September 2013 – Old Paths Journal

When Exalting is Needed

Isaiah 25:1
“O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.”

Praise and exaltation is an area many people don’t know how to do properly. I recall years ago a man who took a pulpit and many of his peers praised him, not because he had done anything, but because he was the pastor in a revered pulpit. I have watched presidents of a country get elected, and people idolize the man before he has done anything. They praise and exalt him because of the position he holds and not for anything he has done.

When praise and exaltation are given for the wrong reason, it can be very destructive to the person who holds the position and for those who follow the person. It is destructive because the person holding the position can easily be filled with pride from all the praise. It is destructive for the person who gives the praise because they begin to idolize the person.

Isaiah said, “I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for…” Yes, God is worthy to be exalted and praised for Who He is. God is the only One Who deserves to be exalted and praised for Who He is. Yet, Isaiah did not choose to exalt and praise God for Who He is; rather, he chose to exalt and praise God for what He had done and is doing. Isaiah understood that the works of God are worthy of exaltation and praise.

A very valuable lesson can be learned from this principle. First, learn to only praise and exalt the works of a person. Notice, Isaiah praised God because He destroyed evil, strengthened the poor, gave strength to those in distress, protected those who were in the storms of life, was a refuge for those facing the heat of trials and He wiped the tears away from those who were in sorrow. These were the works that Isaiah saw as worthy to be praised and exalted.

These same works are the works for which you should honor and exalt a person. Notice, praise the work, not the person. Sinners have no reason to be praised because we are sinners, but when sinners do these good works, then their works should be praised and exalted.

Second, praising and exalting the good works of a person motivates them and others watching to do the same works. Not everyone can hold one position; so, to praise a position is to set unrealistic expectations for many who will never hold that position. Yet, when you praise the good works someone does, then you motivate everyone to do something that they can achieve. Anyone can do the works for which Isaiah praised God.

Parents, learn to praise and exalt your children for what they do and not for their physical attributes. A child has nothing to do with their own looks. When you praise a child for their physical attributes, you are giving them praise for something that only belongs to God. When you praise a child for getting good grades, helping other children, serving the LORD and doing right, they can always do these things again.

Leaders need to learn to praise the works of people and not the position the person holds. When honoring someone, be careful to put the emphasis on what they have done. Be careful about giving someone praise when they have just achieved a new position. Praising works and not position sets a mindset for good works to be done.

As a follower, be careful you don’t praise a person simply because they hold a position, rather praise the works a person does. There are certainly positions we should honor, but the person in those positions should only receive praise when they do good works.

GREAT DAY AT WOODLAWN BAPTIST CHURCH IN BOWIE, MD

Main Auditorium — The Sunday morning crowd with chairs in the back to house the crowd. This was one of several services conducted Sunday morning at the Woodlawn Baptist Church in Bowie, MD

by: Allen Domelle

Sunday is always a great day, but this Sunday was a bit different. I was invited to speak at the Woodlawn Baptist Church in Bowie, Maryland. This was their annual Round-Up Sunday. Pastor William Tyson and his people worked real hard inviting people to come, and spent much time in prayer to see God bless in a tremendous way.

God was good to give the church a great Sunday. We had 840 attending the morning service. 149 of those attending were first time visitors. The buses worked hard and brought in 350 riders. God then rewarded the efforts of these dear people by giving us 18 people who accepted Christ as their personal Saviour and 1 person baptized.

Each ministry had a different promotion. The bus ministry rented some blow-up slides and trampolines for the children to enjoy. The Spanish department had a pig roast, and many Spanish people came and heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the main adult Sunday school class, the pastor has several gift cards he gave away to many of those attending. The pastor’s wife worked hard and had a chocolate covered pretzel that was given to each person attending. It reminded me a lot of when Jesus performed miracles and fed thousands of people so that they would come hear Him tell them how to get saved. It was truly amazing to see these people give their best effort for God to work through them.

Picture of outside activities for the bus riders.

The one thing that came to my mind throughout the whole day is that the old-time religion still works. In a day when compromise has crept into our independent, fundamental Baptist churches, it was refreshing to see that God still blesses the soul winning efforts of churches who still stand strongly on the truths of the King James Bible. Luke 14:23 is still effective today as it says, “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” The people of Woodlawn Baptist didn’t bring in a drum set or have rock music to bring the crowds in, instead they simply obeyed the command to “Go.” They literally went out into the highways and hedges and compelled the people to come, and they came.

