Old Paths Journal

Revelation 10:11
“And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”

John had been exiled to the isle of Patmos for preaching the Gospel. Apparently, he must have felt that his preaching days were over. You can imagine how he must have felt being alone on a small rocky isle, yet God was not done with the Apostle. God said in the verse above, “Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.” The promise to preach again to people had to give hope to this Apostle who must have thought that his preaching days were over. History doesn’t tell us much about John after his exile, but the Scriptures show us that his message has gone on for centuries since his graduation to Heaven through the Book of Revelation.

There is hope in the word, “again.” So many people have thought that their days of ministering to others were over because of sin, age, health or a transfer of ministry that seems to be struggling. Whatever your situation, let me remind you that God is the God of “again.” He always has a place to continue using you no matter what has come into your life to make it seem useless. Three things of which the word “again” can remind you.

First, life is never over. You may think your actions have ridden your spiritual influence as over, but God still has an “again” for you. There was an “again” for Peter after he denied Christ. There was an “again” for Samson after his life was ruined by sin. There was an “again” after John Mark quit and went back home. There was an “again” for Elijah after his moment of depression. There was an “again” for Lazarus after he died. My friend, life is never over with God. He always has an “again” for the person who will get back up and continue going.

Second, God may have to remake you before He can reuse you. Certainly, your life may have changed dramatically, but God can still remake you no matter what your situation may be. Health may have taken what others may consider your usefulness, but God is still capable of remaking you so that you can be used. Christian, God is the best at remodeling that which is broken down. He has remade many people after sin crushed their life. He has remade the ministry of many people who saw health take their original ministry away. Always remember, whatever you may consider the death sentence of your ministry is simply God’s remodeling garage for your life and ministry. There is still an “again” for you if you don’t quit while He is remaking you.

Third, finished in God’s book is Heaven. The only time God is finished with your ministry on this Earth is when your feet are walking the streets of gold in Heaven. Until you graduate to Heaven, God has an “again” for you. Heaven is the only finish line for the Christian. If God has left you on this Earth, and obviously He has because you are reading this devotional, that means there is still an “again” in your life.

Christian, don’t let the Devil discourage you to the point of quitting. Don’t waste God’s “again” for your life. He has an “again” for you, but you are going to have to continue serving the LORD for the “again” to be realized. Many people have missed their “again” because they quit, but that doesn’t have to be you. Let the promise that God gave to John that he would preach again be an encouragement to you that there is still an “again” for your life.

Proverbs 16:32
“He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”

There have been many conquerors throughout history, but the greatest conqueror lies within you. God says that the person who “ruleth his spirit” is better than the general who can conquer a city. Ruling your spirit will be the greatest victory you will win because there are many things that affect it. If you learn to conquer your spirit, you will learn to conquer your day. I find there are four things you must learn about your spirit if you want to rule it.

First, learn what affects your spirit. The greatest study you can embark upon is the study of your spirit. You need to know what affects your spirit. For instance, I know that my spirit can only handle so much news coverage. I also know what type of news coverage will affect my spirit. Instead of letting the outside elements of life affect me, I have learned to get my news in a controlled manner so that it doesn’t affect my spirit. I don’t know what affects your spirit, but you better learn what causes you to get angry or become short with people so that you can control its influence on your spirit.

Second, learn who affects your spirit. This can go either way. You must learn who helps to lift your spirit when you are around them and who depresses or grieves it when you are with them. You are going to have to learn to limit your time with those people who drag your spirit down. This may sound a little petty, but you represent the LORD throughout the day, and you cannot allow an individual to affect your spirit to the point where you can’t be a help to others. On the other hand, you need to learn to spend more time with those who tend to lift your spirit, especially in times when you are struggling. Spending time with spirit-lifters will put a charge on your outlook for the day.

Third, learn when your spirit is affected. There are times when your spirit is going to be a bit more on edge than others times. For instance, when you are tired, you will find that your spirit will often be a bit short with people. Likewise, when you are carrying a heavy load, you may find that your spirit is shorter with people than at other times. Let me encourage you to learn when those times are when your spirit is affected and learn to react slower during those times so that you don’t ruin relationships or your testimony.

Fourth, learn where your spirit needs improvement. Nobody is perfect, and your spirit is one of those areas where you are going to have to find where it needs improvement, and work on it. Don’t settle for your spirit ruling you. Determine to get control of those areas where your spirit needs improvement.

