THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BACKSLIDING - PART 2 (PETER)

(7 SYMPTOMS OF BACKSLIDING)

BY ‘MUYIWA OMOLE 

In the first part of this study, we looked at the downward slide of Lot from covenant to destruction. We saw him in light of the first verse in the book of Psalms. We saw how Lot WALKED, STOOD and eventually SAT in the “ways of sinners.”

The Bible tells us that “…all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition… (I Corinthians 10:11). The essence of this study is for us find our picture in the word and make corrections where required.

Today, I will like us to study the life of Peter, with emphasis on HOW he fell. What are the symptoms of backsliding as we can see in the life of Peter? The 7 points here are mainly gleaned from Matthew chapter 26, which talks about the arrest and crucifixion of Christ. I encourage you to read the whole account to be able to grasp the lessons therein.

1.      PRIDE

Peter answered and said unto him,

Though all men shall be offended because of thee,

yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him,

Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow,

thou shalt deny me thrice.

Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee,

yet will I not deny thee.

Likewise also said all the disciples.

Matthew 26:33: 35 

Pride (self-confidence or over-confidence) is the beginning of backsliding. Some people think they have been born again for so long that they cannot backslide. The very thought that you cannot fall is actually the first sign that you are about to.

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 16:18 

…let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.  

 I Corinthians 10:12

Please know it that ANYBODY can backslide:

·         Noah was backslidden when he got drunk.

·         Abraham was backslidden when he lied about Sarah.

·         Lot was backslidden when he moved into Sodom.

·         Samson was backslidden when he lay in the bosom of a harlot and again when he laid his head in the lap of Delilah.

·         David was backslidden when he committed adultery with Bathsheba; tried to deceitfully cover it up and had her husband killed in battle.

So do not let the enemy deceive you.

2.      PRAYERLESSNESS

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,

and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:

the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying,

O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me,

except I drink it, thy will be done.

And he came and found them asleep again:

for their eyes were heavy.

Matthew 26:40 -43.

This sin of prayerlessness was a direct result of Peter's first sin of self-confidence. When the disciples accompanied Jesus to the Mount of Olives, He specifically instructed Peter, James, and John to pray (Luke 22:40). But they fell asleep. They failed in praying. If they weren't so full of self-confidence, I am sure they would have been praying. That happens to us too. D.L. Moody or A. W. Tozer ( I am not sure now) said,”you cannot pray and sin and you cannot sin and pray.” Prayer puts us on fire and makes passion available for the things of God.

Why was Jesus able to pray here and the disciples were not? Why were they comfortable when the Son of Man was in a defining moment just few metres away? Simple: “… for their eyes were heavy.”   The burden was in their eyes when it was supposed to be in their heart. What is the condition of your heart? The things that used to give you burden to pray, do they still move you?

3.      SLEEPING

And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,

and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation:

the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying,

O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me,

except I drink it, thy will be done.

And he came and found them asleep again:

for their eyes were heavy.

Matthew 26:40 -43.

The next thing we saw Peter doing here was that he was sleeping. When you become comfortable and complacent, when fire stops on the altar of your prayer life and you begin to take study of the word lightly, backsliding is setting in. Check your craving for fellowship with God and your passion for the things you used to do for the kingdom.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,

as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1Peter 5:8.

4.      REVERTING TO THE FLESH

And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand,

and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's,

and smote off his ear.

Matthew 26:51

This “one of them” was Peter (See John 18:10).

It is interesting to see this account from the perspective of Luke. Luke 22:49, 50 says, “When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them (Peter) smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.” In other words, some of the other apostles were thinking about drawing their swords, but they thought it best to ask the Lord if that was OK.      But Peter did not wait to hear from the Lord, he just pulled out his sword and chopped the man’s right ear off.

One of the ways we can tell if we are backsliding is that we try to solve problems in the flesh, in other words not allowing God to intervene. We begin to lean on our own understanding and revert to the ways we used to handle matters before we came to Christ.

5.      FOLLOWING FROM AFAR

But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace,

Matthew 26:58a

 Peter stays far enough away so as not to be identified with Him. Peter was unprepared for facing ridicule and persecution. Except we take heed we too can become guilty of cowardice. Following from afar can manifest in being ashamed to be seen carrying a Bible, ashamed to be seen witnessing, ashamed to be seen with other Christians, even being ashamed to let others know that we are Christians. It also manifest in isolation. When you begin to isolate yourself, you begin to drift away from the folk.

