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"The Narrow Door" by Charlotte Evans
Luke 13:22 Yeshua continued traveling through town after town and village after village, teaching and making his way toward Yerushalayim. 23 Someone asked him, “Are only a few people being saved?” 24 He answered, “Struggle to get in through the narrow door, because — I’m telling you! — many will be demanding to get in and won’t be able to, 25 once the owner of the house has gotten up and shut the door. You will stand outside, knocking at the door and saying, ‘Lord! Open up for us!’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from!’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you! you taught in our streets!’ 27 and he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Get away from me, all you workers of wickedness!’ 28 You will cry and grind your teeth when you see Avraham, Yitz’chak, Ya‘akov and all the prophets inside the Kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown outside. 29 Moreover, people will come from the east, the west, the north and the south to sit at table in the Kingdom of God. 30 And notice that some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.”
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Jesus’ words in Luke 13 about a “narrow door” leading to salvation could easily describe our world today. We often love our traditions, our positions, and our power. We refer to ourselves as Christians, yet focus more on our programs and agendas than showing Christ’s love to people. In Revelation, the church at Philadelphia could serve as a model for us (Revelation 3:7-13). Why? Because, they kept their focus on Jesus and they drew strength from their trust in Him. Jesus knew who they were because they knew Him!
Jesus said things that confront our pride and sense of religious entitlement. If we cry out, “But Lord, certainly You know who we are! Remember, we went to church every Sunday, paid our tithe, we even sang on the praise team.” Our Lord may reply, “No, I do not know you, you never trusted me. Your heart did not reflect who I am.”
The greatest tragedy would be to hear, "and he will tell you, ‘I don’t know where you’re from. Get away from me, all you workers of wickedness!’" [Luke 13:27]. Fortunately there is a narrow door, just big enough for all who will humbly lay aside their worldly trophies and bloated ideas of self to enter.
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Hymn for Today: "I Surrender All" by Judson W. Van De Venter
1. All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
2. All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
3. All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.
Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
4. All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.
Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
5. All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His name!
Refrain: I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
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Thought of the Day: Philippians 3:8 Not only that, but I consider everything a disadvantage in comparison with the supreme value of knowing the Messiah Yeshua as my Lord. It was because of him that I gave up everything and regard it all as garbage, in order to gain the Messiah 9 and be found in union with him, not having any righteousness of my own based on legalism, but having that righteousness which comes through the Messiah’s faithfulness, the righteousness from God based on trust.
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Zambia/
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in Zambia/
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