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Many

NOVEMBER 27

MATTHEW 7:22_Many will say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord…

Jesus begins this verse with the word many. I already feel bad that not everyone will go to heaven, but now I feel worse that the not everyones are many. 

This reminds me of the narrow path, when Jesus says few will find it. It also causes me to think about how He said many will go in at the broad gate.

From His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has taught me who comprises the many:

Those whose righteousness does not exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees (chapter 5:20),

Those who cause others to believe they are empty-headed idiots (chapter 5:22),

Those who profit from the bondage of human trafficking (chapter 5:29-30),

Those who do not forgive (chapter 6:15),

Those who choose the broad path to destruction (chapter 7:13),

Those who are ravening wolves and bring evil into the world (chapter 7:17).

None of these actions exclude anyone from heaven by the action alone. The exclusivity comes from the heart. The heart which excludes Jesus.

The actions can all be forgiven and erased when the heart opens to include Jesus.

The actions reveal the heart.                    

PRAYER

God of All, You have taught me to include You in my heart. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.             

Christ desires to be included in my life—I will let Him!

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Absolutely Not!

NOVEMBER 26

MATTHEW 7:21_but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

To do God’s will is how to enter into heaven. I see you squirming … but hold on. Does this contradict what has already been settled—the only path to heaven is through the shed blood of Jesus? Absolutely not! Jesus is not teaching the way to heaven is through good works.

God’s will is that you accept Jesus as Savior, serve Him as Lord, and love His people. This is the will of your Father which is in heaven. Good works will be a natural byproduct. 

We will be judged by our works:    

Romans 2:5-6 (KJV), “… and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds.”

II Corinthians 5:10 (KJV), “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”                                                                                                      

Revelation 20:12 (KJV), “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books,  according to their works.”

If our good works are not a natural byproduct of a saving relationship with Jesus, then they are not good works.                  

PRAYER

Prince of Peace, If I ever do anything good—it comes from You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                    

Christ will judge works—Only He makes mine good!

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The Flatterers

NOVEMBER 25

MATTHEW 7:21_shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…

There are, and will continue to be, those who are excluded from the kingdom of heaven—both the kingdom of heaven on earth, and the eternal one. 

Those who publicly reject Christ are excluded. These are those who have sought the world for their fulfillment. Don’t misunderstand this—they had the same knock on their heart’s door. They are not excluded instantaneously. Jesus pursued them with the same passion He pursued you. Unfortunately, these are people who just flat refuse to feel the need or desire for a savior. These people do not pretend to be sheep—they wear their wolves clothing for all to see.

In this principle, Jesus refers to the ones in the sheep’s clothing. These are the flatterers. They use Christianity to work for them—not to glorify Jesus. Their charisma comes from a different power. 

II Corinthians 11:14-15 (KJV) explains this, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

The devil uses his power in ways that appear to be good. According to Jesus’ teaching, the devil can even use the people who call Jesus … Lord! 

PRAYER

God of All, Help me to not be deceived by the devil’s light. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                   

Christ is true light—The devil’s light becomes darkness!

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The Proper Title

NOVEMBER 24

MATTHEW 7:21_that saith unto me Lord, Lord…

Jesus says these not everyones are calling Him Lord, which is His proper title—from birth. Luke 2:11(KJV), “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

Using Jesus’ title of Lord is a form of praise. Praise comes from a heart overflowing with love and admiration. Love that flows from one heart to another in order to:

Give encouragement,

Convey respect,

Send a message you have been blessed by actions, words, or deeds,

Say, “I’m on your side.”

The ultimate flow of praise from one heart to another is to say, “I want to be like you.” 

Romans 10:9 (KJV) tells us the primary reason Jesus is Lord, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” 

There is another way that Jesus’ title of Lord could be used—a form of flattery. Flattery comes from a heart overflowing with self-centeredness, which flows for only one reason—to get what it wants from the recipient. It has nothing to do with love, respect, or admiration.

It has to do with, “You possess what I want, I don’t have the means of obtaining it without you, so I’ll appeal to your ego.”

PRAYER

Lord of Lords, I desire to praise You as the Lord who saves the lost. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                              

Christ is Lord of Heaven and Earth—I believe, He saves!

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Not Everyone

NOVEMBER 23

MATTHEW 7:21_Not everyone…

Since Jesus begins this teaching by saying not everyone, there must be some exclusiveness. Can mercy be exclusive? If so, who decides who is excluded? Would it be Jesus? How does He decide it?

Mercy is a God-like attribute.

Mercy is a Jesus quality.

Mercy covers sins.

Mercy covers shortcomings.

Mercy covers failures.

Mercy rescues the undeserving. 

Mercy brings the lost to shelter and safety.

Mercy does this by its very nature of being merciful.

However, one of those hard realities of life we prefer to avoid, is mercy is not limitless.

That is hard truth! 

When mercy has offered itself over and again countless times and been refused, it reaches its limit.  Personally, I don’t think mercy had limits in the originality of the Garden of Eden. But free will caused it to pull in the reins, put on the brakes, and turn off the power.

That’s when a phrase like, not everyone, came into play. Mercy is for everyone, just as life without death was for Adam and Eve, but everyone has the freedom to reject it. 

PRAYER

King of Kings, Please help me never to reject Your mercy. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.                                                                                                                                       

Christ offers mercy to those who will receive it—I will receive!