Do you have the proper travel documents for your trip?

Properly stamped passport

I enjoy traveling to other countries. Don't do it as much as I would like but I enjoy visiting the many varied destinations on our wonderful planet Earth. Of course to travel to another country there are certain requirements that must be met: the traveler usually must have a valid passport and visa.....

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I've been thinking about this since I got my new 'machine readable ' passport recently and as a result I am free to travel to almost anywhere I please, but for many destinations I still require a visa in order to be permitted entry as well as being allowed to stay. In my country would-be visitors are indeed carefully monitored to see if they possess the required travel documents whether it is for a visit of one day, one week, one month or one ye...well you get the picture. Pre-departure dialogue on travel day usually consists of 'ticket?...check',  'passport?..check', 'visa?..check'  'good, we're ready'.

So what about God's Kingdom? Are there any travel documents required for there? Of course! Like anywhere else you require your passport and visa. You know those familiar cartoon drawings of St. Peter at the gates of Heaven with a book and quill pen? Well let's modernize it for our times with St. Peter at an immigration booth. the conversation might go like this:

St. Peter: Welcome to Heaven. May I see your passport and ticket please?

You: Here it is.

St. Peter: Thank you. I see it was  issued in FAITH, good. Now let me see the date. Ah yes, still valid from the date of Baptism, good. Now let me find the visa. Yes here it is: LOVE. All your documents are in order. How long do you intend to stay?

You: Oh, For all Eternity.

St. Peter: Of course. I know you'll enjoy your stay! This way please.

My friends, our only ticket to heaven is HOPE,   the passport that allows us to leave here and travel to there is FAITH , and the visa that must be stamped into the passport that will allow you to enter and stay is LOVE. Nothing else can substitute and you will be denied entry.

Do you have the proper travel documents for your planned trip there?

Peace.