The Narrow Way (Pt.2)

(Pt. 2)

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”-Matthew 7:13-14

As we learned last week, the gate is narrow in the sense that there is a particular requirement for entrance and that is faith in Christ. In comparison: “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way.”-Matthew 7:13

One commentator explained it this way: “The wide gate is non-exclusive; it allows for human effort and all other world religions to travel on it.” 

There is a push in our culture to accept all forms of belief and religion as being equal in all ways. This inclusiveness is being passed off as being morally transcendent and enlightened beyond that of scripture. To oppose the idea makes you narrow minded and bigoted. What could be more enlightened than a road that is non-exclusive and includes everyone? Seems like utopia, except for the lack of honesty regarding the destination. Those who promote this approach tend to romanticize the journey and emphasize what it is like to be on that road together, but fail to fully express what is at the end of that road. One version of this passage reads “and broad is the gate that leads to destruction.” Hell is the clear destination. 

Scripture is clear that there are but two eternal destinations for mankind: Heaven or Hell. Eternally with Jesus or eternally separated from Him. Satan has worked tirelessly to try and convince mankind that a life without Jesus is far better than a life with Him. Simply put, Satan doesn’t need you to embrace Hell, he simply needs you to reject Jesus. Rejecting Jesus keeps you off the narrow path that leads to God. It keeps you on the default road to hell. All lanes on the broad road have the same eternal destination. Satan doesn’t care what lane you occupy on the broad road. You can practice Atheism, Islam, Buddhism, New Age, Scientology; it doesn’t matter. According to God’s Holy Word any road that does not lead us to faith in Christ leads to destruction. 

You can switch lanes, find enlightenment, abandon religion, worship Satan, or live completely secular and Satan will not fight you. It is only when you realize that Jesus is the only way and move off the highway that leads to destruction to the narrow road that the battle begins. 

Jesus says that the narrow gate leads to a hard road, one that will take us through hardships and difficult decisions. A road on which we must learn to crucify our flesh, endure trials, and live a lifestyle separate from the world (Galatians 2:20, James 1:2-3, Romans 12:1-2). 

When faced with the choice between a narrow, difficult road and a wide, paved highway, most people choose the easier path. Human nature gravitates toward comfort and pleasure. When faced with the reality of denying themselves to follow Jesus, most people turn away 

Jesus, though, never romanticized the journey. He counseled us to count the cost. He told us to pick up our cross and follow Him. He said that to follow Him would be to fellowship in His suffering. That is why only a few find it. Jesus never promised that the road would not be difficult, He promised that the destination would be worth it. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The Narrow Way (Pt.1)

 (Pt.1)

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”-Matthew 7:13-14

Somewhere along the way, it seems this passage was set aside and rather than hell being the default destination of all mankind (that is without some kind of divine intervention); society, however, has attempted to replace hell with heaven as the default destination for everyone, unless of course they are especially wicked and only then are they reserved a place in hell. 

Christians, who disagree, are often accused of being narrow minded because of their unwillingness to bend on the idea that there are no other way of obtaining heaven beyond accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. We are bombarded with arguments designed to cast doubt on the idea that God would choose a single or narrow access point for entering His kingdom. These arguments are designed to make us think that God’s loving nature would never allow such a narrow approach. 

Arguments like, how could a loving God send people to a place of such anguish and suffering? Or how could God send someone to hell when they had done so much good while here on earth? Or how about the question regarding muslims, atheists and buddhist that are all kind individuals, many who do good works in our society, are they condemned to hell simply because they have not received Jesus as their Savior? 

Jesus, however, made it very clear that access to the Kingdom of God is restricted to a single gate. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate.”-Matthew 7:13

Jesus validated this statement on other occasions like in John 14:5-6: “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way? Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

He elaborates even more in John 10:1-9: “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”

It was a truth that the early disciples understood plainly. Peter and John declared before the religious leaders of their day:

For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”-Acts 4:11-12

Later the Apostle Paul when writing to the believers in Rome the way to be saved wrote: “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”-Romans 10:9

Jesus nor the early disciples ever alluded to another way to make heaven apart from placing our faith in Jesus Christ. The gate is narrow in the sense that there is a particular requirement for entrance and that is faith in Christ. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The other side of suffering (Pt.2)

(Pt.2)

 "Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,  and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."-Romans 5:3-5

Unfortunately, some people come through suffering with nothing more than a testimony: a traumatic story of how they persevered through the pain. For most, that story isn’t even about persevering, but more of a memorial to the pain they experienced. I find it hard to believe that the only purpose for our suffering is to memorialize our pain. Yet for many that is the long and short of it. Suffering is nothing more than pain in the moment with a memorial at the end. 

