Strengthen What Remains
“The Lord is
calling you and me, Christian, to wake up and strengthen what remains; to
strengthen our faith, to strengthen our worship, to strengthen our
understanding of his Word and to strengthen our standing for godly morals in a
corrupt society.”
“Stand
at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way
is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls,” declared Jeremiah
the prophet from the steps of the temple in Jerusalem.
Judah
had been invaded by the Babylonians who had taking the first wave of exiles to
the shores of the Euphrates. Jerusalem’s streets were silenced of children’s
laughter. Markets were empty. Jeremiah’s people had abandoned their worship of
Yahweh, bowing to graven foreign images. The result? God’s judgement. “Ah, Adonai,”
the prophet may have groaned inwardly, “my people have digressed from the
ancient path of faith in the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
and have bowed to false idols made by human hand.” Judah was at the crossroads.
They stood facing a choice between returning to the ancient path of God’s law
or continue to walk the bypaths and side roads of false ways. Perhaps in his
heart the prophet sighed, there is still
time for the remnant to repent and return to the paths of truth. But they won’t
have it!
“But you
said, `We will not walk in it.' Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this
people, the fruit of their schemes, because they have not listened to my words
and have rejected my law,” (Jeremiah 6:16-19).
Abandon Popular Opinion
Jeremiah’s
ancient paths called for the people of God to abandon popular opinion of the
time and return to the ancient paths of the God’s law. This law was founded in
faith; the faith of Abraham, who had obediently believed God. Abraham had heard
the Word of God and simply put his faith in God’s promises. His act of faith
had justified him before Al Shaddai. Jeremiah was calling the children of
Abraham to return to simple faith in the one true God and to obey his Word.
Jesus, the Ancient Path
Hundreds
of years later God sent John the Baptist with the same message. John may have
stood at the same spot that Jeremiah had stood as he declared, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and
thrown into the fire,” (Matthew 3:1-11). John was preparing the way of the coming
of Messiah. Jesus soon arrived, proclaiming the Kingdom of God. He is called
the Word of God. The Word brought salvation by faith, to all mankind. Faith
comes from hearing the unadulterated unequivocal message of Christ. Heaven and
earth may pass away, but God’s ancient Word endures forever. Jesus, the Word of
God, is the Ancient Path.
However,
sadly, as in Jeremiah’s day, through the ages, Christ’s ancient message of faith
became corrupted by popular opinion. For centuries, learned men have evolved the
simple message of faith in God through Christ, by adding their convoluted popular
opinions and subtracting basic truths from the purity of God’s Word. They have
said, “We will not walk in it.” Today, in this postmodern 21st
century so-called tolerant and liberal society, the road signs of Christian moral
ethics and the biblical absolutes have been so blurred by popular opinion that
we have lost sight of the Ancient Path.
Wake Up and Strengthen
Jesus
appeared to the apostle John almost 70 years after he ascended to heaven. He
gave John a great revelation of the end times in preparation of his return.
(And Jesus is returning, soon!) At the start of his revelation, Jesus gave John
instructions to the seven prominent churches of Asia Minor. To the church in Sardis
he said, “These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the
seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you
are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not
found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you
have received and heard; obey it, and repent,” (Revelation 3:1-3).
New Beginnings!
But there
is hope! As Jeremiah called out to his people from the steps of the temple of God,
he offered them hope for prosperity if they returned to the ancient paths of
God’s uncompromised Word. He said, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’
declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future
and a hope,’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Just so, God is calling us to stand at the
crossroads and ask for the ancient paths of faith, obedience, and uncompromised
Word and Spirit.
The Lord
is calling you and me, Christian, to wake up and strengthen what remains; to strengthen
our faith, to strengthen our worship, to strengthen our understanding of his
Word and to strengthen our standing for godly morals in a corrupt society. The
Lord has a plan for you; a plan to prosper you, a plan to give you a future
filled with hope. I don’t think our God is a God of second chances, I believe he
is the God of new beginnings! The Lord is doing a new thing in his Church today.
God is making a new way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. God is
opening a new way for the followers of Christ to seek his ancient paths. Only,
strengthen what remains!
