Few find it

I have been doing a lot of thinking and meditating on the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13 and 14.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.''

These are the words of our Lord Jesus speaking to the multitudes in the famous Sermon on the Mount. ''For the gate is narrow...those who find it are few''. Salvation is not easy, in fact we are told in Phillipians to ''make out our own salvation with fear and trembling.''! It is however easy to go to hell. ''the gate is wide and the way is easy''. Sadly, I believe that there are many many folks out there that think they are heaven bound on the narrow road that have missed the narrow gate and travel on the easy road. Take easy believism for example. Raise your hand, pray the prayer, walk the isle. Is that all that is necessary for salvation? John Macarthur has rocked my world a number of times but never as much as the first time I heard words similar to these! The above can indeed be a step towards that narrow gate, there is more to it though! The way is hard! Life altering decisions need to be made! Decisions that require one to take up his cross and die to self! Don't look back like Lots wife!


How many folks do I know that are on that wide road. How many ''Christian'' folks are on that same road! C. H. Spergeon once stated that he would be surprised if half of his congregation made it to heaven (my paraphrase). I think that the same can be said for many of today's churches too! The gospel has become very very soft. Many think that is has to be soft to attract the world. Jesus did not preach a soft gospel. He says nothing of praying a prayer or walking an isle. His gospel was hard, sell all that you have and give it to the poor, take up your cross and follow me, the world will hate you because of me. Hard words, I know. What road are you on? Who is Jesus to you? A good man? The Savior? Lord and Sovereign King? Let us work our our salvation with fear and trembling knowing that JESUS IS LORD!

The day after

I would like to take a moment to praise God for a growing day yesterday and a blessing of a day today. I can not imagine living life as a person who does not have the hope that we as Christians have in our God! What is it like to live with no hope?! What is it like to have nothing to put your faith in?! I praise God for my salvation, for the hope that I have in Christ, for the victory that is won, for the comfort I have in the gospel. It is Christ who conquered death! It is God who calls me a co-heir of Christ. What have I to fear! We do not have to fear death. We do not have to live in fear at all! We have a great and sovereign God who loves us! It is wonderful! It is comforting! It is a peace that passes all understanding! It is Christ who lives in all who believe! I praise God for the gentle urgings of the Holy Spirit. Do not be afraid! Trust in Me! Hope in the Lord! Trust in the grace of God! You are weak! Trust in my strength! Rest. We have a wonderful Father! Isaiah 41:30 says: ''but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.''

God of Hope

As of late I have been spending time in Romans. I read through chapter 15 the other day. I am so glad that the Holy Spirit had me there! Romans 15:13 says, ''May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.'' We as Christians have hope, not only in tomorrow, but also in today. That became very real to me today. My son was taken to the hospital via ambulance with chest pain. I was out of town doing on the job training and was not aware until after the fact. I was called to an office and told the news. All I could do was pray, and pray I did. The Holy Spirit kept bringing that verse in Romans back to me! We have a God of hope! It is so comforting to know that the God of all creation is in control! He loves me. He loves Ty. He did take care of us today. Ty is home safely and ready for tomorrow! I praise God for the hope that we have in both today and tomorrow through Him who created us.

It is finnished

During Boys Brigade the other day my brother Ben was doing the lesson and I was reminded of the words of Christ in Revelation 20:5+6.


And he who was seated on the throne said, ''Behold, I am making all things new.'' Also he said, ''Write this down, for these are trustworthy and true. And he said to me, ''It is done!''

Christ did speak words very similar to these 2000 years ago. They are recorded in John 19:30.


...''it is finished''

The first time these words were spoken by Christ so many years ago Satan and sin were defeated! She next time these words are spoken will mean their utter destruction! The victory of Jesus! Amen and amen!

More from Packer

I am still soaking in ''Knowing God'' by J.I. Packer. The subtitle for the section of the book I am reading is, ''He Became Poor'', it goes on to talk some about the Christmas story and how you and I as Christians ought to make the ''Christmas spirit'' a part of our everyday lives. Similar to living a cross centered life or preaching the gospel to myself every day. Let me share a little of what Packer has to say.

''We talk glibly of the ''Christmas spirit'', rarely meaning more by this then sentimental jollity on a family basis. But what we have said makes it clear that the phrase should in fact carry a tremendous weight of meaning. It ought to mean the reproduction in human lives of the temper of him who for our sakes became poor at the first Christmas. And the Christmas spirit itself ought to be the mark of every Christian all the year round.''

''It is to our shame and disgrace today that so many Christians-I will be more specific: so many of the soundest and most orthodox Christians- go through this world in the spirit of the priest and the Levite in our Lords parable, seeing human needs all around them, but (after a pious wish and perhaps a prayer, that God might meet those needs) averting their eyes and passing on the other side. This is not the Christmas spirit. Nor is it the spirit of those Christians-alas they are many-whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home and making nice middle-class Christian friends and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways and who leave the submiddle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-Christian to get on by themselves.''

This broke my heart. I see this all the time, all around me. I then looked in the mirror and I looked at my own life and not at the lives of others (the way it should be). You know what I saw? Packer was talking about me too. I can think of so many instances in my own life where someone was hurting and because I either did not like them or thought them less then me I passed them buy, sometimes with a prayer, sometimes not. Wretched man that I am! How is it that GOD humbled himself to the point of being born human and then dying and I can't love another human being! Indeed, I am pathetic. Many of you know my dog April. She is absolutely the most pathetic dog that I know. One look at her face and you would have to agree with me! Seems fitting I guess that she has a pathetic owner! Thank God that her pathetic owner is saved by grace!

Father, help me to live with that Christmas spirit every day.

With Calvin in the Theater of God

It appears that in September that I well be heading to Minneapolis once again in September! I never thought I could be so excited for summer to be over! It will be nice to be there without the blistering cold temperatures!! I look forward to studying some of the life John Calvin. I have to say though that I am not very familiar with most of the speakers. I would love to hear what you, my faithful readers know about these men! I expect to see all of you there too!