A Short Essay On Faith

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. [the Baptist] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through Him might believe. He was not that Light, but he was sent to bear witness of that Light. John 1: 1 - 8.

Then in verses 10, 11 it tells us, He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. And in verse 12, But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the son's of God, even to them that believe on His name. Verse 15 says, John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for He was before me. And in verses 16, 17 John said of Jesus, And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. When the priests and Levites asked him: Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not: but confessed , I am not the Christ. John then said to them, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. John was sent simply to prepare the way for Jesus, and baptizing in His name.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11: 1. That is how the Bible describes faith. Belief and faith are similar but with slightly different meanings. The dictionary defines both, of which, belief is firstly, usually by a result of an acceptance of something visibly seen - or perceived. Whereas faith is a strong conviction of something without needing tangible evidence, it is knowing it is true in your heart. Once you've accepted what you believe is true, faith then transcends belief with a stronger conviction.

Throughout the Bible, faith is mentioned almost everywhere so it must be an important trait to be reflected in our lives and not just by mouth only. And we need to do everything possible to guard this gift of salvation that God has given us through Jesus in His grace, which is seen as positional and in two parts, firstly when you first believed and then secondly after death, that is, if it happens before or during Tribulation, or whether you are raised alive at His coming at the END. God is guarding our salvation in Heaven and we have to do our part to the best of our ability and guard it here and faith is what guards it. Faith is such a fragile thing, and that alone should tell you how important it is. Belief and faith in God is a spiritual perception in our mind that He is, and isn't easily seen but faith is different in that the evidence of faith is clearly seen, or perceived by others. If we live by faith, which means living for the promise that is unseen and above us and not by what we see, which is only earthly and of no value whatsoever. And if we allow Satan to take it from us while we are here, we won’t get to collect the reward when everyone will stand before Jesus to be judged - 2nd Corinthians 5: 10. So many who are just lukewarm, or worse, are completely unaware that this is going to happen and if they knew this scripture, some might think differently. Our salvation, and the true and right path to receive it is the only thing that really matters and we should all understand and remember that. If you have accepted in your mind and heart that there is only one God and Father of all, and that He has given us salvation, free to all through His Son Jesus, who established, through His death, this one and only true way to heaven and home - the strait gate. Matthew 7: 13, 14.

I know that last statement goes against what so many hold onto because of what they've been conditioned to but just remember, it was Jesus who created it and told us about it. So that very fact should tell you how important it is, after all, Jesus gave it as a directive - and that is what so many cannot accept, being conditioned by man's traditions, ingrained over many years. And for some, those verses may seem insignificant and even though they are not a command, they are a very strong directive from Jesus - not man.

Faith is firstly an internal thing that is within your heart and mind. It's like a tender plant - it starts off slowly but the more you feed it by reading His words the stronger it will grow, then secondly, it eventually becomes an external thing and others will also notice it by your actions and hopefully, they'll want it too.

And faith simply means believing in God's promises and what Christ has done for us through the cross to make our salvation possible - that is the first part. We trust in God that He will do what He says - that is the second part. Faith and belief are similar but not quite the same - there are many that say I believe in God and anyone can say that, which is well and good but so does Satan, and what hope has he? Faith is so much more and on a deeper level - faith is trust in an assurance in God and Jesus, and confidence that His promises will never fail, which means we are not to lose our spiritual sight of those promises. And that also means to continue in faith in the way that Jesus established for our benefit, Matthew 7: 13, 14 - the strait gate, and doing whatever He asks. Faith, trust and continuing go hand in hand, one doesn't happen without the other. Faith, trust and continuing are also a commitment, which ONLY happens through your heart, mind and soul - nowhere else. And there are many examples of these three attributes throughout the Bible.

Hebrews 11 is a beautiful chapter completely dedicated to telling us what faith is and gives an account of those who have passed before us and is encouraging to read. I particularly like verse 13, which says: These all died in faith, not [yet] having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced [believed] them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Shouldn't we always try to emulate what they did? And who can say that they didn’t experience similar struggles of their own at times – after all, they were only human too and suffered the same things as we do and is no different today. Just as God was the same yesterday, is today and will be tomorrow – so is Satan, until his end and this is not a game with him - it has deadly consequences. And we need to remember, Satan knows that God loves us and regards us as His children, so Satan in his jealousy hates us and wants to destroy us if he can. This is my hope that I can achieve what they did before us and hopefully, it is yours too. Just remember, if Satan can talk angels out of heaven, he can easily talk you out of it too!

For by [God’s] grace are ye saved through faith; [in Christ] and that [salvation is] not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [through Jesus' crucifixion] Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2: 8, 9.

I want to leave the above verse completely on its own for you to consider, as it is so important regarding salvation - it is also connected to Matthew 7: 13, 14. In thinking about this grace that God extends to all of us - and how we can all suffer from distractions of varying degrees, some minor, some more so, and if we allow these distractions to overrule in our lives to the point where we can forget about our direction, we are at serious risk of abusing that grace, even if unintentional. So it is something we must consider and try our very best to stay on track. And this is something that can be insidious, that is, you become unaware of what these distractions are causing, and by allowing them to continue too far, either consciously or sub consciously - it can now be the beginnings of falling away unknowingly. And that is a dangerous condition to find yourself in. We are all responsible for what we allow in our own lives, that is 'one side of the coin' - the other side is when Satan has overtaken you because of those distractions. And if this happens, once you are aware of it, we need to remember what 1st Corinthians 10: 13 tells us: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. The emphasised words simply means it happens to all men [even some angels] so don't think you're alone and the way of escape is though faith in Jesus in knowing what He did for us. God has given our own power to resist it - James 4: 7, 8. And by stamping on it early, you have a better chance to escape. If you let it continue, it can become consuming, and too much to overcome. Human nature is a powerful emotion and if you feel you're too weak to overcome it when these temptations arise, that we all subconsciously desire, put yourself in serious prayer and ask for His help. God will not refuse a genuine plea for help. The thing we have ALL momentarily forgotten when temptations overtake us - is our salvation, and HOW it was given!

One of the worst things you could ever experience, which you might never get over, is your constant, intense feelings of sorrow when you realise you've compromised your own standards of conduct - or you have violated God's moral standards, which bears significant responsibilities/penalties for that violation. 2nd Corinthians 7: 10 tells us, For Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death. Worldly sorrow is an 'earthly sorrow' and doesn't lead to true repentance, because it focuses on self regret! Godly sorrow, is motivated by a desire to restore one's relationship with God, which leads to salvation. So Godly sorrow focuses on God and His standards, earthly sorrow lacks sincerity, and doesn't bring about a true change. This verse highlights the difference between them.

This gift is such a precious thing, it’s not something you can visibly see but you can see the evidence of it in those who are living for Him. And if we say we are living for Him, aren't we hoping that others can see it in our lives - then we should all have one mindset, to reflect Jesus in everything we do. That is, we hope others will see that we openly and boldly love Jesus, who unselfishly gave His life that we might have life, and this gift was given free through His willing obedience, and that they too might eventually want His salvation. So many don't realise the cost and ignorantly refuse it. Hebrews 11: 6 says: But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Faith is a fragile thing at best, and must be fiercely maintained. I cannot even hope to emphasize that last point enough, for without faith, salvation is impossible. When the storms of life come – and they will, faith is so easily lost. How we stand up to the tests will determine our reward and sadly, for some who let go and don't continue, and then don't return before their death - no reward at all. Salvation isn’t a one-off thing and then you forget about it unconsciously - by not doing what is required of us once you've received it, which is trying to help others who do not yet know Him.

There are those who believe in OSAS - Once Saved, Always Saved, thinking nothing can remove it. If it were that easy, there would be no problems in this life but there are so many things in this present world that makes life difficult - Satan being the prime example. It is an ongoing service, by continuing in faith right up to your last breath. And this will always come down to what you value the most – are you just living for the things of today, which are perishable and mean nothing, or for the promised rewards tomorrow which are everlasting and forever. It isn’t something that we have to face alone to overcome all the difficulties this life will throw at us and there will be many trials in the Tribulation soon to come but God has said He will not leave us alone. Isaiah 49: 10 is a wonderful promise - They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them. And 49: 15 says in part, yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. These are encouraging verses and I am reminded of Exodus 16: 1 - 36, which tells us how God provided food [manna] for the Israelites for 40 years but they complained, not having flesh to eat, so God gave them quail to satisfy them, and God's anger was kindled against them for their murmurings. Numbers 11: 20 tells us He only provided quail for one month because of His anger. Deuteronomy 29: 5 tells us, And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes did not wear out on you and your sandal has not worn out on your foot - something to remember in the Tribulation. This verse reminds us that God's provision goes beyond the ordinary and extends into the miraculous!

