Old Paths Journal – Page 11 – A Christian Magazine with a Relevant Message

It’s Time to Reboot

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Job 40:3-4
“Then Job answered the LORD, and said, Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.”

Have you ever had a computer that seemed to get sluggish or freeze up? The internet company I have used for several years initially gave me a router when I signed up with their company. After using the router for several months, my wife and I noticed the internet seemed to be freezing up and was very sluggish as we tried to go to websites. I called the customer service department to get a technician to help, and every time they would come to a point where they would tell me to unplug the router and try it again. By unplugging the router, it reset the system and cleared the junk out of its memory so that it could run properly.

There are times when Christians need to unplug themselves and have a spiritual reboot. Job came across one of these times in his life when God finally had to help him unplug himself and have a spiritual reboot. You can see the reboot happen in Job 38-41. For several chapters, God demanded Job to answer several questions to which he had no answer. When God paused in the verses above, all Job could do and say was, “Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.” The final result of Job’s reboot is found in Job 42:6 where he says, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” Several indicators show that you need a spiritual reboot.

First, when you begin thinking that you know everything, you need a spiritual reboot. God asked in Job 38:2, “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” It can become easy to get to the point when you think you have the answer for everything. When your first response to every question in life is to run to your knowledge base instead of God’s, you need a spiritual reboot. It’s not that you don’t know the answer, but you really don’t know without God’s input. You need to trust God for the knowledge needed for every situation.

Second, when you think you can do anything on your own, you need a spiritual reboot. God asked Job several times, “Canst thou,” or “Who can.” God wanted Job to realize that as much as he thought he could do things on his own, he still needed God’s help. You may have become proficient at what you do, and you may be the best at what you do, but you still need God’s help. When you begin daily projects without asking God for His help, you need a spiritual reboot.

Third, when you think highly of yourself and want people to see you, you need a spiritual reboot. It was when God revealed Himself to Job that he finally saw his true self. This is why Job said in the verse above, “Behold, I am vile…” This is why he said in Job 42:6, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” His spiritual reboot caused him to see how powerless he was and how vile that even his righteousnesses were.

The only way you are going to have a spiritual reboot is to see God daily. You can only do this by unplugging yourself from everyday’s activities and spending time in the Scriptures and prayer. Don’t go to the Scriptures to prove your spirituality, but go to them as a blank sheet of paper and ask the Holy Spirit to show you what you need to correct. Your spiritual reboot will happen when you see God as Who He is, and yourself as vile as you truly are.

Give Them a Break

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Job 30:1
“But now they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.”

When studying the previous chapter with the verse above, it all comes together as to why Job disdained the youth. In the previous chapter, Job reminisced about how his life used to be. He remembered how he used to be treated when everything was well with his life. Now that his life was in great distress, he disdained the treatment of those who were younger than he. He disparaged the younger generation by calling names, attacking their works, and comparing their works as futile compared to what it used to be like when God’s blessings were on his life.

As I am now in the middle years of life, I have watched a couple of older generations seem to have the same response towards the youth as did Job. Please don’t take this as an attack because I truly respect the older generation; however, I believe the older generation needs to be careful about how they perceive the younger generation and give them a break. If we are not careful, we will discourage the younger generation to the point where they will never want our influences. Let me give a few suggestions about this topic.

First, the present generation will never compare to your golden years. We tend to look at history through a skewed prism. We see the greatness of our youthful years and what the LORD did without seeing the mistakes and sin that was as present in our youth as it is in the present. It is a false comparative to liken one generation to the next because each generation faces different obstacles. For instance, would those who faced persecution be less of a Christian because their churches were not as large as some of the churches in our lifetime? Absolutely not! Comparing the works or results of each generation is a false measurement.

Second, it is better to encourage and guide the present generation than to attack and demand their respect. Be careful about tearing down what the present generation is doing in an attempt to get them to respect you and what you have done. The greatest way you will earn the respect of the present generation is to encourage them along the way. I have found that when I encourage them, they will be more apt to come to me with questions as to how they should do something. Demanding respect only pushes others away, but you earn their respect through encouragement and example. If you have a bitter attitude towards the present generation, they will want nothing to do with you. Be their encourager!

