By Craig Manners
21st November 2024
"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:2-3
When I was a young boy and we had family holidays all planned and booked I would find myself excitedly longing for the time to come when we would set off on that adventure.
Initially they would be the family school holidays down to Esperance from Kalgoorlie, where my grandfather Charlie had a farm and we had a small holiday flat.
Then as a teenager it would be to Perth. In early adulthood I fell in love with travelling and ended up visiting over 45 countries. I always looked forward to going somewhere new and found it very exciting. In 2009 I had my first visit to Malawi, and then ever since I have looked forward to my next visit to Malawi. I had found a place on earth which I loved, had a God given sense of purpose, and wanted to be more than any other place.
Having lived in Malawi from 2010 to 2012, if it had been God's will, I would most definitely have been overjoyed to live in Malawi from 2012 onwards, but His will is best, and it wasn't that. So, I have had to be content with short visits since then.
When you prepare to travel to anywhere, you need to organize it. Booking flights, accommodation, car hire. None of these things will just happen unless you have organized them. There is work involved. There is financial cost involved. You have to pay for it.
The absolute best destination you could ever prepare to travel to is Heaven. But how do we get a ticket to Heaven? How can we organize such a trip? How could we ever afford such a trip?
Well, we can't!
BUT... the good news is that if you trust Jesus Christ, He has already made ALL the travel arrangements. He bought a ticket for you on the Cross. It is not a ticket that any amount of money on earth could buy. It is not a ticket any amount of human influence or work could ever secure for you.
If you ask Jesus to be your Saviour, He provides this ticket to you completely free of charge!
It is very costly though. He gave His life for your ticket! For you. Why?
Because God so loved the world, so loved you, that He gave His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in your place, so you could be reconciled with Him and spend all eternity with Him in Heaven. (John 3:16).
Once you have your ticket to Heaven, it is extra exciting because you don't even know the date of travel. So, you get the excitement of looking forward to something which could happen at any time. '
Meanwhile we know that Jesus Himself is preparing your room. It will be ready for your arrival, and it is going to be the absolute best travel destination you could imagine. We also know He will come back to earth to take you there personally! How good is that!
So, seek Christ, ask Him to save you, secure your free ticket and follow Him faithfully the rest of your earthly days, as you look forward to the adventure and perfection of Heaven.
Go to church. Read the Bible. Get married. Have children. Raise your family. Leave a godly legacy. Wait excitedly and enter into Heaven, the best travel destination ever.
Jesus. The best life on earth. A ticket to true life for eternity in Heaven.
See you in Heaven!
Craig Manneres
21st November 2024
"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:2-3
When I was a young boy and we had family holidays all planned and booked I would find myself excitedly longing for the time to come when we would set off on that adventure.
Initially they would be the family school holidays down to Esperance from Kalgoorlie, where my grandfather Charlie had a farm and we had a small holiday flat.
Then as a teenager it would be to Perth. In early adulthood I fell in love with travelling and ended up visiting over 45 countries. I always looked forward to going somewhere new and found it very exciting. In 2009 I had my first visit to Malawi, and then ever since I have looked forward to my next visit to Malawi. I had found a place on earth which I loved, had a God given sense of purpose, and wanted to be more than any other place.
Having lived in Malawi from 2010 to 2012, if it had been God's will, I would most definitely have been overjoyed to live in Malawi from 2012 onwards, but His will is best, and it wasn't that. So, I have had to be content with short visits since then.
When you prepare to travel to anywhere, you need to organize it. Booking flights, accommodation, car hire. None of these things will just happen unless you have organized them. There is work involved. There is financial cost involved. You have to pay for it.
The absolute best destination you could ever prepare to travel to is Heaven. But how do we get a ticket to Heaven? How can we organize such a trip? How could we ever afford such a trip?
Well, we can't!
BUT... the good news is that if you trust Jesus Christ, He has already made ALL the travel arrangements. He bought a ticket for you on the Cross. It is not a ticket that any amount of money on earth could buy. It is not a ticket any amount of human influence or work could ever secure for you.
If you ask Jesus to be your Saviour, He provides this ticket to you completely free of charge!
It is very costly though. He gave His life for your ticket! For you. Why?
Because God so loved the world, so loved you, that He gave His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in your place, so you could be reconciled with Him and spend all eternity with Him in Heaven. (John 3:16).
Once you have your ticket to Heaven, it is extra exciting because you don't even know the date of travel. So, you get the excitement of looking forward to something which could happen at any time. '
Meanwhile we know that Jesus Himself is preparing your room. It will be ready for your arrival, and it is going to be the absolute best travel destination you could imagine. We also know He will come back to earth to take you there personally! How good is that!
So, seek Christ, ask Him to save you, secure your free ticket and follow Him faithfully the rest of your earthly days, as you look forward to the adventure and perfection of Heaven.
Go to church. Read the Bible. Get married. Have children. Raise your family. Leave a godly legacy. Wait excitedly and enter into Heaven, the best travel destination ever.
Jesus. The best life on earth. A ticket to true life for eternity in Heaven.
See you in Heaven!
Craig Manneres
