The Narrow Road
Jesus said that following Him is a narrow reality:
Luke 13:22-27 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
Following Jesus is narrow, because it is all about reducing your life to singular desire. What do you seek? Who are you seeking?
John 1:37-39 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
This was a REALLY good answer! They weren't looking to add Jesus to their lives, or get a formula from Him for living their lives better, they weren't interested in some quick instruction so they could leave and go build something for Him...they were singularly interested in His life. He said "where are you going?" and they said, basically "wherever YOU are!"
He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
The "narrowness" is all about desire that changes behavior...not narrow behavior that ignores the hearts desire, which is religion.
Desire is much more powerful than religion to make the heart change. Desire is the most powerful shaper of behavior, God knows that and He makes a way where the desire is rightly placed. He is the power behind right desire.
Seek the kingdom...desire to find out where it is Jesus is living and do all you can to get there, too...and the rest is added:
Luke 12:29-31 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Many understand the gate is narrow, but they don't understand the nature of getting thin. They, in misunderstanding and the "easiness" of religion, think if they suck in their gut, and tuck in their arms...if they, in strength and discipline, try and wedge themselves through the gate... they can still carry multiple desires into the kingdom...you can't...that is like a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle:
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Religion is easy on the flesh, because it doesn't touch the sacred cows of desire. It makes the narrowness seem controllable. Relationship is hard on the flesh but let's the spirit soar in the one true desire. Tasting the true love from the never ending well of infinite joy ruins you for other desires...it is the water of life that makes you "skinny" in a hurry. Get a vision of who Jesus is and how he feels about you and you get a very one-track mind quickly. Nothing else can compare...but you have to choose to want it. it comes at the expense of everything else.
A rich man's biggest problem is that he has the means to entertain a lot of desire. He can easily fill his arms with too much to make it through the gate. A poor man has more limited options. The reality is, desiring Jesus is easier with less to choose from. This is part of the blessedness of needing God.
Any desire you seek besides God is one too many desires. It is a VERY narrow gate:
Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Every great man or woman in the Bible has come to the same conclusion...what we are experiencing on this side of the gate is not really life. Life is happening where the source of life shines in all His glory. The trees grow more there, the rocks sing, and the animals talk. The people shine, too, and lead creation in righteousness and goodness in the light of mankind. Moth and rust do not destroy, and lions lay down with lambs. The tainted treasures from this side can't pass to that side...they must be let go of to get through, but on the other side are the true riches...and the pearl of great price.
We are entering the time that the pure and spotless Bride will emerge. That means that we are entering the time when heaven is coming back to earth. That means the whole world is going to be sifted at the gate to see what may pass. All the chaff, every lesser desire, is going to get blown away from the true grains in the winds of trouble and false desire and burned up, and the true grain is going into the barn. Now is the hour to sift out every other desire voluntarily, before that desire sifts you.
Matthew 3:10-12 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
Do you see the tares get gathered and burned first? Reader understand.
Matthew 13:37-43 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Luke 13:22-27 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’
Following Jesus is narrow, because it is all about reducing your life to singular desire. What do you seek? Who are you seeking?
John 1:37-39 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
This was a REALLY good answer! They weren't looking to add Jesus to their lives, or get a formula from Him for living their lives better, they weren't interested in some quick instruction so they could leave and go build something for Him...they were singularly interested in His life. He said "where are you going?" and they said, basically "wherever YOU are!"
He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
The "narrowness" is all about desire that changes behavior...not narrow behavior that ignores the hearts desire, which is religion.
Desire is much more powerful than religion to make the heart change. Desire is the most powerful shaper of behavior, God knows that and He makes a way where the desire is rightly placed. He is the power behind right desire.
Seek the kingdom...desire to find out where it is Jesus is living and do all you can to get there, too...and the rest is added:
Luke 12:29-31 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
Many understand the gate is narrow, but they don't understand the nature of getting thin. They, in misunderstanding and the "easiness" of religion, think if they suck in their gut, and tuck in their arms...if they, in strength and discipline, try and wedge themselves through the gate... they can still carry multiple desires into the kingdom...you can't...that is like a camel trying to go through the eye of a needle:
Mark 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Religion is easy on the flesh, because it doesn't touch the sacred cows of desire. It makes the narrowness seem controllable. Relationship is hard on the flesh but let's the spirit soar in the one true desire. Tasting the true love from the never ending well of infinite joy ruins you for other desires...it is the water of life that makes you "skinny" in a hurry. Get a vision of who Jesus is and how he feels about you and you get a very one-track mind quickly. Nothing else can compare...but you have to choose to want it. it comes at the expense of everything else.
A rich man's biggest problem is that he has the means to entertain a lot of desire. He can easily fill his arms with too much to make it through the gate. A poor man has more limited options. The reality is, desiring Jesus is easier with less to choose from. This is part of the blessedness of needing God.
Any desire you seek besides God is one too many desires. It is a VERY narrow gate:
Matthew 16:24-27 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Every great man or woman in the Bible has come to the same conclusion...what we are experiencing on this side of the gate is not really life. Life is happening where the source of life shines in all His glory. The trees grow more there, the rocks sing, and the animals talk. The people shine, too, and lead creation in righteousness and goodness in the light of mankind. Moth and rust do not destroy, and lions lay down with lambs. The tainted treasures from this side can't pass to that side...they must be let go of to get through, but on the other side are the true riches...and the pearl of great price.
We are entering the time that the pure and spotless Bride will emerge. That means that we are entering the time when heaven is coming back to earth. That means the whole world is going to be sifted at the gate to see what may pass. All the chaff, every lesser desire, is going to get blown away from the true grains in the winds of trouble and false desire and burned up, and the true grain is going into the barn. Now is the hour to sift out every other desire voluntarily, before that desire sifts you.
Matthew 3:10-12 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
Do you see the tares get gathered and burned first? Reader understand.
Matthew 13:37-43 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
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