However, Romans 5:3-5 teaches us that suffering is producing much more than just pain in your life. Suffering also produces greater endurance, the character of God, and real lasting hope. 

With that said, I want to put a little caveat in here to say; that I am not advocating that God causes us to suffer in order to teach us things. I do feel that God works to redeem the trials we experience, by making sure we can glean more than just pain from it and that we walk away with more than just a great testimony, but greater endurance, deeper godly character and unshakable hope. 

The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians, in the midst of their trials, to expect more than just a great testimony: 

“ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”-2 Corinthians 4:16-18

The Apostle Peter declared to the early church:  “ And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”-1 Peter 5:10

They wanted the early church to understand what suffering was achieving for them now!  Even Jesus understood that the goal of suffering went far beyond a stellar resurrection story. His suffering was going to achieve something far greater. 

“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”-1 Peter 3:18

Suffering wasn’t contrary to Christ’s nature, it was a part of it:

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our grief and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.”- Isaiah 53:3-4

Suffering is part of a spiritual process that is producing greater endurance within us. Endurance that we need to hold onto God’s promises over a long difficult stretch of time. It is during this stretch of time that God begins to build His nature in us. Developing the fruit of long-suffering within us, so that when the pain of our current suffering is gone we are left with more than a story to tell, but we ourselves are a reflection of the character of God. His character then produces hope in us, but not a fleeting hope that withers when things don’t happen immediately. A hope rooted not in, God’s timing, but in God’s character. When we walk through trials, God is building his character in us and in turn achieving an unshakeable lasting hope. 

Are you able to see past the pain? I am not saying that we should ignore the pain, but rather are we able to look beyond it to see that God is doing so much more than building a testimony in your life. He’s building endurance, developing His character in you, and establishing a lasting hope in your heart. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

The other side of suffering (Pt.1)

(Pt.1)

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”-Romans 5:3-5 (ESV)

It is interesting how many times I have heard over the years, in the midst of a traumatic event or long season of suffering, someone say to a hurting person: “After you get through this, you will have a powerful testimony to share with others.” I am not sure how much real consolation that brings to a person and to be brutally honest I have likely been guilty of saying it myself. 

Many times I’ve heard individuals and couples walking through difficult situations say similar things as a way of comforting themselves in the midst of their pain. Sometimes it hurts so much in the moment we try and look forward to a day where we hope things are better. There is an elephant in the room, however, that no one wants to talk about. Suffering involves pain. None of us truly know what to say when someone is enduring a massive amount of pain and distress. So we try and look forward to a day where, perhaps, they will be beyond the pain and then can use that experience to help others. Nevertheless, those well-meaning words bring little solace to the pain we are walking through in the present. 

Let’s be honest, suffering is confusing. Well at least how we are suppose to view it. I don’t think that anyone, including Jesus, would deny the real pain and distress that accompany suffering. We have all suffered in some some degree either physically, emotionally, or mentally. In every instance, there is pain associated with that event. 

Luke 22:44 tells us that in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus facing death on the cross experienced the pain of suffering:  “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”-Luke 22:44

Suffering means to endure death, pain or distress. None of us are confused by that. We all expect to experience pain when we suffer. However, when you throw in passages like these below,  suffering becomes not something to be avoided, but rather something to be expected and embraced: 

 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”-James 1:2-4

“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”-Philippians 3:10

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”-1 Peter 4:12-14 

The greatest problem we have in regards to suffering is that we, often, fail to see past what we are experiencing to discover what suffering is accomplishing. Our flesh wants to hurry and get through the pain. We want to be able to quickly move beyond the anguish to the “I survived” stage of suffering; where we celebrate the perseverance it took to make it through and share our testimony with others. 

Scott Burr 

Dayspring Community Church 

Racing toward the return of Christ (Pt.5)

Part 5

“Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice speaking from the four horns of the gold altar that stands in the presence of God. And the voice said to the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great Euphrates River.” Then the four angels who had been prepared for this hour and day and month and year were turned loose to kill one-third of all the people on earth. I heard the size of their army, which was 200 million mounted troops.”-Revelation 9:13-16. 

