Be a Path of Him

In a way, it seems almost like we are starting back over at the beginning and doing things new. What comes to me is the beginning of the Kingdom of God. We have been involved in it for a while, but now it folds over and there is a new beginning.

I know that we have a desire many times and want to know some of these difficult things in the Scriptures - millennial, some of those monsters in the book of Revelation - but what I am most interested in are the things that will bring forth change in our lives. I think that is important, so we're going to stick with the simple things and believe God to bring forth His Word in our lives and to create us into what He wants us to be. Let's go to Matthew 3.

Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea…

Have you ever noticed how ministry always begins in the wilderness? Have you been there, in the wilderness?

Matthew 3:2-3 And saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven (Greek - the heavens) is at hand.
3 For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

The Greek has a different word order. It says a lot. The Greek says, Make the paths of Him straight. "Paths of Him" I like better than "His paths". Anybody can be His paths, but those who are of the paths of Him, He is working in them.

Each one of us is to become a path of the Lord, one that He can move through, work through, and accomplish what He would have us to do. This is what John is talking about here, Prepare the way of the Lord, make the paths of Him straight.

Now go to John 4.

John 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

This is the second time this is spoken. John the Baptist preaches it first, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Then later Jesus comes up out of the wilderness and begins to preach, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It's not just being repeated, but I think it means we move into the kingdom of heaven that John the Baptist preached, and then there is a higher level that comes through Jesus Christ Himself. Two different levels.

Matthew 10:1 And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples…

Now, "make the paths of Him straight" is what John the Baptist preached. These twelve disciples are the first paths of the Lord, the first ones that He began to move through.

Matthew 10:1 …He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

This is a third level.

Matthew 10:2-5 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;
3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbeus, whose surname was Thaddeus;
4 Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.
5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter not.

This is a ministry, a special ministry, that is beginning. Jesus tells them not to go into the way of the Gentiles.

Matthew 10:6-7 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

There will be this ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, not speaking of spiritual Israel but to the churches.

Matthew 10:7 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

There must be the preparation for the Kingdom of heaven, and there are three levels here.

Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.

We haven't really seen that ministry, but it is going to take place and it will take place within spiritual Israel.

This is short, but I want it to be something that is really put forth in our hearts and our minds - the paths of Him. The paths of Him must be prepared, those that the Lord can move through. We set our hearts that we are going to be the paths of Him, that He can move through each one of us. I want to be His path. Make His paths straight.

Each one of you can be a path of Him that can accomplish the purposes of the Lord. I look forward to this ministry that is given in Matthew 10, because it speaks of a ministry going forth into the churches. They are not going to be left out. Denominational church organizations are not good, but the people are good, and God is not going to leave them out of the picture.

Be a path of Him.