Two highways: When the ache of Heaven hits your chest

Two Highways: When the Ache of Heaven Hits Your Chest

There are days when the weight of eternity doesn’t feel like a theology—it feels like pressure in the chest.

This week contains those days.

I’ve been overwhelmed, not by my schedule, not by my responsibilities, not even by the usual demands of ministry. I’ve been overwhelmed by a reality Jesus Himself put in plain sight: that in this life there are two highways. Two paths. Two directions. Two outcomes.

And you don’t have to be a prophet to see it.

You can see it in the eyes of people who are smiling on the outside but drowning quietly on the inside. You can see it in the choices that once would have bothered them—but now feel normal. You can see it in the drift: not a sudden rebellion, but a slow surrender. Not one dramatic decision, but a thousand small ones that form a road.

And what pierces me is this: people don’t realize they’re traveling.

They think they’re standing still.

But you can’t stand still spiritually. You are always moving—either toward life, or away from it. Jesus didn’t say there are many roads with the same destination. He said there is a narrow way that leads to life, and there is a broad way that leads to destruction. And He said many are on the broad road. (Matthew 7:13–14)

That word many is what breaks me.

Because it’s not theoretical. It’s faces. It’s families. It’s friendships. It’s churches that have learned to host a service but not host the Presence. It’s believers who once trembled at conviction but now negotiate with compromise.

It’s people I love.

And today I feel something like pain that leaps inside of me—a grief that doesn’t feel human. It feels like God is letting me taste, in some small measure, what He feels when His sons and daughters settle for a counterfeit life.

The Two Highways Are Not Equal

One highway is the highway of life—the way empowered by the Lord, governed by truth, shaped by surrender, strengthened by the Spirit.

The other is the highway that looks free, feels natural, and seems easier—until you realize it’s powered by self, influenced by the world, and opened to the demonic.

Scripture never pretends neutrality exists. Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me.” (Matthew 12:30) Paul said there is no middle ground: the mind governed by the flesh leads to death, and the mind governed by the Spirit leads to life and peace. (Romans 8:5–6)

Two highways.

And the frightening thing is that the wrong one can feel right for a while.

That’s why Proverbs warns us: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

That verse isn’t just about obviously evil people doing obviously evil things. It’s about a road that seems right. It looks reasonable. It’s justified. It’s framed as “self-care,” “freedom,” “finding myself,” “I deserve this,” “God wants me happy.”

And that is precisely how deception works. The serpent doesn’t usually come with a pitchfork—he comes with a narrative. (Genesis 3:1–6)

If the enemy can’t stop you from believing in God, he’ll try to get you to believe a version of life where God is optional.

We Don’t Even Have to Look Far

And here’s the part that is especially sobering today:

We don’t even have to look far to see it.

We can look inside our own churches.

Because the two highways don’t begin at the nightclub or the casino—they begin in the human heart. And the most sobering reality is this: you can sit in a sanctuary and still be traveling in the wrong direction.

You can sing the songs and still be led by the flesh.

You can attend the meetings and still feed compromise.

You can quote Scriptures and still live untouched by the fear of the Lord.

Paul warned about “a form of godliness, but denying its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5) That’s not a message to pagans—that’s a warning for religious environments where outward appearance grows while inward surrender shrinks.

And I’m not writing this like an expert looking down from a pedestal. I’m saying this as a man who feels the grief of God: it is painfully easy to see the misdirection that is taking place at the end of this age in the lives of people around us. People aren’t always rejecting Jesus with their mouths—they’re rejecting Him with their direction.

Jesus said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)

That’s the tension of the church in late days: not open atheism—practical atheism. A life that confesses Christ while quietly choosing self-rule.

And this is why my spirit aches: because many are taking the broad road while holding a Bible, and they don’t even know they’ve drifted.

Miracles Didn’t Stop the Drift Then—And They Don’t Always Stop It Now

And another thing that’s been burning in me today is this: the children of God have seen miracles—and still chosen another direction.

Israel watched the Red Sea split. They ate manna. They drank water from a rock. They saw the cloud by day and fire by night. Yet again and again, they leaned back toward Egypt in their hearts. (Exodus 14; Exodus 16–17; Numbers 14)

The problem was never that God was absent. The problem was that signs are not the same as surrender.

