A way not cast up

Hi Chris - :-)

This is an interesting slant on the preacher's duty. I can't help but think a great deal rests on our responses to the Lord's indentification of the 'stones' in our lives\\hearts...

Luke 3
the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight.

5 Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth;

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.' "

Apparently, in eastern culture, it is proper for a person enquiring directions, to be taken on their way by the person of whom they enquire, who says (effectively) 'I am the way.'

Jesus said 'I AM the Way.'

We know certain aspects of our journey... such as 'take up your cross daily'; 'sufficient to the day is the evil thereof'; 'take no thought for ... '; 'give us this day our daily bread and deliver us from evil'; 'come unto Me, all that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest'; and with many other words He exhorts us.

Luke 4
17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
18 "The Spirit of the LORD [i]is[/i] upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to [i]the[/i] poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to [i]the[/i]] captives
And recovery of sight to [i]the[/i] blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD."

20 Then He closed the book, and gave [i]it[/i] back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.

Isaiah 35
1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them,
And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;
2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice,
Even with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
The excellence of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
The excellency of our God.
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
And make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those [i]who are[/i] fearful-hearted,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come [i]with[/i] vengeance,
[i]With[/i] the recompense of God;
He will come and save you."

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.

For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.
7 The parched ground shall become a pool,
And the thirsty land springs of water;
In the habitation of jackals, where each lay,
[i]There shall be[/i] grass with reeds and rushes.

8 A highway shall be there, and a road,
And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it,
But it [i]shall be[/i] for others.
Whoever walks the road, although a fool,
Shall not go astray.

9 No lion shall be there,
Nor shall [i]any[/i] ravenous beast go up on it;
It shall not be found there.

But the redeemed shall walk [i]there,[/i]
10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
And come to Zion with singing,
With everlasting joy on their heads.
They shall obtain joy and gladness,
And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Hebrews 12, 11 and 12
Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, [u]and[/u] make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be [i]dislocated,[/i] but rather be healed.

Amen. The parable of the sower also comes to mind, with the other part of that process... where the corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die, before it can bear any fruit.

It is the duty of the Gospel preacher to mark out the stones of sin, to call them out, and to cast them up, by the power of God, out of the way of both pilgrim and sinner alike. They which neglect to do so are guilty of hindering them which run heaven's race, and of laying stumbling blocks before the blind.

I was researching scripture from James for another post. I think it's applicable here, too.

"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (JAM 1:25)

"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." (JAM 3:13)

"Conversation" here means "life" or "interaction with others".

"Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." (JAM 4:11)

Quote:
It is the duty of the Gospel preacher to mark out the stones of sin, to call them out, and to cast them up, by the power of God, out of the way of both pilgrim and sinner alike. They which neglect to do so are guilty of hindering them which run heaven's race, and of laying stumbling blocks before the blind.

Amen brother, if the preacher don't wanta preach, he needs to set down and let someone that will. Too many sermons preached today that has been to reduced to singing the doxology, reading an encourging verse that is related to today and the preacher not relating it to today's world and dimissing where they can beat the Methodist to the Diner. If a man goes to church very often and listens to the preacher says and is not convicted, he may need to change preachers.

29 “[b]Behold, God works all these things,
Twice, in fact, three times with a man,
30 To bring back his soul from the Pit,
That he may be enlightened with the light of life[/b].
31 “Give ear, Job, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will speak.
32 If you have anything to say, answer me;
Speak, for [b]I desire to justify you[/b].
33 If not, listen to me;
Hold your peace, and I will teach you wisdom.”