“A time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the church will have clowns entertaining the goats.” —Charles Spurgeon
The words of Christ from the Holy Bible below say that few be that find the way to eternal life with God. Why do many choose the large gate and broad way with much company? Why do many choose to live only for the flesh and choose to reject the spirit of the living God? Why do many choose to live totally unconfined, and totally uncontrolled living to please only self?
Why do many daily choose to walk the broad road to serve the flesh and do evil in the eyes of God? When we choose to serve the world and the evil one of this world we are on the broad road leading to hell.
When we walk in the flesh and not in the Spirit of God we are walking down the wrong road. Are these words spoken by Jesus Himself telling us that as many who make the Rapture there will be as many who miss the Rapture?
Are the words of Jesus saying that many will go to destruction by not taking the narrow way leading to the strait gate? The word few is the key word here.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”.
Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
I recently heard a powerful anointed message from my son in law on the broad paved road that leads to the wide gate that leads to hell. He challenged the congregation to search their hearts to make sure they were ready to meet Jesus and were on the narrow path to heaven. God through the Holy Spirit is speaking to his messengers to speak truth to the people.
This message started with talking about the much traveled road that was smooth and easy to travel. He talked about the wide paved crowded road that was agreeable to all works of the flesh and worldly pleasures. He said the wide gate at the end of this road was backed up with travelers.
The wide gates going into this area look enticing and fun. He talked of all the sin filled things that trap many traveling down this broad paved road to this wide gate. There are seemingly many pleasures down this broad paved road, but they will lead to destruction.
These seemingly pleasures never fill the void in your heart that only God can fill. It is often a wildly celebrated party going down this road. He talked of sin issues that get a hold of people that separate them from God. He mentioned that he was not judging or doubting anyone’s salvation, but we must inspect our hearts and know that Jesus truly lives in us.
This broad paved road leads to hell and many will go that way.
He then shifted gears to another road. This road is narrow and looks like it is seldom taken. He talked about a narrow straight path like you would see out hiking in the woods. This road is a straight narrow path that looks untraveled. This road is a path of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a daily relationship with Him. This path seeks through the power of the Holy Spirit to live in righteousness before the Lord.
This narrow road can only be followed with the spirit of God living in your heart through salvation in Jesus. This road is the straight and narrow and leads to eternal life with Jesus. This is a life that one lives for Christ and strives to walk daily in the spirit of God and not in the flesh. This is the only road where the void and emptiness in ones heart can be filled by God’s presence.
There is nothing of this world that can fill the void in the human soul but Jesus. The spirit of God lives in the born again believer traveling down this road. This narrow path leads to heaven and few will find that way.
When sin is not being preached about and warnings to the saints a lukewarm church will be the result. They have a form of Godliness, but deny the power of the Holy Spirit. The words of Christ’s say that in the last days that many would be lukewarm and would be rejected by God. They are rich and in need of nothing. Scripture could not be any plainer with Christ’s very words telling us that he will reject these that have grown lukewarm.
Revelation 3:16 “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
Revelation 3:17 “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”
When the Word of God is preached the world will come out against you. Upon completion of this wonderful sermon there were those that disagreed with this sermon and accusingly said works was preached and not faith. This couldn’t be farther from the truth because everything he said was backed up by God’s Holy Word—the Bible.
Often there are those that attempt to take out of context passages in the Bible. They somehow want to twist the plan of God and pervert the grace of God to cover their lifestyle of sin. They have a problem with the Scriptures and living a righteous life for God that is written in the Bible. In comparison of two of the many writers of the New Testament we see that Paul and James do not contradict each other on faith and works, but they complement each other.
What both men wrote in the Bible was inspired by God and God never contradicts himself. Paul’s focus at times was on the unsaved man and how he might get right with God through his one and only son Jesus. James primary focus at times was on the already saved person and how he might show his faith and demonstrate the reality of that faith. James was talking about how a person of faith must live after receiving Christ by faith in his saving blood. The writing of Paul talks also of works in addition to faith.
