BBD 07.26.18 No Shortcuts (Classic)

#1 · July 26, 2018, 9:09 am

Quote from Forum Archives on July 26, 2018, 9:09 am
Posted by: burningbushdevo <burningbushdevo@...>

Classic from 2011

Burning Bush Devotional

26 July 2018

There is now a new email list in addition to this one. The new email list will consist of short quotes from the Burning Bush archive and will be sent on a more frequent basis. I will be able to send the new email more frequently because of not having to post to websites or archive the emails anywhere which has become time consuming with the current email. If you want to receive the new email send an email with your name to theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com And of course you can unsubscribe anytime.

No Shortcuts

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. - Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” - John 14:1-6 NKJV.

Rob Sloan was thought to have been the third-place runner in the Kielder Marathon, in northern England. However, he has been stripped of his medal due to disqualification. During the run, he took a shortcut via a spectator bus. As event Director Steve Cram describes, “He's the only runner in the whole of the race who ran the second half of the race quicker than the first half.” You can do that if you ride a bus! It makes the whole marathon thingy much more pleasant! (Reuters 10.13.11)

Rob must have thought that he would actually be able to deceive everyone about his marathon performance. He found out though that his great plan for an easy run had a few flaws in it. His plan was not allowed by the event officials. That's why it's called a marathon. You run every step, in every mile, without any shortcuts via buses. Rob tried to bluff his way through, denying what he had done, until he was finally forced to admit his attempted deception.

Many apparently believe that there is a shortcut to Heaven, to the “Father's house.” No need to include Jesus in this plan, just take the turn onto the broad way, through the wide gate, and it will all turn out fine. Because, everyone knows, that everyone is going to Heaven; some are just taking a different road. At least that's what I seem to be hearing more and more in recent days. The Biblical spiritual fact is that Jesus is the only “way” provided by which we may travel to Heaven (i.e. “the Father”), or as King David says, the “house of the LORD (Psalm 23:6).”

Attempts to travel to Heaven by any other means than through Jesus will fail. The event coordinator of this Heavenly event is God Himself. God has given one prerequisite for dwelling in the “house of the LORD forever.” That most important prerequisite is Jesus. We are told this in Romans 10:9-13, “...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” In John 1:12, we are told, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

Have you taken a ride on a bus down the broad road of destruction, or are you on that narrow road through Jesus that leads to life eternal?

Copyright © 2011 - 2018. Ed Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of those first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net

www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites are celebrating 20 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

You can leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top right hand corner of all of the pages.

Check out the Scripture Index being constructed for the Devotionals at the Burning Bush website. The Links are in about the middle of the home page. Topics for each devotional are now being added to the Index.

Please continue to pray for healing for Michelle Abetz, Brandy, Beverly (Jeanie’s sister), Brent Baker, Gary Kirk, Caleb Freeman, Chris Ramber, E.L. Fowler, Hillary B., Buck & Barbara Wright, Wendy Lu, Joseph C., Vicki Dudgeon, Ruby H., and Jeanie.

Please pray for an end to the racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace and love. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. 03.18.18 I accepted the call to be the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma. Please pray for me and for this church.).

You can contact Ed Wrather at theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@associate.com and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@associate.com and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@associate.com and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org

Posted by: burningbushdevo <burningbushdevo@...>

Classic from 2011

Burning Bush Devotional

26 July 2018

There is now a new email list in addition to this one. The new email list will consist of short quotes from the Burning Bush archive and will be sent on a more frequent basis. I will be able to send the new email more frequently because of not having to post to websites or archive the emails anywhere which has become time consuming with the current email. If you want to receive the new email send an email with your name to theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com And of course you can unsubscribe anytime.

No Shortcuts

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. - Matthew 7:13-14 NKJV.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” - John 14:1-6 NKJV.

Rob Sloan was thought to have been the third-place runner in the Kielder Marathon, in northern England. However, he has been stripped of his medal due to disqualification. During the run, he took a shortcut via a spectator bus. As event Director Steve Cram describes, “He's the only runner in the whole of the race who ran the second half of the race quicker than the first half.” You can do that if you ride a bus! It makes the whole marathon thingy much more pleasant! (Reuters 10.13.11)

Rob must have thought that he would actually be able to deceive everyone about his marathon performance. He found out though that his great plan for an easy run had a few flaws in it. His plan was not allowed by the event officials. That's why it's called a marathon. You run every step, in every mile, without any shortcuts via buses. Rob tried to bluff his way through, denying what he had done, until he was finally forced to admit his attempted deception.

Many apparently believe that there is a shortcut to Heaven, to the “Father's house.” No need to include Jesus in this plan, just take the turn onto the broad way, through the wide gate, and it will all turn out fine. Because, everyone knows, that everyone is going to Heaven; some are just taking a different road. At least that's what I seem to be hearing more and more in recent days. The Biblical spiritual fact is that Jesus is the only “way” provided by which we may travel to Heaven (i.e. “the Father”), or as King David says, the “house of the LORD (Psalm 23:6).”

Attempts to travel to Heaven by any other means than through Jesus will fail. The event coordinator of this Heavenly event is God Himself. God has given one prerequisite for dwelling in the “house of the LORD forever.” That most important prerequisite is Jesus. We are told this in Romans 10:9-13, “...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” In John 1:12, we are told, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”

Have you taken a ride on a bus down the broad road of destruction, or are you on that narrow road through Jesus that leads to life eternal?

Copyright © 2011 - 2018. Ed Wrather. The Burning Bush website has been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals in the early 1990s. The distribution of those first devotionals was primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities throughout the United States and Canada.

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net

http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites are celebrating 20 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

You can leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at http://www.theburningbush.net.

There is a translation tool on theburningbush.net website in the top right hand corner of all of the pages.

Check out the Scripture Index being constructed for the Devotionals at the Burning Bush website. The Links are in about the middle of the home page. Topics for each devotional are now being added to the Index.

Please continue to pray for healing for Michelle Abetz, Brandy, Beverly (Jeanie’s sister), Brent Baker, Gary Kirk, Caleb Freeman, Chris Ramber, E.L. Fowler, Hillary B., Buck & Barbara Wright, Wendy Lu, Joseph C., Vicki Dudgeon, Ruby H., and Jeanie.

Please pray for an end to the racial hatred in the USA and that it will be replaced with peace and love. Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there (Of course, I am always in need of prayer - please pray for me. 03.18.18 I accepted the call to be the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Elk City, Oklahoma. Please pray for me and for this church.).

You can contact Ed Wrather at theburningbushdevotional@gmail.com View LinkedIn profile with endorsements at http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=92988105

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/DevotionalArchive.html.

Devotion vs Devotional: We do our devotions, we read devotionals.

You can unsubscribe to the burningbushdevo devotional group by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@associate.com and then respond to the confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group (Because of time constraints the devotional is only being sent now in html format) by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-join@associate.com and you may unsubscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@associate.com and then respond to the confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

--
To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org