Third, the present generation would be wise to embrace the older generation. To those who are younger, let me encourage you to stop attacking how the older generation did things. You were not around during their time, and the LORD did use them mightily. You might find that the older generation would embrace and encourage you if you would stop attacking their works and methods. Attacking them is not going to change history, but it will pit you against them; instead, embrace them for what the LORD has done through them. You will gain wisdom and a priceless mentor to help you through your uncharted waters if you do this.

Both the younger and older generations can make a great team if both would give each other a break. Always remember, how you treat the older or younger generations is how you will be treated when you are that age.

The Marks of an Authentic Christian

Job 22:23
“If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.”

An authentic brand is always much different from the generic. The generic brand may be cheaper, but it is most likely doesn’t have the quality of the authentic brand. Likewise, the authentic Christian always mirrors Christ better than the Christian who lives like the world. The verse above says, “If thou return to the Almighty…” Following these words, you will find seven marks of the authentic Christian. You will always know someone has returned to the LORD or the authenticity of someone’s Christianity by these marks.

First, growth is a mark of an authentic Christian. The verse above says, “…thou shalt be built up…” Every authentic Christian continues to grow. They never satisfy for the status quo, but they always have the desire to grow in the faith. If you are going to be an authentic Christian, you must grow daily in the LORD.

Second, a concern for the future is a mark of an authentic Christian. Verse 24 talks about laying up “gold as dust.” The authentic Christian is concerned with every work and how it affects their tomorrow. Furthermore, the authentic Christian’s works are works that affect the eternal. The authentic Christian wants to be sure that their works are laying up treasure in Heaven.

Third, verse 25 shows that dependence on God for protection is the mark of an authentic Christian. You will find that the authentic Christian is one who keeps their eyes on God and not man for their protection. You will never become an authentic Christian as long as you are looking to man for your direction or protection instead of God.

Fourth, verse 26 shows that the authentic Christian delights in the ways of God. The joy and excitement of the authentic Christian is derived from serving the LORD and seeing His works. You will always find that the things of God excite the authentic Christian more than money, fame or the things of the world.

Fifth, verse 27 shows that the authentic Christian has the propensity to pray. My friend, prayer should always be at the tip of your tongue. Your first thought about everything you do should be to pray to the LORD. The authenticity of a Christian is easily discovered by how quickly they turn to prayer for every situation of life.

Sixth, verse 28 shows that the authentic Christian is a producer. The authentic Christian has fruit to show for their works. The authentic Christian has a soul winning life instead of a soul winning time. Use can easily identify the authentic Christian because they are consistently bringing forth the fruit of souls.

Seventh, verse 29 shows that the authentic Christian is an encourager of the fallen. You can identify the authentic Christian by their propensity to help the fallen get up instead of kicking them while they are down. Their desire is for the fallen to be restored.

My friend, these seven marks will identify you as an authentic Christian or a fake. Which one are you? My hope is that your Christianity has the marks of authenticity.

Let Them Talk

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Job 11:2
“Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?”

In Zophar’s prosecution of Job’s character, he made a statement that should be adhered by every Christian. He says, “Should not the multitude of words be answered? and should a man full of talk be justified?” He was saying that he couldn’t help but speak because he felt the more that Job talked, the more he condemned himself. Of course, Zophar was looking at Job’s situation through his own skewed view, but the content of what he said is true.

The best way to catch someone doing wrong is through their conversation. There are times when you just need to let them talk, because the more they talk, the more they will say things that will condemn themselves. Proverbs 10:19 says, “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” The more a sinner talks, the more they expose what they have done wrong. Job 15:6 enforces this truth when it says, “Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.” There are times when you just need to let people talk because you will learn their fallacies through their talk. There are several lessons you can learn from this verse.

First, let the other person talk in any type of negotiation. Whether you are trying to discern if a person has done wrong, or you are trying to find out the truth, or you are in a business negotiation, you would be wise to let the other person do most of the talking. You will find out more about what the other person has done or is willing to do the more they talk. You must learn to sit in silence and listen. This is hard for many people, but if you learn to be silent, you will discover the substance needed to deal with the situation.

Second, let listening be your first action in any conversation. James 1:19 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” Have you ever been with someone who starts a conversation and never stops talking? There have been a few times when I have had to tell someone to take a breath. You will learn more through your listening ear than your speaking tongue. You will find that the more you listen, the more you will be able to engage with others and help them with their needs. If you are “swift to hear” and “slow to speak,” you will find you can be a greater help and able to deal with obscured situations much better.

