It would be very unlikely that a person who had not made a reservation would be allowed on a flight to their destination. But how many come to the end of their life having neglected or refusing to make a reservation for heaven?

Corrie Ten Boom is admired the world over for her courage, forgiveness, and love for Jesus. Her unforgettable experiences in a Nazi concentration camp and her remarkable life as a speaker and evangelist show us a powerful example of what we can do when we place our trust in God. In one of her many books, Tramp for the Lord, Corrie shares about an incident when she was in Formosa. She went to the travel agency in Taipei and gave the girl at the ticket counter a list of all the place she needed to go on the last leg of her journey – Hong Kong, Sydney, Auckland, then back to Sydney, onto Cape Town, Tel Aviv, and finally to Amsterdam.

The travel agent wrote it all down and then asked, “What is your final destination?” “Heaven,” she answered simply. The agent gave her a puzzled look, “How do you spell that?” “H-E-A-V-E-N,” Corrie spelled out slowly.

After the agent had written it down, she sat looking at the paper. At last, she looked up. “Oh, now I understand”, she said with a smile, “But I did not mean that.”

“But I meant it,” Corrie said, “And you do not need to write it down because I already have my ticket.”

“You have a ticket to heaven?” the agent asked astonished. “How did you receive it?”

Corrie proceeded to tell her, “About 2,000 years ago there was One who bought my ticket for me. I only had to accept it from Him. His name is Jesus and He paid my fare when He died on the cross for my sins.”

A Chinese clerk, working the next desk, overheard their conversation and joined in. “What the old woman says is true,” he told her.

Corrie turned and looked at the Chinese man, “Have you a reservation for heaven?” she asked. His face lit up in a smile. “Yes, I have,” he said, “Many years ago, as a child on the mainland, I received Jesus as my Savior. That makes me a child of God with a place reserved in the house of the Father!”

Turning back to the other clerk, Corrie said, “When you do not have a reservation for a seat on the plane and try to get aboard, you face difficulty. But when you do not have a place reserved for you in heaven and time comes for you to go, you end up in far greater difficulty.”

My wife’s uncle, Guil, shared with me the story of when he went with his wife and some friends to an upscale Los Angeles restaurant. They had reservations but the materdi met him and said that he could not be admitted without a coat and tie. He had a suit coat on but not a tie. But he did have a big cross necklace around his neck hanging down the front of his shirt. “I would like to see the manager please,” he said. When the manager came, Guil said, “I don’t have a necktie, but won’t this cross do?” The manager nodded to the materdi and said, “The cross will do. You can be seated.”

Friend, have you made your reservation for heaven? Only those who have made a reservation will be allowed to enter. You may say, “Well, I’m not good enough to enter or I’m not properly attired.” Friend, God says, “The cross will do!” Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we may be forgiven and gain entrance to heaven. Jesus paid the price.

We must make our reservation for heaven before we die. The Word of God says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation” (Hebrews 2:3). By repentance and faith in the cross of Christ you can make your reservation for heaven today.

A - Admit you have sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

B - Believe in Jesus. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

C - Confess and leave your sin. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)