Today I was reading through my RSS Feed and came across this wonderful piece of writing. I felt extra significance as it was written on my anniversary (2nd birthday). I reallly enjoyed it, I hope you do too.
The “lull”aby of Broad Way (Living Sacrifice)
The other night while lying in bed, before falling asleep, I was praying and meditating on my Lord, as always. As the new year had just started, I quickly envisioned the scene from Times Square–and it expanded in my mind into this scene. A story…
It looked like New York City on New Year’s eve. Times Square, filled side to side, the whole length you could see, with noisy, clamorous, celebrating people. They were “Christians.” Thousands and thousands of “Christians,” the people from “church.”
There was a lady in the crowd. She seemed lost. She wasn’t sure what was going on. She had been in the crowd for a while, going with it, taking comfort in the mass of people, assuming she was a Christian. But she realized it didn’t all make sense. She began to ask questions. She yelled to any who could hear, a series of questions. No one seemed to be listening. But she asked, “Where is this road going? (as she tried to jump and crane her neck to look)” “I can’t see!” “Is God really up there?” “I can’t hear Him!” “I have a question about what you all are doing.” “Why are you doing this?” “Why should I do things this way?” “God, are you really up there?” (craning her neck).” “I can’t see!” “I can’t hear!” “What is happening?”
In response, different people from the crowd inundated her with answers to keep her quiet. A pastor held up his Bible and said, “This is church. This is where you’re supposed to be. Everything is okay.” (”Amen!” several people shouted) “What do you mean is God really up there? Do you remember the time and place you got saved? Then you’re saved.” (”Amen!”) A lady shouted out, “Listen to this music! Isn’t it great? Doesn’t it feel like the spirit of God? Of course God is here!” (”Hallelujah!”) “Are you serving God in your local New Testament church?” “Serve more!” (”Amen!”) “You need to read your Bible every day. Are you reading it every day?” (”Amen!”) “Are you giving faithfully the church?” “Of course God is up there, if you can’t see Him, then you don’t have enough faith.” (”Amen!”) “This is the narrow way! We are all Christians!” “You can sit in a pew every Sunday but go straight to hell!” (”Amen!”) “Here! Link arms with me, and I’ll stand side by side with you!” “Stick with us!” “Work with us!” “You shouldn’t be with anyone else!” “This is the way!” “Come with us if you want to be faithful!” “I am a pastor, and I am God’s ordained authority. If you follow me, you are following God.” (”Amen!”)
The lady quieted for a bit, and followed along with everyone else, and tried shouting “Amen!” to see if it helped give her more peace. “I must not be doing enough,” she thought.” “I must not have enough faith.” She tried to read her Bible more, and teach a little group of children. She copied the others around her, and listened earnestly to what they said, trying to find hope and peace. But her heart ached, and again she cried, “I don’t know if I’m truly faithful! I’m not sure! I want to be truly faithful! Is this the right way? I can’t see where it’s going! It’s so broad! So many people!”
The crowd cried, “You’re doing great! Look at how much you’re serving! Serve more!” “If you’re faithful, you should be leading people to the Lord. That’s our first commandment as Christians!” (”Amen!”) “You’re faithful if you come with us!” “Why are you worried about how or where you walk? Jesus work on the cross is finished! (”Amen!”) You don’t have to worry about it any more.” (”Amen!”) “Do you read your Bible every morning?” “I read my Bible through in one year!” “I have 30 minutes of prayer time every day at 6:00!” “I have taught Sunday School for 25 years!” “I got 300 children saved in VBS!” (”Amen!” “Glory to God!” “Hallelujah!”) “I lead a women’s Bible study!” “I write Christian articles!” “I sing in the choir and help with the drama team!” “I manage the food bank at church–and God has really blessed me because of it!” “There’s not really a narrow road. Jesus is the narrow road. Do you believe in Him?” (”Amen!”) “Let’s do this Bible study together! It’s the new bestseller at the Christian bookstore, and boy, it’s great! So encouraging!” (”Amen!”)
