Note: while many of those that are called by God to work for him are hindered to answer the call because of their close sentimental attachment with relatives and acquaintance; it is indeed an enablement of grace to forsake father, mother, sister, wife, children, friends and land to follow Christ. It is also through the power of this grace that men are able to keep the fire of the first zeal, first love, with diligent reverence and devotion increasingly burning as they are counting years of relationship with God and are receiving the blessings of an hundred fold promises. Matthew 19: 27-30. As the days and years goes by in the Lord, so our need for increasing grace to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear is made known, that as you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7), lest any be taken over by complacent spirit of the Laodicea church (and unto the angel of the church of the Laodicea’s write; these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou says, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knows not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:14-19), and the Lord should vomit such out of his mouth. Woe unto them that are at ease in Zion (Amos 6/1); let us therefore keep working until the night come, striving according to his power that is at work in us (Colossians 1:29) until the Lord shall bid us stop, lest another man, who is careful and diligent, and has not abandon his first love and works, not weary in labor of love, and is conversant and upright in his walk, though has just come lately into the kingdom, should take the place, crown and the very honor reserves for the first comers in due course in eternity: for many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first. Let days speak by its fruits and good conversion filled with meekness of wisdom, and multitude of years should teach wisdom (Job 32:7): let us not count to rejoice on the number of the years we have been in the Lord if our spiritual growth and maturity, practical knowledge, fruitfulness, character and profitableness are nothing to be compared with those years.
The word strive denotes two different meanings from the King James Version of the bible. The first is to endeavor to reach forth for something by making attempt: employing effort: to be at pain by trying very hard to do something: to exert strenuous effort against opposition: to push and to labor which is the text before us. The second word for strive stands for dispute or quarrel (2Timothy 2:24) and the servant of God must not strive, neither should he involves himself in fighting or dispute of words to no profit: though he must contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints, it is to make his belief, conviction, obedience and position known before the gainsayers and the teachers of lies without compromises that he may run his course well, lest every winds of doctrine should become his stumbling block to fall away from truth as the truth is in Christ. Jude 1:3-4.
Christ encourages, caution and warn us to strive to enter into heaven through the strait gate and the narrow way: wide is the gate and broad is the way which leads to destruction (hell) and many people are following it. The law and the prophets were until John, since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and every man presses (employing efforts) into it. Luke 16:16. Eternity is set before all, but heaven is a goal that only few shall attain. It is the travail of Christ soul, but we should also labor to enter into the eternal rest of God, lest we come short of it. As for many people as Christ reveals, the hope of spending eternity in heaven shall be disappointing to them because of the way they’ve chosen to get there. An everlasting door to heaven is exceptionally admissible for those who are laboring daily by engaging themselves in the will of God (Matthew 7:21-23), increasingly applying the fruit of divine nature (the seed of God) which requires the subjection of the body and it’s crucifixion to the world and the world crucified to them in all its lusts and affection. 2 Peter 1: 3-11. Spiritual cheaters won’t get to heaven (and if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2 Timothy 2:5) if they failed to strive to enter in through the straight gate and the narrow way. Spiritual rule demands every qualified candidate for heaven to labor diligently and to keep themselves from spiritual derailment from the straight gate and narrow way to the wide gate and broad way which many falsely hope should take them to heaven, but the end is destruction – hell. Note: those who are making efforts in the narrow way should keep their feet in the straight path as they contend for the faith once delivered unto the saints (the old time religion as they say), which is built upon the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone (Ephesians 2:20) and never to depart from the gospel of Christ into another (I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9), but to abide in the doctrine of God and of Christ in all godliness, purity and truth: look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresses, and abides not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abides in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that bids him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.2 John 1:8-11.
Throughout all generation and ages, the word of God is eternal and unchanging, it remains the same: there is no new gospel (for if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 2 Corinthians 11:4) or another pattern of life in this era or in the future time, either to serve God or to walk before him. Present days women of God and daughters of Zion should serve and live for God after the manner of the old holy women of God (likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.  For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands. 1 Peter 3:1-5) who professed godliness with good works: the present day men of faith also should follow after the examples of the faithful old men of faith such as Job’s patient in his trials, Daniel steadfastness among the idolatrous people, and Abraham’s faith and patience set for us as one of the greatest examples to follow in Christ Jesus. Hebrews 6:12-15.
