Shoulder To Shoulder #1293 -- 5/30/22 ---- "Seeking The Ancient Paths (Pt 1) -- Take Me Back"
Posted by: lifeunlimited <lifeunlimited@...>
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to
motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ. It is a personal letter of
encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".
"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein
“There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle
Shoulder To Shoulder #1293 -- 5/30/22
Title:
"Seeking The Ancient Paths (Pt 1) -- Take Me Back"My Dear Friend and Fellow Pilgrim:
Well, for one final time, I am writing from an increasingly hot Yuma, AZ. In my last letter I stated that this letter would probably come to you from a very different place -- a tiny mountain village up in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona from an altitude of 8,500 feet. But, such is not the case. Delayed mainly by excessive weariness (from hard labor and heavy burdens), Jo Ann and I are still in Yuma. We intended to leave Tuesday, but delayed until Wednesday. But now, we've delayed it yet another day, heading that direction on Thursday.
In addition to laying some 60 25-lb pavers in hot weather, assembling a storage shed, trimming long rows of Oleanders, and moving office furniture and supplies from one place to the other, Jo Ann and I continue carrying a heavy burden for our many friends in and from Ukraine, a deep sorrow over what is happening in America, and preparing for our Summer ministry in Greer, which begins this coming Sunday, June 5th. I would have never fathomed our nation being such a political divisiveness, a moral collapse, or a spirit of anger, hatred, and fear.
But, here we are. It is as if Satan has unleashed every vile spirit under his command, continuing his agenda to steal, kill, and destroy everything possible before his days are ended. Frankly I do not remember a time in my life where I felt more weary and distracted -- yet, at the same time, more conscious of the Lord's presence, His provision, and the road ahead. So while we are very tired, we are also eagerly looking forward to our seventh consecutive Summer shepherding Greet Chapel.
In the throes of these recent days, I found myself wishing for those simpler and less complicated days of the past. Perhaps they really are nothing but a mirage', but they still have their appeal. I remembered hearing our British missionary friend, Cliff Luckhurst, describe a study he had done on re-digging the old wells, and how he used to go throughout Croatia sharing with pastors and churches how they needed to return to those ancient fountains from which the Gospel in Croatia had first begun to flow.
In anticipation of our Summer ministry in Greer, I began asking the Lord for a sense of direction regarding a theme for the season. That's when I ran across a recent article by Family Research Council's Tony Perkins. It expressed my thoughts exactly -- how can we find a well-worn ancient path to follow when evil is all around us. At that moment it all fell into place. We needed to go back to the "Ancient Paths" of our forefathers. And this is the same theme I'd like to share with you -- at least for a few letters.
So, let's start on that, right after you consider . . .
THIS 'N' THAT:
+ State Farm Is There: -- This is very disappointing. I've not used State Farm for decades (switched to American Family "way back when"), but my father used them for many years. I was surprised to learn about this, but somehow, I'm not surprised. So goes many corporations wanting to appease their potential customer base ---- https://www.charismanews.com/video/89264-like-a-creepy-neighbor-state-farm-is-there-to-teach-transgenderism-to-5-year-olds-says-consumers-research .
+ View of America from a Chinese Communist: This past week-end I received the following post from The American Minute writer, William H. Federer in which he describes a commentary by a Harvard professor who had been mentoring a Chinese Communist student having come to America on a Fulbright Scholarship. The professor quotes this student as saying, " . . . I had no idea how critical religion is to the functioning of democracy... The reason why democracy works is not because the government was designed to oversee what everybody does. But rather democracy works because most people, most of the time, voluntarily choose to obey the law. And in your past, most Americans attended a church or synagogue every week. And they were taught there by people who they respected... If you take away religion, you cannot hire enough police." You will want to read this. Go to https://americanminute.com/blogs/todays-american-minute/if-you-take-away-religion-you-cannot-hire-enough-police-harvard-professor-clay-christensen-quoting-fulbright-scholar-american-minute-with-bill-federer.
+ Thirteen Patriotic Sites We Should Visit: Somehow I ended up on the email list of the Discoverer website. Normally I do a quick scan of the topic, and then delete. However, in light of the Memorial Day week-end, I decided to take a look to see how many of them I've actually visited. It turns out I've been to ten. Go to https://www.thediscoverer.com/blog/13-spots-patriotic-americans-should-visit-at-least-once/XvHyVpKgiwAG5ahY .
QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:
> "In a country that's seen far too many evils, it's time to acknowledge that we are a broken people in need of the God we keep pushing away." -- Tony Perkins (May 25, 2022, Finding A Path In A Plague of Evil)
> "The road is rugged, and the sun is hot. How can we be but weary? Here is grace for the weariness – grace which lifts us up and invigorates us; grace which keeps us from fainting by the way; grace which supplies us with manna from heaven, and with water from the smitten rock. We receive of this grace, and are revived. Our weariness of heart and limb departs. We need no other refreshment. This is enough. Whatever the way be – rough, gloomy, unpleasant – we press forward, knowing that the same grace that has already carried thousands through will do the same for us." -- Horation Bonar (19th Century Scottish poet and hymnodist)
"According to the Bible, with God all things are possible, but God does not choose to do all things for men. Men must face problems, moral choice, responsibilities, griefs and disasters, and men must grow in terms of these things. The Bible makes abundantly clear God’s miraculous power, but it makes equally clear that man’s first problem is his apostasy, his moral rebellion against God. Man needs salvation by God, growth in grace, and maturity, as a precondition to prosperity under God." -- R. J. Rushdoony (The Mythology of Science)
> ". . . the flags are at half-mast again -- not because the schools haven't been hardened, but because too many hearts are. Most people have refused to go beyond what they see to what we know: that this is a spiritual problem. And only God's truth -- the same truth society has ridiculed, mocked, and rejected -- is capable of fighting the evil plaguing our nation." -- Tony Perkins (May 25, 2022, Finding A Path In A Plague of Evil)
> "The Son of God left eternity for time, and he calls us to leave the things of time for the things of eternity." ― John Michael Talbot, (Grammy / Dove award winning Contemporary Catholic Christian Music pioneer)
> "Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day." -- King David (Ps 25:4-5)
> "Take a breath. Trust the path God has set before you. It is not an accidental path. He is walking it ahead of you. Walk on." -- T. Allen Robburts
> "There are ancient Godly principles in the same vein as gravity that govern family, marriage, finances, physical health, and every aspect and every area of life.
‘The further away we go from these ‘ancient paths’ the more difficult life becomes’. . . . as we’ve gone along in our culture, we’ve gotten further and further and further away from these ancient paths and it’s caused life to become more and more difficult, more and more complicated, more and more problems.” -- Craig Hill ( Family Foundations International)
LOOKING FOR THE ANCIENT PATHS:
I think it's appropriate to share the article that Tony Perkins wrote in response to the horrific mind-numbing tragedy in Uvalde, TX. The massacre . . . the carnage . . . the evil of it all. It is unimaginable, but we know it happened. Still today my heart is broken over it all. My mind cannot process the idea of nineteen grade schoolers and two teachers being gunned down by a young disillusioned demon-driven teenager. Evidently I am not alone. Here is what Perkins wrote:
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Finding a Path in a Plague of Evil
May 25, 2022
By Tony Perkins
Two more days, and the classrooms would have been empty. Parents would be at home, going over lists for summer camp or rubbing sunblock on those small faces at the pool. They wouldn't be reliving the moment they dropped their sons and daughters off at school, kissing them goodbye for what would be the last time. They wouldn't be waking up in the rawest pain of their lives, empty bedrooms down the hall. And they wouldn't be consumed by the guilt that if they'd just kept their kids home that day, none of this would have happened.
There isn't a parent in America who didn't wake up this morning and have the terrifying thought: that could have been us. For 22 families in Uvalde, Texas, it's the kind of loss most people can't fathom. Children, mowed down after their end-of-year awards. Hero teachers, sacrificing themselves to save the little children behind them. In a single instant, the entire elementary school went from a summer celebration to a bloody war zone that would change the community forever. "Don't take a hug for granted," one dad said through tears. "Tell them you love them."
We've watched moms and dads in communities all across America experience the same inexplicable grief. We've cried at the photos of smiling fourth graders who will never have another school picture. We've wept with the daughters who say they just want to hear their mom's voice again. "I want everything back," Adalynn wrote on Facebook about fallen fourth grade teacher, Eva Mireles. "I want you to come home." We think about the brave border agents who charged into the gunfire, risking everything to bring the shooter down. And we wonder -- when will it stop?