“I dont’ have time for another study! I don’t have the money for another book!” But she signed up anyway.
“You don’t have the money?” “I have tithed faithfully for 10 years, plus given to missions, and to the building fund, and to the general offering fund! And I have been blessed! I got a promotion, and a bonus! We have lots of money! God blessed us for giving faithfully.” The pastor yelled, “If you don’t have enough money then you haven’t been giving faithfully.” (”Amen!”) (”Amen!”)
And the lady cried, “But if I serve any more, I don’t even have time for my own husband or children! It’s putting stress on my marriage and my children are neglected. We’re always running!”
“It’s great!” they cried. “You’re working so hard for the Lord! You’re making sacrifices!”
She cried again, “But Tom Cruise has money! He didn’t give to the church! I don’t understand!” “But what about me? God, what do you want from me? There’s just too much noise! Too many options!”
She was pulled this way and that. “Come with me! Let’s go to this class about how to get people saved. You’re commanded as a Christian to go into this world and save others.” (”Amen!”)
She shook herself free for a moment, and tried to listen, but was confused by the yelling voices. Sermons, quoted scriptures, hymns, advice, invitations to serve by helping with this program, or that, counsel, and noise, noise, noise…Hands waving in the air, “Amen!” “Hallelujah!” “Praise God!”
She found a place to climb higher and get a better view, looking for someone she could talk to. She looked further down the mass of people, and saw that all kinds of people were there, too. There were Muslims, and Atheists, and all the people who just didn’t care about Jesus, or who had never been taught. The “Christians” were evangelizing them, handing them tracts, having them pray little “prayers of salvation,” and then some of them joined in with the Christians. Some people joined with the Muslims, some quit doing what the Christians were doing and became people who didn’t care.
She turned to look the other way. In the distance, she saw a peaceful green meadow, and a few people were walking. She went up to someone in the crowd who looked confident, put together. She asked, “What about those few people way over there, walking by themselves?” and pointed to the meadow. The confident person responded, “There’s no lone rangers in the Christian walk! We need to work together! Stay with us!” Someone else chimed in, “Some people take their religion too far. They’re delusional!” (”Amen!”) “You need to read more books, study more!” “Don’t pay any attention to them! Look at this research! These statistics!” “It’s only logical! Doesn’t this sound good?” “Oh, it just makes SO much sense!” (”Amen!”) “Makes sense to me!” “And to me!” “Sounds good!” “Tickles my ears!” “Don’t forget! Be in church every time the doors are open!” (”Amen!”)
Then the view shifted out to this meadow. A quiet, very narrow footpath running through a pasture, beside still waters, and there were a few people on it, single file, no closer than 50 feet apart. I was on that path, and my oldest child (15) was behind me, as well as a few other people I knew and had encouraged, or who had encouraged me. I prayed, “Lord! Are you up there? Am I on the narrow way?” And I leaned my neck slightly to the side, and could see clearly up the path–no clutter of people–and I heard very clearly (no din of noisy people), “I’m right here, my child” I said, “Oh, yes! I see you! (I waved). I hear you!” And my Lord said, “Yes, I know you, you are one of my sheep, and, my sheep hear my voice.” The man in front of me turned back and called to me, he said, “Yes, the Lord is up there! I see Him! I hear Him! Just keep coming!” (He waved to encourage me on to keep coming). I then turned to the person behind me (my son), I said, “The Lord is there! I see Him! I hear Him! Keep coming!” I beckoned him to encourage him. My son craned his neck to look, and waved, and said, “Yes! I see Him! I hear Him, too!” And we kept walking, in utter peace, towards our Lord. I looked ahead at my Lord and said, “Lord, what do you want from me?”
He said, “Love me with all your heart, your mind, and your strength.”
Peace filled my heart as I thought, “Of course! That’s what He said He wants from me first and foremost!” I said, “Oh, Lord, help me to do that. Help me to love you more.”
And the Lord said, “Bless you, my child, for seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. I died just for you.”
