THE NARROW ROAD TO HEAVEN

“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 NKJV)

         Jesus is telling us in these verses that the way of the world can be easy, but it is non beneficial to us for it leads to destruction and not salvation.  There’s a high probability that Christ is referencing the false prophets in verse 15 who denounce the difficulty of traveling the narrow road.  There will be trials and tribulations throughout your travels; however, God is with you and in you all the while.  When walking the wide path you walk alone, only having your own meager resources to draw from.  The narrow path requires diligence and determination, yet even the meekest of believers can draw strength from the Lord.  There is nothing that can keep us from attaining the will of God for our lives if we have our mind set on finding and accomplishing it.  The Holy Spirit will move in us and through us to achieve that which we are meant to do.  God has a plan for us all; however, it takes the surrender of ones own will to achieve anything of eternal value.  So for all those who have entered through the narrow gate, turn not to the left or right, but stay focused on the prize that awaits us in heaven.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

THE AWARENESS OF GOD

“Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.”   (Psalm 90:2,4 – NKJV)

        This Psalm, believe it or not, is attributed to Moses.  It points to two very important characteristics of God: 1) that He is eternal, with no beginning or end; and 2) He is not under the constraints of time (or space for that matter).  Sounds very similar to Peter’s statement in his 2 letter … 2 Peter 3:8 (NKJV) “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” Being Jewish and brought up to follow the Ten Commandments, it is very likely that Peter was familiar with Moses Psalm as well.

          Believing that God exists opens up a vast array of scriptural promises to us.  Since He knows our comings and goings there’s nowhere we can go that He is not aware of.  Since He is omnipresent, or all places at one time, there’s nowhere we are than He is not also.  If we have been redeemed by Christ’s blood we are filled with His Holy Spirit, therefore, being a part of the Trinity, God is within us also.  So you see there shouldn’t be anything that concerns us because God is aware of it and is with us in it.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

THE WORD OF GOD

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”  (Psalm 12:6)

            While many choose to dissect God’s word, there are those who choose to accept it as the pure, unadulterated word from the Creator of all things. Dissecting it reveals a lack of trust and a spirit of unwillingness to accept something far greater than we are.  Once we realize that His word is pure, filled with strength and hope, we can draw from it what we need to live a life according to God’s standards.
                Those that are skeptical of Biblical accuracy miss the point.  We are to sit at the feet of the Master and learn from the pages of the one true guide that shows us how to navigate through treacherous waters.  Life is filled with pitfalls and potholes, but those who read God’s word learn how to avoid them.  Even when we get tripped up His word provides comfort for us that those before us tripped up as well.  From their example we find that restoration is but for the asking.  God loves us, which is why He gave us His word.  It is a beacon of light in a world of darkness.  Without God there is no hope.  So cling to God and submit yourself to His word so that peace and contentment may reside in your hearts.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

COMFORT & EDIFY

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”  (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11)

            The Thessalonican believers were both concerned with what would happen to those Christians who died prior to Christ’s Second Coming and exactly when Jesus would return.  Paul addresses their question of the dead in Christ in Chapter 4 verse 17.  The dead in Christ shall rise first at His coming.  As far as exactly when He is coming back for His church, Paul tells them He will come as a thief in the night.  Jesus Himself spoke of the unknown nature of His own return in the gospel of Matthew (24:36-44), stating that only the Father knows the exact time of His return. 

          The Second Coming of Christ is known as The Blessed Hope of the church.  With Christ’s return in mind, Paul tells the Thessalonicans to continue comforting and edifying one another, just as they had been doing.  To edify ^(*) is to build up another’s faith through various means.

          It’s important that we practice this today as well.  We see so much backbiting and divisiveness in churches these days.  This ought not to be.  We are called to encourage and build up the faith of those brothers and sisters around us so that we will all be ready when Christ does in fact return.  Let us focus on harmony rather than discord, making every effort to be like Christ and not succumb to our baser nature.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

^(*) To instruct especially so as to encourage intellectual, moral, or spiritual improvement.

