LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place,
when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him,
Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples.
Luke 11:1

Have you ever felt like you didn’t know how to pray?  
You hear the pastor preach ‘you need to pray!’ 
You’ve heard it taught over and over that you need to pray. 
You know within yourself that you need to pray. 
But you don’t know how to or what to say when you knelt in prayer.

You’re not alone.  Even Jesus’ disciples felt that way at times. 

In Luke 11:1, we find where Jesus had been praying. 

His disciples knew the importance and necessity of prayer, but after listening to Jesus pray, one of His disciples may have felt his prayers were falling short or were inadequate so he said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray….”

They knew John the Baptist had taught his disciples how to pray, and they knew Jesus had instructed them not to pray using vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7 ) meaning, not to repeat the same things over and over, and use idle words such as repeating “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus – Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah” etc over and over again. 

That is drawing near to God with our mouth and with our words, but if a person’s heart is not in it, they are just using vain repetitions. (Isaiah 29:13)

He wants the words we speak to be sincere and from our heart.  He wants true, heartfelt worship and adoration.  He wants us to have a meaningful conversation with Him just as we would have with a close friend or family member.

PRAYER DRAWS US CLOSER TO GOD

James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and He will draw night to you…..

The more time we spend in prayer, the closer we’ll become to Jesus. 

It’s the key to building a relationship with God…

When we became interested in the person who is now our spouse, we didn’t build a relationship by just being in the same room.  No, we had many conversations. 

At first, it was awkward as we asked surface questions and told each other our likes and dislikes or shared our day.  Then little by little, those conversations became more meaningful and deeper until the relationship developed from just ‘like’ to ‘love’. 

It’s the same way in our walk with God…..

When you first begin to pray, it may seem awkward and you may not know exactly what to pray so the conversation is short. 

But the more you pray, the more you’ll learn to pray. 
The more you learn to pray, the more you’ll desire to pray. 
Until you long for those special times spent in God’s Presence, feeling His comforting touch as we feel His loving arms wrap around our shoulders.

Prayer draws us closer to Jesus!

My House Shall Be Called The House of Prayer

And said unto them, It is written,
My house shall be called the house of prayer…
Matthew 21:13

When we hear this phrase or passage of Scripture, we often think of it as referring to a building such as the Temple in the Old Testament or the modern-day Church building in which we gather to have service on certain days of the week.

The word “house” can be defined as “a dwelling place”. (see Strong’s G3624)
God wants the place where He dwells to be a place filled with prayer.

Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit if so be
that the Spirit of God DWELL in you…

The Greek word for “dwell” comes from the Greek word for ‘House’ and means “to occupy a house, to reside”. (see Strong’s G3611)

WE are God’s House, His dwelling place, if we have the Holy Ghost living inside of us.

2 Corinthians 6:16
…For ye are the Temple of the Living God; as God hath said,
I will dwell in them, and walk in them;
and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

WE are the Temple of the Living God.
WE are to be the House of Prayer.

So, How Do We Pray?

I’m going to give you a guideline using the Old Testament Tabernacle design to hopefully help you. Everything in the Old Testament is a type and shadow of things to come.  The late Bishop G.A. Mangun taught this for years as a guide to help your prayer time to be more productive as you use the furniture and its placement in the Tabernacle to remind you of how to pray and what to pray.

You do not have to follow this, but if you are wanting to learn how to truly pray more effectively and more than just a five-minute prayer, this guideline may help you.  

1. THANK GOD and PRAISE GOD (the Gate)

Psalm 100:4 instructs us to “Enter into His gates with THANKSGIVING and into His courts with PRAISE.   BE THANKFUL unto Him and BLESS HIS NAME.”

1. So begin your prayer by THANKING GOD for all He’s done, all His blessings, His mercy, how He’s provided, etc.
2. Then begin to PRAISE GOD:   (Examples) …“God, You are so good!  You are wonderful!  You are a great God! There is none   like You!  I love You, Jesus!”

2. REPENT (the brazen altar where sacrifices were made to atone for sins)

• Take time to REPENT – ask God to forgive you of every sin.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Confess every sin – whether it is a wrong thought, a wrong action, or a wrong word spoken.  God knows what you’ve done so there’s no sense trying to hide it from Him.  Be honest and open with God.  In response, He said He will be faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us from our sins. 

Repentance is more than just saying we’re sorry – it’s truly meaning it and working to do things differently.  We shouldn’t continue in our sin but do our best to be live differently, live better, and be changed inside and out.

