I heard music again this morning as I was waking up. It was as clear as could be in my mind. I kept hearing the chorus of a song, “The way, the truth, the life.” That is part of something Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” But I clearly had the music to go with the words. As I came to, I searched my brain for more of the song. It is a song called The Way (New Horizons) by Pat Barrett and he plays with a group call Housefires.
Really? Housefires? We have just celebrated the birth of the church at Pentecost, whose symbol is the fire of the Holy Spirit. Then all this week our cities are literally on fire from rioting. The enemy of the Church has unleashed his counterfeit fire. The enemy is attempting to gain power and control over true freedom in Christ. But the truth is: “For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 1 Corinthians 3:17
How do we respond to the enemy who comes to steal, kill and destroy? There are many good ways to peacefully care for our neighbors as ourselves, and I am for those. We need to do them.
There is also another level of response needed. This is a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of people. Remember, Holy Spirit fire, cities on fire, and Housefires. God has my attention. The enemy has declared war on all things Jesus represents, while Jesus is the only one with reliable answers to our problems. We need to take our spiritual authority, responding by speaking out, declaring, the truth found in the Word of God just like Jesus did in the wilderness.
We need to declare the hope and strength of the words and music of this song as a beginning. But we can not stop here. We must speak out loud the word of God to calm our hearts first then to bring calm to the atmosphere around us by the authority God has given us. It is a forceful kind of prayer, but God is training us to reign with Him for eternity. When we believe, and speak out the truth, God honors.
Pat Barrett’s intro to this YouTube version is remarkably timely for what we are facing this week.
Through every battle
Through every heartbreak
Through every circumstance
I believe that You are my fortress
Oh, You are my portion
And You are my hiding place, oh I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life I believe
Through every blessing
Through every promise
Through every breath I take
I believe that You are Provider
Oh, You are Protector
You are the One I love, I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
I believe You are
Oh, You are
Oh, You are And it’s a new horizon and I’m set on You
And You meet me here today with mercies that are new
All my fears and doubts, they can all come too
Because they can’t stay long when I’m here with You
It’s a new horizon and I’m set on You
And You meet me here today with mercies that are new
All my fears and doubts
They can all come too
Because they can’t stay long when I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
I believe You areIt’s a new horizon and I’m set on You
And You meet me here today with mercies that are new
And all my fears and doubts, they can all come too
Because they can’t stay long when I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
And I believe You are
The way, the truth, the life
I believe You are
Abba, thank you for meeting us here. I give you all my fears and doubts and choose to believe the truth of who you are, and who I am in You. Give me the courage and wisdom to declare your will on earth as it is in heaven.