OUR GREAT GOD

“Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours.  Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”  (1 Chronicles 29:11)

            The unknown author of Chronicles is writing to Jews living in Canaan.  His major focus is on God’s eternal covenant, which requires human obedience for the nation of Israel to enjoy the benefits of said covenant. ^(*)  God is shown in scripture to be a God that has no limits.  He is a God who is all-powerful, unchanging, all places at one time and not under the constraints of time and space.  As the writer proclaims, He is great and powerful and glorious and majestic.  Everything in all of creation is the Lords, for He created all things.  God is to be exalted above all others for He is worthy of such exaltation.  There is no one or nothing that is higher than Almighty God. 

          In knowing and accepting this, why would we as believers ever ignore His directives or not trust in His ability to provide for and sustain us.  I know for me it has at times been an out of sight out of mind type of situation.  The circumstances that present themselves at times cause me to lose sight of who is truly in control of all things.  Once I come to my senses and remember that nothing takes places in this life without His knowledge, I relax a bit and His peace that passes all understanding  (Philippians 4:6-7)^(**) takes over.  How about you?  Is God your all in all?  Is He everything to you?  He is without question worthy of all our praise and adoration.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!HisH

(*) Source:  Asbury Bible Commentary; Part II: The Old Testament; 1 & 2 Chronicles; Introduction.

(**) “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

A GENTLE SPIRIT

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”  (Proverbs 15:1)

          I have found in my life that this verse is literally true.  After car accidents, being treated rudely or even being relentlessly harassed, staying calm works far better than raising your blood pressure.  Being kind in the face of injustice or attack can be highly disarming.  The perpetrator isn’t expecting this type of response.  For whatever reason, they are aching for a fight and aim to have one with you.  If you take the passive approach you throw them off guard.  How does a person respond when the individual they want to annihilate leaves their hands limp at their sides and smiles back at them?  This is the predicament the passive, gentle approach leaves the attacker to deal with. If anger continues on its present course it will cause negative consequences.
          Being gentle in the face of anger is just one way we can BE Jesus to someone.  A gentle answer comes from a spirit of humility.  A spirit of humility comes from walking closely with God and living by the standards set forth in scripture.  This is how we are called to live.  It’s a progressive thing, like building a house. Our body is our house, the dwelling our soul & spirit.  Everything else is what we either fill it or adorn it with.  It takes time to become what God intends us to be IN Him.  Give yourself over to the forever changing power of the Holy Spirit and be free in Christ. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!

IT’S IN THE BLOOD

“But when Christ came as high priest … He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation.  He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”  (Hebrews 9:11-12)

       Prior to Christ’s coming, the Jews had to bring a sin offering free from defect to the High Priest to atone for the sins of the previous year.  When Christ came on the scene He became the fulfillment of the previous covenant put in place by God with the Israelites.  No longer would the Jews have to go through this annual ritual.  Since so many Jews rejected Jesus as the long awaited Messiah the door of salvation was opened to gentiles (Romans 11:11-24).  A way to eliminate completely for all time all our sins was provided by our Creator.  The blood Christ shed on the cross at Calvary provided this forgiveness.
       Why do millions of people reject such an offer?  Just as a alcoholic or drug user must acknowledge that they have a problem before they will receive, a person must admit they are a sinner in need of help.  The main issue at hand seems to be their denial in the very existence of God to begin with.  Facing ones flaws is a daunting task for anyone.  Admitting you’re bound for an everlasting hell separated from God for all eternity requires a certain level of humility and acceptance.  Without it you will miss out on the greatest gift ever to be offered to mankind.   You have to push aside all you think you know about God and open your heart to receive the truth.  Your comfort zone will be shaken as you are asked to trust in an unseen deity to wipe your slate clean, in a manner of speaking.  Regardless of the question, Christ is the answer.  Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!