The second half of Tribulation being the worst, Matthew 6: 25 - 34 tells us more about how He will provide for His own during that time of trouble. There will be many doubts and fears in these days and many times we will have to see things by faith and not through our own eyes - we need to remember these things when Tribulation arrives because if we forget them, we may easily fall. And many think it's so far off, there's no point in thinking about it now, and that's simply because so many don't know just how close it is, or even know what's coming but there are the few who do know and understand just how close it really is. Then there are those who, being lukewarm, know it's coming but push it away. And that is really disbelief. Consider the parable of the 5 wise and the 5 foolish.

Some of my favourite verses are in John 3: 16 - 18, which says: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. Note the emphasis on might because there are many who will preach that you cannot lose your salvation once it is given, which is a lie but verse 18, which must be read in conjunction with the others, clearly says something very different - He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. One could think, all I have to do is believe to receive salvation - that's the easy bit but there is a little more to it than just believing, (so does Satan) you must also continue in faith - not loosing that faith, then repent, which is changing your direction, and then doing what He asks, by helping others to achieve it too - if they will listen, that's the harder part. I sometimes wonder, is it easier to convince an unbeliever OF the truth - the strait and narrow way, or convert a believer TO that truth, who is involved in the church system? Just think about that last sentence, it has two statements that couldn't be further apart! Even though those who attend churches have read the verses, they don't understand them as a directive from Jesus, dismissing them, thinking they're insignificant, as already mentioned above, and just thinking church is enough. By believing, we are continuing in something we cannot yet see. Belief and faith are intertwined, but faith delves deeper, making it distinct in its depth. So belief must come first, followed by faith. To define the difference between belief and faith simply - belief is based on information about something, either heard or read, while faith is an action, or stronger conviction resulting from that belief. This verse, and many others makes it clear that salvation can be lost if you don't continue in faith and many, who should know better, are only leading themselves and others into complacency. And by complacency, I'm meaning that it's all too easy to fall into the belief that I'm safe now and I don't need to be so diligent.

A little on complacency and safety.

The dictionary defines complacency as a feeling of being satisfied with yourself, or with a situation, so that you don't think any change is necessary, which leads to arrogance. No-one is safe until Jesus returns and you are risen by Him - Matthew 24: 29 - 31, and needs to be understood.

Anyone who falls victim to this condition has absolutely no knowledge of scripture, or the truth of it. And for most of those, they didn't even really begin, or are less than lukewarm. That is not to say that if you were once a believer and you've 'fallen away' that you can't regain your salvation, for God is able to graft you in again - if you are sincere and before your death. Romans 11: 22, 23 says, Behold the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity, but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue [in faith] in His goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also if they abide, not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. So we see by this verse, those who fell experienced the severity of God, and continuing means more than just for a brief moment, it means to the end - Matthew 24: 13. And that is truly, a wonderful promise to those who are troubled. Who can fathom His grace and patience, He is the anchor to our soul.

No matter what adversities we may face, and at times they may seem beyond our control and so overpowering that we may even contemplate giving up - but there is no salvation and no reward in giving up. And even if we falter along the way, Jesus is always there to help us to our feet and encourage us. If you think further about it, continuing isn't the whole problem. That's the easier part - keeping hold of faith is harder, because of those adversities. Keeping hold of faith is believing in something we cannot yet see that is contrary to human reasoning and is then followed by doubt, which is fed by Satan, and can be distracting for some - we can now understand the term blind faith. Even in such times, if we just firmly resolve to continue - things may be falling apart around us but if we keep in the front of our mind - continue, just continue, He will see us through whatever if we don't lose faith. SO HOLD ON TO FAITH NO MATTER WHAT. And that will never be more important than in the 2nd half of Tribulation. There are many false and counterfeit ways already here with more to come.

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"The only way to detect a counterfeit IS TO BE SO FAMILIAR WITH THE ORIGINAL, THAT JESUS ESTABLISHED, that you can't be fooled". (cited from ichthys.com) And as mentioned, life is going to get more difficult as we are now virtually standing on the eve of Tribulation, which is now, clearly on this side of the horizon and fast approaching - no-one yet knows exactly how it will play out until it arrives but keeping firm to the way that Jesus has established for us through His death, THE STRAIT GATE, Matthew 7: 13, 14 - which can ONLY BE ENTERED THROUGH YOUR HEART AND MIND, AND LED BY THE SPIRIT, so that you're not fooled - the Spirit will never lie to you. Just think about what I've just said - when you realise what Jesus means by saying, Enter ye in at the strait gate, and then realising how, you won't be fooled by false ways - and so many are. But too many will dismiss these verses, simply because of not properly understanding them. And the true way, that I've just mentioned, is the only way to salvation - just remember, it was Jesus who told us these verses, He established it for us - they are a specific directive and can't be dismissed. And if Jesus told us about those verses, which is written in scripture, who can say otherwise. I'm not just meaning for those who heard it in His sermon on the mount - most who heard it didn't understand but the disciples knew and tried to convert many. The Jews in those days didn't understand - as it still is today. And now, we have the opportunity because we've read it! All the disciples spoke about the strait gate in different ways but with the same meaning. There are so many who go to churches thinking that to receive salvation, you must do so. But there are many 'other believers' who don't go to churches - and just as many who go to churches, not all are true believers. So just what do those 'other believers' know that so many who should, don't? So ask yourself, WHY did Jesus tell us about the strait gate?

Jesus gave His life so that we may have life. And He established this way - His way, through His death, Hebrews 9: 12 - 15. Simply because He knew of the corruption of those days, which hasn't changed today. He didn't tell us those verses - as if they meant nothing!

Look again at what Jesus said in the verse immediately following the strait gate verses, and I'll write it here for you - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. I can accept that so many don't understand the strait gate verses but everyone can understand this verse - they simply disconnect it BECAUSE OF NOT UNDERSTANDING THOSE VERSES. Jeremiah 29: 13 says, And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Think about what Jeremiah is saying in the emphasised part of that verse - when ye shall search for me with all your heart. That's exactly what Jesus is telling us in John 4: 23 - 24, But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And you don't have to go to a church to do what these verses are saying - the search is in spirit, through your heart and mind. Jesus gives us the directive but so many choose to ignore it!

If I were to ask, why do you go to church? You would probably say, to learn about God and receive salvation! But is that true? Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit, who will teach us all things, 1st John 2: 27. And we also have a Bible, in which, the Spirit will teach us more about it than any pastor will! So there has to be another reason, and most don't know, it's probably more of just socialising - perhaps out of habit. But it's really because they don't understand two verses of the most important scripture - the strait gate. I'm sure that's a question Jesus would ask as well!

If you look at Proverbs 14: 12 - There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. And if you connect verse 13 of the strait gate verses with this verse it's pretty clear - Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: And isn't that the same as Solomon said in Proverbs 14: 12? God chose to repeat Proverbs 14: 12 again in 16: 25, so He obviously had a very good reason to say it twice! And verse 14 of those strait gate verses, IS THE REASON - Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. I would only ask, think about those verses again.

So many have read and know the verses mentioned but place little, or no importance on them, simply because of what they imply, not understanding with many thinking, It's too difficult, I can't do it! Well, it's not difficult and anyone can do it. Think about what belief and faith really are, you can't physically see either of those things - so it has to be an internal thing! It's simply in spirit, in your heart and mind, as already mentioned above. And nothing is more simple than that!

You only have to ask God for the Spirit to help you, and he will lead you in it - it's that simple! John 14: 6 says, I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE: NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME. And John 14: 26 and 1st John 2: 27 is clear. The strait and narrow way is what Jesus made and established - All Other ways are what man has made. Putting off understanding the strait gate verses, until a future day, means you won't be prepared spiritually when Tribulation arrives - you may not even live past today, and making the right choice before that happens is so critical. There are so many who don't realise the dangers that will be associated with the Tribulation, yet Matthew 24 is very sobering, and anyone reading this chapter will come sharply against the reality of it. Verses 21, 22 is a foretaste of it - For then shall be great tribulation, [trouble] such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. And thinking further, God has considered His elect in mercy. Everyone should read the entire chapter. And in saying 'a future day' is casting it away in your mind, thinking Tribulation is many years away yet and I don't need to be concerned right now but if I were to say it's much sooner than you think - that's bringing it closer, and is how you should be thinking. There are clues in scripture as to when it begins - at the end of this article you can find The Chronological Timeline of the Events in Tribulation if you'd like to know more about it. So many today are running away from Him, instead of running toward Him. And any who are hoping for 'a religious solution' will be sadly disappointed when the false prophet rises and coerces many into the one-world-religion, Revelation 13: 11 - 17. The fact that this is prophesied to happen, you need to put some effort into understanding the strait gate and how to enter it - before it happens. I have written a very detailed article about it, if you're interested, you can find it at the end of this article as well. And I'll just add, the two articles I've mentioned are possibly the two most important articles you will ever read - so please, take the time and read them.

