The Holy Way

by  Ed Stube

A Shift of Focus
The Holy Way in America was begun to support the work in Indonesia through prayer, communication, and funding.  This support has continued while the work in Indonesia became completely carried by native missionaries in 1997.  Since then, the work has grown enormously and has long been self perpetuating. We have long had a desire to see a similar work in this country.  Recently, there have been indications that the Lord's time for this is near.  Until recently, even sharing the vision has seemed difficult.  For several years, people seemed to be interested in what happened in Indonesia; but, if we tried to suggest that similar things could happen here, some people just walked off without saying anything; others became angry and explained that things like that were all right for those ignorant folks in third world countries, but here in America we know better.
 But, for the past two or three years, I have not experienced that kind of confrontation.  The climate is changing.  People express openness to New Testament methods.  People out of my past call me and speak of things I am alleged to have said in the past that suddenly are sparking their imaginations again.  God has amazingly provided us with land in abundance and with finances to begin building.  He has begun to give us a vision for places for worship and ministry around the country.  We have begun to build a house on our property in Virginia as a pilot project. We are a very small group of people with apparently limited resources.  We are frighteningly aware that the task greatly exceeds our capabilities.  We will have to rely totally on God's direction, empowerment, and provision. Beginning at Holy Convocation this past summer, the Lord has been promising us over and over that He will provide out of His abundance all that we need.  A while back, at a prayer meeting, we had a vision of all of us sliding down a hill with all our belongings sort of scattering out behind us.  The Lord seemed to be trying to tell us we may have to let go of some of the places and things that we. have thought comfortable.  Last week, there was a Vision of an inside door partly open.  On one side was a map of Indonesia drawn in considerable detail. The other side of the door was totally blank.  At least one lesson we learned from that was that our work in indonesia is going well on its own and that we should now turn our major attention to the work in America. In retrospect, I realize that things past can become an excuse to look backwards instead of greeting with enthusiasm the new things into which the Lord is leading us.

A Radical Pattern
Since we knew little about discipleship training, evangelism, and church planting when we started The Holy Way, the Lord was able to lead us into very radical procedures relying very heavily on what we found in the New Testament.  The New Testament pattern is extremely different from people's natural ways of thinking and doing.  Jesus did not train disciples in a classroom.  He invited them to follow Him around.  They watched His miracles; they listened to His words to the sick, the destitute, the dead, His enemies, and His friends.  His words were few and strange--all about the "kingdom of heaven." These words confused some and angered others.  But those who stayed around and got to know Him, found their lives profoundly changed and experienced the glory of God.  He spoke with strange authority; His words had power to make amazing things happen.

Just as the disciples were getting comfortable with Jesus and the things He was doing, He called them, and with very little verbal instruction, He sent them out to try what they had seen Him do. He simply instructed them to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim the Kingdom of God.  A while later, the disciples returned in amazement that they had been able to do exactly what He did.  In between all these experiences, they sat down and discussed what they had seen and heard.  Action came first; explanation afterward, if necessary. Jesus' methods of evangelism were also radical.  He almost always started by doing miracles or by manifesting supernatural knowledge of the people to whom He spoke and their circumstances.  If He engaged someone in conversation, His first line might be ordinary enough--'Will you give me a drink?"--but His second line was likely to be out of this world completely, relating to Who He really is and where He came from--"If you knew Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water." From that point on, conversation took place on two different levels with one person talking about earthly things and the Other talking about the kingdom of heaven. He rarely, if ever, made any factual or  logical explanations.  His words only made sense to those who were developing an intimate personal relationship with Him.  He apparently wanted His disciples to be connected to Him personally rather than merely to a set of correct concepts.

The Holy Way has tried from the beginning to be governed by these New Testament patterns, and we have found that they work as well today as they did in the first century.  As we have practiced these patterns for ministry, we have discovered that there are prerequisites.

The Starting Point
After His Baptism in the Jordan River, Jesus prepared for His ministry with forty days of prayer in the desert.  There He resisted temptations to do His ministry in imperfect ways.  He learned how it should be done, and He was equipped with authority and power to do it.  Each morning He had conference with His heavenly Father before He started His day's work.  From time to time, He sought a lonely place to prepare for the next stint.  Saul of Tarsus, after his conversion and initial experiences, spent quite a few years in the desert in prayer and self-denial, learning the Lords ways and being equipped for the world-wide ministry.

One hundred and twenty of His followers spent nine days after His ascension waiting in an upper room to receive power and direction for an explosion that filled the earth with the glory of God.  Many saints throughout the history of the Church have been prepared for powerful ministries after extended times of prayers. Developing an intimate relationship with Jesus is prerequisite for following the Lord and doing His will. Spiritual ministry begins in contemplation--practicing the presence of the Lord in worship and prayer--and is carried out in a spirit of contemplation.  For this reason, a number of the Holy Way members in this country are praying down strongholds, and asking for the Lord to equip us.  We have seen some results. Discipleship training programs we have led have produced some wonderful fruit.  Holy Convocations for a week each summer have been wonderful times of worship and spiritual growth. Our lives have, however, been fragmented and pulled this way and that by the press of many responsibilities and busyness of present day American life.  This is why we look forward with anxious longing to establish worship centers where groups of us can gather to worship the Lord on a full time basis.  We will have a discipline of personal prayers seeking a close relationship with the Lord.  We will also gather for corporate worship, seeking to enter together behind the veil into the Holy of Holies, to know and receive the glory of God and equipping for spiritual ministry.

A Corporate Effort
We regard the recipients of this newsletter as our partners in the life and ministry of the Holy Way.  We therefore hope that you will be able to support the vision of the Holy Way by your prayers and perhaps some other participation.  Please allow the Lord to speak to you regarding the ways He would like to have you be involved, whether it be adoration, intercession, or active involvement in one of the centers.  I know that some of you are even praying about the possibility of developing one of the centers. When we have some of the centers in operation, all of you will be invited to come from time to time to join in the prayer and or ministry.  Please make all of these things a definite prayer intention.  We would also welcome any revelations that the Lord gives you as you pray.

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