Strength for Today – Page 15 – Old Paths Journal

He Chose

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Genesis 13:10
“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.”

The decision that Lot made in the verse above completely changed his future. He probably did not know that his choice would have so much power. His one choice led to losing his wife, two daughters and sons-in-law. His one choice led to immoral conduct with his two remaining daughters. His one choice led his life from one of promise to one of ill repute. Nobody ever thinks of Lot without thinking of what sin did to his life. Sadly, any good that he did in his life was never recorded because of that one choice.

I have seen scores of people throughout my ministry destroy their lives through one decision; they never thought their choice would become so destructive. Many times, these people who made these bad choices at the time thought it was a promising one only to learn later that it was the worst decision of their life. We can learn from Lot and the scores of people who through one choice turned a life of promise into a life of turmoil. The verse above shows us the rationale of Lot’s destructive choice.

First, he chose by convenience. It was more convenient to pitch his tent toward the well-watered plains than it was to choose a land where he would have to toil to feed his flocks. Convenience is never a part of the will of God. Many times God’s choice won’t be convenient, but it will always be right. Convenience should never be the basis of any decision.

Second, he chose by pleasure. The green grass of Sodom and Gomorrah looked much more pleasurable than the desert land of Canaan. Friend, what may look like green grass could be weeds. Just because something may feel right doesn’t make it right. Never make choices based on feelings, because those feelings don’t take God’s Word into consideration.

Third, he chose by sight. There wasn’t one time when Lot made a choice based on faith. Every choice you make should be a decision of faith. Any decision that does not involve faith is sin. Your eyes can deceive you, but waiting to make a decision by faith will always reveal the right path you should choose.

Fourth, he chose the path of least resistance. There seemed to be less work if he chose the plains over the land of Canaan. Sometimes the path of greatest resistance is the right path. You will miss some of the greatest opportunities that God has for you if you always choose the path of least resistance. God has a better opportunity to reveal Himself through you through the path of greatest struggle. I’m not saying that the path of least resistance is always wrong, but you should never base your decision off this parameter.

What Lot thought was convenient became inconvenient. What he thought would be pleasurable became a heartache. What he thought would be the path of least resistance, became the path of great resistance. Never allow your flesh, feelings or intuitions to be the basis for any decision, but every decision must be made by principles based upon Scriptures.

The Master of Distraction

Genesis 3:1
“Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Distraction is one of the key tools Satan uses to get God’s people from doing what they are supposed to do. Satan is not always concerned with you going into “deep” sin; he simply wants to get you not to do what God wants you to do. If he can distract you from what you are supposed to be doing, he knows that he will keep what God wants to be done from happening.

The incident of Eve in the Garden of Eden is a great example of Satan’s ability to distract. He used the serpent to distract Eve and eventually got her to disobey God through the serpent’s diversion. The distraction itself was not wrong, but it is what led to her to do wrong. The Devil knows that if he can distract you from doing what you are supposed to be doing, he will eventually get you to do wrong. There are three ways which you must be wary of how the Devil distracts Christians.

First, he distracts through questions. He simply asked Eve if God really said that she couldn’t eat of every tree. Satan knows that once you start questioning Scripture, he will be able to get you to change what God said. You have to be careful about those who are always questioning the validity of God’s intentions or the veracity of what is really meant. To question God is to question His ability, authority and omniscience. To question God is to question His sovereignty. It is not my job to ask God why, it is my job to trust that He knows what is best. Don’t let the Devil distract you from obedience by getting you to question the why.

Second, Satan distracts through diversion. It’s interesting that Satan got Eve to notice the one tree they couldn’t eat from instead of looking at every other tree that God gave her to eat. Many Christians fall for this distraction. Instead of looking at everything God allows them to do, they focus on the one thing He tells them they cannot do. Don’t let the Devil distract you through diversion. God gives you many more things to do for every one thing He tells you that you cannot do. Don’t let your focus get diverted by dwelling on what you cannot have.

