Category: Strength for Today

Joshua 4:14
“On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.”

Taking over the leadership role of Israel was no small step for Joshua. For most people, this would have been an intimidating task, and maybe that is why God said, “Be strong and of a good courage…” Joshua completely understood that he couldn’t replace Moses, but he also understood that somebody had to lead.

The one act that helped Joshua gain Israel’s respect was the parting of the Jordan River. When the people saw the river part, and they were able to pass over on dry land, they knew at that point that God’s hand was upon him. This is why it says in the verse above, “On that day the LORD magnified Joshua…and they feared him, as they feared Moses…”

Joshua easily could have stepped into the leadership role and demanded the people’s respect, but he chose to earn his stripes by allowing to God work through him. This caused him to gain their respect and fear naturally. He understood that you could demand respect, shame people into following, but if you are going to get the most out of those you lead, you must earn your stripes of respect and fear. There are some very valuable lessons that leaders can learn from Joshua earning his stripes.

First, a leadership position may give you authority, but it doesn’t give you respect. You can certainly demand that people follow you, but you will not have their heart when you don’t have their respect. Joshua didn’t have to demand respect because he had earned it. If you are a leader, stop demanding that people respect you and earn it.

Second, respect come when followers see you working alongside them. Joshua didn’t tell the people to go over while he stayed back; no, he went forward with them through the Jordan River on the other side. One of the easiest ways to earn the respect of your followers is by working alongside them. When a pastor goes soul winning with his people, is at church-wide work days, attends prayer meetings with the people and performs the dirty tasks of cleaning the restrooms, the people will see this and respect him. It doesn’t matter what the leadership role is; the leader will earn respect when they are willing to work alongside those whom they lead.

Third, respect come when God works the miraculous through the leader. I firmly believe that every incoming leader needs a “parting of the Jordan River” moment to establish themselves in the hearts of the people. If Joshua had never had the Jordan River experience, he would have never gained the respect of those he was leading. You can demand respect all you want, publicly shame people to get them to fear you, but it isn’t until you have a Jordan River moment that you will earn their respect. When your followers see that God’s hand is on your life, that is when they will respect you. You only get this through prayer and walking with God. God doesn’t work through leaders who don’t walk with Him.

Have you earned your leadership stripes? When you earn them, you’ll not only have their respect, you will have their hearts. When you have their hearts, you will be able to lead them to God’s Promised Land for their lives.

Deuteronomy 32:3
“Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.”

Several years ago, I started publishing books that I wrote. The purpose of publishing these books was to get the information out to the public that I felt would be helpful and would build them into stronger Christians. If I never published these books, many of the people who were helped by the information I published would have never received the help they needed.

However, I was in the publishing business well before I ever published one book. The publishing business I was in was in publishing the name of Christ to a lost and dying world. At the age of 7, I started the publishing business by telling my friend how to get saved. Since that time, I have made it my life to publish the name of Christ.

Moses said in the verse above, “…I will publish the name of the LORD…” More than he wanted to build a legacy for himself, he desired to publish the name of the LORD. He understood the greatness of God, and he understood that it was his responsibility to publish His name.

Satan has been in the publishing business ever since he was kicked out of Heaven. He is publishing the false narrative that the LORD’s life is not worth living. Today, he uses Hollywood, the entertainment world, false preachers, and sadly, many backslidden Christians. Satan is all about publishing his false narrative that salvation is not worth having and living for the LORD never pays. Unfortunately, he has been very successful in his publishing business.

Christians need to get into the publishing business. They need to get into the business of publishing the name of Christ everywhere they go. There are too many today who are publishing political names when there is only one name that should be published, and that name is Jesus. Acts 4:12 reminds us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Friend, politicians will not save a soul or this nation, but the name of Jesus will. A preacher’s name will not save one person, but the name of Jesus is the only hope that any nation has.

