Narrow is the Gate - The Testaments of Faith Podcast

As Christians we often forget how hard it is to follow Christ. We must walk a narrow path and enter a narrow gate in oder to follow Christ. We get distracted by worldly ways and items. We let the evil one plant negative thoughts in our minds that consume us with fear and doubt. The one way we can overcome it is to say planted in faith, read our bibles and pray without ceasing. God Bless!

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to the Test with Faith Podcast. I'm Ray Bradshaw. Joining me tonight as usual is John Paul Murphy and John Quinn from the World of Faith Church out of Kinsville, North Carolina. And tonight's topic is narrow is the gate and how hard it is to actually walk the narrow path. Tonight, our first verse is gonna be Matthew 7, chapter chapter 7, verse 13 and 14. Jesus said, Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Gentlemen, where do y'all how do y'all interpret that part of that that parable?

SPEAKER_02 0:42

That not a lot of people's gonna make it into the narrow gate. You know, when you think about that he's leading the people, but a lot of people think they're gonna go to heaven, but they're actually not gonna go. Right. Yep. Um you know, the narrow gate would be considered heaven that he's talking about here. And, you know, it's really the people that have surrendered their life. You know, the one thing that makes me think about the the rich young ruler that he said, go sell everything and follow me. And he wasn't willing to give up all his things that he had, and that's one of the main things is if you're gonna follow Jesus is giving up everything that not really giving up everything you have, but you gotta surrender your life and everything that you have. Surrenders. It's a surrender to him. Because you know, um, if your possessions don't mean anything to you, then you're living a surrendered life to follow after Christ, you know, and and to get to following him.

SPEAKER_03 1:40

I said he went away sad because he had much possessions. Yeah. There, you know, he The thing is, what you give up, yeah, yeah, it cost you a lot. It cost you surrender. It cost you living holy, it cost you being transformed. It it cost you things, but the things that cost you weren't worth nothing to start with. And Jesus even said that no one that gives up brother, sister, mother, father, houses or land will go without. I think he even said, what was it? Uh that it would return to them seven times or something like that.

unknown 2:15

Right.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

I I I don't have the scripture right here in front of me. I just that one came to my mind when you said what you said there about that. Yeah. You know, there Jesus is saying that there's two roads. One leads to life, one leads to destruction. Yep. One one is a broad road, one's a narrow road. One is popular, but one is holy. Right.

SPEAKER_02 2:35

Everybody wants to go to heaven, but not everybody wants to surrender. Right. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

And I've I've seen that in my own life because I understand that the easy road is just to go with the flow and do what everybody else is doing.

SPEAKER_02 2:47

But the more you follow Christ, the one thing I've learned, the more you follow Christ, the easier it gets. Yeah, definitely. I mean, uh for me, you know, at the beginning, you know, learning to surrender and following Christ was not always easy. And I used to be one of them like, well, I'm just following Christ, just live in a difficult way. But the more you follow him, the more you obey, and the more it just gets easier and easier. It's not like you're working to try to do something. You know, we were um, you know, around some ministers today, and you know, one of the statements, well, I've got several churches, and you know, when you carry these churches, brother, it's tough, brother. I'm thinking, well, why don't you just quit? I mean, if you're so dang bad, I want to do this.

SPEAKER_03 3:29

Why don't you let Jesus carry him with you?

SPEAKER_02 3:31

No, then you've not got your word. It says, Let me take the yoke upon you. My burden is light. Right. You either believe the whole Bible or you're trying to carry all the weight yourself. And that's where people get so burdened down and they miss that, like, well, Christianity's hard. It's it's hard following Christ. Well, if it's hard if you're trying to do it on your own, but when you give your life over full surrender, everything. I'm not talking about 98%, 98% won't do. It's a hundred percent saying, God, I trust you with everything I got, everything to send me. And that's talking about the way, you know. It's all or nothing. Yeah. It's, you know, you got a whole generation of people that don't want to repent. Yep. You know, they don't believe in repentance. Some of them, you know, once saved, always saved. I'm never having I'm never gonna do anything wrong to change it.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Yeah, deny yourself.

SPEAKER_02 4:29

Yeah, deny.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Right now we got a country of me, me, me, me, me. Well, tell me about that. I mean, you know, that that's a big problem. They're they're a self-righteous.

SPEAKER_03 4:38

Well, the broad road follows culture, it follows feelings, it call it, you know, it don't require no holiness. That narrow road, though, it requires surrender, it requires obedience, holiness, holiness, it requires transformation, it requires truth, and it requires following Jesus.

SPEAKER_02 4:55

Yeah, Jesus was pretty much saying in this scripture there's two different roads. One leads to heaven, one of them leads to destruction. And you you've got to make it, you've got destruction comes along with hell. That's right, that's right. You know, there's two different crowds. Yeah. You better watch who the crowd you're hanging out with. That's another thing. Because if the people you're hanging out with, you give me your five friends, and I'm gonna tell you who you're gonna be, come out to be. Right. Because who your people you're hanging out with, you need to make sure they're getting into the entering the gates.

SPEAKER_01 5:29

I mean, that that goes along with anything, any addiction or bad habit. I mean, if if you want to be a Christian, you go hang out with like-minded people, that means you go to church.

