| |
Pastor's Corner
December 6th, 2006
Ask For the Old Paths
"Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and
see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in
it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will
not walk in it."™
Jeremiah 6:16
This next week, Lord willing, I will be ordained by my home
church. I can hardly tell you all the different emotions I feel,
humbled, blessed, excited, scared, exhausted, energized. I have
spent hours seeking the Lord since I received the date. Examining my
own heart to see if I truly am of the faith and have I truly
surrendered to Christ. Today I will say with much joy & fear and
confidence & reservation that I am prepared to live a life of
obedience and give my life in service to my Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old
paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find
rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it."™
Jeremiah 6:16
I, like many people young in the faith, decided that I knew better
than my elders and said "I will not walk in [the path they have
set]." I was going to set out and "really" do church God"™s way. Oh
the foolishness of youth and the love and grace shown to me by my
elders. When I speak of elders I think of my home church
Henderson Hills Baptist Church
and the elder body as a whole. But there are three elders in
particular that I am forever indebted to and they are Dennis
Newkirk, Kim Swyden and Wally Weaver. These three men have shown the
love, mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus more than any other in my
life. I have never publicly apologized for being a hard case and
feel that today is a good day to say "men of God, thank you for your
service to our Lord and thank you for not giving up on me when I
deserved it most." Of course our God is sovereign and just and just
as I was a hard case, now the Lord has allowed me to receive the
hard cases. :-) If only I can show some of the love, mercy and grace
that my elders have shown to me.
This passage has a second meaning to me, after studying church
history, and especially the reformation period this past year, it is
clear how much of the modern day church has lost its way. How some
mainline denominations are now on the "downgrade" as Charles
Spurgeon puts it and have been for a long time. Today is a day and
age for God"™s people to vigilant about His Word. To know it, teach
it and practice it. The way the downgraders got to where they are
were simply downplaying the Truth of God"™s Word and His doctrines.
They simply put bible doctrine aside and did what was right in their
own eyes. They did not like what the Lord had to say in His Word and
simply implied what they wanted it to say and thus we are reminded
in Scripture that "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its
end is the way of death."
"Thus says the Lord: "Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old
paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find
rest for your souls." Today, let us stand in the ways and see that
the path that our forefathers in the faith gave their lives for were
not in vain. It was so today we can declare the solas with one voice
"Sola Scripture, Sola Christus, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Soli Deo
Gloria." (click here to read more
on the sola's)
Semper Reformanda!
Love in Christ
Jeff
|
|
