Northington Campus was a place where married students could live cheaply at the University of Alabama in the early sixties. There were no extras or frills. It didn't resemble the catalog description. Residents would laugh about the noises that came through the thin walls. During WW 2 it had been used to house German prisoners of war, and a hospital for troops.
People selling houses always seem to need some little extra incentive to get people to look at the property and see themselves as the new proud owner. It used to be things like Thermostatically Controlled Floor Furnace, Central Exhaust Fan - with timer. Then came amenities like Central Heat and Air, Self-Cleaning ovens, and Fireplace, Security System, Marble Counter Tops, Tile Floors, etc. All these features designed to make the 3 Bedroom, 2 Bath, with LR, DR, Den with dining area all the more appealing.
Nowadays, it seems that developers, builders and real estate people must come up with even more creative approaches to help us see ourselves in their houses. Recently we have been noticing an increase among gated communities for single family homes, town-houses and apartments. All of that security and peace of mind will come with a higher price tag to be sure.
When Galina and I returned from our mission work in Russia, one of my brothers happened to own a house in a gated community in Highlands, North Carolina. Along with the security code for the house, he gave us instructions on how to get in the gate when there was no attendant on duty. It was embarrassing to call and tell him we lost the code for the gate and could not get in. We were like country come to town.
No one tries to stop you when you leave a gated community. It doesn't matter when you want to leave, you are free to leave anytime you please. But – when you want to get back in, you better know the right code, or have the right sticker or password. We call such communities exclusive, because they exclude people who are not authorized to be there.
The Bible describes heaven as a great city with gates. We remember the beautiful story of Jacob's ladder from the first book of the Bible. He had a dream where he saw a ladder that reached into heaven, and there were angels descending and ascending. He was so excited about the place where he had this dream that he referred to it as Bethel which means "house of God".
God spoke to Jacob in this dream and reminded him that all people on the earth will receive blessings through his offspring. (Genesis 28:14) God had previously made this same promise to Abraham. This promise was fulfilled when Jesus of Nazareth was born and brought salvation to all people who accept Jesus as Lord and Messiah (Christ).
We continue to be amused at the endless flood of stories about "Saint Peter" standing at the gate of heaven with the responsibility of checking to see if those who desire entrance into God's dwelling place are holy enough to be there.
Jesus Christ described the entrance into eternal life as a small gate in one of his parabolic lessons. "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14 NIV) Jesus plainly taught that He is the gate to eternal life. (John 10:7,9) We learn from this that we cannot have entrance into the paradise of God except through faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
People will often refuse to accept Christ as the only Way, and they go off and try to invent their own way to Heaven. On the other hand, they will choose to follow some system of religion that is not based upon Jesus Christ as Lord. If you are attempting to enter one of these gated communities and can't remember the code, you must swallow your pride and admit that you are helpless. Today, when you think about the eternal destiny of your soul, why not stop fighting against God and accept the wonderful gift of His One and Only Son.
You are invited to attend the services of the Church of Christ at the corner of 3rd and E Streets. Write me with any questions or comments David Binkley, Sr., P.O. Box 186, Cedar Key, FL 32625 or E-mail at dgbinkley@aol.com. You may also request to receive the daily WORD OF THE DAY by e-mail. Check out our web site at www.cedarkeychurchofchrist.com. | 