Hear how Greg Laurie put this point: "Do you ever watch those nature programs where the lion will go after a certain animal? It is always an antelope that is about 10 feet behind the pack that gets picked off. In the same way in our lives, when we are at a distance from God's people, when we are at a distances from the church, when we are at a distance from God, we know that trouble will ensue and it sure did for Simon Peter."

James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” 

6.      SITTING WITH THE ENEMY.  (WORLDLINESS).

But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace,

and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.  

Matthew 26:58

Does that remind you of Lot? From drifting the backslider becomes more comfortable in the midst of unbelievers. These were the servants of the High Priest, who at that moment was an enemy of Christ. But Peter was comfortable sitting in their midst. That is a serious symptom of backsliding. He was trying to fit in, trying to blend in, whenever we try to blend into the world, whenever we try to fit into the world, we are backslidden.

We are in the world but we should not be of the world!

Let’s see this from the account of Luke to learn more:

Then took they him, and led him,

and brought him into the high priest's house.

And Peter followed afar off.

And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall,

and were set down together,

Peter sat down among them.

Luke 22:54, 55

Peter is seen here sitting with the servants of the High Priest and warming himself by the fire.  Ashamed to be seen with Christ, it becomes easy to mingle with those of the world and enjoy their comforts.  But one cannot be "comforted by the fire" of the world, and not be "burned!"
      A sign of backsliding or a state of your relationship with the Lord can be seen in your association. The Bible says we should “…have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” (Ephesians 5:11)

    By the time we become "friends with the world," it is only a short time before we take the next and final step of backsliding...

7.      OPENLY DENYING CHRIST

But he denied before them all, saying,

I know not what thou sayest.

And when he was gone out into the porch,

 another maid saw him,

and said unto them that were there,

This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.

And again he denied with an oath,

I do not know the man.

And after a while came unto him they that stood by,

 and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them;

for thy speech betrayeth thee.

Then began he to curse and to swear, saying,

I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

And Peter remembered the word of Jesus,

 which said unto him,

Before the cock crow,

thou shalt deny me thrice.

And he went out, and wept bitterly.

Matthew 26:70-75

The saddest and final step is when the backslider denies the Lord Jesus Christ.  Three times, and with strong oaths and curses upon his lips, did Peter deny our Lord – just as our Lord had warned him he would.

His continue backslidden ways had lead him to a complete denial that he had known Jesus! That’s what happens to person who stays backslidden, you cannot even see any evidence that they had ever know the Lord or ever followed Him!

You can see that backsliding does not start overnight. There are symptoms.  . Peter started backsliding little by little.  At any stage of this downward movement you find yourself you can repent today and return to the Lord.

In the next lesson we are going to see the roadmap to restoration. We will learn how we can travel from the state of backsliding to the position of blessing. The good news is that this was not the end of Peter. He bounced back from out denying Christ to becoming a prominent preacher of the gospel. As a matter of fact he later gave us some of the antidotes to these symptoms in his letters. It means you can rise too. Dust yourself off and return to the Lord. His arms are opened wide.

“I WILL FOLLOW YOU, BUT...”  -  4 Would-be Disciples.
‘Muyiwa Omole

The Lord Jesus called everyone to come to Him. He said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me” (Mt. 11:28-29).

While this general call went forth to come to Him, He also called individuals to come follow Him as His disciples. We know the names of the twelve disciples that He called. There are some, however, that were called but remain nameless, nameless because they did not follow Him. He called them and they knew what they could be, what they should be. They came close, but fell short. They started in, but gave out. The Gospel of Luke tells us about these would-be disciples (9:57-62; 18:18-30) and their stories will help us know what we should be as we follow Him.

MR. TOO QUICK - Count the Cost (Luke 9:57-58)

57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  Luke 9:57-58. New King James Version (NKJV)

This first would-be disciple met the Lord as He journeyed and said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” He was a volunteer! It warms the heart to hear someone stand up and be counted a follower of Jesus Christ. “Where He leads me I will follow” might well have been his theme song on the way to meet the Lord. But when he heard about the accommodations, he suddenly lost the tune. Ruth, a Moabitess, was more committed that this Jewish scribe. “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”  How good to rest where He rests, in His finished work. What would you call a man like this? Let’s call him Mr Too Quick. He hadn’t stopped to count the cost. It’s one thing to sing the songs of commitment but another to collect the hymnbooks and stack them on the book table after the meeting is over. This would-be disciple chose the way of comfort instead of the way of the cross.

MR. PRO - Don’t Delay (Luke 9:59-60)

59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:59-60 New King James Version (NKJV)

Our next would-be disciple was actually invited personally by the Lord saying, “Follow Me.” His response is very instructive: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” How considerate he was of his dearly departed dad! The problem was that his father was probably very much alive and in good health. It was a proverbial saying of the day, “After I bury my father.” He wasn’t about to let his dad down—not even into a grave! We don’t use that proverb today, but we surely know how to procrastinate! We say, “One day I’m going to serve the Lord with all my heart.” If it’s one day, that day will never come. Don’t be fooled by the devil into thinking that tomorrow is a better day to know and serve the Lord. The Bible declares, “Now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2) and that we should “Choose… this day whom [we] will serve” (Josh. 24:15). This second would-be disciple didn’t refuse to follow. He just put it off. The Lord Jesus responded truthfully saying, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach…” In other words, follow our Lord’s example who was about His Father’s business. Redeem the time for the days are evil. We don’t know this man’s name but we know he was a “pro” – at procrastination!

MR. ME FIRST
Christ First (Luke 9:61-62)
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.”
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:61-62. New King James Version (NKJV)

The third would-be disciple has something in common with the first two. He promises like the first disciple and procrastinates like the second. He uses the same contradictory combination of words: “Lord, let me first...” You can say, ‘Lord’ or you can say, ‘Me first’, but you cannot say, “Lord, me first.” If He is Lord, He is first. It’s a matter of priority. This man’s request was to bid his family farewell. Elijah permitted Elisha to kiss his father and mother goodbye. He did so with a feast. He had been ploughing the field. Now he was leaving his family to follow the prophet. Do you remember what he offered? The oxen for sacrifice and the yoke for burning! (1 Ki. 19:19-21). There was no turning back for him. He had come to the end of the row, as it were.
This would-be disciple, however, was just at the beginning of the row and had just put his hand to the plough. The Lord warns that, “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Family relationships are good, but not when they turn you around from following the Lord Jesus Christ!

MR. FOOL
True Riches (Luke 18:18-23)

18 Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one isgood but One, that is, God. 20 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”[a]
21 And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” 22 So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 23 But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
Luke 18:18-30. New King James Version (NKJV)

There is one more would-be disciple who may be more convicting that we’d like to admit. Luke tells us that he was a ruler and very rich. Matthew adds that he was young. He had it all: power, wealth, and youth. He came to the Lord in a humble way, running to Him and kneeling, calling Him “Good Master” asking. “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
Using a legal term such as “inherit” certainly prompted discussion of the Law. The Lord named a few of the commandments, and the young man still justified himself. But one thing was lacking: when the Lord Jesus touched his pocketbook, he discovered where his heartstrings were attached. He became very sorrowful and went away grieved. Mark’s Gospel tells us that Jesus looked at him and loved him. He could leave unsaved, but not unloved. He chose the temporal wealth of this world over eternal treasure in heaven! What would you call a man who takes the world at the expense of his soul? God calls him a fool. As Jim Elliott put it, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Leave it to Peter to put two and two together and voice the concern that the other disciples were still calculating. He said, “See, we have left all and followed You.” The Lord assured them that they would “receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Bottom line: it will be worth it all. These four men teach us not to jump too fast, wait too long, get turned around, or live for this world. Don’t be a would-be disciple.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BACKSLIDING: LOT AS A CASE STUDY ‘MUYIWA OMOLE

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF BACKSLIDING:

LOT AS A CASE STUDY

‘MUYIWA OMOLE

When considering the story of Abraham and Lot, I cannot help but think of Psalm 1.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the

ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners

nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

Psalm 1:1

Through the Psalmist, God gives us three things about which to be wary. These warnings can be viewed as a description of a believer moving farther and farther away from God. Note the posture of such a man.

First he is walking, then he is standing, and, finally, he is sitting. This succession of increasingly sedentary positions shows us the steps of someone becoming more and more at home with the world. It shows spiral downward movement into perdition.

When we first met Lot, he was tagging along with Uncle Abraham. But when they parted ways, Lot’s backsliding begins.

In Genesis 13:10-11, we read:

“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld

all the plain of Jordan, that it was well

watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed

Sodom and Gomorrah, even as

the garden of the Lord, like the land of

Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then

Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan;

and Lot journeyed east: and they separated

themselves the one from the other.”

Abraham and Lot were coming out of the land of Egypt, a biblical picture of this world. Their two companies of people and livestock were too large to keep together, so Abraham suggested they part company and gave Lot the first choice of direction. “Lot…beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere.” Verse 11 says it was “like the land of Egypt.” Conventional wisdom would say to go that direction—it was just like what he had seen in the world. The world also says to look out for yourself first. Abraham shunned the world’s way and gave Lot first choice. Lot, following the counsel of the world, put himself first and chose the land that looked the best. The only problem was that it faced toward Sodom and Gomorrah. He chose to walk into a life of worldly influences. Then we see those fateful words, “He pitched his tent toward Sodom.”

The next time we see Lot, he has stopped journeying and was now residing in Sodom (Gen. 14:12), a town that could be categorized as “the way of sinners.”

They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son

who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods…

Consequently, he was captured, along with the rest of the citizens of Sodom, and had to be rescued by Abraham.

Finally, we see Lot here in Genesis 19.  

…Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom…

Verse 1

Not only is he living in Sodom, he is sitting in the gates of the city (Gen. 19:1). His presence at the gates indicates that Lot seems to have become completely acclimated to the world and its ways.

During Old Testament times, people who sat at the gates of the city were considered to be leaders of the town, something like a city council. Some have suggested he was there to warn naïve travelers of the dangers of the town, but, more likely than not, he was there in a governing capacity. This downward progression is a cautionary tale. In the end, Lot lost his wife as well as his sons-in-law. His daughters that remained caused him heartache. This man who had so much potential for the Lord missed out on great blessings by following and living in the world.

The Way of the Righteous

It is interesting to note that each time Lot comes into view in Genesis, Abraham is being blessed in some way. After Lot chose Jordan, the Lord blessed Abraham. When Lot is rescued from Chedorlaomer, Melchizedek, priest of the Most High God, blessed Abraham. Just before the Lord sent His angels to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He stopped and blessed Abraham. In the end, Lot is left stripped of his possessions and living fearfully in a cave.

Abraham, on the other hand, continues to grow in blessing. He fathers a child when he is one hundred years old. He becomes like the tree in Psalm 1:3: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.”

Too often, believers view the “restrictions” of Christianity in a negative way. They fail to see that even the prohibitions are blessings—protection against needless pain and suffering. Christianity isn’t about what we don’t do; it is about what we have.

James writes, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from

the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (Jas. 1:17).

CHRISTIANS IN NAME ONLY
‘Muyiwa Omole

And in that day seven women shall
Take hold of one man saying
“We will eat our own food and
Wear our own apparel; 
Only let us be called by your name.
To take away our reproach.”
Isaiah 4:1

This happens to be one of the most controversial verses of the Scriptures. Many interpret this verse literally and erroneously believe that it a scriptural reference to support polygamy as a result of surge in women population over that of men” in the last day. “

Contrary to this, the verse is a prophetic picture of the Church today.  Christ is the “Man” and we are the “women.”
Marriage is about commitment, intimacy, companionship and fruitfulness. So why would any woman want to bear a man’s name without wanting to be committed to the union? No intimacy. No commitment.
This is the state of some “believers” today. They want to be seen as “born-again” but they don’t want to change their old ways. They want to bear Joseph, Simon, Rebecca, Mary but they still want to hold on to old habits. They want people to see them carrying big Bibles, speak in tongues but the still want to belong to the world. I am a Christian but I don’t pay tithe. I am a Christian but I don’t believe there is anything wrong with premarital sex. These are people who want to live according to their own rules but just want to be called by the name of the Lord.

We Will Eat Our Own Food

They are not ready to change their appetite for lust, pride and self-glory. They still want to eat their own food and never crave for the Bread of Life. Normally, when a woman gets married, she tries to find out her husband’s favourite meal; to know how to prepare it to the taste of the husband and even learn to eat it. That is part of the demands of marriage. But it is not so with this set of believers. They do not desire any appetite for heavenly manna; they are not prepared to change their diet of self-centredness and immorality.

Wear Our Own Apparel

One of the ways a responsible married woman could be identified is through her dressing, especially newly-weds. But this set of believers doesn’t want to change the old dresses. They want to be counted as brides but not ready to put on the garment of righteousness. They deny the righteousness of God and insist on their filthy garment of self-righteousness. They don’t want to sing the song of the bride:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord
My soul shall be joyful in God
For He has clothed me with the garment of salvation
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness
As a bridegroom adorns himself with ornaments
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels
Isaiah 61:10

This is the song of a genuine bride. A genuine bride desires more than the name. She wants to be covered with the new robe the groom provides.
Let’s read also from Revelation 19:7,8:

Let us be glad and rejoice and give
Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb
Has come, and His wife has made herself ready
And to her it was granted to be
Arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright,
For the fine linen is the righteous act of the saints.

What a glorious scripture. The apparel must be “clean and bright.” This is a unique feature of the bride. It is an aberration for a bride to dress casual or to be dressed in her own old apparel. Note here that the fine linen mentioned here did not belong to the bride. Permission was granted for her to be arrayed in it.”
Righteousness is a gift. The Bible says we have been “made the righteousness of God” in Christ (II Corinthians 5:21). For any Christians to insist on putting on his/her “own apparel” is self-righteousness. And no matter how righteous we think we are, the bible says all is like a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6).
There are so many Christians today who want to remain casual, secular and nominal. They want to be seen as churchgoers, they want to be seen as contributing to church projects but they don’t want to change their old ways. The Bible refers to them as “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” (II Timothy 3:5).
I believe we are in the era that church attendance is rising but numbers of real disciples dwindling. We are in the era that we see no much difference between unbelievers and believers in terms of appearance, speech and lifestyle. We are in the era that worldliness has crept into the church and we believe “it doesn’t really matter." I believe Christ was referring to this generation of Christians when He quoted Prophet Isaiah:

These people draw near to me with their mouth,

And honor me with their lips

But their heart is far from me…

Matthew 15:8

Marriage is about adjustment. As Christians, our old ways must give way to the new life in Christ. We must remove our old garment of sin and embrace His garment of salvation. Our lifestyle, habits and activities must change as we come in contact with the bridegroom.
We are brides of Christ and marriage demands commitment and adjustment. It is a personal decision. Decide today to crave for intimacy and fellowship with Christ. It is not just in bearing the name “Christian.” it is not just in bearing the name. It is in your lifestyle.

WHERE DID IT FALL? 

Muyiwa Omole 

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In Genesis 12 we read about how God called Abraham and how he obeyed God by faith.

Abraham departed as the Lord had spoken to him…

(verse 4)

Abraham obeyed God and he began to advance forward towards the Promised Land. Abraham went from the plains to the mountains in obedience to God’s instruction. He kept going forward, advancing in his journey and he got to a place called Bethel and built an altar to the Lord. (verse 7)

But there was a negative turn in verse 10:

Now there was a famine in the land

And Abraham “went down” to Egypt

to dwell there, for the famine was severe in the land.

(Emphasis mine)

Abraham departed from the will of God by going down to Egypt.

Note:     verse 5 – “…they went forth”

                Verse 8 – moved…to the mountains”

                Verse 9 – going on still forward

Here, the movement was forward and upward, but the moment he departed form the will of God he “went down.” The moment he departed, he started living in fear; fear of being killed by the Egyptians (verse 12). He even had to lie to preserve himself, losing faith in the ability of God to protect him. Anytime any man leaves where God has placed him, fear sets in. In Adam’s case he had to “hide” from God. God saw that Adam was no longer where He had placed him so he called, “Where are you?” Adam responded “I heard your voice and I was afraid…”

Back to Abraham: he was afraid because he was out of the will of God.

Let’s move on to Chapter 13

“Then Abram went up from Egypt…” (verse 1)

Praise God. Abraham came back to the track.

Vs. 1      Then Abraham went up from Egypt,

He and his wife and all that he had,

And Lot with him to the South.

Vs. 2      Abram was very rich in livestock in silver and in gold

Vs. 3      And he went on his journey, from the south as far as Bethel,

to the place where his tent had been at the beginning.

Which he had made there at first

And there Abraham called the name of the Lord.

Note that verse 2 indicates that Abraham had become richer than he was before he left for Egypt. Despite that Abraham was richer in material things, he was spiritually bankrupt. He was rich in cattle, silver and gold but spiritually poor and empty. He had to go back to where he last encountered God.

He retraced his steps to the place where he met with God last:

And he went on his journey, from the south as far as Bethel,

to the place where his tent had been at the beginning.

Which he had made there at first

And there Abraham called the name of the Lord.

                                                                                                                                                (Verse 3).

This is a powerful truth we should learn as believers.

In II Kings chapter 6, when one of the sons of prophets lost the borrowed axe-head into the water, he cried out to Elisha for help. Elisha asked him a question that we must all answer if we want revival and restoration in our lives:

Where did it fall?

 (II Kings 6:6)

Where did your passion for the things of God fall? Where did your obedience fall? Our ability to trace our steps back to where our passion fell out, or where we lost burden for the call of God is the beginning of restoration.

Please note that the anointing was available to bring out the axe-head and Elisha was willing but it was the responsibility of that son of the prophet to identify and pinpoint where it fell. Until you are able to answer this question you will not be able to move forward in your spiritual journey.

You must commit yourself to revisit the last revelation God gave you. You must commit yourself to obey the last instruction God gave you. Abraham was able to trace his steps back to the last altar he raised to the Lord. That is how revival, restoration and season of refreshing come to us.

This is also the prescription that Jesus gave to the Church in Ephesus.

…remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the first works

Revelations 2:5

Are you in Egypt? Have you returned to bondage of sin? Are you trying to get hold of the grace of God once again? Have you lost your passion and burden for the things of God? It is time to return.

Now return to your first love. Return to where you have fallen. Trace your steps back to “Bethel”…the house of God. Find out where the axe-head of prayer, fasting, studying, giving and witnessing fell off and go back there. That is your point of revival.

Go back to the last altar you built and you will see that God has been waiting for you all this while.  When you get there, call on the name of the Lord and you shall be saved (Joel 2:32) and be sure that God will never cast you away.

Remember that the son of the prophet had to show Elisha where this took place.  We must be completely honest with The Lord and show him where we lost our effectiveness and our experience of His power in our life.  Have you failed The Lord?  Have you lost your head and flown off the handle?  If so, where did it fall?  Find the place.  Tell The Lord.  You will never recover your axe head until you tell Him where (and how) you lost it.

It doesn’t end there.  The man had to put out his hand and recover the axe head as it swam to the surface.  Likewise, we must reach out in faith and accept what God is recovering in our own lives.

I see your axe-head floating and I see you grabbing it and advancing in the kingdom. I see you picking up the baton once again and running your race with grace.

Shalom.

LIKE A TREE - 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF A TREE-BELIEVER

(A Study of Psalm 1 vs 3)

By ‘Muyiwa Omole

(FULL TEXT)

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water
That brings forth its fruits in its season
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper
PSALM 1:3

Believers are described in so many ways in the Bible. A believer is described as a city (Matthew 5:14 ), as a sheep (John 10), as an eagle (Isaiah 40:13).

Here is Psalm chapter 1 vs 3; a believer is described to be LIKE A TREE.
A tree is valuable in so many ways. A tree is a blessing. It provides fruits and shades for both humankind and animals. A tree serves as herbs and supplies fresh air. Also a tree holds and enriches the soil. God in His wisdom is painting a picture here with the life of a believer.

A careful look into this one verse gives us at least 4 points to note from a tree in its typology with the life of a believer.

Note that the description of the tree in Psalm Chapter one has a remarkable relationship with Jeremiah 17:7,8

Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord
And whose hope is the Lord
For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters
Which spreads out its root by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green
And will not be anxious in the year of drought
Nor will cease from yielding fruit
JEREMIAH 17:7,8

We shall use these two passages to illustrate the image of a believer as portrayed by features of a tree.

