"How?" Is The Question

"How can a young man cleanse his way?  By taking heed ("keep, watch, preserve") according to Your word."  (Psalm 119:9)

Who is not greatly disturbed today with the news over the weekend of the murders at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin?  The world just keeps getting darker and darker; the Bible speaks of this and the rapid increase of evil toward the end of the age.  But I must speak to a news cast which spoke glowingly of Sikhism.  Sikhism claims to be a monotheistic religion, which Islam also claims.  Their intent is to show to the world the more noble characteristic of their respective religions over the polytheistic religion called Christianity, which, of course, it is not, "One Lord, One faith, one baptism."

Sikhism is similar to other world religions in that its basic premise is in order to get to "heaven," do good, e.g., do good to the poor, love everybody, accept all religions.  Don't do good and you will come back and have to go through the whole cycle of life and death again.  Simplification?  I really don't think so.  The bottom line of all religions is that my success in pleasing the gods is based solely on my good.  How very magnanimous of humanity, in its attempt to get to something they call "god," they care for the poor, "spread the wealth around," live and let live, believe anything or everything, etc.  This "magnanimous" philosophy/religion is how the world attempts to intimidate us-------- "You really don't care, and you are narrow minded."

But alas, we come to our text today.  He says that the only way for you and me to, "cleanse his way," is, "by taking heed according to Your (Jesus) word."  There is no other way, because, "I (Jesus) am the way, the truth, and the life," and because the Word to which we must, "tak[e] heed," is, "The Word of God," Jesus Christ Himself and His Words.  I will not fix this "broken record."  The attacks upon the Followers of Jesus Christ today are no different than they have been through the centuries, just different language.  You and I are in a day by day relationship in Jesus Christ.  I know to some this sounds like eternal insecurity, but it is not.  It is just a warning that each day brings challenges and threats which those before us have fought through.  "By taking heed according to Your word," is the only, "way, the truth, and the life," which brings, "cleanse his way...." 

Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for grace to face the daily attacks on my walk in You.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2