| Article Index |
|---|
| Tis the Season to Backslide |
| Page 2 |
| Page 3 |
| Page 4 |
| Page 5 |
| Page 6 |
| All Pages |
TIS THE SEASON TO BACKSLIDE
by: Dr. Bob Gray Sr.
Luke 2:8-9, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.”
After going into my 39th year of ministry and counseling literally thousands of people it has been an observation of mine that more Christians enter a backslidden state because of the holidays than at any other particular time of the year.
At Christmas, churches in America are filled with more backslidden Christians than any other time of the year. The reason: the holidays! I am always amazed and bedazzled at the shallow attitude of adults at this time of the year, and the manifold dumb decisions made by supposedly mature adults. To think that any of us are an exception to this potential idiocy is naivety at its worst. The Scriptures are filled with men who backslid and went into sin. I am not speaking of the Judas Iscariot’s or the Demas’. I am speaking about the great men of the Bible.
Noah became drunk and took off his clothes. Yes, naked! That is the great Noah! Jonah preached the greatest revival in the history of mankind in Nineveh. He became bitter and complained against God and tragically backslid from God. Moses was probably the greatest man who ever lived apart from Jesus Christ. I’m speaking about ability and leadership! Moses that great man lost his temper, disobeyed God, smote the rock in Horeb twice, and lost his ticket to the Holy Land. It was such a great sin that the place to which he had been going to for forty years, now he was deprived entrance.
The great Elijah became discouraged and ran from a woman named Jezebel the queen. He backslid, sat under a juniper tree, and told God he wanted to die. David, the man after God’s own heart committed adultery with Bathsheba and then planned the murder of Uriah.
The great men in the Bible had lapses and times of serious backsliding. Abraham, the father of the faithful, the man that left the Ur of the Chaldees, and took off for parts unknown, fathered an illegitimate child. Can you believe that? All of these great men backslid!
- Noah drunk
- Jonah bitter
- Moses lost his temper
- Elijah ran and wanted to die
- David committed adultery and murder
- Abraham fathered an illegitimate child
Barnabas split with the Apostle Paul. They had a great missionary journey together, but they fussed over John Mark. Barnabas left the Apostle Paul and took his nephew John Mark while Paul took Silas. Really not much is said about Barnabas after that incident in the Scriptures. Elimelech and Naomi backslid and destroyed their sons, for both sons married heathen women and the sons ended up dying out of the will of God.
- Missions Minutes
- Solve Church Problems
- Ladies Only
- Just for Youth
- Baptist History
- Preaching Schedule
- Free Sermons
FOUR THINGS YOU NEED IN FINDING GOD’S WILL
by: Dr. Steve Heidenreich
I want to thank God for soul-winning people. A soul-winning pastor and a deacon came by our country farmhouse on a Thursday night and led my wife to Christ. They then returned on the following Saturday morning to lead me to Christ. Those will be the greatest days of our life. We should always remember those days to keep us excited through the years of living for Him! We were blessed to have a pastor lead us in our Christian growth. After going to church and following the Lord in baptism, we were able to...{READ MORE}
IT’S NOT OVER UNTIL IT’S OVER!
2 Samuel 23:5, “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not grow.”
May I pen these words to all of the imperfect people? May I write these words to those of you to whom everything has not turned out as you had wished or hoped? May I intrude into the world of those of you who have not lived up to your own expectations? May I dedicate this article to those of you for whom things have not turned out as you dreamed and planned?...{READ MORE}
IS YOUR LIFE A MASQUERADE PARTY
by: Sandy Domelle
Masquerade parties go back to the 17th century with the purpose that people would show up wearing costumes and masks to hide who they were and keep people guessing until the end of the party.
In recent months, as I have helped different ladies, two common sayings I hear are...{READ MORE}
IT’S TOO HARD FOR ME
by: Cindy Crutcher
I married my high school sweeheart! He was my prince charming and I couldn’t wait for our “happily ever after.” Almost 32 years ago, I was expecting my first baby (I was 21 years of age at the time). It was an exciting time. I had dreams of her being the “perfect little child.” I could hardly wait for...{READ MORE}
BE CAREFUL, YOUR TONGUE CAN WORK THROUGH YOUR FINGERS!
by: Bette Owens
When we think of gossip, we think of the phone or whispering; but how about texting, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Faithout, Lifespace, Fundamental Forums or any social networking or so-called Christian networking? Now our tongue isn't the only member that can...{READ MORE}
TRUSTING GOD WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND HIM
by: Tim Trieber
One of the foundational principles of any relationship worth having in life is that of TRUST. Relationships cannot thrive and flourish into what they could be or should be without trust. Take into consideration what the following relationships would be like if trust were absent:
- Marriage - The Bible tells us in the book of Proverbs that, “...the heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.” Standing at the altar, you trusted and still do trust, that the vows your spouse made will be kept, as does your spouse with you.
- The Parent-Child Relationship - The child should trust that, though Mom and Dad are not perfect, they are doing what they believe is in the best interest of their child.
- The Employer-Employee Relationship - When an employer reviews the résumé of a perspective employee, undoubtedly he will ask himself whether or not this individual is trustworthy. {READ MORE}
DOCTRINE AND HISTORY ARE IMPORTANT
by: Gregg Nash
Famed 19th Century Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, firmly believed the following:
| We believe that Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the Reformation, we were reformers before Luther or Calvin where born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the Apostles themselves. |
Indeed, before the end of the 19th Century, virtually all Baptist historians believed that the Baptists began in the time of the early church. Of course, some non-Baptist historians disagreed, but interestingly, some non-Baptist historians have agreed, including Methodist historian John Clark Ridpath, who wrote the following in the 19th Century: “I should not readily admit that there was a Baptist church as far back as 100 A.D., although without doubt there were...{READ MORE}
Now you have the opportunity to listen to sermons preached by Evangelist Allen Domelle. To listen to these sermons Click Here. | © 2010 by Old Paths Journal. All rights reserved. |