SPEAKER_02 5:42

I mean, just like it's not just at church, though. I mean, because a lot of people come to church and they go to church and say, Thank you, Lord. I made it to church this week. And I I got my perfect system. But it doesn't mean that if you just went to church and you didn't get nothing out of it. If you're not living it Monday through Sunday, then if you don't do something with what God has given you, then I mean you just as well, I mean, you're you're trying. I understand that. I get the point, well, I'm trying, but here's the thing, in Christ, you don't have to keep on trying to keep on trying. Eventually, you grow up in Christ. Right. You know, you're not supposed to be drinking milk all the time, and you're supposed to grow up and eat some meat and actually go get to work. You know, it's one thing when you're a baby to be at home and we get you some milk and we we've nurse you up. But eventually you're supposed to grow up if you're a boy, you're supposed to grow up and become a man and go to work.

SPEAKER_01 6:36

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

That's the same thing in Christianity. The people miss all the time. They come in, they come to church, they just because they got milk the first little while and it was good to them, and they got nursed up, but eventually you're supposed to get some meat, you're supposed to get a backbone, you're supposed to find out what the word of God says, and then you're supposed to go get the work for the kingdom of God. Well, that's everybody.

SPEAKER_03 7:00

I thought as a child, I spoke as a child, but when I became a man, I put away my childish ways.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Yeah, and that's a that's the Bible. But if you don't, people don't. I mean, that's really is it's in the scripture. I know it is. So but if you don't, people don't ever get that realization that you're supposed to do more for Christ, you know, it's not just about coming to church that gets you saved. It's your life being transformed as you come in. Yep. Your life gets transformed, you get to come following after him. John 14, 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. You have to understand that. Well, I know that, but do you really know it? That's the only way is he's you're gonna get to heaven is not on your own good works, not on what you can do.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:48

But following Christ. Now, what Christ gives us example of how to follow him. What you're supposed to do, be led by example. Go after following Christ on an everyday basis, and you won't miss the gate that he's got planned for you because if you're following the Holy Spirit, you're following after God. You know, I teach this all the time in church. You should know that you know that you're saved. It teaches us that in the Bible.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

Yep. First John 5, chapter 5, verse 3, for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.

SPEAKER_02 8:22

No.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

They're not.

SPEAKER_01 8:24

They're not hard at all. They're not. Especially the first two.

SPEAKER_03 8:27

You know, on what you said there in John 14, 6 about I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me. If you look at what the world's telling everybody right now, there's many ways to get to him. Oh, yeah. And that's a bunch of garbage. Jesus said there's only one way, and I am that way. That's right. And so if you if you think you're gonna get to the Father other than by Jesus, then you're gonna bust hell right wide open.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:53

There's only one way. John backs it up a little bit more in John 10 9, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. He said Jesus is keep on saying, I am the way. I am the way. So, you know, you want to get into the kingdom of heaven, be following after Jesus. I tell people all the time, like, if you got your eyes so focused in on Christ and you're not focused in on problems, you're not focused in on other things of this world, because people get focused in on my job, I gotta do good. I gotta, I've gotta, I've gotta make sure that I show up because my my job needs me. I'm looking this promotion, I need this. But when you study the Bible, and I'm talking about read this, sucker, not just like not just hear it on Sunday, you read a story about three boys that would not deny Jesus, they would not deny God that Jesus wasn't time. Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, they wouldn't deny. They went from in one chapter, I mean, run it right there in one verse, being thrown into a fire to the next thing coming out of the fire and being promoted up to leadership over the whole entire nation. Now, were they in any of this point looking for a promotion? Were they ever even looking for anything? But I'm telling you, that's what God does. When you start following him, all these things that everybody else is chasing for, you will get them easily because you're following after Christ. It's an easy, you know, people's like, well, it's hard, it's hard. It's not always hard following. The longer I live for Christ, I find it easier and easier and easier because I'm submitted. I'm I've gave it all. I mean, I I'm not sitting there struggling to try to do stuff because I know, hey, he does it. Why am I gonna try to do it all? If I try myself, you know, with John and me was talking about another pastor on the way up here, and he was like, It's been such a hard time. I've been doing this and this and this for the last three weeks, and I'm just about worn out. We, you know, some weeks preach six or seven, you know, six, seven sermons in a week. Yeah. And you won't never hear John Paul come up there and say, Oh, well, help me, God. I've had a hard week. And I if you're gonna get like that, then you're you're relying on self-power and and not Christ's power.

SPEAKER_03 11:18

Um we're not gonna talk like we've got an open bullet wound and crying for bleeding out.

SPEAKER_01 11:24

Yeah, that's exactly right. That goes back to that self-righteousness, too. Yeah. Because you're not you're not leaning on God for that spirit to keep you going. You've got to.

SPEAKER_03 11:34

It says that his strength is made perfect in my weakness when when my flesh is weak, my spirit's still strong. That's right. You know, I mean, you know, if I get to the point that I feel tired, I tell myself, no, you ain't tired. And I start praying in the spirit. You can talk to God. Building up yourself on your most holy face. That that's a building up, a building up, building up.

SPEAKER_02 11:58

Yeah, absolutely. So we got off on on the topic of what God'll do for you, but hey, that's what uh that's what it that's what this is all about.

SPEAKER_03 12:06

You know, the world the world wants to say that there's meant to follow your own truth. That is a load of junk. Right. There's only one truth. I mean, I I'm just saying that that we're we're talking about narrow, narrow is the way.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 12:20

I mean, but if you look at what the world tells people right now, it it's it's find your own truth. Do you know, do you do what you want to do. Yeah. Basically, you're saying go to hell. If the government says just because the government says something's right, that doesn't mean it's right. Just because your mama says something's right or your daddy says something right, it don't mean it's right.

unknown 12:43

Right.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

You better find out what the word of God says about the subject and trust what it says because that is the that determines where you spend eternity.

SPEAKER_00 12:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:57

I mean, uh, see what you were just saying too is gonna lead into one of our future videos, too. Yeah, well, don't believe everything you hear. You need a book and learn it for yourself.