The moment we believe, and commit to continuing in faith and believe, we are all given the Holy Spirit as a gift from Jesus. That is not to say you will recognise him straight away, unless it's necessary, it usually takes some time - he is just waiting for you to prove your faith - by continuing. In most instances, it is usually by a prompt, that is, you will know in your heart but if the Spirit spoke to you audibly, and he can, you would instantly understand and recognise him - so learn to recognise the prompts. Faith is not a visible or physical thing that you 'buy over the counter' and like everything pertaining to God and Jesus it is a spiritual thing, which is within. And as we grow through reading the Bible and faith grows in us, we will become aware of ‘the Spirit’s workings’ teaching and guiding us, even correcting us so that we may be found worthy to be presented before Him without blame.

Just a little on that, we can all feel we've sinned too many times and we're not worthy but God in His unfathomable mercy knows how weak we are. We're all going to fall in some form, even sometimes unknowingly. And in that mercy, He will forgive us if we come to Him, child-like in our sins, asking for forgiveness. Confess them as a whole - you will never remember all of them, which we're told to do daily. Once confessed and forgiven, we must try to repent, which is changing your direction.

Above all; we need to show that we bear the marks of Jesus upon and within us - who knows, there may be others who are watching your life and your walk. If we don’t take pains to show others who we are living for, Hebrews 13: 16, we are containing it within and that is just self-interest. To put it another way, there are some who want to believe but because of peer pressure from their unbelieving friends, are too embarrassed to show it / look for it. And in the soon to come Tribulation, that may be difficult for some but we are all given a gift to help others and try we must. And for many, that may lead to the loss of our lives but nevertheless, just remember, Jesus did it and suffered all for our sake. Even if it does lead to the loss of our lives in martyrdom, our reward is guaranteed. So don't ever be afraid to let your love show for Jesus, even if it leads to your own detriment. Our given responsibility is to help others in this fight, Romans 14: 19 - if they will listen as mentioned above. It is our job to plant the seed, God will do the watering and He will do the increase through the Spirit.

Faith is increased by prayer and studying His word as much as you can and if you neglect either of these requirements, you will only grow so far. For some, if either of these essentials are neglected it may even diminish to the point of lukewarmness. As already mentioned, faith is a fragile thing and must be maintained - so how do we maintain it - by constantly feeding it, by reading about Him. It's like learning a difficult skill, you have to constantly practice or the skill diminishes and faith is no different - if you don't keep applying yourself to it, it will diminish. In simple terms - occasional reading or stop reading altogether AND YOU SOON FORGET ABOUT SALVATION. And who do you think helps that condition or 'diminishing' along? Satan primarily but also yourself in rebelliousness, and so many aren't even aware that most of us suffer this trait. And that's why OSAS is a lie - there is only, He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24: 13.

There will never come a time when you think you know it all. The Bible is a complex book and to know it all in complete depth would take, for so many, more than one lifetime. Most will understand only a small part of it, and that is dependent on the the Spirit being in you - because you may be perceiving it the wrong way. Remembering to pray for the Spirit's help before reading any part of it will be of benefit to you - John 14: 26, and there is no better help.

Belief is only the beginning and I’m sure that you can understand even in an earthly example it’s not quite the same. Believing that an earthly object or something similar that you can visibly see will not increase your belief that it is – simply because it already is – but faith will increase if you feed it. Faith, being a spiritual thing, has to be fed in order to grow - it will not grow on it's own. And as a simple analogy – a seedling will quickly die without sufficient watering. As mentioned above, when someone plants a seed, God will do the watering and that watering comes from reading the Bible, and then being willing to be led by the Spirit. Again, faith is like a tender plant, it starts off small but the more you feed and care for it, the more it will grow. The first part in that sentence is describing faith in a visible way, the last part is describing the spiritual aspect. It's also like a sincere friendship with someone dear - in this instance namely Jesus and faith isn't something that can be turned on or off at any time to suit your own circumstances, it is to be constant, not hot one day and cold the next, that is the definition of being lukewarm. And being lukewarm in a spiritual sense, means lacking passion, [love for Him] zeal, [enthusiasm] and wholeheartedness [being committed] in our relationship with God. It's a state that we should actively guard against because it can lead to complacency, and then falling away from truth. It also hinders the Spirit from coming to you. And Jesus has some stinging words about that for those in this current era of Laodicea - Revelation 3: 15 - 17. It is to last forever and having faith is truly a trait to be guarded. In Matthew 17: 19 - 20 Jesus tells us even His disciples had difficulty with faith and He likened faith to the size of a mustard seed - it is so small it is easily lost. Faith is not an object you visibly see, it is a characteristic that is within you and you should strive to allow it to grow and show the marks [traits/qualities] of it to others. Faith is to be shared, not contained within - If someone should enquire of your belief, respond in a way that shows how much you love Jesus and what He has done for you, which was suffering the cross, and making salvation available for all. And tell them that He did it for them too. Hopefully, that will strike a chord.

Sometimes all of us can feel a little lost in the pressures that surround us in one form or another and we can all feel that we've slipped a bit at times if we've relaxed our grip on the things we value most. And this can come from so many things and some are known to us and some are unknown - just everyday things brought about by unnecessary worry that can lead to less reading, less thinking about spiritual things, less time in prayer - even none at all, which only increases lukewarmness. I don't mean satanic attack, although that will happen to all of us and we must keep our guard up at all times. I'm meaning the little things that can mount up over time, which are insidious and can have a damaging effect on faith if we don't check it and realise that we are causing our own problems at times. Satan is always watching and waiting for an opportunity and we tend to unconsciously, or perhaps blindly forget that because he isn't seen - so many disregard the danger, nevertheless he is always there. Just remember, as I've already said, he hates us. And if a person hated you in this life, wouldn't you always be on guard - and Satan is a far greater enemy than anyone around you. Faith is such a fragile thing at best and we must do everything possible to maintain it. Faith and trust go hand in hand and if we let it slip to a dangerous point, there is so much to lose. Proverbs 4: 25 - 27, are good to think on, Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. We should all consider the meaning of this proverb, which is about the strait and narrow way and to remain steadfast in faith.

He who walks straight rarely falls - Leonardo da Vinci.

It has been said by professional musicians that if you neglect to practice, even for one day, you will notice it. If you neglect to practice for more than one day, others notice it. If you neglect practicing for a week or so, everyone notices. And that analogy is the same across sports as well - which if you think about it, it's really laziness. Well, if you let your spiritual momentum slip too much for more than a few days, even for a few weeks, it has now become the beginning of lukewarmness, and guess who notices that?

Matthew 13: 3 – 8 speaks of the sower and the 4 types of ground where the seeds fell and each type of soil only produced a certain growth.

Very briefly, in the parable of the sower, a sower goes out to sow seed in 4 different types of ground: Hard ground, Rocky ground, Thorny ground and Good ground. Satan causes the rejection of the truth and loss of faith in the first three types.

1. The seed that falls on the hard ground beside the road is quickly stolen by the birds and is likened to a person who hears the word but doesn't really believe it because they haven't protected it. Their hearts, like the ground, is so hard the roots cannot penetrate it and the seed quickly withers away.

2. The seed that falls on the rocky ground springs up quickly but perishes because it's roots lack sufficient depth in the shallow layer of soil over a substrate of rock. A person hears it with gladness but doesn't have the strength or the will to stand up to storms and quickly fades in times of distress.

3. The seed that falls on thorny ground is choked by the weeds that grow up around it. This person hears it and believes it but it is quickly strangled by other matters which prove to be more important than salvation. They are distracted from the truth by the cares and worries of life.

4. The seed that falls on the good ground is the person who readily accepts it in faith and believes it and continues to grow and produce fruit even among adversities. Faith increases because it is continually nurtured and cared for by making a habit of reading and thinking about Jesus. They are willing to be a help unto others. (These 4 points cited from ichthys.com)

Everyone can understand the analogy in these 4 points, which is, the percentage of those few people who accept what Jesus is holding out to us in His unfailing love is small compared to the many who reject it without a further thought.

To us it is given the free choice as to what type of soil we become.

