5-8-2018

Good Morning All,

     Matthew 7: 13-14; “Enter through the narrow gate because the gate and road that lead to destruction are wide. Many enter through the wide gate.  But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate”.

     I admit that I am not a great world traveler.  On the occasions when we would travel, it was sometimes interesting.  Usually, I can navigate most rural areas with little need for a map.  As long as you don’t count the night we had to turn a bus load of ball players around in a soybean field, I haven’t be lost at all.  Now driving in the city is a different ballgame.  I get a little tense and then begin to second guess my decisions.

    It is at this time that all the passengers decide to offer their very valued opinion.  When our travels were pre-GPS days, we were never quite sure of where we would end up or how to get to our original planned destination.  We are better now with the GPS at least we know we are lost a lot sooner and it isn’t so bad if you turn the volume down.

    It is always helpful to have your destination planned out when you are going to travel.  It is helpful to have the route planned out so that you know where you are going.  This is true of our faith life as well.  We need guidance and direction.  Most of all we need to stay on the correct path and not take any detours or think we know a quicker path.

      This is what our verses are telling us.  There is only one path to heaven and that is through faith in Jesus and in his sacrifice on the cross to pay for our sins.  The path to heaven is only through Jesus.  This is a very narrow gate indeed.  There is no other path.  It doesn’t matter how “good” you think you are, or how much money you donate to any cause, how many “good thoughts” you sent out; salvation comes only through Jesus.  So the door is very narrow and the path is rough.

    Once you become a redeemed child of God, you become a target for the world.  The path that we travel on will be fraught with challenges.  All you have to do is watch the news and see how your faith will be attacked; how you will be attacked.  The devil will seduce you with all that he can muster.  The devil’s goal is to get you off of the narrow path and onto the wide path.  He doesn’t worry about those on the wide path; he already has them.  The devil’s focus is on those who are on the narrow path. 

    These attacks can only be withstood through faith in Jesus; trusting in his mercy and holding onto the promise of salvation.  We can’t fight it alone but God has promised to give us the safety and security to withstand the devil’s attacks.  We only need to trust in His Word and His promise.  Faith and faith alone will keep you on the narrow path.

Dearest Jesus, the path we are on is narrow and filled with danger.  Give us the strength and courage to remain on your path.  Guide us by your Spirit to hold us close to you.  Be with those who are especially challenged by the devil and his attacks.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret