Tag Archives: eternal life

“NARROW!” I Said, “Narrow!”

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13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7)

What is this “narrow gate”?  And why did Jesus say, “few there are who find it”?

The narrow gate is this: “37 . . .Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22)

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” (Luke 13:24)

The reason why there are so few who find it and enter, has everything to do with greed.  Men are destroyed because they want everything for nothing.

No man will enter the hope and Holy will of God, thus eternal life, without putting Christ first among all his things.  Take note of how greedy desire restrains you.  Take note of how callously you use the name of Christ Jesus.  Take notice how carefully you avoid prayer.  Take note of how many pages in your new Bible are still uncut.

How can any man travel any distance while he has tethered himself to a heavy weight?  All the pleasures that belong to this world will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Nor will the man who holds them dear.

Look within you.  See, with honesty, what you hold dear.  Is it the will of God?  Or is it love for what you can gain here? 

You say you don’t know the will of God.  I ask you, have you looked into it?  Or have you preoccupied yourself with all the pleasures of this world you can gather?

There are two reasons why most men never enter the narrow gate.  The first is that they hate restriction.  The second is they love pleasure more than they love God.

If you want more provocation to do what is right, consider this, “Broad is the way that leads to destruction and many go in there by.”  If you are one of those, you will certainly be destroyed.

If you don’t care if you are destroyed, what more can be said.  But if you care about whether you live or die, be wise.  The choice is entirely yours. 

Follow the crowd and you will die.  Follow after God and you will live.  Follow the crowd and you will feel safe.  Follow after God and they will abandon you.

By His Grace

“Yes!”

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God says, “Yes“.  And he has engraved that Holy Word in the Holy Blood of his Holy Son across all creation!

He says “yes” to our desire to live forever.  He says “yes” to everything that is righteous and good.

If we do not live, as if he has said “yes” to us then, by whatever measure we fall short, we call him a liar.  It is established that God cannot lie.  So then who are we to refuse his answer?

He says “yes“, and so there is sure joy toward the promise of eternity.  He says “yes“, and so we become a righteous people in His Holy Christ.

The first is to believe and be set free from all the things that bring failure and shame.  The second is to “become” and overcome sin and temptation.  The first gives us strength to honor his Holy Name and testify with great boldness, even in the face of hatred and ridicule; even in the face of wicked and unholy doubt. 

The second gives our testimony the strongest possible foundation.  This is the strength to stand with glory; that standing which causes men to wonder and marvel.  We become His “yes” before their very face

God has said “yes” in the very suffering and blood of His Holy Son.  He has said “yes” to the destruction of all who do not believe and remain in the filthy death of unbelief.   He has said “yes” to any man who desires righteousness from his Holy Hand, and looks for it earnestly.

How do we dare say no?  Let us combine our knowledge with faith, and rise up to give Him the glory that is rightfully His! 

Let us not be like those who fell, dead forever, in the desert!  Let us be as the example of Stephen, his holy and righteous servant!

The Chasm of Difference

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John the Baptist (poverty-stricken, feared and faithful) :

“Repent from your sinful ways or die!  Seek God’s kingdom and live.”

Silk tongued preachers  (wealthy in the things of this world, beloved and accepted, and full of abomination):

“Jesus loves you.  Do as you will.  He will save you in the end.”

Notice any difference?  Take note of the kind of people they are, who pay attention to the message of each.

The kingdom of God is real, so is hell.  What God’s people say to the world matters.

OPEN!

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Open, O’ will of mine.  Open to the Will of God!  Sleep no more.  Wake and open.

Receive those things He is so desirous to grant.  Open and receive.

 

Leave these things of abomination!  Seek the face of He who Lives Forever!

Stop!  Turn.  He calls your name.

Will you listen, O’ soul of mine?  Will you hear His Holy words and do them?

If not, answer me!  Tell me why you refuse.  What restrains you?

He offers life!  Why do you balk?

Open, O’ will of mine!  Open to the Holy Will of God!

The Place of No Return

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I write this as help to my brothers and sisters in Christ.  I write this as instruction to the wicked that they may understand.  I write this as admonition and hope.  If you will bear with it, there will be understanding.

A man wakes and guilt covers him.  Perhaps as he closed his eyes the guilt restrained his sleep until his flesh could fight no more.  He is aware of the holiness of God.  He is aware of his own utter lack.  This awareness has crushed multitudes, and they never rise again.

Many arrive to this place of understanding.  They perceive the nature of “good”.   They also perceive the nature of their own wickedness.  This perception can be a wall of steel brick 7000 miles high.  Here, millions have died for lack of faith.

What does a man do, before the perfect face of God, when he finds he is guilty of sin?  What repairs can be made? What action can be taken?

We are forced to consider the righteousness of God.  Regardless our sin, he is faithful and true.  His Son did not bleed for no reason.  Therefore if we believe that, what we must do becomes clear.

We approach God in prayer confessing our sins.  He responds by freeing our conscience.  Now we must rise and start the war again.  Not to believe, is to call God a liar.  Not to believe this to say: “Christ died for nothing”.  We cannot do that.   Such a saying is worse than our sin.

How useless is it to beat yourself for the things you have done?  There is a mountain to climb.  Wallowing in your pityful state does no good.  It brings no glory to Christ.  And it does not fulfill the Word of God.  Not to mention the devastating blow to our testimony.  We teach, by necessity, what we believe.

I understand how difficult it is to let go and just run.  But if we believe God, what choice is there?  He takes no pleasure in our sin.  But it is his pleasure to see us have faith and go. 

Again, the proof of his desire is in the death of his Son.  He encountered death for the will of God.  The will of God reaches to reunite what is broken.  And that he has accomplished through His Holy Son.

“The Faith” does not wallow in disrepair.   It stands as quickly as legs can find balance, and strives toward obedience.  Faith that comes through any other means than the Holy Blood of Christ is no strength of faith at all.  But understanding and strength come when we believe the Holy Word of God regarding the sacrifice of his Son.

Have you been wallowing in your frailty for years?  Isn’t it about time to believe?

“Places Everyone!”

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For some odd reason people do not consider their place in heaven.  I don’t know what people believe concerning this.  For I cannot recall anyone ever speaking of it.

The Lord speaks of the rewards of heaven as being somewhat equal.  But there are places to be given.  There are honors to be handed out.

Some will be given great things.  Others will receive the barest of necessities.  There is a greatest and a least.

When the unsaved are judged we are told there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  They will perceive what is to be gained yet see nothing for themselves.  And the Lord speaks of surprises even among his people.

When many see what is received by those who have been diligent in the gospel, they will be their breast with regret.  Though they are given eternal life and the joy that accompanies such a gift,  their loss will be appreciable.  And they will know the fault is theirs.

Let this message Sink in.  Many will poo fa this as opinion.  Still many others will give this no consideration at all.  The sad thing is none of them will debate with me.

As a man sows, so shall he reap.  Those who join in the Battle of the cross are bound to receive a proper reward for their service.  Judge for yourself, what reward might there be for simply sitting on the sidelines and watching the blood flow?