The believers who are consenting to the worldly-ungodly pattern and system of the so-called new generation and prosperity churches and preachers, perverse disputing of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness (1 Timothy 6:5), mingling and following after them has condemned themselves before the Lord as itching ear believers, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. 2 Timothy 3:1-7. They mind earthly things, though they are dead with Christ (Colossians 3:1-3. Philippians 3: 17-19): they are after the flesh, though they are living in the spirit (Romans 8: 5-8): they have not crucified the flesh with the affection and lusts though they are in Christ (Galatians 5:24): they are spotted with the world, though they are not of the world, but are called out of the world (James 1:27): they refused to come out of the world and to separate from it, though they are born again and spirit filled (so they speak. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18), thus their present walk and lifestyle is re-routing them to hell- destruction.
The line is spiritually and physically drawn by those who are called to inherit glory as they glorify God in their body and spirit which belongs to God. They have found their rejoicing and satisfaction in their crucifixion to Christ and to the world, lest being desirous of any of the vain earthly faded beauty and glory, they should lose the eternal glory and inheritance, undefiled, reserved in heaven for them. How do we fight the good fight of faith if every thought in us is not brought to the obedience of Christ? How do we assure our heart before him if we are not paying careful attention to all the things we have heard, lest at any time they should slip away? It is quite obvious that the broad way is very popular, an easy going road of mind your own business free lifestyles, but the narrow way and straight gate attracts persecution of the godly (yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:12-13) in a corrupt world system, even among the ungodly, deceitful, carnal, worldly and false brethren (hear the word of the Lord, you that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Isaiah 66:5) for the reproach they must bear because of the spirit of God and of glory that is constantly resting upon them. They have chosen to come out of the camp (wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come – worldly and ungodly lifestyle, worldly mentality, imitation and perspectives. Hebrews 13:12-14) that they might bear the reproach of Christ and not to entangle themselves in the affairs of the world (no man that warred entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2 Timothy 2:4) that they might not become an enemy of the God who has loved them. This is spiritual positioning. Those who love God will not love the world, but will separate and position themselves to live and walk in defiance against the trend of the world. You have to position yourself to run the race lawfully, lest you be disqualified at the end of it and be counted as a wide gate and broad way believer. How can a preacher of flattering speeches and sweet word make heaven after he has denied the Lord that bought him by his covetousness and his guiltiness of hiding the truth to mislead souls to hell? How shall a believer make heaven if he cannot distinguish and discern the difference between the false pastors and his popular, but false doctrines from the true pastors with his sound and pure doctrine? If you have no discernment, then you are not a sheep, you are not part of the Lord Jesus. If you cannot discern spiritual milk from strong meat, the leaven of the Pharisees (Matthew 16:6) from un-leaven bread of Christ, how do you labor for the right meat which endures to eternal life? John 6:27. If you are spiritually blind, and you don’t know the good fruit from bad, how can you separate yourself from the false brethren to position yourself rightly before the Lord and to follow after the company of them that serve God out of a pure heart? 2 Timothy 2:22. False churches, new generation brethren and prophets must be resisted and be denied access into your life and company: the Lord will commend your boldness, wisdom, discernment and faithfulness to his word after you have tried them and found them to be liars to avoid them altogether. Revelation 2:2.
Pilgrim travelers of the narrow way and straight gate are presently positioning themselves, either to be counted worthy of the sudden rapture when Christ shall come at any time of the second, third, sixth, ninth or twelve hour of the night, so that when he come, they might go into the banquet hall immediately with him; or to be counted worthy to partake of the first resurrection – we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. They have fought and have overcome the flesh with its affection and lusts: they have made known of their position in the world before the men of the world and before the Lord through their words and actions that they have no continuing city here, but they seek one to come – a better country, whose foundation and builder is God: they have overcome the besetting sin and every sin that easily entangles them, and have cleansed themselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Hebrews 12:4. 2 Corinthians 7:1.
While many of Christ disciples turned back from Jesus because they found his word to be hard saying (John 6:66), the narrow gate and straight way believer shall not be content until they found a place where they can be well fed with the truth and undiluted word of God, just as two of John’s disciples followed after Christ (John 1:36) that they might grow increasingly in the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ and just as Peter response unto Christ, Lord to whom shall we go, we know that you have the words of eternal life. John 6:68. The difference between them of straight gate and the itching ear believer of the wide gate is that while one is running away from undiluted word of God, judging the true pastor as being too mean and strict with the scriptures (broad way and wide gate believers) the others are detaching from them of flattering words to seek for strong meat, pure doctrine and undiluted word of God – the straight gate and narrow way believers – thus both are positioning themselves for heaven or hell. In their labor of love, they of the straight gate would not teach for hire, neither shall they divine for money as the false teachers and prophets of Jerusalem of old were used to, such as the false prosperity preachers and prophets of today are doing, but evil and destruction is coming upon them from the Lord – whose judgment now of a long time lingered not, and their damnation slumbered not. Micah 3:11. 2 Peter 2:1-3. Though the straight gate and narrow way believers have right to those things, they prefer to suffer need, lest they should abuse their power, and the gospel of be be hindered or the cross of Christ be evil spoken off: but God is not unrighteous to forget their labor of love and works of faith in their selfless service to the saints wherein they are positioning themselves for the recompense of reward in heaven as they keep ministering to the saints to the end. Note: every present response, attitude, action or inaction of our present conversation in Christ Jesus as it becomes his gospel are setting us up and positioning us for an everlasting door which shall be ministered unto us abundantly into the kingdom of God and of Christ. Philippians 1:27.