The best way to improve your spirit is never to allow outside factors to determine your spirit. You will never be in control of your spirit if you allow outside things to dictate your spirit. You can’t control who is going to say negative things to you, nor can you control what is going to happen; however, you can control what is going on inside of you, and that is how you control your spirit. If you continually yield to the Holy Spirit of God, you will find that He can help you control your spirit. You will find your spirit to be more at peace when you spend time in the Scriptures daily. Moreover, you will find your spirit will tend to be on topside if you unload on God through prayer. By doing these four things, you can rule your spirit.

1 John 2:5
“But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

One of the tools Satan uses against those who are walking the old paths is trying to convince us that we don’t love. Liberal preachers often use love as their mantra to attract people. They often say that they don’t focus on the “do’s” and “don’t’s,” instead they say that they focus on loving people. They often accuse those who teach and preach the commandments as hateful.

However, this may sound well and good, but it doesn’t agree with Scripture. In the verse above, God talks about love being perfected. The word “perfected” means fulfilled, finished or complete. In other words, God shows in these verses how the Christian can have a complete love. Three things show how to perfect your love.

First, love cannot be perfected without commandments. Verse 3 says, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.” You cannot keep a commandment without having one. In other words, commandments are a part of helping someone’s love to grow. To say that you love someone and have no commandment is a lie. Commandments keep those you love from heartache. The parent who has rules and boundaries loves their children more than the parent who doesn’t have any rules. The pastor who teaches and preaches the commandments of the Scriptures loves his people more than the preacher who never tells his people what they should and should not do. You cannot be a loving church or Christian without commandments, because those commandments are what keep those you love away from those things that would hurt them.

Second, the adherence of the commandment is where love matures. The verse above says, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected…” Having the commandment is good, but just having them won’t mature someone’s love. You will never understand how much you love someone until you start following the commandments the LORD gives. The reason love won’t grow without following God’s commandments is because you will only experience the heartache of sin because of disobedience. My friend, when you obey the LORD’s commandments, you will experience the joy of serving Him and see the heartache of those who didn’t obey; it is then that your love grows greater because you will want to keep people from doing wrong so they can enjoy the pleasures God’s commandments bring.

Third, where there is no commandment, there is no love. Verse 4 says, “He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” Christian, those who criticize others as unloving for having rules, boundaries and limitations are liars and compromisers. All you have to do to determine whether someone loves you is to see if they preach all the commandments of God and follow them; that is the proof of love. They can preach love all they want, but they are liars if they don’t have commandments and follow them.

My friend, don’t let the liberal shame you into throwing out the commandments of God. You are the one who truly loves if you follow God’s commandments. Your love can only be complete if you teach God’s commandments and obey them.

James 1:16
“Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

A simple command is given in the verse above when it says, “Do not err…” Sometimes, we make avoiding sin much more difficult than it needs to be. God commands the Christian not to err, and then He gives a simple recipe of how to avoid it. God’s recipe consist of four ingredients that if applied will help the Christian to avoid sin. Let me show you these four ingredients.

First, don’t allow good to become bad. Verse 17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” It is interesting that after the Christian is commanded not to “err” that the next thing God teaches is that every good thing comes from above. The Devil is a master at turning good into bad. God is simply warning the Christian to keep everything in its proper order. When we do things out of their order is when good becomes bad. For instance, fornication is simply taking good out of order. There is nothing wrong with a man and woman being together after marriage, but when they enjoy the pleasures of marriage outside of the boundaries of marriage is when it becomes wrong. Most sin is simply taking good and doing it at the wrong time. If you are going to avoid sin, you are going to have to do everything in God’s divine order.

Second, stay in control. Verse 19 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” A lot of people get themselves into trouble by reacting instead of acting. Anger is a result of reacting to another’s actions towards you. There is nothing wrong with anger as long as it is controlled and directed towards the sin and not the individual. Most of our problems with people come when we react to what they do. God makes it clear that the easiest way to avoid your spirit being out-of-control is to listen more quickly than you speak or act.

Third, be a Word receiver. Verse 21 says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” Letting the Word of God become a part of the fabric of your soul will help you to “lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness…” Many preachers have correctly said, “This Book will keep you from sin, and sin will keep you from this Book.” The best way to take the taste of sin away from your life is to let God’s Word become a part of the fabric of your soul. If you read God’s Word, listen to it through preaching, and memorize it so that it becomes a part of your thinking, you will find that sin won’t be as alluring as it used to be.

Fourth, be a Word doer. Verse 22 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” The final step to avoiding sin is to do what you’ve received from God’s Word. If you apply God’s Word, you won’t be able to commit sin. Doing what God says keeps you from performing what the flesh desires. You can’t obey God’s Word and the flesh at the same time; each action voids the other.

Christian, these four ingredients will help you to avoid sin. I know these things sound too simple, but it really is that simple to avoid sin. Applying these ingredients to your daily life takes your focus off sin and allows you to stay focused on doing right which results in avoiding sin. It really is that simple to avoid sin!

