Strength for Today – Page 19 – Old Paths Journal

The Pressure of Growth

Ezekiel 47:7
“Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.”

Many times when a child is going through a growth stage, they will experience growing pains. What is interesting is that they don’t know why they are having pain, but their body is going through the pressure that growth causes.

You will never grow without pressure. A business person who wants to grow their business will go through times of extreme pressure. A church that is growing is a church where its members are under pressure. That pressure may be the result of trials, but the pressure is what grows the church. In the verses above, you find there are five features of growth.

First, growth is not an immediate process. In verses 3-5, you will see that God brought Ezekiel through several different levels of water. He brought him to waters that went to his ankles, knees, loins and finally to waters which he could not pass over. You must be patient with yourself and others as you go through the growth process. Don’t become impatient with the growth process, because it never happens immediately. There are stages of growth you must go through.

Second, growth won’t happen without being stretched. God brought Ezekiel to different levels of water. Every level stretched Ezekiel’s faith. Growth is uncomfortable because it stretches you. If you only do for God what is comfortable, you will never experience growth. God must stretch you to grow you. At times that stretching may be painful or uncomfortable, but it is necessary for growth.

Third, growth will take you to your limit. Ezekiel went to waters that he was not able to pass over, but God did not bring him beyond his limit. One of the most important things to understand about growth is that you must be brought to your breaking point, but God will never bring you beyond it. God has to bring you to the breaking point so that you will place your faith in His power to bring you through. You will never experience the growth God wants you to have without your faith being challenged.

Fourth, growth needs a time of reprieve to continue to the process. Once Ezekiel got to the point he could not go further, God brought him back to the banks of the river. God’s process of growth is pressure and relief. He will challenge you, and afterwards He gives you a time to breathe. Be careful about always putting pressure without relief. When a person gets to their breaking point, you must allow them to have time to be relieved of the pressure so that they will have the strength to go through the next growth stage.

Fifth, growth happens when you don’t see it. It is interesting that when Ezekiel got back to the banks of the river, there were fully grown trees on either side of the river. You may not see the growth happening in your life, but you are growing even when you don’t see it. Just because you don’t see growth doesn’t mean it is not happening. You have to trust God’s growth process and continue if you want to mature in your Christian life.

Friend, growth is never an easy process, but if you continue without quitting, you will be pleased with what the LORD is doing in your life. Let me encourage you to accept faith’s challenge to grow your faith.

Making the LORD Known

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Ezekiel 34:27
“And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.”

The greatest need of the world is to know the LORD. We live in times when many try to make themselves known when this world needs to know the LORD. Throughout the Book of Ezekiel, God makes Himself known in four different ways.

First, the LORD will be known through judgment. Ezekiel 25:17 says, “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.” It is sad that because Israel didn’t allow the LORD to work through them, the only way He could make Himself known to the world was through judgment. The LORD is going to make Himself known through your life through one way or another. If you choose not to serve the LORD, you then only give Him one other choice by which He can make Himself known through you, and that is through judgment. Friend, don’t force God’s hand. Don’t make God have to resort to judgment for your life to bring Him glory.

Second, the LORD will be known through deliverance. Ezekiel 20:42 says, “And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel…” There are going to be times when you face the insurmountable. The LORD will be known through your life when He delivers you from the impossible. When the world sees that you had no chance, but the LORD brought you through that which seemed to overwhelm you, it is then that the world will know the LORD. You may not like the trials you face, but the LORD is using those trials in your life to show Himself to the world. Let the LORD’s power be seen in your life during your times of trial.

Third, the LORD will be known when the bands of sin are broken. The verse above says that the world shall “…shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke…” One of the greatest things about overcoming sin is that the world sees that the LORD is the only hope for victory. One great reason you need to overcome your sin is to give others hope that they can also overcome sin with the LORD’s help. Sin has driven many to hopelessness, and their only out is through vices. You can help them to see there is hope by allowing the LORD to deliver you from the bands of your sin.

Fourth, the LORD will be known when you allow Him to work through you. Ezekiel 20:44 says, “And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake…” God always uses people to make Himself known. Why not allow Him to work through you? When God’s Holy Spirit empowers you to do a great work, the world will see the LORD. You can do God’s work through your own power, but the world will never see the LORD. Let me ask you, when is the last time you spent time begging for the power of God? The LORD wants to work through you, but you must be willing to yield yourself to His power if He is going to do so. Christian, stop trying to do God’s work in human power. It is only through His power that His name will be known through you.