As we race towards the return of Christ, we want to take a look at just a few more events signaling that the framework for Christ’s return is firmly in place. Revelation 9 describes an army comprised of 200 million mounted troops that cause the destruction 1/3 of the earth’s population. As overwhelming as that may seem, is it possible that any nation or conglomeration of nations could boast such an army. 

Many have conjectured that China could comprise such an army. However, conservative numbers show that, even though they wield the world’s largest military, it numbers only about 2.8 million. No, single nation has a force of 200 million, but on April 24th, 2017 a security alliance of Asian nations, known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) held its 15th annual defense ministers’ meeting in Beijing. It is believed that the cooperation of the member nations of the SCO, which include Russian and China, could boast such an army. Is this the army mentioned in Revelation? No one knows. Nevertheless, the real takeaway is that the framework for an army that size is possible today. 

Technology today is also creating the possibility for passages of scripture like Revelation 11:7-9 to be understood and deemed possible when in times past it seemed like science fiction. In Revelation 11, the two witnesses that emerge during the last days are killed by the Anti-Christ. What happens upon their death is the interesting development that has become possible, which once would have been hard to fathom: 

“When they complete their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit will declare war against them, and he will conquer them and kill them. 8 And their bodies will lie in the main street of Jerusalem, the city that is figuratively called “Sodom” and “Egypt,” the city where their Lord was crucified. 9 And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them.”- Revelation 11:7-9

How is it possible that “all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations” could stare at their dead bodies? Yet, with the invention of the television in 1927 and growth of the internet and social media since 1983 this has become a present reality. The framework for this passage to take place is now firmly established and possible in the 21st century. 

One final thing that is signaling that the return of Christ is racing towards us is found in Daniel 12:4: 

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 

The angel, Michael, instructs Daniel to seal up the book of prophecy that he was given, until the time of the end. Michael goes on to describe the end times in a unique way. He says that in those last days many shall run to and from, and knowledge shall increase. The exponential increase of knowledge in the last few decades has never been seen before. 

In 1982, Buckminster Fuller coined what is known the: Knowledge Doubling Curve. He noticed that until 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the end of World War II knowledge was doubling every 25 years. Today things are not as simple as different types of knowledge have different rates of growth. For example, nanotechnology knowledge is doubling every two years and clinical knowledge every 18 months. But on average human knowledge is doubling every 13 months.  

I say all this and have not even talked about the military upheavals, earthquakes, famines, and pestilences happening around the planet. Jesus said: 

“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware, 35 like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth. 36 Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”.”-Luke 21:34-36 

Jesus didn’t tell us these things to scare us, but rather to prepare us. How much more do you need to see happen before you start looking for your redemption? The early church lived as though Jesus Christ was coming back at any moment, even though the conditions in which Jesus spake, surrounding His return, had not yet come to fruition. How much more should the church today be living in anticipation of His coming now seeing all these things aligning, speeding up and heating up right before our eyes. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Racing toward the return of Christ (Pt.4)

Part 4

“It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.”-Revelation 13:12

Perhaps the greatest threats to a one world government and currency are the numerous and diverse religious communities that exist around the world; each religion armed with its own doctrine, beliefs and objections. It is hard to fathom, but in the last days, there will be a false prophet that will appear that will lead the entire world to worship the Anti-christ. 

How is it possible that such a variety of religions that seem so opposed to one another would ever come together in a solitary religion? It will begin by bringing all the world religions together under the guise unity. However, the ultimate goal will be singular worship of the Anti-christ. The Ecumenical movement we see today promotes unity among churches and denominations, but also a variety of religions. It stresses religious inclusiveness and denies the possibility that there is only one way to heaven, as is confessed by Christianity. It believes that all religions are equal and can coexist, however, those who refute this concept are marginalized and excluded. 

So, is there a push for this type of united religious organization? On June 26, 1995, an Ecumenical service was held in San Francisco to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter. After this ecumenical meeting, exactly five years later, the United Religions Initiative (URI) was founded. Their stated goal is to bridge differences between people of all beliefs, to create community, and to solve local and global challenges. Is there much support globally for such a movement? According to the URI website there are 1078 cooperation circles working in over 111 countries. I am no way saying that the URI is the emerging one world religion, but the framework is firmly in place. 

