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THE WAY TO GOD

By DON STANTON

Men have been seeking the way to God for thousands of years. Some have found the way; many have not! Many have entered blind alleys and ended up at a dead end; others have been greatly discouraged and conclude that it is futile to search for something you can’t see; some have come to the conclusion that there is no such way - and have given up their quest.

Some say it is a very long road that leads to the Eternal One, and you just have to keep on pressing on until you find it. But some travellers complain that the way is not clearly defined, and that it is too difficult to be sure if you’re on the way or not.

Others claim that they are sure they are on the right Way; and although there are difficulties along the Way, they know that it is definitely the way that leads to Life Eternal – to the Almighty God.

If one is seeking to find God and to know Him, then it’s a reasonable proposition to find out what God says – whether He can be found, whether He can be known, and how.

“Oh, but,” some will say, “There are so many writings that claim to be from God, and many are very difficult to understand, it’s all too confusing.”

Yes, there are many writings, and there are many people who claim to be “God.” In fact, over the past 100 years there have been no less than 12,000 people who have claimed to be God or Christ.  There is one man in Florida, USA, at the present time who claims to be both Christ and God. (See report here)

If you listen to everything that is written, said or claimed, it is confusing indeed.

What we need to recognise is that there are a lot of philosophies, fables, myths and imaginations out there that make up “religion.” Well, “religion” is simply a system of beliefs, and there’s a great variety of beliefs. The worship of Satan, and even atheism are systems of belief – religions.  Quite a lot of people have worked out a system that sounds very convincing, but often it borrows and builds on existing philosophies, and uses rationalism or imagination to come to a conviction.  And there is at least one “scripture book” that adherents claim fell down from heaven.

WHAT ABOUT THE BIBLE?

The Bible claims to be Scriptures inspired by God. But this Book did not drop from the sky! Rather, the Almighty, the Eternal One, the Creator, the Heavenly Father chose and guided some forty identifiable men to speak and to write what He revealed to them.

The apostle Peter was one of those 40, and he wrote these words:

“We did not follow cunningly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Master, Y’shua the Messiah. On the contrary, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My Beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’ - and we ourselves heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain … But first of all you must understand that no prophecy in Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation; (nor is it a matter of one’s own private, intellectual interpretation); for never has a true prophecy originated by an act of human will, but holy men spoke from God as they were moved and impelled by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:16-18, 20-21)

The apostle Paul, another of the 40, wrote to Timothy and reminded him …

“From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise in respect to salvation through faith in the Messiah, Y’shua. All Scripture is divinely-inspired - God-breathed, and is profitable for teaching, for conviction and reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate and complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)  (Y’shua is the original Hebrew Name of Jesus.)

The Bible is an amazing, unique Book.  It is made up of seventy books. (The Psalms are actually five books).  The whole Bible was written over a period of 1600 years, roughly a span of forty generations.

The human authors of the books of the Bible came from every walk of life. Moses was a political leader who was trained in the universities of Egypt. Peter was a simple fisherman. Amos was a herdsman, while Joshua, a military general. Nehemiah was a cup bearer to the king of Persia; and Daniel was a prime minister in the courts of Babylon. Luke was a physician. Solomon a philosopher-king. Matthew was a tax collector, while Paul was a converted Pharisee who made tents for a living.

The Bible was written on three continents in three different languages; Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, yet it reads as if it flowed from a single pen.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Bible is the best selling book of all time, with sales of 2.5 billion copies between 1815 and 1975. By the end of the 19th century, the Bible had been translated into 337 languages.  By 2007 the complete Bible, or portions of it, became available in over 2,300 languages. And Bible translators are continuing to work on hundreds of new language translations – some being dialects of even small linguistic groups.

“But is the Bible reliable?” you may ask.

A superficial reading will not give you the answer. But eminent scholars who have studied the Bible for many years are emphatic about its reliability.  I, myself, have studied the Bible for sixty years, and the more I study, the more convinced I am of the Bible’s authenticity and reliability.

The content itself is convincing, and the numerical makeup of the text of the Bible is awesome. (See our book, God’s Numerical Design in Creation and His Word, for amazing discoveries. It is really amazing! We are placing this book on our website.)

THE BIBLE DECLARES THE WAY TO GOD

The Scriptures reveal the true Way, but it also warns of a false way.

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

The Messiah, Y’shua, contrasted the true and the false ways:

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But because the gate is narrow and the way difficult that leads to life, only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-13)

Many do not find the Way because they are simply carried along by the crowds on the broad way. The Messiah said:

“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33)

“Seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

In the Book of Proverbs, King Solomon, personified wisdom, when he wrote:

“I love those who love Me; and those who seek Me diligently will find Me.” (Proverbs 8:17)

It’s true “God is love,” (1 John 4:16), and “God is Light” (1 John 1:5), and it is also true “God is wisdom.” In fact, He alone is absolutely wise. (1 Timothy 1:17)

So God, Wisdom, is saying, “Seek Me diligently.”

