Friday April 21st 2017 –
CURE FOR BACKSLIDING
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
Read: Jeremiah 3:11-15 (KJV)
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.
Friday April 21st 2017, Open Heaven Daily Devotional, written by
Pastor E.A Adeboye
No comments:
Post a Comment