Narrow Door (Luke 13:22-30)

Our Lord Jesus rebuked those who could interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky but were not able to interpret the present times and called them hypocrites (Luke 12:56). Dr. Luke began Chapter 13 of his Gospel with the theme of repentance. Our Lord Jesus says, “Unless you repent you too will perish.” In the parables of a mustard seed and yeast our Lord Jesus expressed how much God wanted his children to humbly admit the wrongs and missteps and to repent and obey him. There are so many voices out in the world and even in the churches to seduce and lead the saints astray just as our Lord teaches through the parables. The story followed by the parables of a mustard seed and yeast tells us that there is a way worthy of calling which has been endorsed by our Lord Jesus Christ called the narrow door. Jesus Christ is the narrow door.

“Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, ‘Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?’ He said to them, ‘Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.’” (Luke 13:22-24)

On the way to Jerusalem probably for the Passover, someone asked, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” In the light of the Scriptures this anonymous man’s question is correct. Look Noah who built the ark and was saved with his family while the rest of the world were perished by the flood. Look Lot who lived in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and was saved with his wife and two daughters while the rest in the cities were perished and his wife became the pillar of salt for she turned back to the cities which the angels forbad. Indeed, a very few had been saved in those accounts. It is not told why the anonymous man asked such a question to Jesus.

Probably as our Lord Jesus was approaching to his death on a cross in the holy city of Jerusalem he taught more frequently about the impending sufferings and tribulations of the Son of Man. So, notably the crowds of people ebbed away and no longer followed him. John says in his Gospel that many disciples turned back and went home.

“From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” (John 6:66)

Our Lord Jesus answered, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many will try to enter and will not able to.” It’s obvious to make every effort to enter through the narrow door. It doesn’t need to make every effort to enter through the wide door. All man desperately wants to be fulfilled and satisfied in fullness and perfection. So, people are trying to achieve the goal out of desperation in the world like making money, searching for romance, and climbing up the ladder of success. But history proves that the people who think they have reached the goal inevitably suffer the deadly disease called ‘destination sickness.’ It is not wrong to make money, search for romance, and climb up the ladder of success. The problem lies if that is all they do to fulfill life because that’s not the way to do it.

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus is the narrow door. Though he was God he emptied and humbled himself to be a servant in the likeness of man and obeyed the Father to the point of death on a rugged cross. Though he was sinless, he suffered much with unbearable pains, sorrows, guilt, humiliation, despair, and shame in our place for God made him sin. The narrow door is the way of cross. Jesus became a man born of a woman by the Spirit and offered his body as the ransom sacrifice for the sin of the world. Though he was God he assumed all the shame and guilt and despair in our place on the cross of Calvary. That’s the way for our Lord Jesus Christ to go back to the Father. Through the pains and sufferings of bloody death he prepared the way back to the Father. Jesus says his disciples to follow the footstep he tread.

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

The prerequisite of following Jesus Christ is to deny oneself and take up his cross. The hardest thing man can understand is that he is dead in sins and transgressions and has no value in himself to be made righteous in the sight of Holy God. Every man in Adam inherits the sinful nature which is called the old self or the flesh. The flesh must be put to death because it does not obey God.

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” (Galatians 5:17)

The cross of Jesus Christ stands forever as the hallmark of authentic Christianity, ever telling the truth that one must die first in order to have a new life in him. No one wants to die naturally. Many a Christians thinks that since they died when they were made alive in Christ which is true they don’t need to die any longer which is not true. The cross of Calvary is not one time event but eternal one. Genuine Christians shall continue to die, running to the cross of Calvary in order to continue to live life, the resurrection life in Jesus Christ. That’s the reason our Lord Jesus says make every effort to enter through the narrow door. This is the only way to have life in full. That’s the reason our Lord Jesus came to the earth and took up all our inequities and transgressions upon his body and died.

Anyone who wants to live eternal life must enter through the narrow door. To enter through the narrow door we must die of the flesh and be clothed with the righteousness of God through the blood of the Son Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul exhorts the saints to put off the old self of corruption and deceit and to put on the new created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. This is exactly the same as our Lord Jesus says to deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow him.

