Fri.’s Devo - Enter In

Read Luke 13:23-30 Today Jesus is asked if only a few will be saved. Jesus gives his answer in a parable. It is not the amount of people that he talks about, it is the condition of the heart that Jesus addresses. Jesus warns them to enter the strait gate. I looked to see if the term “straight gate” had been used before in the Bible and I came upon an interesting verse in Ez. 46:9. He told the people that if they came to worship the Lord for a feast that they needed to enter and exit opposite gates. If they entered in the North entrance then they needed to exit the South gate and visa versa. It was a picture of how we should enter and exit God’s presence. We enter with sin, burdens, etc. but we should leave clean, restored and lightened. There is only one door we can enter heaven and that door is Jesus. When God stands up at the end of time- it is over and whoever is in, is in and whoever is out, is out. The ones who get the door shut before them will argue that they went to church and even got involved in religious activity but he is going to tell them they never knew him and he never knew them. There will be much anguish and torment for them. They will see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets and still not be able to get in. People will come from all directions and all time periods and sit down in the kingdom of God. The last generation will come first down to the first generation. What a parade of people! That is going to be a great moment! Lord, I am in awe of how great and marvelous your plan is. May we be the ones who intimately know you and You intimately know us.