1st Corinthians 6: 9 - 10 tells us of things that are displeasing to God and to attain salvation they must be repented of, or you run the risk of remaining tainted with sin. We can take comfort in verse 11 which says: And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. There is only one sin that is not forgiven - that is rejecting the One who made salvation possible for you. Which, if you think about it, is the same as 'blasphemy against the Spirit' - do it to one and you do it to all three. And because of our sinful human nature, there is no-one without sin, and we all fall at times but He will cleanse and redeem every one of us if we confess those sins, and repent - which is changing direction, and try our best to change. He knows it's not easy for any of us and the first thing about change, is just making your mind up to try, and little by little, we can all do it, and He will help us if we allow Him - we only fail if we fail to try. Everything about building any type of structure is always the same but particularly faith, is just one day at a time.

On faith and continuing: In Romans 11: 22, 23 that I've written above, and the next verse below also speaks about continuing.

Colossians 1: 23 it says in part: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and was preached to every creature which is under heaven. The last part of this sentence that I've underlined, Paul was talking about those who had heard in his day in the world but doesn't mean that it has continued with the same vigour today. The first part that is emphasised is the critical part. Where Paul says and be not moved away means to be 'steadfast' in continuing. There are many definitions for steadfast - the two I like best are loyal and faithful.

In both instances Paul is encouraging us to continue in faith and mentions - if thou continue twice . . . he didn't just say 'continue' on it's own without prefixing it with IF before it, IF is specific and then he reinforces it with be not moved away.

In the verses in Romans, Paul is talking about two types of persons - to the one who will continue there is goodness, to the one who falls away there is severity and gives a warning - otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. God's mercy is truly unfathomable but there is a limit to His goodness. The second verse is a promise - God is able and will graft them in again if they turn from their unbelief. And that is mercy.

Since faith can be lost and salvation depends on faith, then salvation can be lost. So it's easy to see faith and continuing are linked.

That simple sentence, as well as the verses above it, are so very important when you think about it completely and should be enough to make anyone who believes in OSAS - Once Saved Always Saved, to have second thoughts on it. If OSAS were true, some could think, that it's alright to do whatever, whenever. What message is that sending to some who may be struggling with sin??? Let's look at 2nd Peter 2: 20, 21 which says: For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn [away] from the Holy commandment delivered unto them. That's a pretty convicting verse that most don't like to read but we all have an avenue of escape - James 4: 7, 8. So all should now understand - there is NO Once Saved Always Saved, [OSAS] that is a lie - there is only he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Matthew 24: 13. This is a day by day fight, and we're all in it until we see Him face to face. Jesus knows we will all fall in our weakness, even after giving our hearts to Him but as long as we confess those sins daily and try our best to repent of them, He will delight to forgive us. Salvation is a gift, which was won at the cross and to be highly valued and you are given a free choice to either accept and believe it, which is faith and leads to life, - or reject it, which leads to death. And so many don't understand what that means - just think, God made salvation simple for all to understand and enter, He didn't make it difficult, nor did He attach a high price to it! If salvation were either of those requirements - who could attain salvation? And it wouldn't be free would it? It was Jesus who made the strait gate available through His death and so many haven't really understood, or considered that. The fact that Jesus told us about the verses, they must be pivotal to salvation. To save you looking them up, I'll write them here for you: Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth to life, and few there be that find it. There is so much to understand in just two verses! Everyone knows that in the natural sense, death follows life but are ignorant of the spiritual death that some will suffer after the physical death and if they knew what that meant, some might think differently. But it doesn't have to be that way - understanding the strait gate verses are the key that is linked to salvation. I cannot make it any plainer than that.

The verses themselves are simple enough, the problem that so many have, is in the first line - Enter ye in . . . . so where is it? It's in your HEART AND MIND! And that's the part that most just can't get past. The very fact that Jesus created it means that it is free from man's ideas - the Spirit will never lie to you. Yet so many will put their faith in the church system, refusing what Jesus established for us in the simplest way. John 16: 13, 14 says, Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he shall show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. When Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross, that was the precise moment He handed it over to the Spirit to teach us. No-one but the Spirit can lead us in it.

And once you free yourself of man-made institutions, and start seriously reading your Bible - just give it a little time and the Spirit will come to you and teach you. You just need to recognise the way in which he speaks, which is usually by a prompt, which is knowing in your heart that it's true - spoken words are only when necessary. God gave us salvation through Jesus' sacrifice, who gave us the strait and narrow way through His death and He gave us the Holy Spirit to understand it and lead us in it. This is the manner in which He gave for us to access it, it begins firstly by belief, [conviction] followed by growing in faith, [a stronger conviction] and reading about Him, [waiting on the Spirit who will increase conviction by that knowledge] then continuing, [by remaining in Jesus] - in that order. In summary, Faith is a stronger conviction because it combines trust, confidence, and then an action. Whereas Belief although similar, remains passive and intellectual.

For those who may be wondering, I've just mentioned the spiritual death above - which is the second death, briefly, this is what it means. Our bodies are made up of two separate entities, your spiritual body and your natural physical body, in which God placed a spirit within you at your birth - the same as He did with Adam. And I know some will deny that. But it simply isn't possible for man to impart a spirit at conception - that is God's domain. Man cannot impart a spirit - at any time. When we die, it is only our physical body that dies and returns to dust, our spirit, which is the life within us and is eternal, returns to God who gave it, where it waits with others for the judgment day - to be raised to eternal life, or eternal torment. Matthew 10: 28 says, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: [spirit] but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. And that is something that all should consider. The next paragraph explains it more fully.

The Bible tells us that we all have a choice of two resurrections. All are offered the free gift of salvation, which is eternal life and to be part of the first resurrection. All those believers who have died prior to and during the Tribulation, are risen by Jesus at the END of Tribulation - 1st Thessalonians 4: 16 - 18. The unbelievers, that are alive who refused the mark, and if they make it through the Tribulation - along with believers, will now enter the millennium. ALL those who accepted the mark, believers and unbelievers alike, are thrown into the lake of fire when Jesus returns, at the END of Tribulation. No-one with the mark will enter the Millennium. But, if the millennial unbelievers then fail to accept the gift of salvation that is still on offer during that time - and if they succumb to Satan's temptations after that offer, at that time - when he is released from the abyss at the END of the millennium, they too will perish in the spiritual, second death at the very end. This last opportunity is their final chance for salvation. The resurrection of all the unbelievers, both dead and alive who remained unbelievers by the end of the millennium, leads to the second death, Revelation 21: 8. And so now we know there are also two destinies - one is eternal life, the other is eternal torment - of which, the choice should be easy, yet so many will not accept what Jesus is freely offering - SALVATION through the strait gate. Just read these paragraphs again, slowly.

It's that human nature thing again.

There will be many times that we will suffer setbacks as we go through life and some can cause extreme hardship - even to the point of doubting your faith. But in these times of trials we can always remember those before us - and some suffered more than we have. I try to remember Job when adversities threaten my faith - and Job was a man who had everything and lost nearly everything, even his children, yet he steadfastly kept his faith no matter what came. We belong to our Lord, Jesus Christ, He bought us with His death and He has the right to use us as soldiers in the fight in whichever way He determines to be best. The book of Job can help us all in hard times.

Small advances are better than nothing, and they almost always precede large advances. Spiritual momentum is difficult to attain and easy to lose. The solution is, fight the fight as best you can day by day and don't worry about yesterday. We can't afford to let past failures stop us from making progress today, nor yesterday's success that can lead us to become complacent today. This is a day by day fight - and we are all in it until we see the Lord face to face. (Paragraph cited from ichthys.com)

As a simple example of moving forward, it is virtually impossible to stay upright on a bicycle without falling, unless you're moving forward - and so it is with spiritual momentum, that is, by continuing in faith - moving forward. An easy analogy to understand.

Romans 10: 17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Sadly in this late age of Laodicea that we find ourselves in, finding a good place to hear the word has become very difficult even now and will get worse as the day draws near - Matthew 7: 15 is very severe and clear in what it says but we can all exhort one another to continue in faith, - all have opportunity to read the Bible. And we should all think again - am I going the right way? The strait gate, Matthew 7: 13, 14 - that I've already written above for you may not be relevant to you right now but Jesus gave us the gift of the Spirit when we first believed to lead us in it, even if we haven't recognised him yet. 2nd Peter 1: 11, tells us, For so an ENTRANCE shall be ministered unto you [by the Spirit] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Peter then tells us in verse 12, Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, [even] though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Peter understood the verses and was trying his best to lead others into it, he wasn't going to give up - and that is our job too! Once you've fully understood the strait gate verses, you will find many other instances referring to it in scripture.