Young children enjoying the activities after the service at the Woodlawn Baptist Church

Let me remind you that you don’t have to compromise to still see God bless. I wish you could have heard the testimonies that were given on Sunday night how God truly blessed the efforts as they worked the tried and true methods of the old time, separated Baptists. Don’t let the progressive liberal Baptists tell you that you can’t preach hard and soul win and still build a church in this present day. The Woodlawn Baptist Church is a testament to the fact that the independent, fundamental Baptist movement is alive and well, and if people will simply put God to the test, then they will be amazed at what He will do for them. Whenever you’re tempted to compromise, simply remember 2 Chronicles 16:9, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” The people of Woodlawn Baptist put God to the test, and he showed Himself strong in our presence this past Sunday.

Help in Trouble

Psalm 46:1-2
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;”

The phone rings, or you hear the knock on the door, and your world is immediately turned upside down. For the first time in your life, or in a long time, you feel vulnerable. The news you hear has thrown you into a tail spin and you don’t know what to do.

David felt the same way in the verse above. David said that when this happened, he discovered, “God is our refuge and strength,…” When his world was removed, David discovered that God was “a very present help in trouble.” When you read this psalm, you find there is help in trouble. Who is that help? That help is God!

One of the things that makes bad news so bad is that it gives no warning ahead of time so you can prepare. It simply comes. The heart attack hits your loved one. You family member has found themselves in trouble with the law. Your spouse leaves you for someone else, and you were completely caught off guard. A seemingly healthy loved one passes away, and your “earth is removed.” When your “earth is removed,” let me remind you that God is the One Who will protect and give you strength to face the days ahead. He is your help in trouble.

When the strength of your life is gone, God will become the strength to help you in your time of trouble. That is what the psalmist was teaching when he said, “…though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;…” When your troubles come and remove the strongholds that you have depended upon for so long, you can rest assured that God is “a very present help in trouble.”

Often, when going through troubled times of life, the troubles you face will seemingly roar at such a volume that you will want to run. The psalmist said in verse 3, “Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,…” He was saying that troubles will certainly make themselves known to you, and the noise of fear and doubt may swirl in your head, but in these times you can be assured that God is “a very present help in trouble.”

Christian, one thing you can bank on in life is that when troubles come, they don’t come alone, because God has already come to be your strength as you go through them. That is why God says in verses 10-11, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” God is simply saying to calm down. Yes, the troubles may be screaming to get you to run, but “be still.” Yes, the troubles may have turned your world upside down, but God will be exalted through them. Yes, the troubles have seemingly made you vulnerable and weak, but God is with you. God is to be your refuge and strength in these times.

Whatever you are facing today, don’t let your troubles cause you to be afraid. As God teaches us in verse 10, calm down. You are safe, and God is there with you. You may not know what the days ahead may hold, but you can always be assured that in the days ahead God will give you the strength to face whatever may come.

Making Home a Fun Place

by: Bette Owens

Proverbs 15:13
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

Proverbs 15:15
“All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.”

As a wife, mother and grandmother, I have come to realize, that to a large degree, it is the woman who sets the mood of the home. A woman has the power and ability to make the home a fun and happy place. Please understand that the man also has his part, but I am writing this article for ladies. We have a big responsibility, in that it is the woman who makes the home a place where others enjoy being. The saying “If momma isn’t happy no one is” contains a lot of truth. As a woman we have most of the control over the mood of the home. How are you doing? Is your home a fun place for everyone? Do you have to go outside your home to have fun? Do the members of your family enjoy being around others, more than their family? God has given us an awesome responsibility which will set the attitudes of our children for the rest of their lives.

We have this funny idea that being happy or having fun is achieved by having more things or more money to spend. Our minds have become warped. We need to stop letting the world and worldly Christians dictate to us what is fun and happy. A Christian needs to live by the attitudes found in the Word of God. “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.” (Psalms 144:15) “He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.” (Proverbs 16:20) In order for us to have a happy home, we must first have a walk with God. We must make our God our Lord and trust Him. I am seeing more and more in our Christian circles women who think that their walk with God is determined by how they measure up or compare to some other Christian woman. We too often set as our pattern to follow, a famous or popular Christian lady. We confuse so-called good looks, beautiful finger nails, nice clothes, a perfect figure, makeup, and even talent and personality, with true godliness. Not that these things are wrong, but when we can’t measure up to their physical appearance, we get discouraged and think that we can not be spiritual. Comparing the physical and not the spiritual discourages women, who then take this defeated spirit into the home. Now we have a miserable home that no one wants to be in, and this causes much unhappiness.