Repentance is an every day action and necessity.  Paul said, “I die DAILY.” (1 Cor 15:31) In other words, he had to repent and deny the flesh every day.

3. READ THE BIBLE (The Laver of Water)

• Take a few moments to wash your mind by reading the Bible.

Ephesians 5:26 - That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.

Reading the Bible helps to declutter our mind from the things of the world  and focus more on God.

4. FIVE POSTS as you enter the Holy Place

Before the Priest entered the Holy Place, there were five posts at the entrance.   
These 5 posts represent how Isaiah described the Messiah in Isaiah 9:6

• WONDERFUL  à Tell Jesus how wonderful He is
• COUNSELOR  à Ask God for wisdom, guidance and counsel for self, family, pastor, leaders of our nation, etc.
• THE MIGHTY GOD  à Pray for people to get the revelation of who Jesus   (Deuteronomy 6:4 + Colossians 2:9)
• THE EVERLASTING FATHER  à Pray for the fatherless, widows/widowers, orphans, suffering, sick, aged, single parents, etc.
• THE PRINCE OF PEACE  à Pray for God’s peace in homes, marriages, etc.

5. GOLDEN CANDLESTICK = Holy Ghost

Jesus said in JOHN 8:12   “I am the Light of the world…”

è Pray for people to see and receive the Light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ and receive the Holy Ghost.

è Pray for the Holy Ghost to burn brightly within each of us and be active in our lives.

è Pray for spiritual revelation, direction, and guidance.

è Pray for anointing and to be used by God, whatever His purpose may be for your life.

6.  TABLE OF SHEWBREAD = Pray for MINISTRY

Upon the Table of Shewbread sat the continual bread.

This table and bread represented God’s willingness to fellowship with man  and allow him to be in God’s presence.

       

JESUS said He is the BREAD OF LIFE in John 6:35, 49-50

è Ask God to speak to our hearts and help us to hear His voice.

è Pray for those who share His bread (the preached Word of God)…PASTORS, MINISTERS, EVANGELISTS, TEACHERS, etc

7. GOLDEN ALTAR OF INCENSE = WORSHIP, PRAYER, AND
     INTERCESSION

     

This is where our worship, prayers, and intercession go up before God as a sweet fragrance.

    

Psalm 141:2 says, “Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and as the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

è Begin to WORSHIP GOD before bringing your prayer requests.    

è After you have worshipped, then make your requests known to God.

àPRAY FOR OTHERS

àINTERCEDE FOR NEEDS

The Altar of Incense is where every request can be presented to a prayer-answering God.

8. THE VEIL = symbolic of the barrier of our flesh

The Veil in the Old Testament Tabernacle was a curtain without seams.  It was very heavy and no one could go past that curtain except the High Priest.  It was a divider between the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies where God’s Presence dwelt above the Ark of the Covenant with the Mercy Seat on top.  

         The Veil represents separation between the physical (our flesh) and the spiritual (walking in the Spirit).  When Jesus was crucified, that Veil was torn in two, allowing us be able to boldly approach His Throne.

Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

è ASK GOD TO HELP US WALK IN THE SPIRIT, and not in the flesh.

Galatians 5:16 - This I say then, WALK IN THE SPIRIT, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

9. THE HOLY OF HOLIES = The Ark

Inside the Holy of Holies was the Ark of the Covenant which contained 3 symbolic items:

• GOLDEN POT OF MANNA àThank God for this reminder that He will supply every need.
  
  
• THE 10 COMMANDMENTS àThank God that we now have mercy and redemption through the Blood Jesus shed on Calvary.
  
  
• AARON’S ROD THAT BUDDED àClaim and thank God that He has given us authority in His Name and by His Spirit.
  The Rod represents the authority we have through the Blood of Jesus, His Spirit, and the Name of Jesus.

10. THE MERCY SEAT / GOD’S THRONE = Access to His Glory

The Mercy Seat was on top of the Ark – this is where the Blood was applied and where God would appear as either a cloud or a fire and commune with man.

Because the Ark was God’s throne among His people, it was symbolic of His presence and power. 

àThank God for His Redeeming Blood, His mercy, and that we now have fellowship with Him.

      

àThank God for allowing us to boldly approach His Throne.

ARE YOU RESOLVED?

It’s hard to believe that 2019 is already past and we are now in the year 2020.  When I was a child (and I’m sure you feel the same), the year 2000 seemed so far away, let alone the year 2020. 

Back then, those years were the ‘future’ but now they are our ‘past’. Life really is but a vapor…here today and gone tomorrow.

