CURE FOR BACKSLIDING – Friday April 21st 2017
Memorise:
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted
out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord; Acts 3:19
11 And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord.
14 Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Bible in one year: Numbers 10-11, Jeremiah 17:14-27, Hymn: Sing hymn 11
MESSAGE:
Backsliding
is such a terrible condition that any child of God who backslides must
quickly seek for restoration. The danger with backsliding is that a
backslider may perish with his or her enemies like Samson did, or lose
all he or she had gained in God like Judas Iscariot (Judges 16:30, Acts 1:16-20).
The good news is that God has provided a remedy for backsliding. In
today’s Bible reading, we see the loving God calling and inviting
backsliding Israel back to Himself. This is a pointer to the fact that
God wants to restore all backsliders.
“Only
acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the
Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every
tree and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O
backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I
will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you
to Zion:”
Jeremiah 3:13-14
The
above verses of scripture contain the cure for backsliding. Restoration
for the backslider starts with an acknowledgment of sins and a contrite
return to God. In other words, the cure to backsliding lies in genuine
repentance. Repentance is a complete turnaround from one’s sins with a
determination never to return to those sins any more. This was what
Samson failed to do throughout his twenty years of being judge over
Israel. 21 April 2017 open heavens messages cure for backsliding. To
make matters worse, he always ascribed his victory and achievement to
his strength. Hear what he said after one of his victories in Judges 15:16
“….With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men.”
There
is no record of him giving glory to God even once. When he should have
prayed for mercy, he prayed a wrong prayer, asking God to strengthen him
one more time, so that he could avenge his eyes! Open heavens
devotional 2017. Due to the mercy of God, and because the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance, God still granted him his
request, and he died with his enemies (Romans 11:29, Judges 16:28-30). In Acts 3:19,
we see some of the great benefits of repentance. These included
forgiveness, the blotting out of sins and the experience of a time of
refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Beloved, are you in a
backslidden state? I encourage you to return to God through the Lord
Jesus Christ today. Read 1st John 2:1-2
for a better understanding of your heritage in Christ. As you do these,
the joy of salvation and the victory over sin will be restored to you.
Action Point
Pray
for restoration if you are a backslider. If by His grace you are still
standing, pray that you will not backslide, and also pray for all
backsliders in the Body of Christ that you know.
Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by Pastor E.A Adeboye,
The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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