What we're all about:
Bear your Cross Slave of Christ! Go through the pain, agony and torment of becoming Christ's outcast amongst this wicked and twisted generation!
Crucify the sinful deeds of the flesh. Deny yourselves! Store up for yourselves gold, silver and precious stones. For the deeds done in the body, will be judged by fire to reveal the true motive and nature of each ones work.
12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 "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". Matthew 7:13
By entering into the narrow gate daily, we in turn, crucify ourselves with Christ. And crucifying yourself, by putting to death the deeds of the flesh, you enter in through the narrow gate. The two are interchangeable and inseparable and result in the heavenly reward which will be consummated and decided by fire, on that great day of judgment, at the feet of Christ. See to it that this process of elimination by fire, does not leave you with nothing more than chaff and ashes issuing forth from wood, hay and stubble. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:15-17
Recommended reading by author: Robert Govett, G.H Pember, D.M Panton, Watchman Nee, Witness Lee, G.H Lang, John Nelson Darby, Jessie Penn Lewis, Andrew Murray, A.W Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, David Wilkerson, Frank Viola, A.W Tozer, Jesse Penn-Lewis, David Bercot, Recovery Version of The Bible W/Footnotes by Witness Lee (Living Stream Ministry) F.B Meyer, A.B Simpson, Ante Nicene Church Fathers, Joseph C Dillow, Gary T Whipple, Arlen Chitwood, John Wesley.
A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF WHAT IT IS TO BE CRUCIFIED BEYOND THE NARROW GATE AND IT'S EFFECTS:
In Matthew 16:27 the Lord Jesus spoke of coming in the glory of the Father with a reward for His people. This does not refer to Salvation, because Salvation is not a reward, but a gift. A gift is free; a reward requires us to pay a price. When the Lord comes in the glory of the Father, He will reward us. What is this reward? It is the marriage feast mentioned in Matthew 25. The ones who are ready will be rewarded with the marriage feast. If you have the extra portion of oil, meaning that you are prepared, matured, possessed and occupied by Christ, you will enter into the marriage feast as your reward. And ultimately, reign with Christ in His millennial reign thereafter.
I am quite concerned that many of us, who call ourselves "Christians" may miss this reward. We very well may be saved, but it's still possible to miss the reward of the marriage feast and Christ's Millennial reign where our newly obtained crowns will begin to take on meaning and sustenance in a very subjective fashion. Consider the five foolish virgins who were truly saved, but were not allowed to enter into the marriage feast. They were virgins, just like the five prudent ones. But they were unprepared and foolish in their day to day lives, obviously not entering in through the narrow gate by denying themselves daily, by taking up their cross and following Him, counting themselves worthy to be called His Disciples. They could never lose their Salvation, but nevertheless, they were not allowed to enter into the marriage feast. To be saved is one thing: to enter the marriage feast is another. To be saved is a matter of salvation; to be in the marriage feast is a matter of reward.
How can we obtain this reward? It is by denying the soulish-life of the flesh, by denying the self and by keeping the self on the cross.
May we all be, day in and day out, Crucified Beyond The Narrow Gate. And thereby we can hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant; enter in".
The title "Crucified Beyond The Narrow Gate" is a poetic play on specific doctrines, words and implications found in the scriptures. The intent behind the name of this ministry, is to poetically convey, express, relate and communicatively siphon the whole of what it is, to be a genuine follower of Christ.
We are "Crucified With Christ" . Galatians 2:20
Therefore, through the power of the Spirit, we are to crucify, mortify and put to death the sinful deeds of the flesh. Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5, Matthew 18:9.
OUR cross is a continuation and direct extension of His Cross. Whatever put Him to death...must be what is perpetually put to death in our day to day lives as well. Whatever caused Him to be made sin on our behalf (2 Corinthians 5:21), must be the equivalent of what is denied and crucified in our lives daily.
"He who loses His life (what sin wants you to do, or what you want to do with it) for my sake will find it." -Luke 9:24-
The daily denial of sin by and through the carrying of our cross, is the equivalent and spiritual-synonym of "entering in by the narrow gate". With each passing day many "gates" are set before us...some wide...some narrow. But with each decision made, only one is the gateway that leads to brutal devotion to Christ. The Christian Life is a life of choice...and the outcome of these choices will decide whether you are a True Disciple or not.
"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it". Matthew 7:13
When the above becomes your daily experience...when intensely-severe devotion to Christ becomes your daily addiction... THIS is what it means to become "Crucified Beyond The Narrow Gate". Luke 9:23, Matthew 10:38, Luke 14:27.
When your recklessness is found in Christ as opposed to your sin...you are presently experiencing what is conveyed by the name and title of this ministry.
With each passing day, may we all become more obedient unto the transformation and progression of what it means to be "Crucified Beyond The Narrow Gate".