Narrow Gate and Difficult Way

Decisions

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14 

How do we make decisions and choices? What do I do and what don't I do; where do I go and where don't I go; which job should I take; which person should I marry?

Constantly we are faced with choices and we find ourselves at cross roads needing to make decisions.

Should I consider money profit, time profit, the easy way or simply follow the crowd?

The LORD JESUS wants us to ask Him for the right gate and enter by that gate which might not seem inviting to the natural mind. I will be seen as 'Narrow Minded.' The way that He leads us in, may be difficult but it leads to eternal life. The LORD'S presence is with us in our journey on that path.

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 Riches 

Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:16-24

The gates in the wall of Jerusalem are small. So are the gates of the new Jerusalem, each one a pearl of patience. Let us therefore prepare ourselves and prune down and practice to travel light!

 And he who talked with me had a gold reed to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.
Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Revelation 21:15, 21, 25-27 

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Commitment in Marriage

The marriage relationship, as commanded by GOD, is a permanent covenant. Even if it is difficult, we are required not to break it. The LORD establishes this relationship, enables us to endure, and molds us within this covenant relationship. 

If marriage is difficult, so also is singlehood. It has its own challenges to keep oneself pure!

The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?" He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it." 

Matthew 19:3-12 

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Family Members 

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:37-39 

When the LORD JESUS comes into our life, He has take first place in all our relationships.

We have to surrender to Him, everything that means 'life' to us!

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Letting CHRIST Live In and Through Me 

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?" When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.
John 6:60-66 

The LORD requires our natural mind and physical body to conform to His ways.

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:1-2 

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Rewards! 

 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:29 

The LORD'S reward is a hundredfold of all that we give up for His sake in addition to eternal life!

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Endurance!

 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Matthew 24:13

We must also be determined to persist and persevere on this difficult path until the end of our journey on earth. The LORD Himself enables us by His grace!

 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, 

And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 

To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, 

Be glory and majesty, 

Dominion and power, 

Both now and forever. Amen.
Jude 1:24-25 

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 FOCUS

May our FOCUS be on the LORD JESUS and not on the VIRUS!

 Therefore we also, 

since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, 

let us lay aside every weight, 

and the sin which so easily ensnares us, 

and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 

looking unto Jesus, 

the author and finisher of our faith, 

who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 

despising the shame, 

and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2

 The victorious Christian Life

The relationship between God and man has been broken because man has turned away from God in disobedience. Yet God, in His great love, took the first step to reconcile us to Himself and has done everything on His part to enable us to live a victorious life in Him. Now it is upto each one of us to follow His instructions and be overcomers throughout our life on earth.

Because Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden of Eden, all of us are born with a nature that is sinful and rebellious against God. We may be nice people and we may be doing good and helping others, but we cannot by ourselves attain God's standard of holiness. When we stand before God’s judgment throne at our death, all of us will be found deserving of eternal damnation in hell. The only way of escape is the Lord Jesus Who is the Savior of the world.

 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

The first step towards this victory is to be born again by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins, receiving forgiveness granted to us through the blood He shed, receiving Him into our hearts and surrendering our life completely to Him. This we do by faith because spiritual things are not seen by the physical eye.

 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Romans 10:17

God’s amazing love that drew this plan of salvation to justify unworthy sinners, is called grace. Grace is extended to undeserving mankind through God’s Son, Jesus.

 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

When we are born again, we become a child of the Most High God and enter the Kingdom of God. We become a part of the worldwide family of born again believers!

You may call yourself a Christian because your parents are Christians or because you go to Church or because you hang around with Christians. You need to believe in the Lord Jesus and be born again spiritually to be a true Christian.

 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Peter 2:1-3

Just as a newborn baby has to feed and grow and develop, we must study and obey the word of God that is the Bible. Our spiritual breath is the Holy Spirit in us. We must learn to listen to His voice and obey His promptings. Every day we should set aside time to spend in the presence of God alone, quietly, to study the Bible, praise God, worship Him and pray to Him.

 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:4

 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

John 14:13

Jesus is the only door and the only way through Which we may come to Father God.

 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 14:6

The Christian life is a constant decision to deny the rule of our sinful nature so that the Lord Jesus may rule in our lives. We must bring our soul and body under the control of the Holy Spirit.

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1-2

As we grow spiritually, the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit become evident in our lives.

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23

The Lord Jesus said that we cannot bear fruit unless we abide in the vine. He is the plant and we are the branches that bear the fruit. The changes in attitude and behaviour are the signs of a true Christian who is growing spiritually.