SPEAKER_02 13:06

There is a scripture talking about narrative the way um Proverbs 14, 12. Um, but I might back it up to um 11. The house of a wicked will be overthrown, but the tent of the upright will flourish. What does it say? The house uh the house, they got a whole house of the wicked will be overthrown, but the tent, notice the word tent of the upright will flourish, and then here's the next part. There is there is a way which seems to be right to a man, but it ends in the way of death. There's a whole way to people out here now that is popular, that's easy, that's acceptable, that's comfortable, that seems like it's a cultural approval, um, and that's the broad way. That's the broad way. Um living however you want, sleeping around with whoever you want to, going from one house to the next house, sleeping around, uh, holding unforgiveness like we had a podcast on last week, compromising, loving the things of this world. You might see me enjoy things of this world, but I'm not in love with the things of this world because I realize everything's temporary here. Twisting scriptures up. You'll see people twisting scriptures up to their own way they want them to be. Self-service. They want everything self-service to them. This is what it's talking about in Proverbs 14. Talking about this broad way that everybody tries to get it in their own way.

SPEAKER_01 14:43

Well, Proverbs 12, verse 15. Yeah. The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. What scripture was that? Uh Proverbs 12, verse 15. 12. I mean, to go along with what we're talking about. I mean, you know, what we're just talking about now, everybody now self-righteous. So everybody wants to do their own thing.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

Well, you know, there there's another right in their own eyes. There's another example here. You know, Noah's Ark had one door. All right. One way in, one place of safety. Anybody could have entered. Anybody could have entered. The issue was it won't access. The issue was obedience. They wouldn't listen to Noah. They wouldn't listen to what he was saying. There you go. I mean, they they could have been on the boat and they could have been saved. They could have went up there, got in the boat, there was one door, but they wouldn't listen.

SPEAKER_01 15:37

Well, you know, most everybody, and I've seen it, or some of my people that I know, just like Noah, you know, everybody's calling him crazy. Yeah. And and I will say, once you become a Christian, you will lose some friends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:50

But were they really friends? When you look at it. That's right. Yeah. And when I when I got saved and I I really turned my life around, I lost every friend I had except for him. Right. Except for John Paul. That I lost every friend I had. But you know what? I found out they want friends. Right. Yeah, if they don't I found out that they were there for a good time. But not a long time. Not a long time. But I mean, and you know, now I've got friends. I well I say I got friends, I mean they act like they like me. I got a lot of people that don't, but yeah. You know, we're all gonna have that too. No, yeah. You know, another thing, you know, you were talking you were just talking about in Second Timothy talked about it in uh in 2 Timothy three, one through five. This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedience to parents, unthankful and unholy, without natural affection, truth breakers, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady minded, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.

SPEAKER_02 17:08

I mean it's a lot of churches right now, they they have a form of godliness. I mean, even churches have a form of godliness, but having no power within, you know, the power of God saves people, it brings draws people in. If you if if you've not got something drawing people in, you know, I see people's house, well, our church is dying and things like that. Well, I would say that you have lost the power of God, and I mean you might get mad at it at the age of your catchers, but I'm yeah, I'm walking around, I've been with some ministers today that were power packed. Yeah, their churches are growing, they're doing fantastic. It's who you are around is gonna start affecting what's going on not only just in your life, but your ministry, everything else. You know, so people have lost God and still acting like they got him. And God is like, you know, I ain't been in that place in a long time. I mean, really, seriously, because they they wouldn't know what a move of God was if it it slapped them upside the head. I mean, honestly, a move of God comes in, and a lot of people reject the move of God. I mean, honestly, they do. They reject the move of God. They don't know what, you know, when God's saving people, healing people, doing transferring lives. Um you know, I I followed Jesus' ministry to the T and I I love every bit of it. Um, but people have their own want-w's in life. And when you start following everything you want to do, you miss what God wanted to do. Right. You miss the plan of God wanted to do in it.

SPEAKER_03 18:49

Um so they think religious, they sound religious, well, spiritual.

SPEAKER_02 18:55

Jesus explains this in um Matthew twenty-five, if y'all want me to read it to you. Go ahead. The then the kingdom of heaven shall be like the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Who was the bridegroom's Jesus. Now the five of them were wise, and five of them were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps, by while but why the wise but while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept, and at midnight a cry was heard, and behold, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all who all the virgins who arose and trimmed their lamps, and the foolish one says to the wise, give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out. But the wise answered, saying, No lest there should not be enough oil not enough for us. You but you rather you but you go rather to who sells and buys for yourself. And while they went out to buy, the bridegrooms came, and those who were ready went with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterwards the ver the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open it to us. But he answered to them and said, Surely I said to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour which the Son of Man is coming. So what it's saying is there's a lot of people that's got some lamps. Didn't say they didn't have a lamp. And these people were talking about people that's in church, people that's gonna be around, and they start off real strong, but they don't hold on to it. And I talked about this yesterday in church. Honoring God is being consistent. Honoring God is being consistent, not only with your giving, but your showing up to church, being consistent in what you're doing to him, honoring him is caring about him. I used this illustration yesterday. You know, if you had a lady come and cook you supper and she invited you to eat, and then you didn't show up, she's gonna be hot. She's gonna be a hot lady. So, you know, God's invited you to his house to come and dine with him, take time to be with him. You need to show up. You need to show up.