Look at the “I Will”

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Ezekiel 28:2
“Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seas; yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God:”

Pride is always the source of every sin. You tell me the name of a sin, and we will discover at the source of that sin is pride. This is why God said in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Nobody embodies the symbol of pride more than Satan. In Ezekiel 28, Tyre is a symbol of Satan. When you look at Satan, you will find there were four sources of his pride. Position was the first source of his pride when he said, “I am a God, I sit in the seat of God.” Wisdom was his second source of pride that caused his heart to be lifted up in verse 4. Wealth became his third source of pride in verse 5. Beauty was his fourth source of pride in verse 17. What is interesting about all of these is that he did not give himself position, wisdom, wealth or beauty, God did. When you study the Scriptures, you will clearly see that all of these things come from God.

These things created two destructive attitudes in Satan. The first destructive attitude was when he said, “I am.” The “I am” attitude is one where you want everyone to look at what you have done. You believe you are great because of what you have done in the past. Friend, you had better never forget who helped you to achieve those accomplishments. You are walking on dangerous ground when you start pointing people to what you have done instead of to what God has done through you. Every accomplishment you have is because God gave you the wisdom, power and strength to do it; don’t forget it!

The second destructive attitude of Satan was when he said, “I sit.” This attitude is one where you get people to look at who you are because of what you are doing. You are walking on a self-destructive path when you start believing that you are so big that nobody can stop you or take you down. I have sadly seen people, whom God has used, who thought they could do what they wanted to do, even if it was against the Scripture, and think that nobody could stop them because of who they were. You may hold a powerful position, but God is still more powerful than you. Don’t ever get to the point where you think you are too big to fail.

There is only one reason a person would get this far, and that reason is that they stopped looking at the “I will.” You will find that the “I will” is God. You can choose to keep your eyes on the “I will” or you will be forced to look at the “I will” when He judges you. Verse 22 shows what God wants when He says, “I will be glorified in the midst of thee.” You can choose to stay focused on the “I will” and give Him glory at your own choosing, or He will receive the glory when He forces you to look at the “I will.”

Let me encourage you not to let the four sources of pride cause you to take your eyes off the “I will.” If you will keep your eyes on the “I will” and give Him glory, He will continue to bless you in life.

When the Sinner Comes Home

Ezekiel 18:21
“But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

Though God must judge sin, it is encouraging that He always anticipates the wicked to “turn from all his sins.” In Ezekiel’s sermon to Israel, God had already judged Israel; however, God still expected their repentance, and in His anticipation He showed how the wicked should be treated when they decide to repent of their sinful ways.

One of the sad parts of the Christian life is when someone chooses to go into sin. I never get over the heartbreak of hearing of a person who has fallen into sin. What encourages me is that God never stops working in their heart. Even when that person has come to the end of sin’s treacherous road and they find the heartache that it brings, God is still working to bring them back to Him. It is important when they choose to come back that they are treated right. There are several things God mentions in the verse above that shows us how we should treat someone when they turn from their wicked ways.

First, we are to end their death sentence. Notice that the verse above says, “…he shall surely live, he shall not die.” We have to be careful that we don’t have such a critical spirit that when someone turns from their sin that we don’t continue to punish them as if they are in sin. Many people who have come back to God quit because of the attitude of other Christians. Let me encourage you not to hold a critical spirit towards the person who has returned. Rejoice in the fact that they have come home. Don’t become the type of person who says, “We will see how long this will hold.” If a person gets right with God, rejoice in their return.

Second, don’t throw the past sins back at the Christian who has repented. Verse 22 says, “All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him…” The quickest way to discourage the one who has come back is to constantly remind them of what they have done. When you always remind them of what they have done, they will believe they need to live down to what you say about them. If that were your child, or you, you would not want others to constantly mention the past. The past is over; it’s time to move on and take them for who they are in the present.

Third, encourage the person who has returned by praising them for the right they are doing. Verse 22 continues to say, “…in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.” I have learned that the best way to keep a person doing right is to praise them for every little step of righteousness they take. It is easy to constantly nitpick at their faults, but if you praise them when they take a right step, that will encourage them to continue to take the right steps. Your goal should be to encourage and not to discourage.

Ultimately, your attitude towards the person in sin is to anticipate their return. God anticipated Israel’s return, and we should follow His example towards those who are in sin. If you treat those right who have come back, those who are living in sin will know they are always welcome and will be treated right if they choose to come back. The character of God anticipates the sinner to return. Let’s not follow Satan’s character and criticize, but follow God’s character and encourage.

When God is Seen

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Ezekiel 1:28
“As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.”

At the very beginning of Ezekiel’s ministry, it is evident that he saw God. It is important for one who is in the ministry to see God if they want to continue to serve Him until the day of their death. We often think of the ministry for those who are serving God full-time, but every Christian should be involved in the ministry. If you are going to serve the LORD your whole life, you need to see God as Ezekiel saw Him. Four things became real to Ezekiel when he saw God.