The prophet Hosea also writes:

“It is time to seek YHWH until He comes and rains righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12)  (YHWH - pronounced Yahweh - is the Name of God).

The reason for many not finding the Way is that they do not seek it!

Isaiah the prophet says the Teacher will show us the Way:

“Although YHWH has given you bread of adversity and water of oppression, your Teacher will no longer be hidden, but your eyes will see Your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind you, ‘This is the Way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:20-21)

THE MESSIAH IS THE WAY

Here are some surprising statements Y’shua made to His disciples:       

“‘In My Father’s House are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that you also may be where I am. And you know where I am going, and you know the way.’

“Thomas said to Him, ‘Master, we do not know where You are going; how can we know the way?’  Y’shua answered him, ‘I AM THE WAY, the Truth, and the Life; no-one comes to the Father, except through Me’.” (John 14:2-6)

The early believers were called “Followers of the Way,” as you see in this passage:

“Now Saul, still breathing out murderous threats and against the disciples of the Master, went to the high priest, and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, whether men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” (Acts 9:1-2)

“But how do we know that Jesus was not just another “claimer”? What makes His words so reliable and authentic?

1   First, the reality of WHO HE IS - the Messiah. In our book, THE MESSIAH, which is already on our website, I have documented 72 Old Testament prophecies about the future Messiah. All these prophecies were fulfilled exactly, in the life, death and resurrection of Y’shua.

72 prophecies fulfilled in Y’shua - this cannot be an accidental phenomenon!  There’s no doubt in an honest mind, that Y’shua is indeed the Messiah -  the Anointed One; God manifest in the flesh.

2   Secondly, HIS WORDS are not the words of an ordinary man. His claim to be the Way is backed by His office. And His words breathe life.

The apostle Peter who accompanied the Messiah for three concentrated years, and witnessed everything about His life and teaching, made this statement – it was after some “disciples” had left Y’shua:

“Y’shua said to the twelve disciples, ‘Do you also want to go away?’  Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life; and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’.”  (John 6:67-69)

3   Thirdly, the DEATH OF Y’SHUA on the cross, followed by His RESURRECTION from the dead on the third day proves His words are genuine and reliable,  for the Master had foretold these major events. If they were not fulfilled, He would have been exposed as a deluded false messiah.

Look at what He said:

“From that time on Y’shua began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes - the teachers of the Law, and that He must be killed, and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21)

“Y’shua said to His disciples, ‘The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men; and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day’.” (Matthew 17:22-23)

Y’shua said to Nicodemus: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:14-15)

“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes (the teachers of the law), and they will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge and to crucify, and on the third day He will rise again.” (Matthew 20:18-19)

4   The reasons WHY Y’SHUA SUFFERED such hostility and gave His life, eliminate the possibility that it was all an accident. With one word Y’shua could have escaped the scourging and the cross.  But …

“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

In our booklet, THE PASSION, I have given 15 reasons why Y’shua willingly endured such suffering. One of the main reasons was because it was the Father’s predetermined plan to bring redemption to lost mankind.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Y’shua of Nazareth, a Man accredited by God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as yourselves also know - this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of wicked men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up, freeing Him from the agony of death, for it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:22-24)

“God our Saviour … wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, (YHWH El Shaddai), and one mediator between God and men - the Man, Y’shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ), who gave Himself as a ransom for all men - a fact attested to at the proper time.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

In short, the Messiah fulfilled the Bible’s prophecies by becoming the sacrificial Lamb of God to pay the penalty of the sin of the world. And because He took our place, we can receive pardon and freedom from condemnation.

5   Other specific prophecies of Y’shua were likewise fulfilled exactly. One in particular was the total destruction of the Temple and the slaughter of Jews, and exiling of almost all the survivors.

“And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and dedicated gifts, He said, ‘As for these things which you see, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down’.”

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognise that its destruction is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city, for these are the days of vengeance when everything that has been written will be fulfilled.

“What agony there will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress upon the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be taken as captives into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Matthew 24:5-6, 20-24)

These prophetic statements were fulfilled in the year AD 70 – about 40 years after the Master prophesied these details.

And there is also this prophecy:

“And Y’shua answered and said to them, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in My Name, saying, “I am the Messiah - the Christ,” and will mislead many. … And many false prophets will appear, and will deceive many people … Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look! here is the Christ, the Messiah!’ or ‘There He is!’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and will perform great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect (God’s chosen ones). Look! I have told you in advance’.” (Matthew 24:4-5, 11, 23-25)

This prophecy has been fulfilled thousands of times, as it being fulfilled right now in Florida. (See article, “A FALSE CHRIST IN MIAMI”)

My friend, if these five points do not convince you of the authenticity of Y’shua the Messiah, then neither would you be convinced if I listed the hundreds of miracles that Y’shua did.

