2-26-2017 Weekly Message

The contemplation of the week: Psalms 9:1-20

Text: Matthew 7: 13-14

The title of the Word: The Way of Life and the Way of Destruction

          Through the words of the two short verses, the Lord Jesus who only can give life speaks very clearly. There are two gates  before  everyone. The one who  put two trees in the Garden of Eden saying to eat the fruit of the life  tree came to the land of Israel where  the Garden of Eden was located in the old days, and spoke of the two gates. He means to enter the strait gate to lead life,  few there be that find it. And when they enter the wide gate  that many people are looking for, it is said to be the way of destruction.

           The Lord spoke the same words to Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who had entered the wide gate  . ”  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

             God led the prophet Isaiah to speak to the people of Israel who had gone through the ancient wide gate  to destruction. ” Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid” (Isaiah 29: 13-14).

            Through the prophet Isaiah, God, who said this, appeared in the flesh and spoke again to the Jews. “You hypocrites, Isaiah prophesy well about you, saying,  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. “(Matthew 15: 7-9)

           The Lord Jesus, who spoke to hypocrites, spoke of the true worship to a woman in Samaria. In other words, what kind of worship should be offered by believers in all their hearts? ” Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.“(John 4: 21-24)

            A natural person who’s spirit  is in dead state cannot worship  God.  Spirit has to be  born again by the Holy Spirit to see the kingdom of God   and enter into it, we can see the glory of God the Spirit and worship the Father. When Apostle Paul testified of those who could worship God in spirit and truth, he said, ” Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  “(Ephesians 2: 5-7).

            When Jesus was in the world, Jews came to Jesus, the God who appeared on earth, and they worshiped God, but they did not know that Jesus is God, and went into the synagogue  to worship God, and deceived the people that they were worshiping true God. The Lord Jesus said to them that they were hypocrites. Most of the Jews at that time were on their way to destruction along with the hypocrites, but only a few people, including their disciples, followed Jesus, who was a narrow gate, to the way of life.

        You can more clearly see what the Lord has said after speaking about the narrow and wide gates. ” Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.“(Matthew 7: 15-20).

           Our Lord Jesus Christ himself  is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is because he who believes in him only with his whole heart is the way to enter the strait gate.  There are few people who go to the path of life, which is the sstrait gate of the Lord (few not a few). ” If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.“(Matthew 16: 24-28)

       That is correct! He who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ truly has to believe with all his heart. When the Lord spoke to a lawyer asking which commandment is a great commandment, ” Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” (Matthew 22: 37-38). Philip also stopped the Ethiopian eunuch and spoke clearly to him when he was ready to be baptized upon hearing the gospel of Christ , and said to him. “ If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” (Acts 8:37)

            That is correct! If you truly believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins and was buried, and    was raised again on the third day to give you eternal life, you are bound to enter the narrow gate following  Him alone. As a result of this, Apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Rome that they should offer worthy worship to God, ” 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. 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: 1-2)

          In the world, it is  right when the majority follow,, but rather the Bible says that a small number of people are doing the truth. Throughout the history of mankind, the time when the majority went to the truth was out of the period of the Church, about 1500-1900 AD, which is called the Philadelphia Church era. Truth has always been guarded by a small group of people. This is a testament of the Bible, and it is proved by the history of the church.

         In the early church days, the Roman Empire persecuted a small number of Christians, and in the Middle Ages the majority of the Roman churches persecuted a few underground churches that believed in the Bible. After the Reformation, the Church of God grew greatly, The church has also persecuted those who believed in the Bible. After the twentieth century, yeast spread like an atrocity and covered many churches, and a small number of people believed in the Bible were called heresy. The Lord spoke to the churches of the 21st century, filled with large churches that seemed to grow in the Lord’s sight. ” 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:” (Revelation 3:17)

             The Lord did not say that it was difficult to enter the strait  gate. He said that it is few that is looking for it.  Then we need to meditate on why there are few that is looking for the  way to lead to life. Believing and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ wholeheartedly is the way to enter life through a strait gate. God has made it easy for anyone to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and not to perish but to have eternal life. When we meditate on why only a few people want to enter the path of life, It is unbelievable. It is also because they cannot deny themselves. It is also because their thoughts are above the Word of God.

       But if we look at the reason spiritually, they are  led by the charm of the flesh of the world that is  the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.  As The Devil knows that he is near to be destroyed, and he is still deceiving the world, the majority of people who know that they are going to perish with fear in their heart are still following  the world. In addition, the religious people who belong to the Laodicean church today want to believe in Jesus and at the same time believe in the world, so that they could feel a little more comfortable with church going. They go to church every Sunday and practice in vain religious rituals still going the way to destruction  outside of the church.

         The Lord once again spoke. ” Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” (Luke 13:24).

The English word for narrow is strait in King James Version  not narrow. The strait gate  is a gate that can be entered with giving up   material abundance in this world. Many people are flocking to the church as the Lord says, but they cannot live to take their cross and follow the Lord  denying themselves. Amen! Hallelujah!