“The Way” > Episode #4 > We’re still talking about the Way.

Samuel said to King Saul, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed (hear) than the fat of rams.” (1st Samuel 15:22)

We need to talk about this “obedience” part, because it is probably not quite “the Way” you think. This American Jesus we have learned is so stressed out!!! We know the American way, little “w”, but not the Jesus Way, big “W”.

I’m going straight to the point here, the American way is stuck in “duty”, not relationship, and not LOVE. Duty is hard. Duty is stressful! Jesus said His Way was easy and light! We’re stuck in Hagar and not Sarah. We’re stuck in Martha and not Mary. We’re stuck in works and not LOVE. We’re stuck in duty and not INSPIRATION. The walk I walk with God is a joy to me, because I am constantly inspired! Breathed into by God!

(Now we just said a lot. You might need to read that a couple times. We will explain this in detail, but just know that your walk with Jesus, in the Spirit, is meant to be INSPIRED, not drudgery and work. L7D. Sabbath. REST. PEACE. FAITH. SPIRIT! BREATHED INTO! FIRE!)

There is a way that seems right to man, but it only leads to drudgery and death. We’re not called to live as the Gentiles do. God has given us something way better! A promised land flowing with milk and honey! The Garden of Eden restored “inside” us! Not an external garden, but an internal Garden of Eden! The Garden of Eden is a picture of L7D, Living in the 7th Day!

(If you study everything God did and said to Adam before the fall, you will see L7D, Living in the supernatural of God. It’s all there. Even the part of maintaining the Garden. And we ask what was there to maintain? It was spiritual maintenance. To obey and keep, guard. Exercise your godly authority. Love God and love people. Etc. Jesus is our Way back into the Garden of Eden in us!)

That is the kind of “obedience” God is looking for. Obedience motivated from love and inspiration. This is why Samuel was careful to mention “hearing” as he spoke of obedience! We cannot obey what we have not heard. We cannot hear if we are not walking close enough to hear God’s “whispers”! And that kind of close walk only comes when two people really love each other. It can be the kind of love that was between Jonathon and David, or a husband and wife, but it is the God-kind of LOVE! Anything less is just Hagar and Martha. And we have too many Ishmaels born in America because of the American way! Those Ishmaels are killing us! This new generation is sick of Ishmaels! They see right through it! They can tell an Ishmael from an Isaac in nothing flat!

There is a Way that is powerful in God and anointed. When the Apostle Paul said when he was weak, that is when he was strong! Do we even understand that? Are we living that? When Jesus said He would give us REST, does your mind translate that as a surrender to the enemy? Or surrender to God? One unleashes all the power of God! The other only shows your lack of understanding of God’s Way, His supernatural! When a seed falls to the ground and DIES, it produces MUCH! It releases all of God’s power, not our own! We need less man-made force and more God loving FAITH! Less Ishmaels and more Isaacs! (Whose name meant laughter.) Yup.

We do live in a paradox. But it is only a paradox if you take God out of the picture. It’s only a paradox if you take the supernatural out of the picture. Factor in God, and you realize a paradox is not a paradox to God! And therefore it should not be a paradox to us either! We walk with God! Godwalkers! God says to give money away and I will be better off in many ways? Huh? But do we have the “faith” and “love” to live that way? Even if we don’t understand? Do we love and believe God that much? Or are we stuck in Martha?

There is so much more to say on this. Can we live in God’s Sabbath? This is a day the Lord has made? Every day holy, sacred, supernatural, a delight in the Lord?

We are deep into the spiritual Kung Fu now. This sounds like it could come right out of a Kung Fu movie. Does it not? Oh Grasshopper. Do not try to bend the spoon, for that is impossible. But only realize there is no spoon! Lol! Oh my, this is too much fun. If only they realized how close they are to the truth, but without a spiritual rebirth in Christ, the truth of God’s Word is foolishness to them. They do not see it. They do not understand.

The pictures I’m now using are of a teepee building in which I teach the L7D / Sabbath perspective every chance I get. The whole area around me is now aware of that teepee because of a huge fire we had. Our full-size farm barn, I’m told was worth like 150,000 dollars, burned down right in front of the teepee! Fire trucks from four townships came to put it out! Believe me, we only had our outer buildings insured for 19,000. LOL or cry. So…God will have to turn these ashes into something good. I’m 70 years old and money has never been the way I do things. God has always made a Way that brings Him glory, not us.

More will be told on this story as we go, but for now I would like to end this article with the scriptures from the MESSAGE Bible, relating to Samuel’s words to King Saul. Enjoy!

“(King) Saul defended himself, (Don’t we love to defend ourself.) “What are you talking about? I did obey God. I did the job God set for me. I brought in King Agag and destroyed the Amalekites under the terms of the holy ban. So the soldiers saved back a few choice sheep and cattle from the holy ban for sacrifice to God at Gilgal — what’s wrong with that?” (Oh my. How many times have I tried to make the same argument with God? Keeping what God has banned?)

“Then Samuel said,” (Oh boy. Here it comes!) “Do you think all God wants are sacrifices — empty rituals just for show? HE WANTS YOU TO LISTEN TO HIM! (HEAR!) PLAIN LISTENING IS THE THING, not staging a lavish religious production. Not doing what God tells you is far worse than fooling around in the occult. Getting self-important around God is far worse than making deals with your dead ancestors. because you said No to God’s command, he says No to your kingship.”

“Saul gave in and confessed, “I’ve sinned. I’ve trampled roughshod over God’s word and your instructions. I cared more about pleasing the people. I let them tell me what to do.” (1st Samuel 15: 20-24)

Plain listening is the thing. He wants us to hear Him. Wow. It really is very simple when we come to understand. Hear, love, and obey.