I have often said that backsliding is more like a “slow-leak” than a “blow-out”. We see someone make a mess of their life and we assume that it happened over night. The truth  is that it was a process. Little by little they entertain thoughts and make decisions that put them in harms way. The sad story of Lot is a good example of what I’m talking about. Dr. Paul Chappell described it like this:

“The story of Lot documents for us the process by which a Christian places himself (and often his family) on the road to ruin. Though the Bible does not describe for us much that is positive in Lot’s life, Peter tells us that he was part of God’s family. “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)” (2 Peter 2:7–8). So how does a just man end up in such a bad place?

Often a fall begins because of complacency regarding sin. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were renowned for their wickedness, yet when Lot left Abraham, the Bible tells us: “Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom” (Genesis 13:12). Because Lot didn’t worry about the sinfulness of Sodom, he was able to rationalize moving into town, no doubt for the business opportunities it would present. Lot didn’t go intending to live there permanently. The men of the town said he came “to sojourn”—just to stay for a little while—but Sodom became his home. In the end Lot’s family was destroyed because he was comfortable with sin and over time tolerated it more and more.”

When we depart from the will of God we not only hurt ourselves, we do great harm to others as well– even to those we love the most, and that is perhaps the saddest part of the story. The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he is safe. So, watch your step,and stay safe dear friend!

“A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.“–Proverbs 22:1

In the late 1800s, the Louisiana State Lottery rose to prominence, as well as to infamy, as it was plagued with scandal after scandal when rumors and evidence surfaced that its leaders were illegally pocketing money.

So in an attempt to boost their credibility, the managers of the lottery approached an aging General Robert E. Lee to see if he would provide an endorsement. They promised that if he did, he would become rich.

In response, Lee straightened up and shouted, “Gentlemen, I lost my home in the war. I lost my fortune in the war. I lost everything except my name. My name is not for sale, and if you fellows don’t get out of here, I’ll break my crutch over your heads!”

What is the integrity of your name worth? As we look at leaders who’ve had major moral failures, their downfalls didn’t come about with one bad decision. Instead, it was small decisions over time, exchanging their integrity for something else, that ultimately brought them down.

Don’t trade in your good name. Instead, maintain your integrity in the small decisions each day. When you do, your good name will gain you a platform for sharing Christ with others!

Pray that God will help you make the daily decisions that will maintain your integrity and give you a platform to share Christ with others.(Senior Living)

“And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well:..” Mark 7:37

Yes, from first to last, from our cradle to our grave, from the earliest pang of sin’s conviction, to the last thrill of sin’s forgiveness, from earth to heaven–this will be our testimony in all the way the Lord our God has led us in the wilderness: “He hath done all things well!”

In providence and in grace,
in every truth of His Word,
in every lesson of His love,
in every stroke of His rod,
in every sunbeam that has shone,
in every cloud that has shaded,
in every element that has sweetened,
in every ingredient that has embittered,
in all that has been mysterious, inscrutable, painful, and humiliating,
in all that He gave,
in all that He took away,
this testimony is His just due, and this our grateful acknowledgment through time and through eternity: “He hath done all things well!”

Has He converted us through grace by a way we had thought the most improbable?
Has He torn up all our earthly hopes by the roots?
Has He thwarted our schemes, frustrated our plans, disappointed our expectations?
Has He taught us in schools most trying, by a discipline most severe, and lessons most humbling to our nature?
Has He withered our strength by sickness, reduced us to poverty by loss, crushed our heart by bereavement?

And have we been tempted to exclaim, “All these things are against me!”
Ah! no! faith will yet obtain the ascendancy, and sweetly sing:
“I know in all things that befell,
My Jesus has done all things well!”

Beloved, it must be so, for Jesus can do nothing wrong!

Study the way of His providence and grace with the microscopic eye of faith–view them in every light, examine them in their minutest detail, as you would the petal of a flower, or the wing of an insect; and, oh, what wonders, what beauty, what marvelous adaptation would you observe in all the varied dealings with you, of your glorious Lord!–Octavius Winslow

You can tell a lot about a person by learning what brings him pleasure. Pleasure is good. God has wired us to pursue pleasure. The question is: Will we seek the truest and highest pleasures, or will we settle for lesser ones? Will we, in the oft-quoted words of C.S. Lewis, accept the holiday by the sea or will we continue to fuss about in the slums with our little mud pies?

What makes you happy? What pleasures do you pursue? That might be one of the most important things about you. Where your pleasures are, there your heart will be. And let’s ask a related question: What makes God happy? What pleasures does God pursue? That might be one of the most important things about God.

Paul has an interesting answer for us in 1 Timothy 2:4: God desires all people ‘to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” God’s desire unveils his pleasure: God loves to save the lost. This brings him great joy.

God’s desire to save the lost is not idle or casual. It is not a desire he merely feels. Rather, this desire has led him to action—the action of providing “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all” (1 Timothy 2:5-6). God’s desire to save people from their sin has led him to take the costliest action imaginable in the sending and sacrificing of his own Son.

Do you share God’s desire? Do you long to share God’s pleasure? If it is so good to God, shouldn’t it be so good to you?

What fascinates me about this text is how God calls us to action. He does not immediately tell us to go out and share the gospel. Not yet. The clear call to action is prayer: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions…” He goes on to say, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior…” The good here is the good of prayer. God deems it good that we plead with him for the souls of the lost. He deems it good that we pray before we go, that we pray as we go, that we pray after we go. God’s desire and God’s provision meet at the point of prayer.

If you share God’s desire for the pleasure of seeing the lost come to a saving knowledge of Christ, you will pray. You must pray. You must pray that God will extend his grace by extending the gift of faith.–Tim Challies

“He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee“– Psalm 81:16

There are great lessons to be learned even from the failures of God’s people recorded in the Scriptures. God says if His people had obeyed His voice He would have subdued their enemies and fed them with honey out of the rock. But they rebelled and walked in their own counsels.

How sad that a people who that could have enjoyed the richest of blessings from their gracious God were instead given up to their own desires and suffered the consequences of their disobedience.

How often have you neglected the place of blessing? There is counsel and comfort in God’s Word but you have spent little time reading it. There are rich mercies to be found at the throne of grace but you have neglected prayer. There are joys and blessings to be found in God’s house but you have been attracted by the empty promises of the world.

Churches sometimes mourn the loss of spiritual fervor enjoyed in former days. But instead of being brought to repentance for sin and neglect, the excuse is made that we live in difficult times. The lack of power in preaching is a concern but still messages to make people feel good take precedence over sound biblical exposition.

The next time you are facing temptation to sin or to squander God’s blessings, remember this: God is willing and able to bless His people. Today, heed His call to return. Call upon Him, knowing He is willing to hear and ready to bless.–Baptist Bible Hour