 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:1-5

The Christian life is a life of love.

 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:7-8

All of God’s commandments are summarised into two main commandments.

 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Matthew 22:37-40

 We love Him because He first loved us.

1 John 4:19

Having received God’s love in our hearts, we let that pure love flow to others. This is how we progress in our Christian walk. So it is necessary to be a part of a Church assembly and be blessed and learn from the leaders and also be a blessing.

 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13:35

As followers of the Lord, we will be witnesses in the world through our love. We are commissioned to make known the good news of the Gospel so that people will know the love of God and be saved.

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20

LIFE ETERNAL

LIFE ETERNAL

 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. 

Genesis 2:7

 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
Genesis 2:17 

 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:2

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:10-11

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: "Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 
John 17:1-3

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 
1 John 5:11-12

 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26 

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. 
1 John 1:1-3

 But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' "
Matthew 4:4

But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 
John 6:68

Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do?Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.' " Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 
John 6:28-35

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 
John 8:12

 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:4-5 

 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105 

 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. 
Psalm 16:11 

The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below. 
Proverbs 15:24

"Now you shall say to this people, 'Thus says the Lord: "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. 
Jeremiah 21:8

 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.
Psalm 36:8-9

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
John 4:14

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."
John 7:38 

And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. 
Revelation 22:17

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 
Revelation 22:1-3

And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 
Genesis 2:9

Then the Lord God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"-- therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. 
Genesis 3:22-24 

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." ' 
Revelation 2:7

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. 
Proverbs 3:13-18

 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 

Revelation 13:8

 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Revelation 3:5

And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
Philippians 4:3

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."
Luke 10:20 

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20:11-15

But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
Revelation 21:27

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:7-8 

 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness. 

Proverbs 16:31

Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 
James 1:12

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Revelation 2:10

  The breath of life that GOD breathed into Adam and Eve, was His very Spirit that is eternal. That breath gave life that knew only good; enabled them to live connected and in relationship with GOD; Thus they were blessed; Everything was blessed and conditions were perfect; Their bodies were perfect and they were clothed with the glory of GOD! They could eat of the tree of life and live eternally.

When Adam and Eve listened to the serpent, that perfect relationship with GOD was cut off and they died spiritually. When spirituality dies, carnality takes over. 

Just as Adam and Eve made a conscious decision to obey the devil and reject GOD'S word, we have the responsibility now to make a conscious decision to accept GOD, the LORD JESUS, Who comes into us as the Holy Spirit. He is the breath of life Who restores us back to relationship with GOD.

Thus we are as it were, fitted in with the fountain of life which originates from the river of life from the throne of GOD. This free flow of the Holy Spirit is able to quench our spiritual thirst and flows out of our innermost being, bringing spiritual refreshing and blessing to others.

This water of life also makes our life like a fruitful tree of life, bearing the fruit of the Spirit - the attitudes we carry that resemble those of the LORD JESUS and manifest works of righteousness through us. This is the spiritual life that shines as the light of life, drawing others to GOD!

We grow in this spiritual life by feeding on the word of life written in the Bible. JESUS was the physical manifestation of the Word and continues as the Bread of Life Who nourishes our soul as we meditate on Him and abide in Him and He abides in us.

Thus JESUS, Who is the Way of life, guides us on the path of life towards the New Jerusalem.

As we diligently study and follow the instructions given in the Bible, our mind is renewed and we receive a spiritual mindset which is the crown of life. As our hearts remain humble and we are quick to repent of our wrong doings, our sins are blotted out by the blood of the Lamb of GOD. We will then be overcomers and our name will not be blotted out from the Book of life. When death is swallowed up in victory, our spirit and soul that is redeemed will receive an incorruptible body that is clothed with the glory of GOD and we will enter the new Jerusalem where we will live forever in the glorious presence of the Almighty GOD! 

Nothing of the bad, ugly or wicked will be found in heaven. Everything that is good and beautiful will be unimaginably far more glorious! There is no restriction of time and space in heaven, hence no rush or stress!

Since we have such a great hope of eternity, let us prepare while on earth, by entering into rest with the LORD, making peace with Him. Let us develop a spiritual mindset because the carnal mind is death but the spiritual mind is life and peace. Let us not be preoccupied with earthly things as they are only a shadow of heaven. 

Only when we die will we be resurrected. So let us learn to put to death our life of the flesh - the worldliness, lust, selfishness and pride so that we may live as led by the Holy Spirit. Then on the last day we will be raised to eternal life in CHRIST! 

 https://youtu.be/F2emsPPCH4c