The Rock and a hard place.

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5



Obstacles. 


They are small and big. They are proud and weak. They are busy and lazy. They will be there tomorrow. And cause you to dwell on yesterday. Some are good. Keeping you from harm. As a mother keeps her toddler from climbing a stair case. Some are bad. Like a constant distraction when you are reading or praying. Or trying to focus on an important task. 
There are times our important task. Is carrying out the Will of God. HIS plan for you. Something He has revealed to you over and over. But because of obstacles we put them on our to-do list. Save them for tomorrow. There will be time but not today. And we don't answer the call that God has placed before us. 

We--- ME have become a lazy people. People walked for days to be at the feet of Jesus. To just get a glimpse of Him from afar. Were lowered on pallets through the ceiling to get close to him. 
WE ----ME. Complain that church is 20 whole minutes away. The pastor is going on and causing the service to run over. The kids are complaining about being hungry. You have a million things to do when it is over. And how are you going to complete it and still get home in time to watch the game. Clean. Cook. Laundry. And all the while we have FORGOTTEN the FACT. 
God dwelt among us. 
He put on flesh and came to this earth and taught us HIS ways. 
We are in an instant gratification society. You want your church 45 minutes. Children in a separate area. New music. Big band. We have that. You want 30 minutes service. 1 song. NO offering collections and a guitar. We have that. You want a big mega concert with an inspiring uplifting feel good sermon.. oh We have that. 

You want to listen to the Holy Spirit? DO the will of God no matter how much TIME.. weeks month YEARS it takes?...... record scratch. But. I am busy. I want to but I am SO busy. Character was not built on good intentions. 

I heard a teacher once use the phrase SLOW OBEY IS NO OBEY. If your 4 year old is slow to do as you ask. It is the same as if he did not obey at all. Because he is doing it at his leisure. Which is rebellion. How much more are we as adults?? No one is there to tell you again. .or threat to ground you. or put you in time out.. OH sign me up for TIME OUT. 

We must become FULLY OBEDIENT.  Let's say that again.

I MUST BECOME FULLY OBEDIENT. 

When we become fully obedient there are a few things that happen. One. We please God. NUMBER 1... we please God. Like sweet incense. When we FULLY obey God. We please Him.  The creator of the universe. PLEASED because I obeyed Him. 

"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations."


Second. He blesses us. He gives good gifts to his children. HE will bless you. 

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world."
Deuteronomy 28

"Understand, Therefore, that the Lord your God is indeed God. He is the faithful God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him AND obey his commands"
Deuteronomy 7:9




I encourage you, Beloved. OBEY God. Do as He asks. DO what the word of God says. DO His commands. And He is faithful.

 HE. IS. FAITHFUL!!!! 

He can not deny himself. It is impossible for him to do. His faithfulness is a shield. Take refuge under it. And it will endure forever. His loving kindness will never cease. His compassion never fails. They are NEW every morning.

SO This day my friends. Step out and DO as He has requested. Fully Obey. And watch what happens! 

Bless you. 

I am waiting here for you.

A narrow gate is hard to get thru. And Jesus refers to this in Matthew 7: 13-14. You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.  But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult and only a few ever find it.  There is a church on every corner. Especially here in the south. Every one believes. Every one knows Jesus. Everyone say bless your heart. I am gonna pray for that. And, I know, who am I to judge?

FEW FIND IT.
 It is a matter of the heart. Would be followers can say all the right things. Do the the right things, IN PUBLIC. But their hearts are black and corrupt. Their souls do not belong to Christ. They talk the talk but can't walk the walk. I have experienced both.. people that went to church all their life and never surrendered to Jesus and when they profess their faith after 10-20 years you look at them and think WOW. I thought they were a Christian. And those that knew the right words but secretly did not follow God and His desires. But the fact is you do not know the condition of the persons heart. OR. Do you? Not but a couple verses down from the gate is the fruit.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

Your fruit is your actions. What do you do as a result of your choices.  If you are known by your actions. What does your fruit look like?  Character was never built on good intentions. I can desire to pray, read the Bible, help those in my community. BUT if I do not DO it. What does that say about me. My intentions are good.. but my actions. Well they tell the truth of the matter.
As I discipline my body, heart and soul to train it in the way it should go I take time to get to know God. And when I get to know God. It is like Romans 5. We develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Our reactions change. We are joyful during trials. We smile while being persecuted. We don't desire to sin. We don't encourage our flesh. We desire God and what He wants. We are blessed. Sometimes physically but EVERY TIME spiritually.
He never promised us easy. But He DID promise He would never leave nor forsake us.

So let's not just read and pray let us get out there and Do what it says! REACT to what God has revealed and taught. An outward expression to an inward growth.

James 1:22-27  But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.  For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.  If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.


If we stay on the path and grow, focus on becoming like Christ then when it comes time to walk through that narrow gate. We won't even notice that it was narrow. We won't see a gate. We will see our Savior standing there with His arms opened wide.  Pulling His Beloved into His arms.