[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h4″]Some Christians seem to have forgotten that Jesus is coming soon and they are flinging away their confidence and running back to the world. In fact, the Bible reveals to us that when Christians begin to “draw back” in their hearts, they will soon begin to draw back in every other way as well. Look at the passage below and you’ll see what I mean.[/x_custom_headline]
[x_blockquote cite=”Hebrews 10:36-39 Amplified Bible” type=”left”]“36 For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away [and enjoy to the full] what is promised. 37 For still a little while (a very little while), and the Coming One will come and He will not delay. 38 But the just shall live by faith [My righteous servant shall live by his conviction respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, and holy fervor born of faith and conjoined with it]; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My soul has no delight or pleasure in him. 39 But our way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery (perdition) and are utterly destroyed, but we are of those who believe [who cleave to and trust in and rely on God through Jesus Christ, the Messiah] and by faith preserve the soul.”[/x_blockquote]
Many people foolishly believe that everything is just the same as it always was. Mockingly they ask, “Where is the promise of His coming,” (see 2 Peter 3:1-4). Yet it would be nearly impossible not to recognize the undisputable evidence around us every day that Jesus is indeed coming soon!
It saddens me to see people who once walked with the Lord begin to draw back in these last days. And although they try to legitimize why they are doing so, there isn’t a legitimate reason for pulling away from Jesus, His Word, His presence, His House, or the man of God that He has placed in your life. So remove all the excuses from your life immediately.
In many cases, the reason that people begin to draw back isn’t because of hard times they face necessarily, but because they have fallen in love with the world. The Apostle Paul faced this in his own ministry among his ministry team.
[x_blockquote cite=”1 Timothy 4:10 NASU” type=”left”]“For Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.”[/x_blockquote]
Demas had the great honor of working with the greatest apostle in history. Yet he forfeited it and abandoned Paul because he was in love with the world. And many believers are abandoning their pastors today and leaving their post at the local church, for the very same reason.
[x_blockquote cite=”Proverbs 14:14 NASU” type=”left”]“The backslider in heart will have his fill of his own ways, But a good man will be satisfied with his.”[/x_blockquote]
Backsliding begins in the heart. In fact, look through Jesus’ story about the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 and you will notice that the five foolish virgins, although virgins (or we could say that they were born again), were not ready when the bride groom came. Perhaps there were no outward indicators that they were not ready for the rapture, but they clearly were not.
Backsliding had begun in their heart. And if your heart is not right, you are not ready for the rapture!
In the story of the ten virgins you will find that when they suddenly realized that they were not ready, and that they did not have the oil in their lamps that was necessary, they knew exactly where to go to get it. My point is that even though they knew where to go, they had not been going to get it as they should have been doing.
This same thing is happening today among Christians. They know the importance of church attendance and being under the anointing. They know the importance of the Word going forth and establishing their hearts in it. They know the importance of prayer meetings and their own personal times of prayer. And they even know the importance of having their pastor correct their path to keep them on the straight and narrow. Yet when they fall in love with the world and begin to backslide in their heart, they pull away from all of that.
Today I want you to recognize just how seriously dangerous doing these things is to your relationship with Jesus.
Choose right now that you will do absolutely everything necessary to stay hot for God and live for Jesus with your whole heart, totally sold out to Him. Don’t draw back. And severe from your life immediately anything that tries to pull you away. Because the danger of becoming a backslider in heart is that you will eventually become completely disconnected from Jesus, and like the five foolish virgins, miss the rapture.
