Follow- The Way

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way...' " John 14:6 NIV


When we follow signs we get where we are going. Its a simple concept. Personally, I am not a fan of the GPS on the dashboard. I would rather have the directions and watch for the signs about which I was told- a street sign, a business, an oak tree, that cow in the pasture with the large brown spot, etc. (If you've ever lived in the country, you know what I mean.)


Jesus very simply said, "I am the way." Right before this, Jesus is letting His disciples know that He is going to return to heaven to get ready for them (and us) to be there with Him. He says, "You know the way to the place where I am going."


Thomas answers, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"


This is what prompted Jesus' reply, "I am the way..." In effect, Jesus is saying, "I am the road- walk this way." or "I am the direction you should take- follow me." or "I am the manner in which you should walk- do what I do." Any of these is a good way to think of what Jesus said. 


The truth is, if I follow Jesus, I can't go the wrong way. If I walk the path He lays out, I won't get off at the wrong exit. If I do what He does, I'll never make a wrong turn. And the best way to see where and how Jesus moves is to get to know Him more. Grab your Bible and read about Jesus. A really cool tool is a Harmony of the Gospels. I found a couple of good ones for my personal study by searching Google. Click here to download a PDF you can put on your computer, iPod, or whatever. 


God, I thank You for Your Son and the way He shows how to get to you. Open my eyes to see more of Jesus. Give me the desire to read your Word and see who Jesus really is. Bless those who read this with the same desire, for Your Name's sake.


In the Potter's Hand,
JW

Death Is Not The Point

Check this out: "Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him."

What a great verse! What a wonderful explanation of why Jesus came! What a concise statement of the Gospel!

Except that it's from the Old Testament; and these words were spoken to David by a "wise woman" in 2 Samuel 14:14.

This shows us something about the character of God, namely that He DOES NOT CHANGE. Peter reiterates this idea in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

Is ours an Amazing God or what?

JW

Why Do We Read This Bible, Anyway

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."
(Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV84)

This is the whole reason in a nutshell: while God takes care of those things hidden from our knowledge, there are things He has revealed to us. Our duty is to know those things- to seek out that knowledge that God has made available to us.

This is the purpose of this space- to see what God has revealed to us and share them together. Feel free to comment, even post what God has revealed. We've committed together to read through God's Word. Let's share it here.

JW

To Lead or to Entertain...

A friend told me something today after worship that has rocked me to my core. I asked about the feel of music today and expressed how I felt a lack of response. His reply was something to the effect of, "Maybe it's you're too good. I think people just want to watch you perform rather than sing and block you out."

...

I don't know what to say. I have worked hard to bring the level of musicianship up and offer a more excellent gift. I practice and use different instruments to add flavor and texture to the music. All of this is in an effort to include people and ultimately offer a chance to encounter God. So now I have to dumb it down; make it more accessible to the masses?

O God, show me Your truth. Lead me to where You are in this.

Any suggestions?