by, and I noticed his cross necklace and a T-shirt printed with the devil. I stopped him: “I see you love Christ by your necklace — but you love the devil too, by the picture on your shirt. You can’t love both. One died on the cross for you; the other wants you in hell. Where do you want to go? Your mother gave you a good name — Gabriel — the angel who came to Mary, who was found in favor with God to give us Jesus.” He knew about Christ but had never received Him as Savior. I gave him the Gospel, and he prayed the sinner’s prayer right there, with people passing on both sides.

Lulu was a young girl with tattoos all up her arms and a lot of earrings, looking over the tract rack. I asked if she knew what all of this was about. She shook her head, so I told her: it’s about how you can go to Heaven — would you like to know? She didn’t hesitate. She sat with me on the bench and got saved. She lived in Lynn, and since a bus driver from another church happened to be there handing out tracts, I walked her over to Brother Sheehan and introduced them, so he could follow up and get her to church.

Ingrid was standing and listening to the preacher when I thanked her for stopping by. She had never seen anything like this and wondered what we were doing. I gave her a tract and began to share. At first she didn’t see herself as a sinner — but Romans 3:10 and 3:23 convinced her that no one is perfect. As I went on, she was overjoyed that God had shown His love toward her, that Christ had died for her sin. She bowed her head right in front of the tent and got saved.

Two friends from New Bedford were looking over the John and Romans on the tables. They were so responsive to the Gospel that both accepted Christ right there at the tables, and said they would come and visit our church.

The full congregation under the tent, songbooks open, the evangelist leading from the platform.
The whole tent singing together — New Englanders, World Cup fans, and strangers made family.
The Week in Pictures: preaching under the tent, the crowd on Boston Common, families, the singers, and soul-winning.
More scenes from the week: the Common in daylight, the congregation in the tent, one-to-one witnessing, and fellowship after the service.
VI · AFTERWARD

What our founders believed

Two hundred and fifty years after this city helped birth a nation, the message that shaped it was preached again on its oldest common ground — not as nostalgia, but as the living Gospel it has always been. The crowds went home. The tent came down. But more than seventy souls left changed, Bibles in hand, names written down for follow-up and, we trust, in Heaven.

“Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”

Boston Tent Meeting 250th Anniversary lineup: Special Speaker Caleb Garraway, Host Gary Corbin, Coordinator Joseph Hawkins.

An Old-Fashioned Tent Meeting  ·  Boston Common  ·  June 15–19, 2026
New England Baptist Church  ·  Evangelist Caleb Garraway, Remnant Ministries

APPENDIX · THE MESSAGES WE GAVE OUT

The two tracts of the week

These are the words narrated under the tent and pressed into thousands of hands across the Common — the full text of both tracts, exactly as they were given.

The America 250 Tract

Come Hear What Our Founders Believed

The faith of the Founding Fathers, in their own words

It is undeniable that our Founding Fathers were men of faith. On November 11, 1779, Thomas Jefferson wrote on behalf of the Continental Congress, “Whereas it becomes us humbly to approach the throne of Almighty God, with gratitude and praise, for the wonders which His goodness has wrought in conducting our forefathers to this Western world; that He hath arrested the points of the sword in the hour of our danger, pointed their swords to victory; and led them from danger to glory.”

But Jefferson did not stop there. He and his fellow countrymen revealed what they were most thankful for:

“Above all, that He hath diffused the glorious light of the Gospel, whereby, through our gracious Redeemer, we may become the heirs of His eternal glory.”

The Gospel: our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Eighty percent of the Founding Fathers were deeply religious men who believed in this. Ninety-seven percent of them were practicing Christians, and the other three percent were practicing Jewish. We know this to be true, since their speeches reveal that they quoted the Bible three times more than any other source. They lived out our national motto: “In God We Trust.”

Roger Sherman — signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Bill of Rights, United States Senator, and considered by secular historians the “Master Builder of the Constitution” — wrote: “That there is only one living and true God, existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost… That God did make man at first upright, but Adam, the first man, sinned, and by that first transgression all mankind became sinners… I believe that God did send His own Son to become man, die in the room and stead of sinners, and thus offer salvation to all mankind, so as all may be saved who are willing to accept the Gospel offer.”

This perfectly echoes what is plainly taught in the Bible. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

No one is perfect — we have all done bad things. Whether it is lying, stealing, cheating, thinking lustful thoughts, or being disobedient to our parents, we are all guilty. We might be pretty good compared to others, but when compared to God’s perfect standard, each of us falls short. Do you believe this?

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Because God is sinless and holy, no sin can dwell in His presence. Therefore our sins demand eternal separation from God and cast us into Hell. Revelation 21:8 warns that “the fearful, and unbelieving… and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone.” This is sad and sobering news. We have a desperate need of forgiveness. Do you believe this?

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” God loves us. Second Peter 3:9 tells us He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” That is why Jesus, the perfect Son of God, willingly came to give His life as a sacrifice upon the cross. He died, was buried, and rose again victoriously three days later. He freely offers salvation to everyone willing to trust Him. Do you believe this?

