MEMORISE:
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62
READ: 1 John 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
MESSAGE
There is a natural feeling in every human being called nostalgia. It is the feeling you get when you miss someone or something that was once a part of your life. When you become born again, a lot of things about you change. Your friends, choice of drinks, fun spots, daily schedule, speech and many more things change. The difference between being born again and just keeping away from these things is that when you are born again, you become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old man dies and a new man with new appetites is born. You will begin to long for times of fellowship in church, and when you wake up in the morning, you will not be able to do anything else until you have read your Bible and have had your quiet time with God. The bad things you used to do will begin to irritate you and you will now feel ashamed that you once did them. For this reason, when I see some Christians whose conduct suggests that they still miss the world, I begin to wonder if they ever really became born again.
Sometimes, people angrily say, "He is very lucky that I have given my life to Christ; if it were in those days when I was in the world, I would have slapped him!" They also say, "If we were not in church, I would have finished you!" People who speak this way about their days in the world are actually missing the world, and in their heart, they have already gone back into the world. If remedial steps are not taken, they will soon be completely backslidden. When you talk about those bad old days as if they were good old days, without any form of shame, you are missing the world. You need to pray to God to consecrate you afresh.
Whenever I remember my days in the world, I feel ashamed of myself. I see that old man as a great fool, and I detest the things he valued so highly then. Great fear comes on me when I consider that I would still have been on my way to hell if Jesus had not saved me. If this is not how you feel when you remember your days in the world, then something is wrong somewhere. The devil has begun luring you back into the world and you need to take heed lest you fall. The devil is very wily, and he knows how to make a person backslide without the fellow even realising it. You must wake up from your slumber and push his ideas out of your mind with God's help. Consume more of God's word till you are sanctified. Keep away from those things and people who make your old lifestyle look attractive to you. Do not forsake the fellowship of the brethren, and pray without ceasing. You will not go back to the world in Jesus' Name.
PRAYER POINT:
Father, in any way I miss the world without realising it, please make me see it and rescue me from the tricks of the devil in Jesus' Name.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Ezekiel 34-35, John 5:1-29
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 5: I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS
1. I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
2. The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
3. Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.
4. My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
5. Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.
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