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)

Since being made righteous is not from us in any degree but totally and completely rely on the works of our Lord Jesus Christ we are confidently and boldly entering into the throne of grace without fear. There is nothing in the flesh to earn the righteousness of God since we were dead in sins and transgressions. There is nothing useful and valuable in the dead. They are useless and inoperable, so the dead must be buried. That’s why our Lord Jesus was buried since he died of our sins and transgressions. This is what we shall continue to do in Jesus Christ, believing that we have nothing coming from us (the flesh) but everything coming from him.

“Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)

Many try to enter through the narrow door and will not able to because they do not want to die. Even so many believers want to serve God without going through the narrow door. Many try to follow Jesus Christ but in fact they want to bypass the cross of death and to reach the glory of resurrection. It is impossible! It never works even to our Lord Jesus! Although our Lord Jesus received all power in heaven and on earth and under the earth, he did not use his rights and authority to punish the wicked like us but obeyed the Father to the point of death so that all may be saved in him. In order to save others he did not save himself. He ought to die to liberate the children of the Father from the dungeon of darkness chained by the power of the devil. He became the narrow door once for all and forever.

“Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” (Luke 13:25-30)

This might be an imaginary scene when God shut the door of Noah’s ark. The people thronged to the ark at the flash flood which struck the cities and towns relentlessly, realizing that there was no way out of the unprecedented flood but going to the ark. But it was too late because God shut the door and no one could open it.

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.” (Revelation 3:7)

There will be a time the Lord Jesus Christ who has been sitting at the right hand of God after he went through the narrow door and received the glory rises up and closes the door of salvation. It is the dreadful day for the unrepentant and the stubborn-hearted who continued to refuse to enter through the narrow door. Jesus will say to them, “I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!” They thought they were the descendants of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets but they were not. It includes all of those who think that they are the followers of Christ Jesus but yet refuse to enter through the narrow door. They will be thrown out in the fiery place of hell which has been prepared for them before the creation of the world.  

Surprisingly enough, especially to the eyes of those who think they have been chosen, people will come from all the corners of the world from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. This is the picture of the blessed wedding feast of the Lamb with the beautifully ornamented and prepared bride which is the church. All kinds of people will be well prepared and ready for the glorious wedding feast. All will have been redeemed and cleansed and washed away and made perfect through the blood of the Lamb. Yes, there is only one way to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ who is the narrow door. This is the way all children of God shall continue to follow. Here is a warning for all of us not to lose the primary thing in our lives that we live in him and for him.

“Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”

Prayer: Thank you Father for giving us the narrow door to enter into eternal life and live life in full. May we never forget that we must first put off the old self and put on the new in Christ Jesus! May we never forget that there is only one way to eternal life through the narrow door, Jesus Christ the Lord! In Christ’s name. Amen.

October 27, 2015

© 2015 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.

The End Times (Daniel 7)

What is the kingdoms of earth like? What the world sees about the earthly kingdoms is quite different from what God sees. The world sees that the kingdoms of earth are promising and getting better if we fix some errors and mistakes in the midst. And some see that the kingdoms of earth are gloomy and doomed to destruction caused by food shortage, population explosion, wars, pollutions, global warming, and so on. Prophet Daniel saw a vision in which the kingdoms of earth were seen as the beasts. That’s what God sees the kingdoms of earth. He was told what’s going to happen in the end times. The man of lawlessness will be coming for the eternal destruction and condemnation. The Ancient of Days has been sitting in the throne until the man of perdition is subjected to him. This must be happened before the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ as King and Lord. The devil must be condemned and judged and subjected to the Lord and the eternal kingdom will be revealed.

