The hotel where hubby and I stayed during our time away had just recently been built. Evidently there are still a few “kinks in the system” which have not quite been worked out yet. And the fire alarm going off in the middle of the night seems to be one of those “kinks” which needs a bit of maintenance work.
After about 30 minutes of waiting outside, everyone was allowed back into the building … but only the lobby.
Everyone spread out and collapsed on the sofas, and the chairs in the breakfast area. Little children in their pj’s with their blankets wandered along behind their parents; one lady had her little dog all zipped up in her jacket to help it stay warm.
Here we all hung out for about 20 minutes more, while the firemen checked the building. Then we were given the announcement that we could all return to our rooms. Hallelujah!
The elevators were crammed with crowds trying to get back up to their rooms. So out into the night hubby and I went again … around to the end of the building where the stairwell was … and up, up, up the stairs to our floor.
We padded down the soft carpeted hallway to our room. But when we reached our room and hubby held the key card up to our door, the electronic door lock would not unlock.
He tried again. And again.
Other hotel guests passed us in the hall and went further on down to their room. Their key card let them in their room just fine.
We tried our key card again.
No. You can’t get in.
Sigh.
Hubby and I retraced our steps to the elevators and headed back down to the lobby. There the hotel worker (who was impressively calm and collected through it all) was wrapping things up with the fire department. Signing important papers of some sort, etc. …
A few other hotel guests mingled around waiting also. They had evidently left their rooms without their key cards when the alarm went off, and they needed new key cards.
Finally, it was our turn and hubby and I stepped up to the desk. The hotel worker gave us a new key card … and we headed back up to our room.
Once more we held the key card up to the electronic lock sensor … but nothing. The door would not unlock.
You can’t get in.
Sigh.
There we stood outside our room … in the hallway. Everyone else was already back in their rooms, and probably back in their comfortable beds once again.
Hubby and I returned to the lobby once more.
We reported our dilemma … whereupon the hotel worker realized that our door’s electronic lock battery was dead. We would need a new battery put in.
But not to worry, the maintenance guy was due to show up in about 15-20 minutes. (I think he had been called to come in and take a look at whatever might have caused the fire alarm to accidentally go off).
So hubby and I settled down in the comfortable chairs in the lobby.
The TV was on (with the sound muted – and closed captions on) and the program which happened to be on at that particular moment was some televangelist asking viewers to send in $58 in order to get a miracle. No joke – they were showing Google maps and zooming in on different locations around the world noting locations where people had just gotten saved. It was a “Salvation Locator.”
Seriously??
That is some high-tech heresy.
The maintenance guy arrived at last (super nice guy) and had us go on back up to our room, saying he would meet us up there in a minute. So up hubby and I headed once more … to sit in the hallway outside of our locked door.
You can’t get in.
The “jingle” of keys coming down the hallway let us know the maintenance guy was here. With some maintenance “magic” he had our door opened and the battery replaced in no time. He had us double-check to make sure the key card worked. Yes! Our key card worked.
We thanked the maintenance guy … he headed off down the hall … and hubby and I stood there in our room, wondering if we should even bother trying to get back to sleep at this point.
The whole event (all of us – everyone in the hotel – being called out, in the middle of the night, when we least expected it) had me thinking about when Jesus returns to earth once again.
Jesus will call us out … when we least expect it!
Jesus Christ himself will descend from heaven.
The trumpet will sound!
A loud command will be given!
And those who have placed their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ will be swept up off this earth and taken immediately to Heaven … to be with Jesus forever and ever!
Not everyone will be swept up to Heaven when the trumpet sounds and the loud command is given! Only those who have repented of their sin and accepted the free gift of salvation which Jesus offers.
Just like hubby and I stood outside our hotel room, and the electronic door sensor would not unlock … so also many people will be expecting entrance into Heaven, and the door to heaven will remain locked.
You can’t get in.
“But,” many people will say, “I watched the televangelist and I gave $58 so that I could get a miracle. I fair-and-square saw all the ‘salvations’ via the ‘Salvation Locator.’”
And God will tell them: You can’t get in.
Jesus speaking warned: “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” – Matthew 7:22-23
“When the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] comes in his glory, and all the angles with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
“Then the King [Jesus Christ] will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’ …
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ …
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” – Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus Christ is the “key card” to open up the doorway into Heaven.
If you do not have Jesus Christ, the door into Heaven will not open for you.
Only Jesus Christ will open up the doorway into Heaven.
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. … Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10:9, 13