Third, Satan distracts through worthy causes. King Josiah got diverted by a worthy cause that eventually took him away from what he was supposed to be doing. Satan always has worthy battles to fight, but you must stay focused on what God has called you to do. Throughout my lifetime, I have seen many preachers and church members get distracted with fighting worthy causes, but those battles took them away from obeying the Great Commission. Many of these battles are areas in which we should let people know where we stand, but we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from what God has called us to do. We were commissioned by God to reach the world with the Gospel. Distraction may not pull you completely away from what you are supposed to be doing, but it will keep you from doing it to your fullest capacity.

The first step to all sin is distraction. A person who falls into sin usually got distracted before they chose to sin. Don’t let Satan’s distractions divert you from what you are supposed to be doing. Stay focused on what God has commanded and the distractions won’t be distractive.

The Power to Impact

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Revelation 12:11
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

The Christian life can certainly seem overwhelming at times, and it can seem that we have no power to overcome the forces of this world. The verse above debunks the thought that the Christian is powerless. God shows us that we can overcome Satan and any force he may use. God does not leave the Christian powerless; instead, He gives them the power to overcome Satan and his accusations.

When looking at the three things God gives the Christian the power to overcome, I realize that these three things also gives the Christian the power to make an impact on those around them. I’m afraid Christians often don’t make an impact on those around them when inside them lies the power to make an impact on everyone they influence. Let me show you these three things that will make an impact in your world.

First, you make an impact through the power of salvation. You will notice in the verse above that they overcame Satan “by the blood of the Lamb.” Your salvation has more power than just saving you from sin. One of the things I have learned throughout the years of soul winning is the power of telling others how I got saved. People may not believe what we show them from Scripture, but they cannot deny what the LORD has done through your life because of salvation. Christian, never let your salvation get old. Always talk about the time you got saved. Your salvation experience will help you to make an impact on others.

Second, you make an impact through the power of your word. The verse above says they overcame Satan “by the word of their testimony.” Your word is your testimony. You can tell people that you are a Christian, but your testimony is invalidated when people can’t trust what you say. When people know that your word can always be trusted, that will make an impact on their lives. This world has become accustomed to people lying, so a person who is truthful is rare and that carries power with it. Always remember that your testimony is only as powerful as your honesty. If you are not a person of integrity and honesty, you will never make an impact on this world.

Third, you make an impact through the power of your dedication. One of the reasons these Christians overcame Satan was because they “loved not their lives unto the death.” In other words, there is power in putting no limits on what you will do for Christ. It is sad when the world is more dedicated to their cause than the Christian. You will never make an impact until you are all in for Christ. When you decide to give your whole effort and time towards living for Christ is when you start making an impact on your world. The world determines your love for Christ through your dedication. Let me ask you, does the world see that you give more effort for Christ than you do anything else? The one thing that should always be said about your life is that you put no boundaries on what you will do for Christ. When the Christian decides that nothing but death will stop them in their quest to reach the world, that is when they make a great impact on others.

What is the impact you are making on your world? If these three things are engrained in your life, you will find it will result in your life making an impact for Christ.

The Significance of Influences

Psalm 144:11
“Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:”

One of the common warnings throughout my ministry is to guard your influences. I have watched many people destroy their reputation and future because of wrong influences. It doesn’t matter who you are, you are being influenced by someone. Your influences determine your direction. They influence you to either do the right thing or the wrong thing. The importance of keeping the right influences can’t be over emphasized.

In the verse above, the psalmist understood the significance of influences. He said, “Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children…” He knew his influences affected his influence. He understood the significance that influences would have on him, so he asked God to “rid” him of those “strange” influences that would harm his ability to do right. God then shows us the significance that influences have in three areas of our lives.