Third, there is more wisdom in silence than in talk. Job 13:5 says, “O that ye would altogether hold your peace! and it should be your wisdom.” Some of the wisest people I have been around are people who don’t talk much. One thing you will learn about silence is that it makes the guilty uncomfortable; the less you talk, the more they will talk. Likewise, the fool is uncomfortable with silence; that is why they spew their foolishness. You will find that if you speak less, you have a better chance of saying something that will come back to bite you. I have always learned more by listening than by talking.

Certainly, there is nothing wrong with talking, and there is a time when you should speak, but you will gain more wisdom through silence than by talking. Learn to be a listener, and you will gain the wisdom you need to deal with most situations in life.

Diversion: The Parenting Nightmare

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

I’m always amazed at the tactics parents use to try to control their children. I certainly understand how the modern-day parent is afraid of following the scriptural methods of training a child because of the fear of being turned over to child protective services, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for allowing your children to act unruly in public. All you have to do is walk through a mall or sit in a restaurant to see the modern-day parent trying to control their child.

I was sitting in an airplane on a flight to one of my meetings, and across the row from me was a parent trying to control their child on the flight. That child was disrupting the peace in the entire area. The children were running uncontrollably up and down the aisles disturbing the passengers on the airplane. It finally came to the point when the flight attendant had to come to the parents to tell them to get control of their children.

I’ve watched parents in church for years try to control their children, only to shake my head at their tactics. Parents give their children candy, coloring books, song books, or anything that holds the child’s attention for the duration of the service. Their prayer throughout the service must be a hope that the pastor isn’t long winded.

In many of these instances are parents using diversion tactics to train their children. What I mean by this statement is the parent uses objects to hold the child’s attention instead of teaching the child to obey. These parent use television, video games, toys, bribery, or candy in an attempt to keep their child from being unruly, only to have to face their child’s tantrums again when the diversion gets old. Sadly, the diversion tactic will only lead to a parent’s nightmare because one day that child will grow up, and diversion won’t keep them from doing what they want to do. The result of this will be children who are out-of-control in society, and many times they end up in trouble with the law.

The Scriptures are clear on how parents should train their children. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” You will notice that God didn’t tell the parent to divert their attention away from what they are doing, but the parent is supposed to train the child what to do. Training is never easy, but it is the responsibility of every parent.

Ephesians 6:1 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Obedience isn’t supposed to be a choice; it is the expectation a parent should have for their child. Anything less than obedience must be disciplined. God says in Proverbs 29:15, “The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.” There comes a time when a parent is going to have to come to grips with the fact that diverting your child’s attention doesn’t change their disposition. The only answer is to follow the scriptural advice on training children.

I don’t claim to be a parenting expert or guru, but I do know what my parents did to help me turn out right. Everyone is always looking for the perfect parent, but you will never find one because all parents are sinners. It truly comes down to one thing: you must stop trying to divert your child’s attention and train them to do right. Let me give you several tips that will help you to train your children to obey instead of diverting them to unruly and destructive behavior.

1. Instruct once, afterwards correct.

Have you every seen a parent who negotiates with their child for decent behavior? It is a joke! The parent who negotiates with their child always loses. You have to understand that this is not a business deal. You are training a child to make it through life, and society is not going to negotiate with them when they are unruly. The only negotiating tactic society uses is handcuffs.

The common negotiating tactic parents use is counting. Their child does wrong, and they call their child’s name and start counting, “1, 2, 3…” as if they are really getting their child’s attention. Finally, the parent either gives up and lets the child do what they want to do, or the parent becomes exasperated and begins yelling at the child in an attempt to get them to obey.

Let me suggest you read Proverbs 13:24 which reads, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” The loving parent will instruct their child one time, and afterwards punish them if they continue to disobey. You don’t have to negotiate, count, or cuddle the child to get them to obey. Your children learn how far they can go before they get punished, and they will most often go to that boundary. If your boundary is that you expect immediate obedience, you will find your child will often obey right away.

2. Clearly explain your expectations.

One of the reasons children act unruly is because they don’t know what their parents expect. Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “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.” Notice how clearly God expects you to train your child. He says you are to “diligently” teach them. God uses words like, “sittest,” “walkest,” “liest down,” and “risest up.” These are clear directives of a parent who says, this is how we sit; this is how we walk; this is how we act at night and in the day. These are clearly defined lines.