Movies (such as Back to the Future) and cartoons (such as the Jetsons) depicted the ‘future’ as having us getting around in flying cars and living in homes that were high up in the atmosphere with robot maids and everything was done for you at the push of a button….from cooking to cleaning to even brushing your teeth for you and having your shoes taken off and then slippers put on your feet without you having to do a thing but relax.

Yet, here we are in 2020 and I don’t see any of that taking place, even in the near future.  Which is probably for the better anyway. 

It’s Another New Year….

As each year passes and a new year dawns, people have had the tradition to make New Year’s Resolutions.  Perhaps you have made resolutions in the past or you may have even made a resolution at the beginning of this year?

The definition of ‘Resolutions’ means =
             a firm decision to do or not do something.

Resolutions differ depending upon the person.

The most common resolutions that people make are: personal weight loss, exercise more, save more and spend less money, learn a new skill or hobby, spend more time with family, quit smoking or drinking, read more (books), find another job, and the list goes on. 

People who make resolutions mean well and really do plan to make the changes necessary to achieve those goals.  They start out strong and determined but before long the diet is forgotten, exercise is ignored, excuses are made and life returns to the way it was before. 

Why?  Because change is hard! Change takes work!  

Change takes determination and denying the flesh of the things it wants or wants to do!   But change is sometimes necessary if anything positive is going to be achieved.  (Example: Diabetics have to make changes to their diet for health sake.  Those with high blood pressure have to exercise and cut down on salt intake. Etc)

While we do need to make changes sometimes to benefit our health or our family, the best goals we can set and strive to attain are goals that help us to grow spiritually and will impact our eternity….and possibly those changes will have an impact on our family’s eternity as well.

Are you resolved? 

To make a change it takes a made up mind.

This walk with God takes a made up mind.

• It takes being resolved.
• It takes determination.
• It takes work.
• It takes getting back up if you fall (just repent and keep walking in the right direction.)

Paul had a made up mind and kept walking with God - he kept preaching the Gospel ….

• despite persecution
• despite being put in prison just for preaching about Jesus, 
• despite being shipwrecked three times
• despite being stoned and lived to tell about it…think about it!
• despite being beaten with rods three times
• despite being without food and water often
• despite being cold and without proper clothing in bad weather
• despite all the dangers he faced as he traveled about the countryside to take the Gospel to others who had not heard about Jesus
• despite being whipped as 40 stripes were placed upon his back tearing his flesh open just as Jesus had experienced…not just once but FIVE times…can you imagine the agony and pain?!!!

But he didn’t give up! He was resolved!  And he kept serving God and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ despite all that he endured.
(2 Corinthians 11)

Trials will come.  It’s the devil’s job to try to discourage you and make you turn around.  But don’t give in! Be resolved to live for God no matter what!

If Paul endured and kept pressing onward, so can we!

The saddest and scariest thing a person could say is what King Agrippa said to Paul in Acts 26:28 “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

It’s not worth it to turn around now!   There’s a hell to shun and a heaven to gain. We’re too close to the coming of the Lord to lose our eternal reward now.

Eternity is too long and hell is too hot to be lost forever!

We’re not promised tomorrow. 

The cemetery is full of people who thought they had ‘tomorrow’ to make a change.

We need to be resolved to live for God!

We need to be resolved to be all that God wants us to be!

We need to be resolved to truly be HIS DISCIPLE!

We need to be, not only resolved, but MAKE time to pray, MAKE time to read our Bible….every day!

We need to discipline this flesh to fast often.

God WANTS to work in us and through us but it takes US disciplining and denying our flesh and having a made up mind to do HIS will, not ours.

He wants miracles to take place but we can’t look around and think God wants to use someone else….look at yourself and say ‘He wants to use ME!’

But we have to be resolved and make the necessary changes to become all that God wants us to be.

Are you resolved?  

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT?

Finally, brethren,
whatsoever things are TRUE,
whatsoever things are HONEST,
whatsoever things are JUST,
whatsoever things are PURE,
whatsoever things are LOVELY,
whatsoever things are of GOOD REPORT;
if there be any VIRTUE,
and if there be any PRAISE,
THINK ON THESE THINGS.
Philippians 4:8

Research has shown that across a wide array of events, people tend to focus more on the negative. 

We tend to pay more attention to negative events than positive ones.  It’s human nature for some reason.  Negative emotions generally involve more thinking, and, therefore, the information is processed more thoroughly than positive ones.   Thus, we tend to ruminate more about unpleasant events and use stronger words to describe them than happy ones.

Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have more impact than good ones. Losing money, feeling abandoned by a companion or someone you thought was a friend, or receiving criticism will have a greater impact and leave a memory that dominates more than winning money, making a new friend, or receiving praise.

A study was done by interviewing children and adults up to the age of 50 years old. This study found that the majority of what was focused on and recalled were the negative memories and events each person had experienced during their life, even among those who claimed their childhood was relatively pleasant and happy.

It’s an age old problem since the beginning of time since the fall of man. 

Adam and Eve had 2 boys after their sin and exile from the Garden of Eden.

Cain was a tiller of the ground (meaning he was a farmer).
While Abel was a keeper of the sheep (a shepherd).

These boys learned to be productive and work hard as they grew.  They also learned to give back to the Lord a portion of what He had blessed them with.

When it came time to bring their offering and give it to the Lord, Cain brought a portion of the food from his garden. 

Abel brought the first-borns out of his flock and also of the fat from the animals to offer back unto the Lord.

The Lord was pleased with Abel’s offering but He was not pleased with Cain’s. 

It is unknown for sure why…speculation could be that Cain did not bring of the firstfruits of his garden…perhaps, the first fruits and vegetables were not as luscious and as tasty looking as a later round of crop?  Or perhaps they had been taught what was acceptable to present to the Lord and what was unacceptable yet Cain chose to give what he thought was best and not what the Lord thought was best?  Whatever the reason, Cain did not take the Lord’s correction very well.  I don’t believe God was being mean but rather trying to teach Cain just as a parent would teach their child.

He even tried to reason with Cain after he became upset.

Genesis 4:6-7
And the Lord said unto Cain,
why art thou wroth?
And why is they countenance fallen?
(in other words – why are you angry and upset?)

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?
And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door….

Basically, God was instructing Cain not to be angry and upset but do what is right and pleasing before God next time.

Have you ever had to correct your child for something they did wrong?

You try to instruct them that their action was not acceptable and you expect a better response the next time.  But rather than being humble and saying they’re sorry, they get angry with you because you had to get on to them.  That’s what Cain was doing but not to his parents (which is bad enough, but toward the One who created him.)

Cain kept thinking of that one negative experience when he had been scolded by God until it began to cause him hate his brother, Abel.  Abel did nothing wrong and didn’t do anything directly to Cain, but Cain couldn’t stand it that God had smiled on Abel while frowning at him.

He let those negative thoughts eat away at him until one day he killed his own brother.  (Gen 4:8)  Then when God (knowing what had happened) asked Cain where Abel was, Cain lied and said he didn’t know and wasn’t his brother’s keeper.

Those negative thoughts drove Cain to murder and lie which brought a curse on him. 

There’s a battlefield in the mind!

The devil knows it and plays on that battlefield.  That’s where he tries to gain ground and conquer territory in each of our lives.

He’ll try to get a person to focus on the negative….

• The devil will make you think they’re talking bad about you (even if they’re not)
• Or he’ll make you think that they don’t like you (and that could be the furthest from the truth…remember the devil is a liar)
• The devil will try to get you to think about the negative in others 
• ….he’ll try to get you to gossip and talk bad about others
• ….he’ll try to get you aggravated with someone or to dislike them
• ***have you ever had an imaginary argument with someone (or perhaps even in a dream) and it gets to the point that it gets you upset and angry with them…and that conversation NEVER took place, except in your mind?!  Battlefield of the mind!
• Perhaps you’re historical and find yourself retelling negative events that happened not just that day, not yesterday, but 10, 20, or 30+ years ago? There’s a battlefield!
• Or maybe someone cuts you off in traffic and aggravates you.  You stew about it the rest of the day and find yourself retelling what almost took place over and over to anyone who will listen 
• Or someone takes up the entire aisle at the store when you’re in a hurry and you find yourself still stewing about it hours later.

The list could go on and on.  And the list will differ concerning what negative thoughts a person battles depending upon what the devil sees is that person’s weakness.

No wonder Paul admonished us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to….

Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ.

Those imaginations are our thoughts – whether real or merely perceived (thought to be real when they’re not).  We have to cast down those thoughts that are negative because it does not lead us to more godliness.  On the contrary, it can lead to strife, anger, and irritation.

It takes disciplining your mind to change your thinking from negative to positive.

You have to take those thoughts CAPTIVE – in other words, when the negative thoughts come, cast them out of your mind and make yourself think about things that are pleasing to God.  That’s how you bring EVERY thought in to the obedience of Christ.

