"Dad! Dad!" called out Jamie excitedly. "Dad, the fourth movie, in the series of 'The Chronicles of Narnia', 'The Silver Chair', is being screened this week. It will be shown at the theatre at the Pavilion. We need to make reservations for the exclusive screening dad!"
"Oh, yes dad," exclaimed Julie, "It is only for those who make reservations online."
"Ok then," said their dad, Mr Piper, "Let us make online reservations, for this Saturday, right now."
So dad, mum, Jamie and Julie made online reservations for the movie, 'The Silver Chair'. It was a long awaited movie after 'The Dawn Treader'. These were a series of movies based on the series of novels entitled, 'The Chronicles of Narnia' written by C.S. Lewis. The children had grown up reading the novels and watching the first three series as movies. They were so excited to watch the fourth.
The year was 2019 and the fourth of the Chronicles was being screened specially for a private audience.
As the day drew near, there was excitement in the air. Finally the actual day arrived. Dad and mum had gotten ready to go. They were waiting for Jamie and Julie. Dad knocked on Jamie's room door, "Jamie are you ready?"
"Oh dad, I have a soccer tournament today and I can't go," said Jamie. "If you cancel it, you can still come with us Jamie," exclaimed dad. "Sorry dad, although I made reservations, I can't go," said Jamie.
Just then Julie came out of her room all dressed up. "Come on, let's get going Julie," said mum. "Sorry mum, but my bestie is having her birthday celebration today and I have to be there," said Julie. "Julie, why don't you cancel it and come with us? After all you children were so excited and wanted to watch the movie together as a family," exclaimed mum. "Sorry mum, I can't," said Julie.
Therefore dad and mum went for the screening of the movie all by themselves. Jamie and Julie could not make it although they had made reservations. They deliberately chose not to go, even though seats were already reserved for them.
Just like the Piper family, we believers have seats reserved specially for us in heaven. Our seats are reserved because we have accepted Christ Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and have been baptised in His name. Yet we cannot occupy our seats if we choose not to go there. We will lose our seats permanently.
You may ask, "We want to go heaven. How then, can we lose our seats?"
We can lose our seats by being disobedient to God's Word. We can lose our seats by not remembering to keep the appointment(to walk in the way we Christians are to walk) and fixing other appointments(walking in the ways of the world). That is called sin.
The ways of the world are very attractive and pleasurable. But we have to choose what we really need to help us go to heaven.
We can go and occupy our seats in heaven if we repent and keep our divine appointment(be obedient and walk in the way Jesus taught us).
In the first place, knowing that they had made reservations for the movie, Jamie and Julie should not have made plans with their friends. Even then, if Jamie Piper and Julie Piper had cancelled their appointments with their friends and had gone with their parents, they could have occupied their seats. But they missed the wonderful opportunity of a lifetime.
Do you want to know what happened to them in the end? Well, there was a thunderstorm that evening and Jamie's soccer tournament was cancelled. As for Julie, her bestie was suddenly taken ill, and the birthday party was cancelled. Both Jamie and Julie spent their time miserably at home, thinking of all the fun they missed as their parents were enjoying themselves at the show.
This is exactly what would happen to us if we miss our divine appointment with God. We would be spending the rest of eternity miserably in hell fire thinking of all the good times we were missing in heaven. We would be thinking, "If only I had not been so foolish to walk in the ways of the world. If only I had repented and walked in the ways of the Lord!" At least Jamie and Julie were still at home. But once we die and go to hell instead of heaven, there will be no turning back. Eternity will have to be spent there.
The bible says, in Romans 12:2 'And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.' We need to discern with the help of the Holy Spirit. He is the Wisdom of God and He will teach us which way to go.
There is no such thing as, ' Once reservation has been made, I will make it'! No! We have to repent and keep our appointment with God! We must walk in the way Jesus taught us. We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling aa Paul writes to the Philippians 2:12
Finally we must obey the commands of Jesus as He taught us in Matthew 22:37-39 - Love God with all your heart and soul and mind and love your neighbour as yourself.
So let's enjoy our well deserved and well 'reserved' place in heaven for all eternity, when we are called home!
*[Footnote for parents] Do take time to explain to your children that all that seems 'Good' in this world may not be good for their soul. They must discern God's will in everything they think, say and do.
Mary Augustine
11/03/2018
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