But this is what the apostle John, another first witness of all Y’shua did and taught, said:

“Indeed, Y’shua did many other signs also in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Y’shua is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that, believing, you may have life in His Name.”  (John 20:30-31)

And let me say, the Messiah is still doing miracles in this day and age. I have experienced wonderful miracles in my life, and I am sure all followers of the Way could say the same thing.

And my friend, even if you are not a follower of Y’shua, I dare say you can point to some miracles that have happened in your life – times when you almost got killed; or when you were at your wits’ end, and then something wonderful happened. You may not have given the credit and praise to God and to Messiah Y’shua. You may have put it down to “good fortune” or “chance.”

But you know, the Hand of God does marvellous things for everyone. It is His love, and His grace working in us all, to save us and to complete His plan for our lives.

“Because of the tender mercy of our God, a Sun rising from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79)

And there is a wonderful miracle that happens in the life of every soul who turns to the Saviour – he, or she, receives forgiveness of sins, and is given a new “heart.” This miracle is “the new birth” that Y’shua was referring to when He said:

“You must be born again.” (John 3:7)

It’s a new spiritual life as a child of God. It’s a wonderful miracle.

“Of Him (Y’shua) all the prophets bear witness that through His Name, every one who believes in Him has received forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 10:43)

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the Messiah, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; see, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 God says: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

And “to all who received Him, to those who believe in His Name, Y’shua, He gave the right to become children of God; children born, not of blood (of natural descent), nor of the will of the flesh (human decision), nor of the will of man (a natural father), but of (YHWH, the Almighty) God.” (John 1:12-13)

HOW TO ENTER THE WAY?

If you really want to enter, it is not difficult!  But you have to make up your mind. It is one of those questions -  “Will I, or, won’t I ?”

To enter the Way, as Acts 10:43 and John 1:12-13, which you have just read, says, you need to believe in the Saviour, the Messiah, and receive Him as the Way for you.

Do you believe that Jesus is the living Saviour …

“… that the Messiah died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

If you do, then will you put your faith in Him to save you, to receive you, and to make you a child of the Heavenly Father?

If you do this, Y’shua will become your personal Saviour and your ever-present, loving, Heavenly Master. He will be your Way to God!

How to do it – to make it real?  Simply come to Y’shua, Jesus, in faith, and pray – talk to Him, acknowledge that you are a sinner, and need His forgiveness and salvation. Ask Him to receive you and to make you His follower. It’s a transaction – and it need not take more than a few minutes.

The Messiah gives you these promises:

“I am the door; whoever enters through Me will be saved.” (John 10:9)

“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never cast away.” (John 6:37)

“For this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

“Y’shua the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For YHWH, the Almighty God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten, His one-and-only, unique, eternal Son, so that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal (everlasting) life.”

“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world; but so that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned; he who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten, the unique, eternal Son of God.” (John 3:14-18)

And the apostle Paul, a one-time enemy of Y’shua who became His fervent follower and laid down his life for the Messiah, says to you and me:

“Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame or disappointed.” (Romans 9:33)

DON’T DELAY!  COME TO THE SAVIOUR NOW?

I don’t want to pressurize you, dear friend, but it’s a terrible fact that many, many souls have been eternally lost because they procrastinated – they put their decision off until it was too late!

“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” (Proverbs 27:1)

Again the apostle Paul says:

“We also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain, for He says, ‘At the acceptable time I heard you, and in the Day of Salvation I helped you.’ Look! I tell you, now is `the well-accepted time’; now is `The Day of Salvation’.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

TRANSACTION PRAYER

Lord Jesus, Y’shua, I come before You today, just as I am, a sinner needing salvation. I have read this message, and I have come to understand that You are the Anointed One, who came from Heaven to save sinners like me. 

Feeling my own unworthiness, I thank You for the great sacrifice You made, when You endured the cross, and paid the penalty of my sins.

I believe You are indeed the Messiah, the Saviour, and that You rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven, and are seated on the Throne of Eternity.

I believe in You, Master, and I trust You for salvation. I receive You as the Way, my Saviour and Master, and by Your grace and strength, I want to live for You from this day on.

Thank You for hearing my prayer, and for answering. Thank You for Your forgiveness, and for Your gift of eternal life. Thank You for your love. Make me like You, Master.

Thank You Heavenly Father, for receiving me as Your child. Thank You, Thank You. In the Name of Y’shua, Jesus the Messiah, I pray.  Amen

And if this is your prayer today, my friend, we would be glad to hear from you, so that we may pray for you.

Do keep a record of the date of today’s transaction. And keep on thanking the Master for His salvation throughout the day, and of course in the future too.

And finally, I recommend that as soon as possible, you start on the first lesson in our booklet “THE WAY - Eight Bible lessons for new believers.” 

It will help you in your spiritual journey.

May God bless and keep you. 

         Your brother,  Don  Stanton