SPEAKER_03 21:16

On what you're saying there, let's there there's another scripture that goes with that back in Leviticus. Leviticus 6. Well, I pulled that up while I like to hear the Bible. And the fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not be put out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every day. This this is talking about keeping your spiritual fire alive. It's daily prayer, time with God, staying full of the Holy Ghost, refusing spiritual complacency, and continually feeding the flames with the word and worship. That's that's that's what it's talking about. Romans uh twelve, eleven uh It talks about not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Then you got Second Timothy one six, where he talks about stirring up the gifts that's within you. You know, it's it's about keeping your fire alive.

SPEAKER_01 22:16

You gotta keep the fuel too.

SPEAKER_03 22:18

Yeah. Well you don't light a fire.

SPEAKER_01 22:24

You have a lamp, but if you got oil in it, it's useless.

SPEAKER_03 22:26

Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 22:30

Right and staying full.

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Yeah, because like I just said earlier, if you got your eyes on Christ, you ain't gonna miss him. Like if you're if you're so focused in on Christ, that I'm not focused in on my problems, I'm not focusing on I'm I'm on Christ. So yeah. You won't miss the gate, baby. So that's the that's the thing I'm trying to get to our viewers, is you know, so some people live in fear that they're gonna miss the rapture or miss anything to Jesus coming, or if they die, they're gonna not go to heaven. And some and I just kind of want to ease some of the people that are listening up. But like if you just follow Jesus, you don't have to worry. Like God is a God of not worrying about things, He's a God of just letting you know everything's alright. Don't worry, don't have fear. Um, so you know that is um that's something he's all about.

SPEAKER_03 23:21

But if you build a fire at night, it's important to keep feeding the fire. To keep your focus on the fire, keep your fuel going to the fire. Keep it going. Don't don't let it die out because if you let it die out and you lose your fire, you're in a bad place.

SPEAKER_01 23:42

Well, you got to get up and try to start it all back over again.

SPEAKER_03 23:45

It's easier to keep one burning than it is to start it over.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

It's like them pickups out there. It's a lot easier to start filling it up with everything than it is when it gets empty. That way never it no it never goes empty. Well, it's good to stay in the spirit. Another verse I had, I had Luke 13, chapter 3.

SPEAKER_02 24:03

Yeah, I was headed there too.

SPEAKER_01 24:04

22 through 30, but I won't read all of them. Which one did you have?

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Go ahead. I was headed there too, that's where I was flipping to.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

And he went through the cities and villages teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to him, Lord, there are few who are saved, and he said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. And once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open for us, and he will answer to you, I do not know you, where are you from? Then you will begin to say, We ate and drank in your presence, and you talked in our streets. But he will say, I tell you I do not know you where you are from. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out, they will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God, and indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last. That last verse right there tells the tale. When you look back at the Pharisees and the scribes and Sadducees that were always out there praying in public, getting everybody to look at them, thinking they were first, they're gonna be the last ones to go. That's the way I look at it. And people like today are the same way. They're out there the self-righteous, putting themselves first. They're gonna be the last.

SPEAKER_03 25:34

Well, it says that they the ones that pray that you know I'm what was it he said that I'm not like this over this this Gentile over here. I'm not like this guy over here. Right, yeah. The Pharisees and the tax collector. Yeah, he said, but Jesus said, This guy over here was the one that was right. He won't bragging. Don't do what you're doing for men to see it, do it for God.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Yeah, the tax collector beat his chest and asked for God forgive him of his sins. Yeah. Which one he moved to the front of the line.

SPEAKER_00 26:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:06

He had a quick pass. Yeah. Well that can I go back to the very part of what you said? Yeah. It said, Lord, there are few who are saved. Then he and he said to them, strive. That word strive. That's right. That doesn't say be a lazy Christian. Yeah. Try. Strive. Yeah. Do all you can do to do it. When I think of the word striving, I mean I think of, you know, running. I think of doing all you got. You know, if you told me to go strive to do the best I can do, I mean that doesn't mean like, yeah, well, I'm gonna try. No, that means I'm gonna give it all I got.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Give it 100%.

SPEAKER_02 26:41

Yeah, it doesn't mean be a lazy, casual Christian. It means actually go for it. Give it all you got. And there's people that want to be, I'm gonna go ahead and say it, lazy Christians. Yeah. Paul called it a race. Yeah, it raced exactly right.

SPEAKER_03 26:57

He didn't say, he didn't say I moped around. He said, I have finished I have ran the race. I have finished my course. Yep. He said, I and I have, you know, and he uh from what I seen, he done it with excellence.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

I mean, you know, Romans two uh 12, 2, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. You know, the broad road blends blends in, compromise, fits in with culture, redefines truth. But God says, be transformed.

SPEAKER_01 27:38

That's right.

SPEAKER_03 27:40

Transformed means changed, renewed, different, holy, separated unto God.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Yeah, it's just like taking the interstate or taking a two-lane route. If you can take the interstate, it'd be nice and easy and free, but when there's a pile up, you sit in there.

SPEAKER_03 27:56

Does it mean just because there's a bunch of people taking it, does that mean it's safe?

SPEAKER_01 28:00

No, that don't mean that's right. That's just like my daddy always tells me, if they jumped in and fire, would you join 'em? Right. Right. No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_03 28:08

If all your friends went and jumped off the side of a mountain, would you fall around? Uh 2 Corinthians 5 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new. That that goes along with the narrow way. Uh you know, uh salvation is not just a religious activity. It's not just church attendance. No. It's a supernatural transformation. Yep. It changes you. I'm gonna look at you real funny.

SPEAKER_02 28:42

Yeah. Because everything starts changing. Everything's better.

SPEAKER_03 28:45

Because as it says that w as we as when we accept him, we are to become more like him.

