Adventure Day 38 - 3/31/09

Many Christians are in the process of backsliding, but only few recognize this. Though they might present themselves well to others, they have lost their inner spiritual vitality. In reality, they have turned to other loves.

Remember the Old Testament hero, Samson, famous for his great God-given strength? Yet, he wasn't as popular with God as he was with his fellow countrymen. His relationship with God suffered because all through his life he took advantage of God's patience and mercy. Finally, his sins caught up to him [Read Judges 16:1-31]. His strength evaporated. "...He did not know the Lord had left him" (v. 20). How tragic!

Backsliding is a long process of compromising choices on an increasingly slippery slope. It begins when we start losing interest in Jesus and what He loves. Jesus loves lost people - it should be a loud warning if we have little interest in seeing non-Christians come to the Lord. Jesus has a special concern in his heart for the poor and the powerless. If their plight doesn't concern us, it could be another indication that something is seriously wrong in our walk with Christ. Jesus loves his Church. If we don't have a passion to see his Church thrive, growing vital and strong, we may have drifted further from the Lord than we realize.

In Revelation 2:4&5, Jesus says to the Church of Ephesus, "You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first."

Now think about it...what advice might your friend Jesus have for you?

God's Peace,
Pastor Paul