I could write a list of all the fun things we have done as a family, but the things we do for fun do not make the home a fun and happy place. You could follow the list. You could do everything we did, but the things we did, are not what make our home a fun and happy place. When a person has a walk with God and their heart is right, then everything including our homes will be fun and happy.

We see more and more Christian ladies who are doing the things worldly Christians do; they dress, talk and act like Christian ladies, but it is all so external. In Zephaniah 3:2 it says, “She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God.” This verse just jumped out at me! It got my attention when I read all those “she’s.” This verse describes many women in four simple points. One, she obeyed not the voice. Our common sense is fleeing very fast. I believe, the Christian’s common sense ought to come from the Holy Spirit. Can you hear the Holy Spirit? This is our number one protection. If you can still hear, are you obeying or yielding to the Holy Spirit? God is real; this is not a list of do’s and don’ts. God wants to be a part of our lives, every minute of every day. Second, she received not correction. Doesn’t that sound like a woman? I don’t know about you, but I hate to be told I am wrong. You can’t tell that on the outside, but I hate it inside. I don’t want anyone to tell me when my children are wrong, or when I make a mistake. We are very protective of our homes and families and we hate to be told we are wrong in those areas. Third, she trusted not in the Lord. This is a tough one. Ouch! We seem to trust everyone and everything but God and His Word. We will run to a friend, or another family member, the television, do a Google search, call the doctor or go to the nearest Christian bookstore and look for a book. Oh, we do everything that seems right; go to church, pray, read our Bibles (the big family one on the coffee table), but do we really trust Him? Do you know Him, does He really affect you? Is He real in your life? Then lastly, she didn’t draw near to her God. When was the last time you really read your Bible and begged God to give you something? When was the last time you really prayed and got a hold of God so He could speak to you? God is real, this is not a game we are playing. This is not a uniform we wear. This is not a set of regimented actions. We love God with our words but we are far from Him. Women are really good with words. We are so sly that we even fool ourselves. I know someone else who is a “sly old fox”. He has even convinced some that their home is happy, when in fact it is not.

No wonder many Christians have a defeated spirit and a miserable home. No wonder the Christian life gets boring and dull. No wonder our children would rather be anywhere but at home. They have a Christian school teacher who makes God real in their life, and who has a close walk with God, and enjoys it. Why go home? Your children just want to know and see that God is real. If we want a fun and happy home, we need to start making God real in our lives and stop playing the Christian life. God is real, whether you want to believe it or not. Make Him real in your life; make Him your best friend. Talk to Him as much as you talk to everyone else. These four things will change your life. Jesus is real! Start making Him real in your life. We are losing our families because our children don’t believe God is real to us. They can’t see it in our lives or homes. They see rules and standards. They see do’s and don’ts, but not parents who are in love with God. When God is real in our lives, we are a happy and fun people to be around. The result is a happy and fun home. Maybe our child’s attitude is just a reflection of the attitude we have towards our God. Is God real in your life? Obey the voice of the Holy Spirit, receive correction, trust the Lord and draw near to God.

In order to have a fun and happy home, we need to be content with the way God made us. Look less at the physical and concentrate more on the spiritual. If we put God first, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and start being content with the way God made us, we will be able to wake up on topside and make every day a happy and fun time for our children, husband and everyone with whom we come in contact. Once we get our hearts in tune with God and worry only about what God thinks of us, then and only then can we begin to make our home a fun place. The most important thing you can do for your children is to love your husband and be satisfied with what God has given you. If you have a big nose, Praise the Lord! If your child is clumsy, accept that. Being clumsy and having a crooked nose is not sinful. Actually, with the right attitude, these imperfections can be laughable and useable.