What are you to publish? The verse above says to publish the “…greatness unto our God.” Everywhere you go, you should tell people about the greatness of your God. Tell them that He is great enough to save them from their sin. Tell them that He is great enough to help them with every problem in life. Tell them He is great enough to solve every difficulty they encounter. Yes, the name of Jesus is a name that we should publish everywhere because His name is great.

I ask, how much have you published God’s name lately? May I remind you that the news media is not going to use its air time to publish the greatness of God, but it is your duty to publish His greatness. There will be people who will never hear about God’s greatness if you don’t publish it. I want to challenge you to make it your daily goal to publish the greatness of God. Use every opportunity to tell others of the greatness of God. It is your responsibility to be in the business of publishing the name of Christ. All it takes to get into this business is to open your mouth.

Deuteronomy 25:1
“If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.”

As much as you may try to avoid controversies, they will come. There are going to be times in your marriage when you and your wife will have a controversy you need to settle. In every church, there are going to be times when disagreements will come up. Settling them properly so that the church is not destroyed is imperative for the sake of reaching the lost for Christ. With all the different relationships you have in life and the complexities of each one, there are going to be times when controversy will arise. How you handle them will determine the quality of future fellowship in that relationship.

God knew that people would have controversies with each other. Because God gives a man free choice to think, there are going to be times when the free choice of man disagrees with another person. Though you may have a disagreement that stirs a controversy with another person, it doesn’t mean that the relationship must be destroyed or severed just so that it can be settled. If you settle controversies in a scriptural manner, you can salvage relationships and enjoy the fellowship of that person for years to come. God gives several steps you need to take to settle these controversies properly.

First, try to settle your differences privately. If two parties come before the judge, it is implied that they already attempted to settle it and failed. The best way to keep from escalating the tension in a controversy is to try to settle it privately. Everybody else doesn’t need to know what is going on between you, so do your best to settle it privately.

Second, if settling it privately between yourselves doesn’t work, find an impartial person who you both agree upon and ask them to help you settle the controversy. Again, you will notice that this is done privately. Finding an impartial person is important for both sides to feel confident with the final decision. Privately using an impartial person will keep tensions from escalating from outside people who do not know the complexities of the disagreement.

Third, the impartial person is to hear BOTH sides before making a judgment. It is crucial that the person you choose to settle the controversy is capable of not prejudging the situation without hearing both sides. Once the impartial person hears both sides, they are to make a decision of what needs to be done to settle the controversy.

Finally, once the judgment has been made, it is final. Move on and don’t bring it up again. You will hurt your relationship with that person if you continually try to bring it back up. Don’t be guilty of bringing up something that has already been settled. Move on, even if you don’t agree with the judgment. It is not worth you stewing over it when it has been settled.

Don’t let your relationships be destroyed because of controversies. Settle them properly and move on. Life is too short to allow controversies to destroy relationships that can be beneficial to both sides if you will settle them quickly and properly. If you are in a relationship that has controversy, realize the value of the relationship and do your best to settle it privately, quickly and properly.

Deuteronomy 23:3
“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:”

One of the greatest influences on Christianity are your influences. Galatians 5:7 shows this to be true when it says, “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” You will notice it isn’t a “what” that influences, but it’s a “who.” Your associations will always determine your direction and beliefs.

We often think that it is the unsaved world which influences a Christian to do wrong, but more often than not it is another saved person who influenced someone to go the wrong way. I could tell you scores of stories about people who once did right but were adversely influenced by someone and today they are no longer serving the LORD.

God made this distinction to the children of Israel. He reminded them what the Ammonites and the Moabites had done to them through Balaam’s influence, and because of this, God told them not to let any person of that nationality to enter into their congregation for at least ten generations. There are three principles God is teaching through this verse that will help you to protect yourself from wrong associations.

First, there will be times when you can’t associate with a Christian brother or sister. The Ammonites and Moabites were distant relatives of the Israelites. When studying their history in the Scriptures, you will find their ancestry goes back to the children of Lot. Many people have the mentality that Christians need to get along no matter the differences. They believe we need to lay aside our differences for the sake of getting along. Friend, there are times when you have no business associating with another saved person. When their direction or what they believe is diametrically opposed to your direction or beliefs, you are then to disassociate yourself from them.