The clearer you are with your expectations, the easier parenting becomes. Your children will understand what you expect from them, and they will understand that anything less than the expectation will result in punishment. It is not cruel, it is simply giving clear definitions of how you expect them to act.

3. Practice for the real deal.

One of the mistakes parents make is they take their children out and expect them to act right in public when they don’t act right at home. Children will act in public the same way they act at home. If you don’t want your children to embarrass you in public, you would be wise to be sure that they are obedient at home.

You will notice that much of the parenting advice God gives in Deuteronomy 6:7 is while they are at home. I believe that God shows this because He understands that if a parent gets their children under control at home, they will act properly in public. You can’t expect a miraculous change of obedience in public if your children are not being prepared at home.

Parent, if you want your child to act right at church, practice church at home. Sit your children down and have them listen to preaching on the couch. Don’t give them coloring books while the preaching is being played, but make them sit and listen just like they would in church. The same goes for eating in public. Make sure your children act right when they are eating at home and you will find that they will not embarrass you when you are in public.

4. Fear is a wonderful motivator: make ultimatums.

Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Fear shows respects. When you fear God, you respect what He can and will do if you disobey. Throughout the Scriptures, God often says what He will do if you disobey. God is giving ultimatums, and those ultimatums cause the Christian to fear the LORD.

Neither fear or ultimatums are bad if used properly. We have allowed modern psychiatrists, whose counsel has led to a chaotic society, to make us think fear and ultimatums are bad. They are not bad if you mean them and if the result is holy living.

When I was a boy, my parents “threatened” (I use this word lightly) my siblings and me that if we disobeyed, they would deal with us when we got home. Trust me, they meant what they said. The fear they placed in our hearts through their ultimatums produced behaved children who have grown up and become productive in society.

My friend, if your children have nothing to fear, they will continue to act unruly. You need to make it clear that if they disobey in public, and they will, you will deal with them when you get home. If you are in a grocery store and your child is throwing a tantrum, the best thing you can do is leave your grocery cart where it is and take the child home to punish them. If your child is acting up in church, take them by the hand and walk happily out of the auditorium and deal with their disobedience. Stop trying to divert their disobedience with bribery. You deal with disobedience through punishment.

5. Praise success: don’t discourage.

Proverbs 13:12 says, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” One reason children act unruly is because they never get praised when they do right. Yes, there comes a point when doing right doesn’t have to be praised all the time, but children desire the approval of their parents. This is why God says in Colossians 3:21, “Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.” If all you do is correct and never praise, you will discourage your child. If the only time your children get your attention is when they do wrong, they will continue to do wrong because they yearn for their parent’s attention and approval. If their good actions get your attention more through praise, you will be surprised how your children will continue to do right because they enjoy hearing your approval.

I’ve heard parents often tell people never to tell their children how well they are doing because they don’t want them to become prideful. I understand a parent’s thinking when they say this, but your children should hear how pleased you are that they are doing right. God made children with a desire to please their parents. If you praise them for doing right, they won’t get discouraged and do wrong to get your attention.

Certainly, this article is not going to change your children overnight, but it should be a help to keep you from using diversion as your parenting technique. Always remember that you can only use diversion for so long, but diversions will lose their interest. If your children learn to do right by obeying, you will find your times of embarrassment will be few and far between.

Don’t Forget What Satan Knows

Job 1:10
“Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.”

We can sometimes forget the most obvious blessings. Because of the familiarity of God’s blessings, we often take them for granted when we should treat them as new every morning. When Satan responded to God’s challenge about Job’s spirituality, he pointed out three blessings that are often overlooked by many Christians.

First, Satan acknowledged that God built a hedge about Job. You must never forget that God is the One Who protects you. If every Christian remembered who protects them, they would never again lack the faith to step out to attempt great things for God. God has placed a hedge about you just like He did for Job. You need not worry about what Satan can do to you, or anyone else for that matter. The only way anything can get to you is only by the LORD’s permission.

Second, Satan acknowledged that God blessed the work of Job’s hands. In other words, God blessed everything that Job did. You will notice that God didn’t bless Job without working. God blessed him because he worked. You will never receive the blessings of God without working. God always blesses those who work. Too many Christians want God to bless them without having to work, but His blessings come to those who choose to work hard. My friend, God isn’t an entitlement God, but He is a rewarder of hard workers. You will discover that the harder you work, the more you will be blessed by God.