When the anti-Christ and the false prophet rise, the strait gate will be very significant. And all should carefully think about that. During the Tribulation, blaming God and turning away from Him, will put many right into the arms of Satan, and the anti-Christ, brought about by the false prophet in a one-world-religion. And that belief has nothing to do with the strait gate verses.

In this late age we live in, there has been an increasing fundamental shift in what people value in their lives today, which has led to spiritual paralysis and loose standards. It's easy to understand why Jesus mentions being lukewarm in the last days. So many have drifted away from spiritual matters being overtaken by material things. Matthew 18: 20 says, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. This verse is simple to understand and is the truth of it. Finding sound teaching in the coming days will become harder and harder and many will ignore certain scriptures for whatever reasons and still blindly revere the hired men within the church system, following vain traditions, because of their lack of understanding the strait gate verses. John 10: 1 - 13 is also unwaveringly clear about that, particularly verses 12, 13. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. Jesus is the true shepherd, He won't flee from you, and He died for the sheep. Colossians 2: 8 says a similar thing: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Just think of the words I've emphasised here and Matthew 7: 22, 23 says a little more: Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.

So we can see from what Jesus has clearly said, attending churches is NOT a prerequisite for your salvation, nor does it guarantee it. Matthew 23: 13, 14 is very stinging, saying, But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites? For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. [we can see by the words in this scripture, the strait gate was known after Jesus' death but not understood - or more correctly, dismissed.] Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! [today's pastors] For ye devour widows houses, and for a pretence make a long prayer: Therefore ye shall receive the greatest damnation.

Salvation and faith are connected - salvation is impossible without faith and faith has nothing to do with attending churches, which is just an outward show - as already mentioned, faith is an internal thing.

You can see by the tone of these verses above and the verses below, Jesus was scathing of those responsible for bringing those around them to repentance and salvation. He knew by their actions in those days what their true character was - He is likening them to thieves. I once knew a man who use to attend a church where he lived and he was asked by the pastor, would he bequeath his house to that church on his demise? And that still happens today, which will get worse in the coming days. I could say more about these verses but they speak for themselves.

And 25 - 29 isn't a glowing report card either, particularly verse 27. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Read again that last verse 27, and think about it - Jesus was speaking about the hypocritical leaders of the people in those days, which have changed very little today.

As mentioned, Jesus knew of the hypocritical stance, even today, some start with the truth, then twist it to a lie - perhaps they are a little more 'street wise' and are able to subvert the truth without many noticing. And further, by starting with the truth it can end up with something far from the truth, which has come from their own minds. And if you think I'm being a little 'over the top' or excessive, just remember how Eve was lied to because she thought he was a friend. That's why you should always take your Bible with you and check what they say from your own Bible, as-they-say-it. Any pastor worth his salt should always tell you what chapter and verse they are speaking from so that you can follow along. Even so, you still need to be wary - if they say something that doesn't seem to agree with what you're reading, they are subverting the truth and there are many who will try to because they are very good at it and are believable. It's not a difficult thing to take your Bible with you, and no matter how good it may seem, you won't remember all that you heard when you get home - so check it as you hear it.

Amos 8: 11 - 13 tells us: Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst. Amos is telling us of those in his day who would not come to God and even in our own days where God will send strong delusion to those who refuse to come to Him, believing a lie - 2nd Thessalonians 2: 11. Amos is also speaking about the false prophet when he rises - in saying I will send a famine in the land . . . a spiritual famine - he is saying how difficult it will be to find truth being taught, and shall not find it. He goes on to say many in that day shall faint for thirst of hearing truth. In that day is referring to what all shall experience in the 2nd half of Tribulation. These verses need careful thinking about, even today.

If I were to single out any verses that show what Jesus is asking us to do, the following two verses in John 4: 23, 24 say it all and must be understood. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. - Which has absolutely nothing to do with churches yet so many in this day turn a blind eye to these verses simply because they are not properly understood. And anything that isn't understood is usually dismissed.

These are two very important verses and if we break them down into groups, they become more easily understood - But the hour cometh, and now is, this is specific and also a directive, not to be put off for a more convenient time but right now. Putting a most important requirement off to another day could result in being too late, as no-one knows the hour we will depart this life. This is a decision that must be made before you die, as Isaiah tells us in 38: 18, they that go down into the pit cannot hope for the truth. Then Jesus goes on to say, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: This also, is an important directive - that we must worship Him in spirit and truth and needs to be fully understood, which is always done in your mind and heart - NOWHERE ELSE, and is clear. Jeremiah says in 29: 13, And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart . . . And isn't that saying the same thing, in spirit? I think everyone, if they look into that verse can see its true meaning. Verse 23 finishes with, for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. Some verses in scripture say seek and ye shall find, which is placing this responsibility on us but here we read of something truly amazing - that God is seeking us too! Then in verse 24 it re-enforces again, God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. There are many other verses that Jesus Himself said that say the same thing and you can find them if you look for them.

Thinking further from worshiping Him in spirit, and relating it to prayer. There are many who are weak in faith and lukewarm - some do pray but very infrequently, or only when things become difficult, and because of that they are only half-hearted in their belief that they are actually speaking to God. Which is really disbelief that He is really there, and that's just because we can't see Him, so it would just be a pretence - what else can it be? If that's what you think, that is an attitude you must cast away immediately - God is real and He does hear, so change your mindset and pray as if He was right beside you, not as if He was somewhere far away, and you will find it easier. And you won't always get an answer immediately but that doesn't mean He hasn't heard you - He is always listening! As an analogy, talking to someone face to face is easier for continuity and flow than in an email - so believe that He IS there, and just let it come from your heart - this is what I'm meaning. Once you realise and believe that He is there and listening, you will find prayer will come easier. There are many verses that tell us God hears our plea, it comes down to faith and belief. So because you are now a child of God - and we've all seen a child talking to their parents with a child-like love . . . become like that. Prayer doesn't need to be of merit, or greatness, just be sincere - from your heart. And do it regularly.

The sooner you adopt this attitude and pray daily - and there is nothing to stop you doing that is there? Think about Daniel, he prayed 3 times a day everyday. Because of that, Daniel was a man very much favoured by God and the Spirit rested on him. And there's no reason why we can't be like Daniel, we just need to get more serious about our direction and our relationship with God. One of the reasons Jesus gave us the Spirit is because God doesn't speak to anyone directly these days - the Spirit relays our prayers to God and any answer you receive is from the Spirit, which is usually by a prompt that causes you to inwardly know in your heart, spoken words are only when or if necessary.

Just like the strait gate verses in Matthew 7: 13, 14 that not many really understand properly but if you take the time and consider these two verses mentioned above fully and completely with the strait gate verses, the meaning becomes clear - that both are spiritual, not earthly. That is, we are told by Jesus to worship God in spirit - through the heart and mind, and because we can't see Him, how else can it be?? Matthew 22: 35 - 37 says exactly that and is worth a few minutes to read it. Verse 37 being the pivotal verse. I won't explain these verses here, you can read them for yourself but if you read the article about the strait gate, I've explained it in detail. In thinking of the heart - not our physical heart, that is just a pump that keeps blood flowing through our body. I'm meaning our spiritual heart, which are two separate things. The Bible makes reference to the heart in many places and in every case it refers to your spiritual heart, not your physical heart.

Just as there is nothing earthly about worshiping Him in spirit, there is also nothing earthly about entering the strait gate either. Where Jesus told us enter ye in at the strait gate, that is a metaphor, we cannot enter physically into something that is spiritual. Perhaps, as an easier way to understand what Jesus said, I should say we are led in the narrow way by the Spirit. And also in 2nd Peter 1: 11, that I've mentioned above, which says: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. That is what most, even many believers, can't get past. Can it be any simpler? It's just a matter of believing and understanding that Jesus gave us the strait gate through His death and then gifted us with the Spirit to lead us/you in it. Now if you can accept what has just been said and realise how Jesus created the strait gate through His death on the cross, it wasn't here before then and is revealed to all by the Spirit, if they are willing. Faith and belief is a spiritual thing, that is, it happens in spirit, in your heart and mind, it cannot be any other way. It's not a physical thing, you cannot see it but you can see the evidence of it in those who know it. So where Jesus says enter ye in at the strait gate, that is a specific directive but it's in spirit, and there is nothing in this earth that relates to the strait gate. Those two verses do not say otherwise. Again, we are led in the narrow way by the Spirit, it's not something we can enter physically. And that's the truth and simplicity of it that most, particularly those who believe in the church system find it hard to comprehend that there is another way - a better/proper way and Jesus established it for our benefit. Thinking further, it is by faith we enter the strait and narrow way, and salvation is not possible without faith, so hold on to faith above everything else!

