Thoughts…………

Some of you may be wondering as to why this site is here. I find myself already wondering such a thing. Some people had mentioned that they thought I had an eloquent tongue and that I should post my thoughts and ponderings on this new fancy fangle dangled thing called the internet, a website is what they said I needed to make it happen, well let’s see how it goes.

“Don’t Follow the man Follow the WAY”, Taken out of the book of Acts, I specifically like 24:13-15.

After the death of Christ and after the Pentecost, and the Tongues of Fire the church started to spread out and evangelize. When the church was talked of in the public general sense they were not yet called Christians, they would be called the WAY. The WAY was a way of living, devoted to God and devoted to his will.

In the 1st century after the death and resurrection of Christ, an authority had to be owned by the disciples to spread the gospel. Since the authority was given through Christ by God, in the worldly and in a religious sense, it had to be assumed. Nobody acknowledged that they had authority to God’s work. They were pioneers, and for doing so they were persecuted, they would be the first of many martyrs.

The thought arises as to why they were persecuted…………

They were persecuted because they would challenge the way people were living their lives. Their economy was built on the corruption of not only their ruling dictators but also by the Jewish church. The Jewish church was making money by selling the sacrificial offerings at the door of the church (I seem to remember Jesus being a little frustrated at this).

The WAY had a way of living. They lived by the rules set forth by God in the Old Testament, but instead of being ruled by the law, they were ruled by grace and Paul mentions in one of his letters that they were free from the law because of the grace of Christ. What does this mean?

But I Digress…….

Their WAY of living was communal, they lived in community, and they shared with others. What was theirs is mine and what is mine is theirs type deal. In Acts 9, or somewhere close, there is a perfect example and picture of how they were doing business. They brought everything to the table and gave it all to the community; one couple lied about their assets and were cast dead, wow.

Well, what Paul was talking about was what is termed right living. Paul was saying that instead of feeling the weight of the law on your shoulders, feel the weightlessness of grace. I can choose to be free from sin, if I focus on the grace and not the sin, instead of just focusing on the sin. Kind of like running when your legs get tired, you can run farther if you can focus on something other than the pain.

So, back to Acts 24:13-15, this cat named Paul, who used to be Saul, is standing in front of people who want to kill him. They are asking him if he belongs to some Nazarenes that are disturbing the way the Jews were doing life, knowing that death could be before him (others had already been martyred) he says, “yeah, I am part of the movement you know as the WAY”.

That is why I don’t follow the man, I follow the WAY.

Well, I try any way.

Blaze Johnson
someguy@blazejohnson.org