First, influences influence our ability to rear “polished” children. He says in verse 12 that the right influences influence our ability to train “our sons” and “our daughters” to become “polished after the similitude of a palace:” Whoever influences you will influence how you train your children. One of the best parenting tips you will find is to be sure that your influences are right if you want to train your children to do right. I have seen many parents who are training their children right, but they have weak associations or friends, resulting in their children not heeding their parent’s guidance. If you want your children to turn out for the LORD, consider who your influences are because they ultimately will influence your children. You can’t train your children to stay clean when you are walking with dirty influences. If you want your children to do right, you had better be sure your influences are the right ones.

Second, influences influence your ability to be financially stable. Verse 13 says, “That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store…” Your influences do determine how you spend money. If you want to be financially stable, you would be wise to have the type of influences which encourage you to be frugal with your spending. If your influences spend money frivolously, they will influence you to do the same. The right influences will have an impact on your ability to save money so that you will have the finances to do what you need to do.

Third, influences influence your ability to be productive. Verse 14 says, “That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out…” When you have the right influences, they will encourage you to complete projects and work hard. You will find that those people who are unproductive in life also have unproductive influences. Productive people become the leaders of tomorrow. Guard your influences if you want your life to be productive.

The Scriptures teach that it is always a “who” that hinders you. Be watchful of the influences you have in your life. Be sure that they are the type of influences you wouldn’t mind training your children, running your finances, or managing your business. If you keep this as your guide for influences, you will have the proper type of influences who will help you to become the proper influence to others.

Identifying Tendencies of Apostate Teachers

Jude 1:4
“For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Book of Jude is an exhortation to “contend for the faith.” God knows that the Devil uses any way possible to change the faith. One of those ways is by using teachers, who seem sincere and trustworthy, to turn you away from the faith. The verse above shows the tendencies of these modern day Balaam’s. Let me show you their tendencies, so you can identify them and keep yourself from their harmful teachings.

First, they move slowly. The verse above says, “For there are certain men crept in unawares…” One of the tendencies of these people is they don’t come in and try to rock the boat. These apostate teachers are very patient. They understand that you are very akin to the faith of the old paths, so they are willing to move slowly to get you to move away from it. They don’t try to get you to move all at once; they simply attempt to move you a little at a time. One thing about these apostates is that they will say they are like you, and lying doesn’t bother them because they are not about the truth of the faith, but they are about the endgame of fundamentally changing what you believe.

Second, they try to win your heart. We often think that apostate teachers are not likable people, but that is not true. These people are very likable. They have great personalities. Their teachings will often make you feel good because they never teach something that would be controversial with society. These teachers are very appealing and pleasant to be around. Their goal is to get you to like them and trust them so they can change your belief of the faith.

Third, they use grace as an excuse to fulfill physical lusts. The verse above says, “…turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness…” The word “lasciviousness” means, “looseness; tendency to excite lust, and promote irregular indulgences.” In other words, these apostate teachers use grace as their basis for getting you to change what you believe. They say that we live in the day of grace; therefore, we are no longer bound by Old Testament standards of holiness. Grace is always their excuse to allow the saved person to fulfill their physical lusts without feeling guilty. Friend, grace is not a license to sin or to live in the filth of the world. You better watch out for these apostate preachers and teachers who continually attack the standards of holiness. Their arguments may sound appealing to your flesh, but our flesh is to be crucified not fed.

Fourth, they use outside authorities as their basis for change. The verse above says, “…and denying the only Lord God…” You will always see that these apostates use people in history as a basis for change. They often quote modern day “spiritual leaders” to get you to believe that changing to meet cultural acceptance is acceptable. Friend, the faith doesn’t change with culture. There is only one authority, and that is God’s Word. It doesn’t matter what man thinks or says; the Scriptures are the only basis for our standard of living.

Let me exhort you to beware of the modern day Balaam’s. The doctrine of change promoted by modern day Balaam’s to be culturally accepted always leads to spiritual disaster. Keep God’s Word as your final authority, and you will be able to avoid the destruction that these apostates cause.

