Gutter residents aren't notches on a Bible or marks on a Christian scorecard - they are real, hurting people, people who are so lost they'll break your heart.
-Craig Gross
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer’s workers went to him and said,
‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’
-Jesus
How narrow is the gate to Your Kingdom? I read The Parable of the Tares, I read the context prior to the narrow gate statement, I read the Parable of the Great Banquet and I wonder how exclusive is the Kingdom?
Just before the narrow gate statement You talk about the golden rule, effective prayer, and not judging others. Is the path into Your Kingdom difficult because of sin or pride?
I know You don't care about sin because You love David, Peter, and every human for that matter. And I know how much You emphasize humility and servant hood. As I look at Your words more and more I begin to see more of Your heart. Life isn't about being safe, nice, and clean. Life is about love.
Don't pull out the weeds
Don't worry about the speck in my friends eye
Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking
Do to others whatever I would like them to do to me
Go out to the street corners and invite everyone I see, good and bad alike
It isn't the sinful, the broken, the nonchurched who can't find the narrow gate but rather I believe it is the proud. The people who believe they have found the secret narrow gate and try to exclude are the ones on the broad road that leads to destruction. It is simple to exclude, it is easy to ignore, it is comfortable to limit.
But You are a big God Abba! You flip everything upside down.
...I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.
-Revelation 7:9
the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come
-Jesus
a vast crowd too great to count from EVERY nation EVERY tribe EVERY people EVERY language! Jesus You are a POWERFUL savior. I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross.
-Craig Gross
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer’s workers went to him and said,
‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’
-Jesus
How narrow is the gate to Your Kingdom? I read The Parable of the Tares, I read the context prior to the narrow gate statement, I read the Parable of the Great Banquet and I wonder how exclusive is the Kingdom?
Just before the narrow gate statement You talk about the golden rule, effective prayer, and not judging others. Is the path into Your Kingdom difficult because of sin or pride?
I know You don't care about sin because You love David, Peter, and every human for that matter. And I know how much You emphasize humility and servant hood. As I look at Your words more and more I begin to see more of Your heart. Life isn't about being safe, nice, and clean. Life is about love.
Don't pull out the weeds
Don't worry about the speck in my friends eye
Keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking
Do to others whatever I would like them to do to me
Go out to the street corners and invite everyone I see, good and bad alike
It isn't the sinful, the broken, the nonchurched who can't find the narrow gate but rather I believe it is the proud. The people who believe they have found the secret narrow gate and try to exclude are the ones on the broad road that leads to destruction. It is simple to exclude, it is easy to ignore, it is comfortable to limit.
But You are a big God Abba! You flip everything upside down.
...I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands.
-Revelation 7:9
the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come
-Jesus
a vast crowd too great to count from EVERY nation EVERY tribe EVERY people EVERY language! Jesus You are a POWERFUL savior. I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross.