SermonIndex Audio Sermons
SermonIndex - Promoting Revival to this Generation
Give To SermonIndex
Discussion Forum : Devotional Thoughts : A GREAT FALLING AWAY by David Wilkerson

Print Thread (PDF)

PosterThread
sermonindex
Moderator



Joined: 2002/12/11
Posts: 39795
Canada

Online!
 A GREAT FALLING AWAY by David Wilkerson

Today there is a great falling away from faith and trust in God. Paul warned about this: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [Christ’s return] shall not come, except there come a falling away first” (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
In the Old Testament, the Lord gives us an example of what happens to those who fall away from faith in God’s power on their behalf. In 2 Chronicles 14, King Asa faced a million-man army of Ethiopians. But the king had great faith: “Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God” (2 Chronicles 14:11).

What happened then? “The Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa” (14:12). What great faith Asa had! For years afterward, “There was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa” (15:19). For years, Asa walked in faith before the Lord, and that brought God’s favor to Judah. A great peace fell over the land, and that peace became a witness to the world. Soon hungry people from surrounding nations flooded Judah, because they knew Asa walked with God.

Then, in the thirty-sixth year of his reign, Asa faced another crisis. Israel’s king rose up against Judah, capturing Ramah in an effort to cut off all trade to and from Jerusalem. The plan was to starve Judah into submission. Asa was left completely vulnerable, but this time he didn’t rely on the Lord in his crisis. Instead of praying for God’s direction and counsel, he turned to the king of Syria. In exchange for Syria’s help, Asa opened up Israel’s treasury, emptying it of all the nation’s gold and silver.

And so Judah was delivered from their enemy, but not by the Lord. That glory went to an alien army from Syria—and Judah’s witness to the world of God’s power was gone. A righteous prophet in the land came to Asa with this scathing word: “Thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God . . . For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars” (16:7, 9).

I am convinced many Christians today are troubled for the same reason Asa was. They have war in their souls because they have traded faith for self-reliance. But the fact is, there is no way a follower of Jesus can have faith in any other source and not be troubled.


_________________
SI Moderator - Greg Gordon

 2015/12/9 6:14Profile









 Re: A GREAT FALLING AWAY by David Wilkerson

Great post and goes to the very heart of what Christians in this land struggle with. I have witnessed good people going back and forth on this issue, knowing they should not put their trust in anything else but God, but then something happens, a terrorist attack, a collapse on Wall St and so on and suddenly it is back to trusting in men. We have not been called to be puppets on strings, strings of fear that the enemy can pull anytime he wants to move us or disturb us or motivate us to do his work for him. So often it seems for so many that their lives are like a roller-coaster, each new turn and bend and hill creating another round of screaming and panic.

The days that are coming require the saints to put all of their trust in God. We will not have the luxury of circumstances to get away with having our trust in anything else. Time to get of the roller-coaster of reacting wildly and with fear to every report and every event. We saints have been called to be a light unto the world. Let others lose their heads in fear but let us keep ours in trust and peace. Hold fast brothers and sisters. Rudyard Kipling wrote this poem centuries ago but it highlights many truths that we as saints should live by.............bro Frank

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

 2015/12/9 14:43
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

Thank you brothers for the posts.

It is
not a matter of a falling away or revival. It
is both. For those that are living in intimate
fellowship with God will experience both
the glory and the power of God in their
lives. God is not going to leave His Church
Unequipped or unprepared, but there will
be a Bride without spot or wrinkle that
will manifest both the nature and power
of God. It is going to be days of great
darkness in the world, but great light and
glory to the overcomers.


_________________
Mike

 2015/12/9 21:17Profile
followthelamb
Moderator



Joined: 2010/12/7
Posts: 1527
In Christ

Online!
 Re:

"Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD...

Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: because you have prayed to Me...'' (Isaiah 37:14-15, 21)

Oh that we would run to Him and spread all that we are facing or will face before Him and rely on Him to deliver us from all our fears! Great is our God! Oh how little we who are called by His name rely on Him alone! Oh how He is waiting for us to stir ourselves up to take hold of Him and have eyes for Him alone in the midst of the maddening crowd of earthly distractions.

Oh Lord how many times have I looked to someone or something other than you for assistance when a problem arises...Oh, Lord of Hosts, enthroned between the cherubim, by whose blood we are redeemed, forgive and give a living faith that sees never the obstacle but sees You alone. Be Thou my Vision!


"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6)

"When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:6)

"And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Psalm 50:15)



_________________
SI Moderator - Brandy Gordon

 2015/12/10 5:18Profile
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

"And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Psalm 50:15)

Psalm 91 needs to be prayed and claimed on a
regular basis.

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
3 Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5 You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”



_________________
Mike

 2015/12/10 21:06Profile









 Re:

Brother Mike, what a tremendous reminder of the shelter that we find in our most High God. What would we do without our King of Kings, our Lord of Lords? Today I was reminded that even on the cross Jesus was reaching out to a hurting individual who was crying out. Even in the depths of death Jesus was his high tower, He was his refuge and his fortress. Whether we are living or whether we are dying we find our shelter in Him. What can this world do to us who stand under the shadow of the almighty? Take my breath away from me and I will be breathing the atmosphere of heaven. Take everything that I have on this earth and that would leave me with just all of the treasures of heaven. Crush this body and let rivers of living waters pour forth. Cut me down and let my very blood cry out of the glories of the Living God. Burn this body and cast the ashes into the rivers and see them journey down and find its way into the ocean. Our destination is sealed and our journey here in this life is our preparation for the dynamic glories of the heavenlies. And people wonder why we worship Jesus.............bro Frank

 2015/12/10 21:24
AbideinHim
Member



Joined: 2006/11/26
Posts: 5185
Louisiana

 Re:

Amen Brother Frank!


2 Corinthians 4:
8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
11For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
12So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
13We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
14Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
15For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.


_________________
Mike

 2015/12/11 0:10Profile





©2002-2024 SermonIndex.net
Promoting Revival to this Generation.
Privacy Policy