SPEAKER_01 28:52

Right.

SPEAKER_03 28:52

Be ye holy as I am holy. So if you're still doing the same things, then you need to check yourself.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Yeah, you can't claim to be a Christian and still going there doing drugs or robbing people and sleeping.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

Bringing people up, sleeping around. Yeah, and they see they act. And this is I'm fixing to get forward. You know why that's so widely accepted? Because people, Christians, watch it on TV on TV. Oh man, it's fine. We can watch somebody sleeping with somebody else's wife, and you can watch that. I here's my rule at the house. If we watch something and there's one somebody sleeping on with somebody else, cut it off.

SPEAKER_01 29:30

It's gone.

SPEAKER_02 29:30

Cut it off. I ain't watching sin of this world on my television that I paid for. I'm not watching that garbage. I get mad every time I see it. I'm like, no, because what you start accepting, you accept sin, and that's the trick of the devil to put it into your house that you start seeing this person laying around with this person, and you see this garbage, and it makes it feel like, oh, well, it's okay, it's fine. No, you need to put a guard about what you're watching, what you're paying attention to on television. You need to cut some of that junk off that you're paying attention to because I'm telling you, broad is the way, narrow is the gate. And if you pay attention to trash and you let trash enter into your spirit, man, then that's where you're headed to, is the broad way. I'm not I'm not telling you're gonna go to hell for watching something, but I'm telling you, it will open up doors into your life that is not good life that's gonna hurt you. So, you know, you need to watch like look at look at just sorry I got where I was. It just makes me mad. It makes me mad of something I read.

SPEAKER_03 30:38

In the last few months, I've heard of so many ministries or or or pastors that have have lost their ministry because of that very same thing that you're talking about. You know, they they've accepted it. Well, they some of them and and you know they they accept it and and they're like, Well, it's okay if y'all go to bars to minister to people. Well, the people started going to bars where they started having a drink with the people and associating with them. Well, the next thing you know, the church goes under. Because they accepted the world. They accepted the world system, and it it plainly says that we're not to be conformed to this world. Yes, we're supposed to minister to sinners, we're supposed to to to talk to 'em. And I do not believe in bashing somebody and tell 'em, hey, you're wrong, you know, and just coming off, you know, tell them the blessings of serving God, but don't participate in sin with 'em.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

No. I read this yesterday in the daily devotional I read. I'm gonna read some of it here. Give it to us. The grand delusion of every act of sin is that we can be disloyal to God and everything will work out in the end. In private moments of moral self-conversation, we say, and what I'm getting ready to say down here is like excuses we use to sin. I can handle this, it'll be okay. I'll only do it once. I really didn't have much of a choice. It's not really such a big deal, like going back watching the mess on TV. Yeah that a sin. Yeah. Other people do it all the time. Yeah. Uh it's not really clearly forbidden by the Bible. Yeah. What else could I do? I just chose the lesser of two evils. I've heard that one a lot. God is good, He'll forgive me. Yeah. It's not like I do this all the time. Or doesn't God want me to be happy?

SPEAKER_03 32:31

My question is, why are you looking to see what you can get away with? Exactly. If you're looking to see what if you're looking to see what you can get away with, your heart ain't in the right place to start.

SPEAKER_02 32:44

Amen. You're trying to see what all I can get away with doing and not get in trouble like a five-year-old. Yeah, like a five-year-old. Hey, let me see what I can do because Sawyer does that. I mean, he's like, what can I do to get away with and see how much I can do? Yeah. Yeah, see how much I can get away with.

SPEAKER_03 33:02

Are you really wanting to be obedient at that time? I mean, are you really wanting? Are you are you being obedient? No, are you being are are you following my commandments at that time? Jesus said, if a man loves me, he will keep my commandments.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

Right, right. First John 3, verse 24. Now he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him, and by this we know that he abides in us by the Spirit whom he has given us.

SPEAKER_03 33:30

And I'm gonna tell you another way that you can tell who some whether somebody is living the right type of life or not. You shall know them by their fruit. By their fruit there shall be known. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, a bad tree cannot bear produce good fruit. A bitter spring cannot produce good water, and a bit a sweet spring cannot produce bitter bitter water. You do not go to an apple tree looking for oranges. So what you're producing shows me who you're serving.

SPEAKER_02 34:06

And I talked about that yesterday in churches, the people that's always angry. They're sitting there telling me you serve God and you're angry. I mean, and then you know you're all because the joy of the Lord should be your strength, it should be your own.

SPEAKER_01 34:18

When you run back to our last podcast on forgiveness, we talked about every Sunday school.

SPEAKER_03 34:27

The youth group, we talked about forgiveness and uh, you know, how how we're supposed to be quick to forgive, and a lot of what we talked about on the podcast last week, you know, and you know, about how we're not supposed to be easily offended. Right.

SPEAKER_01 34:43

So don't let the sun go down on your raft.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

Yeah, thank you, brother. I I needed it yesterday. Yeah. I needed it yesterday. You didn't. You the one fired me up.

SPEAKER_01 34:55

I got a long fire poker.

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Yeah, all the way from Wilmington, North Carolina, Oopling County. If anyone desires to me, this goes back to what we were just saying, let him deny himself. Yep.

SPEAKER_03 35:08

Take up his cross.

SPEAKER_02 35:09

Yeah, take up his cross, follow me. That's right. You know, that kills pride, denying yourself. That's right. You know, you see people that's prideful, like you were talking about. Prideful. Um, that kills rebellion. You can't drag your flesh through a narrow gate. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Right. Your fleshiness can't go through that narrow gate. You gotta kill that old flesh that you're trying to carry in there. It's your spiritual man that's gonna go through the narrow gate. That's right. It's the spirit man that's gonna go through the narrow gate. And people try to take the flesh along with it, and that ain't gonna work.

