Chapter Two

LIFETOUCHING MINISTRIES | home

Hebrews 12:12-13 "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

This means to take the straight path that is before you. Do not go in crooked or rough ways, where are stones, briers, and thorns, by which you will be inevitably lamed, and so be totally prevented from proceeding in the way. If you go in the even, proper path, though getting into a wrong way has wounded you, that which was wounded will be healed. The lame person can see, for he is not blind. However, he cannot walk to fulfill what he sees, for he has been disabled.

Lameness is a blemish that is hard to heal. It takes time to be healed from getting off the path God has for your life. There are many ministries today that are limping along because they got into some sin and left the business of serving God. David had his Bathsheba. Samson had his Delilah. These excursions from their God-given callings nearly destroyed their lives and the effects today are just as devastating.

The real problem isn't that ministers are not forgiven. The real problem comes from the breach of trust. Forgiveness is a gift. Trust, however, must be earned. Once you have injured the trust element in any relationship, it is extremely difficult to repair the damage. Openness, honesty, integrity, and fidelity are valuable assets that must be guarded at all costs.

Jesus is coming for a church that is without blemish. Great multitudes came to Jesus and brought their lame and cast them down at the feet of Jesus and He healed them (Matthew 15:30). Oh, would you cast yourself at His feet and be healed of your lameness! Listen to the good news that Jesus tells to John Baptist when he was in prison.

(Matthew 11:4) "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk..."

I have good news for you today! The lame can walk again! Your ministry can be revived! You can begin today to restore the trust that you once had. You may limp for a little while, but you can be healed!

Lameness comes from the sin that so easily besets us. This is the well-circumstanced sin; that which has every thing in its favor, time, and place, and opportunity as well as the heart and the object. It is a sin in which all these things frequently occur, and consequently the transgression is frequently committed. It is a sin that is favorably situated, ever surrounding the person and soliciting his acquiescence. What we term the easily besetting sin is the sin of our constitution, the sin of our trade, that in which our worldly honor, secular profit, and sensual gratification are most frequently felt and consulted. It is original sin, as that by which we are enveloped in body, soul, and spirit. It is what meets us at every turn; that it is always presenting itself to us. Springing from that point of corruption within, called the carnal mind it surrounds us in every place. We are bounded by it, and often hemmed in on every side. It is a circular, well fortified wall, over which we must leap, or through which we must break. The man who is addicted to a particular species of sin is as a prisoner in this strong fortress. The easily besetting sin of the Hebrews was an aptness to be drawn aside from their attachment to the Gospel, for fear of persecution.

One of the characteristics of a lame person is that he needs to lean on someone or something to walk. The church needs a Barnabas ministry. Barnabas was called "the son of consolation". He bridged the gap between John Mark and Paul. He helped in the restoration process for John Mark. When Mark was restored, Paul said that he was "profitable to him". Job was also a restorer to men who had lost their way and became lame in life.

(Job 29:15) "I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame."

Sometimes men (and women) fail. Who will help restore them? (Galations 6:1) We need to provide systems within our churches to heal the lame. It is a serious blemish! We must remove this blemish from our church. He is coming for a church that walks right! We have got the talk, but we need the walk. How is your walk today? Where have your feet been? Did you trip up today? You may be more lame than you know.

Hebrews 12:12-13 is quoting Isaiah 35. Look at what the prophet says.

(Isaiah 35:3-8) "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come... with recompense; he will come and save you... Then shall the lame man leap as an hart... and a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein."

Compare this to Hebrews 12:14 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."

The church is being called back to Holiness, Sanctification, and heart purity. You must quit trifling with the program of God. When it says that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord, it means that no one without holiness can enjoy Him. To "see him" in the Jewish mind was to enjoy him. If you do not have holiness, you can never enjoy a holy God. You would be far too uncomfortable in His presence. Neither would you enjoy Heaven, for all that is there is holy. The command still is for today

"Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing."

We must be a sanctified people. Our lives must be separated unto God. Our walk is to be a godly walk. We must tolerate no more lameness in our life. We must be able to stand firm and solid on both our feet.

We must have our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:15).

It is the Word of God that will keep us from stumbling.

"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path".

David says: "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God."

Oh my precious brother and sister, have you prepared yourself with the Word of God? Do you stand with both feet firmly planted in the light of God's Word? Have you established your will to be in line with "Thus saith the Lord"? Is your feet shod? If not, then you are lame, unable to walk straight. You are always looking for someone to lean on; someone to pray your prayers; someone to bear your burdens. You are weak, because of lack of the Word of God. Unstable, limping along from Sunday to Sunday. James says that "a double minded man is unstable". On Sunday morning, you are up and shouting, but Monday morning you are down and pouting. "How long halt ye between two opinions?" Jumping from one side to the other like a bird hopping from limb to limb. First you love God and then next you are partakers with the world. You need to be sanctified! Set apart! Lameness has taken hold of you. You have a blemish that will keep you from the service of God. If you get in, get all the way in! If you get out get all the way out!

Jesus said "I wish that you were either cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth." (Revelation 4:15-16)

So then, preparation of the Scriptures will keep you in the path of God, but it also protects your walk when God leads you through rough ways. We need our feed shod in ministry in order to avoid the bruises that are out there to hurt our ministries.

Paul told Timothy "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth".

When persecution or offences come, those with lack of preparation in the Word will get bruised and lamed and will become temporarily useless to the Kingdom of God. They will have bruised egos and bruised feelings, because they do not know the power of God through the Word of God. Lack of preparation in the Word is the cause for many individuals to become lame. Being lame is a blemish and you cannot minister in the kingdom of God with a blemish.


