Max Lucado - Beyond Heavens Door

2013 Max Lucado

Selections in this book are taken from the previously published When Christ Comes by Max Lucado, 1999 Max Lucado.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Century Version, 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Other Scripture references are from the following sources: The Message by Eugene H. Peterson (MSG), 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV (NIV). 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. New King James Version (NKJV), 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. The Jerusalem Bible (TJB). 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc. Used by permission. The Living Bible (TLB), 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Good News Bible: The Bible in Todays English Version (TEV), 1976, 1992 by the American Bible Society. Used by permission. J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition (PHILLIPS), J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission.

Literary development and design: Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012952800

ISBN 9780849948436

Printed in the United States of America

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And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, Now Gods presence is with people, and he will live with them, and they will be his people. GOD HIMSELF WILL BE WITH THEM AND WILL BE THEIR GOD.

REVELATION 21:3

CONTENTS

Not all those who say You are our Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.

MATTHEW 7:21

I MAKE no claims to being a good golfer, but I readily confess to being a golf addict. If you know of a twelve-step program for the condition, sign me up. Hi, Im Max. Im a golfaholic. I love to play golf, watch golf, and on good nights, I even dream golf.

Knowing this will help you appreciate the extreme joy I felt when I was invited to attend the Masters Golf Tournament. A pass to the Masters is the golfers Holy Grail. Tickets are as scarce as birdies on my scorecard. So I was thrilled. The invitation came via pro golfer Scott Simpson. Each player is given a certain number of passes, and Scott offered Denalyn and me two of his. (If there was ever any question about Scotts place in heaven, that gesture erased the doubt.)

So off we went to Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, where golf heritage hangs like moss from the trees. There you find the green where Nicklaus sank the putt. The fringe where Mize holed the chip. The fairway where Saranson hit the approach shot. I was a kid in a candy store. And like a kid, I couldnt get enough. It wasnt enough to see the course and walk the grounds; I wanted to see the locker room. Thats where the clubs of Hogan and Azinger are displayed. Thats where the players hang out. And thats where I wanted to be.

But they wouldnt let me.

To be turned away from seeing golf history is one thing, but to be refused admission into heaven is quite another.

A guard stopped me at the entrance. I showed him my pass, but he shook his head. I told him I knew Scott, but that didnt matter. I promised to send his eldest child through college, but he didnt budge. Only caddies and players, he explained. Well, he knew I wasnt a player or a caddie. Caddies at the Masters are required to wear white coveralls. My clothing was a dead giveaway. So I left, figuring Id never see the clubhouse. I had made it all the way to the door but was denied entrance.

Many people fear the same will happen to them in heaven. They fear being turned away at the door. A legitimate fear, dont you think? Were talking about a pivotal moment. To be turned away from seeing golf history is one thing, but to be refused admission into heaven is quite another.

That is why some people dont want to discuss heaven. It makes them nervous. They may be God-fearing and church-attending people but still nervous. Is there a solution for this fear? Need you spend the rest of your life wondering if you will be turned away at the door?

According to the Bible, it is possible to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life (1 John 5:13 MSG). How? How can any of us know for sure?

Curiously, it all has to do with the clothing we wear.

Friend, how were you allowed to come in here? You are not dressed for a wedding.

MATTHEW 22:12

JESUS TOLD the parable of a king who planned a wedding party for his son. Invitations were given, but the people refused to come (Matt. 22:3). The king is patient and offers another invitation. This time the servants of the king are mistreated and killed. The king is furious. The murderers are punished, the city is destroyed, and the invitation is re-extended, this time to everyone.

The application of the parable is not complicated. God invited Israel, his chosen ones, to be his children. But they refused. Not only did they refuse, they killed his servants and crucified his Son. The consequence was the judgment of God. Jerusalem was burned, and the people were scattered.

As the parable continues, the king offers yet another invitation. This time the wedding is opened to everyonegood and bad (Matt. 22:10), or Jews and Gentiles. Here is where we non-Jews appear in the parable. We are the beneficiaries of a wide invitation. And someday we will stand at the entryway to the kings castle. But the story doesnt end there. Standing at the doorway is not enough. A certain wardrobe is required. The parable ends with a chilling paragraph.