Hebrews 11:38
“(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”

An amazing list is compiled in Hebrews 11 of people who were willing to give their all for the sake of following God’s faith and commands. The verse above says that “the world was not worthy” of these people. God didn’t just say they were good Christians, but He said that the world was not worthy of them.

As you read the verses describing what these people endured, your faith should be challenged to do more than it is doing at the present. These people were willing to give their lives, suffer persecution and be abandoned in the wilderness to die of starvation or by the attack of wild animals. There are several things about these people that caused the world not to be worthy of them.

First, their faith was unwavering. These people didn’t put limits as to how far they would serve the LORD. These people were willing to give their lives for the LORD’s sake. They didn’t conform to the world; rather, they were willing to be isolated and rejected by those around them for the sake of the faith. Too many Christians don’t have an unwavering faith that is willing to stand alone in the world. Many Christians can’t even stand for right among the religious crowd, much less the world. You will never become a person who the world is not worthy of your presence if your faith wavers at the pressure the world puts on you to conform. Only those who stand against the pressures of conformity will make a difference in their world.

Second, their commitment had no limits. These people were willing to give their lives for the LORD’s sake. Let me ask you, when does your commitment for right stop? At the first sign of criticism, many stop standing so they can be accepted. At the first sign of resistance, many Christians forsake what they always believed so that they don’t have to endure the consequences. Your faith will never make an impact on this world if you don’t have the commitment to endure any consequence for the sake of truth.

Third, their character was spotless. It wasn’t that these people were sinless, but they grew in their faith to the point where they were willing to sacrifice the comforts of the world for God’s will. Let me ask you; what is your Christian character like? Do you struggle to give up worldly pleasures because you enjoy them too much? You will never influence the world for right until you come to the point where the world’s allurement is distasteful. Your faith must be more important to you than anything the world has to offer.

Fourth, their vision for rewards was eternal. Verse 39 says, “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:” These people didn’t have to see God come through for them to continue to serve Him; instead, they were willing to live their entire life without reward because they understood they would be rewarded in Heaven. You will never be put into the classification of these people if you quit because you don’t see reward. Your faith must be focused on eternal rewards if you are going to make this world unworthy of your presence.

Is the world worthy of you? You will never make the world unworthy of your presence if your desire for the world is greater than these four areas.

2 Timothy 3:16
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

There is a reprobate thought process among certain people that the Old Testament is no longer relevant for today. It is always interesting that the crowd who espouses this heresy is the same crowd who seems to dress, talk and identify with worldly living. This crowd who says the Old Testament teachings are no longer valid today want us to believe that the New Testament is the only text by which we are to live.

However, when you look at the verse above, you quickly realize that you will never be a complete Christian without all of the Scriptures. The verse above says, “All scripture is given…” It continues to say, “…and is profitable for…” Notice that it didn’t say, “The New Testament scripture is profitable.” The reason it didn’t say this is because you will never become who or what God wants you to be without reading all of the Scriptures and applying all of them to your daily living.

Look at how “all scripture” is profitable to your life. It is profitable to learn doctrine. In other words, if you only use the New Testament, you will miss doctrine that helps you to ward off false teachings and doctrine. “All scripture” is profitable for rebuking those who go wayward. In other words, worldliness is the definite destination of those who refuse to follow “all scripture.” Without “all scripture,” you will never receive the correction needed to live the victorious Christian life. “All scripture” is also needed to receive God’s interaction for righteous living. In other words, you will never live a holy life if you only adhere to part of the Scriptures. “All scripture” is needed for the Christian to be who God means for them to be.

Christian, there is a result of following “all scripture.” Verse 16 says, “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” In other words, you will be an unbalanced Christian without following all of the Scriptures. It is reading and applying all of the Scriptures that helps you to mature into who you are supposed to be.

My friend, let me encourage you to read all of the Scriptures. Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of only reading the New Testament. I understand that there are parts of the Old Testament that are not easy or enjoyable to read, but you are missing out on necessary instructions from God that will make you into the Christian you need to be. Reading part of the Scriptures is like trying to drive a car without a steering wheel; it won’t work. You need all of the Scriptures to get to the destination where God originally intended for you to get when He placed you on this Earth.

Furthermore, beware of any preacher or teacher who espouses the fallacy that the Old Testament is no longer valid in our present day. Reading all of the Scriptures has nothing to do with law or grace, but it has everything to do with obeying the Word of God. When God commands us to “study” the Scriptures in 2 Timothy 2:15, He is showing us that He expects us to study everything from Genesis to Revelation. My friend, you will never become who you are supposed to be without “all scripture.” If you study and apply “all scripture,” your life will mirror God’s purpose.

