The Way

This phrase jumps out at me in Proverbs:

The way of life - Prov. 5:6 She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not.
The way to life - Prov. 6:23 For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life.
The way to life - Prov. 10:17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life . . .
The way of the Lord - Prov. 10:29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous, but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
The path of understanding - Prov. 21:16 A man who strays from the path of understanding comes to rest in the company of the dead.

Now, notice that this way or path was often a singular form noun. Compare to the following:

Ways of wicked men - Prov. 2:12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse.
Paths of the wicked - Prov. 22:5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

It is interesting to note the often (not in every case) singular form of one particular way or path in which to live, walk, and have our being. In contrasting to the ways of the wicked, these paths are often thought of as plural and multiple.

Isaiah also spoke of such a way (Again notice the singular noun form):
Isa. 35:8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.

Jesus said he was the Way (Again notice the singular noun form):
John 14:6 I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Now the question I pose is this: Do you suppose Jesus was referring to "the way" described by both Proverbs and Isaiah? Or is Jesus referring to something different when He says He is the way? If you think about it, if you follow Jesus wouldn't you be following him in his style of life that exhibited holiness/righteousness and which of course Proverbs said this way leads to life? Proverbs focuses on wisdom which translates knowledge to application in how you live. Isaiah spoke of a restored Jerusalem in which a highway (Again a singular path or way) of holiness would have holy people walking on it which indicates the style of life of these people or how they live.

To take this interesting phrase further, Christianity in her early days was known as the Way. Followers of Christ in Acts 9:2 are referred by Saul as those who belong to the Way (Jesus).

All this to say, Christianity is not meant to be a once and done action. It seems that the Western world has boiled this all down to a simple formula which provides all the benefits of eternal salvation and heaven, but has no depth. It has become some mechanical process of rational apprehension but requires no life change. Most Christians claim to be followers, but in actuality when you look at their lives they are no different than the rest of the lost world. Time after time, studies are done that show there is no statistical difference between Christians and non-Christians (thanks George Barna). Anyone with a little Bible study will realize this is not the overall theme expressed in Scripture. Jesus is a way of life, a style of life. His way of life leads directly to the Father/God. He sent his Spirit to guide and direct us on this way of life.

This is not a one time event, that "oh yeah I claimed Christ back when I was 6, I am a Christian." Or, my parents are Christians, so I am a Christian. These are not necessarily valid reasons to claim Christ (although they could be). What truly matters is whether you are following Jesus. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" (Matt. 16:24). Then, we should be found with a cross in our hand putting the flesh/the sinful nature on the cross. This is the Way marked out for us. This is a style of life, something you are daily and not once a week.

We shouldn't be found in the paths of wicked men, we should be found on the Way of Holiness! Oh, that we all might aspire to be whole human beings, the way God created us to be before the Fall! The Way of Holiness bears fruit in life, fruit of the Holy Spirit which are:
-love, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22)-
We should be growing in virtue as our sinful flesh is embracing the cross! As we do, we become complete/whole human beings exhibiting the characteristics in which God delights.
Peter said we should be a "royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that we may declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Pet. 2:9). Being a holy nation is a way of life. It is a lifestyle not a one-time commitment. In modern day culture, we want all the benefits of being saved from hell, but yet we still want to live our lives how we want to on our own terms. These two things do not go together and were not taught by Jesus or anywhere in the Bible.

In Acts 2:42-47, we find the baby church gathered together after Pentecost and the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the followers of Christ. You will quickly notice while reading this passage that the followers lived, ate, worshiped, prayed, and talked about Jesus together daily. They genuinely cared about each other and loved those in need in their community. They did not make a one-time decision for Christ during Peter's sermon and then go back to their old ways of life. They made a lifestyle commitment lead by the Holy Spirit. They began a new way of life together as a family, the Way of Christ.

We should be found to be a sweet, sweet sight to God! Jesus guides us in a close relationship upon the way of life by his Holy Spirit. This is the life that leads to God, the life that pleases God. The highway of Holiness paved by Christ. The fruits of the spirit grow along this highway and are what God desires to allow to flourish in our lives and by which trees are identified as good to keep or bad to cut down and throw into the fire.

If you allow the Holy Spirit to perform her function, she will make you holy. A holy person is a whole human being not a fractured one.

And remember, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death" (Prov. 14:12). There is a wide road which leads to destruction. Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (Matt. 7:13). Or you could say there are many paths or ways (Plural) that lead to death, and narrow is the gate (Singular). There is one way of life to God. Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life. Only God himself in the flesh could fully display the way. Solomon poked around it and gave insights about this way, Isaiah foresaw the way opening up, but Jesus laid the way brick by brick for us to follow. In Jesus' time, the Way described by Solomon and foretold by Isaiah became a reality.

