Sliding Backwards? Or moving Forward!

 

Good Morning... Just been having a cup of coffee and "mulling" things over in my head.. How's your day going? I do hope very well.

 

 

Yesterday was a dandy day in the house of the Lord. At our evening service our property search committee gave a well constructed presentation on their long search for property to "enlarge our tent / boundaries."

                       This is called "vision."

 

I KNOW that the Lord is going that direction.. by our marching orders, and Christ's death on the cross, for ALL. Now ALL is a lot, and yet my mind wandered this morning as to where are all the troops?
Physically?  Spiritually?  Emotionally? Where are we?

Are we sliding backwards? Have we deserted? Have we really truly joined, committed to the Army of God? Are we surrendered to the King of Kings, and is he 'truely'  Lord? ( Master? Boss?)

Questions we might need to ask ourselves:

Am I sliding backwards? OR am I moving forward?

 

1. Have I NO interest in .. Christian Fellowship?

2. Is there NO desire to .. attend Church & Sunday School?

3. Have I NO .. Personal or Family Devotions?

4. Do I have a burden for others? Carrying the message of Christ to the lost?

5. Am I lukewarm with no zeal for the things the Lord cares about?

6. Have I NO Spiritual sensitivity? is the sharp edge of my commitment to Christ & obedience to his Word been blunted?

  If I am no longer concerned about the 'will of God' in my attitude toward sin, I might need an attitude check in one or more of these points.

  The first step might be in examining my relationship to the Lord, might I need to confess & forsake some sin? It is possible to accept Christ's forgiveness and renounce my wrongdoing.

  I can find compassion among God's children as I return to the Lord & his church.

   I can re-establish & maintain my relationship with Christ through private & family devotions, witnessing to others of HIS redeeming love.

 

WHY do Christians fail?? 4 Basic tendencies are often causes for going backwards rather than moving forward:

1. We give into our weaknesses, we all have blind spots in our temperaments that are open to attack. (such as...being to easy going/to tolerant? to headstrong/impulsive? withdrawn? moody? a perfectionist? to name a few)

2. We place the temporal above the eternal.. we are preoccupied with earthly things, we cannot serve 2 Masters.

3. We take 'for granted' our blessings.

4. We can also let sorrow overcome us: might we be in a tailspin and angry at God when some tragedy strikes us or things did not go as we desired?

The spirit of rebellion wells up in us and we can "Quit!"

Quit..going to church. Quit..going to Sunday School.

Quit..serving. Quit..praying. Quit..reading my Bible. Quit.. giving of our gifts/talents/abilities/substance...  

 

    The Devil is most happy when all that happens and we are drawn away from the Lord and His church, and become spiritually cold, so cold that we "ice up."

Some ICE that can encase us in a big block of it are..

Pride, Jealousy, Materialism, Hatreds, Lying, Gossip, Envy, UNforgiveness, Perfectionism..

    Prevent ICE UP by, being diligent in prayer, studying God's Word for Personal Application, and maintain fellowship with other true believers.

  Don't remain AWOL... not only is it is a precarious position to stay in.. we also miss the opportunity to bless someone else as we are blessed. 

 

Here's hoping you are not having a season of sliding backwards... but are moving forward and enjoying the best that God has for you!