Old Paths Journal – Page 18 – A Christian Magazine with a Relevant Message

Identifying Tendencies of Apostate Teachers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Roles of a Happy Marriage

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Choices

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Biblical Merits of Bible College

by: Jeff Lines

The room was crowded with engineers at the Jamestown, New York Cummins Diesel Engine plant. Corporate VPs were rolling out the first stages of concepts that would radically change forever the world of manufacturing. These were concepts we would later come to know as, “Pull Manufacturing,” “Just-In-Time” and a radical statistical process control called, “Six Sigma.” I could see that my work load was about to explode. Right then, on a piece of note paper I wrote the words, “You can’t have two careers.”

“Well then,” I said to the LORD, “What should I do?”

“What is most important?” were the words that came to mind.

I decided at that conference table that service to God would be the ultimate focus of my life. Nothing ranks higher than the care for the souls of men. It has proved to be the best decision of my life (aside from salvation and marriage).

Allow me to explain the background…

I was a man with a promising career in Manufacturing. I had followed my Dad in his love for a career in manufacturing. I had been given some great opportunities provided by his connections and reputation. At one point, I was offered a position as Steel Products Engineering Manager at one of the Teledyne subsidiaries in the Nashville, TN area. That would have been a “break-out position” into the level of corporate management, but it entailed too much travel and too much entertaining, so I turned it down.

In November of 1982 I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. Life was empty. Alone in a small back bedroom of a mobile home on a Sunday morning while listening to a preacher, I decided to give the LORD a chance to do something with my life. I would need to settle some issues doctrinally later, but one thing I knew: I was a changed man!

I accepted a position at Cummins Diesel Engine Company, but I was also a man with a second career. I was the youth director in our local church. I was putting most of my “off” hours into the ministry of the church. Truth was, I was finding it hard to concentrate on the new projects that were being introduced at Cummins. I fought hard to pay attention in meetings, but my focus was shifting every few minutes or so to the next outing, program or project at the church. Something had to give way to the other and I knew it.

As the Lord would have it, the earth was about to move under my feet in the next few weeks. My pastor called me into his office one afternoon and asked the following question, “Jeff, would you be willing to give me a week of your vacation to go with me to a place called Hammond, Indiana for a meeting called, ‘Pastor’s School’?” “I went there almost ten years ago” he said. “I learned more about church work in one week than I learned in all four years of college.”

I readily agreed to go with him. I was not a Fundamental Baptist at the time. I am sure that I really looked out of place with my long hair and odd clothing. I was not initially impressed with Bro. Hyles, his bombastic style, and tongue-in-cheek swagger, but I was totally impressed by the enormity of the work. The more I listened, the more my heart softened. Then came Thursday night. I still remember how it began…

“What you gonna preach tonight, Bro. Jack?”

“I don’t know, Dr. John.” “I’ll just wait and see which way you go and go another direction.”

“Bro. Jack, preach on…This Kind.”

About an hour later, I was one among thousands who were at the altar weeping and begging God to use their lives in a miraculous way. It was in that meeting that God instigated the change that would further impact my life like no other. I decided to sell my home, relocate my family almost 1000 miles into an apartment in Gary, IN, and cram my four years into six years at Hyles-Anderson College. I remember with a solemn holiness the tears that formed in my wife’s eyes as she sweetly submitted to the news upon my return. A preacher’s wife was not what she signed up for when she married me…so she thought.

Shortly after I returned from Hammond the second time, our church dismissed my pastor because he was taking a stand for soul winning, bus routes, biblical standards and eventually even the King James Bible. I have yet to see any group of people any more full of malice than that group in New York. I watched a good man and his family gracefully take a spiritual beating.

Suddenly, I was a man without a church. We looked for a fundamental Baptist Church to attend in the local phone book. I, my wife and two daughters appeared at the front door of the Jamestown Bible Baptist Church bright and early on the next Sunday Morning.

“Are you missionaries?” said the pastor.

“No” I said. “We have had to leave our church. We need to find a place to attend until we can make our move to allow me to begin Bible college.”