A happy home is not a place without rules or healthy guidelines. Happiness itself is a choice and must be required for all the members of our family. We want to blame the rules we have for making our homes unhappy. It is not the rules that drive our children away it is the inconsistency of the parents. The parents who don’t make God real in their lives, the parents who say, “Do as I say, not as I do,” who live one way at home and another way at church are causing their children to look somewhere else for fun and happiness. The parents, who live like God is not real, will have homes that are unhappy. Why do so many young people, who are raised in Christian homes, drop out of church and go into the world as soon as they have a chance? We want to put the blame on everything and everyone except where it often belongs. We blame the devil, we blame friends, we even blame some injustice in the church but these are seldom the reason. The reason is sometimes hard to accept, but sadly, too many Christian homes are a whole lot less attractive then friends, the world and the Devil. It is really only the Christian who can have real joy and happiness. It is sad when real happiness can not be found in our homes. When our children can’t see that God is real to us, they will look for happiness and fun anywhere they can. It is time we make God real in our homes. A godly, fun and happy home will have unity.

We now can begin to make everything we do in the home fun and exciting. Fun is how we look at life; it is our attitude towards whatever we are doing. Fun is not how life affects us. In our home we have tried to look at everything we do and make it fun; things like work, cooking, cleaning, eating, as well as playing, can all be enjoyable. If we are cleaning the bathroom, we put our whole heart into it and make it fun. You can have a rotten attitude, stomp your feet, pout and make the time miserable or you can have a good attitude, go in there and conquer the dirt; sing, smile and laugh. It is all in how you set the spirit in your heart and home. If you enjoy being miserable and want your husband and children to be miserable, then just go ahead and set the spirit that way. You control this area and as a woman you need to set the spirit in the home. What kind of spirit are you setting?

There have been times in my life and in our home when I have had to catch my spirit and stop wrong thoughts and bad attitudes. I have had to tell myself, “Hey mom, you are not right here. You are wrong, you need to get happy and be content.” Counting your blessings and singing a song can improve your attitude. “Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord let the people rejoice, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord…”

It is very easy to be discontent. By looking at physical possessions and wanting more, we will take our eyes off of the Lord. This will lead to an unhappy home. We need to look at the things we have as just things. Your house should be a home, not a museum. Praise the Lord for what He has given you and don’t let discontentment rob your home of true fun and happiness. Learn to laugh at yourself and accept yourself. Learn to be content with what you have and do not have. We have to be careful as women that we don’t have a “woe is me, feeling sorry for myself” attitude. When we have that attitude God is not in control, but we are. This does not make for a fun and happy home, husband, wife or children.

Our family has never taken a vacation. We have taken our children to the zoo or to an amusement park perhaps six times in the thirty-four years that we have been married. I am not against going to these places, but spending the money and going doesn’t make you happy or mean that you will have fun. I have seen many people at the zoo or amusement park and they were very miserable. They had the money to spend on all kinds of things, but the more they spent the more they wanted, and they were so sad and miserable. All the money in the world and all the things money can buy cannot buy fun or make us happy. Real fun and happiness comes from the heart. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.” (Proverbs 23:7) Things and money do not bond people together or cause people to enjoy being around each other.

Let’s be honest, a woman can make or break a marriage, a home, a church, or any group of people. We hold the key to happy relationships in our hearts. It is up to us whether we have a fun and happy home or not. Let’s stop trying to be someone God did not make us to be. Let’s get our eyes on Him and just worry about what makes Him happy. Let‘s put a new song in our heart. Why do we always have to make life so difficult? The key to a happy and fun home is so simple; put God first. Whether we have money or not, whether we have a beautiful house or a shack, whether we have a pretty face or a not so pretty face, a perfect figure or not so perfect figure, whether we have expensive clothes or hand-me-down clothes, whether my finger nails are long and beautiful or all chewed off, whether God has blessed me with twelve children or just one, whether I graduated from Bible college or not, whether I have all my teeth or whether I lost all my teeth; none of these things determine happiness. These and other situations and conditions do not determine happiness in the home. It is in our heart and that is what makes us happy on the outside. How is your heart? Is your heart condition one that makes your home a happy and fun place or is your heart condition destroying your marriage and home? Let’s do some heart surgery, let’s clean up our hearts so we can have a happy and fun home. The result of a happy heart is a happy and fun husband and children. This will eventually reach out and make a fun and happy church. Your true self is manifested at home and is known by those who know you best.

