FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

Once discovered, the improperly dressed man in the story stood speechless, “Self-condemned before a court from which there was no appeal.” 502 He offered no explanation and made no effort to defend himself. And so it was by the pool at that fancy motel.We stood silenced before the authorities, “without a leg to stand on,” as we like to say in the south. Observe, finally, that once exposed, in the parable faced eviction, which is exactly what happened to us in Hawaii. Busted, we were back on the beach, admiring those swanky places from a distance. In our central text, “The king said to the servants,‘Bind him hand and foot. And throw him into the outer darkness. (Matthew 22:13). As if being thrown out of the reception wasn’t bad enough, the man ends up in a place of bleakness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.This clearly describes hell, a place we discussed thoroughly in chapter three. A few years ago, I attended a pro golf tournament in Atlanta. After getting off the shuttle bus, I took a wrong turn and walked into a paved, fenced area. Suspicious at the lack of spectators nearby, I soon discovered I had wandered into the lot where the players came to park their cars. Members of the press scurried about hoping to get interviews with the likes of TigerWoods. And there I was, right there in the middle of the whole thing.The bubble burst when a security guard came up and asked to see my credentials. Once again, I was ousted. Fortunately, this isn’t going to happen at the great wedding supper of the Lamb. “How can I be so sure?” you might ask. I didn’t purchase my ticket from a shady guy hanging around outside the pearly gates. Also, I’ll not be there improperly dressed, without proper credentials. Rather, I’ll enter to take part in this wonderful celebration clothed with the Lord Jesus Christ, basing my presence on the fact that He

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