There are divisions not of man’s wisdom, but of his sin. Within My fold there are many who have not entered through the gate. They follow others, as others true to My call follow Me. They know not My voice, and My commands are only followed of convenience or earthly counsel. They belong not to Me, travel along with Me, yet they do not know Me. So many as the days draw short. Be aware of these lost, for although they see not as the enemy, they are also far from the truth. They hear but do not listen, and see but do not perceive. Do not do as they do, for justification is a great guardian of the lost. Wise counsel of men alone, increases the loss. “Compromise is the way of the Godly,” they speak, and, “The middle ground the heavenly place,” but it is not so. For though the house is easy to build, it shall not withstand the judgment, and its foundations will not be found. For these you must give light. Many will come, but most must suffer loss first. Be with them, that My Word, My Light and My counsel might lead them to true life, away from the lukewarm to the true Gate of blessing. There is no other way for the lost. Friendship with the found is not sufficient for the journey, nor its destination. Do not take for granted their secret salvation. Those who abide, obey and bear fruit belong, but these who walk at a distance, but do not belong, still need the salt of repentance and the great light of redemption.
Matthew 4:16 (ESV) – The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.
Matthew 7:17-18 (ESV) – So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
John 10:1 (ESV) – “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
Bottom Line: There are many who would consider themselves to be Christ-followers, but actually they do very little following. They may go to church, listen to the pastor, obey the golden rule, and even hang out with the Christian crowd, but they are not truly following the Lord. Many of us began our journey this way. We went to church because we knew we should, rarely opened a bible on our own, and our prayer life was dry and unfruitful. We may have been serious the day we promised to follow, but for years it seemed like “going through the motions” was all we could squeak in with our busy schedules. Career, hobbies and occasional recreation summed up our years. Then it happened, usually through trial, through His grace and through the love of other true followers – we were awakened! We finally got it, and down on our knees we went. True repentance, true hunger and true Life entered our souls. We have not been the same since. We know His voice, His Spirit dwells within us, and we follow Him directly. Life is much different and the fruit is evident to all. Remember today, that those around you at work, church, and even in our own family, may not yet be true followers, so continue to shine His light on them. The Gate is still open!
