“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for MANY, I say to you, will seek to enterand will not be able.“
Luke 13:24
“I bid you strive, agonise, to enter into My spiritual kingdom.”
“The battle which we have to fight—the greatest battle that was ever fought by man—is the surrender of self to the will of God… The old nature, born of blood and of the will of the flesh, cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The hereditary tendencies, the former habits, MUST be given up.
We cannot, of ourselves, conquer the evil desires and habits that strive for the mastery. We cannot overcome the mighty foe who holds us in his thrall.
God alone can give us the victory.
But He cannot work in us without our consent and co-operation…. Our energies are required to co-operate with God.
The victory is not won without much earnest prayer, without the humbling of self at every step. Our will is not to be forced into co-operation with divine agencies, but it must be voluntarily submitted… The will must be placed on the side of God’s will.
You are not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into submission to the will of God; but if you are “willing to be made willing,” God will accomplish the work for you.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13
There are many in the broad way who are not fully satisfied with the path in which they walk. They long to break from the slavery of sin, and in their own strength they seek to make a stand against their sinful practices. They look toward the narrow way and the strait gate; but selfish pleasure, love of the world, pride, unsanctified ambition, place a barrier between them and the Saviour…. They desire the good, they make some effort to obtain it; but they do not choose it; they have not a settled purpose to secure it at the cost of all things.
The ONLY hope for us if we would overcome is to unite our will to God’s will and work in co-operation with Him, hour by hour and day by day.
We cannot retain self and yet enter the kingdom of God.
Are we willing to pay the price required of us? Are we willing to have our will brought into perfect conformity to the will of God?
Until we are willing, the transforming grace of God cannot be manifest upon us.”
The following was an excerpt from the book “Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, pages 141-143.
Be blessed Reader, as you contemplate these solemn words.
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:
He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the Rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the Rock.
But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
Luke 6:46-49
“Like the builders of these houses on the rock, said Jesus, is he who shall receive the words that I have spoken to you, and make them the foundation of his character and life. “The word of our God shall stand forever”, Isaiah 40:8…. The word of God is the only steadfast thing our world knows. It is the sure foundation. “Heaven and earth shall pass away,” said Jesus, “but My words shall not pass away.” Matthew 24:35.
Whoever builds upon them (Christ’s words) is building upon Christ, the Rock of Ages. In receiving the word, we receive Christ. And only those who thus receive His words are building upon Him.
“(No) Other foundation can no man lay than that is (already) laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:11
Christ, the Word, the revelation of God,—the manifestation of His character, His law, His love, His life,—is the only foundation upon which we can build a character that will endure.
Do you desire to become a follower of Christ, yet know not how to begin? Are you in darkness and know not how to find the light?
Follow the light you have. Set your heart to obey what you do know of the word of God. His power, His very life, dwells in His word. As you receive the word in faith, it will give you power to obey. As you give heed to the light you have, greater light will come. You are building on God’s word, and your character will be builded after the similitude (likeness) of the character of Christ.
Christ, the true foundation, is a living stone; His life is imparted to all that are built upon Him….. But every building erected on other foundation than God’s word will fall. He who, like the Jews in Christ’s day, builds on the foundation of human ideas and opinions, of forms and ceremonies of man’s invention, or on any works that he can do independently of the grace of Christ, is erecting his structure of character upon the shifting sand.
You who are resting your hope on self are building on the sand. But it is not yet too late to escape the impending ruin. Before the tempest breaks, flee to The Sure Foundation.
“Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone, of sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” “Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” “Ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”
Isaiah28:16;45:22;41:10;45:17
Excerpt from the book, Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, pg. 148-152
Reader, is your house built upon The Sure Foundation? If not, it is time to get building!
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 2:5 KJV
“Learn of Me,” says Jesus; “for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest, Matthew 11:29.” We are to enter the school of Christ, to learn from Him meekness and lowliness. Redemption is that process by which the soul is trained for heaven.
This training meansa knowledge of Christ. It means emancipation (freedom, deliverance) from ideas, habits, and practices that have been gained in the school of the prince of darkness. The soul must be delivered from all that is opposed to loyalty to God.”
Desire of Ages pg. 50
Who of us is faithfully following the Pattern (of Christ)? Who of us has instituted and continued the warfare against pride of heart? Who of us has, in good earnest, brought himself to wrestle with selfishness until it should no longer dwell in the heart and be revealed in the life?
Would to God the lessons given us, as we view the cross of Christ and see the signs fulfilling which bring us near to the Judgment, might be so impressed upon our hearts as to render us more humble, more self-denying, more kind to one another, less self-caring, less critical, and more willing to bear one another’s burdens than we are today.
As a people, we are departing from the simplicity of the faith and from the purity of the Gospel. Many are in great peril. Unless they change their course, they will be severed from the True Vine, John 15:5, as useless branches. Brethren and Sisters…..we are standing upon the threshold of the eternal world. We need now to gain victories at every step.
Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, pg. 18
“The example of our Lord Jesus Christ is set before us. We must resemble Him in His life, if we would have the benefit of His death.”
Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary, Philippians 2:5
“We are to make the Lord Jesus our model, and are in all respects to frame our lives, as far as possible, in accordance with this great example.”
Albert Barnes, Notes on the Whole Bible
What is a Christian, if not a follower of Christ?
The Apostle Peter tells us that Christ left us an example that we should follow in His steps, 1 Peter 2:21, and John further tells us that whosoever says that “he abides in Him, ought himself to walk even as He walked, 1 John 2:6.
It was at Antioch that the Disciples were first called Christians, Acts 11:20-21, and why? Because they copied the life and example of their Master, Christ, reflecting His image as the Spirit worked in their hearts to transform them into His nature.
“We need [not] look for no outward evidence of the blessing. The gift is in the promise, and we may go about our work assured that what God has promised, He is able to perform, and that the gift, which we already possess, will be realised when we need it most.”
“A familiar acquaintance with the Scriptures sharpens the discerning powers, and fortifies the soul against the attacks of Satan. The Bible is the sword of the Spirit, which will never fail to vanquish the adversary. It is the only true guide in all matters of faith and practice. The reason why Satan has so great control over the minds and hearts of men is that they have not made the Word of God the man of their counsel, and all their ways have not been tried by the true test. The Bible will show us what course we must pursue to become heirs of glory.
As the heart is opened to the entrance of the Word, light from the throne of God will shine into the soul[Psalm 119:130]. That Word, cherished in the heart, will yield to the student a treasure of knowledge that is priceless. Its ennobling principles will stamp the character with honesty and truthfulness, temperance and integrity.”
Loud Cry Compendium 