“Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).

Have you ever thrown a party at your home? It matters little what kind, but you tell some friends and the next thing you know, there are people everywhere. It could start out with maybe 50 to 100 guests, all are there to have a great time. It’s almost a single mindset. And why is it always the same? Because everyone, of course, loves a good party; to hang together, to eat and drink together and have fun.

Somewhere along the way, someone is going to ask you what the party is for. In other words, why is everyone rejoicing? Everyone wants to celebrate something, right? I think it was back in the late 70s that people would occasionally throw a “Theme Party.”

Usually it was nothing more than dressing up in costumes that centered around a single thought, like say the 50s rockabilly era, or the Roaring 20s. Maybe I am dating myself here, but everyone likes a party; time to relax, laugh, eat and drink, and for the most part, to let one’s hair down and have a good time.

Do you know that the same thing takes place in heaven as well? (Well…sort of.) The angels rejoice every time a sinner comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and turns his or her life over to Him. Can you imagine this in your mind? For example, how many angels are there? Thousands and hundreds of thousands, maybe trillions of them. All of them rejoicing, if YOU give your life over to Jesus Christ!

I have seen in my years thousands of people coming together for a particular reason and they are simply talking together;  it sounds like a roar and you almost have to yell to another just to be heard. Even knowing this, I still have a hard time visualizing a trillion angels whispering together.

I mean to say, it must be deafening at the least, but then to see the angels throw their arms up all together and then holler in happiness has got to be a phenomenal sight, much less sheer deafening in sound. I would be willing to say it is heard from one end of the universe to the other…and then back again.

Can you imagine that?

And then to find out, it was because one person here on earth gave his or her life over to Jesus Christ. Stop and think for a moment; there are somewhere between 7 and 9 billion people here on earth. You would think that we would hear the angels hollering and yelling every time and that it would be almost a constant roar…right? Sadly enough…you would be wrong.

I hate to be the “downer” in the crowd but the truth is summed up in on single, small, word, once again: few. I have talked about this several times in past articles and the truth is still the same. What is so bad, the Scripture for this, rattles around inside my head a lot now days. It is the proximity of the Rapture of the church of Jesus Christ that brings this to mind.

Matthew 7:13-14: “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: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.”

Please take note here of the large and emboldened words. This has to be one of the scariest portions of Scripture to have ever been laid down in print. That’s because it is not a “question” being asked! It is a statement of truth.

“Enter ye in at the strait gate” is the very first statement to us, which means we must find the gate that is strait before anything else. “ For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat.” There’s that next statement, telling us to be aware of this broad and wide way! Again it is NOT a question. This is  stating that the gate is wide.

Now why would the gate be wide? To accommodate a larger group or groups of people; that should be fairly easy to understand. This passage is TELLING YOU that the gate is wide; it will accommodate a vast, very large amount of people. And this includes, “ Broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat.”

Do you see a capacity sign anywhere? No!

2 Timothy 3:1-7: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

In a strange sort of way, I am beginning to think the kids have it right. They talk a lot about a “zombie apocalypse.” I am not completely sure why they think this is possible. Suffice to say, it is possible that they see this wide gate, and broad way in their little heads. They see all the really horrible things that the adults do on a continual basis. The adults infected by their own choice of multiple sins. How many are blinded by their own choices, how many are physically corrupt, spiritually corrupt, to the point they resemble a Zombie. Trudging along the broad path, headed for the wide gate, of destruction?

I am not going to continue to describe this, I think your imagination will suffice. Yet, I must admit, it is an awesome (frightening) thing to see billions of people headed for one single party in the lake of fire. The point being, that God and His Holy Word states that it does NOT have to be this way…for anyone.

The scene in my head concerning this broad path is enough to make you, as a born-again Christian want to sit down and cry for forever. It is this way when you consider the rest of that passage of Scripture because:

“Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEWthere be that find it!” It keeps coming back to that one single small word:FEW! “FEW there be that find it!” That small, three letter word seems to rattle around inside my head, sort of like a song that is stuck on auto-play.

That word never ceases to stop and remind me of my part in this Great Commission for Christ. Believers have a very important job to do for our Lord and Savior. Make the angels roar with joy by bringing the message of Jesus Christ to everyone and anyone, as often and as pointed as it was for you. Tell them your story. Tell them how Jesus Christ…God…has changed and made your life better, simply because HE loves you that much.

Tell others what waits for them in heaven, just beyond the horizon. Life and the hereafter do not have to be scary. Death does not need to paralyze anyone. Make the angels roar with joy! Let it resonate from one end of the universe to the other end and then back again. Now THAT will be a real party!

I was once bound in sin, a slave to the changing winds, forced by Satan and His ilk to do their bidding if I wanted to feel like I was “living,” when the entire time…I was slowly dying. Corrupted physically and spiritually…just like YOU may be. One day a friend named, Mike, said some things that made me look at myself. I was a zombie on that broad path, headed for thatwide gate. I looked up the Scripture above in Matthew and it scared the living hell out of me!

Thankfully…MY Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ was there to catch me. HE washed me off and rebuilt me, HE clothed me in a white robe, forgave me of my sins…just for the asking. Because HE loved me FIRST. I have been walking with HIM ever since and I have promised HIM that I will never give up, give in, or go away.

If this world hates me enough to have me killed, then so be it—it will only hurt for a second. I compare that to all the pain and misery this life has afforded me thus far and I have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain. Do you ever have that feeling you have been left out, stepped over, forgotten, outside looking in, brushed off, shackled and beaten?