“Oh, where are you going?” asked the pastor.

I said, “We are moving to a place called Hammond. It is just south of Chicago. I am going to attend Hyles-Anderson College.”

The next few weeks and months were wonderful. I owe a great debt to that unselfish pastor, Ron Owens and his wife, Penny. I said that he was unselfish because he could have used his influence to try to encourage me to stay at his church and “train” me for the ministry. Instead, he spent the time we had together preparing me for college as a married man. That was his story too. He had done just that himself. His advice was nothing less than sage. He spared a very innocent family loads of heartache along the way.

His church was never large church. They struggled for many years. Some may not consider him successful as some men count success, but he had a great part in all the thousands that I and my church had a chance to win over the years. He also has had a part in all of the influence that my teaching at Texas Independent Baptist Seminary will have on future churches. I believe God is very pleased with his life.

If there are any men who happen across this article having felt the tug of the LORD on your heart for this thing called, “The Ministry.” I would ask that you give me a serious hearing. I think I can help you.

I am going to suggest that you do five things:

1. Choose a college to attend that is attached to a strong local IFB church. This church and college should be one where the pastor and staff is thoroughly interested in building you and not using your zeal and labour to build an empire.

Resist the urge to stay in your local church and study correspondence or online. I understand that there are some programs with great material and impressive teachers, but they cannot provide you with the benefits you will receive from moving to an actual school. Take those classes after a four-year degree if you feel the need. There is biblical precedent for Bible colleges.

It appears from Scripture that the prophetic order was founded upon the authority of Deuteronomy 18:16-22. God promised a succession of prophets whom He would empower to speak for Him. The first unnamed prophet after Moses appears in Judges 6 when Israel is in distress of the Midianites. The next party we see referred to as a prophet is Samuel. It is during the time that Israel is transitioning from judges to kings that God seems to begin to stress the need for multiple prophets. It is during the lifetime of Samuel that we see a collection, or some might say, a school of prophets.

The first mention of bands of prophets is found in 1 Samuel 10:2-5, when Saul met a group of prophets coming down from the high place. In 1 Samuel 19:20 we see mention of a company of prophets and Samuel as appointed head over them. In 1 Kings 18:4, we see Obadiah hiding 100 prophets in two caves when Jezebel was intent on destroying them. 1 Kings 22:6 finds a company of about 400 prophets called by the king for a war counsel. 2 Kings 2:15 and 16 mention fifty of the sons of the prophets. 2 Kings 4:38-44 finds a man bringing enough to serve 100 sons of the prophets who were eating together.

In 1 Samuel 19:18-19, we see David and Samuel with the sons of the prophets in Naioth in Ramah. “Naioth” is plural and means “Dwellings.” These were most likely the college dorms. In 2 Kings 6:1-2, we find that their number had grown and they needed larger accommodations. This prompted one of the students to drop the borrowed axe of swimming fame during construction. In 2 Kings 4:38-44, we find them eating a common, although deadly, meal. In 2 Kings 4:1-7, we see the widow of a married student with children in need of an “oily” miracle from her pastor.

It seems that the best plan is a very old plan where men separate from the world and gather themselves under the leadership of prophets to learn the office of a prophet. No need to reinvent the wheel when the old wheel still moves the process along as well as it ever did.

2. Sever all ties to your current career. Move your family to a different location.

“So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.” (1 Kings 19:19-21)

Elijah may have been preaching a meeting in the area when the heart of Elisha was touched by the message. When the mantle was cast upon him, Elisha responded as Elijah had hoped. Elisha made known his call and made a wiser choice than maybe even he knew at the time; he severed all ties with his career: He burnt the plow and served up the oxen to his family and friends. Elisha made the statement that he was “all in.” That act does not suggest that he never stood behind a plow again, but the hands on the plow were the hands of a prophet and not a farmer. When he went after Elijah, there was no “Back” to go back to.

