Old Paths Journal

01/05/2026

Learn a critical truth from the father of the prodigal that helped his son to do right

The parable of the prodigal son brings many principles with it. This son had everything given to him when he was young, and his future was certainly a bright one. Somehow, he became complacent with what his father

01/05/2026

Nobody has ever burnt out serving the Lord; they burnt out by not serving God. Isaiah 40:31, Mark 11:29

01/05/2026

What a tremendous way to start out 2026 with 16 saved, 8 baptized, people rededicating their lives to Christ, and a tremendous crowd to start the year out. Looking forward to “Building Together” as we push forward with our vision to seeing the “Miracle of Maranatha” continue in a miraculous way

01/04/2026

Continued success is not accidental; it is planned. Follow the planned order, and success will continue

01/04/2026

This verse says that David consulted with the captains of thousands. If we were to stop right there and not to read the rest of the story, we could say that David was a very wise man and that, even though he was the leader, he was wise enough to consult with the people around him. However, though David consulted with the captains on whether to carry the Ark of the God to Jerusalem, he did not consult with God. Because he consulted with man before consulting with God, he came up with a plan that sounded good, but it was not the plan that God had originally designed in His Word.
You will always be wise to consult with wise people about what to do in life, but you must never seek their consultation alone, you must always consult with God's Word first. In God's Word, you will find the ways you are supposed to do things and what you are supposed to do in every situation. However, there are times when we don't know what God's Word says, and it is in those times when you should consult with others about what you ought to do.
However, let me be very careful to caution you that when you consult with others, never let their consultation pull you away from God's Word. God's Word is the final authority, and that is why we must always obey it no matter what consultation around us says. Consulting with others that will pull you away from God's word ought to be people that we take off our list of people whom we use to consult with about what we ought to do.
Moreover, the fool is one who does not consult with God's Word nor with others. A person who does things because they think they always know everything is the person who is the greatest fool. Though I am a pastor of a church, I am not afraid to consult with different people, and even people in my church, about different things that we are to do. Of course, when it comes to spiritual matters, I only consult with God and what He wants me to do. It does not matter what I want to do or what the others around me want to do, it only matters what God tells me to do in spiritual matters. However, to only consult with myself and never with God's Word and with leaders around me that God has put into my life, makes me a great fool if I don't consult them when I make decisions.
My friend, don't be so filled with self pride that you forsake the consultation of God's Word and of others. The correct order and consultation is God's Word first, and then consulting with others. It will never hurt you to consult with people about what you ought to do; if anything, it will give you more insight on correct steps that you need to take.

01/03/2026

Learn the five things you need to do when God leading seems to be silent

God led Israel through the wilderness by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. When these moved, Israel was to follow and move. When these stayed, they were to stop and wait for God to go forward. It was critical

01/03/2026

Remove the hardness that is causing your marriage problems, and underneath that hardness you'll discover your love for them

01/03/2026

I am afraid that we often don't realize how much we need God and how little God needs us. Don't take this statement wrong, but God can always find someone else to do what He has given us to do.
Jesus said that because the Jews rejected Christ, He would give the responsibility of spreading the kingdom to the Gentiles. God's original intent was that the Jews would be the center of the Gospel, and they were because of Jesus Christ; however, because they rejected Christ, He gave the spreading of the Gospel to a nation that was bringing forth fruits.
Throughout history, God has always had a central place where the Gospel was spread. Of course, Jerusalem was the first place. However, because the church in Jerusalem did not spread the Gospel worldwide, He made Antioch that place that turned the world upside down. We have to understand that God has made different nations and regions a place that was the center for spreading the Gospel. The Middle East was a region for awhile, England was the center for awhile, and America has been that place for a couple of centuries. However, when each place stopped spreading the Gospel, God always had another place He would make into the center.
As I look back throughout America's history, I can see that God used different men and their church to be the place many looked to for how to build a church; men who had a great heart for souls, were personal soul winners, and reached many souls with their church. There was J. Frank Norris, Dallas Billington, Lee Roberson, and Jack Hyles; men whom God used to send 100's of preachers out to start churches around the world. Of course, this is just a small list, but each of these men were avid personal soul winners, and had a focus on starting churches in their country and around the world.
My friend, I point this out because America is in great need, not of a national figure, but of a church that becomes a place that sends out hundreds of pastors around the world starting churches and reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. However, it all starts with soul winning. Jesus made it clear that He wanted to put His blessing on a place that was avidly reaching the lost for Christ. God's blessings on a place are not because they are politically connected, but because they are a place that spreads the Gospel.
Let us be a people whose heart is all about reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. Let us be careful about becoming sidetracked by things that we consider important but are not important when it comes to the kingdom of God. Always remember that God can take His blessings from our churches and send them to another church that will spread the Gospel. If each believer becomes a great soul winner for Christ, God can use every church to be that place that He puts His blessings on; a place that is bringing forth fruits.

01/02/2026

The Old Paths haters seem not to inform everyone that they've lost their dress standards; that's why they don't like the old paths

01/02/2026

To the Old Paths haters: the Bible commands us to follow those before us; this incl preachers from the 70's - 2 Th 2:15

01/02/2026

Learn five reasons why consistency is important to your life

When the priests made the bread for the tabernacle in the wilderness, they were to make the bread with fine flour. God could have given the instruction to just use flour, but He chose to