First, when you see God, you will see that He is a God Who is near. Ezekiel was able to define God’s presence in the verse above because He was near. It is important to keep in mind that God is always near. He is a God Who is ever present. Psalm 46:1 reminds us, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He is near to help in time of need, but His presence should always keep you doing what is right. Don’t ever get to the point in your Christian life when you feel God doesn’t see what you are doing. His presence is always near.

Second, when you see God, you will see He is faithful to His Word. God’s presence in the verse above was “As the appearance of the bow…” The bow is the rainbow that God placed in the sky to remind us that He always keeps His promises. When serving the LORD, there are going to come times when you must rely on God’s faithfulness to His Word. If God promised that He was going to do something, you are going to have to trust that He always keeps His promises. Always remember that God’s promises are a guarantee that He will follow through on what He said.

Third, when you see God, you will see that He is committed to His children. Where did Ezekiel see God? He saw Him “in the cloud in the day of rain.” Christian, your life may be in the rain clouds of life, but rest assured that God is in the cloud. You may not see where you are going, but He knows where you are going because He is greater than the cloud. When the clouds of life gather and the rains of trials never seem to stop pouring, you can always be assured that God is with you in the clouds.

Fourth, when you see God, you will see He is eternally righteous. When Ezekiel tried to explain God’s likeness, all he could say about it was that it was like “the appearance of the brightness round about.” That brightness that Ezekiel saw was “the likeness of the glory of the LORD.” When Ezekiel saw God’s righteousness, all he could do was fall on his face. The only thing that will help you to influence lives in the ministry is to keep your eyes on God. The very moment you take your eyes off God is the moment when God’s power leaves your life. The only thing that allows you to have God’s power is when you point people to God. His presence brings conviction. We often talk about the need for the power of God, but His power is a result of His presence in your life. You will find when you are not concerned about yourself, and your only concern is staying focused on the presence of God, it is then that you will have His power on your life and ministry. Conviction and changed lives are the result of God’s power on your life.

You Can Change or Continue History

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Lamentations 5:7
“Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.”

The verse above is a sad commentary about several generations of men who never took into consideration the effects their sins would have on the next generation. The verse above are the comments of a generation who was born in captivity because of their father’s sins. This generation never got to see the Promised Land; they only heard about it from their parents. They didn’t get to experience the blessings of God’s miracles; they only suffered the judgment of God. All of this happened because of a generation of people who selfishly never considered what their sins would do to the generations to come. There are four observations to be taken away from the verse above.

First, your sins affect several generations. It is interesting that the verse above says, “fathers” and not “father.” This is because several generations sinned against God. Sadly, this generation in captivity was paying for the sins of their fathers. It is wrong to think that your children won’t pay for what you are doing. Your children not only pay for the results of your sins, but they also pay because they learn your sinful habits. You should always consider that what you do today will affect your children and grandchildren. Sin never affects one generation; it always adversely affects several generations.

Second, your legacy will not be what you have done, but what you have left for the next generation. It is sad that this generation who lived in captivity never learned the good their fathers did because they lived in the results of their fathers sins. I often tell people that you will only be remembered for your last act. It won’t matter all the good you have done if your last act is one that leaves others suffering your consequences. You can try to bring up all the good you have done in your life, but your legacy will sadly be what you left for the next generation. If you want the next generation to love and remember you fondly, you had better leave them something for which they are pleased.

Third, don’t use learned sinful habits as an excuse to continue in sin. Just because you learned the sinful habits of your fathers doesn’t mean you have to continue in them. There must be a generation who breaks the habit of teaching the next generation how to sin. You can let learned sinful habits be your crutch to continue in sin, or you can determine to be the one who breaks the chain of learned sinful habits in your family.

Fourth, you can change the course of sin’s effect. One of the things I love about the Scriptures is that they show us what the next generation did. When you read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, many decided to change the course of sin’s affect and do something productive for God. Friend, with God’s help you have the power to change the condition of your life. You have the choice to sit and complain about what your fathers left you, or you can take the initiative to leave the next generation in a better condition than what you inherited. What are you going to do? Let your adverse conditions be the motivation to be productive for God so that you will leave the next generation with God’s blessings.

Enjoying the Courts of Marriage

Psalm 84:1
“How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!”