Paul writes that we are his workmanship and must aspire to do good works. Before the conversion of Paul he was a servant of sin and of divers lust and pleasures and after the Holy Spirit came into his heart after salvation he was a new creation and was born again. He was called to grace by the Holy Spirit of God to follow Jesus down this straight and narrow road. All the passages of the Bible below are written by Paul. Our works are only accepted by God when we have faith in Jesus and his saving blood.
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Titus 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”
Philippians 2:12 “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”.
Phillipians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
Col. 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
In an evening service I heard another message from my Father on heaven. I stand in awe of God and his direction of the Holy Spirit. I am truly amazed at how often I have heard lately from other believers the passage of Scripture of wide is the gate, but narrow is the way.
In our journey to make heaven our home are there going to be those that will miss the Rapture that are deceived by thinking they are saved, but have not accepted Christ through faith? Are there going to be those that attend church regularly, but live a life of sin and have never accepted Jesus by faith?
Will there be those who miss the Rapture that do great works for the kingdom of God and never truly accepted Christ by faith? Are there going to be those that will miss the Rapture who are deceived by thinking they can do works for Christ to make up for their un-repented sins and completely nonexistent relationship with Christ?
An earlier message from my son in law talked about a relationship with a spouse. Would there be much of a relationship with a spouse if they only saw each other and talked briefly for an hour or so on Sunday? What if they only saw each other a couple times a year or less?
What if they did as they please all week and just stopped by for a quick visit once a week or once in a while? What if they done things over and over to hurt the other and sometimes took great joy in inflicting this pain. Would an unapologetic half hearted sorry be enough to sustain this relationship? Would the apology be accepted if they knew the cycle of betrayal would begin hours later?
If this is the kind of relationship you have with God please search your heart and ask forgiveness and follow Jesus down that straight and narrow road. Will pride stand in the way in the hearts of man to admit there is perpetual sin in their life and only Jesus can take it away? My grandfather always said, “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.”
If you are walking the broad paved road of sin and there is no difference between you and the world, will the Lord know you on judgment day? We are talking about your eternal soul and where you will spend eternity.
Matthew 7:21 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:22 “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?”
Matthew 7:23 “And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Repent and ask forgiveness of your sins, have faith in Christ and Him alone, serve God with all your heart and soul, live the most righteous and holy LIFE you can before God, and worship God in Spirit and in truth before it is too late.
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Beware of and do not attend churches that have false worship, false Christians, and false teachings of God. Beware that there are many who profess to know God and this includes pastors. Many have an outward ministry and externally receive the gospel and profess Jesus.
Many are lost and have no desire to deny sin and have no love for a holiness of LIFE. Many profess in words and works that they know the Lord, but they deny the power of the Holy Spirit to work in their lives and reside in their souls. They are born again by words only and not by the power of the Spirit of God. There is no true repentance and desire to hate sin.
They hold on to the things of the world that has become idols in their LIFE and are separated from God. Beware of professing believers and preachers that are hanging onto the world with one hand and are holding onto God with the other hand. Beware of churches that have emotional gatherings that have a form of Godliness, but deny the power of a genuine move of the Holy Spirit.
Churches and ministers that are accepting of sin and strive to look like the world to attract the masses are false before almighty God. Scripture warns of false prophet’s only out for self and material gain. What have we seen over the past decades? These are men with corrupt minds with corrupt principles that corrupt the Word of God.
These false prophets deny the truth and do not have the Spirit of God. These are false teachers that serve themselves with worldly profit and gain. They teach that all prosperity is consistent with religion and that anything less is inconsistent with religion. They teach that an increase of property is of course true religion.
1 Timothy 6:5 “Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.”
When we stand before God on that final judgment day there will be no divisions of people. There will not be sections with religious denominations, people groups, and any other divisions of people. If you were deceived by wrong teachings there will be no excuses of what you were taught by preachers and teachers or denominational teachings or what you thought the Bible said.
Read the Bible yourself and know what it says. Find a Bible believing church where the word of God is preached and not just a building that is just an entertainment social center. Charles Spurgeon who is often called the prince of preachers predicted over a century and a half ago what would happen in the end times before the coming of the Lord.