Strive to enter in at the Strait Gate

 July 23, 2024-Morning Bible Reading and Meditation- Luke 13 KJV

For Mithcah Bible Baptist Church- Bahrain Mission

Online Morning Devotional Bible Study and Meditation from Luke 13 KJV

 

“23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”

 

Words to ponder: Strive to Enter In at the Strait Gate

 

One among the significant teaching and preaching of the LORD JESUS CHRIST our Savior and Redeemer is this Luke chapter 13, wherein, the rulers and Pharisees sounded off their disliking unto Him; tried their very best to pushHim away, threatened Him, for Him to leave them.

But because of The LORD’s lovingkindness, grace and mercies, He continued His ministry of teaching, preaching, mentoring His disciples and healing sicknesses of those who came to Him even in Sabbath day; He must not waste time on His brief earthly living. He must do all the works for people to know who He, the real true GOD is; the very cause why the rulers of the synagogue despised and detest Him.

Many will ask, if He is indeed GOD, why did He allowed people to be so blind, that they don’t even have a hint that the Son of man, who’s with them,is the very Son of GOD who called them to serve Him. 

This question is simple and already answered in Genesis 3:22-24 KJV The Sin of disobedience expelled the first couple from the presence of GOD.

Because of disobedience of the first man, they were driven away from the place where GOD put them in; a place where GOD’S presence, protection and provision covers them. They were out in the world of vulnerabilities and deception. The world which are inhabited by the haughtiness and lies of the fallen Lucifer and his angels who deceived the mother of all human. 

And from this very reason why GOD’s Son JESUS CHRIST was sent. Why He has to present Himself as the Incarnate Word of GOD. Why He has to preach repentance and reconnection with GOD, This chapter tackled some issues with clarity, of which The LORD preached and taught His listeners from His spoken words that we also should learn about. Of such are: 

 

1. Repentance – The LORD requires repentance from us all. For all are perishable and none is acceptable; no righteous person nor extremely sinful will be forgiven and will be accepted to heaven unless each one of usrepent. v.1-5

 

2. Rescinding – The LORD is patient, long suffering and a chance- Giver. The parable of the fig tree which was planted but bear no fruit, is a representation of a person whom the LORD gave life, let him grow, but yield no good works; He, (The LORD) as the vineyard dresser plead to the owner of the vineyard: (GOD the Father) to give him one year; took care of him, nurture him, giving him time to be fruitful. But and if, after chances were consumed and The LORD’s given chances were futile, the LORD Himself will remove that person; rescinding him home. V.6-9

 

3. Restoration – The LORD came to restore health to the sickly. V.10-13 a woman which had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years was healed on Sabbath day. The rulers as usual were enrage in their reaction, as the bible said “they answered with indignation”, accusing The LORD with disregarding the law of Sabbath day. Blindly as they were, they never even have the discerning spirit to ponder the LORD’s reprimanding them. 

          v.14-16 That they just felt ashamed while all the people rejoice and glorify GOD for the wondrous works The LORD did in their presence. V.17

    

4. Regrow – The LORD’s taught His disciples here about the Kingdom of GOD they already have; likened to a mustard seed and the leaven which     was hid in the lump. Small in size, but once it was planted, it grows in full size and serves its purpose: the mustard seed turns to a tree, where birds reside as their shelter, while the leaven leavened the whole lump. Came and was born a babe in a manger, yet The LORD’s wondrous ministry affected the whole world. It is also attributed to the faith of The LORD; the faith which He has bestowed upon all who followed Him, which if planted in a good ground will then grow more and more; bearing more fruits in season even out of season. V. 18-21, we comfortably have grown being believers of CHRIST, that we became stagnant and remain silent, when we are supposed to be speaking. Let us regrow our faith which The LORD has already started within. 

John 15 kjv

“5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringethforth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

5. Raise resiliency- The LORD encouraged His listeners to choose to enter into strait gate. A narrow road to walk is not usually easy. Strive because there are deep holes, rough roads and bumps in a narrow way. Sometimes there are pitfalls, but choose it rather than the wide gates where many choose to enter, but the end is the destruction of hell. The LORD even said that, when He enter in and close the gate, whoever will knock and plead to Him to enter, He will not hear. He will never give in to their pleadings.v.22-28 He even said that there will many from other part of the world who will come and sit down at His Kingdom, implying that Gentiles, our race, He rather will call to enter. They will answer His calling and will take part in Him Kingdom. And we are here now with in The LORD because our ancestors received Him as their personal LORD and Savior. Thanks to them who came ahead of us and labor for the salvation of our souls! v.29,30

6. Renouncement – The LORD coldheartedly commanded the Pharisees to go back to tell King Herod what He had done and what more He will do, after they told Him to leave because Herod seek to kill Him. Then He lamented for Jerusalem; vehemently denounced that they will never see Him again until they will say: “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the LORD.” Which means on His second coming. v. 31-35 The truth that we observed even until now, that very few of them believe on The LORD. Most of them still are being blinded that JESUS is a heretic, a false teacher and the deceiver who deceive many who followed Him. Some of them even hated believers of CHRIST calling us Christians as a form of mockery. 

7. Rejoicing – The LORD’s word for us Gentiles cause our rejoicing in Him.v.29,30 

For we know that what The LORD has spoken in His words He already have fulfilled in us. What we need to do is to fully obey His words, observe and do the things according to His will, which pleases Him, and oblige ourselves to learn more of His ways, so that we will be able to share to others the salvation that we received from Him. His ministering here on earth might have been short, but it completely conveyed to us how we should live and walk. Leading others to The Lord is the great commission we should be concern about.  

 

Let us not be weary in always keep on choosing to enter into the strait gate. For it was design and prepared to strengthen our faith. We will never get lost if we choose to walk in that path The LORD has prepared. And the best thing, we will surely reach our destination which the end is the heaven’s gate.

 

Let us all walk with the LORD and always be blessed!

 

Luke 13KJV

1There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Supposeye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things?

3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath.

11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.

12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.

13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people, Thereare six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day.

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thouhypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering?

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?

17 And when he had said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.

18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?

21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:

26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.

27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee.

32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.

33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.