Lately I’ve been spending time in quiet meditation of the “come let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18) sort, where a few scriptures have remained at the forefront of my thoughts and have proven very sobering by the questions they inspire. The scriptures are:

“I am THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life” (John 14:6)

“Walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7)

“Obey the Spirit’s teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.” (1 John 2:27 GNB)

My meditations are aided by the experiences God has brought me through, such as my brief foray back into an institutional church, which gave me many things to examine and the effect they had on my fellowship with Christ and others. These have helped me to see more clearly the connection between my choices, actions and involvements and my unity with Christ.

Though simplistic, it is nonetheless helpful to break down scriptures like John 14:6 such as:

He is THE Way; all other ways are dead ends.
He is THE Truth; all else is distraction or deception.
He is THE Life; all else is death.

Also:

Since THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life is a person, Jesus, then every detour, every falsehood, every vanity I pursue, leads me away from Jesus.

Why then should I be surprised if when I take a detour, Jesus is not there when I arrive?

Or when I embrace a falsehood, someone turned off the light?

Or when striving to accomplish vain works, there is neither Jesus life in it nor time to live and enjoy my own life?

It seems to me that before we make a choice, or take an action, or buy into some new and exciting teaching, it would benefit us to ask whether or not it leads to Jesus. By Jesus, I mean living Jesus who is the Great I AM; not historical (baby) Jesus or future (rapture) Jesus. But living Jesus – present – in the moment Jesus.

For example:

Several people whom I know are preoccupied with the rise of antichrist, tribulation and rapture teachings. When I’ve met them, I talk about Jesus and they begin jabbering, sometimes incoherently, about current events and speculating about the end times. You’d think they would question rapture teaching if for no other reason than it points to a speculative future Jesus, not the Great I AM who is here and now. In that sense, such teachings divert a believer’s focus from THE present Truth.

It’s better to ask a few thoughtful questions and save ourselves a world of grief down the road.

Is this THE Way?

Is this THE Truth?

Is this THE Life?

Or better yet, combine all 3 questions into one: Is this Jesus?

These are the questions that help me remain on track, discard falsehoods and distractions, save me from vain works and preserve my union with the Living Christ.

If you should find yourself out of fellowship with Jesus, perhaps it’s time to ask where it is you took a detour and came to a dead end; what deception has robbed you of truth; what dead work has stolen your life?

And then turn around and run into the arms of the one who is THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life.

Decades ago, the Spirit gave me a dream that’s remained with me and still inspires meditation. Previous to the dream, I had enjoyed sweet fellowship with Jesus every morning, until the day He hid from me. In the dream, I was in 2 places at once; in the Spirit observing myself from above, I walked a circuitous trail around what looked like a mountain meadow, with pine trees, a brook, wildflowers, and weathered logs laying about. It was like looking at a live-action diorama. Mini-me was frantically searching for Jesus, “beating the proverbial bushes” to find Him. Coming full circle to where I started from, I fell against the large rock that marked the trail head and there I wept because I failed to find Jesus. No sooner had I fallen upon the rock, laying my head upon it, then Jesus appeared and said “Here I AM!” There, the dream ended.

My dream was similar to the story of Jacob’s ladder. Jacob was fleeing from his brother Esau – running to save his own skin. When night fell, Jacob stopped his running to get some sleep and laid his head upon a rock. Symbolic of falling upon Jesus who is the rock, yielding to Him completely, mind and body, heaven opened to Jacob.

With my male tendency to forge ahead in the flesh, it’s an invaluable dream to remember: Jesus is not found in our striving, in our frantic searching, He is found in our surrender and falling upon and coming to rest in Him – in ceasing our vain efforts and yielding our minds – our ‘head’ – to the higher thoughts and ways of Jesus.

Whenever we do that – wherever we do that – yield to Jesus completely – heaven opens and there we find Him waiting for us.