The Camel is the Broad Way to Destruction, the Eye of the Needle is the Narrow Way into Life

Luke 18:18-30

Click here for a description of the mark of the beast.

• No one is good except God, and Jesus is God in the flesh.
• There is a dependance on head knowledge for eternal life.
• Serving the source of financial riches is not the way into the kingdom of God.
• Riches are the camel that will never pass through the eye of the needle.
• In Heaven, we gain much more than what we lose in this life.

No one is good except God, and Jesus is God in the flesh. “Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Luke 18:18 Today, the self-esteem of people is bolstered above the need for Jesus Christ. The esteem and confidence of a person is the focus while the need for the remission of sin through Jesus is discarded. It is humanism empowered by the mark of the beast. That is what all of the churchy and humanitarian sounding words are all about coming from those who have influence in the community. Now, one of those leaders is asking Jesus what is necessary to inherit eternal life. “So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” Luke 18:19 Building up the esteem of others is not enough, we need to be reconciled to God by the remission of sin, we are all sinners. Also, Jesus is God, the sinless Lamb of God. The ruler rightly called Jesus good, so Jesus was trying to awaken the ruler as to why he just called Him good, no one is good except God.

There is a dependance on head knowledge for eternal life. Some depend on human rationale to get them eternal life. “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” Luke 18:20 Jesus knew the ruler had head knowledge of the scriptures, and the ruler verified that, “And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” Luke 18:21 Today, more faith is put in human rationale than in spiritual matters, just like the ruler who thought his knowledge would get him eternal life. Even today, scientists boast of using cellular science to resurrect life, to reverse aging, and even to having the key to earthly eternal life. The global “democracy” of the beast is rooted in head knowledge, and they are depending on human rationale to solve global warming. However, global warming plays a role in destroying their world by destroying the power center that controls the mark of the beast (Revelation 16:8-10). Human rationale cannot override the judgment of God.

Serving the source of financial riches is not the way into the kingdom of God. “So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Luke 18:22 Today, money and possessions are rewards for living by the mark of the beast, which means those who are poor are rejected by the social network which lives by the mark of the beast. If a person wants to have treasures that are in the New Jerusalem, then it will be necessary to give possessions and money to the needy. “But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.” Luke18:23 Today, people are more remorseful over losing money, possessions, physical comforts, and social favor than they are over losing their relationship with Jesus. “And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” Luke 18:24 The kingdom of God is not a place found in the head, nor in someone’s self-esteem, nor is it on this earth, nor is it found in money and possessions. It’s impossible to live for the source of financial riches and to enter the kingdom of God at the same time.

Riches are the camel that will never pass through the eye of the needle. “For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Luke 18:25 I think of the camel as being the broad way that leads to destruction, and the eye of the needle being the narrow way leading into eternal life. The whole world follows the beast, and the global economy is based on economic prosperity of nations, which means employment opportunities for those who live by the mark of the beast. That is the camel. Those who reject the financial prosperity of today’s social network are those who have passed through the eye of the needle. Those who heard knew the impossibility of a camel passing through the eye of a needle, “And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?” Luke 18:26 Having a lot of esteem and money will not get us through the eye of the needle, “But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” Luke 18:27 Salvation is only possible through Jesus Christ by admitting we are sinners who need our sin forgiven.

In Heaven, we gain much more than what we lose in this life. “Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” Luke 18:28 Choosing to live for Jesus Christ will make us rejects of those who depend on self-esteem, human rationale, and financial prosperity. We have to be willing to make Jesus the priority of our life, and to reject the thing that wants our body to be the seat of government for its thoughts, emotions, feelings, and behaviors. “So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.” Luke 18:29-30 When we pass through the eye of the needle, our reward in the eternal New Jerusalem will be many times more than anything we have given up in this world. At the same time, on this earth we gain the family within the body of Jesus Christ. Today, the followers of Jesus are scattered and kept apart from one another by the social network of those who live for the mark of the beast. They have made war with the saints and have overcome them, all except those whose name are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We are living under the government of the beast, but Jesus is coming back.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1