SPEAKER_01 35:43

So I I look at that too, just like my own testimony, being obsessed with worldly things. Yeah. And then, you know, I know people are, you know, addicted alcoholics and drug addicts. That that that's our fleshy mess that we've got to get rid of to get through that gate. We cannot drag that stuff with us. And we and that's part of giving up something. Yeah. I mean, we got to give up that kind of mess.

SPEAKER_02 36:07

Yeah. So even though even though I had it on our airplane mood. This is the the part that you know Jesus said few will find it. Only few. Not because God doesn't love people. God loves people, he loves people so much that he sent his only son. It's because most people won't surrender. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 36:27

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 36:28

It's not because God doesn't love people. God, I preach this all the time. God loves people and God's a good God. But you've got to be willing to do your part and give up surrender.

SPEAKER_03 36:38

It's his will that none should perish, but all should have eternal life, but you have to surrender. Right.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

I think the longer that the older this world gets, the worse it gets because everybody's getting more liberal with things. I'm not talking about politics liberal, but just you know, just being easy and letting things go. We're back, you know, 200 years ago. We didn't have the problems we have now.

SPEAKER_02 37:00

Well, there was a Wild West show out there, I will say that. There was a Wild West show, but they were killing people out there left and right in tombstone. I mean, they were pretty rough things. I think we're better off than when we had cowboy law. I mean, yeah, cowboys laws, they were just kills like Yemen over there. It was like Yemen is today. They just killed everybody. We do have at least laws and stuff, but it it is as far as what you're saying though, is there's such a great access to evil.

SPEAKER_03 37:30

Right. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 37:32

It's a greater access to each easy now, and people are too willing to accept it and just let it be.

SPEAKER_03 37:37

Look at look at like like he said, look at what Hollywood has put. Yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

Look at what Hollywood junk that's on our TVs now to our kids and the video games.

SPEAKER_02 37:53

They wouldn't let you watch NASH?

SPEAKER_03 37:55

That do you remember that? That's the devil show. That that's a bunch of heathens on there. I walk in one about 10 years later, and I'm they had mash playing, and I look out there and I'm like, Y'all watching the devil show. That's what y'all told me was that's the devil. Yeah. I'm like, y'all watching this, and I was grown. They look at me, well, that's the best thing on TV now. I'm like, what is the world come to?

SPEAKER_01 38:22

Man, I would love to found out what they thought about that being a devil show because I didn't remember that.

SPEAKER_03 38:26

It was that one guy on there that acted a little squirrely. Oh Klinger. Yeah, that I dressed up like a woman trying to get out of here. That was it. That was a little twisted.

SPEAKER_01 38:36

Yeah, that was twisted.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

But that seems like a minor thing now compared to what it is on there now. And that's that goes back to what I'm saying. There is the way. You need to pay attention to what you're watching. You know, my grandparents weren't all wrong. They were right on the money. You need to pay attention to what you're watching because what are you willing to accept? Christians don't accept everything that comes along. We have to put up a standard for your children. Yep. Uh-oh, I'm beating the head hard now.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Everything.

SPEAKER_02 39:07

Yeah. Well, you need to put up a standard around your kids. You know, that at our house, we don't let things come on our TV. I'm very censored. So we're so censored at our house, you have to put a code in every time you watch TV. Like it's a code that you have to put in to watch one show to the next show. So I have to prove if you're going to watch anything on my TV.

SPEAKER_03 39:29

What's coming through the video games?

SPEAKER_02 39:32

Exactly right. And the only thing we have on video games is farm sooner or later, because I like farming. I let them play down. But I'm just saying, do you have to let you do have to be a very censor at your house over your house? Because if you're a man, you're supposed to be head of the house. Uh-oh. If you're a man, this is biblical. If you like all the Bible, you're to be the head of the house. You've got to lead that house into example. You have to take that house and take spiritual authority, take spiritual authority over it, and you're to lead that house to the Lord. You know, leading that house to the Lord, you know, what did Jesus say, how can you take a splinter out of your friend's eye?

SPEAKER_03 40:14

How can you get a splinter out of your friend's eye if you got a log in your heart?

SPEAKER_02 40:19

That goes back to your house. First get the log out of your eye. I see some people, ministers. Oh. I see some ministers that they're trying to go preach to me about something, and their whole house is in disarray. You need to get your people in church. Yeah, you need to get your people in church, but where's your wife and your young? Where do you don't even bring you don't bring nobody to church? Don't tell me that. Don't preach to me about it, brother. Don't preach to me about it.

SPEAKER_03 40:46

I ain't gonna say what just come to my mind. Well, I think you need to grow some way both.

SPEAKER_02 40:52

I'm thinking it too. I'm thinking it too. I'm thinking it too.

SPEAKER_01 40:56

Anyhow, all my kids are grown now. Yeah. And you know, they can go off and do their own thing, but the best I can do is every day I send them Bible verses. Every day. Yeah. I send them a Bible verse. Yeah. And I'm trying to be a better example for them. I've got myself back in church. Yeah. I've started this podcast.

SPEAKER_03 41:15

Yeah. You can't control somebody that has grown and moved out of your church. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

You can't. Yeah, I mean, and you know what? And you know, and and the Bible tells us to not look back and have regrets.

SPEAKER_03 41:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

And I'm not gonna have I should have done this when they were younger, but I'm not gonna regret it now. I'm gonna just do the best I can to lead them in the right direction.

