"The Gate Is Still Narrow"

“Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.”

Matthew 7:13,14

There are many messages of encouragement and patriotism and national pride going out at this time in our history. From the political podium, from the news desk, from the pulpit, and even from the Hollywood stage, go words of sympathy for victims, congratulations for heroes, gratitude for rescue workers... and calls to prayer.

Have you noticed? How could you not. Of course you have. “God Bless America” has been the end of almost every speech, from Washington to California; from the White House press room to Jay Leno’s very sincere and solemn monologue on the “Tonite Show”.

The popular message of the prophets of the aftermath, is that we all need to pray and ask for God’s help and blessing. We should all thank God that He is on our side, that He is watching over us, and ask him to bless our nation and our efforts to stamp out terrorism, and keep our children safe.

What’s wrong with this picture? I mean, it’s all very emotionally heart-rending, and these people really are sincere, aren’t they? Of course they are. So why do I get an uneasy feeling about it?

Well, because when I read the scriptures and study church history, I never see any true message (or messenger) from God being given the ‘popular’ vote of acceptance. I never see God promising anything to the godless masses without a call to repentance, and faith in a very narrow message. So that’s what’s causing me unrest as I watch the news and listen to our leaders’ voices. Something is missing. Of course, we can’t ‘see’ repentance, unless someone voices it/acts upon it ~ but frankly, I haven’t yet heard anyone confess through the media that we have any need, as a nation, to repent. So there’s a problem, huh?

Secondly, I see and hear very few presenting the message that the second step to healing and help is faith in the shed blood of Christ and His resurrection.

What I do see, is priests, rabbis, preachers and gurus from all major religions, standing together with pious expressions, hands austerely clasped in front, exhorting us all to pray to our ‘god’, in our ‘own way’, in this time of need. The “Moment of Silence” has become the national worship service.

In their ignorance they are calling people to enter by the wide gate, and thousands upon thousands are flowing through it like dumb sheep going to the slaughter.

Jesus said the gate is narrow that leads to life, and He is the gate.

Christians, this is the time for us to start sounding out a warning. We need to be willing to be as ‘loud’ and assertive as these false prophets, who are not speaking for the one true God, and echo the words of our Savior - be willing to be identified with our Lord - no matter how unpopular the message is. People can say we’re closed-minded and politically incorrect. They can say we’re subversive of peace and unity in a time when peace and unity are needed...but in the end we’re going to stand and give account to our Redeemer, and then, only His opinion will matter. Did our actions deny Him?

Here’s the unpopular message, and the only entirely true and unchanging message that our nation needs right now: Repent of years of utter rejection of God and His ways, and believe that Jesus Christ, His Son, died to pay the penalty for sin and rose to give you life. Be willing to say that while we recognize freedom of religious practice, we must reject the idolatry of the Islamic religion, and the Hindu religion, and the New Age religion, and all else that would usurp the authority of God over our nation and our lives, and reject the empty religious ritual of our so-called Christian churches that have denied the inerrancy of scripture and strayed from the foundational doctrines of the virgin birth, the shed blood and the resurrection of Christ, and take an unwavering, unyielding,

uncompromising stand for the truth.

That’s the message, Christian. Are you willing to be unpopular? Even if it means the saving of one soul?

The gate is narrow. Enter in.