Once the decision has been made to surrender, a called man should plan to make a move and sever all the ties he has to his former career. There are several good reasons to move in order to train. First, there will be lots of pressure you will endure in Bible college which will prepare you by giving mental toughness and fortitude that you will need as a man of God. Second, if you remain in your home church and are still comfortable in a career, you will not have the benefit of the same kind of pressure. Third, the Bible teaches us that our heart will follow our treasure. Investment in a move and loss of career will make the investment of college training very dear to your heart. Fourth, relocation sets a sort of mental line of demarcation. It makes a personal statement that says, “I am a preacher who builds tents once in a while, and not a tentmaker who preaches.” Fifth, you will develop friends of a lifetime. You will become a band of brothers. Sixth, your wife will suffer immeasurably without it. Your wife will hopefully get some good training from staff wives and women who will not only become mentors, but also become part of the network of friends she will need when her pastor husband is unable to help.

3. Work to become a faithful and productive Christian.

Once you arrive at your new church, dig in and work at becoming a productive church member. Be industrious. Teach a Sunday school class. Be an active soul winner. Do not wait to be “in the ministry” when you have a position. Do the work, and the position will follow. It doesn’t make sense for God to send a lazy person somewhere else to be lazy.

4. Stay put until you finish.

Resist the temptation to leave early. There will probably come an opportunity to leave school to take a position that either you design or someone designs for you. In my fourth year I saw all of my unmarried friends ready to graduate. I was tired and anxious to finish. I had two more years to go. I sat up an appointment to see Bro. Hyles to suggest that since I was almost 40 that I should go ahead and leave college to get on with my ministry. Very kindly he said, “I know that you would really like to go, and you might make it, but you will someday be sorry that you didn’t finish. I think you will be able to do far more for the Lord if you graduate.” I finished. He was right.

God is still in the business of calling men to the ministry. There are still a few really good churches with sound Bible colleges to attend. It is still a far better plan for a man to choose a ministry in which to subject himself for training, sever himself from his career, relocate to that church, and finish his training under the watchful and helpful eyes of those who will love his family and prepare them for the greatest work in the world. Bible colleges will never be able to teach you everything you need, but they can give you a head start.

I can’t speak for all of the institutions in the country, but I can speak for the one where I serve. If God leads you to check us out, I am sure you will find that we will do our best at Texas Independent Baptist Seminary and Schools to offer you all the tools and support you will need. Zeal and knowledge are a powerful combination. In the words of my mentor, and arguably the greatest trainer of preachers since the Apostle Paul… “We don’t use our people to build our work; we use our work to build our people.”

Jeff Lines
Theology Teacher
Texas Independent Baptist Seminary
Longview, TX

The Confidence of Blameless

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Making Your House a Great House

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Fulfilling Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Explaining the Christly Mindset

by: Dr. Allen Domelle

Philippians 2:5
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

If you can understand someone’s mindset, you have a better chance of comprehending the what and how of their instructions. There have been times when someone asked me to do something when I didn’t quite understand what they wanted, so I asked them to explain their thinking so that I could perform their request to their satisfaction. My desire is not only to accomplish what someone wants me to do, but to do it exactly the way they want me to do it.

The Christian should have this same desire when it comes to serving the LORD. Every Christian should desire to not only do what God instructs and commands us to do, but to do it exactly the way He wants it done. This is why the verse above says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” God knows that if we can get the Christly mindset, we will please Him with all that we do. The verses that come after the verse above explains to the Christian the Christly mindset.

First, the Christly mindset understands your position with God. Verse 7 says, “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…” If you are going to get the mind of Christ, you are going to have to realize that you are supposed to be a servant of God. This life is not about you and what you want, but it is about serving the LORD. Everything that Christ did on Earth was a fulfillment of what the Father commanded Him to do. He was a servant to the fullest meaning. You will never please God until you assume the role of a servant and serve the LORD.

Second, the Christly mindset is understanding who you are. Verse 8 says, “And being found in fashion as a man…” Jesus completely understood that He took on the robes of flesh. Yes, He was still God, but He was God in the flesh. You will struggle to please the LORD until you understand that you are just a man. If you don’t understand your weakness as a sinner, you will fail to serve the LORD by not guarding against sin. Friend, never think of yourself as higher than a man. Understand that you are a sinner and capable of committing any sin. When you get this understanding, you will be able to better resist the temptations of sin.