Roles of a Happy Marriage

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

1 Peter 3:1
“Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;”

Marriage is one of those relationships that can be thoroughly enjoyed if both husband and wife will fulfill their roles. The world has tried to redefine the roles of the spouse, but their redefinition has led to many dysfunctional marriages and divorce. The first seven verses of 1 Peter 3 show the roles that both a husband and wife must fulfill to have a happy marriage.

The first role is found in the verse above when God commands the wife to be “in subjection” to her “own” husband. Sadly, some ladies will follow the leadership of other men better than they will their own husband. Ladies, don’t allow the familiarity of marriage cause you to treat another man with more respect than your husband. You should submit to your husband’s leadership more quickly than you would any other person.

There are three ways you should submit to you husband. First, submit to him in word. The verse above talks about obeying with your word. In other words, don’t allow yourself to become the lady who voices her disapproval when your husband makes a decision. Second, submit in action. Let your conversation or actions show your submission. I’ve seen ladies do what their husbands want, but their actions show their total displeasure with his decision. This will not allow for a happy marriage. Third, submit with your spirit. The lady who has the submissive spirit will not pressure her husband into doing something he doesn’t believe would be good to do. How you submit to your husband is an indicator of your submission to God.

God then addresses the husband’s role in the marriage. Many husbands want a submissive wife, but they don’t give their wife a reason to follow. If the husband fulfilled his role, he would find his wife would be more willing to submit.

The first thing a husband should do is spend time with his wife. God commands the husband to “dwell with them.” Men, you should desire to be with your wife more than you want to be with anyone else. You didn’t marry her to spend time doing things away from her. Your marriage will suffer greatly if you don’t learn to make time to spend with your wife. Moreover, you should learn your wife’s habits. One reason men struggle to get along with their wife is that they’ve never learned her habits. Learn how she responds to your leadership. Realize she needs time to come around to your decisions. If you learn what her responding habits are, you wouldn’t be so frustrated with her when she doesn’t immediately follow. Furthermore, don’t expect your wife to be like you. She is the “weaker vessel.” Many men ruin their marriage because they expect their wife to be like them. You must realize that she will not be like you because God made ladies to be different from men. Accept her for who God made her to be. Finally, be a team player. You are supposed to be “heirs together.” Don’t be the lone ranger who does everything yourself, but include your wife in all that you do.

Marriage is a lifelong relationship, and in any relationship there must be roles that each person fulfills if they want that relationship to continue. These roles that God gives will make any marriage happy. When the roles in a marriage are clearly defined and followed, it makes it much easier to get along.

Choices

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Hebrews 11:25
“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”

You make choices every day. You choose every morning whether or not to get up when the alarm goes off. You choose which route you will take to work. You choose whether or not to respond to situations in which you are involved. You choose to obey or not obey the speed limits along the route you travel. You choose to read or not to read the Scriptures every day. Every day you are making choices that carry ramifications. Some of the consequences of those choices are life-changing, and others affect the rest of your day. In essence, every choice you make is a life-changing choice.

Moses made a choice that at the time of the decision he never understood the impact it would have on his life and on the lives of others. His choice literally changed the course of eternity. At the time he made that decision, I’m confident he thought it would only be for the moment, but it became a choice that eventually resulted in Israel being set free. There are three choices that we learn from Moses’ choice which you must make.

First, you must choose your associations. When Moses refused to be called the “son of Pharaoh’s daughter,” he was making a choice to associate with God’s people. There must come a time in your life when you choose for what you want to be known. Do you want to be known as a Christian, or do you want to be associated with the world? Every Christian must at some point in their life make it clear to everyone around that they are a Christian. Your neighbors and work associates should know that you are a Christian. Your family should know that you want to be identified as a Christian. This choice tags you and will determine what life you are going to live.

Second, you must choose your pleasures. Moses chose to get His pleasure from doing right. You can choose the pleasures of sin, but they will only last for a short season. You can only straddle the fence for so long. You need to make it clear from whence your pleasures will come. You can choose to get your pleasure from the affairs of the world, or you can choose to get your pleasures from serving God. You can choose to get your pleasures every Saturday from going to the lake or sporting activities, or you can choose to get your pleasures from seeing people saved through soul winning and bus calling. Every day you are going to make the choice from where you are going to get your pleasures.