We have a very important responsibility as women and God has given us an enormous power. We hold in our hands the key to a happy and fun home. People spend all kinds of money buying books on how to have a happy and fun home and spend money on vacations, games and entertainment only to find they still are not happy. We can change our homes if we will just be willing to love the Lord our God with all our heart. Perhaps because this seems so simple we will try everything else and go every other route and still be miserable and make our families miserable. Do you have to lose your husband or children to the fun outside the home before you are willing to do what is necessary to have a fun and happy home? A content and happy woman is doing exactly what God says will cause her husband to come to God. She is bringing honor to God by fulfilling her call as a good help meet. Honoring God gives a woman power to change her man and make her home a happy and fun place. We need to do our part to set the proper attitudes and spirit in our home.

There is nothing to describe the blessing of having a fun and happy home, a place where you can be together and laugh and have a good time no matter what you are doing or what you have or don’t have. There were times when our family did not have much food, clothing or money, but we still had the joy of the Lord in our hearts and we had a happy and fun home. When you have a fun home you can not keep others away and your children, no matter how old, will always want to come back home for a fun time. Some of the best times we have had as a family have been sitting around laughing and talking about the hard times and hard work we have experienced together as a family. I believe families should serve the Lord together in the same ministries in the church. Families want to do everything together except the most important thing, serving God. When training our children we don’t work together, we are all going separate ways; which will eventually destroy our homes. God has been so good to us. Put Him first and just love Him with all your heart, He will bless you with a fun and happy home.

I am looking forward to the day when we can have all twelve of our children, with their spouses and grandchildren (31 plus three more on the way), together for a happy and fun time of enjoying one another. God is so good! There is no greater joy than to know our children are walking in truth and are making fun and happy homes for their children.

Ladies, will you today decide to make your home a happy and fun place? Get up everyday with the right attitude and spirit, and put God first in your life. Worry only about pleasing Him; in return you will please your husband. When you catch your attitude going sour, make it right. Don’t let Satan get in there and make you so proud that you won’t humble yourself and get right. One way that the Devil destroys our homes is through the woman. If he can destroy the spirit in the home and make our homes miserable, he will. When your home is miserable and unhappy, what does the next generation have to look forward to? They sure won’t want homes like they came from. Yet, the next generation will copy the homes they were raised in. Let’s strive to make our homes happy and fun homes that God can bless for generations.

Remember, the only way we can control our spirit is by letting God have complete control. A wise woman does not let anything stir her spirit to agitation. The days that start out with God in control always go a lot smoother than the days when God is not in control. A happy and fun home is refreshing to those who live in it. True fun and happiness comes from serving Jesus. A happy, fun home is a direct result of obeying the Bible. God’s desire is for all of us to have a happy fun home.

Yes, many people are looking for fun and happiness in things like cars, boats, new homes, toys, vacation and… True happiness and fun is the fruit of living a life in the will God. Doing right brings fun and happiness, doing wrong brings counterfeit fun for a short time. Happiness and fun are a result of a Christian doing the will of God.

“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”Proverbs 3:13

Psalm 128 sums it all up: “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD. The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.”

A Happy and Fun Home!

Keep your heart in tune with God and be happy!
Make your home a place where others can know God is real!
Make sure you serve the Lord together as a family!
Make your home a place where other’s spirits can be lifted!
Make your home a place where others can see that dad and mom love each other!
Make your home a place where you can have fun doing just about anything!
Make your home a place where you can laugh and have a good time!
Make your home a place where people like to be!
Make your home a place where you can just be you!
Keep your home neat and tidy!

Bette Owens
Pastor’s Wife
Westside Baptist Church
Pacifica, California

Moving From Desire to Accomplishment

Ecclesiastes 8:6

“Because to every purpose there is time and judgment, therefore the misery of man is great upon him.”

Goals, plans and desires are plenteous with many people. Often you hear people say, “I plan on doing…” The problem is not that people don’t have goals and plans of what they want to do, the problem is that they don’t seem to move from the desire to the accomplishment.

Accomplishment is one of the most important elements that divides the successful from the average. If you were to sit down and write out all of your accomplishments, how many would you be able to write down? The amount of goals a person has doesn’t really mean much. It is how much they accomplish that really matters. I would rather have a person work for me who only has a few goals at a time, but they accomplish them, than someone who has many goals and has never accomplished one of them.

