Good Morning Sunshine! Pick The Right Gate!

Matthew 7:13-14 NIV ~ “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.”

On this final saying from Jesus on the Sermon on the Mount, He is giving you a warning. Jesus is telling you that you need to be cautious, and if you are lost, He is telling you where they are headed and that you should be aware of your eternal life for this destination should be clearly understood!

No one likes rules, limits or restrictions, and you will criticize anyone who tries to convince otherwise. But this is where you go wrong. When you are left to your own way, the way of your own choosing, you always end up at war or you create a mess out of things! A lot of people are walking down big and wide roads without ever even thinking about it. Stop and think about where you are really going. Do you want to go to hell or heaven, it’s your choice?

You see when you have no sense of right and wrong, and you don’t understand your need for redemption, it’s this kind of mindset that will lead you to a disaster. Jesus challenged His disciples, and He is challenging you today. He wants you to choose to walk down the less-traveled route, I know it may seem hard, but with Him leading on the path, you will make it. path. Yes, it’s a harder path to travel, but it will bring you the ultimate victory and you know this because Jesus has already walked that path before you!

Jesus says that “there is a narrow gate, small gate and narrow way is harder to find than the wide gate” and that you must intentionally seek it, and be deliberate in your looking for it, for when you are not, and you will follow any and every one that is going through the wide gate and you will not escape destruction, just like them. For there is only one way to the Father, it’s through accepting the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and you need your faith to believe it; for this is the narrow way and it leads to life, a life of abundance!

You see the broad road that you see many people following, saying that they want a relationship with God, is pretenders, it sounds good to say that you are following Him with your mouth, but your heart is far from Him, this is called religion; Ezekiel 33:30-33, and religion is your attempt to make yourself acceptable to a holy God. Religion is not the way! Choose wisely which gate you need to go through, for it is the narrow way that will lead you to life in Jesus; this is what makes you acceptable!

Only a few will find this road because they are not willing to go against the grain and be different and accept God’s way to obtain eternal life, John 15:19 NIV, “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” Jesus is the only legitimate way to a relationship with God, it’s His way, and only His Way will get you through! There are only two ways to respond to Jesus Christ, you will either accept Him or to reject Him. There is no middle road!

Today, I want you to strive to enter through the narrow gate, the narrow way, for this is the best and only way. For so many, Jesus will say to you, you sought the wrong gate and now you will not be able to enter through the narrow way, Luke 13:24. I want to encourage you to go against what is so easily available to you and take a stand to take the road less traveled by the majority of the people who are around you. Yes, do what Jesus says, “take the narrow gate that leads to eternal life!” You will be better because of the choice you made today, it will save your soul and life!

Let’s Pray:
Father, have Your way with my heart, my thoughts, my words, my time, my job, my family, and my life. I want to live in a way that pleases You in all things. Father, You are a Righteous and Holy God, and I Thank You for the strength that You give me each day that I may walk on Your straight path and not be led astray by the people that refuse to hear Your voice and live according to Your will. Father, help me to stay on the narrow path of trusting in You alone for my salvation, for there is no way that I can work my way to heaven. Father, help me not to be like the world, using religion as a crutch and not building a true relationship with You, and I am not to be like the world, You have chosen me to stand apart and be different. Father, I repent for every time I went down the wrong road, thank You for keeping and sustaining me! I’m grateful! Father, give me the faith, power, discipline, discernment and love to follow You down the road of life and to reject sin and trust in Your grace alone. Father, help me to do the right things for the right reasons at all times and help me to know it’s okay to go against the grain and not be like everyone else, but to desire to live a holy and righteous life for You, in You and because of You. In the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Blessings…
Minister Jean