If you've read the strait gate verses, it should now be clear where they are found - through your heart and mind. It's nowhere else and can't be entered any other way. And if you've any doubts, look again at Matthew 7: 15, the very next verse after those verses - Jesus very clearly tells us where you can't find it!

Salvation is given by Jesus the moment we first believed through the Spirit - everything pertaining to God, Jesus and the Spirit is in spirit as mentioned above and finding the way to heaven is also done in spirit. Matthew 7: 13, 14 tells us how/where to achieve it - through the strait gate and I hope, after you've read this article, you might like to visit that article and it's also about faith. And it may be the most important article you'll ever read. You can find it at the end of this article - I've already mentioned that above, I'm saying it again in case you missed it before but more so because they're so important. Briefly because I've mentioned it, there are many who have wondered about those verses but have never really understood them, yet knowing they're in scripture and Jesus told us, so they must be important. You might like to read that article and hopefully, it will give you some understanding of the strait gate. Jesus made it very simple, through your mind and heart, which is the direct opposite of following vain traditions. Only two verses, you would think that should be easy enough to understand, yet so many wrongly think it's through a church - just look at those two verses again, the verses are clear, the instructions are clear, nothing about churches. The very next verse after the strait gate verses should be clear but so many ignore them. Beware of false prophets . . . who in their preaching describe a broad way to heaven: it is their teaching of the broad way, meaning many different ways and not one, the strait and narrow way. You will never have the narrow way properly explained in the church system because they're essentially about money. These 3 verses are connected and are spoken by Jesus, the first 2 verses are about salvation, through the strait gate, which is the directive, the 3rd is a warning, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, with a form of godliness; but inwardly they are ravening wolves. As just mentioned, it's through your heart and mind, not in any other way but led by the Spirit, which leadeth unto life. The last part of verse 13 - and few there be that find it is the summation of those verses, that so many turn a blind eye to.

If there are any of you who read these articles and you are part of the church system but you are disillusioned by it and if you're looking for something better, think seriously again about the strait gate mentioned above, it's not difficult. And visit ichthys.com - I promise you, you won't be disappointed - save it to favourites, you will be going back to it many times. Yes, it's an odd sounding name but don't let that fool you. You will learn more here than in any church.

As mentioned above, as long as we continue in the belief that we have and do what is expected of us by trying to help our brothers and sisters who don't yet know Him, we, and hopefully they too can be assured of salvation, and that is what 'your good works' are - Ephesians 2: 8 & 9, particularly 9. It's simple really, if you don't continue in faith you are throwing it away, as well as your salvation. Keep your faith by continuing and you keep your salvation. Even if Satan is trying to convince you otherwise by thinking your sins are too much for God to forgive, all you have to do is come to Him in prayer, confess those sins (as a whole, you won't remember all of them) and He WILL forgive you, that is promised - so we can now see that the simple act of continuing in faith - in the way that Jesus established, is all that's needed. And it begins by throwing away the belief that has been ingrained over many years, that you must attend a church to receive salvation. Salvation, and how to get it, does not mean that - you may not believe me, just believe the scriptures that I've included here.

In the latter days there will be a dearth, meaning a scarcity of good, sound teaching not found anywhere - Amos 8: 11 - 13 that I've mentioned above. In these days to come, Satan's objective is to eradicate all forms of Christian beliefs and I suspect, one of the things he will cause to happen is Christian articles like mine and many others will be taken down or banned from the internet by the anti-Christ and when that happens, the Bible and the Spirit will be our only source of truth. And many who are genuinely seeking truth will depart the church visible because of their fallen disposition and impending coercion by the false prophet, into a one-world-religion, instead of reliable Bible reading and if that happens to you, know it's not your doing. Some will just desert them completely because they've been offended by untruths in the system.

Those of you who are watching world events will know that a one-world-religion agreement in principal was signed in June 2020 between Pope Francis and the Islamic Grand Imam, leader of Egypt's Al-Azhar and is clearing the ground for further talks with others, which would suggest that the Pope is the false prophet - time will reveal it. This agreement is the start or beginnings of more to come - it is not yet universal involving all religions as it is the anti-Christ who gives power to the false prophet to complete it and neither have yet risen, although both are earthly men and are alive right now. Another article - Chronological Timeline of the Events in Tribulation which you can find at the end of this article will shed some light on that. Revelation 13: 1 - 10 is describing a one-world-government, particularly the last part of verse 7, which says: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations - that will be implemented by the anti-Christ in the beginning of the 2nd half of Tribulation. Then, from verse 11 - 18 it describes a one-world-religion, particularly verses 14 - 18. That too, will be fully implemented in the 2nd half. In 2015 the Pope visited the US and in a video he was seen by many to say that "all religions should combine into one". Make of that what you will.

The Bible is the only source of legitimate truth and Satan doesn’t want you to know it in any measure. Human nature being what it is, reading the Bible is often put off in favour of other pastimes but just remember, it’s Satan who puts up the detour sign because he knows our rebellious nature and we must try very hard to overcome that. How much you give in to that will determine your level of growth and possibly your salvation as well. If you knew what governs your salvation and the little it costs to gain it and the rewards promised, which are beyond earthly comparison, wouldn’t you do your best to attain it - and not lose it? Human nature is a strange thing and when you receive something that is free, some will truly value it above everything else because they've understood the cost, and yet others will place no value on it whatsoever and I often wonder if there was a high price on it, would more want it? And many might think, 'If I could just see or hear Jesus I would believe' - Well many saw and heard Him when He was here and yet they still didn't believe. FAITH WAS ABSENT. The same thing will happen after Jesus returns - the millennium being their very last opportunity. There are many who on picking up a Bible, and not really understanding it, thinking perhaps I should go to a church to learn about God and Jesus but if they only knew, Jesus gave us the Spirit who will teach us all things.

And thinking further, remember the parable of the rich man and Lazarus - Luke 16: 19 - 31, it says a similar thing, which says: There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died and was buried; And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. But particularly verses 26 - 31 which says: And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then said he, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. This is purely human nature - the rich man who died recognised that Lazarus was welcomed home and he thought his brethren could be saved simply by the testimony of Lazarus to warn them to change their ways. This parable is a powerful message to any who might think the same, not understanding how to attain salvation. Acts 16: 31 tells a similar story - Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, and all thy house. All are offered salvation individually but it doesn't mean 'a blanket salvation' that all in your house will be saved just because you've been saved by giving your heart to God - they too, have to make that decision themselves.

Salvation is a solo effort in spirit - between you and God ALONE.

How little some will value such a priceless gift, which is faith in salvation and forget the cost. So many are only looking at the visible things that mean little instead of the invisible things that are above and mean everything. If I could instil one thing in you and one thing only; Salvation is the only thing that really matters - and that will be the most important thing when Tribulation begins.

Having faith and holding on to faith are not quite the same. Having faith is believing that the Bible teaches us about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit is true. Holding on to faith is more about the battle that each and every one of us will experience in one way or another once we’ve made a conscious decision to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. And to win this battle we need to believe in a power outside of ourselves. In our own power we are very weak and we are not strong enough on our own, Satan will easily make ‘short work’ of us as he is a master deceiver. We were all in the battle even before making this decision – we weren’t completely aware of just how much we were kept bound. No-one can attain salvation in their own volition or power without having accepted Jesus as your saviour – it’s just not possible and it begins with a simple prayer from your heart and then repenting after that, which is changing your spiritual direction. There are many who may think their sins are so bad they are unforgivable and that is NOT TRUE and you know who is telling you that. There is no sin so great, except one, which is rejecting Jesus completely by not returning before your death - that He won’t forgive if we confess them in genuine remorse and once confessed they are forgiven and don’t have to be said ever again. And you know the best thing about that - God forgets them too! Isaiah 43: 25 says: I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Having a contrite heart means it has been bruised, hurt and crushed and God will delight to heal it. And just think, if God is willing to forgive and forget our sins, surely it's not too hard for us to give Him our lives in return, not too difficult is it?

A broken spirit and a contrite heart God will not despise. Psalm 51: 17.

Romans 10: 9 tells us, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, [which begins in prayer then telling others] and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For such a reward, it’s not a big demand is it? And this verse also, says nothing about churches.