Moving from desire to accomplishment is where many people struggle. In the verse above you find there is a little formula that helps a person move from desire to accomplishment. Let me point out what this verse teaches.

First, you must have a purpose. “Purpose” is defined as, “the reason for which something is done.” You will never accomplish something if you don’t have a purpose for doing it. Simply ask yourself, “What am I trying to accomplish with what I am doing?” This is a key question to get you started. The purpose will define what you are going to do. The purpose will show your destination. Without purpose accomplishment will not be achieved.

Second, there must be a schedule of deadlines to accomplish tasks. God says, “there is time” involved in purpose. In other words, you must sit down and write out a schedule of when you are going to be at certain junctures of your purpose. I often tell people to break down their purpose into segments, then make a deadline to finish each segment. People work off deadlines, and without a deadline you will continue to put things off.

Third, don’t expect immediate results. Accomplishment takes time. You must not quit because it’s taking too much time. Longevity is always an important element in accomplishing projects. Be patient with your time schedule.

Fourth, have a plan, then follow the plan. Judgment is simply planning. You must have a plan of how to accomplish your task. In the plan, you need to figure out every obstacle and how to overcome them. This is another important means to accomplishment.

Fifth, expect hard times. The verse says, “…the misery of man is great upon him.” When it gets tough, don’t quit. One of the main differences between those who accomplish things and those who don’t is the one who accomplishes things keeps going when it gets tough. You must expect what you’re doing to be hard, so don’t quit when it get tough. Just keep taking one more step until you accomplish your task.

Accomplishment is always sweet when achieved. Fulfillment in life will only come if you have accomplishments. Accomplishment should be achieved every day, month and year. When you accomplish something in this pattern, then at the end of life you will have many accomplishments from which you can look back and receive satisfaction. I challenge you to find something to accomplish within the next year.

Help in Trouble

Psalm 46:1-2

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;”

Making Correction Work

Job 32:3
“Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job.”

Correction is an important part of anyone’s life. Without correction a person will go the wrong way and hurt themselves. The purpose of correction should be to help a person know what is the right and wrong way to do things.

In the verse above, Elihu was upset with Job’s three friends because they condemned him without giving him an answer. In other words, he was saying that they had no right to correct him if they were not going to show him why he was wrong and how to do right. That is the key to effective correction.

Correction that is administered in a wrong way will only cause a person to become bitter. Proverbs 15:10 says, “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.” Notice, correction can be grievous. The word “grievous” means, “crushing, awful, bad or hurting.” In other words, if correction is not administered in a right way, it will crush or hurt the one who is being corrected.

You will also notice because it was grievous, it caused them to forsake the way. Maybe this is the reason many leave the right way and end up doing wrong. Many parents have administered correction in a wrong way only to drive their children to a life that they did not want them to live. Please don’t misunderstand what I am saying. I’m not indicting every parent whose child has gone wayward of correcting them the wrong way. I’m saying that there are some who corrected in the wrong manner and they drove their children away. Many Christians have stopped attending church because they were corrected in a wrong manner. This is no excuse to drop out of church, but it is a cause of why some no longer serve the LORD.

The key to effective correction is found in the verse above when it says, “they had found no answer.” Correction that is administered properly will do three things. First, the correction itself will show that sin and doing wrong will cause pain. The pain of the correction itself will cause the one who did wrong to think twice about doing wrong again.

Second, correction that is administered in a right way will show that you lose freedoms when you do wrong. You can’t do wrong and get everything back like it used to be. Sin and wrong causes a person to lose freedoms, and proper correction will take certain freedoms away.

Third, and most importantly, proper correction will teach why they are being punished and show how to do right. This is what takes the grievousness away from correction. When a person is corrected and they learn why it is wrong and how to do the right, then correction has done its work. If all you do is tell them why it is wrong and not how to do right, then they will do wrong again because they don’t know better. Correction is a teaching time to show someone how to do right. The correction itself will show them it’s wrong, but they need to know how to do right.

Administering correction should never be enjoyable; however, times of correction should be used as a teaching time to show how to do right. If you do this, then you will find that correction won’t be as painful to you and the one receiving the correction. Correction works if it is administered right, but it will drive a person away if it is administered in a wrong way. Be sure whenever you administer correction that you take the time to teach why you are correcting someone, and how they can do right so they can avoid correction in the future.