Second, you are not to seek a way to work together. Verse 6 says, “Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.” There is nothing wrong with living the separated life. When someone is directionally and doctrinally different from you, don’t try to find ways where you can yoke up together. Joining up with someone over a common cause will eventually change you. The common cause will cause you to change your opinions of the differences you have with that person. Always remember that you can’t walk in mud without getting muddy. If you yoke up with someone who is different, be assured they will change you.

Third, let time be the justifier of direction and beliefs. Just because a person has changed doesn’t mean you should immediately become close associations. God is teaching the importance of allowing time to reveal the true change when He told Israel not to allow the Ammonites and Moabites to enter their congregation to the tenth generation. I’m excited when someone who believed differently comes over to the old paths, but I’m going to let time help me to determine if they are for real. You can’t see their heart, so the only way to know if they are truly changed is to let time validate the change. Be kind, courteous and helpful, but be careful about getting too close too quickly.

Deuteronomy 6:5
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

The best child-rearing advice that God gave His people was to get their Christianity settled before they tried to teach them. Parents can tell their children what to do, but their children will not heed unless they are living it themselves. God says in verse 7, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” This verse on child rearing comes after the parents settled verse 5. God knew that if they settled what verse 5 teaches, their training would then be done through experience and not by hearsay. There are three things God wants parents to resolve before they start teaching their children.

First, parents are to settle their love for God before they start training their children. The verse above says, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart…” Your children will not turn out for God if they perceive that your love for something else is greater. You can tell your children that they need to serve the LORD, but they will emulate whatever you place before God. God cannot come in a close second with your love, but He must be the first love of your life. When your children see that you will miss church for a ballgame or a big business meeting, they will understand from your example that these other things are more important than God. This is not to say that you don’t love God, but He must be your first love, the One Whom you love with all of your heart if you want your children to serve Him.

Second, parents are to settle their soul before training. Your soul is who you are. You need to determine if you are going to be an old paths Baptist or not. Many children get confused because their parents never settle who they are and where they are going. Your direction matters to your children. Children pick up on direction much easier than words. When they see you praise liberals and condemn the preacher for preaching an old paths sermon, they perceive that you are not for the old paths. Settle who you are and don’t change your soul midstream. Most of the time when I have seen a parent change their soul midstream, I have watched their children go off the deep end into the world because their parents appear to be fakes. If you settle your soul, your children will recognize the legitimacy of your Christianity.

Third, parents are to settle their effort before training their children. Notice that God says, “…all thy might.” It is great that you have your love and soul settled, but children also need to see parents who give their whole effort in serving the LORD. Don’t give a second-rate effort with anything you do for the LORD. God challenges us in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…” As my mother used to say quite often to me, “If it is worth doing, then do it right the first time.” In other words, don’t give God a half-effort, but give Him your all.

Your children need to see that your life and words equal each other. When what you teach matches the life you live, your children will understand that the Christian life is worth living. If your life and words don’t equal each other, change whatever is causing them not to match so that your children have the right example of true and authentic Christianity.

Numbers 30:2
“If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.”

God dedicated a whole chapter in the Scriptures to show the importance of keeping your vows. When a person gives their word that they are going to do something, God expects them to do it and holds them accountable for what they said. God said that when a person vows a vow, “…he shall not break his word….” God expected the word of His children to be truthful at all times.

It is extremely critical that the Christian is known as a person whose word is their bond. We live in times when many have no problem with lying. Some people manipulate words, which is nothing short of lying. There are some who think that lying to keep from being inconvenienced is justified. There are others who believe that another’s deceit vindicates their lying. When looking at the Scriptures, you will clearly see that God never excuses lying. There are some thoughts the Scriptures give that you should consider concerning your word.