SPEAKER_03 41:34

There's things I wish I'd have changed when I was raising my child. Right. When he was at home.

SPEAKER_00 41:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 41:39

I mean, do I have regrets about it? No. Do I wish I could have done now what I knew then? Had I known now what I know then, I would have changed a lot of things.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

But that's why you listen to this podcast tonight so you can learn things.

SPEAKER_01 42:00

You learn from our mistakes. We're trying to teach y'all the right way. Everything we read to you guys is coming out of this Bible. We're not making it up and we're not taking it out of context.

SPEAKER_03 42:11

I'm like Paul. I do not uh uh I do not consider myself to know all things.

SPEAKER_02 42:16

No, no, definitely not. But this one thing I do know.

SPEAKER_01 42:20

That's why this iPad's in front of me in that Bible writer. I got a Bible open, I got a Bible open iPad. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 42:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:26

I mean, I got taking notes because I'm still learning every day. We won't never know it all.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

I think one day when I get to heaven, I'll have a pretty good idea. When I get there, he'll show up too many questions. I'll definitely have the source and the answer to all my questions. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

The mighty teacher will be there to ask. Yes. He can straighten it out for us.

SPEAKER_02 42:46

Yeah, I'll be asking a lot of questions. That's right. And just loving it. That's gonna be a glorious day. Amen, brother. And we want all of you just listening to be with us there. That's the reason we're teaching on this narrow way.

SPEAKER_01 42:59

And while we're on listening, if y'all like what we're doing here, go follow us on Facebook and TikTok, Instagram, Twitter. Twitter. X now. Just give us a like and share it with your friends and help us grow this ministry.

SPEAKER_03 43:16

Yeah. We want to see it go worldwide. And if they don't, they can still comment on it and it'll help our own.

SPEAKER_01 43:22

Leave comments. I'll take comments good or bad. It helps the algorithm, I don't care. And I reply I reply back to everything everybody comments. So please go join it. We all have good testimonies. And if you have a testimony you'd like to share with us, you can either email it to us and we'll read it here on the podcast, or you can call in. Or if you're local, you can drive in and come sit with us. Yeah. And we'll listen to your testimony and just have a cavalry conversation about God.

SPEAKER_02 43:48

So there's plenty of people that's gonna miss the gate because they're not willing to surrender. That's the biggest thing, and as you're vis you know, you're listening

SPEAKER_01 44:01

You know, I was like that for a long time. I mean a long time. I didn't want to give up money I was making. Because that money I was making was buying me all these worldly things, trucks, guns, motorcycles. I didn't want to give it up either. All this stuff that was putting me in a bond, making me sweat and worry all the time. And now that you can have it, brother.

SPEAKER_02 44:23

Yeah, I was I thought I was having fun.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:27

And then I found out it's a lot easier in life. Ain't that the truth? Man, a lot more peace.

SPEAKER_01 44:33

I'm so peaceful right now. Yeah. No worries. No.

SPEAKER_03 44:36

You know, a lot of people think that holiness don't matter no more. Holy holiness still matters. If you look at Hebrews twelve, fourteen, follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. First Peter one fifteen and sixteen. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation, because it is written, be ye holy as I am, for I am holy. Holiness is the opposite of legalism, the opposite of self-righteousness. Holiness is not earning salvation. Holiness is separation unto God, is surrender, is obedience, becoming like Christ. It says we're supposed to be transformed into his glorious image. When people see you, they should see Christ in you to hope of glory. They should not look at you and see a sad you see. They should look at you and see someone with a smile on their face because, like you said earlier, the joy of the Lord is your strength. This is the day the joy that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. Happy are the people whose God, happy is the nation whose God is Jehovah. Happy are the people. Happy are the people. You know, there there's so much joy. And and here's the thing, if you'll get like we talked about the unforgiveness last week, if you'll get out of that and you'll get into the joy and you'll make up your mind every day that you just refuse to be offended by stupid stuff. Because that's what it is, it's stupid stuff because it's not eternal. Nothing that you're getting upset about here is eternal. And you get that joy, people will see that on you and they'll want what you have, and that'll be a witness to others. But most people that call themselves Christian, if I've got to get what they have, like some people we've talked about recently, if if I've got to have what they've got, uh-uh, I'll quit.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

I don't want to be a Christian if they if I gotta look like they look always sad and never happy, you know, look like they currently have lemons in their mouth.

SPEAKER_01 47:19

Yeah, Debbie Downers.

SPEAKER_03 47:21

Yeah, Debbie Downers.

SPEAKER_01 47:22

If they see somebody happy, they want to try to make them unhappy too. Yeah, yeah. Come join my unhappy club. I don't want to be in that club.

SPEAKER_02 47:28

Misery loves company.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

Yep, it does.

SPEAKER_03 47:31

They want to they love to put Mark 8 36. For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Yeah. I don't know if y'all had that one or not.

SPEAKER_01 47:47

Well, I didn't have it, but I looked, that's one of my favorite verses of the bag.

SPEAKER_03 47:50

What good does it do if you gain the whole world? That's right. But you end up in hell.

SPEAKER_00 47:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:56

I mean, I don't know how much more you can say narrow way.

SPEAKER_02 47:59

Yeah, there's no way better to say it. I mean, you this is the thing that people use for excuse like their jobs and things like that. That you what is good does it do that if you go to work on Sunday, you go to work and you're trying to make all this money, you know, just like Ray has given his testimony. You know, what good does it all do if you die and go to hell? That's right. And spend eternity in fire.

SPEAKER_01 48:22

Verse 35 before that one when I have marked in my notes and highlights here, but whoever who desires to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.