Third, Satan acknowledged that God increased Job’s substance in the land. The greatest retirement plan in which to invest is God’s retirement plan. God’s retirement plan is to bless the hard work of an individual by blessing their substance. When God sees that you don’t let His protection about you go to waste by working hard, He then chooses to bless your substance. You will find that the harder you work, the more God will increase your substance.

There are two lessons you can learn from this verse. First, pray daily for God’s protection and blessings on the work of your hands. Before you start your day, make the first act an act of prayer. You may be able to accomplish much without God’s help, but you will accomplish more through prayer with lasting results. A day should never pass that you don’t ask God to protect you from sin and its temptation, and to prosper the work of your hands.

Second, never forget from whence your blessings come. Satan knew that everything Job had was because of God’s help. Christian, don’t ever allow yourself to get to the point where you look at what you have and take credit for what God has blessed you with. God can take away His blessings as quickly as He sends them. The Christian who foolishly points to themselves for their prosperity and protection is tempting God to take it all away. One thing that can be said about Job is that he never lost sight that the LORD gave him what he had. Don’t let a little success cause pride to swell in your heart. Always give thanks to God both personally and publicly for what you have. The more you thank Him for His blessings, the greater chance you have of keeping them.

Changing Your Nation

Esther 4:16
“Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.”

The Jews found themselves in a serious situation. The ruler of their day was a wicked man. The laws of their land had turned against them. The politicians of their day already decided what needed to be done. Their lives were literally at stake because a law had been enacted that on a certain day every Jew in Ahasuerus’ kingdom should be killed.

There was one man and one woman who changed the course of history when there seemed to be no hope. Mordecai understood that the hope of his nation didn’t lie with the elected officials. He didn’t run for office, nor did he endorse anyone who was running for office. He didn’t involve himself in politics to change the nation, neither did he try to establish a relationship with the leader of his country. It’s not that any of these things are sinful, it is just the fact that he knew these things could not save his nation.

Mordecai and Esther understood that there was only one action that could save his nation: fasting and prayer. When he sent word to Esther that it was time for her to stand for her people, she responded with the action that did change the nation, even while being ruled by a wicked king. She said, “Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day…” They both understood that the only hope for their nation was to get God to change the heart of the king, and that could only be done through fasting and prayer.

There is no doubt that Christians worldwide live in times that seem to be pretty dark. Many can see the writing on the wall that the laws being enacted will eventually put Christians in a spot to either compromise or stand for truth and be punished by the law. In many nations, Christians are already paying the ultimate sacrifice for their stand for Christ with their lives. The only hope to change your nation in these times is for God’s people to fast and pray for a divine intervention.

Christian, you can bemoan who is running for political office, but how much time have you spent lately fasting and praying for your nation? Running to Capital Hill won’t change your nation; prayer is what is going to change your nation. You can waste your time trying efforts that have never changed a nation, but the only thing that changes a nation is fasting and prayer. It is prayer that gets God to change the heart of a wicked ruler. It is God Who works where you cannot work. God is the only answer to change the course of a nation headed for destruction, and He responds when His people get serious enough to fast and pray.

Esther and Mordecai’s actions were the saving actions of their nation. There is coming a day when Christians will not be able to depend on the courts or the politicians to save their nation, and when that day comes, they will finally realize that God is the One Who changes nations. You can change your nation before that day comes if you start fasting and praying for your nation now. Let the words ring true, “… if I perish, I perish.” Fasting and prayer becomes your only hope when these words become your mindset.

Remember

by: Allen Domelle

I was preaching in Seattle, Washington, when my phone rang early in the morning. I picked up the phone and it was my wife on the line. As soon as I greeted her, she asked, “Did you see what happened in New York?” I had not turned on the television, so I asked what happened. She said, “Apparently a plane was hijacked and was flown into the World Trade Center building.”

I quickly turned on the television to see what was happening. I had barely turned on the television when I saw the second plane fly into the second World Trade Center building. I sat stunned! There was no mistake in my mind that this was a terrorist attack. As I continued to look at the news from these shocking events, I then saw the buildings collapse. Again, I was in shock! How could this have happened? Then I learned of another plane that terrorists crashed into the Pentagon. All I could do was sit in shock. Of course, over the next few hours the stories began to come out of all the tragedies that happened that day, and how some heroic passengers on another plane because they wouldn’t let the cowardly terrorists take their plane and use it as a weapon.

