California Central Coast

 What Trail are you on?

Introduction

I took my granddaughters horseback riding for the first time on full size horses they had only ridden small ponies at the fair before. Neither had any riding experience.

I tried to give them some basic pointers about riding and rein use and the fact that horses sometimes can get startled and rear up or take off running and if that happened they would have to hang on for dear life.

As we started out I prayed the usual prayers for safety and protection for that days ride.

We were riding at an old movie studio ranch where early westerns had been filmed.

As we rounded the first corner into the old west town, suddenly we came across a lady with two little dogs that immediately began to bark frantically.  I thought here we go.  If something happens to these kids they will never ride again and their parents will kill me. 

Fortunately someone had given these horses good training either that or they were used to having dogs around.  The horses just stared at them and continued on their way.

First crisis over.

As we went along I observed how each horse faithfully followed the horse in front of them down the trail.

The trail boss leading the group selected the best trails to transverse.

I thought about how important it was to stay on the right trail. 

I reflected on all the pioneers who came west many of them who died before they reached their destination because they did not recognize or follow the right trail.

If you go into a cemetery you will see monuments to those who went before us, their name, their date of birth, and their date of death.

However we rarely reflect on the horizontal line between those two dates.

That hyphen represents that person’s whole life here on earth, their life on the trail so to speak.

Who they are, what they did, how did they live, what was their life like and all the ups and downs that they experienced.

Think about it…. right now you are somewhere along that trail in your own life.

You don’t have any say about when you were born or when you will die but you do have a say about how you will live your life on the trail.

And the choices you make and how you respond to life’s circumstances will determine the quality of your life here on earth and where you will spend eternity.

 
Jesus made it clear that there are only two gates, only two trails, only two destinies before every man, and each of us must choose one or the other. This may seem surprising to some. Many believe, even in the Christian community, that men are confronted with an almost infinite number of alternatives to them. It is not a choice between only two options, but of many. Among so many alternatives, how can a man choose the right one? Because of this dilemma, many have concluded “all roads lead to heaven” and that it matters little which one we would choose. However, Jesus narrows our choices to only two: religion and Christianity. Religion, in brief, can be defined as man’s efforts to reach God, while Christianity is God reaching down to man. Religion rests upon man’s work for God; Christianity on God’s work on behalf of men.

The small gate is the entrance to the narrow trail, the trail which leads to eternal life. That gate is our Lord Jesus Himself. In the words of the Savior: “… Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep… I am the door; if anyone enters through me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture… I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:7, 9, 11).
In another place, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through me” (John 14:6). God’s only provision for man’s salvation and entrance to the kingdom is through faith in Jesus Christ as God’s Messiah and our Savior.

However, why is the gate small and the way narrow, simply because it is restrictive. It is not that the gate is poorly marked, for Jesus publicly pointed out that He was God’s provision for the forgiveness of sins and entrance into eternal life. The gate is narrow only because it is exclusive and restrictive. Men can approach God only through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 9:11).

 
Many Bible characters reveal the right and wrong trails

Examples Jonah - started out on the wrong trail.

David - got off the trail but got back to the right trail.

My Story - After I accepted Christ as my savior I realized that GOD had always been there riding along wih me on the trail.

Aware of it or not, he was there quietly guiding me toward the right trail.

The enemy as well was there waiting to ambush me and send me down the wrong trail.

Conclusion:

Are you on the right trail?

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to destruction. We all start out on the wide trail of destruction in life. Isaiah 59:2 says that our sins have separated us from God.  Romans 3:10 There is no one righteous.

You may be saying, hold on a minute, I’m a pretty good ole boy, I try to lead a good life, I ain’t out to cheat no body, I’m honest, hardworking, and live my life with integrity. God measures us by his standard not ours. God gave us his standard in the Ten Commandments to show us we have failed measure up to his standard. For example have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stole something? We could go through all of them, but the bible says if we break one, we are guilty of breaking them all.

God knew we would fall short so his did something amazing for us.

Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

Romans 6:23 that the wages of our sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.

The destination of those that stay on the wide trail is death, but God gave us another way the narrow way that would put us on the trail that would lead to eternal life.

Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrated his own love for us that while we were sinners His Son Jesus died for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, whoever would believe in him would not perish but have eternal life.

In life there is just one more gate that we can open and ride through, it’s the narrow gate and it leads to eternal life.

Let’s look at the small gate and the narrow trail!

John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The truth is Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
John 10:9 Jesus said, “I am the gate whoever enters through me will be saved.

There is only one gate and one trail that leads to God and its Jesus!

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

This means that God placed all our sins on his son Jesus Christ, and Jesus died in our place, so we could enter through the narrow gate and ride the trail to eternal life.

Jesus not only died for our sins, he also rose from the dead so that we could live a new life with freedom, power and victory.

1John 1:9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and he is just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and by faith receive from him the amazing gift of his love and forgiveness.
Acts 3:19 Repent then and return to God so that your sins may be wiped out, and that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.  This means to turn around or change directions.

Ask God to give you the strength to turn from you sin and begin to ride the trail with him.

 Believe on Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, and that he died, was buried and rose from the dead.

Romans 10:9 if we confess with our mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that Christ raised him from the dead we will be saved.

 What trail are you on?

Are you on the trail to eternal life or eternal destruction?

The Bible describes two trails:

The broad trail to destruction that most people travel,

The narrow trail that leads to life but few follow it.

God loves you and has a purpose for your life.

He said that the trail to life is found by seeking and following him.

What prevents us from following him is the sin that separates us from him.

But God provided a way to follow him it is by receiving his Son the Savior Jesus Christ

Invitation:

To receive Christ you need to do four things:

1. ADMIT your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.”

2. REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin.

3. BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross.

4. RECEIVE, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life.

Pray this prayer with me wont you?

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. 

I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived;

I need your forgiveness.  I believe that Jesus Christ your son shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin.

You said in Romans 10:9 that if we confess the Lord our God and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we shall be saved.

Right now Jesus I confess you as my Lord and Savior.  Come into my heart and make me the person you want me to be, I cant do it myself!

In Jesus name I pray AMEN





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