Book Spotlight: Beyond Heaven’s Door

Inspired by the book Beyond Heaven’s Door by Max Lucado.

It’s been four years since I first read Beyond Heaven’s Door by Max Lucado. I wasn’t planning to pick it up again so soon, but last Sunday, God placed a very heavy burden on my heart. I needed to read this book, and I needed to write a blog post about it. Although I didn’t understand at first, God was very insistent. So insistent that I felt anxious and guilty the one day I skipped reading!

Now that I’ve finished, I find myself marveling at the tender love of God. My friends, this post is not about me or what I’ve been learning. This is a message for you from the heart of God. It’s for the one who messed up and doesn’t know what to do next. It’s for the weary soul growing sick of this broken world. It’s for the faithful one plodding forward with much toil and little recognition. It’s for the one who wonders if heaven is anything more than a fairytale. It’s for you.

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; That where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” ~ John 14:1-4 NKJV

Nevertheless, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” ~ Matthew 7:21 NKJV Although the door to heaven is open to all, the path there is narrow (Matthew 7:13-14).

In his book, Beyond Heaven’s Door, Max Lucado explains that only those who meet the dress code are allowed in the door of heaven. This is not your typical dress code. This is clothing only God can provide. That’s what makes it so distinct and special.

“When a person becomes a follower of Christ, when sins are confessed and the grace of Jesus is accepted, a wonderful miracle of the soul occurs.” ~ Beyond Heaven’s Door, Chapter 3

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ~ Isaiah 61:10 NKJV

But what does it practically mean to be clothed in righteousness? In her Bible study on The Armor of God, Pricilla Shirer says, “Righteousness is about remembering the truth of who you are in Christ. There is no room for perfectionism.”

Righteousness is not something you can earn. It is something bestowed on us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. But like any other gift, it must be opened, explored, and used. You must walk, wear, and live out your identity in Christ.

“God has only one requirement for entrance into heaven: that we be clothed in Christ.” ~ Chapter 4

If you have met this requirement, have no fear. Jesus replaced all your tattered, sin drenched robes with His own fresh, white ones. He put our sinfulness upon Himself and nailed it to the cross. “As he died, his blood flowed over our sins. They were cleansed by his blood. And because of this, when Christ brings us to heaven, we have no fear of being turned away at the door.” ~ Chapter 4

But what does the promise of heaven mean for us right now? How does it change the way we live and act?

The promise of heaven means life is eternal. Nothing is in vain. Nothing is wasted. Those hours you spent raising your children will multiple blessings upon the next generation and the next. Your faithfulness to your calling will reap a great reward. All the times you spent waiting, all the times it felt like your dreams were dying on the vine, were really seasons of planting.

This is a reason to hope! “Any farmer who grieves over the burial of a seed needs a reminder: a time of planting is not a time of grief.” ~ Chapter 5 For out of death comes resurrection and transformation.

There is another reason to hope. Those aches and pains you fight both physically and emotionally are temporary. “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” ~ Revelation 21:4 NKJV There are no chronic illnesses in heaven. There every wound shall be healed once and forever.

Have you ever felt forgotten, left out, or rejected? Take heart, my friend. You are seen and loved beyond compare! One day every act of kindness, every sacrificial deed, every offering of love will be recognized. No, good works are not required to enter heaven. Rather, they are a sign of the transformation in your heart. They are the fruit of your faithfulness, and God cheerfully praises His followers.

“For all we don’t know about the next life, this much is certain. The day Christ comes will be a day of reward. Those who went unknown on earth will be known in heaven. Those who never heard the cheers of men will hear the cheers of angels. The small will be great. The forgotten will be remembered. The unnoticed will be crowned, and the faithful will be honored.” ~ Chapter 9

There is so much more I could say. If this post has stirred your heart, I hope you will purchase a copy of Beyond Heaven’s Door for yourself. Dive into the pages and wonder at the promises. It’s real, it’s true, and it could be your hope too.

Heaven is the place my soul longs for. It’s where my Heavenly Daddy dwells. My heart begs to sit in the throne room and rest my head on His lap. That’s where my soul truly belongs.

Friends, in case you ever doubted it, “Heaven is an honest land. It is a land where the shadows are banished by the face of Christ.” ~ Chapter 19

We’re living in uncertain times. With the threat of COVID-19, death has never felt so close. But even in this time of chaos, I can be at peace. I know who holds the world. I know where I’m going. I hope you do too. Now is not a time for regrets.

If you’ve messed up, cry out to God. He will forgive you like the Prodigal Son and show you what to do next. Dear weary soul, don’t lose hope. I know it’s hard. Call out to Jesus, and He will comfort your spirit. Oh faithful one, your efforts are seen. Stay the course. And to those who wonder, heaven is real. Although heaven is just a place, it is the home of our Living Hope, and our home is with Him. This hope changes the way you think, and it changes the way you live.

“You have been chosen by Christ. You are released from your old life in your old house, and he has claimed you as his beloved.” ~ Chapter 20 This is your new identity in Christ. Believe it and live it. I hope to see you beyond heaven’s door one day.

All is Grace, Esther Noe

Disclaimer: I own no rights to this book nor am I affiliated with it. These are simply my reflections. All credit goes to Max Lucado and his publishers. This review was not required. All thoughts are my own.