A British statesman once asked his young nephew this question, "Son, what do you want to be when you grow up?" His nephew replied, "First I want to go to college." "Then what?" asked the uncle. "Then, I want to be a lawyer." "Then what?" "Then I want to get married," said the nephew.
"Then what?" "Then, I want to have children and raise a family." "Then what?" "Then, I want to retire." "Then what?" "Then I want to travel the world," replied the nephew. "Then what?" "Then, I guess I'll die," said the nephew. "Then what?"
Have you thought about your "after life"? After you die, then what? Have you made your reservation for eternity? We usually plan ahead for important things in life ... dŤon't we? We plan for retirement. We plan for our children's college education. We make reservations for dinner, airline tickets, and rental cars, but how many of us have really given thought to where we will spend eternity? Where will you be a billion years from now?
It's a question everyone ought to think about. When our bodies are six feet under, where will the "real us" be? People have all kinds of theories on life after death. Some people teach that once we die we cease to exist. They say that once we are gone—that's it. There is no life after this one. Others believe in reincarnation, and they teach that there are several lives after this life. Once we die, we may come back to earth as another human being or perhaps an animal. Still, others teach that we move on to different levels of spirituality in life after death.
If you were to die today and stand before God, would you be ready for the judgment? If God were to ask you, "Why should I let you into heaven?" what would you say? Is your name on God's Guest List? Does He have a reservation for you? The apostle John recorded this about God's Guest List:
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life (God's Guest List): and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books ... and whosoever was not found written in the book of life (God's Guest List) was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:12, 15)
Perhaps you are on other people's lists. Maybe you're on some type of Who's Who list, or the "respected people in your town" list, or "high achievers in your vocation" list, or the "hard workers of America" list ... or any other esteemed list. That is well and good, but the big question is this, "Are you on God's Guest List?" This is one list you definitely want to be on! God's Guest List for heaven! If your name is not found written on His list, you are in big trouble; trouble that will last for eternity!
How do you get on God's Guest List? How do you make your reservation for eternity? It is actually quite simple. Jesus told us plainly when He said,
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)
He went on to say,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passes from death unto life. (John 5:24)
The key to getting on God's Guest List is believing in Jesus Christ whom He sent. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6)
Making your reservation for heaven is as simple as humbling yourself and inviting Jesus Christ into your life. The moment you acknowledge your need for Him and allow Him to be your Lord, your reservation is made! It is not something to be taken lightly, because God takes you at your word. When you allow Jesus into your heart, and when you confess Him as your Lord, He promises that He will take you to heaven forever. Jesus said,
Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32)
This simple decision is the beginning of eternal life. A new kind of relationship with God begins to blossom within you. This newfound life is just a taste of what you will experience for eternity. You can be certain that your name is in the book of life, God's Guest List. You can be certain that you have a reservation for eternity by praying something like this from your heart:
Dear God, I am not sure if my name is on Your Guest List, but I want to be sure that it is. I know that Jesus Christ is the way to You and to heaven. I believe that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and Jesus I invite You to be the Lord of my life. Thank you, Lord that my name is now being written in Your book of life-Your Guest List. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You until I see You in heaven. In Jesus Name, Amen.
To help you grow in your relationship with Jesus Christ, we encourage you to begin reading the Bible and let God speak to your heart. We also encourage you to begin praying, by simply talking to God from your heart. Finally, I invite you to go to a church where you can find other resources to help you grow in your faith.
For more details on this subject, check out my book: DEATH: What happens next?
Copyright © 2007 Beth Jones Ministries All rights reserved.
