Hosanna Restoration Church

Everyone has things that they do a certain way and woe to anyone who tries to convince them other wise. We refer to people as narrow minded. We have no problem with rules for games; we know there has to be some guidelines. People will stand in line to eat at the most desirable restaurant or anything else they really want to partake of. Of course some people will also try to cut in line and break rules and will keep on doing it till they get caught and even then they may continue to be rule breakers.

With this in mind, is it really so strange that God has a way that is the best way and that He described it as a narrow way? People are given awards all the time for their standard of performance. People write books telling of just the right way to do something and multitudes buy them. Engineers continue to fine tune everything to just the right tolerance levels for peak performance. And yet people think God is unreasonable in His directions.

Well it seems to me, that the best thing we can be is set in His ways. He warned us that there are ways that seem right to man that lead to destruction. When our way heads outside of His way it just is not going to work. Have you ever seen a sign that says do not enter, road ends ahead? Have you ever seen a bridge under construction that is only half done? If you disobey those signs and drive off that bridge, whose fault is it?

Perhaps if we referred to the “narrow way” as the “best way”, it would seem more tolerable to our understanding, but then is a great deal of confusion as to what is the right standard of tolerance. The list of destructions that have taken place in the name of tolerance is an ugly one that has murdered babies in the womb, accelerated sexually transmitted diseases, opened the door to terrorism, and is on the verge of destroying the world’s economy. We are experiencing the broad way that leads to destruction. It would be a good idea if we hit the brakes before we drive off the cliff.

What if we looked at the Lord’s narrow gate as a trust gate? What if we saw it a place that was free from doubt? So many people stand back from that gate because they doubt that it will work for them or they are concerned that it will cost them too much and their doubts keep them from the very life that they really desire. Jesus entered that place and He never doubted. He experienced abundant and eternal life. He showed us victory over death.

That narrow gate is like a sharp knife that slices through the toughest places with ease and it never gets dull or loses its’ shine. The enemy puts up detour signs and warnings as to how difficult the path is, but the truth is that it is easiest path of all to travel. Yes the Lord calls it a narrow gate but that narrow gate opens into a broad place. On the other hand, there is a wide open funnel that squeezes people into the narrow place of destruction. Like cattle in a holding pen that are herded into the chute they cannot escape. Fortunately, God always offers a way of escape. His name is Jesus. Call that narrow if you want, but I call Him life.