Here we are fifteen years later, and I wonder, have we forgot? Just in case, let me give you some statistics.

Deaths by Area of Attack

World Trade Center – 2,606
Airlines – 246
Pentagon Building – 125

Total number who died in 9/11 were 2,977 (This number does not include the terrorists)

Casualties in the World Trade Center and Surrounding Area Deaths
Residents of New York – 1,762
Persons in North Tower (Tower 1) – 1,402
Persons in South Tower (Tower 2) – 614
Residents of New Jersey – 674
Employees of Marsh Inc. – 355
Firefighters – 343
Employees of Aon Corporation – 175
Port Authority police officers – 37
Police officers – 23
Paramedics – 2
1 firefighter was killed by a man who jumped off the top floors

Casualties on the Airplanes

American Airlines Flight 11 (North Tower) – 87
United Airlines Flight 175 (South Tower) – 60
American Airlines Flight 77 (Pentagon) – 59
United Flight 93 (Shanksville, PA) – 40

Casualties inside the Pentagon

Military and civilian deaths – 125

(Source: 9/11 Commission)

I fear that America has moved on so quickly that we forgot each of these numbers represents a soul. Each person had a dad and a mom who they left behind. Many of these people were either a husband or a wife. These people left behind a spouse and children, parents and siblings, friends and neighbors, work partners and fellow Americans. These people were not Republican or Democrat, THEY WERE AMERICANS! Sure, they were affiliated politically, but beyond their political affiliation they were red-blooded Americans that cowardly terrorists, who hide behind their turbans and masks, took airplanes and used them as missiles to kill thousands of innocent people and leaving behind many brokenhearted people.

I wonder, have those in Washington D.C. forgot what happened on that treacherous day that changed America forever? Have they forgot, as judges rule God out of our country? Have they forgot, as Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen continually vote and take the freedoms of Americans away? Have the city council members in our country forgot what happened on that day as they legislate rules against Christians who stand by the principles of the Word of God?

Let me bring this a step further. Have American citizens forgot what happened on that ominous day? On that day we had national prayer, and churches were packed with American citizens looking to God for answers. Yet today, churches are empty and sports stadiums are filled. Where every ballgame started with the song, “God Bless America,” now we have become an apathetic people who continue to push God out of their lives and country. Have we forgot as we accept a terrorist Islamic religion and say that they really don’t hate America? REALLY? If that is the case, then why are they killing Christians in the countries they control. Make no mistake, if the Muslims get what they want in America, Christians will be martyred here as well.

Let me remind you that God says in Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.” If America ever wants God’s blessings back, then she is going to have to get back to God. Christian, we can blame it on judges and politicians, but are you faithful to every church service? Are you involved in the outreach ministries of your church? The best way to remember those who are lost is to do what you can to bring God back into our country.

I challenge you today to take some time to remember. Remember what made America great was that she was founded upon Christian principles. Those Christian principles will only become part of America again if individuals make those principles an every day part of their lives. It is up to you as an individual. If you are going to truly remember those who lost their lives twelve years ago, then you must make God the LORD of your life again!

Allen Domelle is the editor of the Old Paths Journal which is more than just a Christian’s publication. It is an excellent place to learn how today’s headlines will forge tomorrow’s laws and statutes. Keep yourself in tune with what is happening around the world, as well as in your own backyard with our daily updates and devotionals.

Allied with the Enemy

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Nehemiah 13:4
“And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah:”

It is treasonous for a person to ally with the enemy. Maybe the most famous traitor in history is Benedict Arnold. Arnold achieved the rank of general in the American Revolutionary Army. He led his militia to many victories alongside Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys, but jealousy and anger set in when he felt the Continental Congress had overlooked his accomplishments. This led to him contriving a plan with the British to surrender West Point, but this plot was exposed and he escaped without ever being captured. Benedict Arnold’s name will forever be associated with the word traitor among Americans.

Eliashib the priest committed a treasonous act when he allied himself with Tobiah. Tobiah was the enemy who tried to destroy the efforts to rebuild the wall. Yet, for some unknown reason, he built a chamber for Tobiah to live in outside the temple. Nehemiah’s discovery of this act led to forcing Tobiah out of the chamber and cleansing it from any of his possessions.

