Where Am I?

I was traveling for work last week, resulting in a lot of windshield time. The solitude of my car is where I’ve had some of my most intimate Jesus time. Engulfed in worship music my little sedan becomes my Upper Room, my secret place, my Garden of Gethsemane.

As I was driving, the Holy Spirit reminded me of the passages in Matthew 7:13-14 where Jesus talks about the road to Heaven and Hell.  “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.”

Every time I’ve read that passage previously, I’ve imagined a fork in the road. Where we each stand making a choice which path we’re going to take, but God showed me something different last week. He showed me one road. As I looked north, towards Heaven, it got narrower as I looked out into the horizon, but looking south towards Hell the road became wider.

But what I noticed as I looked south was the landscape. It was flat plainlands and the road was smooth, like it had been recently paved. But when I looked north the terrain was rugged, with Mountains in the backdrop. Traveling north the road was at a gradual incline, because as you travel in that direction you go higher.  

There were people heading in both directions. The masses heading south, with only a few traveling north. There were even people passing me heading south. They had turned around. North isn’t the easier way. It requires grit, determination, and perseverance.

As I took this all in, I realized there are people heading south that think they are heading north. People that go to your church and mine. They may even come every Sunday, but in the course of their journey their GPS has become dysfunctional.

The splitting point in the road is the cross. It determines directionality. It’s what saves. To be saved we have to ask Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins and receive him, but there’s a second part. We have to give him reign over our life.

The difference between the people heading north vs. south is a life of repentance. But repentance is more than asking for forgiveness. The definition is actually, “to turn towards God.” It’s a complete directional change. A 180 on the road. Turning from the old; our old life, habits, sins, attitudes, and replace it with the new. When we’re saved, we’re called born again Christians. It’s a new birth.

We can’t straddle the line anymore. With one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom, living a life of compromise. It can’t just be church on Sundays! He’s calling us to more. To be rooted in truth and righteousness. In relationship with him.

Maybe you’re one of those people questioning where am I headed? If you died today do you know what direction you’re going? Ask and receive my friend. Once you’ve made that decision, he gives us everything we need to make sure we stay on course.

It’s his word! The Bible. In Joshua 1:7-8 it tells us, “Be careful to obey the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Psalm 119:105 tells us that the word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. And in Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus told us, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

And I don’t know if anyone else feels it, but I feel a storm brewing. Everywhere I look I think, “Jesus help us!” I actually have to take periodic breaks from my newsfeed because I find it overwhelming.

A few weeks ago, our Pastor shared a prophetic warning from Pastor John Kilpatrick, and I felt anxiety begin to rise up inside of me, but so clearly, I heard, “Heather, my blood’s been applied to your doorpost.” And an overwhelming peace washed over me.

In Exodus when Moses petitioned Pharoh to free the Israelites the last plague was the plague of death, but God told them what to do. He said, take the blood of a sacrificed lamb and apply it to your doorpost. Then you’ll be saved, and death will pass over you.

I love how even from the beginning God’s been pointing us to Jesus. He’s our sacrificed lamb. He stepped off his throne to become flesh. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. It’s by his stripes that we’re healed. He came to tear the veil. To conquer sin and death.

But don’t miss it friends, he came for more than to just save us! He came to heal the broken hearted, to bring good news to the poor in spirit, and to set the captives free. He came so that we could have life and have it in abundance!

He came and died for us because he loves us. More than we can fathom, and love isn’t a feeling, it’s a choice. The same choice he gives each of us.

Don’t be like Pharoh. God sent Moses eleven times pleading for him to respond, but it says eventually the Lord gave him over to his desires and hardened his heart.

What has he been speaking to you about? Has he been knocking at your door? Has he been convicting you of sins, attitudes, or lifestyles, but you keep ignoring him? He’s saying make today your turning point. Not tomorrow or next Sunday. We aren’t guaranteed those.

And for those of you on the narrow road, you warriors who have picked up your cross and our diligently following after him. Keep pushing through. I know some days it feels like all hell has raged war against you. I truly believe it’s because the enemy knows his days are numbered. Keep going. The Promised Land is right over the horizon.

Zechariah 2:5 says, “For I will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.” He’s referring to the new Jerusalem, but I imagine us fighting our way up that narrow road, sometimes knocked down and crawling for every inch we can get. That fire, it’s the Holy Spirt! He’s with you, my friend! He’s surrounding you in protection, refining you with every step, and breathing in new life with every breath! Don’t give up! You’re almost there!

As I sat down to write, this song began playing Gatherhouse Music - Move Me Close (Live) with Ryan Kennedy & Crystal Yates. This IS the narrow road! It’s drawing close to him with every breath. Each day seeking after him full heartedly. Surrendering our lives into his hands. Letting him move us closer to him as he shapes and molds us into his image. We were made for more than this life my friends, are you Heavenbound?

Matthew 3:7-12 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. …vs. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Malachi 4 :1-2 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”