“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.” Matthew 7:13-14
The gate that leads to heaven and eternal life is a narrow one, because God has a righteous standard that transcends all generations, cultures, and nationalities. And in this age of rampant sin, Christian compromise, and mass-mediocrity, we would be wise to remember that fact. People say there are many ways to God. That’s not what Jesus is saying here. There are not many ways to God. John 14:6 says plainly that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to God any other way, or through anyone else. Period. Salvation starts and ends with Jesus my friend. And from that point, your walk with God will progressively take you down an ever-narrowing road!
Yes, God will always love you, and will always be there to help you stay on the narrow road that leads to the narrow gate. But you must make the decision to live by His rules, and no one else’s. When you decide to take your relationship with Him to a higher level of sanctification, purpose, focus and purity, the blessings and favor of God will increase proportionately. That takes character and commitment because we’re in the world but not of the world (John 17:16).
Jesus said the road to death and destruction is wide and easy, and most people go that way - because it's wide and easy! People are always looking for the easy-to-navigate, well-paved road in life. Very seldom are they looking for the right road, because its narrow, full of potholes and harder to navigate. The only way to God’s blessings in this life, and eternal life afterwards ­– is Jesus. 
God’s road is uphill and challenging, and His gate is narrow. Make sure you’re strong enough to travel, and slim enough to fit! All of this can be summed up in one word: discipline. There are many definitions for discipline that you could study and apply, but the core element for maintaining a disciplined life is simple. Discipline is remembering what you want! There is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun, and we get to choose which place becomes our eternal home. Remember that the next time you’re faced with compromise in any area of your daily walk with God. Our Lord’s level of discipline is the gold standard for all of us. Jesus was tempted in all points like we, but He never sinned
(Hebrews 4:15). In addition, He faced temptations we’ll never have to face. Only Jesus could save us but doing what had to be done to meet the demands for divine justice wasn’t easy. Paying for our sins was an extremely difficult road that led to an extremely narrow gate. Read and meditate on our Lord’s Garden of Gethsemane passion. We’ve never experienced pressure to disobey God like Jesus did in that garden. His level of stress and agony was so intense His sweat became like great drops of blood (Luke 22:44). If you understand the level of pain and suffering a victim endures when being crucified to death, you understand the magnitude of that temptation! Not only that, but He faced the prospect of being forsaken by God when our sins were laid on Him. That meant spending 3 days and nights in hell (Matthew 27:46/2 Corinthians 5:21/Acts 2:27-31/Hebrews 1:3) to purge our sins and set us free. Our Lord could’ve called upon 12 legions of angels to deliver Him from the crucifixion experience, but He didn’t (Matthew 26:53). He knew what He wanted, and through all the pain and suffering, remembered what He came to do
(Hebrews 2:14-15/10:4-10/)!  
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. John 14:12
 
As I’ve meditated upon God’s narrow road, I’ve come to understand that when Jesus refers to the “works” that He did, it includes the work of daily discipline. He was disciplined, and we must be also (Hebrews 3:12-14). After all, if we’re not disciplined with our spiritual and physical affairs, we’re never going to be able to do the spiritual works Jesus did while on earth. Paul talked about this often. He had to keep his body under control just like us (1 Corinthians 9:27).
He freely talked about his struggles to maintain spiritual discipline in his life (Romans 6,7). It’s a daily discipline we must all embrace. 

As we start the New Year, let’s all dedicate ourselves to a disciplined lifestyle in Christ. It's not easy. If it was easy, everybody would be doing it, but they’re not. God’s commands are commands, not requests or suggestions. It doesn’t matter what men say about this. It only matters what God says. He said we should be holy because He is (1 Peter 1:13-19). That demands discipline, and that’s how we travel the only road that leads to the only gate leading to eternal life. Don’t let the affairs of life entangle you and keep you from experiencing all that God wants to give to you - in this life and the next (2 Timothy 2:4). Entanglements are in two categories: weights and sins (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Sins are willful acts of disobedience against God and His Word. Weights are time stealers. They’re not sins, but activities and preferences that prevent you from fulfilling your spiritual priorities every day. My first book was written about this. You can order it through our website. It’s called Be Strong! Stay Strong! 
 
Never forget this truth: the further you want to go with God, the fewer your options become!   
This is Who We Are. This is What We Do.
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DIVINE PEACE
With uncertainty, fear, confusion and turmoil on the earth, inner and lasting peace is the oasis everyone yearns for but looks for in all the wrong places. How can you live above the fear, pressure and frantic pace of life in these perilous times? Who offers that kind of peace? How do we obtain it, use it and protect it?

In Divine Peace, Apostle Mike explains the principles of knowing and walking in the power of God’s peace every day. He shares how to stand strong in the midst of every circumstance through a peace the world can’t give and the world can’t take away. He directs the reader to the Bible where the keys to unlocking the peace “that passes all understanding” are found.

In these last days, God will move on the earth like never before and the enemy will attack the church like never before. It’s imperative that believers understand the power of God’s peace.
 
Order your copy of Divine Peace today!  Go online at www.mkmi.org to order, or call our Tucson office to place your order directly. 
Daily Devotionals. Find them on our Mike Keyes Ministries International Facebook page. 
Read them. Learn from them. Apply them.   

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