Scripture says, “They soon forgot His works.” (Psalm 106:13) And Hebrews warns us not to harden our hearts like they did “in the rebellion,” even after witnessing His mighty acts. (Hebrews 3:7–12)

And if we’re honest, this isn’t just an ancient story—it’s a modern one.

Today’s children of God have seen healings. Deliverances. Provision that made no sense. Doors open that could only be God. Many have testimonies stacked like stones of remembrance—yet some still choose a different road.

Because miracles can amaze you… and still not govern you.

A person can love the results of God and still resist the rule of God.

That’s why Jesus could do miracles and still say, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46) It’s why He warned that many will say, “Lord, didn’t we do miracles in Your name?”—and still have never truly known Him. (Matthew 7:21–23)

So this is the crisis of the hour: we are living in a day where people want the power of God—without the pathway of God.

But the highway of life is not built on goosebumps. It’s built on obedience.

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)

The Slow Drift of a Soul

I’ve noticed something over the years: people rarely wake up one morning and decide to ruin their life.

They drift.

Hebrews warns believers not to drift from what they’ve heard. (Hebrews 2:1) That means drifting is not just a danger “out there.” It’s a danger in church seats.

Drift happens when:

• prayer becomes occasional,

  
  
  
  

• the Word becomes background noise,

  
  
  
  

• conviction becomes negotiable,

  
  
  
  

• worship becomes performance,

  
  
  
  

• and obedience becomes “when it makes sense.”

  
  
  
  

And drift has a companion: numbness.

The scariest stage is not when someone is tempted. The scariest stage is when someone is no longer troubled by what once grieved them.

Paul describes this as having a conscience that becomes hardened—seared—until truth stops landing. (1 Timothy 4:1–2)

And once that happens, the broad road starts feeling normal.

End-of-Age Misdirection

At the end of the age, deception won’t just be what people believe—it will be the direction they normalize.

The loudest lie in the last days is not “there is no God.”

It’s “you can have God without surrender.”

You can have the name of Jesus as a badge, while your heart remains unmoved, unyielded, and ungoverned by His voice.

And that’s why I feel what I feel today.

Because drift feels like peace—until it becomes a cliff.

The Highway of Life Is a Person

We have to say this plainly: Christianity is not primarily a moral improvement program.

The highway of life is not “try harder.”

The highway of life is Jesus Himself.

He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6)

Not “I show the way,” but “I am the way.”

So the question is not merely, “Are you doing Christian things?”

The question is: Are you walking with Him?

Because you can be near religious activity and still be far from life. Jesus rebuked people who searched the Scriptures but wouldn’t come to Him for life. (John 5:39–40)

The highway of life is communion. It’s union. It’s abiding.

Jesus said, “Abide in Me… for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4–5)

Nothing of eternal value.

Nothing that truly produces fruit.

Nothing that keeps a heart alive.

That’s why the highway of life is empowered by the Lord. You don’t stay on it by willpower. You stay on it by relationship.

The Other Highway Is Empowered by Self

The broad road is not always loud. Often it is sophisticated.

It’s a life where self becomes the center:

• self-guided,

  
  
  
  

• self-affirmed,

  
  
  
  

• self-protected,

  
  
  
  

• self-justified,

  
  
  
  

• self-exalting.

  
  
  
  

And the world applauds it.

But Scripture says the world system is not spiritually neutral; it is under influence. John writes, “The whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19) Paul says the “prince of the power of the air” works in the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 2:1–2)

So when someone chooses “my way” over “His way,” they are not simply choosing independence. They are choosing exposure.

Nature hates a vacuum. If the Spirit is resisted, something else fills the space.

Jesus warned that when a house is swept clean but remains empty, other spirits return and the condition becomes worse. (Matthew 12:43–45)

That’s a terrifying picture: a life that improved externally but never yielded internally.

Why This Hurts: The Cry of a Watchman

I’m a minister of the gospel, and I’m asking myself today: Can I do more?

Not because I think I can save people by effort. Only Jesus saves. (Acts 4:12)

But because love makes you reach. Love makes you warn. Love makes you weep.

Paul said he had “great sorrow and continual grief” in his heart for his people. (Romans 9:2) Jeremiah was called “the weeping prophet.” (Jeremiah 9:1) Jesus Himself wept over Jerusalem. (Luke 19:41–44)

So if you feel tears forming because people are headed the wrong way, you are not weak.