We have to train our mind to…..

Think on things that are TRUE

• Some of the thoughts that pop into our head are not necessarily true.
• If you don’t know it as fact, then cast it out.  The devil is using it to stir up strife and get you upset.
• If you do know for sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that it’s true, still let it go and cast it down if it’s causing negative feelings.

           
**Think on things that are HONEST
            This word actually means to talk about things that are honorable or
            respectable. (G4586)

**Think on things that are JUST
             Things that are holy, righteous, upright

**Think on things that are PURE
           clean, pure from carnality

**Think on things that are LOVELY
           acceptable, pleasing to God

**Think on things that are of GOOD REPORT
           well spoken of, reputable, sounding well

**Think on things that are VIRTUOUS
          modest and pure, of moral excellence in thought, feeling, and action

**Think on things that are PRAISE
           things that are commendable and give God glory

It’s not easy especially when our human nature has caused us to focus on and remember the negative most of our life.  We have to take those negative thoughts captive, cast them out and think on the above mentioned things.

THINK ON THESE THINGS.  (Philippians 4:8)

The Strait Gate or The Broad Way

Two Choices Lie Before You – Which One Will You Choose?

 

Matthew 7:13-14
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.

The word ‘strait’ here means:  
                   (G#4728) = Narrow from obstacles close about

The word ‘narrow’ means:
                   (G#2346) = crowded, afflicted, suffer tribulation

Jesus had been teaching many things concerning the ways of God and trying to correct wrong thinking.  As He was teaching, He began to admonish and warn against the taking what appears to be the easy road.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 to “Enter ye in at the STRAIT gate.”  What does that mean?

The STRAIT gate is a NARROW gate with obstacles close about, making it difficult to maneuver through. 

The Strait gate is not the easy way to enter.  Why would Jesus ask us to fight past obstacles and squeeze through such a narrow gate?  

To some, that would appear to be the wrong way.  Living for Jesus shouldn’t be difficult, should it?

There’s an old Christian song about the Highway to Heaven and none can go up there but the pure in heart. 

When you think about a highway, you think about cruising along between 55 to 75 miles per hour (depending on the highway) with the path unimpeded except maybe a slow down here or there as you come upon a slow driver that you finally get around and then you continue cruising on.

But Jesus reveals that’s not the way it is on the path that leads to Life Eternal.

Why are there obstacles?  What are those obstacles?

OBSTACLES

The devil’s goal is to see each of us fail and fall away from God. 

He was kicked out of heaven because of his pride and rebellion against God – he rebelled against authority and wanted to be the one in charge.  He was filled with ungodly pride. (Is 14:12-15)

The rebellion continued after he was kicked out of heaven as he continued to spread his lies to Eve as he tempted her to question God’s Word.  She, in turn, rebelled against God’s command to not eat of that particular tree.  And then she tempted and caused Adam to give into temptation and sin by eating what God said not to touch.

The devil has continued his scheme for thousands of years, causing people to question God and give in to sin.

He’ll put whatever obstacle in your way that will cause you to fall.  He’s not a mind reader, but the Bible says he seeks whom he may devour. 

1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

In other words, the devil is roaming back and forth throughout the earth observing people and looking for their weakness. He puts temptation before them to lure them into his snare.  

Then, just as a lion does its prey, he pounces trying to tempt the person to give into the weakness of their flesh and fall into sin. 

As long as we’re in this flesh, we are going to fight against the lusts and desires of this flesh.  These are obstacles that we have to fight through.

We have to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:12).

Sometimes we have to do more than just say no to sin, the Bible admonishes several times to FLEE (run away as fast and as far as you can) from sin:

1 Cor 6:18 – FLEE from fornication
1 Cor 10:14 – FLEE from idolatry
2 Tim 2:22 – FLEE also youthful lusts
1 Tim 6:11 – FLEE these things
          We can look back and read from the beginning of the chapter to see what
          ‘these’ things are that we are to flee from….
          *those who teach things contrary to the Doctrine of Godliness and won’t
             listen to those who teach wholesome words of sound doctrine.
          *proud, seek to debate (questions and strifes of words), envy, strife (argue),
             railings (evil speaking), evil surmisings, perverse disputings,
           *destitute of Truth – they think they have truth but they don’t because their
             thinking is contrary to the teachings of God and His Word.
           *the teachings that gain means godliness (i.e. having wealth and many
             things does not necessarily mean the person is blessed by God.  And just
             because they say they love Jesus does not mean they’re godly.  A person
             has to do more than talk the talk, they also have to walk the walk – actions
             speak louder than words)

There are many things we’re admonished to flee from.  But if we want the devil to flee from us, we have to do these things….