SPEAKER_02 48:35

That's right. Yeah, that's all my surrender. That's right. You gotta surrender it all. Yeah, when you give it, and this is the main thing. You want to give, you know, surrender everything. You know, give you surrender your money, surrender your life, surrender your family, surrender everything. When you give everything to God, I'm giving it, I'm following after you. You're gonna be my leader, you're gonna be my guide. I'm not following after John Paul, I'm following after Christ Jesus, you're following me. And when you get that kind of thing, you're not gonna be worried about running into a wall so much. You're gonna be able to go into that narrow gate.

SPEAKER_01 49:11

Well, something else too is that when when we're doing that giving and being freely, just like we've talked on the tithing podcast, that we have to do it cheerfully. Yeah. You can't you can't say I'm gonna surrender all while you're gritting your teeth. Yeah, absolutely. That's kind of like, you know, well, getting a good deal on a car and you're gonna pay them cash or write them a check. Yeah. Type deal. You can't, you know, you think you're getting over on somebody because you're gritting your teeth, but you're not. Yeah. You gotta be able you got to do it w cheerfully. Yeah. And be glad to do it. Just give it all up. Yeah. You know, that's hard for humans. It is, it's hard. I've been there, I know. Yeah. It's hard.

SPEAKER_03 49:50

Y'all didn't neither one of y'all didn't mention John 10 9, did you? No, I don't think we've mentioned. I am the door. I think I I think you did get that. Yeah, John Paul read that one for us. Yeah. Yeah. I was thinking that you did. Yeah. And cut over these pauses out, but it's no big deal.

SPEAKER_02 50:06

Yeah, I ain't got no. I ain't got no. Everybody's thinking. I haven't got any more scriptures I've covered on mine.

SPEAKER_01 50:13

No, that goes to show y'all that we we do not plan this. It is not scripted. We get in here, we'll come up with a topic and study on it, but then we'll get where we start looking up stuff because we're doing everything on the fly. Yeah. Just as honest about this as we can be.

SPEAKER_02 50:27

Yeah, you'll see us flipping Bibles in here, flipping scriptures over here.

SPEAKER_01 50:32

This is nothing scripted, no teleprompters.

SPEAKER_03 50:35

Ephesians 2, 8 through 10. For by grace are you saved through faith, that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God.

SPEAKER_01 50:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 50:45

Not of works, lest any man should boast. Thank God. For we are keep that one highlighted. Oh, oh. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. You're not saved by works, you're not saved by what you do. You're saying by what Jesus did. Our righteousness is of him, but it requires surrender. It requires seeking him. And I'm gonna go even deeper. It requires a relationship. I'm I I always, this is number one with me, it is about a relationship. God throughout the whole Bible, all he ever wanted was a relationship with us. The people said, told Moses, you find out what God wants us to do, and we'll do it. When God the whole time just wanted a relationship, he just wanted to spend time with his children. He's like any good father. He just wants to spend time with his children.

SPEAKER_01 51:59

That's right. He wants us to who be.

SPEAKER_03 52:01

He calls himself, I mean, he is the good father, the good father. So I mean he that's what he wants is a relationship with his children. And if you get that relationship, any relationship that is worth having is built with time and trust. Spending time together. I didn't meet my wife and asked her to marry me the same day. I got to know her. Yeah. It's get to know him.

SPEAKER_01 52:32

We're at an hour. You want to read your scripture? I think we've done some good ones. Oh. Yeah, we'll finish this up. I got a scripture I like to read every podcast at the end of it. Tonight's gonna be first Peter chapter three, verses ten and eleven. For he who would love life and see good days, let him refrain this tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good. Let him seek peace and pursue it. Yeah, that's perfect. I like that one. That's a good verse. Let him pursue it. You go after the rights. You got you got to pursue it.

SPEAKER_02 53:10

Yeah. That's like that word we used earlier, striving to go after it.

SPEAKER_01 53:14

I tell a lot of people talking about pursuing it. I tell a lot of people a lot of time, well, I pray for it and I'm just waiting for God to show me the way. No, you got to take that first step. Yeah. God's waiting on you. God has got I I tell him, because I'm in the remote control airplanes and stuff, drones. God has control with you. He can turn you left, right, turn you around, whatever he wants to do. You just need to take that first step.

SPEAKER_02 53:38

Yeah, if you'll if you'll start following Christ and take that step out, he'll he'll help lead you and guide you.

SPEAKER_01 53:45

John, you could have been talking while you were up there like that.

SPEAKER_03 53:48

Yeah, I I I was like, Y'all gonna have to forgive some of this video production.

SPEAKER_01 53:52

I'm trying to do it all myself or something new, so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 53:54

Well, I could have just moved my mouth and they'd have thought he was.

SPEAKER_01 53:58

No, I got the auto off. That's what I know. I've been switching it by myself because that is what happened earlier when we had to stop and start over again. And it's just sitting there like I'm ladies and gentlemen, I'm glad y'all are watching this podcast. I hope you're getting something out of it. Um, we end there we end every podcast with a prayer. I'm gonna turn that over to John Paul. Let him lead us out with a prayer. Y'all remember Jesus loves you, and so do we.

SPEAKER_02 54:25

Y'all have a great week. Lord, we thank you tonight. Lord, that you show us the way, and you are the way. Lord, we thank you that you came that we may have life. Lord, that you will lead us and guide us. So Lord, I thank you for every listener that listens into this podcast. Lord, you reveal yourself to them. Lord, you show yourself to them. Lord, and help them understand this word. And Lord, we thank you tonight for your blessings upon them. In Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Amen. Y'all have a good week.