AND THE WAY GETS EVER NARROWER....

We all know the scripture, "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." Matthew 7:13-14

Few there be that even find it. i am blown away by the depth of our God and the mercy he shows us. It is easy to see that without His mercy and grace, we would all be doomed to eternal damnation in the lake of fire.

Today a new revelation was given me in our Romans study. We are in Romans 12. Today was day two on Romans 12:1, and we could spend more time if we had it. So, here is the scripture:

"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 12:1

Beseech means "i beg you please", and remember it is the mercy of God that leads us to repentance and salvation........ acceptable unto God would be the very best, the first fruits, without spot or blemish.......Holy is set apart for God, being in His will.....reasonable service is that example for people to be poured into, like Jesus, the spiritual intelligence of new creatures in Christ, mindful of the mercies of God.

What is left? Living Sacrifice. We know in John 15:13-14 Jesus tells us to lay our life down for our friends. That there is no greater love. But in Matthew 16:13-26, Jesus addresses the denying of self in a way that rocks the disciples boat...See, Jesus was telling them how he will die, he was sharing the Fathers will for Him, with them. Peter in his usual foot in mouth style says, no way Jose, this cannot be! Well, Jesus rebukes him and tells him to get behind him, calling him Satan. Jesus was saying that following the Me will takes discipline, prayer and being in the word, it takes knowing Jesus and hearing each word He speaks. It takes listening..It takes obedience and self sacrifice. That there is a way that seems right to a man but it is death....Proverbs 14:12.

We can be doing all the "right" things. We can be saved and going about the ministry of reconciliation, preaching the Gospel to the lost, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and every other work that salvation produces, BUT, doing all the right things in the world do not take the place of righteousness. Doing the right things can look like righteousness. In other words, there is no righteousness apart from the will of God, and doing the right things do not make us righteous. In the doing it is possible to miss the voice of God to follow Him and do His will.

The last verse is this..."For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

So, i am ever enlightened in God's word. (The whole world here means: Kosmos, the ungodly multitude, the whole mass of men who are at present alienated from God and hostile to the cause of Christ.) We are ever chasing after these souls for the Kingdom. We do not want to miss God's voice that may have us moving in an unknown direction right in the midst of the chase. So, in the midst of it all, we must pray, read the word and be ever vigilant for Gods still small voice...amen. It is more important to be righteous than right......It is not enough to be evangelistic, one must be altruistic, living ones life for the benefit of others..........We can have lots of good ideas that are not God ideas....We need to hear God and be ever in His will for our lives.

In these last days we are in, the importance of hearing Gods voice, no matter what we are "doing", is urgent. We cannot afford to miss it...we cannot afford to lose sight of the prize and the ministry Jesus left for us here. It is easy to see just how narrow the way is and why few ever find it. Not many are looking for it. Not many are thirsting for it like a deer panteth after the water brook...sad....

hope this was somewhat clear....God bless you all....