Passport To Heaven
Anne Russell
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:2-3 (KJV)

I was just checking my passport to make sure it was up-to-date. I like to keep it up-to-date in case I have the opportunity to travel. Sometimes I look through it and reminisce over the places I have had the privilege to visit. I deem it a privilege when I am welcomed into an alien country.

I opened up the front page, and it made me realize this passport isn't really mine -- it belongs to the government of my country. It only verifies who I am and where I live.

Most of us have a passport or can obtain a passport from the country we reside in. A passport lets us move fairly and freely around this world, and identifies us.

If we have any intention of going to heaven we should get everything together to make sure we are ready to travel. The passport to heaven doesn't require a form to be filled out. It doesn't cost anything; it's free. It never needs to be renewed. There is no need to have a picture, for God knows who we are.

What about a passport to heaven? Have we ever given this much thought? How many of us have the assurance of one? What is required to obtain it?

We should know that we all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God.

We must believe that God has reached out in love to us in His Son Jesus, who died on the cross, paid the penalty for our sin so we can have abundant life. Then we must confess our sin to Jesus and receive Him, and His forgiveness. We receive Jesus by an act of the will, trusting His promise.

Revelation 3:20 says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him."