Jesus Way Path


Pastor Robert Soto Reflects On The Subject Of:
Reconciliation .... [Part IV]


In October of 1999, I was introduced to the Warriors for Christ out of Montana. After that, little by little I was introduced to other Native ministries and started to hear this new word called "contextualized ministry". I figured that was what the Lord had called me to do so long ago. I started to attend some of the rallies and functions. I enjoyed what I was seeing and hearing. Then I started hearing about Reconciliation. Reconciliation was not a new word in my Christian vocabulary. But what I was seeing and experiencing in some of these conferences was not what I was reading in my Bible.

In one meeting, the name of Jesus we never mentioned less the audience be offended and leave. Reconciliation can only happen through a relationship with Jesus Christ which restores our relationship with God. (Romans 5:10) Without Christ, we have no reconciliation. We can talk about reconciliation until we are blue in the face. We can hug and cry over each other's shoulders and call ourselves brothers and sisters, but without Christ, there is no reconciliation. The message of reconciliation is not the message of world peace and harmony, but the message of peace in our heart through the message of salvation given to us through Jesus Christ. As I read the passages in my Bible that deal with the issue of reconciliation, I see that without Christ, you have no reconciliation.

 

                                Pastor Robert Soto, Lipan Apache

 

Let's Continue Our Journey On The Jesus Way Path -

T H E - J E S U S - W A Y - IS - FOR - ALL - NATIVE - PEOPLES


Jesus came to earth because the Creator loved all people---from every tribe, clan, nation and language - and he wanted to teach them how to follow his Way. So Jesus is gathering followers from all culture.  How could it be?  The Creator made all peoples, and his plan is to bring all peoples back to himself.

But in their attempts to find their way back home to the Creator, all the tribes and nations of the world have created their own ways to the spirit world.  These attempts all fall short because they are not true to the Creator's own Way.

Throughout the generations, our Native peoples have also been seeking the Creator's true identity.  We have made many images of him.  We have looked for him inside the creation. But we do not have to seek him this way any longer.  The Creator himself came to reveal his true identity and nature to all the tribes and peoples of the world.

"In the past, God spoke to our people through the prophets. He spoke at many times.  He spoke in different ways. But in these last days, he has spoken to us through his Son. He is the one whom God appointed to receive all things.  God made everything through him. The Son is the gleaning brightness of God's glory. He is the exact likeness of God's being. He uses his powerful word to held all things together. He provided the way for people to be made pure from sin."
HEBREWS 1:1-3

Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth.  Jesus is the One who speaks with power--his word holds the whole creation together!  Jesus is the One who reveals to us the true path back to the Creator.  Jesus is the Way for all Native peoples.

The Creator loves you as a Native person.  He made you in his image.  He wants you to walk with him as a Native person.  The Jesus Way can teach you how to love and worship the one, true Creator.

The Creator desires that all cultures of the world, including our Native cultures, honor him. Jesus came to make our cultures better, not take them away from us. The Creator is pleased when people from different tribes and nations worship him.  He delights when he hears many languages and sees many customs and ways of life being used to praise him.

We must be careful not to mix the true worship of the Creator with the old religions that do not honor him. But at the same time, we must not be afraid to worship the Creator with all the unique beauty and gifts of our Native cultures.

In the Bible there is a song for Jesus that shows us this:

"You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its seals. You are worthy because you were put to death. With your blood you bought people for God. They come from every tribe, language, people and nation. You have made them members of a royal family. You made them priests to serve our God. They will rule on the earth." 
REVELATION 5:9-10

We can see from this song that one day all the followers of the Jesus Way will be together in one royal family.  They will live in peace in a new creation.  This is what the Jesus Way, the Creator's path of beauty, leads to.

Unfortunately, there are some people who refuse to follow the Jesus Way.  Some of these people think the power of their ceremonies is greater than the power of Jesus.  They serve the spirits in the old way.  These spirits have also refused to follow the plan of the Creator. And it is true that they have power.  But let us examine the story of Jesus more closely to see how he dealt with these deceiving spirits.

 

 

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The JESUS Way Path taken from International Bible Society. Scripture "NirV" and "New Internationall Reader's Version: are trademarks of International Bible Society.