In 2019, another development signaled a continued pursuit towards these ends, when plans were unveiled for a new massive interfaith complex in Abu Dhabi which would include a mosque, a church and a synagogue.The facility, to be known as the Abrahamic Family House, will be located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This happening at the same time as the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements (peace deals) between Israel and UAE were being established. It is easy to see that the framework for a one world religion has already been set in place. 

However, these are not the only events signally the return of Christ. Ezekiel 38 records a prophesy regarding a future war that Israel will be thrust into:

“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. 4 I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you. 7 “Prepare yourself and be ready, you and all your companies that are gathered about you; and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. 9 You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.”-Ezekiel 38:1-9

As you read the biblical account several countries are said to come from the north in opposition to Israel. Bible scholars have proposed that some of those nations mentioned include: Rosh-Russia, Beth-Togarmah-Turkey, and  Persia-Iran. As we speak, just north of Israel is a country that is in complete upheaval- Syria. Since 2015 Russian, Iranian, and Turkish troops have occupied various parts of that nation.  Russia established a military presence in 2015. Turkey in northern Syria inserted a military force in 2016 and Iran in 2015. Does this mean that the Ezekiel 38 war is imminent? Perhaps, but at the very least the framework for such a war is in place. 

Next week we will conclude our study looking at just a couple additional things that are unfolding before us that are signaling the soon return of Christ. 

Pastor Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Racing toward the return of Christ (Pt.3)

Part 3

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.”—Revelation 13:1 

When discussing the last days, you hear a lot of talk about a New World Order: a global realignment of governments, economics and religion. The hallmarks of a New World Order include three things: a one-world government, one-world religion, and one-world currency. Although we are not there yet, we have watched the framework for these things being slowly developed for many years. 

Both Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 use very similar imagery to describe for us a configuration of nations and governments that will exist when Jesus Christ returns. It will consist of 10 nations or a regional conglomeration of nations. It is out of this union of nations that the Antichrist will emerge. According to Daniel 7, he will pluck up or usurp three nations and the remaining nations will hand their power and authority over to him (Rev. 17:12–13): 

“And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast.”

Although we have not yet seen the complete fruition of this global realignment of nations, we have certainly seen the framework coming together as early as 1920. Immediately following World War I, the League of Nations was established. Its primary mission was to maintain world peace following the Great War. At the conclusion of World War II (1945), a new intergovernmental organization was established that we know today as the United Nations. Its primary mission, like the League of Nations, is to maintain international peace and security. This was followed by the introduction of the European Union (EU) in 1993. The EU is a political and economic union of many nations. This obvious trend toward nations uniting together to govern has now laid the groundwork for the introduction of the one-world government we see in Revelation 13. 

This one-world government will then look to establish a global form of currency. 

“Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.”—Revelation 13:16–17 

There was a time that this may have seemed out of reach. The possibility of a global digital currency was pure science fiction. The invention of the microchip in 1986, however, opened the door to what we see today. Access to your personal information, financial resources and medical data is capable of being housed on a small chip that can be inserted onto a credit card, in a cellphone or even under the skin. 

Some organizations have started giving employees the option to be chipped, including Three Square Market, a Wisconsin-based technology company, that made national headlines after microchipping nearly 100 employees in 2017, and Epicenter, a Swedish start-up that has microchipped an estimated 150 employees since 2015. The technology is here. 

A common question that I have been frequently asked recently is: Are the COVID-19 vaccines the mark of the beast? My answer to that is a simple no. It is clear from scripture that everyone who receives the mark of the beast will understand why they are taking the mark. It is more than just to buy and sell, but it is a sign of worship. We will not be fooled or duped into taking it. Those who receive it will do so willingly. 

However, what the current pandemic has shown us is how quickly and under what conditions a governmental authority can cause a nation of people to quickly abandon their freedoms for the convenience of commodities. We saw for the first time churches shut down, entire states on lockdowns, and commodities shortages that were not war related. We have seen the polarization of our nation as everything has been politicized and personal opinion has trumped the desire for truth. Talk of vaccine passports without which you can’t travel, go to school, or enter federal buildings are moving from the realm of innuendo to stark realities in many regions. The framework for such a global currency and the imposition of economic restrictions is firmly within grasp. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church