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The Narrow Door

Make every effort

It is written: (Luke 13:23-27 NIV) Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’

(Matthew 7:21-23) Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

(Luke 18:17) Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

It is clear that many called Jesus lord, taught by him, some even prophesy or perform miracles, but they failed to receive like a little child, they do not do the will of God. In another word, only small percentage of believers are doing God’s will, like a little child. But how to downgrade from matured grownup to little child who does not know much? Take up the cross daily, get ride of many things we learned from this world.

The Cross

It is written: (Matthew 16:24-25 ISV) Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to follow me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow me continually. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Jesus said: (Luke 14:26-27) “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. …… (33) In the same way, none of you can be my disciple unless he gives up all his possessions.”

The cross means to die. It is never an easy thing to die to the self, nevertheless, most people do not know how to die. Psalm one is the lesson one from the Holy Spirit teaching us how to die to the self. It is simple, do not walk in the counsel of the wicked and meditate the word of God day and night. If anyone wants to practice it, he has to give up everything he normally likes to do except the necessary things. For God’s will is not our will, His way is different than our way, unless we give up our way, we can not do His will.

It took me a very long time to understand this, and I am still fighting against my own way everyday. This long process take place when I pray the Psalms, like psalm four. The Holy Spirit ask me, “How long will you love delusions and seek after lies?” Then He is teaching me to, “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD”. Each round of praying through all 150 Psalms, my understanding and faith deepens a little more. Finally I can see “the sacrifices of righteousness” is what Paul called us to “offer your body as a living sacrifices”, it means die to yourself. Verse 3 is teaching me to be godly, God will hear the godly. Godly is to be Christ like, to imitate Christ. There is no short cut or other way to bypass that.

We can always ask Jesus to come into our heat, but He will come only if we meet the requirement. It is written: (John 14:23-24) Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching, my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home within him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own, they belong to the Father who sent me. Now if anyone refuse to obey Jesus’ teaching about “denying himself, picking up his cross“, will Jesus and the Father still come to him and make home within him?

Prayer and the Sword

It is an ongoing battle against our old-self and against Satan’s temptation, and many are wounded or beaten, “The Puritans Progress” has lots of vivid examples. The only way we can win this spiritual war is through prayer with the Sword, which is the Word of God. For it is written: (Ephesians 6:10-13) Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Because we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and against powers, against the world rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual power of wickedness in high places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having worked out all things, to stand.

(Ephesians 6:16-18 NIV) In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. The book of Psalms included so many prayers that we can surely win this battle, below are just few examples;

  • Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” Let the light of your face shine upon us. O Lord.
  •  The LORD shall judge the people: judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to my integrity that is in me.
  • How long will you forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long will you hide your face from me? Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 
  • Show Your marvelous lovingkindness, O Savior of those seeking refuge in You; by Your right hand save them from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.
  • Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer. 
  • Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me: for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day.
  • Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart. For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.
  • To You, O LORD, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.
  • Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of him who practices wickedness.
  • Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the greatness of Your compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
  • Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
  • Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
  • Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit fails: hide not your face from me, lest I be like to them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning; for in you do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul to you. Teach me to do your will; for you are my God: your spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.


To you lift I up my eyes, O you that dwell in the heavens.
Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden to the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait on the LORD our God, until that he have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.
Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

Amen.