For some, who were 'of the world' before realising there must be something better, and then finally coming to God, perhaps even close to the eleventh hour, and because of their past ways they may be a little awkward to outwardly show they now live for Jesus. Don't ever be afraid to throw off that old man, no matter what others may think or say about you - they have yet to come to that decision, you are now a new creature in Christ and there are so many rewards. Perhaps the best example is Paul - you can read about what Paul did to the early church in Acts, he tore the early church apart, persecuting many and causing their deaths until Jesus revealed Himself to him on the road to Damascus. From that moment he was a changed man, eventually, even overcoming the suspicion that was heaped upon him to become 'one of the best'. To digress here for a little explanation - by saying the early church, I'm not meaning buildings of any description, [Jewish Synagogues] I'm simply meaning people. I've already said above how things were in those days and that is why Jesus brought His disciples out of what was at that time, and because they, the church, were persecuted by the authorities of the day, they had to meet in secret in peoples houses - to escape persecution and possible death. That is what pure, undefiled religion is - even when 2 or 3 are gathered together in His name, Jesus is in their midst. And if you consider these things, you can also understand why Jesus eventually made the strait gate available through His death.

Disbelief and human nature is the condition that is holding so many back but there is more to gain than there is to lose. There is little or no benefit in holding on to what once was, just let go. 2nd. Corinthians 5: 17 has some encouraging words: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. The ONE and only requirement is to continue in faith.

Another couple of favourite verses are in Hebrews 12: 1, 2 and are good to think on, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. We can be so thankful that Jesus was prepared to suffer that cruelty for the likes of us who are unworthy and He knows our every weakness, (as does Satan) and we will all fall from time to time but you can rest assured He will always help us to our feet and encourage us to continue. I’m sure you can see that as a beautiful picture, perhaps even like the parable of the good Samaritan. You may not be aware of those around you who are watching your walk but be assured, there is a great cloud of witnesses above you who are rejoicing in heaven and cheering you on in this race. The rewards promised for finishing this race far outweigh the alternative of giving up. This race isn't only for the swift or the strong, the weak can win it as well and if others can be encouraged by our weakness and we show that we are continuing, even in weakness, it doesn't go unseen by them or Him. We have not yet resisted unto blood and some may have to.

To digress a little and knowing that we are now all standing on the very edge of the Tribulation precipice with such a short time left before it begins, 2020 could be the start of worse to come on an exponential scale. The CV pandemic is sweeping the world with no end yet in sight and no-one knows just how long it will continue. Here in Australia it's only just beginning, they are saying it will be longer than 6 months, possibly 12, even 18 months, no-one really knows - and now we are entering into the 5th year and no-one knows what's next. And with Tribulation a few short years away, who can say it isn't a wake-up call from God? After all, He has been asking everyone to come to Him for the last 6000 years and accept the salvation that Jesus paid the highest price for and grace will be no more. And something that may not have crossed many minds in this - there are many governments in various countries who are beginning to say that when a reliable vaccine is produced it will be mandatory to take it before borders are open to international travellers and of course, some won't want to accept it until it is proven to be safe, which is understandable. Now that it has been proven to be safe, some governments in some countries are beginning to say 'no jab - no job'. And taken even further, 'no jab - no dole'. I believe that should be mandated everywhere to help eradicate it as fast as possible. And I know that may seem a draconian measure but this virus is taking so many lives and yours could be the next life lost. Those who are listening to certain media and 'conspiracy theories' that are false, are putting their own lives as well as the lives of others at risk, which is hard to comprehend - are people really that stupid in this day and age? Think about how long effective vaccines have been around, Polio and other ailments were once a dreaded disease and have now been eradicated because everyone accepted those vaccines were safe. And I can't remember any rejection to that then. In some countries that have certain diseases, you have to be vaccinated against those diseases if you're wanting to go there, and that didn't stop people from being vaccinated. Apologies for digressing. Now if you think about it, it could also be seen as an example of Satan 'pulling the strings' to blindly follow his directions to accept the mark when he indwells the anti-Christ in the beginning of the second half of Tribulation - Revelation 13: 16, 17. It will be promoted as being in our best interests but in fact it will be the largest form of population control ever seen. But please, don't misread what I've just said, I'm meaning at that time - not now.

Remembering Job and thinking further, Satan is going to orchestrate many more disasters as a 'softening up' strategy making it easier for him to cause so many to fall away and accept the mark, mainly through fear - all of which is allowed by God to try and bring more to realise the error of their ways and change before it's too late. All those who are going to change will and all those who won't, simply won't. This crisis certainly makes it clear that if we can get this sort of worldwide dislocation from the 'normal' so quickly now, before the Spirit's restraining ministry is removed out of Satan's way and before the anti-Christ comes on the scene, there is no anticipating just how rapidly things will change once Tribulation begins and sadly for some, faith will be in short supply. That isn't to say the Spirit is removed from believers - he's only taken out of Satan's way opening the path for it to begin. But one thing is certain, after this is over it isn't going to be 'business as usual' and then BANG!, all of a sudden Tribulation begins very shortly after. It will be one thing after another, building to such an extent that the beginning of Tribulation may largely go unnoticed by so many, being 'dumbed down' by these events, except those who know and are watching for it. This crisis could be just the start of worse to follow and when the next one hits, everyone may be included. And knowing just some of the things we read of that is soon to befall us, it is so important to know Him, in whom we love and trust and know that He has everything worked out to the last detail.

A simple story of faith and belief in my own life that changed my perspective many years ago. It was a time before I truly decided to turn my life over to God when I was inwardly questioning things and I used to wonder, why didn't God leave something on this earth that left absolutely no doubt or question that God is who He is. Well the realisation came one day - He did leave something here and I was standing on it! Another time later when I was teaching a particular hobby - I can't quite remember how the conversation came up during a break, a young girl asked me a similar question and I simply recounted that experience but I could see it wasn't enough so I asked her - Thinking about the distance the earth is from the sun, what would happen if the earth was twice that distance away?

She thought about it and said, We'd probably freeze.

I then asked, So what would happen if the earth was even a quarter of that distance closer?

Straight away, We'd fry was her answer.

I then said, So who put it at that perfect distance? - I think you've answered your own question.

In the above paragraph I've explained it in simple language, Romans 1: 19, 20 explains it in truth in scripture. And in reality, no-one can deny it.

I particularly like what it says in part in 1st Chronicles 28: 9, If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off forever. Pretty clear isn't it.

After learning about what we will face when Tribulation arrives in a very short time, and I've covered this in other articles, there are many who will ask - Why has God brought it on our generation and not previous generations? Well, if you think about it there is a very simple answer. God in His mercy and grace has allowed ample time for all to come to him in submission and confession and changing your direction. And some may still say - But why us? And the answer is still the same. Every generation has steadily got worse over the last 6,000 years, we just happen to be the generation living at the end of the timeline of human existence, the 7000 years / 7 days timeline which God has already decreed, and we are now so close to when God will say - Enough is enough, how many warnings do you need? And anyone who wants salvation must realise that it must be claimed before you die - there is no hope beyond the grave, Isaiah 38: 18. And most know the story of the 99 sheep and the one that went astray, Matthew 18: 12 - 14. The lost sheep is a beautiful story of the love that He has for us all and all those 'lost sheep' will be found, even at the eleventh hour so to speak - you only have to look at the fallen state of the world right now to realise this and in John 10: 16, Jesus tells us He will bring them, which is a beautiful story. What I'm saying here is 'the last lost sheep' won't be found until late in the 2nd half of Tribulation and God will not waste any further time after that event before Jesus returns and He knows who that person is. That is not to say there won't be any lost sheep amongst the unbelievers who enter the millennium at the end of Tribulation and that is another story but briefly because I've mentioned it - it's only the unbelievers who refused the mark that will enter the millennium, where they will still have opportunity if they repent - they just don't know yet, that they too, are still lost sheep in God's eyes. If that wasn't so the millennium would be pointless. And this all ties in with the 7,000 year / 7 day timeline, which is God's timeline of the history of man - we are now almost at the end of the 6,000 years or 6th day of that timeline, which includes the 7 years of Tribulation, only leaving the millennium of 1,000 years to come. And that should tell you just how close Tribulation really is.

In case you're not familiar with John 10: 16: And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. This verse, spoken by Jesus is a beautiful story of compassion and love that He has for all and because I love it so much, and I hope it evokes the same in you, I will make a comment. Jesus said, other sheep I have, He is clearly saying there are others to be found, and we only have to look around us to know that so many are walking away from Him instead of toward Him but if we look a bit closer, we might recognise a lost sheep should God bring one across our path. He then goes on to say, which are not of this fold, and there is so much confusion in the world about this fold that He mentions, which is the strait gate, and when these verses are properly understood, the truth becomes clear. And after all, it was Jesus who told us about it. I won't go into that here because I've covered it fully in the Strait Gate article, which you can find at the end of this article but briefly, it can only be entered in spirit - through your heart and mind. There are many who know this truth but sadly, there are so many out there who don't. He then says, them also I must bring - is clear that He will bring them, which is a beautiful promise and we can all be a help in this as that is our given responsibility - and they shall hear my voice; in saying my voice, Jesus is meaning His own voice, through the holy Spirit, that is given to all who believe. Jesus concludes with and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Which is how it will be in heaven but it BEGINS HERE through the knowledge of the strait gate. And where Paul says in Ephesians 4: 5, One Lord, One faith, One baptism, he is repeating Jesus' words. And these verses are a beautiful story of hope for all who are lost sheep.