James 4:7

1.      Submit to God – obey God’s Word and allow His will to be done in your life.

2.     Resist the devil – don’t give in to temptation. And don’t allow the devil to lie in your ear telling you you’re unworthy and might as well give up, trying to get you to give up or give in.

3.     The Bible says if you do these things, the devil WILL FLEE from you. (Example of Jesus’ temptation while on a 40 day fast (Mt 4)

Jesus continued His teaching, admonishing against following the crowd and what appears to be the wide and easy way.

He said….

for WIDE is the GATE
           (it appears to be easy and is spread out flat – G#4116)
and BROAD is the WAY,
           (G#2149 – it seems so spacious with roam to move and roam)
BUT….it leads to DESTRUCTION.

Yet that is the path that MANY choose.    And MANY there be which go in thereat.

Living for the world seems easy. The Bible even says they’ll find pleasure in sin for a season.(Heb 11:25) 

People find pleasure in unrighteousness (2 Thess 2:12).  They will watch hours and hours of tv shows or movies that contain so much that is anti-Bible while promoting witchcraft, sorcery, and even root a cheer on the character in the movie who is leaving their spouse to go be with someone else…they glorify and applaud adultery. 

People will go to concerts or turn the radio to a rock or country station yet hardly ever but usually never listen to Christian songs.   If you’re listening to non-Christian music, pay close attention to the words and see if it’s promoting godliness or carnality and sinful things?

People will go to the lake, wash their cars, mow their lawn, etc on Sunday morning but will not go to Church.  Yet they’ll claim to love Jesus.

They want Christ without carrying a cross. But Jesus said “take up your cross and follow Me.”  They want salvation without sacrifice.

They see the life of dedication, consecration, and holiness as bondage and hard to live.

All the while, they don’t see the chains that are binding them and the destruction that the life of sin they are living is leading to….

Nicotine addiction - is costly, increases the risk of cancer, and puts
                       the health of not only their self but those around them at risk.
          Alcohol addiction – is also costly and usually produces a hangover
                      with the person puking their insides out because they drank too
                      much.  People will say and do things they normally wouldn’t yet
                      are embarrassed over after they become sober. Alcoholism
                      leads to a life of misery, loneliness, and a destroyed liver.
          Drugs – destroy not only the users life and mind but also affects and
                     destroys their family as well.

STD’s and other diseases without cures abound because the world
                     changes partners faster than a person changes clothes.

And the list goes on. 

Living for Jesus, a person does not wake up with a hangover, puking their insides out because they drank too much the night before. 

Living for Jesus, a person learns to find their strength in the prayer room to get through whatever situation they’re facing.

Living for Jesus, a person can be set free from any stronghold holding them captive to addiction and then find peace in Jesus. 

So who is really bound? And which path is worth following?

This is not said to condemn anyone but rather to help us to see that living for Jesus is not the rough and difficult path. 

Overcoming the lusts and desires of the flesh are the obstacles we have to maneuver around.  There is so much freedom in living for Jesus and it leads to Life Eternal with Him.

That STRAIT gate may be NARROW but it is the way that leads to LIFE….life eternal with Jesus.

It’s not the popular way.  It’s not the most traveled path, in fact the Bible says there are FEW that find it and choose to walk the TRUE pathway to Life Eternal. 

It’s rough and rugged at times.  It’s narrow and you have to fight through obstacles. But it is the most rewarding path to be on….to see Jesus one day face to face and hear Him say ‘well done! Enter in!’ 

THAT’S our ultimate goal!

Not just for us, but also for our family.  That’s why we keep fighting the good fight of faith.

1 Timothy 6:12

FIGHT the good fight of faith,
lay hold on eternal life…

We’re in a fight – for our own souls and the souls of our family and friends.

We keep fighting and walking this way, not just for our self, but because what we do affects not just our self but also our children.  Our family is watching how we live.

We keep fighting the good fight of faith for the sake of our loved ones.  Because what we do and how we live and how we act and react can make an eternal difference in the lives of our family and friends. 

The example we live can cause them to either turn to or turn away from Christ. 

In the end, living for Jesus will be worth it!

We need to do a self examination looking in the mirror of God’s Word and see which path we’re truly on. 

If we’re on the wrong path, it’s not too late to make a course adjustment.

Jesus is coming soon – we need to be ready!