“In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream. Daniel said: ‘In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven churning up the great sea. Four great beasts, each different from the others, came up out of the sea.’” (Daniel 7:1-3)

Beast is a nonhumane animal, especially a large or dangerous four-footed one. It is the symbol of cruelty, ferociousness, fierceness, brutality, and wildness. It is wild and untamable. Look around the world what is really going on. Wars, fights, killings, bombings, stabbings, stealing, abuses, massacres, genocides, revolts, rebels, revenges, perverts, sodomies, adulteries, fornications, pornographies, homosexuals, human trafficking, sex slaveries, labor slaveries, deceptions, religious hypocrisies, money laundering and racketeering, and all kinds of wicked things are happening every day in our midst.

In Daniel’s vision, the kingdoms rose and fell one at a time. Kingdom like a lion, kingdom like a bear, and kingdom like a leopard came to power and disappeared and crumbled one by one. Earthly kingdoms are temporal, fleeting, passing, transient, and momentary. Yet another kingdom rose as a fourth beast, terrifying and frightening and very powerful which was different from all the former beasts with ten horns. This is the antichrist.

“After that, in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.” (Daniel 7:7-8)

Then, a logical question it shall be asked is where God is in the midst of earthly kingdoms. Daniel saw the Ancient of Days in the vision who took his seat. Daniel saw God who took his seat and whose throne was flaming with fire and its wheels were all ablaze. The court was seated and the books were opened, the books of the mystery of mankind. There was an immovable and unshakable throne in heaven where the Ancient of Days took his seat. Seating is the symbol of resting. God is in control in the course of history from the beginning to the end.

As I looked, “thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:9-10)

The fourth kingdom will arise at the end times by the power of the devil. This kingdom is different from all other kingdoms and has power to uproot the previous three kingdoms. The devil will be emerged above the surface for a little and condemned and destroyed eternally. The beast will speak boastfully only for a time for the Lord will terminate his power from the face of the earth permanently and establish his eternal kingdom and reign in justice and righteousness. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all rulers, authorities, principalities, powers will bow down and worship and obey him.

“Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire. (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.) In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:11-14)

Before our Lord established his eternal kingdom with the given authority, glory, and sovereign power by the Father, he must destroy the fourth beast and throw in the blazing fire. Then all nations and peoples of every language will worship the Lord Jesus Christ forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Apostle Peter encouraged the saints not to lose heart because God gave them a living hope in the kingdom of God which is imperishable, enduring, and lasting forever. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)

The appearance of the fourth kingdom is the beginning of the end times which our Lord Jesus calls great tribulation, unequaled from the beginning of time until now and never to be equaled again. This is the day the man of lawlessness will appear and proclaim that he is God. But the appearance of the man of perdition is not for flourishing but for eternal destruction.

“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.” (Matthew 24:21)

“Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)

But the man of lawlessness will not only appear in time with terrifying, frightening, and powerful force and might but also is at work in our midst. Apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Thessalonica about the coming of the lawless man who is already at work through deceiving the people who are perishing. The devil is a liar and the father of lies. He is a murderer from the beginning. He deceived the woman in the Garden and has been deceiving the people who are belong to the kingdom of darkness and trying to deceive even the elect.

“Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:5-12)

Daniel was exhausted and troubled at the revelation of the vision. Even the mighty prophet was deeply troubled by the thoughts of the end times and his face turned pale. This is the mystery of humanity kept and hidden in secret until the time set by the Father comes.

“This is the end of the matter. I, Daniel, was deeply troubled by my thoughts, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.” (Daniel 7:28)

Our God and the Lord Jesus Christ runs the course of history and will be fulfilled everything in accordance with the Scripture. The people perish because they love the lie and refused to love the truth and so be saved. This is a test for everyone whether keep on believing in the Lord Jesus Christ or not. Those who obey the truth shall be saved.

October 20, 2015

©2015 David Lee Ministries - All rights reserved. 