There are more empty seats around the dinner tables in Texas now, victims of a story that started in Columbine and continues to break hearts from Connecticut to Virginia Tech. In the 24 hours since an 18-year-old walked into the halls of Robb Elementary, snuffing out the futures of so many children, the entire nation is grasping for solutions. Gun control and mental health funding are back on the table, but so is the longing for something deeper.
Despite what the Left says, our children aren't picking up rifles and killing people because there's a Second Amendment. There's been a Second Amendment for 231 years -- and school shootings have only been around the last 30. As Dr. Ben Carson has said, "The heart of the matter is not guns. The heart of the matter is the heart."
And until we, as a nation, are willing to admit that, nothing will change. These tragedies, whether they're in Sandy Hook or Santa Fe, are the slow burns of the cultural crisis that's destroying us. In a country that's seen far too many evils, it's time to acknowledge that we are a broken people in need of the God we keep pushing away.
Now is the time for honesty. What's really wrong, Peggy Noonan wrote after Parkland, is something deep down we all know. "The family blew up -- divorce, unwed childbearing. Fatherless sons. Fatherless daughters, too. Poor children with no one to love them. The internet flourished. Porn proliferated. Drugs, legal and illegal. Violent video games, in which nameless people are eliminated and spattered all over the screen... The abortion regime settled in, with its fierce, endless yet somehow casual talk about the right to end a life... So much change, so much of it ungentle. Throughout, was anyone looking to children and what they need?"
Four years later, the flags are at half-mast again -- not because the schools haven't been hardened, but because too many hearts are. Most people have refused to go beyond what they see to what we know: that this is a spiritual problem. And only God's truth -- the same truth society has ridiculed, mocked, and rejected -- is capable of fighting the evil plaguing our nation.
As my friend Ken Blackwell says, "You can't run faith out of the public square and not expect to have these sort of consequences." [NOTE -- Blackwell is Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance at the Family Research Council.] Violence didn't get its start when God was expelled from school. But it's certainly been given a culture in which to thrive now that we've banned any discussion of the One who came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Instead, the one who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy has been given unhindered access.
Our schools have been forced into marginalizing the source of life. Religion is out, and defining your own reality is in. How can we be shocked when these products of our godless culture shatter society's false sense of security -- built on a foundation of lies? In a world that's walked away from God's design on life, marriage, family, and our very identity, no one should be surprised at what unfolds. It's time to look beyond what's in the hands of these killers to what we've allowed to be put into their hearts and minds.
While these forces tug at the fraying fabric of America, our prayers are more important than ever. Join us in offering them -- for Uvalde's victims, for our leaders, and for this nation. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18).
Tony Perkins's Washington Update is written with the aid of FRC senior writers.
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ABANDONING THE ANCIENT PATHS:
For the life of me, I cannot understand how any sane individual can think a nation can get away with all that we have done, and still be shocked when calamity and tragedy befall us. It's "as plain as the nose on your face" for any thinking person. Even children know that when you do something bad, something bad follows.
So, for America . . . where do we start? Our entire political system -- all three branches -- is infected with the cancer of dishonesty, personal gain, and power mongering. Our educational system is overflowing with ungodly practices and philosophies. Our economic system is rapidly erasing the middle class from existence. The entertainment industry is a cesspool of filth. The news media is filled with so much deception and lies that you can't even trust the truth when it actually emerges. Churches are so self-absorbed that they think their mission in this world is to get bigger and entertain better instead of loving more deeply and serving more sacrificially.
Whatever else is needed, there is a desperate need for . . .
RETURNING TO THE ANCIENT PATHS:
Because I want to spend more time on this idea in the future, I will only point you to this idea today and then develop it further later. The term, "Ancient Path" is found only twice in the entire Bible, and both in the book of the young prophet, Jeremiah. Faithful to declaring the unadulterated truth God gave him to say, he wrote . . .
Thus says the LORD, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it'." (Jer 6:16)
". . . For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway, To make their land a desolation, An object of perpetual hissing; Everyone who passes by it will be astonished And shake his head. Like an east wind I will scatter them Before the enemy; I will show them My back and not My face In the day of their calamity.'" (Jer 18:15-17).
