On June 28th, 2012, a seven-year-old girl named Heaven Sutton was shot while she was helping her mother sell lemondade, ice cream, and candy at a candy stand near her home. She was one of the youngest victims of Chicago's gang violence which has claimed an unusually high number of victims this year. Heaven was shot in the back as she turned to flee a spray of bullets from a gang member who is now in police custody. She died three days later.
 

Do You Like this Article? Then Like Us on Facebook.

 

Heaven was described by her mother as a girl who "loved to sing, dance, and crack jokes." Her twelve year old brother said she loved to make people laugh. Her tragic death has become a rallying point for those who are serious about ending the shocking crime levels in Chicago. This past Friday, over 1,000 people turned out to remember her life at the St. Mark International Christian Church.

The death of this little girl really broke my heart when I read about it. The Lord has blessed me and my wife, Meriqua, with 7 children and I have led all of them to the Lord at the age of seven.

Thankfully, Heaven's family members and friends can be comforted with the knowledge that Heaven Sutton is in Heaven with her Heavenly Father tonight. There, this little girl will experience no more of the pain and sorrow that affected her life on this Earth. In Heaven, Heaven Sutton will be able to sing, dance, and laugh to her heart's content for all eternity.

This is the "Chief of Sinners," Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International. In light of the tragic murder of Heaven Sutton, I am reminded of a passage in Matthew 18 which says, "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

My friend, God's heart aches when one of his little ones is hurt in this world. But, thank God, Heaven is now with God in Heaven. What I want to share with you today is that you do not know the day or hour of your death. Heaven was doing something so simple as selling lemonade when she was gunned down.

The question now is, When you are faced with death will you be ready? In other words, will you end up in Heaven after you die? If you are not certain that you can answer this question in the affirmative, please allow me to show you how you can be sure today:

First, please understand that you are a sinner, just as I am, and that you have broken God's laws, just as I have. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Please understand that because of your sins, you deserve punishment in hell. Romans 6:23 says "the wages of sin is death..." This is both physical death and spiritual death in hell.

But here is the good news. John 3:16 reads, "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."

The phrase "For God so loved the world" means that if you are in this world, God loves you no matter what you have done.

The next phrase, "that He gave His only begotten Son" refers to Jesus Christ. He is God's son who suffered, bled, and died on the cross for your sins and for mine, and He was buried and rose again.

Our next phrase is "that whosoever believeth in Him". The word "whosoever" means anybody at anytime. The phrase "believeth in Him" means to trust in Him, to depend upon Him, to rely on Him, or to have faith in Him for your salvation.

Our next phrase, "should not perish", refers to eternal punishment in a place called hell.

And, lastly, the phrase "but have everlasting life" means to live eternally in Heaven with God.

The Bible also says in Romans 10:9 and 13: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour!

Remember, friend, Believe by faith. Share the faith. and Keep the faith!