Third, you must choose your identity. Moses wanted to be identified as a man sold out to God. Friend, at some point in your life you need to choose your identity. Your identity becomes clear by your choice of associations. One of the reasons you need to stop praising the modern day Balaam’s who have no holiness standards and won’t use the King James Bible is because your praise is a choice of identity. Why not make your choice for the old paths? Choose to identify with those who have walked down the old paths in past years, and choose to identify with those who are walking down those paths today. It makes your identity clear.

Just like Moses, you will never know the impact of these choices on eternity, but make no mistake, it will not only affect your future, but it will also affect others. Be wise with your choices because you have to live with their results the rest of your life.

The Confidence of Blameless

Titus 1:7
“For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;”

God said, “…If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” (1 Timothy 3:1) There is no greater desire for anyone than for them to desire to represent Christ through the office of the pastor. However, with great privilege comes great responsibility. It is the responsibility of the one who desires that office and holds it to live a blameless life.

Why is it though, that we want the pastor to be blameless and not every Christian? The pastor is simply an example to every Christian of how they should live. In other words, if the pastor is not to be self-willed or angry, neither is the Christian. If the pastor is to be blameless in his personal life, so is the Christian. Certainly, nobody should hold the office of the pastor who is not blameless, but one of the reasons God has this requirement is so that the Christian would follow suit and live a blameless life. There are several observations I would like to show you concerning being blameless.

First, blameless does not mean sinless. There is nobody who can say they are living a sinless life. 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Because we live this life in the flesh, we will continue to fight sin. When God says, “blameless,” He simply means there is nothing hidden that can be held against you.

Second, being blameless gives you the confidence to do what God has called you to do without hesitation. Every Christian, especially the pastor and deacons, should be able to serve the LORD and have the confidence that nobody is going to find something in their life to hold against them. Satan is the “accuser” of the brethren. His reason for accusing the Christian is to take their confidence away. When you live a blameless life, you will be able to confidently do God’s work without any hesitation of what could be revealed.

Third, blameless gives you the authority to deal with sin without worrying that your skeletons will be revealed. Here is one of the biggest reasons leadership must live a blameless life. Once your followers find out that you hid something, they will now throw it back in your face when you go to correct their sin. The preacher who lives a blameless life can preach against sin with authority. The Christian who lives a blameless life can deal with sin according to the Scriptures because they don’t have anything to hide. I’ve found in many cases that those who are soft on sin do so because they have skeletons in their closet that minimizes their authority because they are afraid of those skeletons being revealed. It is much easier to deal with sin properly if you live a blameless life.

Fourth, blameless silences the critics. Verses 10-11 reveal that many people want to criticize you for your stand for truth. Friend, when you live a blameless life, you take away their ammunition. The only thing they can do at that point is to mock you.

The need for people to live blamelessly is great. Again, blameless does not mean sinless, but it does mean you are living your life in such a manner that nobody has anything they can hold against you. You may not be a pastor, but if you live a blameless life, you will find it results in the confidence to boldly proclaim truth and to call out sin.

Making Your House a Great House

2 Timothy 2:20
“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.”

Have you ever visited someone’s home as a child, and when you saw something, you went to reach for it only to be told, “Don’t touch it.” Everyone has those one or two things you have on display in your house that you don’t want anyone touching because they are considered valuable or irreplaceable.

In the verse above, God shows that the Christian is a “great house” for Him. In other words, you are precious and valuable to God. He implores the Christian to take inventory of their life and remove those things from their life that keep them from becoming a great house for Him. Let me show you several observations about these verses that will help you to make your life a great house for the LORD.

First, identify those things in your life that hinder you from becoming a great house for God. In your life there are vessels “to honour, and some to dishonour.” You must be honest with yourself when looking at those things in your life that either impede you from doing the LORD’s work or are a great contributor to what He wants you to do. Looking through the prism of God’s Word is the only way to identify what is and is not valuable in your life for the LORD.