You are awake.

You are feeling what heaven feels.

Ezekiel described watchmen—people appointed to see danger and warn others. If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not warn, the blood is on his hands. If he warns and people refuse, he is free. (Ezekiel 33:6–9)

That passage isn’t meant to crush sincere ministers. It clarifies the assignment.

You are not responsible for people’s choices.

You are responsible for your obedience.

The Enemy Wants to Numb Ministers First

The enemy often targets ministers with one of two strategies:

1. exhaustion, so you lose strength

   
   
   
   

2. discouragement, so you lose hope

   
   
   
   

Because if he can get the watchman to stop watching—or to watch without feeling—he can move crowds without resistance.

But the Lord is not asking you to carry people as if you are the Savior.

He is asking you to stay tender, stay faithful, and stay filled.

Paul told Timothy: “Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5) And he also said: “Watch your life and doctrine closely.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

Your life comes first—because your overflow is what reaches people.

What Do We Do When We See the Wrong Highway?

We do what Jesus and the apostles did:

1) Proclaim truth clearly.

Jesus preached repentance because the kingdom was near. (Matthew 4:17)

2) Call people to decision.

Elijah said, “How long will you limp between two opinions?” (1 Kings 18:21)

Joshua said, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” (Joshua 24:15)

3) Pray with spiritual authority.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood. (Ephesians 6:12)

Some bondage is not broken by logic—it’s broken by prayer, truth, and the power of God.

4) Model the highway of life.

A living witness provokes hunger. (1 Peter 2:12)

5) Love without joining the ditch.

Compassion is not compromise. Jesus ate with sinners, but He never sinned with them. (Luke 5:29–32)

The Narrow Way Is Not Lonely—It’s Led

People fear the narrow way because they assume it means losing everything.

In reality, it means losing what’s killing them.

The narrow way is not punishment. It’s protection.

Isaiah prophesied about a “Highway of Holiness.” (Isaiah 35:8)

Holiness isn’t God trying to make you miserable. Holiness is God keeping you free.

And when you walk that highway, you are not abandoned—you are led.

“The Lord is my shepherd.” (Psalm 23:1)

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” (Isaiah 43:2)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)

An Invitation, Not Just a Warning

As I write this, I feel the ache again. But I also feel hope.

Because Jesus didn’t just describe two roads—He opened a door.

He said, “Enter by the narrow gate.” (Matthew 7:13)

That means the gate can be entered. The direction can change. The drift can be reversed.

You are not too far gone.

You are not stuck.

You are not disqualified.

But you must choose.

Because nobody drifts into life. Life is entered. Life is received. Life is surrendered to.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy—and he uses roads to do it.

So here is the question that won’t leave me today:

Which highway are you actually traveling?

Not which one you claim.

Not which one you grew up around.

Not which one you post about.

Which one you are walking.

If You Want to Come Home

If you feel the Spirit convicting you—not condemning you—convicting you… then don’t silence it.

Conviction is mercy.

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart.” (Hebrews 3:15)

The Father is not looking for excuses. He’s looking for return.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us… and cleanse us.” (1 John 1:9)

“Return to Me, and I will return to you.” (Malachi 3:7)

That’s not a threat. That’s an invitation. Much love.

Declarations (Pray These Out Loud)

• In the name of Jesus, I renounce the broad road and every lie that has normalized compromise.

  
  
  
  

• I declare that I will not drift; I will abide in Christ and walk in the Spirit. (John 15:4–5; Galatians 5:16)

  
  
  
  

• I declare that my mind will be renewed by the Word of God, and my conscience will stay tender. (Romans 12:2)

  
  
  
  

• I declare that the fear of the Lord will be restored to my life as a gift that protects me. (Proverbs 9:10)

  
  
  
  

• I declare that the Holy Spirit will empower me to choose obedience, even when it costs me comfort. (Acts 1:8)

  
  
  
  

• I declare that my household will serve the Lord, and generational drift will be broken. (Joshua 24:15)

  
  
  
  

• I declare that the Lord will make me a watchman with clean hands and a burning heart—faithful to warn, faithful to love, faithful to stand. (Ezekiel 33:7–9)

  
  
  
  

• I declare that many who are on the wrong highway will hear the voice of the Shepherd and turn back to life. (John 10:27–28)

  
  
  
  

Amen. Much love.