Much of the Bible has to be spiritually discerned, especially Revelation, which is helped by the Spirit and unless you have the Spirit guiding you it can be difficult to completely understand - He will not come to you unless you do your part. While all over-comers are believers, not all believers will be over-comers, so belief followed by faith, is the first quality and priority. All believers receive salvation on believing, over-comers receive additional rewards for their efforts in defeating their adversities. In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus through John, tells the seven churches from Ephesus in the first days to the present Laodicea how He will reward an overcomer. Revelation 3: 14 - 22 speaks of this Laodicean age we now find ourselves in and verse 21 would be an unexpected, beautiful reward and I'll write it here for encouragement. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. For myself, I am not worthy of such a reward, I will be happy and blessed, just to see Him from afar.

You may like a story of a little boy in a race, briefly condensed from the original.

THE RACE.

The whistle blew and off they went - to be the hero was each boy's desire. One boy in particular, was in the lead and thought "my Dad will be so proud". As he sped down the field and crossed a shallow dip, the little boy who thought he'd win, lost his step and slipped. As he fell his Dad stood up and his anxious face, to the boy it clearly said 'get up and win that race'. He quickly rose and ran - behind a bit, that's all. So he ran with all his might but his mind went faster than his legs and he slipped and fell again. And through the laughing crowd he heard the words again, so he jumped up to try again 10 yards behind the last. Faster and faster he ran only to slip yet again. Defeated, he lay there silently with tears in his eyes. I've lost, he thought, so what's the use? I'll live with my disgrace. But then he thought of his Dad who soon he'd have to face - Get up it said - get up and take your place! So up he rose to run once more refusing to forfeit- at least he wouldn't quit.

“Get up” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all, for all you have to do to win - is rise each time you fall". Get up! the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!"

Three times he'd fallen, three times he rose again, still he ran till the end. The crowd cheered the winner but when the fallen youngster crossed the line in last place, the crowd gave a greater cheer for finishing the race. Listening to the crowd you would have thought he won, and to his Dad he said, I didn't do so well.

To me you won his father said. You rose each time you fell.

Those words from the little boy's father, you rose each time you fell, speaks to me so much about faith and God's grace, and we will do well if we remember them.

I'm sure everyone will see the analogy in that story - God's love toward us and in overcoming life's difficulties just by finishing. Even though it's not a true story - it certainly could be, and the message is clear - NEVER give up before the finish line.

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all.
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

The last poem was written by someone who was encouraged by the example of that little boy in his defeat - we all just have to remember that voice within.

Much like this little boy, we too, are running a race – one that leads us to our heavenly home. Often times, even after we have given our best efforts, we can all fall. Thankfully, our Father has given us a wonderful gift called grace, which also includes forgiveness. Grace is the help and strength we need to never give up and to rise each time we fall.

The last part of Luke 18: 8 says: Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on earth? Even in this latter time, or era we find ourselves in, faith is in such short supply that has now become the normal and is evident in so many. And Peter knew it too. In 2nd Peter 3: 4 he says, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. And for those who may want to know more, I would suggest to read verses 9 - 18 in the same chapter.

And thinking further, this story of the race reminds us of Peter when he denied Jesus three times after the cock had crowed three times and later when he was full of remorse and bitterness from his denial, Jesus forgave him in mercy and asked him three times, Lovest thou me? - Feed my sheep. This wasn't meant to convict Peter but to show him how much Jesus loved him and if we really think about it in that light, how many times can all of us say Jesus has forgiven us, which is a lesson for all. Jesus was reminding Peter to stay committed to the job before him. I think we can all recount how many times we've fallen and now forgotten, so we shouldn't be too critical of Peter.

If anyone is interested and would like to read more of my articles, rather than searching for them, just right click on the titles below and a small window will open, then click on 'open window in incognito window' and it should take you there. These articles are about salvation, some more direct that others but all will be of benefit to you. And if you deem them worthy and true, you might like to save them to 'favourites' for future reference. You don't need to save all of them as they are all here - if you'd like to have them, simply save this one. I constantly review and update these articles as the Spirit teaches and whenever I review them, if you've saved them they are updated on your computer as well. You may even want to forward them to friends.

• THE RAPTURE PRINCIPLE: Is It Before, During, or After?
  Many have differing views on this and I think the reason people believe something is because they heard it first from someone else and most believe the first thing they hear if it seems to be true. But you should examine it yourself before you agree.

• Do You Know What Time it REALLY is?
  So many are just drifting in this world on a windswept ocean without a thought of the rocks ahead that are so close. And with so little time to alter course and steer a safe passage - now is high time to think about salvation.

• The Strait And Narrow Way - Not Many Really Understand These Verses, Do You?
  So many put their faith in the church system, tying it to salvation but are blind to the perfect way that Jesus made available for all who would earnestly seek it. Nothing that is of man is the strait and narrow way.

• Read Your Bible - Doing So Leads to Life.
  There are so many today who sadly, don't read the Bible and have no idea of the beauty it contains.

• Chronological Timeline of the Events in Tribulation
  AND SO THE END BEGINS . . . .

• END OF DAYS - Just How Close Is Tribulation, Have You Any Idea?
  It is so sad that so many are completely unaware of the days we are living in and of what is coming in just a few short years. And even worse, much less care. Was it Jesus who coined the term 'If they only knew?'

• The Workings of the Holy Spirit
  The Spirit is a gentle thing and he will come to all who earnestly seek him.

• SIN - The Wages Of Sin Is Death.
  Sin is a subject not many are willing to address, thinking I've still got time to fix but no-one knows the hour of their departure. The past is where you learnt the lesson, the future is where you apply the lesson, don't give up in the present.

• The Genesis Gap.
  Was there a world in existence before the flood of Noah? Look a bit closer, scripture will reveal it.

• This Is My Commandment That Ye Love One-Another As I Have Loved You.
  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

• ETERNITY - Have You Ever Wondered, Where Will You Spend Eternity?
  If you lived in the Sydney area in the 50's & 60's there's a very good chance you saw this word in yellow chalk on street corners. It was also seen in Newcastle and Wollongong.

• The Spirit of Life - God's Gift To Us
  This article is about the natural and spiritual timeline of man from Birth - to death. And how God made Adam from clay and then breathed life into him, and is exactly what He did to us, which is the very life within us. But so many are blind to it.

Comments

Jack Jenn (author) from Living in hope on planet earth. on August 11, 2020:

Hi Olusegun,

I'm so glad in my unworthy state for a little more to that verse in proverbs you mention and Jesus' forgiveness is so great - Matthew 18: 22 is unfathomable too - Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times, but until seventy times seven.

That is mercy undeserved.

I appreciate your comment.

Jack.

OLUSEGUN from NIGERIA on August 11, 2020:

When we fall we must rise again bible says righteous may fall seven times but he will always rise again.

“Pro_24:16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

We must never give up in faith, for when we do not expect he will appear.

Jack Jenn (author) from Living in hope on planet earth. on August 04, 2020:

Hi Belinda,

Thank you so much for reading the article and I'm glad you found something in it useful. Those words are an inspiration to me too and unlike that boy in the race who fell 3 times but rose again to finish what he started, I have fallen, oh so much more but He knows our every weakness (as does Satan) and as long as we never turn away, He will help us to our feet and set our direction again. I'm sure you can see that as a beautiful picture. No matter how weak we are His hand is still outstretched in love toward us.

It's a race not to quit or to win but to finish and He will help all of us if we allow Him.

My best regards,

Jack.

Belinda jordan on August 04, 2020:

How great are the words here about gods gift to us and grace, and not works.and l love the words you rose each time you fell, l know in my life l have fallen so many times but when ,people run from me when l fail ,and fall, but l never give up because my father in heaven says l will never leave you .so l jump back in the race,because when l finish my race l want Jesus ,my father ,to be there to welcome me home and say you made it daughter you finished the race,

Jack Jenn (author) from Living in hope on planet earth. on December 18, 2019:

Hi Umesh,

Thank you for reading it and I hope it was of benefit to you.

Regards,

Jack.

Umesh Chandra Bhatt from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, India on December 18, 2019:

Interesting analysis. Thanks.