Second, be willing to purge yourself from those things that are a hindrance. Verse 21 tells the Christian to purge himself from those vessels of “dishonour.” You must immediately start working on those areas of your life that are keeping you from being used greatly by God. Let me warn you that this won’t be a quick process. Purging takes time, so be patient and continue to work at the cleansing process until you are purged from those things that hinder you from being who you are supposed to be for the LORD.

Third, the more you purge the hindrances, the more valuable the honourable vessels become. It is interesting that the honourable vessels become more valuable when you remove the dishonourable ones. You will find that as you start to put away those things in your life that don’t need to be there, the more the good things in your life will be evident to others. Furthermore, the more you purge yourself from the dishonourable, the more you will desire the honourable.

Fourth, only do those things that contribute to making you a great house. Some things in life are not wrong, but they don’t contribute to what God wants you to become. If what you are doing doesn’t make you more honourable for the LORD, you would be wise not to do it. Your purpose in life is to be that Christian whom God can use. You must be willing to avoid doing anything, even those things you enjoy, that will keep you from becoming a great house for God.

Fifth, you will only become a vessel of honour when you separate from anything or anyone who keeps you from becoming the great house. Friend, there are people, things and activities from which and whom you must separate if you want God to use you. You must not look at the separation as something that keeps you from enjoying life, but look at it as the key to making you more valuable to the LORD. If you will do these things, you will be meet for the Master’s use and prepared to do anything for Him.

A Fulfilling Day

1 Thessalonians 4:17
“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The promise of the LORD’s return is nearing. When Jesus left His disciples and ascended to Heaven, He promised that He would “come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:11) The verse above talks about that same day. He promises that we will “be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” When you read about this day, you see that this day will fulfill many things. Let me show you five things about this day and what it will do for you.

First, it is a fulfilling day. Verse 13 reminds us that all hope will be fulfilled on this day. This will be a day when everything for which we lived on this Earth for Christ will come to fruition. It will be a fulfilling day for the pastor who gave his life to the ministry to see lives changed. It will be a fulfilling day for the bus worker who spent every Saturday visiting their bus kids and gave most of their Sunday to bring those same children to church. It will be a fulfilling day for every ministry worker, as the hope for which they worked will be fulfilled. It will be a fulfilling day for every Christian who won’t compromise, for in that day their continued stand will finally pay off.

Second, it is a comforting day. Verse 18 says, “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” I think of how this day brings comfort to the parent who saw their children go home to be with the LORD at a very young age. What a day that will be for those parents to see their children again. I think of every person who has a loved one already in Heaven, this day will allow them to see their loved ones again. This is why it is a comforting day.

Third, it is an exciting day. In verse 16, we are reminded that the LORD will come “with a shout.” Imagine the excitement of our first day in Heaven. Christian, all the heartaches and trials you are currently suffering and enduring will immediately be forgotten. This is an exciting day! I believe Christians will be shouting in celebration and praising the LORD when this day occurs.

Fourth, it is an imminent day. In 1 Thessalonians 5:2, we are reminded that this day will come “as a thief in the night.” Friend, this is why you must stay busy serving the LORD. This is why you must live a holy life because you don’t know when our LORD will return. It could be today! Would you want the LORD to find you not doing what you are supposed to do? Have you witnessed to everyone you know? It is going to be an imminent day, and you don’t want to have incomplete duties when the LORD returns.

Fifth, it is a purifying day. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5, we are challenged to live as “children of light.” In other words, this day should motivate you to stop doing any works of darkness. Let me ask you, would you want the LORD to catch you doing some of the wrong things that you do? If you don’t want Him to catch you that way, you had better stop doing them now because He could come today. This day should cause you to purify yourself and start living a holy life.

The LORD’s return is near. Christian, you should live each day until Christ returns as if this was the day He chose to come. Your will have a fulfilled life if you live each day as if this was that day of His return.