It Is Come Upon Thee

Job 4:5-6
“But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?”

It is apparent that Job was afraid of facing the very troubles he faced. It says in the verses above, “But now it is come upon thee…” It continues to says, “Is not this thy fear…” Job knew his day was coming. He was fearful of the trials that would come his way. Sadly, one of his friends who came to encourage him ended up discouraging him by scolding him when he said, “…and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.” Though I would like to defend Job in this devotional, that is not the purpose of this writing. When what you fear comes upon you, then you need to be sure that you react properly.

I’m reminded of a person who feared of a disease that killed every one of their family members. They were afraid that one day it would kill them. Instead of facing it head on and doing what it took to avoid the disease, they simply ignored the symptoms thinking it would make it better. Sadly, they too died of the disease that killed their family members. They feared that it would come upon them, and it did. To their credit, when it came upon them, they handled it properly and died in dignity with their Christianity in tact.

Everyone has those little fears in the back of their head of what they are afraid may happen to them. Whether it is a disease that has taken your family, or a trial that you have seen others face, that fear is in the background and you wonder how you will handle it when it comes your way. Let me give you some helps as to what to do before and when your fear comes upon you.

First, stop worrying about it coming upon you. Worrying about your fears will not stop them. In fact, worry is wasted energy. You must not fear, for it is not going to stop whatever you face. Instead of fearing, use those energies to serve God.

Second, God will be there for you if your fears come to pass. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.” You must remember that God has never failed you in the past, and IF it comes upon you, He will be there for you to help you when you face it. The confidence that God will be there for you should be enough to cause you to stop fearing.

Third, when it comes upon you, what you told others to do in their hardships is also valid for you during yours. Verses 3-4 say, “Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.” Job instructed others how to face hardships, but he forgot his own counsel when hardships came his way. Always remember that truth never changes. If truth was good for you to give to others when they were facing hardships, then that same truth is still true for you to apply in yours.

Don’t spend your time fruitlessly worrying about something that has yet to happen. If it does happen, then God will give you the grace you need at that time. Until then, focus and use your energies to help others and serve God.

Falling Into Family

by: Jason Williams

My parents made sure our family did everything together. If one of us went for a walk around the lake, all of us went for a walk around the lake, If one us went to town for ice cream, the entire family was going to load up in the truck and go to town for ice cream. We were inseparable and work was no exception, especially when it came time to rake our two and half acre yard in the fall. Dad would wake us on Saturday morning and mom would have a big breakfast for us, then we would head out in the yard and the fun began. My sisters and mom raked, my dad handled the big tarp, and my brother and I had the other tarp. Dad and mom were masters at making work like this fun. They challenged us to build the biggest pile of leaves we could, and then we would all take turns jumping into the piles we had made. When the work was done, it was time for a bonfire, complete with s’mores, hot dogs, and hot apple cider. We finished sitting together by the fire telling stories and watching the sunset over the lake.

At the time it seemed like we were simply having a good time, but now, as I look around and see families full of brothers and sisters that hate each other and refuse to let their children see their grandparents, families that seem more like roommates than family members, I realize my parents were doing much more than just having fun with us, they were keeping us close together as a family and teaching us that while working hard and spending time alone with God are all vital parts of our lives, so is family time. Our family is close because my parents kept us that way. So this fall take some time off, gather your family together, cook some hotdogs, rake some leaves and fall in them. It may seem that you are merely falling into leaves, but really, you are falling into family.

Jason Williams
Assistant Pastor
High Street Baptist Church
Columbus, OH
churchonhigh.wordpress.com

Schizophrenic Dispositions

Esther 5:13
“Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.”

Have you ever been around someone whose disposition is up and down? I like to say that a person like this has schizophrenic dispositions. A person like this can be very frustrating to be around because you don’t know which person is going to show up that day. This type of person can make a home a very unpleasant place to live. This type of person will cause tension in the workplace. This type of person will hurt the morale of a church or an organization.

Haman seemed to be a person who had schizophrenic dispositions. You find him in one passage of Scripture on top of the world, and then a few verses later he is on the bottom. In the verse above, you see that he was at the bottom, but in the previous two verses he was excited about all that befell him. In one moment he was on top of the world because he was invited to a banquet by the queen, and just a few moments later he was discouraged because Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him. One moment he was feeling good because he was asked to come back to the queen’s banquet, and in the next moment he was down in the dumps because he passed by Mordecai. Haman’s disposition was very unstable, and the instability of his disposition had a direct impact on his life.

