The 8-Lane Highway

“Change your mind and change your whole life experience” ―C.G. Rousing Gates We all go through gates. No, I’m not talking about Bill Gates the founder of Microsoft, although, if you own a computer, you have undoubtedly helped make Bill Gates one of the richest men in the world. There are all sorts of gates; famous ones like the Brandenburg gate in Germany, or common gates that surround homes or apartment complexes. In the natural, gates hide things, confine things, and even control things. Gates have the ability to allow, or prevent traffic to flow. Gates control mighty rivers allowing water in or out. Near Fresno, where I grew up, my family would go camping at Millerton Lake. Each summer we would make at least one trip to the base of Friant Dam. As I approached the bottom I could feel the mist and the power of the water passing through the gate. It was scary and exhilarating standing there near such massive power. Gates have more authority than we realize. Often they are taken for granted. Dr. Jonathan Alao tells the following story about a young man who “Was being chased by a lion, he ran into his house and shut the gate that was protective. As he sat down to rest, he looked up and there was a Cobra looking down at him from the ceiling of the house, the same gate had become destructive.” Gates are essential to each one of us, they serve a purpose. Life is full of them. The Wide Gate Biblically there are two gates in each person’s pathway. One is a narrow gate, and the other a wide gate. Let’s focus on the wide gate first. The wide gate is the gate that leads to hell and eternal fire. Every person past the age of accountability (Deut. 1:39; James 4:17), who knows right from wrong, is on a crash course with this gate. This gate has a powerful draw to it. On the outside it is pleasing to the eye, but the inside is filled with pain and torment which lasts forever. This gate and the narrow one are locked in a battle for the soul of man. In Matthew 16:26 Jesus said, “What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Sadly mankind will give away the most important things in life to walk across the threshold of this gate. Unlike a husband on his wedding day carrying his bride across the threshold; man has exchanged their brides with temporary things. What could be more important than a relationship with God? Yet, trivial things go to the front of the line, ahead of God and heaven. The soul (eternal life) is far more valuable than the world. Like a shiny lure on the end of a fishing line, the bait of Satan is set. With lies and deception at an all-time high, man chases after the beauty of the bait. Like rat poison, there is death mixed with enough truth to cloud judgment. So, unable to resist, the hook does it job, sinking deep into the flesh. Finally, the appeal of the world takes man thru the wide gate of death. For a while everything looks great and feels right, but eventually the hook draws blood; the pain becomes unbearable. Like a club to the head, dreams, goals and plans become a haze. Hope seems gone and rescue fleeting. The person at the end of the line is put in the net of sin and selfish living. From the net to the bucket becomes reality for all fish out of water. Trapped inside the spiritual bucket of death, becomes the norm. A wasted life flailing around, gasping for air, and in the end, death is waiting. This is life outside of the purpose of the Heavenly Father. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on Habakkuk 1:14 affirms that God, “Makes men as the fishes of the sea—easily taken and destroyed. We have no leader to guide us, and no power to defend ourselves.” This gate is wide enough for every kind of evil, all religions, all political parties, and even has room for good people. All who will walk through this gate discard the truth (God’s Word), exchanging it for the lies of Satan and the world’s system. They are those who reject God’s love through Jesus Christ. Sadly, this gate has claimed the souls of too many. Its victims become numb in the mind, body and spirit. They open themselves up to every kind of perversion and wickedness. As many remain silent, more and more pass through the gate and are destroyed. Unfortunately, the “Gates of hell” (Matt. 16.18) have wide nets and sharp hooks. More and more are being captured every day. ”Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it” –Matthew 7:13 The Narrow Gate There is hope, with God there is always hope. On the other side of the wide gate, only the love of God can make a difference. Only He can take the lost and hurting soul up and out of the net. Only a loving and forgiving Father is able to pull out the hook of sin, and set the sinner free. Amazingly, He pulls each floundering sinner, “Saved by grace” (Eph. 2:8-9) out the bucket of despair, into a new ocean. It’s within new waters that everything changes. With another chance and new hope the Father reassures His catch saying, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isa. 43:2). Thankfully there is another gate; a way to be saved from the destruction the wide gate demands. In this book I call people to repentance; and say to the Christian community, “Wake up!” We cannot afford to sleep because the “The days are evil” (Eph. 5:16), we must make the most of each day. We must “Arise…shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you” (Isa. 60:1-2). We must lead as many as we can toward this gate; a gate of salvation. As the Heavenly Father draws them, we must lead them to Jesus who said, “I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved” (John 10:9 NLT). It’s time to be bold and fearless, casting out God’s nets of salvation. After all, we are “Fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19), and it’s the Lord who knows where the lost fish are. Jesus said, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish” (John 21:6). Those who love Jesus are the redeemed (Ps. 107:2). They live for Him as they walk the narrow road. Each one of us had to find the narrow gate on the broad road. That’s right; on the highway to hell, there is a tiny, small opening. This gate offers a way off the broad road. The Bible says, “There are few who find it” (Matt. 7:14), but those who do will live forever. Those paying attention will find peace with God. Some found it as good people, doing very little selfish living. Others found it riddled with the hooks of sin pulling at them. While others found the narrow gate after they have fallen “Away from the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1). The narrow gate is for everyone. The fortunate find it and are blessed. It changes everything. I remember seeing it for the first time as an eight-year old. I hadn’t lived long on the evil road, but long enough to know that I needed Jesus. I hadn’t yet been hooked by life-altering sins, but still, He was offering a small child a better life. I learned later that Jesus was that little gate (John 10:9). As I grew up, I surrendered more of my heart to God. Then one day, I knew everything would be okay. I was blessed to accept Christ, the Rock early on. Jesus speaking about Himself said, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). It only takes one heart-felt decision to choose the narrow gate. All who do so have a source of power the world cannot offer. The old song by Edward Mote says it best, “On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.” It is the wise who build their lives upon the rock (Matt. 7:24), having power over hell’s gates. Those who choose poorly sink beneath the waves and lose everything. Only the wise in Christ can withstand the power and lure of the wide gate. They will not be overcome by it. We must help others