Tickets to Ride

Tickets to Ride

Heb 11:16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

In the light of our backyard neighbors getting ready for a National Championship and all, I though it interesting to have recently visited Gainesville and the infamous Swamp while taking Daniel, my son to a SHANDS appointment.

Daniel is a patient at SHANDS and we always try and make the day a, “Daddy and Daniel day out.” We look forward to these trips as we spend some quality time together. We usually take time together at home relaxing and going out to do the everyday errands, but this event always seems to be our bonding time where we can just be boys. We eat pizza, visit a museum, drive around UF and oftentimes visit the football stadium.

If you didn’t know, the Swamp is open to the public every day of the week. The students and community members take advantage of running the staggering steps to train for athletics or their personal best. Kids and adults meander through the walkways taking in the history of “The Fighting Gators,” a history that I am privileged to have witnessed throughout my lifetime.

As we drove off from our adventure this time around, the idea came to me. During the regular weekdays at the Swamp, you are fine to let yourself in and make yourself at home, for the most part so to speak… But come game day it is a different story.

Indeed.

Imagine that scene in Rudy where the main character can’t get into the game, he walks off discouraged hoping for a brighter day. His passions are temporarily dashed.

Getting into any stadium on game day can be hard. It requires money, connections, tickets and preparations. That’s how it’s like with heaven.

Right now the free gift of grace through faith in Jesus is available for all whom would believe. However, there is coming a game day when a seat in that celestial stadium will require the redemption of a ticket. You cannot just walk into the stadium on that day and enjoy the eternal benefits of the big event.

You’ll need a ticket to ride the bus tram to the stadium and a ticket to enter those pearly gates. God’s Holy Spirit has guaranteed us a spot on the bus ride up to the stadium. Jesus is the ticket to get in. The Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance and Jesus has provided access to the Father to be with Him forever. If you’re a believer you have connections and the ultimate price has been paid.

The thing about earth? Well imagine it is like a faint reflection of The Swamp on game day. It is similar in the way it looks however, very different altogether.

On game day the excitement at the Swamp is electric, it cuts through the air like a knife. You might see a lot of your friends there and everyone generally seems to have an attitude of unity.

Of course compared with The Swamp on game day, heaven’s celestial stadium is very different and much better. Better excitement, expectation, satisfaction and no opposing team trying to mess up your winning season. Everyone is kind, holy, joyful and Godly.

The primary thing is right now we have the chance to be sure we have our tickets and our seat reserved at the game. We have the resources to be prepared and prepare the way for others to go too.

In this game there is more at stake than a national title. It is the eternal value of your very own soul and the souls of all your family and friends, even your enemies, aka, the opposing team here on earth. Your soul is the very essence of your character, your “you part of you.”

Jesus wants to see you on game day and has given you free tickets to the biggest game of all time. Really, it is the celebration of many peoples’ victories and triumphs! It is the chance to worship God eternally for his abounding grace and mercy through Jesus. A monolithic climax so vast it last forever.

Jesus wants you to invite everyone you know and meet to this big event. You have the opportunity to give them the experience of a lifetime. He has enough tickets for everybody too so, “no worries.”

The important thing is that we invite, invite, invite. Go gettem’ and fight, fight, fight. Do your job and work as a team. Don’t get down when things look bad, give it your best effort and keep on fighting for the win.

Right now in this stadium on earth we can let ourselves in and make ourselves at home so to speak, but come game day we are going to need our “tickets to ride” and leave this faint reflection behind.

Have you got your tickets to ride? Why don’t you bring a friend or two? I hear the after game party is a blast.


Ephesians 1:14
This Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive our inheritance. We have this guarantee until we are set free to belong to him. God receives praise and glory for this.