John Witherspoon, signer of the Declaration and president of Princeton, wrote: “Christ Jesus… suffered in our place, and the mercy of God is offered to us through Him. No man can get to Heaven by his own character… There is no salvation in any other than in Jesus Christ.”

Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration and United States Senator, wrote: “On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for my Salvation, and on his merits; not on the works I have done.” Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith… it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” There is nothing we can do to work our way to Heaven. We must turn to Christ, believing on Him and repenting, to be our personal Saviour. Do you believe this?

John Jay, the first Supreme Court Justice, wrote: “Unto God I render sincere and humble thanks… Our gracious Creator has provided for us a redeemer for the sins of the whole world, and has opened a way for our salvation. This is the free gift of God, not of our deserving, nor in our power to deserve.” Romans 6:23 finishes, “but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Eternity is real, and you could be one heartbeat away from entering it. Please do not put it off.

George Washington — commanding General of the Continental Army and first President — made that choice. In his diary we find this prayer: “Almighty God, I have called upon You to pardon me of my sins. Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, offered on the Cross for me, to save my soul… Accept me to the saving of my soul in the Lord Jesus.”

This is exactly what you must do, just as Washington and so many of our Founding Fathers did. You must personally call out to Jesus in prayer for salvation: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). In this very moment, why not pray from your heart in absolute faith and receive Him as your personal Saviour?

A Prayer of Faith

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I know I deserve the penalty for my sins. But I don’t want to die and go to Hell; I want to be with You in Heaven. I believe the Gospel message is true. I believe You died on the Cross and rose again for me. I believe You are the only way I can be saved. You are the one true God. Please forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart and save me. I gladly receive Your gift of eternal life. I trust in You alone to be my Saviour. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

The Lord promises all who trust in Him, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). If you prayed and accepted Christ, your salvation is certain and sealed in the all-powerful, never-failing hands of Jesus. First John 5:13 assures us: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.”

Did you believe? If so, come tell us so we can rejoice with you!
If not, just know that eternity is too long to be wrong.

The World Cup Tract

How to Get to Heaven from the World Cup

“…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6:23

Did you come to Boston for the World Cup? Well, it is not an accident you are walking by this tent right now. God wants you to know from the Bible that Heaven can be your home! Are you 100% sure that you are going to Heaven? This is the most important question you could ever be asked. It does not matter who you are or where you are from — we are all going on a journey into eternity someday. If you have been searching for this answer, your soul can find absolute peace.

According to the Bible, there are only two places where you can go — either Heaven or Hell. You must ask yourself: where do I want to spend my forever? Sadly, many people laugh that they will have a “good time” partying in Hell. This is a lie. In Luke 16, Jesus describes what really happens there: a place of intense suffering, torment, regret, and terrifying horror where “the fire is not quenched” — filled with hopeless screams and pleas for just one drop of water.

But God does not want anyone to die and go to Hell. He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9), and would “have all men to be saved” (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus says in John 14:2, “In my Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you.” Heaven is a place of joy, peace, and beauty, where “God shall wipe away all tears… neither shall there be any more pain” (Revelation 21:4).

Some religions teach that salvation comes through good works, baptism, or worship — but God’s Word is clear: “For by grace are ye saved through faith… it is the gift of God: Not of works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). God’s salvation is a free gift, available to everyone.

The problem is, we have all done bad things and broken God’s law — whether telling a lie, thinking a lustful thought, stealing, or cursing. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We may think ourselves pretty good compared to others, but “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

Just as breaking the rules in soccer brings a penalty, breaking God’s law brings a far greater consequence: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

Because of our sins, each of us has been issued a “red card.” At the time of death we will be removed from this life and, apart from Christ, cast into Hell for eternity (Revelation 21:8). But imagine if someone could step onto the field of life and take your red card for you. This is exactly what Jesus Christ did!

Even though we deserve to die for the bad things we have done, God loves us and wants to save us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God sent His own Son to take your place; “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Jesus gave His life on the Cross and shed His sinless blood as payment for our sins. The innocent Son of God died for the guilty! Three days later He rose again, securing salvation for all people. He now offers eternal life as a gift to anyone willing to accept Him. A gift cannot be earned — someone else must pay the price. Jesus paid it! “Neither is there salvation in any other” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the only way.

In Romans 10:13, God gives us the precious promise, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Jesus is waiting, His arms open wide. You have a choice to make in your heart: to receive what He has lovingly done for you, or reject it. Please do not put it off. In this very moment, why not call upon the Lord and receive Him and His gift of salvation?

A Prayer of Faith

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I know I deserve the penalty for my sins. But I don’t want to die and go to Hell; I want to be with You in Heaven. I believe the Gospel message is true! I believe You died on the Cross and rose again for me. I believe You are the only way I can be saved. You are the One True God. Please forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart and save me. I gladly receive Your gift of eternal life. I trust in You alone to be my Saviour. Thank you for Your love and for saving me! In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

My friend, did you just sincerely pray in your heart and accept Jesus? If so, Jesus accepted you! The Bible plainly teaches you can never lose your salvation: “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).

Your salvation is certain and sealed in the never-failing hands of Jesus.
You are saved and going to Heaven forever!