Wagon Tracks

Wagon Tracks

  Matthew 15King James Version (KJV)

15 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

² Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

³ But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

⁴ For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

⁵ But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

⁶ And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

⁷ Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

⁸ This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

⁹ But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

The season for revival is once more upon us, and has arrived for many, as churches throughout the nation once more gather to renew the congregation.

That renewal is one of great importance, paramount to the continued existence of those congregations, as they dwindle in size, diminish in acceptance by the young, and decline in the power they should exhibit within family, community, and nation.

Many reasons for this decline are cited, and many solutions are offered in order to reverse the steady march toward a “religion” that offers prosperity gospel to a people starved for the WORD of God, substituting social reform for spiritual reform that is sought by the remnant that must and will endure until that spiritual reform is accomplished with the return of Christ Jesus.

Today’s title comes from an offering that was given by a younger friend of mine, whose love of the gospel, both written word and song has continued to inspire and lift this old preacher for the past few years.

Our fellowship is often shared in meetings with others, as well as in the caring attitude exhibited on a regular basis by means of a simple telephone call to check on the welfare and health of our families, and to inform each other of the various meetings that are in progress within the communities, as well as the needs of the folks within those communities.

This younger friend often shares some new song heard, or some older song that has resurfaced that is pertinent and worthy for inclusion in his ever increasing repertoire that he shares with others during those meetings.

This one in particular caught my attention when he shared it with me, as did the conversation that followed that sharing.

Wagon Tracks   

 

All of the wagon tracks around the church are gone We don’t have neighbors anymore, we all have telephones We used to sit on hard church pews, but now we sit on foam All of the wagon tracks around the church are gone  

We used to go to church--- to worship the Lord and King.  Now we go to church ------- just to be seen,  Who drives a Cadillac, and lives in a big brick home,  All of the wagon tracks around the church are gone.  

Chorus:    

The preacher used to visit.  Dad gave him a chicken from the yard. The preacher he would thank him and then he’d praise the Lord, But these modern preachers, you know what they would do. They’d say I’m not going back to visit that old fool.   

 Chorus:

As I listened to the words to this song, new to me, yet an older offering, its truth immediately called to mind scriptures that confirm and affirm that truth, and the greater truth of the necessity for the aforementioned remnant to not only continue to endure and exist, but to continue to endure and witness in a manner acceptable to God until the last of the reachable is reached and the last of the teachable is taught…not the doctrines and teachings of men, but the TRUTH of Christ Jesus.

John 4: 1-24 King James Version (KJV)

4 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

² (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

³ He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

⁴ And he must needs go through Samaria.

⁵ Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁶ Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

⁷ There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

⁸ (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

⁹ Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

¹¹ The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

¹² Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

¹³ Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

¹⁴ But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

¹⁵ The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

¹⁶ Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

¹⁷ The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

¹⁸ For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

¹⁹ The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

²⁰ Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

²¹ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

²² Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

²⁴ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

In Spirit, and in Truth… a statement of utmost importance in a world that seems to have forgotten both, as worship is abandoned for social gathering.

The needs and simplicity of those needs that is manifested in the words of the song used in title must never be forgotten, and are not yet completely forgotten by the remnant that seeks revival of that Spirit and TRUTH within the confines of their assemblages, families, communities, nations, and more importantly within the confines of the individual hearts of each man woman and child that comprises each of them.

The “remnant” remains!

I disagree with the premise of the totality contained within the first word of the chorus of this lament, intended to call attention to the plight of that remnant.

NOT all of the wagon tracks are gone, yet, though the ruts are indeed much shallower than those that once circled the churches, there are a few tracks still being made, visible only to that precious remnant making them despite the opinions of any and all that see no need to deepen those tracks themselves.

The discomfort of the hard church pews is still felt by those who relish that discomfort, welcome the opportunity to both hear and heed the warnings and the promise that is given there, as all discomfort is forgotten while remembering the far greater discomfort of a Savior hanged on a cross to provide a greater comfort than any “foam” and far greater riches than the Cadillacs and brick homes still sought by too many without regard to the true riches that are to be had through the comprehension of the temporary nature of all worldly wealth and pleasure when measured against the eternal reward to be gained when sought in Spirit and in TRUTH.

There are still a few of those old preachers, that when coming to visit, expect nothing in return, not even the chicken spoken of in the song, and who will willingly return to share the gospel, and blessings offered by that gospel without expectation of anything other than the hope and certainty contained within it.

1 Corinthians 15King James Version (KJV)

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

² By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

³ For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

⁴ And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

⁵ And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

⁶ After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

⁷ After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

⁸ And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

¹⁰ But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

¹¹ Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.

¹² Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

¹³ But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:

¹⁴ And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

¹⁵ Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

¹⁶ For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

¹⁷ And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

¹⁸ Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

¹⁹ If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

²⁰ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

²¹ For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

²² For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

²³ But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

²⁴ Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

²⁵ For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

²⁶ The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

²⁷ For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.

²⁸ And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.

²⁹ Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

³⁰ And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?

³¹ I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

³² If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.

³³ Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

³⁴ Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.

³⁵ But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

³⁶ Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:

³⁷ And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:

³⁸ But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.

³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.

⁴⁰ There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.

⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

⁴³ It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

⁴⁵ And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

⁴⁶ Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

⁴⁷ The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

⁴⁸ As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

⁴⁹ And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Steadfast…. Unmoveable… ENDURING!

The labor is NOT in vain,

Though, perhaps faint, the wagon tracks still are there.

They are there and will remain, only because the blood that bought them is there and cannot be removed.

All praise, honor and glory to God for the grace given through Christ Jesus that keeps those tracks evident to those still making them.

Amen and Amen