1 Timothy 4:6
“If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.”

Every Christian is to be a minister of Jesus Christ. You may not be called to be a preacher of the Gospel, but you are called to represent Jesus Christ everywhere you go. God says in 1 Corinthians 4:9, “…for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” No matter where you go, you represent Christ. In the verse above, God says that He expects us to “be a good minister.” What are the requirement of a “good minister?”

First, you must live a sanctified life. The word “minister” means that you are a representative of someone other than yourself. The verse above makes it clear that you are a representative of Christ. This means you must separate yourself from anything that could cause you not to represent Him in the manner He desires. For instance, a minister is literally a diplomatic agent of a superior. The minister doesn’t dictate what they want to do, but they represent what their superior wants them to do. If you are going to be a good minister, you are going to have to separate from anything that could mar the name of Christ.

Second, a good minister walks with God. The verse above says that the good minister is “nourished up in the words of faith.” The only way you will get the nourishment you need to be the minister Christ wants you to be is to read His Word and do what it tells you to do. You will never be a good minister of Christ if you don’t stay in communication with Him. The only way you communicate with Christ is by reading the Word of God and praying. Every day you must get your orders from Him so that you know how to represent Him throughout your day. Don’t let a day go by that you fail to get your orders from God through His Word or prayer.

Third, a good minister knows what he believes. The verse above says, “…nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine…” You will fail to represent Christ in a good manner if you don’t know what you believe. Christian, it is not good enough for you to rely on what your pastor knows; you need to know what you believe. Certainly, you may rely on your pastor’s beliefs for a short time, but there must come a time when you know what you believe according to the Word of God. If you say that you do something because your pastor tells you to do it and not because God’s Word commands you to do it, you are failing to be a good minister. Let me challenge you for your representation sake to learn what you believe.

Fourth, a good minister stands for right. Verse 7 says, “But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” When you know what you believe, you will find it easier to stand for it; however, to know what you believe and not stand for it is compromise. Friend, you need to have the backbone to stand for truth, even when it is uncomfortable.

Let me ask you, are you a good minister of Jesus Christ? If you fail in any of these requirements to be a good minister, you need to change that area in your life. Don’t ever allow yourself to fail to be a good minister of Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:3
“We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;”

Paul said about his observance of this church’s faith, “…your faith groweth exceedingly…” He didn’t just say that their faith grew, but that it “groweth exceedingly.” This church was a church that wasn’t sufficed that its faith just grew, but they were interested in growing their faith in an exceptional manner.

Every Christian should desire for their faith to grow. You should never be satisfied with a faith that is stagnant, but you should desire that your faith grows and that it exceedingly grows. You should never be satisfied with a little growth, but you should only strive for your faith to abound in growth.

However, Paul said that their faith “groweth exceedingly.” In other words, their faith was still growing exceedingly as he wrote the letter. Many Christians have a faith that grew in the past, but it no longer is growing in the present. Christian, just because your faith greatly grew in the past is not good enough, God wants your faith to continue to grow. Your faith can never grow to the point that it cannot grow anymore. As long as you live, your faith always has room to grow and grow exceedingly. The question you must ask yourself is this; is your faith continuing to grow? Is your faith such that it is greater today than it was yesterday? Many times when someone is a young Christian, their faith grows exceedingly because they don’t know any better than to trust God for everything. Sadly, many Christians tend to get to the point where their faith’s growth is stunted because they think too much about what they need to do before stepping out instead of just trusting God. My friend, don’t allow your faith to become a stagnant faith that stops growing because you stop stepping out on what God tells you to do.

The question must then be asked, how does our faith continue to grow exceedingly? Verse 4 shows us how it grows when it says, “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:” Notice, their faith grew through enduring “persecutions and tribulations.” As much as they didn’t like the hardships that they were enduring, that is what caused their faith to continue to grow exceedingly.

The only reason a Christian’s faith stops growing is because they quit when hard times come. The hardships of life are what cause your faith to grow. These hardships you face are what cause you to have to depend on God, and the more you have to depend on Him the more your faith will grow. You will never grow as long as you can depend on your own strength and wisdom. Faith grows when a Christian realizes their helplessness and God’s omnipotence. You are just going to have to trust that God has the power to help you through whatever hardships you face, and that dependence will grow your faith.

Friend, is your faith growing, or has it stopped a long time ago? Always remember that trials and persecutions are an opportunity to grow. Your growth depends on whether you will trust God or quit. If you choose to trust God in these times, you will continue to have a faith that “groweth exceedingly.”