You and I don't need to be told that America is in very deep trouble, and it is because for the past 75 years or more, we have chosen the wrong paths. We have abandoned the "ancient paths" God laid out for Israel that was to be passed down to all generations of all humanity. Just as Israel repeatedly abandoned the paths for byways, we have done the same. I don't remember a time in my life when I have been more convinced of just how grossly corrupt, evil, and wicked our national deeds have become.
They are a stench that the human nostril cannot fully comprehend just how putrid we have become. God has given us so much as a nation. No nation apart from Israel has been blessed like we have been blessed. But, also like Israel, we have squandered them, taken them for granted, and have become a self-righteous self-absorbed, people where even those professing to be Christians are not repulsed by our national sins -- much less our personal sins.
The Church is so very much like the Laodicean Church or Revelation 3 -- blind and don't know it -- naked and don't know it -- poverty-stricken and don't know it. And yet, the Church is the secret to national restoration. The Body of Christ in early days was the heart and soul of the nation. Even those who did not follow Christ personally recognized the truths of the Gospel message, respected those who stood in the pulpit and declared God's righteousness, and appreciated the moral character that Christ followers brought to the culture.
But, no longer. Not anymore. The wisest man on earth during his day understood the fallacy and danger of following the byways instead of the ancient paths. He said it not once, but twice -- stating, . . .
"There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." (Prov 14:12; 16:25).
Have you noticed? -- not once in all of human history has a man-made answer to sin and corruption ever worked. Not once. It always leads on a downward spiral -- to an ultimate death. The heart is always evil, and man's actions expose the condition of the heart.
Nonetheless, the offer of rescue still stands. After trying to hear God in all the clamor and clanging of society, the prophet nailed it --
"Your ears will hear a word behind you, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right or to the left." (Isa 30:21).
TRIED, TESTED, AND ETERNAL:
There are other words used in the Bible for "Path" -- highway, road, way, etc. So, to ever in one's lifetime exhaust the topic will be an impossibility. However, I want to point out one primary characteristic of our theme, and that's the word, "Ancient".
To you and me, that means "old", "antiquated", "old fashioned", etc.
But, that's not what the Hebrew word here actually means. It's the word, ‛ôlâm ‛ôlâm, pronounced "o-lawm', o-lawm'". We've run into that word several times over the past months as I've shared with you. It is a colorful, descriptive, and profound word.
The word doesn't mean just "old" or "antique-ish". It doesn't even mean "ancient" in the sense of being paths walked several millennia ago. Rather, it is a word used to describe something that is virtually timeless. It cannot be relegated to a point or era in history. You can't just stick it in your "old fashioned thought" or "out of date" folder on your laptop.
The word itself means that the subject at hand -- "paths" in this case -- has been "properly concealed, that is, the vanishing point; generally time out of mind (past or future), that is, (practically) eternity; without end."
What does that say to us? It tells us that these paths must be from an "out of this world" environment, because nothing in this world has a beginning that cannot be seen or known, nor does it have an ending that can be expected or anticipated. So, when we think of these "ancient paths" that Jeremiah addressed at least twice, we are seeing paths that have a measureless long duration that exists long before antiquity was ever established, and reaches into futurity beyond anything that can be anticipated.
So, keep that in mind -- you and I are suffering a culture in our day much akin to what Jeremiah suffered in Jerusalem in his day. The fact that these paths have an eternal existence tells us they are trustworthy, tried, proven, tested, verifiable, solid, and reliable.
If we in America ever needed such pathways to walk again -- both as a nation, as churches, as families, and as individuals -- it is now.
FINALLY:
If anything should give us hope for the future -- for any future at all -- it is found in this truth. There is a way. There are ancient paths to be rediscovered. There are plugged up wells that can be cleansed of refuse and residue. So, instead of trying to fix what is wrong, why not begin by returning to the way -- and walk in it.
When your anger and indignation -- over the political corruption you see, the ease with which crime goes unpunished, and the hypocrisy and dishonesty that are accepted as the norm -- are replaced by a broken and desperate heart, then you are on grounds to cry out to God that something be done.
But, not until then. That's where it begins.
Indignation is never adequate, nor is it even the answer. It's not indignation alone that is needed -- it is desperation.
It's time -- far past time -- to seek the "Ancient Paths" and follow them. They all lead back to God.
In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,
Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness,
examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)
"A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy
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Copyright May, 2022
"If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill
"The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep, the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
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