First, your word is a representation of your character. Show me the line at which you justify lying and I will show you your character level. The line where you believe lying is okay is the degree at which you can be trusted. Proverbs 13:5 says, “A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.” The question you must ask yourself is this, how much do you hate lying? The degree of your hatred for lying shows the magnitude of your love for doing right. How much you can be trusted is determined by how much your word means to you. If there is ever a situation when you can imagine that lying is justified, that then is the degree of your character.

Second, lying is a quick way to get out of God’s favor. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.” Be a person who always tells the truth if you want to stay in God’s favor. You can pray for hours and be an avid soul winner, but you will not obtain God’s favor if you lie. Your word plays a major part in whether or not God chooses to bless you. It is better to tell the truth even if telling the truth hurts you. It is better because the truth may not immediately benefit you, but it will keep you in favor with God for future blessings.

Third, lying is a temporary reprieve whereas truth is an eternal honor. Proverbs 12:19 says, “The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” You may get out of a tight situation by lying, but that temporary reprieve will cause you more harm when your dishonesty is revealed. They always say that the cover-up is worse than the crime, and this verse agrees. The best way to become a person of honor is to be an individual who always tells the truth. You will never have to remember what you said in the past if you always tell the truth.

Let me ask you, does your word match God’s character level? If not, it should! If you are a person of your word, you will never give your enemies ammunition to use against you. Let your word be your bond, and be sure that your bond is telling the truth at all times. Your integrity and trust depends on you telling the truth. You will earn the trust of others if you will always tell the truth.

Numbers 22:5
“He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt: behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:”

Balaam had a problem in this story, and his problem was that Balak thought that he would curse Israel. For some reason, Balaam conducted his ministry in such fashion that they believed he was the perfect preacher to curse Israel. Had he made his positions clear from the beginning, they would have never mistaken him for someone who would curse Israel. Had his actions made clear lines of what he would and would not do, he would not have had to deal with mistaken identity.

Someone once asked me, “Bro. Domelle, have you ever been in a situation where you found yourself in a liberal church?” They asked me this question because they had heard of other preachers talking about uncomfortable situations they found themselves in because a church that booked them for a meeting didn’t have their positional stands. They then asked me, “How do you keep yourself from getting into these types of situations?” This question was easy to answer. I told them the reason I’ve never found myself in these types of uncomfortable situations is because everyone knows where I stand. Preachers who don’t believe like me won’t ask me to preach in their church because they know where I stand and what I believe. My style of preaching and my clear positional stands have kept me from getting into situations in which Balaam found himself. There are a couple of things you can do as a preacher or a Christian that will keep you from mistaken identity.

First, draw distinct lines and speak clearly. What I mean by this statement is that you should never speak in general terminology when you are talking about what you believe. For instance, don’t just say that you believe the Bible, but say that you believe the King James Bible is the inspired and preserved Word of God. Don’t just say that you should listen to the right music, but clearly state that contemporary Christian music is not Christian at all. I could go on with several statements, but I believe you understand. Far too many preachers preach in generalities instead of clearly stating their positions. You have not drawn distinct lines if people have to ask where you stand on a subject or a direction.

Second, let your lifestyle and associations back up what you say. Many preachers often get a mistaken identity because they quote liberal preachers more than they quote preachers who they say they are like. I’m always amazed how preachers are not afraid to say the name of a liberal who they quote, but they won’t cite the name of an old paths Baptist preacher they are quoting; they then wonder why someone would mistake them for a liberal. If the way you live and the people you associate with match your positions, it will be hard for people to mistake you for something you are not.

Have you ever found yourself in an uncomfortable position of mistaken identity? If people regularly question where you stand, you would be wise to make your lines clearer so there will be no chance of mistaken identity.

Numbers 16:9
“Seemeth it but a small thing unto you, that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?”

Korah and his followers made a big mistake in thinking that their position wasn’t big enough. Korah was a Levite, and his duty was to help in the tabernacle. This was a big deal! Yet, he and his followers complained to Moses and Aaron that they were taking “too much” upon them. They wanted more power and position. They wanted to be able to do what Moses and Aaron were doing instead of taking care of their position.