It is unfathomable to see Eliashib ally himself with the enemy; however, many Christians have allied themselves with their enemy. The enemy I am talking about is not a person, but it is the sin in their life that has done everything to destroy them. Instead of fighting the sin that has beset them, many Christians have settled at peace with their enemy only to see the peace agreement become their spiritual death certificate.

You will never overcome sin when you build chambers in your heart for it to dwell in. Eliashib’s act to prepare a chamber for Tobiah to dwell in was a surrender to the enemy. You will never have victory over sin when you continue to keep its temptations around you. Keeping the things that tempt you to do wrong around is like a person on a diet keeping candy bars in the cabinets. The only way you will destroy sin is to destroy the chambers where you allow sin to dwell. You must get rid of anything that leads to the temptation to do wrong. You need to change friends if it is a person or a crowd of people who continually tempts you to do wrong. You must stop going to a place you frequent if that is what tempts to do wrong. You must destroy whatever your chamber is that tempts you to do wrong.

Moreover, you must destroy your peace treaty with sin if you ever want to have victory over it. You must never settle in your heart that you cannot have victory. Being allied with sin is treasonous and destructive to your Christian life. 1 John 4:4 reminds us, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” You don’t have to be at peace with sin. You have the victory residing within you to overcome your sin. When you raise the white flag to sin, you are saying that God is not powerful enough to help you defeat it.

Friend, it’s time to lower the white flag, tear up the peace treaty, and trust in the LORD’s power to overcome your sin. Whatever your sin may be, God can help you defeat it if you will ask him. Don’t make the mistake of being allied with sin. Fight it! You have no chance of victory if you become your sin’s ally, but you do have a chance if you continue to fight.

Preaching

by: Dr. Bruce Goddard

I remember hearing Dr. Hyles talk about moving up north and finding the culture awkward. He was a preacher, but they were familiar with a very formal, sedate service; he was anything but formal or sedate. Calm and sedate church services are not new in our society; they were a problem in the late fifties when Dr. Hyles moved “up north.”

When John Rice started the Sword of the Lord, the banner across the top said that he opposed formalism. He was, as other soul-winning preachers of his day, opposed to a calm and sedate service.

In 1982, when we started Faith Baptist Church, I was “preaching” from the very first day. I was excited. I was thrilled to be a preacher, and wanted the preaching to be exciting and upbeat. I was not a “pastor/teacher” type. The valley was filled with people from different religious backgrounds. Between the ten thousand people in Lake Elsinore and the one thousand in Wildomar, there were four other Baptist churches. So in 1982, a “preacher” showed up, and he was something entirely different from the teacher-type of pastor with which they were familiar. People like preaching. People like excitement; they like excited sports announcers; they like excited coaching; and the fact is, they like exciting preaching. It is the work of the Devil that brings preachers to calm, quiet, teacher-type lessons instead of old-fashioned preaching that changes lives. (Of those four “teacher type” Baptist churches 32 years ago, none have grown, two dropped the name Baptist, and somehow ours has kept reaching people.)

It is funny to me that Americans love singers who “feel” the music; but when it comes to the Word of God, they want someone who acts as though the Bible is a math book or some college literature course of which none of it really matters for eternity. Why not have a preacher preach as if everything he is talking about it true and literal? Why not preach as if you believe what you are saying.

After decades of marriage, some will cease saying, “I love you,” while others say it with little or no emotion. Honestly, is that the kind of preaching we want in our churches? So we want words to come out with no feeling or emotion attached?

When I first began attending in Bible college, I heard a teacher say there were Bible teachers up north and southern “theatrical” preachers. He was mocking the over-zealous actors of the southern style of preaching. I thought much about it and decided that I would rather be someone who speaks like he believes what he is saying, not as some dead lecturer who recites facts and bores the audience.

A fake is someone who believes in Hell, but speaks of it as if it is not real. He is a fake who says he believes in Heaven but can speak on Heaven without joy or smile.

I’ll not be a fake! I’ll be excited about Jesus, happy about Heaven, broken over Hell, and passionate about serving the Lord. You can have your fraudulent “speakers” who teach from pulpits and transfer emotionless information to crowds seeking a head knowledge with no heart attached.

1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” It doesn’t say the lecturing of the cross, but the “preaching of the cross.” God continues in verse to say in verse 21, “…it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” It is always preaching that changes lives, not dead, emotionless teaching. Give me preachers!

Dr. Bruce Goddard
Pastor
Faith Baptist Church
Wildomar, CA