Following the Way: A Field Manual for God Seekers

By Richard Ray Beavo

What is real about Christianity? What made that movement so dynamic that it swept across the known world like wildfire against extreme opposition, persecution, and death for those who participated?

In this book Richard Ray Beavo explores and expounds upon the foundational principles of life in Christ Jesus from the perspective of one of his everyday followers. This book is useful as a field manual for anyone seeking a growing personal relationship with the God of the Bible.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973663263

Richard Ray Beavo

Richard Ray Beavo received Jesus at the age of fourteen. Years later he was invited to take part in a one-on-one discipleship ministry. There he began to grow in a personal relationship with God his Father. Richard writes from the perspective of an everyday follower of Jesus who searched for and found the reality of a dynamic personal relationship with the God of the Bible.

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Copyright © 2019 Richard Ray Beavo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org"

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6325-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6327-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-6326-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019907106

WestBow Press rev. date: 7/29/2019

Review by Michael Hammond

November 15, 2018

As a friend and brother in Christ for more than four decades it has been a pleasure and joy to observe your walk with the Lord. We have had immeasurable conversations and discussions about our daily life, but more importantly we have discussed the Scripture with great energy and at times with great debate. However, we have never wavered in our awe, respect and conviction of the inerrant, infallible Scriptures, God’s Word. When you started writing this book, I wasn’t sure what it would be about, but when you began to tell me about its contents I was not surprised. We have discussed most of its contents over these many years.

I know personally you spent years studying and researching the Scriptures concerning: The Followers of The Way. You have chewed on this concept for a long time. This topic has been a part of our conversations for decades and I am so glad you followed your heart and the leading of the Holy Spirit into putting your thoughts down on paper. You are to be commended for your diligence and effort to stay biblically sound in your research and the writing of this book.

Before I read this book I had not really paid much attention to references of The Followers of The Way. I believe all who read this book will gain a much greater knowledge, understanding and interest in The Followers of The Way. But most importantly one will come away with a greater desire to be a more devoted follower of The Way, Jesus Christ.

In God’s Grace,

Michael Hammond

I

dedicate this book, Following the Way, to my grandparents:

Charles M. Way, October 12, 1881 – December 9, 1962

Eva Kilgore-Way, December 27, 1888 – May 18, 1956

They raised me from birth until I was 11 years of age. I will be eternally grateful for the start in life which they gave me and my brother Robert. They sacrificed their retirement years to raise two boys who would have otherwise had a totally different foundation for the rest of their lives.

From The Author

King David encouraged his son Solomon to get to know his father’s God. He told his son to willingly serve God with all of his heart because God sees his true desires and understands his thoughts. Drawing from his own life experiences, David passed on to his son the assurance that if he sought God, He would let him find Him.

I first heard about God through Sunday School at the little brick Presbyterian Church in the village where I was raised by my grandparents. Years later, I sought the God of whom David spoke and found his admonition to be true. That was almost 60 years ago and now I am passing on to you that same assurance that if you will seek my Heavenly Father with all of your heart (because He sees your true desires and understands your thoughts) then God will also let you find Him. Finding a true knowledge of Him will be the greatest thing that could possibly happen to you in this lifetime.

Whenever I have desired a closer personal relationship with Him, He has faithfully revealed more of Himself to me. One morning He gave me a passage in the Bible which told me that as long as I was actively making certain things a part of my lfe, our relationship would continue to deepen. WOW!!! I had read that book before, but had never recognized that promise!!! So I had to know what those things were. Incorporating them transformed my life from a state of serving my Lord by being a good Church member to one of enjoying a growing personal Father / son relationship with God. I also began learning what my Lord Jesus is really like and experiencing the fruits of God’s Spirit in my life as I placed more control in His hands and relied more on His powers.

As you read this book, my exhortation to you, the reader, is to concentrate your attention on the God that you’ll be reading about, and on your own personal relationship with Him through Jesus the Messiah. I will be sharing the things that promoted and helped my own relationship to grow, and the things that demoted and hindered the intimacy of that relationship. As you read, I exhort you to do as the Bereans, who checked out the things Paul was declaring about the Christ against the Scriptures, eager to see if they could be so. With that effort and attitude, you will find the same God many of the Bereans found; and the same hope, inner strength, and power of God that many of the Bereans discovered. The account of Scripture calls the Bereans more noble minded because they were eager to know more about God and checked everything they were told against the Scriptures. I have included many Scripture quotes in the book because it is my desire that you don’t just read what I have to say, but that you become familiar with what God has to say to you. Seek Him and He will let you find Him.

As I write this book I can relate to the Apostle Peter as he stated the reason for writing the first chapter of his second letter to Jesus’ followers. Likewise, God has given me those same three objectives:

First, to be always ready to speak out for the Way;

Second, to be mindful of the dwindling time I have left on this earth to declare these truths; and

Third, to diligently record these things as they affected me so that after my time on this earth has expired this declaration will continue to ring out loud and clear to anyone who has eyes to read and a heart inclined toward discernment and understanding.

Richard Ray Beavo

Contents

From The Author

Preface

DO RIGHT

Section 1: Being a follower of the Way

Chapter 1:   The First Followers Of The Way

Jesus Declared Himself the Only Way to God

The Way Became Widely Known

Summary

Chapter 2:   Becoming A Follower Of The Way

Chapter 3:   Following The Way

The way to live

The way to think

The way to walk

Chapter 4:   Characteristics Of A Follower Of The Way

Chapter 5:   The Compass For Followers Of The Way

Love From A Pure Heart

Love From A Good Conscience

Love From A Sincere (or un-hypocritical) Faith

Section 2: Special Messages from the Leader

Chapter 6:   A New Commandment For Followers Of The Way

The Great Commandments

The New Commandment

Jesus’ Example

Application of the New Commandment

Chapter 7:   Enemies Of A Follower Of The Way

The World

The Flesh

The Devil

Chapter 8:   Tools Of A Follower Of The Way

Truth (Reality)

Righteousness

The Gospel Of Peace

Faith

Salvation

The Word Of God

Chapter 9:   Prayers Of A Follower Of The Way

Basic 1 – Prayer Is Personal Communication

Basic 2 – Prayer Is For Relationship Building

Basic 3 – A Model Prayer

Epilogue

Meet The Author

Appendix A

Galatians 5:19–21

Appendix B

Galatians 5:22–23

Appendix C

1 Corinthians 13:4–7

Preface

This book is divided into two major sections:

 The first five chapters are about being a follower of the Way.

• The First Followers Of The Way – follows the use of the term in the early records.

• Becoming A Follower Of The Way – is a description of how to become a follower of the Way.

• Following The Way – describes the way to be a follower of the Way.

• Characteristics Of A Follower Of The Way – reveals the seven characteristics which are necessary to obtain a true knowledge of Jesus, the Way.

• The Compass For Followers Of The Way – the individual goal of a follower of the Way

 The last four chapters are special messages which Jesus wants His followers to be aware of.

• A New Commandment For Followers Of The Way – the way all men will be able to distinguish who Jesus’ followers are.

• The Enemies Of A Follower Of The Way – reveals the opposition to a follower of the Way.

• The Tools Of A Follower Of The Way – describes the tools available for living a victorious life as a follower of the Way.

• Prayers Of A Follower Of The Way – describes the communication between the Way and His followers.

Three Appendixes are also