God’s response to these people shows how big of a deal their position was to Him. God said to them concerning their position, “Seemeth it but a small thing unto you…” God was asking them if their position was too little for them. He was asking them if their position was below their dignity. Instead of realizing how big of a deal their position was, they made the mistake, to their detriment, to criticize Moses and Aaron who had the positions they wanted.

Many Christians make the same mistake that Korah and his followers made. There are those who look at what they do and think that the position they hold is below their dignity. Many churches have been ruined because of someone who became critical because they wanted a position greater than what they already held. There are some things to keep in mind concerning your position that will help you to keep yourself from becoming critical.

First, don’t forget the importance of your job. Whatever position you hold in the church is a big deal to God. God would have never given you that position had He thought you were not capable of doing it. Always remember that every position is important to God. Don’t allow the Devil to play on your pride and cause you to think that you are above what you are asked to do. Keep the mentality of Psalm 84:10 which says, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” This mentality will help you to keep a right perspective of your position and duties.

Second, stop trying to tell others how to do their job. Korah’s mistake was that he was attempting to tell Moses how to do his job instead of taking care of his job. Never entertain thoughts that cause you to critique another’s position. Always remember that critiquing others is simply being critical of others. If you don’t entertain thoughts of how you would do another’s job, you will never become the critic that destroys the morale of the church.

Third, don’t allow position to become your focus. Korah was wrapped up in position instead of being focused on responsibilities. God knows your name and where to find you, and He will notify you when He feels you should be promoted. Until then, stay focused on what you are supposed to do and not on your position.

Friend, the job God has given you to do in your church is a big deal. It is a big deal because you are doing a work for Him. Keep your eyes on the God you serve, and it will be easy to stay focused upon doing the best in your position.

Numbers 11:29
“And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!”

Israel had once again complained about God’s treatment of them. They were tired of the manna that God gave them daily, and they complained to Moses that they wanted something else. It was after God dealt with this issue that He allowed His Spirit to rest upon the seventy elders. When God’s Spirit rested upon them, they began to prophesy in the camp.

There were two men, Eldad and Medad, who were found prophesying in the tabernacle. When two young men saw this, they ran to Moses to tell him what these men were doing. Joshua, a man who highly respected Moses, said, “My lord Moses, forbid them.” His respect for Moses caused him to believe that God could only speak through him. Moses responded to Joshua by saying, “…Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon them!” Moses was teaching Joshua that he was not the issue. It didn’t matter that others were preaching the truth and people were following them because he was not the issue.

This story could be reiterated many times over. Every time you have a man whom God has used greatly, you will find people who will make him the issue. The respect these people have for a man whom God has used greatly can often cause them to get out of focus. Instead of staying focused on Christ, they get focused on a man and make him the issue.

For many years, I had the privilege of being under the ministry of Jack Hyles, a man whom God used to build the First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. God blessed his ministry to the point where he became the largest independent Baptist church in the world, had the largest Sunday school of any church and built the largest independent Baptist college during his life. God’s blessings on Bro. Hyles caused thousands of people to follow his ministry, but it also caused him to acquire enemies who regularly attacked him. During these attacks, it was not uncommon for those who loved him to want to make him the issue and fight back. I can remember Bro. Hyles often reminded his people, “I’m not the issue.” He would remind those whom he led not to fight over his personality because he wasn’t the issue, and he reminded them that God uses others in His service.

Be careful about making human personalities the issue over which you fight. Always remember that Christ is the personality whom we serve, and truth is the issue over which we should rally. There is nothing wrong with admiring and respecting someone whom God uses, but be careful about making them the authority on what should and should not be done. God’s Word is our final authority and Jesus Christ is the One Whom we serve. If we stay focused on Christ and His Word, we will then see that man is never the issue. Yes, there will still be battles because there will be those who stray from truth, but truth will be the issue for which we contend and not personality. You should certainly love, admire and enjoy following those whom God is using, but stay focused on the God you serve and the Book He gave.