You must be very careful about having schizophrenic dispositions. Life is too short to be up and down all the time. You will destroy relationships and force yourself into loneliness if you are a person given to schizophrenic dispositions. Your family may put up with your schizophrenic disposition, but that is only because they are obligated to do so; however, there are many people who won’t put up with it, which can have an adverse effect on your future when it comes to employment and relationships.

If you are going to avoid schizophrenic dispositions, then you must learn not to let outside circumstances dictate your attitude. Haman’s attitude was directly impacted by outside elements over which he had no control. You can’t control what everyone else is doing, but you can control what you allow to affect your disposition. Outside circumstances are very fluid, and if you let them dictate your disposition, then you will have an unstable disposition.

Avoiding schizophrenic dispositions all comes down to one thing, let what you have on the inside dictate what your disposition is on the outside. If you have the love of God and the joy of the LORD in your heart, then you can easily avoid schizophrenic dispositions. If you receive joy from God’s love, then your joy will never cease for God’s love never changes. You can be on top side all of the time if you only let what’s on the inside dictate what you portray on the outside.

Friend, if you will receive your joy from the inside, then you can change your surroundings on the outside. A person who has the true joy of the LORD in their heart will change the attitude of their surroundings. Schizophrenic dispositions can be a thing of the past if you will let your joy come from the LORD. Make it a daily goal not to let outside circumstances dictate your disposition. Ask God to influence your disposition so that you can show the world that God gives true joy through all circumstances.

Elements of Rebuilding

Nehemiah 1:3
“And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”

Sin can leave a life in ruins. Just like the walls and gates of Jerusalem were left in rubbles because of the sin of Israel, sin will also leave your life in rubble. However, as long as a person is alive, there is hope that they can be used again. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls from rubble, and God can rebuild a life that sin has destroyed.

The elements of rebuilding a life are found in what it took to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Notice, we are not talking about building a life, but rebuilding a life. A life that sin has ruined needs these elements if it is going to be rebuilt.

First, it takes prayer to rebuild a life. Nehemiah bathed his work in prayer, and you must bathe the work of rebuilding a life in prayer. It will take God to rebuild a life left in shambles, and prayer is the key element in rebuilding that life. Not only must the person who is helping rebuild the life bathe their work in prayer, but the one whose life is being rebuilt must spend much time in prayer.

Second, it takes vision to rebuild a life. Nehemiah saw a wall rebuilt when others only saw the rubble of the wall. You must never give up on a life being rebuilt. Others may think a person can never be rebuilt, but you must stay optimistic that God has the power to rebuild them. Have a vision for the person who needs their life rebuilt. Believe in them and let them know that God can use them again.

Third, it takes determination to rebuild a life. Nehemiah had many opportunities to become discouraged, but he was determined to rebuild the walls. You must not let setbacks stop you from rebuilding a life. The person whose life is being rebuilt must be determined that they are going to make it back, and the person helping to rebuild the life must be determined that they can be rebuilt. Don’t quit just because there is a setback.

Fourth, it takes a deaf ear to rebuild a life. Nehemiah was ridiculed, but he kept on building. You must not listen to all the accusations that fly when a life is being rebuilt, you simply need to stay focused on the work at hand. When the ridicule comes, don’t listen to it.

Fifth, it takes a positive peer group to rebuild a life. Nehemiah didn’t rebuild the wall alone, but he had many people helping him. If your life is going to be rebuilt, then you need to surround yourself with a positive peer group who will guide you into doing the right things. Likewise, you must be sure to put the person whose life is being rebuilt into a positive peer group that will help them succeed.

Sixth, it takes hard work to rebuild a life. It was hard work for Nehemiah and the people to rebuild the wall. Likewise, it will take hard work to rebuild a life. The person whose life is being rebuilt is going to have to work hard to do right, but also the person rebuilding the life is going to have to work hard. It is not easy, but the work is worth it.

If you’re life is in shambles, then take hope that it can be rebuilt. If your looking for something to do in the Christian life, then invest your efforts in rebuilding lives. God is in the rebuilding business, and you will find the greatest fulfillment in life comes when you have helped a life that was in shambles to be rebuilt.