Marriage is supposed to be an enjoyable relationship between a man and a woman. When God instituted marriage, He meant for it to mirror the relationship between He and the Christian. As is always the case, whenever God meant for something to be good, Satan always tries to destroy it. Psalm 84 talks about the Christian’s attitude towards being in the presence of God. If a marriage is going to stay strong and be happy, these same actions and attitudes must be exercised by every spouse. There are six things revealed in this psalm that will help your marriage to be happy if you will do them.

First, be kind and courteous to your spouse. The verse above says, “How amiable are thy tabernacles…” The word “amiable” means, friendly or cordial. Don’t let the familiarity of marriage cause you to lose your friendliness and courtesy towards each other. Just because you are married doesn’t mean you have the right to be rude to your spouse. If anything, be more polite to your spouse than you are to anyone else.

Second, think about your spouse while you are away. The psalmist says in verse 2, “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD…” If you would spend more time thinking positively about your spouse while you are away, you might find that you can enjoy each other. Don’t let their physical absence cause you to mentally forget about them.

Third, make your time at home positive. Verse 4 says, “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house…” Be careful that you don’t allow your home to become a war zone. Make home a place of blessing. Make it a place where you both enjoy being together. Learn to leave the hardships of the day at the doorstep when you walk into the house. Make your time at home a time of blessing for both you and your spouse.

Fourth, keep your marriage strong by keeping it pure. Verse 5 says, “Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee…” Let me simply warn you not to give your strength to another. Avoid those who would take the strength of your marriage. It is difficult to recover the strength of marriage once the purity of marriage has been lost. Whatever you do, protect it!

Fifth, don’t allow the hardships of trials to dry up the blessings of marriage. Verse 6 says, “Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well…” You are going to experience trials, but they don’t have to be the conversation of the marriage. I know you can’t completely avoid it, but don’t make it the focus while you are going through them. Find a way to enjoy the blessings of life while the trials are present. Don’t allow the trials to remove the joy you have in your marriage.

Sixth, make your spouse the best of the best. Verse 10 says, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand…” Enjoy your spouse for whom God made them to be. Don’t make the mistake of comparing them to others. Make your spouse the person with whom you would rather be with than anyone else. If you don’t compare them to others, and make them your best friend, you will find that you would rather be with them than anyone else.

Looking for Peace in the Land of Turmoil

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Jeremiah 42:14
“Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:”

The remnant that was left in Judah came to Jeremiah to ask him to get advice from God as to what they should do. They feared that the King of Babylon would come and kill them, and they felt that if they migrated to Egypt that they would be safe from the sword. God returned word to these people through Jeremiah that they were to stay in the land. God said that they would be safe as long as they stayed put.

The sad part about this story is that they didn’t listen to Jeremiah; instead, they went to the land of Egypt where they thought they would “see no war.” The land where they thought they would be safe was the very land where they lost their lives. It was the very land where their children were taken captive and some were killed. Had these people stayed where God told them to stay, they would have enjoyed living in peace for the rest of their lives. Had these people stayed, they would have enjoyed seeing their children grow old and their grandchildren grow up. What they thought was a land of peace became a land of heartache, turmoil and death.

Christian, the world always seems peaceful from the outside. When you are facing battles in the Christian life, it always looks like the world is a peaceful place to enjoy life. What you don’t see is that the world is not a land of peace, but it is a land of turmoil and death. It may seem to you that you can change a little and avoid the battles that you have faced in the Christian life, but you will eventually discover that the world only delivers turmoil, heartache and death.

I have been a part of the independent, fundamental Baptist world my entire life. I truly understand how tiring the battles can become. Let me assure you that going to the world is not the answer. I have watched many young people go to the world because they were tired of all the battles they experienced growing up. I am old enough now to see the end of what is becoming of those who left the independent, fundamental Baptist world. The end is parents whose children are breaking their hearts. The end is children whose lives are a wreck. The end is marriages that are in shambles because their spouse was introduced to someone who didn’t live by the same godly principles by which they lived.

Go ahead, move to what you perceive to be the land of peace, but I promise you that the land you think to be peaceful is filled with heartache, turmoil and death. Go ahead and miss church, let down your standards, run with the worldly friends and live the lifestyle you think is peaceful. I promise that you will find that choice to be regretted.

Friend, the world always looks enticing from the outside. Certainly, the battles you face to stand for truth can be tiring, but the world has their battles as well. I would rather choose to fight the battles for truth than to live in the turmoil the world brings. I have seen both sides. I have experienced the joy that fighting for truth brings, and I have observed the heartache that others endured and the marks of sin they lived with for their rest of their lives. As I observe both sides, I would gladly choose the battles for truth any day. Truth always gives the peace for which you are looking. Yes, there will be battles along the way, but there is no peace without battles.