Take the way of Christ. You will find much more than you can dream of there. There is pure joy and pure fun as opposed to drunken hangovers and parties that end. There is honesty and truthfulness as opposed to cheats and abusers. There is love, deep and transforming as opposed to one-night stands and short-term relationships that never fill the hole of the heart or truly satisfy. There is a peace that reaches deep and stills the soul as opposed to stress and worry about money and the world.

Maybe we should begin using the old title, "Followers of the Way." I think this is a profound phrase that calls attention to our modern day dilemma. This is a way of life not a one-time decision. It is an on-going relationship not a one-night stand.

Harmony or Tension

Oftentimes people speak of harmony and having their life in balance. This phrase appears to be too eutopian. This is not reality. On the contrary, life is full of chaos, tension, and turmoil. We find ourselves fighting for more. Fighting for more love, more quality family time, more devotional time, more purity, more justice, and the list goes on and on. Battling against us are the unlimited lists of excuses of I was too busy, or I had things to do on my plan for today, or I will pay attention to junior when I am older, or I woke up late I don't have time for God today or whatever.

The fact of the matter is that we have this hunger and thirst for righteousness, a hunger for more of God’s Spirit, and his voice. As Jesus said during the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness” (NIV, Matt 5:6). We are not in harmony, we are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. We desire to know God more. We desire wholeness and purity. We struggle, strive, and even fight for more than the brokenness that we experience. The Apostle John restates this principle in Revelation, “To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the Spring of the Water of Life” (NIV, Rev 21:6). Thus, God’s Church is thirsty for only what He can provide and no other.

On eight separate occasions in Revelation John dictated in varying forms the phrase, “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life” (NIV, Rev 2:7). This phrase rings in my ear over and over. The truth is that this world offers tension, struggle, and brokenness. Jesus knew this, and He tells us to fight. In this fight, our strength is measured by our hunger to eat of the Tree of Life and to drink of the Spring of the Water of Life. The Tree and the Spring represent wholeness. Our strength is measured by our hunger to be whole. Knowing both sin and righteousness, the soul cries out for more of wholeness.

We are hungry.

We are thirsty.

for more of God.

Let's embrace that.

Running

The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win. Roger Bannister

Roger Bannister was the first man to break the four minute mile, once thought to be impossible.

I like that quote. I enjoy training and running. There seems to be many life lessons in this quote. Many life lessons I take away from running and training. Obviously, there is always the pain from working out or even those points you reach that you just want to quit. Pushing past those points toward that goal whatever it is, you learn something about yourself.

Life seems to be much like this. There are problems that barrage you every day. All the time I have moments where I don't feel like doing some thing. But I do it anyway, because I have goals and I have a vision. I know the things I am doing right now, whatever that thing is I don't like fits into the big picture of things I do enjoy.

In running, there is that freeing feeling in the physical of overcoming all obtacles. Overcoming the pain, pushing past the problems, you can find yourself set free from the troubles that come in life as well. It can reengerize you to take on those problems fresh having conquered other problems/pains/challenges during a run or other physical challenge.

In faith, we are called to be faithful till the end. We are to hit the finish line at full steam. I have heard Chuck Swindall I believe say, I don't want to limp into heaven.

There are obstacles, temptations, and pains we will experience and just like Roger Bannister quoted, we are too drive ourselves further to Christ and hold onto the Word ever tighter to overcome the troubles of life. We are called to be holy, to grow in faith, to change. By the grace of God, may we bend ourselves to God's will to let this happen to us.

May we lay down those things in our lives that are not of God's Word.

Set Me Free

Following is a poem I wrote...I wrote in the throng of fighting against sin in my life. I am coming to understand that the Holy Spirit is convicting and gradually changing my fallen nature into something different. I encourage you all to fight sin in your life and let the Holy Spirit purge you of what it seeks. One day we may just find the Spirit has made ready a spotless bride ready for Jesus.

Set me free, Set me free
From the chains of misery
Oh please, set me free!

My soul longs and even yearns, to be Free
Please set me free

Struggle in darkness, looking for light
I fall in the dark, looking for the Light

Oh please Saviour set me free
from the bondage to this earth, that worries me
no more fear and no more distress

Set me free, Set me free
Oh Lord, my God, my Rock, set me Free!

This place holds for me, struggle and fight, to do whats right
though I strain and cry out in pain
nothing I can do to attain, freedom from sin
I'm shackled to the dark
Oh merciful God, set me free
Your Son came to earth to be
The Key to set me Free

Oh how I love you Lord, My God
You came to take my place on high to the cross
My Lord, My God
you took my place, My Saviour, my God!
Oh how I love your shining face
You are my strength and my song
You have come To set me Free
Will I walk? and believe
You have come to set me free
Your Son, came to be, the key to set me free!