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life? 1Timothy 6:12. Presently, how are you pursuing heaven? Which one of the two roads are you going up to heaven? They that are after the flesh, mind the things of the flesh, and they that are after the spirit, mind the things of the spirit. Where are your treasures? Where are you laying or keeping them? Seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God? Where is your focus and mindfulness? Mind you, your present actions and attitudes are positioning you for the world to come – heaven or hell! The beautiful descriptions and detailed analysis of the city without night or darkness, whose street is made of pure gold, and the glory of God supplying the light to the city where the inhabitants shall not know hunger, sickness and death reveals the true reason of Satan’s disagreeableness (ill tempered and offensive disposition) and determination to make war with the remnants of the seed of the woman which keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus to prevent or stop them to make or get to heaven. Revelation 12:17. Those who shall finally make it to heaven are rightly described as people who are coming out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb from the troubles (a) such as the victory over the tolerance or compromises of false doctrines in the name of love of the brethren and unity of the spirit in the bond of peace – be not carried away with divers and strange doctrines (Hebrews 13:9): (b): their victory and deliverance from the snares of the false brethren, false pastors, false apostles, false evangelist, false teachers, and from spiritual pollution and defilement by the corruption that is in the world through lusts.
Before the transgression and the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, Adam had a specific time and a place of communion with God; but after the transgression, he intentionally ignored the time of fellowship and abandoned the place of daily meeting with God because of shame. Adam lost his position of fellowship and relationship by his sin, but Christ has come to reposition us back to our former position of relationship with God: we must walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing that we may be counted worthy of his calling and taken into the banquet hall whenever he comes back. Luke 12:35-38. Luke 21:34. Note: the final call has been made by God in Christ Jesus to reconcile all men back unto himself: like prophet Habakkuk says, I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and I will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved (Habakkuk 2:1): let the redeem position themselves to give him no rest, day and night, until he establish, and until he make Jerusalem a place of praise on earth: let them stay upon him for constant guidance, as long as they are waiting upon the Lord for anything, they are positioning themselves for timely visitation which should not be missed. Like Zacchaeus climbed up the Sycamore tree to see the Lord, men should position themselves to seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near. Samuel had to be taught spiritual positioning and readiness to hear the voice of God, let us not be in haste to go out of his presence, but to keep ministering unto the Lord in prayer and fasting like certain teachers, prophets and apostles did in the early church until the Spirit spoke that Paul and Barnabas should be separated unto God for the works they are called to accomplish in the Lord. Acts 13:1-2.
There is a position of honor reserved in heaven to sit at the right and at the left hand of Christ in glory which the Lord himself has no clue as to whom the honor is reserved for by the Father: but we know that to those who are presently honoring God with their lifestyles shall be honored by him throughout all eternity and those that are presently despising the spirit of grace by their lifestyles shall be lightly esteemed throughout all eternity. Mark 10:40. Your present actions and lifestyles are positioning you for eternal recompense of reward and praises from the Lord such as well done, good and faithful servant, if you are a selfless and faithful servant of God, or be rejected and disown as I don’t know you, depart from me, you that works iniquity from the Lord if you are a sinner and hypocrite in Zion. By your daily walk, you have to position yourself by giving all diligent to be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless, looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness. Positioning yourself to stand and to resist Satan steadfastly in the faith, until the God of all grace, who has called you unto his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. Like the righteous Lot once lived at Sodom, you must position yourself through public and open expression of abhorrence and disapproval of the filthy conversation and corrupt lifestyle in the church and in the world –woe unto them that call evil good and bitter sweet and darkness light. 2 Peter 2: 7-8. How do you expect God to use you a as a vessel of honor meet for every good works, if you have not positioned yourself before him, first, to purge yourself from all youthful lusts and other lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life out there?
Pray to position your heart to be right before God that he may show forth his power on your behalf. Israel positional relationship with God was not to have a king over them, but they desired to be like other nations, therefore they ask God for a king. God made Saul as king in anger but was likewise removed angrily as soon as God found a man whose heart is fixed and positioned to do all his will and commandment, a man after his own heart – David. Hosea 13:11. You must position yourself worthy of heaven by walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good works and increasing and abiding in the knowledge of God all the days of your life.