Month: June 2016

Several years ago when Kathy and lived in Ft Worth during the seminary years, we had some friends come and visit us from Kansas.

It was a pretty easy trip; basically from Kansas go south on I-35 and exit on Seminary Drive… one turn and your at our doorstep.

Well, these friends took our simple directions, and we assumed they must have been running late, until we got a call from them. This was a big deal pre-cell phone days as you had to stop the car and pay for a call. 

They said they had been up and down I-35 through the whole city and never even seen Seminary Drive. I apologized, gave them some landmarks to look for and they tried again.

But, about 30 minutes later the same phone call. We played this game for about 90 minutes with increasing frustration at every phone call, until I heard my friend on the other end say in exasperation, “Why would you ever live in Dallas anyway?!”

My response was, I don’t.

I lived in Ft Worth, but just north of the Metroplex is a community called Denton and in that place, I-35 splits into East 35 and West 35 to pass through these two metros.

My friends had taken the wrong road.

All morning they had been going up and down the wrong 35, looking for an exit that would never appear, the whole time thinking to themselves they were right and I was crazy.

It’s unfortunate, and a much more devastating mistake, but Jesus says we do the same thing spiritually.

Matthew 7:13-14 says, “13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

How horrible it is to think of living a life, thinking you’re on the right road, thinking other people are crazy, and waiting for an exit that will never come.

Maybe you’re reading this because it’s a God-given opportunity to check the map. Maybe this is you stopping to make a call.

Maybe it’s time to make sure you are on the narrow road that’s going where you’ve been hoping you were heading.

I’d love to help you. 

Let me invite you to pray and get in touch.

First, pray to God asking for forgiveness for all our time on the wrong road and commit to following Jesus for the rest of your life as best you can.

Here’s an example of a prayer like that you might want to pray: “Father forgive me for all my mistakes and failures. I want to begin again with You. With the faith that I have I trust Your Son Jesus who lived, died and rose again for me. I want to follow Him for the rest of my life as my Lord and my Savior. I will mess this up, but help me to walk in a new way. In Jesus name, Amen.”

Second, get in touch. If you prayed this prayer I would love to help you get started out right on this new road. Drop me an email at andy@crosspointnow.net 

Many blessings my friend. I am thankful for you and pray you take the time to make sure these moments were not wasted. 

And, if the road you are already on is the right road, please share this post.

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Over the years, I have often thanked you for Jesus, and I mean it every time. But, but I must confess that I have not thanked you for the effects of what He has done.

When Christ died on the cross, He defeated hell, death, and the grave, but those were the generals in the army of our enemy. At their destruction also came the crushing of their foot soldiers.

Christ devasted lust, pride, hurt, anger, greed, doubt, loss, pain, fear, laziness, unforgiveness and everything else that has ever tied me up and abused me! My enemies have been defeated and because Christ shouted from the cross “It is finished!” they are defeated with finality.

Jesus crushed those sins in my life, and I thank you God for that victory, that grace, and that hope. The only time I can every be imprisoned by them again is when I walk into their camp, sit in their prison and close the door myself.

So, I have three requests:

First, forgive me for the many times I have handed myself over to a defeated enemy.

Second, train and mature me so that I may never be bound again by defeated foes.

Third, let me remember to thank you every day that Jesus has already won the war.

Father, help me to walk in reality. Let me feet follow the path of freedom that you have already created.

In Jesus name, amen.