Walk Ye Therein

There is no new path to serving the Lord, the bible is not a book of pliable suggestions, it is a book of righteous commands from a Holy God. Seek it out for the old paths, ask God for direction to live a holy life, and you’ll find the power of God.

Jeremiah 6:13-16

13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord. 16 Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.

This exhortation is given to redirect Gods people, to awaken them to their personal responsibility to stand, to see, to ask for and to walk in the old paths. This is a warning to a nation that has lost its way, and these words come from the mouth of God. Many of Israel’s prophets and even the priests had lost their fear of God and their love for God, they had become greedy and materialistic. They were performing their services out of covetousness. They were prophesying falsely and deceitfully, they were preaching what the people wanted to hear and not what God had told them to say. Their actions had produced a spiritual cancer that was destroying God’s people, and they were covering their sins with religious activities (programs). Sound familiar? It should because pulpits all over America are doing the same thing every Sunday.

This word from God from a true prophet, Jeremiah, told the people that they were responsible to know the truth for themselves and not to be deceived by these false priests, and false prophets. It is very easy to get caught up in a gospel of convenience and comfort, a gospel without a cross, and a gospel that permits you to think, say, or do anything you want. A gospel that overemphasizes the grace, while ignoring the requirements of righteousness from a holy God. The gospel being preached in most flourishing churches today is a false gospel, a gospel that exalts ‘self’ to a status of godhood, so that anything ‘self’ chooses is considered right and acceptable.

"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." – Proverbs 14:12, 16:25

Two times, two times, God warns us against a path of our own choosing, and any time the Word says something two times word for word this close together, the emphasis is deliberate and to ignore such a warning well, enter that path at your own peril.

The Apostle Paul said, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." – Galatians 1:8

The times that we are living in are wicked, and we truly live amongst a ‘perverse and depraved generation.” Today, as never before, we must hear the words of the prophet and listen to this warning to stand in the ways and see the false message.

Consider what is being preached and compare it to the gospel given by the Apostles. Do you see the cross in their message? Do you hear the blood of Jesus as the source of life? Do you hear the Son of God dying for your sins? Do you hear Him raising from the dead? Do you see him coming to live in His children through the person of the Holy Ghost? Are they proclaiming the requirement to crucify the self, with its affections and lusts thereof? Do you see Jesus Christ as the only door and way to eternal life? Do you see clearly the dividing line between sin and righteousness?

We must look for the familiar landmarks of a genuine gospel. Is there an altar? Is there repentance for sin? Is there water baptism in the name of Jesus? Is there baptism in the Holy Ghost? Is there salvation, healing, and deliverance only in the name of Jesus? Are there signs and wonders and miracles? Is there spirit led, and spirit filled worship? What about the gifts of the spirit? These are all landmarks, signs, that mark the old paths.

Is there a concern and burden for the lost, is there weeping and travail, have we gotten off the path and not known it? We must never substitute movement for progress, or activity for power, or gold for glory. I believe in progress, but not all movement and not all change is not progress. We must ask ourselves, do the changes bring us closer to the divine pattern of God’s Word?

David was led astray by the philistine spirit. He followed their example of putting the ark of God’s presence on a new cart (1 Chronicles 13:7-12.) He took the Ark of the Covenant off the shoulders of the priests and put it on a new cart. God ordained that the ark of his presence would be carried upon the shoulders of the priests, moving one step at a time directed by God. It has always been so; God has entrusted His presence and His power to the shoulders of men and women of prayer.

Gods work in the earth is dependent upon the prayers and intercession of his people. The success of his work in the earth is dependent upon men and women waiting upon him for his guidance and direction. The fact is it still takes prayer and fasting, it still takes sacrifice and self-denial, it still takes travail, and it still takes waiting upon God in total dependence.

God interrupted David’s party with a funeral. When Uzzah took hold of the ark God slew him, Then David said, “None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites: for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God, and to minister unto him forever (1 Chronicles 15:2). For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God made a breach upon us, for that we sought him not after the due order” (1 Chronicles 15:13).

Don’t be deceived by the spirit of this age. You can’t go anywhere you want, think anything you want, say anything you want, watch anything you want, listen to anything you want and still be holy. It doesn’t work that way. There is a price to pay, there are wages for our actions. The word of God says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. So many say, your preaching condemnation man, and the bible says there is no condemnation. No! No! No, it most certainly does not! It says there is therefore no condemnation for those ‘which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit’ (Romans 12:2). If you’re living to satisfy your own desire, to feed your flesh, be prepared to be condemned by your own actions and choices. That’s truth, and that’s the Word of God.

Jeroboam became king in Israel, over all but one tribe which followed Rehoboam, But Jeroboam was afraid that the kingdom would turn to Rehoboam Solomon’s son, so he designed a plan, it was a new way for Israel. He was leading them off the old paths.

1 Kings 12:28-31

“Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. (Bethel= House of God, Dan= Judge These actions were a complete pollution and corruption of the House of God, and rejection and rebellion against God as their Judge) And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.”

This became a new way that turned the people away from God: They accepted a religion of convenience, that required nothing from them but their attendance from time to time. Their worship was false and was a direct rebellion against the command of God to not make any graven image or worship any other God. The priesthood was polluted, by taking those who were unfit, unqualified, and chosen by man and not God to perform the services.

I hear the Holy Spirit saying to us again today, ‘Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ But I wonder in my spirit, will the church today say, ‘We will not walk therein.’

Many have departed from the old paths, they have despised the old paths, they have traded God’s presence for pleasure. Many have chosen gold over glory, and the praise of men over the praise of God. There is not a vast crowd in the old paths, but the ones who have walked there are the ones I want to be associated with. The old paths may not be the easy way, but it is the good way, and it is in these old paths that our souls will experience true joy and peace with God. I pray today my friends you choose to walk therein.