	LIFETOUCHING MINISTRIES \| home TWELVE BLEMISHES OF THE CHURCH \| Chapter One \| Chapter Two \| Chapter Three Chapter Two LAMENESS Hebrews 12:12-13 "Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. This means to take the straight path that is before you. Do not go in crooked or rough ways, where are stones, briers, and thorns, by which you will be inevitably lamed, and so be totally prevented from proceeding in the way. If you go in the even, proper path, though getting into a wrong way has wounded you, that which was wounded will be healed. The lame person can see, for he is not blind. However, he cannot walk to fulfill what he sees, for he has been disabled. Lameness is a blemish that is hard to heal. It takes time to be healed from getting off the path God has for your life. There are many ministries today that are limping along because they got into some sin and left the business of serving God. David had his Bathsheba. Samson had his Delilah. These excursions from their God-given callings nearly destroyed their lives and the effects today are just as devastating. The real problem isn't that ministers are not forgiven. The real problem comes from the breach of trust. Forgiveness is a gift. Trust, however, must be earned. Once you have injured the trust element in any relationship, it is extremely difficult to repair the damage. Openness, honesty, integrity, and fidelity are valuable assets that must be guarded at all costs. Jesus is coming for a church that is without blemish. Great multitudes came to Jesus and brought their lame and cast them down at the feet of Jesus and He healed them (Matthew 15:30). Oh, would you cast yourself at His feet and be healed of your lameness! Listen to the good news that Jesus tells to John Baptist when he was in prison. (Matthew 11:4) "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk..." I have good news for you today! The lame can walk again! Your ministry can be revived! You can begin today to restore the trust that you once had. You may limp for a little while, but you can be healed! Lameness comes from the sin that so easily besets us. This is the well-circumstanced sin; that which has every thing in its favor, time, and place, and opportunity as well as the heart and the object. It is a sin in which all these things frequently occur, and consequently the transgression is frequently committed. It is a sin that is favorably situated, ever surrounding the person and soliciting his acquiescence. What we term the easily besetting sin is the sin of our constitution, the sin of our trade, that in which our worldly honor, secular profit, and sensual gratification are most frequently felt and consulted. It is original sin, as that by which we are enveloped in body, soul, and spirit. It is what meets us at every turn; that it is always presenting itself to us. Springing from that point of corruption within, called the carnal mind it surrounds us in every place. We are bounded by it, and often hemmed in on every side. It is a circular, well fortified wall, over which we must leap, or through which we must break. The man who is addicted to a particular species of sin is as a prisoner in this strong fortress. The easily besetting sin of the Hebrews was an aptness to be drawn aside from their attachment to the Gospel, for fear of persecution. One of the characteristics of a lame person is that he needs to lean on someone or something to walk. The church needs a Barnabas ministry. Barnabas was called "the son of consolation". He bridged the gap between John Mark and Paul. He helped in the restoration process for John Mark. When Mark was restored, Paul said that he was "profitable to him". Job was also a restorer to men who had lost their way and became lame in life. (Job 29:15) "I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame." Sometimes men (and women) fail. Who will help restore them? (Galations 6:1) We need to provide systems within our churches to heal the lame. It is a serious blemish! We must remove this blemish from our church. He is coming for a church that walks right! We have got the talk, but we need the walk. How is your walk today? Where have your feet been? Did you trip up today? You may be more lame than you know. Hebrews 12:12-13 is quoting Isaiah 35. Look at what the prophet says. (Isaiah 35:3-8) "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come... with recompense; he will come and save you... Then shall the lame man leap as an hart... and a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." Compare this to Hebrews 12:14 "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord." The church is being called back to Holiness, Sanctification, and heart purity. You must quit trifling with the program of God. When it says that without holiness, no man shall see the Lord, it means that no one without holiness can enjoy Him. To "see him" in the Jewish mind was to enjoy him. If you do not have holiness, you can never enjoy a holy God. You would be far too uncomfortable in His presence. Neither would you enjoy Heaven, for all that is there is holy. The command still is for today "Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch not the unclean thing." We must be a sanctified people. Our lives must be separated unto God. Our walk is to be a godly walk. We must tolerate no more lameness in our life. We must be able to stand firm and solid on both our feet. We must have our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:15). It is the Word of God that will keep us from stumbling. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path". David says: "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God." Oh my precious brother and sister, have you prepared yourself with the Word of God? Do you stand with both feet firmly planted in the light of God's Word? Have you established your will to be in line with "Thus saith the Lord"? Is your feet shod? If not, then you are lame, unable to walk straight. You are always looking for someone to lean on; someone to pray your prayers; someone to bear your burdens. You are weak, because of lack of the Word of God. Unstable, limping along from Sunday to Sunday. James says that "a double minded man is unstable". On Sunday morning, you are up and shouting, but Monday morning you are down and pouting. "How long halt ye between two opinions?" Jumping from one side to the other like a bird hopping from limb to limb. First you love God and then next you are partakers with the world. You need to be sanctified! Set apart! Lameness has taken hold of you. You have a blemish that will keep you from the service of God. If you get in, get all the way in! If you get out get all the way out! Jesus said "I wish that you were either cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth." (Revelation 4:15-16) So then, preparation of the Scriptures will keep you in the path of God, but it also protects your walk when God leads you through rough ways. We need our feed shod in ministry in order to avoid the bruises that are out there to hurt our ministries. Paul told Timothy "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth". When persecution or offences come, those with lack of preparation in the Word will get bruised and lamed and will become temporarily useless to the Kingdom of God. They will have bruised egos and bruised feelings, because they do not know the power of God through the Word of God. Lack of preparation in the Word is the cause for many individuals to become lame. Being lame is a blemish and you cannot minister in the kingdom of God with a blemish.