^“28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He (Jesus) had answered them well, asked Him, Which is the first Commandment of all?

²⁹ And Jesus answered him, The first of all the Commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the First Commandment.

³¹ And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other Commandment greater than these.

³² And the scribe said unto Him, Well, Master, You have said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He:

³³ And to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, you are not far from the Kingdom of God. And no man after that does ask Him any question.” Mark 12:28-34

The Scribes who had a great intellectual knowledge of the Scripture were not far from the Kingdom of God but yet they were still not there.  Irregardless of the religious ceremonies and man made traditions, the spiritual condition of many have left them short of the Kingdom of God.  There is no oil in their lanterns.  They have indeed prophesied, cast out devils and did many wonderful works in the Name of Jesus, yet He does not know them (Matthew 7:21-23).  Their alms have not earned them their way into the Kingdom of God.  They had an intellectual knowledge of the Word of God but no fear of God.

^“13 Enter you in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴ Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus came to die on Calvary’s Cross to lead us through the narrow way…the way which leads unto life.

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.” Matthew 16:25

Jesus is the Door by which all who enter the Kingdom of God shall enter.

“I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9

No one comes unto the Father but by Jesus Christ.  It is because of  Who He is and what He has done for whosoever will believe that affords us this ability.  Buddha, Mohammed or Mary for that matter have no ability to reconcile us unto God.  Today Buddha and Mohammed are in hell because of their unbelief.  Praise be to God, Mary herself is in Heaven because she too claimed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior…but the fact remains, Mary cannot reconcile us to God.  She too was a sinner in need of her Savior (Luke 1:46-47). Praying to her or other dead Saints in necromancy which God declares is an abomination (Deuteronomy 18:10-12).  Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and no man comes unto God but by Him; not because this writer says so but God Himself has declared:

“Jesus said unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me.” John 14:6

Set your face like a flint and not be ashamed. Be DETERMINED to know nothing else among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  God the Holy Spirit will guide you, precept upon precept and line upon line, through the narrow way unto the Kingdom of God where we will one day behold, face to face, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

GLORY!!  GLORY!! GLORY!!

“For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”  Isaiah 50:7

-Donna Clark Warren