Third, the Christly mindset is having the right attitude about yourself. Verse 8 continues to say, “…he humbled himself…” The mind of Christ is a humble mind. A humble mind is one that is modest or unassuming. Don’t ever take on the mindset that you are better than others. Likewise, a humble mind doesn’t think of itself lower than others. Self-deprecation is a form of pride because the focus of this person is on themselves. If you are going to have the mind of Christ, you must take your eyes off yourself and place them on Christ. Keeping your eyes on Christ will give you the right humble mindset that He wants you to have.

Fourth, the Christly mindset understands your purpose, and that purpose is to obey. Verse 8 continues to say, “…and became obedient unto death…” True obedience has no boundaries to which it submits. The Christly mindset is the willingness to obey God to the degree of losing everything. Ask yourself, what is the line where you will no longer obey Christ? Your answer shows whether or not you have the mind of Christ. You will only please God with your life if you mirror the Christly mindset.

Praying for Your Missionaries

by: Jessi Cormier

It was ten hours to the hospital. The missionary was almost to his destination. On the seat beside him sat his sick little girl. He had to get her to the doctor. He glanced sideways at her. How he loved her, this precious little one who God had given him to raise and to protect.

“God,” he prayed, “Please help my little girl. Please make her well. Please let the doctor know what is wrong with her so that he can know how to treat it.”

His whole mind was consumed with praying and with the worry he felt in his heart. Normally, when he drove the roads in that country, his mind stayed on high alert as to what was going on around him, but on that day, his only thought was to get to the doctor FAST.

As he neared a one-way bridge in the road, he noticed a semi-truck coming on fast from the opposite direction. He could see that the semi would easily make it to the bridge before he did, which meant he was going to have to stop and wait his turn. His foot touched the brake pedal, and the car gradually slowed to a stop on the side of the road. The missionary stared at the oncoming truck, but his mind was far from the scene before him. Then, without warning, it happened!

Suddenly, from the bushes along the side of the road sprang two men armed with machetes. One of them rushed at his door, while the other raced around to the passenger side. In an instant, his door was yanked opened (Oh! Why hadn’t he had it locked as he normally did?), and the terrifying movie-like drama began to play itself out. Thinking quickly, he grabbed his door and jerked it open as wide as it would go. The man on his side of the car was knocked out into the way of the oncoming semi. He slammed and locked his door and then whirled around to take in the situation on his daughter’s side of things. The second man was reaching across his daughter for the gear shift! Mr. Missionary rammed the man’s hand to the floorboard and at the same time glanced up at the road. The semi had past! His foot stomped on the gas pedal, and the car roared to life. Both men were left sprawling in the dust behind them.

His heart pounded! It had all happened so fast, and it was over before he had really known what was happening. He turned to his daughter. She was okay, just shell-shocked like he was. As his mind replayed the event that had just taken place, he realized that the situation could have played out much worse. Why did the second man dove for the gear shift instead of grabbing his little girl? If he had taken her, everything would have been over. The missionary would have had to get out to fight the two men, and they probably would have taken the car and everything in it. But God had mercifully blinded their eyes, and had given him the wisdom to know exactly what to do. It was a moment in time that he would never forget.

Fast forward several months. The missionary and his family were on furlough just finishing up a service at one of their supporting churches. It was obvious that this church loved their missionaries by the way the people hung around their table and spoke to them after the service. No one seemed to be in a hurry to leave. Later, though, when the church was almost empty, the pastor walked up to the missionary with a sober look on his face. “Brother, there is something I want to tell you,” he said. “Every morning, I get here to the church early, and before I enter my office, I always take a few minutes to pray for our missionaries.”

The missionary glanced around him at the many prayer letters lining the walls. He nodded as the pastor continued.

“Each morning, I make my rounds. I lay my hand on these prayer letters and pray for each missionary in turn for a few minutes before I move on to the next one. Brother, several months ago, something really strange happened. I put my hand on your prayer letter and as I began to pray, I was overcome with an intense burden for you and your family. I literally could not take my hand off your letter, and God would not let me move on. Instead, my eyes filled with tears, and I stood there for who knows how long laboring in prayer for you. Brother, I’m curious. Do you have any idea why I might have been under such a heavy burden that day?”

Time seemed to stand still for the missionary as his mind raced back to that horrifying day three months before. And then it was his turn to tell his side of the story. After the telling of it, the two men hugged one another and wept at the goodness of God. The hearts of that missionary and pastor bonded as the full truth hit them that they truly had both been laboring together that fateful day on the mission field.

The missionary went on to tell that story, both sides of it, everywhere he went. Now, more than ever before, he realized that he and his family could not make it without the prayers of their supporters back home.

The Harrelson Family–1989–Dick, Cindy, Jessica, and JoAnna

That missionary was my Dad, Dick Harrelson. The mission field–Papua New Guinea. The little girl was my sister, JoAnna, and that pastor was Bro. Vic Wilson, a man who faithfully pastored his church and prayed for his missionaries for many years.

Question: Do you pray for your missionaries? I mean, do you REALLY pray for your missionaries? Do you know them personally because their names are on your lips on a regular basis? If you were asked about one of your missionaries in particular, would you know him, or would his name just vaguely ring a bell? That thought really bothers me. No, more than that, it scares me! I don’t know how to emphasize this enough. Your missionaries, each one of them, needs YOU. Are you ready to bow before God at a moment’s notice to spend time in prayer for one of them? They are depending on you for more than just money to keep them on the field. They need your prayers. Their lives may depend on it!

Jessi Cormier
Missionary Wife

The Repulsiveness of Lying

Ephesians 4:25
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

Lying is a disgusting and destructive sin. For some reason, it seems that many people don’t look at lying the same way that God does. Many people think that lying is acceptable if it is done to keep them from answering uncomfortable questions. Some think that lying is fine if it is done to keep from hurting someone’s feelings. Yet, God commands the Christian to put lying away. When you look at what lying says about you and what it does to others, you will soon realize the repulsiveness of a lie. Six results come from telling lies.

First, lying shows your total disrespect of others. The verse above tells us that we should put lying away because “we are members one of another.” You show what you think about others by how truthful you are to them. You have no respect for another person if you won’t tell them the truth even if it hurts you.

Second, lying hurts relationships. Verse 26 shows that lying causes anger in relationships. When another person finds out that you have lied to them, it always causes hurt and anger. Deceit and lying are two of the most destructive elements in any relationship. Tell the truth all the time if you don’t want to hurt your relationships.

Third, lying gives place to the Devil. Verse 27 says, “Neither give place to the devil.” The Devil is the father of lies. Anytime you tell a lie, you are giving him space to work in your life. The Devil shouldn’t feel welcome in the Christian’s life. If you don’t want the Devil to feel at home around you, be truthful, and never tell a lie.

Fourth, lying steals the truth from others. Verse 28 commands the Christian to stop stealing. When you lie, you keep others from hearing the truth. Lying makes you no better than the thief who steals money from others because you are stealing truth from others which will set them free. Many people have acted wrongly simply because they didn’t know the truth. Don’t be a thief of truth by telling lies.

Fifth, lying corrupts you and every work you do. Verse 29 says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying…” Lying should be as filthy to you as a curse word. Once you get the stain of lying on your character, it will be hard for anyone to trust a word you say, even if what you say afterwards is true. If you don’t want people to totally distrust your works, whether past or present, be a person who always tells the truth.

Sixth, lying grieves the Holy Spirit. Verse 30 says, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God…” The worst thing about lying is that it keeps the Holy Spirit from doing His work through you. Essentially, lying restricts the power of the Holy Spirit. God allows you to do many things to Him and is still merciful, but He judges those greatly who hurt His Holy Spirit.

When you look at what lying does, you can see how repulsive it should be to you. The best way to keep these effects of lying from happening in your life is to tell the truth all the time. Honesty should be the one thing for which you are known. Being truthful may not be easy, but it always rewards you greatly in the long run.