THE CROSSROADS OF LIFE
By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
“Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old Paths wherein is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.” (Jer. 6: 16)
The prophet Jeremiah had a solution for the restlessness and fears that has beset the human family ever since the fall of Adam and Eve in Garden of Eden! He had the answer to the turmoil, upheaval and injustice that has afflicted multitudes across the globe. Jeremiah has a message from Almighty God for the great problems facing the masses of sinful, guilty and hurting mankind!
There are Biblical Solutions to Life's Difficult Situations! There are answers to the life-long problems caused by disobedience to the law of loving God with the whole heart, soul and spirit, and our neighbour as ourselves!
WE HAVE A SIN PROBLEM!
The real problem facing humanity is man's propensity to disobey, hate, demean, and harm our fellowman. The real problem is not the neighbour you dislike, the corruption in government, or the thief who has ransacked your home. The truth is plain and simple: “We have a Sin Problem.”
The Holy Bible states, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Rom. 3:23); “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6: 22, 23)
Sin is Disobedience against God and His Word. It is breaking God's Laws or Commandments. From the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures, the Bible has several words for Sin, one being 'transgression' and another is 'iniquity.' Sin is "Transgression of God's Law".
Sin is also defined as 'missing the mark' of the standard our Lord has set for us. We are all sinners by birth, by nature and by choice! Jesus Christ is perfect and He is the standard by which we must measure ourselves. Sin comes from the inner man, which was depraved from birth.
Jesus said, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." (Matt. 15:19)
Sin separates man from God: The Bible states: "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
Sin is unbelief, which rejects and denies God's Word: "He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:18)
JEREMIAH'S SOLUTION!
“Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old Paths wherein is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, we will not walk therein.” (Jer. 6: 16)
Go down to the crossroads and see where each road leads. Don't get on a road that takes you to nowhere or to dangerous places. Don't try something new just because someone has hyped it to you. They may have a sinister motive, like getting you hooked on drugs or lead you into a life of gambling. Getting on the wrong road could destroy your future and eventually lead to a lost eternity.
The old Paths speaks of a true and tested lifestyle of love, caring, family, honesty, righteousness and compassion. Yet, as the prophet declared, “But they said, we will not walk therein.”
How true that is, even today! People can hear the message of God's love and compassion repeatedly and even believe it, but allow themselves to be drawn into a worldly and a dangerous lifestyle!
SINNER : STOP, LOOK & LISTEN!
Sinner, backslider: Stop, look and listen. There may be real trouble coming down the tracks heading toward you! In your fevered pace of seeking pleasure, having so-called fun, stop in your pursuit of love, happiness, gain, position and place. Stop long enough to evaluate what is going on in your life and the world about you. Check out the consequences of the long term benefits or negative results!
Make an informed decision to return to the Old Path of Righteousness through a determined serious return to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. You will then have guaranteed your future for time and eternity instead of having sold out to Satan only to have your future hijacked and your salvation despoiled!
The end results gained from walking on the old Path are enormous. It pays in “rest for our souls.” It pays in peace, joy, love, forgiveness, guidance, spiritual power, divine healing, eternal life and Heaven forever!
Peace: “Seven times a day do I praise Thee because of Thy righteous judgments. Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Ps. 119: 164, 165)
Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 27). St. Paul stated: “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil.4: 7 )
Love: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3: 16, 17)
St. John declares: “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7,8)
Forgiveness: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1: 8): “In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph. 1:7)
Holy Ghost Baptism: “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” (Luke 3:16); Jesus said: “But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Led by Holy Spirit: “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify Me: for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shown it unto you. All things that the Father hath are Mine: therefore said I, that ye shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.” (John 16: 13-15)
Divine Healing: “And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned, And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16: 14-18)
Fellowship in Christ: “That which we have we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:3,7)
“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the Living God, as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:16-18)
Eternal Life: “And this is eternal Life, that they may know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.” (John 17: 3); “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me: And I give unto the eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My Father's hand.” (John 10: 27, 28)
“And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that they may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5: 11-13)
ALL OTHER ROADS!
All other roads lead to Hell and destruction; heartbreak, torment, sorrows, prison, dead-end! The Bible says: “There is a way that seemeth right to a man but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov. 14:25);
“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharoah's daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” (Heb. 11:24,25);
“That the triumphing of the wicked is short; and the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment.” (Job 20:5); “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord ” (Rom. 6:23)
SIN OF BACKSLIDING!
St. Paul wrote about the awesome responsibility preachers have to declare the whole truth and not weaken the Gospel through compromise. He warned about the deadly sin of backsliding and how to come back to the Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ. Like the Prodigal Son, it takes repentance and a willingness to turn back to God, forsaking sin and evil!
“For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me: yea, woe is me, if I preach not the Gospel. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Cor. 9: 16,27)
Almighty God calls us back to Him, if any are guilty of straying from His Word; “Come now, and let us reason together saith the Lord? though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Is. 1:18).
JESUS calls us all: “Come unto ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11: 28-30)
“All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6: 37); “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and he will with Me.” (Rev. 3:20)
I PLEAD THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
I stood in a courtroom filled to capacity with every race and nation all staring right at me. The judge walked in, took His seat and my crimes began to read. I raised my head as I looked at Him, when He said, “How do you plead?” I said, “I Plead the Blood!”
“I plead the Blood of Jesus, against the crimes you have read. I plead the blood of Jesus, they are covered as He said. For His death on Calvary, assured me I am FREE. There is now, no condemnation. Tis Jesus BLOOD I plead.”
Then He read out all my crimes. Listed them one by one. And I was so ashamed of the awful things I had done. Then He looked again at me, This awesome fearful Judge. He said, How do you plead? I said, “I Plead the Blood!”
“I plead the Blood of Jesus, against the crimes you have read. I plead the blood of Jesus, they are covered as He said. For His death on Calvary, assured me I am FREE. There is now, no condemnation. Tis Jesus BLOOD I plead.” AMEN.