 

Kingdom Like Yeast (Luke 13:20-21)

This chapter, Chapter 13 of Luke begins with the theme of repentance. And Luke picked up an incident in a synagogue that Jesus released a woman who was bound in infirmity for 18 years which showed the seriousness of unrepentance. Until her life was healed and liberated by the power of God to freedom and usefulness she was bound in infirmity and uselessness. Then Luke picked up two parables of our Lord Jesus who taught about the kingdom of heaven—the parable of a mustard seed and of yeast. These parables were used to be interpreted the kingdom of God starts in invisibly smallness but later will grow in enormity unimaginably. Yes, the kingdom of God is growing larger and larger in numbers and size. But that’s not the intention of the parables. It’s far away from the truth. Rather, it means that although the church of Christ is almost invisibly small and humble to the eyes of the world its influence and power shall be unforgettably pungent and strong, leaving a fragrance of death and life.

“Again he asked, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.’” (Luke 13:20-21)

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)

Again our Lord Jesus asked “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to?” It is the same question before he spoke the parable of a mustard seed. The kingdom of God is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough. There are three symbols to explain the kingdom of God—yeast, woman, and sixty pounds of flour.

First, sixty pounds of flour was used to serve three visitors for Abraham all of sudden (Genesis 18:6). Sixty pounds of flour is the same as three measures of flour. It is a beautiful symbol of loving and open fellowship with the Lord. The fine flour is used to offer a meal offering. It’s the symbol of the redeemed humanity because it has no rough and uneven spots. It’s perfectly balanced and even. After the fall of race, it has been prohibited for the race to come to Holy God without the sacrifice of blood, a symbol of Christ’s death. The fine flour is acceptable to God which says that only the redeemed humanity can access to the throne of grace freely and confidently. Anyone who has been made righteous by the blood of Christ is given a full access to the holy presence of God for the Lord Jesus Christ defends before the Father of Holiness.

“So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. ‘Quick,’ he said, ‘get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.’” (Genesis 18:6)

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we# boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

“He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)

Yeast is the symbol of false teachings and doctrines and hypocrisy. Apostle Paul rebuked the saints in the church of Corinth for they allowed a person who was sexually immoral, having slept with his step mother. It’s the symbol of the old self in Adam which is subjected to death. It’s dangerously contagious that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough. That’s why Apostle Paul seriously charged the person who involved in adultery and commanded the church to hand him over to Satan (1 Corinthians 5:4-5).

“Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Jesus warns of the yeast of the Pharisees and religious leaders. It means their hypocrisy. They pretended to be religious and pious outwardly but were corrupt and rotten inwardly. They are not serving God but themselves. They do not submit to the Lord God but just use of his name for their sake. So, yeast is the symbol of bad influence and force in the midst of the kingdom of heaven.

“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” (Mark 8:15)

Woman is used here as the symbol of false prophets who took and mixed yeast with three measures of fine flour. In the Book of Revelation our Lord Jesus spoke to the seven churches which are the representatives of all churches on earth throughout generations. Jesus rebuked the church in Thyatira because they allowed Jezebel to teach the false teachings which misled the saints into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. This is what is going on even in the evangelical churches in the 21^st century, allowing the homosexual ministers to teach in the pulpit that homosexual lifestyle is acceptable and okay.

“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” (Revelation 2:20-23)

That’s the kingdom of God like. The kingdom of heaven is not a remote some spot in space but our inner mind and heart where our struggles and pressures occur and cause frustration, bitterness, anger, sorrow, and all kinds of wicked things. The kingdom of God is also an invisible realm where our God is in control. No matter how the devil attempts hard to tempt the genuine saints it is no avail as seen in the story of Job in the Old Testament. But as our Lord tells the parables of a mustard seed and yeast we shall be alarmed and warned that we may not be ignorantly or stubbornly unrepentant. That’s the riches of God’s loving and longsuffering kindness which leads us to repentance.

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

Listen to Apostle Peter what he said in the 1^st century.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.” (2 Peter 3:8-10)

Prayer: Thank you Father for the revelations of the truth and reality of the kingdom of God. May our hearts be repentant and humble and be obedient to the truth faithfully. In Christ’s name. Amen.

October 15, 2015

© 2015 David Lee Ministries – All Rights Reserved.