Characteristics of the False Preachers

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Jeremiah 28:1
“And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,”

Judah faced a dilemma that Christians face in every era. They had two prophets who were well-known, but they both preached different messages. Hananiah prophesied that Babylon would not come and take them captive, and his message was that they should not submit to Babylon’s king. Jeremiah was the other prophet who prophesied that they would be taken captive by the King of Babylon, and he said that if they wanted to live that they should surrender. Of the two messages, Hananiah’s sounded so much better, but the Scriptures and history show us that his message was wrong.

How do you discern when a preacher is not preaching the truth? How do you know which preacher you should and should not follow? I have seen many false preachers rise and fall throughout my life; it is amazing how they all tend to have the same characteristics of Hananiah. Let me show you five characteristics of the false preacher.

First, they always have a message of convenience. Hananiah prophesied that God broke the yoke of the King of Babylon, but that wasn’t true. False preachers never preach sermons that will inconvenience people. They never preach sermons that are not popular. If you listen to their sermons, they may actually sound right, but you will always be able to discern that they always have a message that their listeners enjoy hearing.

Second, they have no discernible position. Hananiah didn’t tell the people that there were two yokes from which they had to choose. You will never be able to discern where false preachers stand positionally. A false preacher never draws a clear line and says this is right, and this is wrong.

Third, what they say and what actually happens doesn’t equal. One of the easiest ways to discern if a man is not preaching truth is when they make bold claims that never happen. Hananiah’s sermon was bold, but it didn’t happen. A preacher is marked by what he preaches, and if what he preaches doesn’t happen, you can be assured that God is not with him.

Fourth, their product is bondage. Hananiah’s message put the people under the yoke of iron. The message of the false preacher will always allow people to go back to the bondage of the world’s lifestyle. They don’t want to offend anyone, so they never tell you not to dress like the world, listen to the music of the world, stop running with the friends of the world, and stop identifying with the world. In fact, you will find it hard to discern between the listener of the false preacher and the world.

Fifth, their lifestyle is one of rebellion. God said that Hananiah’s message was one of “rebellion.” The message of the false preacher may not be wrong in and of itself, but they promote a lifestyle that rebels against what has been scripturally preached for years. Always remember that destruction is the end of the false preacher. Be careful that you don’t fall for their rebellious lifestyle and sermons.

The Messenger is Just the Messenger

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Jeremiah 26:9
“Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.”

Because of my speaking schedule, I often use the airlines to travel to my meetings. There are times, and many have gone through them, when my flight is delayed and eventually cancelled due to reasons the airline will not disclose. This can be very frustrating.

The one I always feel bad for in these situations is the gate agent who makes the announcement that the flight has been cancelled. Instantly, you can hear the groans in the gate area as the travelers deal with the bad news of their cancelled flight. It probably doesn’t even take a minute for the groans to turn to anger as the despondent travelers quickly get in line to try and get the next flight to their destination. I have watched many travelers direct their anger towards the gate agent who was only the messenger. The gate agent didn’t make the decision to cancel the flight, but they became the face of that invisible person who canceled the flight. Sadly that gate agent has to put up with the ire and foul language of angry and frustrated travelers.

Jeremiah faced the same situation. He was simply the messenger of God who told Judah that God was going to destroy them and send them into captivity because of their sin. Jeremiah became the face of the bad news when in reality he was only the messenger of God who delivered the message. These people wanted to take their anger out on Jeremiah, who was the messenger, instead of taking their dispute up with God. These people wanted the messenger punished when the messenger was just simply the messenger.

Christian, you must be careful about getting upset with the messenger who is simply delivering the message. Just because the preacher preaches against your sin doesn’t make him the bad guy. He is simply the messenger who is delivering the message. Just because a preacher reveals your wrong direction doesn’t make him the bad guy. He is simply the messenger who is delivering the message. You can take your anger out on the messenger, but that doesn’t change the truth of the message. When Saul had Stephen killed, he may have silenced the messenger, but the message was still true that he was part of the crowd who crucified Jesus. Friend, you can try to silence the messenger through criticisms, verbal attacks or physical abuse, but that won’t change the message that the messenger delivered.

Instead of going after the messenger, why not heed to what the message said? Repentance of sin should be your response instead of anger and attacks. Always understand that the messenger is simply being a messenger. They didn’t compose the message; they simply delivered the message. The messenger is simply being obedient to God. Don’t make the messenger the bad guy just because you don’t like the message.

Messenger, let me encourage you not to take the attacks personally. It is easy to do this, but you must realize that the people to whom you are delivering the message have been broken by sin. Ask God to give you the grace to put up with their responses. Whatever you do, keep delivering the message; the message is the only hope to save those people from sin’s destructive hand.