It doesn’t have to remain that way. Jesus Christ…who IS GOD…loves you with an everlasting love! HE has stated that HE will change your life and give you peace. HE will set you on that narrow path headed for the strait gate and give you a life in eternity in heaven with HIM! And of all things, just for asking!

You can’t cross yourself and genuflect yourself enough to get yourself into heaven. You cannot crucify yourself enough times to get yourself into heaven. Your bleeding will NOT suffice enough to get you into heaven…There is NOTHING you can do to get yourself into heaven…because YOU are corrupt…YOU are already dead in your own sins.

Jesus Christ has already paid that price on the Cross of Calvary and all you have to do is accept THAT as HIS proof of HIS love for you. Once you accept Jesus Christ into your life, the angels, all of them….rejoice together! You are then made a “new creature” and are placed on that narrow path and headed for the strait gate!

You can sit in a church pew everyday for the entire time of your life. You can pray till the cows come home, you can join the church, work the soup kitchen, stock the food pantry, be a very nice and helpful person to everyone. You can give until you have nothing left of yourself!

And YOU will NOT see a micro-milli-second of heaven…if you have NOT accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior. John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

I truly loved my mom and dad and with a heavy heart, I had to let them go as each passed away whether I was prepared or not. In this life we live here on this little planet and after seeing and knowing of so many that have gone on, you would think we would be better prepared. Sadly, we are so very shocked feeling so left alone, each and every time. And yet the Word of God—the Bible, tells us of this and as we know, the Word of God is absolute truth.

I believe the problem is this: We never talk about this phenomenon, because the pain is almost unbearable. As the new year  begins, we look forward to truly horrible times in these last days.   (It might be helpful to discuss this some.) And again, we will use the Word of God to confirm some knowledge which we already know. It would appear that the majority are all too willing to “beat about the bush” so to speak, on this truly heart-rending situation.

I would liken it to an infection. A hurt that we never see, but know all too well exists. In many cases the infected area needs to be washed anew, sometimes lanced open, for proper healing. Such is the state of our human bodies, and yet the Spirit may need this therapy as well. It must be noted that there are plenty of axioms to go around and yet most understand that these are simply platitudes—a band-aid if you will. This is how certain falsehoods are initiated, how they become a “thought process” with no value at all.

Many hear at funerals, statements like, “Well, they’ve gone on to a better place.” Are you sure they have? How do you know this? And at times I have heard, “Well, they were such “good” people, you know they are in heaven.” Yet, my friends, is this a truth?

My mother-in law Inge was such a sweet lady that everywhere she would go, someone was always willing to hold a door or help her in some way. I loved my mom Inge and I miss her to this day. When she passed away, there were a few who stated, “She is in heaven because she was such a wonderful and good-hearted person.”

WRONG. If she is in heaven, it’s because she placed Her life in Jesus Christ’s hands and for no other reason! We need to understand a few things here. There is no such a thing as being “good.” And Jesus Christ said so!

Mark 10:17-18: “And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.”

So now we see, just how far the word or description of the word “good” really goes and there is none good on this earth and God has stated this. My mother-in-law was a wonderful person and a very caring person to others, she was always here to help any who needed help. Yet, according to Scripture she was never “good.” We must listen to the Word of God and clearly understand this. This applies to every single person that has ever touched the face of this planet.

Romans 3:23-25: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

Now we clearly see, that we are not the wonderful individuals that we think we are! We NEED the blood of Jesus Christ, from His Cross at Calvary, to cover our sins. As we look around, how many do you see that have been covered by the blood of Jesus Christ? I am sure you will agree…NOT too many! In other words, and as the Bible states:

Matthew 7:13-14: “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: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and FEW there be that find it.”

Please take note of that small, three letter word FEW. “FEW…there be that find it.” Wow…is all I can say. Out of all the earth’s population (in all of time), only a FEW will find their way to heaven? Have you truly understood that statement by God? It forces you to ask, “How many are a FEW?” Who are these FEW?

And then finally the question really comes home and you ask, “Am I one of those FEW?” Everyone gets a funeral, everyone dies one day, that is a truth that we all know. So those questions are valid questions and only YOU can answer them.

Is your life centered around Jesus Christ? Have you gone to His Cross and bathed in His blood, to cover your sins? If Your answer is NO, then know that you are NOT prepared to go to heaven, whether that be in the Rapture or your own death. The Lord God Almighty has given you more than enough time to learn this and make your decision. I have not stated this…God said so!

You must ask yourself these questions and you must deal with them at some point in time. There is NO other way to God and heaven! No humans are godly enough to pray you in heaven; they are just like you and me…they NEED Jesus Christ and HIM alone.

If anyone has taught you otherwise, then they have lied to you all this time. And if you believe them, your sin is on your head and their sin is on their own head as well. If there is nothing else for you to learn, then know God is a JUST God. And it matters little what you think or feel about that, HE is what HE is. HE IS GOD!

Hebrews 9:27: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Hebrews 9:25-26: “Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”

You need to understand something here. Jesus Christ died ONCE for all our sins. Jesus Christ is NO LONGER on that Cross, Jesus Christ is risen and waits for you and me. IF you have chosen Jesus Christ to follow, if you have left your old self on HIS Cross, then you as a new creature will be welcomed in heaven.

IF you have NOT chosen to follow Jesus Christ, if you hang on to what you love in this world, then at your death (it will come) you will be ushered into divine judgment and then into hell for eternity.

And it is up to YOU to decide in which direction you want to go. I am reiterating what the Word of God—Bible says on this subject. The choice is now yours to make. So let me ask you one more question…when is your death? When is the Rapture? How do you know…you are going to heaven? Okay, more than one question, the point is, YOU must answer them.