“Thank you, Lord, for giving Your life that I might live and seek to enter Your Kingdom, and be joint heirs with You.” So sweet, His love for me! And I kept walking, in peace, and following, with my eyes solely on my Lord, one foot in front of the other.
Ahead of me, someone heard the din of the people on the Broad Way, and heard the name of God, and heard the music, and the pastors shouting. She said, “It sounds like they’re talking about God over there, and they’re telling us we should come! I’m going to go see what’s happening over there” and she left the path.
I looked ahead to my Lord, and raised my eyebrows, questioning. And the Lord said, “Be careful, lest ye also fall away.”
The person who had left called back to all of us, “Hey! You should come over here! They say they’ve got the truth! They say they’re saved, and that we need to work with them to help get other people saved, too!”
I told Him, “No! Lord, please! I only want to follow You! I only want to be on the narrow way! Whatever it takes, please! Help me to love only You, and serve only You!”
He said, “Keep coming, my child. Keep coming this way.”
And by faith, I continued to place one foot in front of the other on the narrow path–because that was all there was room for. One step at a time, by faith, always seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
And all these things–everything I need…
It has been added unto me.
I saw the lady who was confused coming over towards our path. I smiled at her. God’s love shone on her, because she was so close to Him. She said to me, “Can you help me?”
I said, “No, I can’t help you, but He can! He can! Come on!”
She stepped on to the path behind me, a little unsure.
“Come on,” I said. “He is up there. Ask Him! Talk to Him! You will see!”
She said, “Lord, are you really up there?” And she craned her head to look.
And He said, “Yes, my child. I am here. Keep coming. I will show You the way.”
And she cried, “Oh! I see Him! I hear Him! Thank you, Lord.”
She began asking Him her questions, and He answered her every one, with His precious Word. And she heard Him. He comforted her, and healed her, because He loves her, and knows her–her every need. And because she was now seeking Him and Him alone, all these things were added unto her.
And she kept walking.
——
Enter ye in at the strait (narrow) gate:
for wide is the gate,
and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait (narrow) is the gate
and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life,
and few (yes, that means FEW)
there be that find it.
Beware of false prophets,
which come to you in sheep’s clothing
(”Oh, yes!” they say, “I’m one of His sheep!”),
but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits.
-Jesus Christ
Matthew 7:13-16
FRUITS:
LOVE
JOY
PEACE
PATIENCE
KINDNESS
GOODNESS
FAITH
MEEKNESS
SELF CONTROL
Galatians 5:22-23
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Jesus said unto him,
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul,
and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment.
-Jesus Christ
Matthew 22:36-38
But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness;
and all these things
(all things you need)
shall be added unto you.
-Jesus Christ
Matthew 6:33
Wherefore, beloved,
seeing that ye look for such things,
be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace,
without spot, and blameless.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him
hath written unto you;
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them
of these things;
in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearend and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures,
unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved,
seeing ye know these things before,
beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked,
fall from your own stedfastness.
I Peter 3:14-17
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart;
and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and He shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6
——-
I may not be going the same direction as you, but I can see Him. I can hear Him. He is my Shepherd, and I am one of His sheep. He leads me. I wouldn’t change direction for anything in the world. My eyes and ears are only on Him, because He is truly my Lord. I will follow only Him. But anyone who wants can get in line right behind me! We’ll encourage each other all the way. As those before me encourage me, and those behind me encourage me–because they can see Him and hear Him, too. Oh, how I wish you would get on this blessed path so you could see Him, and hear Him, and be led by the Holy, perfect, Shepherd, who dries every tear, heals the brokenhearted, who gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, who puts the mind in perfect peace, and pours out His wisdom and truth on those who love Him, and whose mind and eyes are stayed on only Him. Oh, how I pray you find Him!
I hope you see the significance of this post. I saw the fact that Jesus saves us all, if we rely on HIM ONLY for our salvation and FOLLOW HIM ALWAYS.