PLANTED
He shall be like a tree
PLANTED by the rivers of water
…
The first thing to note in this passage is that the tree was planted.
The Hebrew word for “planted” here in Psalm 1 is satal which really means “to transplant.” It depicts that the tree did not start its life by the rivers of water. It shows a picture of the tree being transplanted from a field or a nursery bed to be permanently planted by the rivers of water. This is a perfect description of a believer who has been TRANSLATED from the kingdom of darkness into light. It shows the effort of “THE GARDNER” (John 15:1,NIV) who removed us from the nursery bed of this world and planted us in His own garden where we have unlimited access to the rivers of life.

Genesis 2:8 says God is a Planter. Let me ask you: Are you planted by God? Where are you planted? Are you rooted in besides the rivers of water or you are still in the nursery bed of evil under the control of the god of this world? 
You need to know that only the trees planted by God is full of life
Psalm 104:16 
And any tree that is not planted by Him shall be uprooted
Matthew 15:13

PRODUCTIVE
That brings forth its fruits in its season

The tree was not only planted, the tree is productive.
Let’s quickly examine 4 points from this phrase: That brings forth its fruit in its season

Certainty of fruit bearing
Any tree planted by the rivers of water must produce fruits. God hates unfruitfulness. Please carefully study Isaiah 5:1-7. The first sign of a tree planted by the river side is assurance of fruitfulness. So as a believer if you are not productive in the kingdom of God you need to re-evaluate your life and re-examine your connection with the rivers of water (which can mean, the Word of God, Holy Spirit or healthy spiritual atmosphere). Every tree planted by the rivers side must bring forth fruits.

…its season
Note that the verse says this tree shall bring forth fruits in its season. Fruit-bearing has its season. You cannot judge a tree out of its season. There is a message for you here: Before you lose hope and start complaining, before you lose assurance of God’s blessing with you, remind yourself that every tree has its season. That you are not seeing fruits now may not mean that you are not planted by God or that you are not planted by the rivers of water. It might just mean that it is not your season yet. It is also a lesson for you not to judge other believers out of their season. Before you conclude that some people are not saved or before you write them off that they are not productive remember that every tree only brings forth fruits IN ITS SEASON. See God as a Lecturer, see Psalm 1 as a topic in His textbook/handout on Spiritual Horticulture 101 and never forget this point. It is a core course.

Continuity of fruit bearing
brings forth its fruit in its season

Note: brings forth
This is present continuous tense. The tree does not bring forth fruit in this season and jump the next season. It continues to bring forth fruits as long as he is rightly located in its place (rivers of water).
The spiritual graph of a river-side-tree-believer is constant. His path shines more and more until the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18)
Note how Jeremiah puts it:

Its Fruit…
Here the passage says “its fruit”
I have my fruit, you have your fruit. You can’t judge me for not bringing forth your own kind of fruit. Do not judge any ministry or business by the outcome of others.

3.      PLEASANT

Whose leaf also shall not wither – (Psalm 1:3)

But its leaf will be green – (Jeremiah 17:8)

I believe there are a lot of reasons why a plant has leaves. I am not a plant scientist but I know that one of the reasons is for the sake of beauty.

As a matter of fact we nourish some plants not because of their fruits but just because of their beauty (flowers). For these types of plants, their productiveness (not that I didn’t say “productivity”) is in their being pleasant, being beautiful.

On the one hand, we have some trees, though productive but unattractive and unpleasant to look at. On the other hand, some trees are full of leaves and unproductive (like the fig tree that Jesus cursed in Mark 11). Some Christians are full of anointing and aggressive soul-winners, inspirational singers but saucy and crude. Some are “nice” but powerless and fruitless.

As believers it is important for us to strike a balance here. It is the balance between Charisma and Character.

My point here is that in addition to being productive, this tree is also pleasant. That is a call for us all.  (Please, study 2Corintians 2:14-16).

It is noteworthy that Psalm 1 and Jeremiah 17 state that the fruit bearing of the tree is in season, but the idea of being pleasant is not a product of season. The tree brings forth fruit in its season but concerning the leaves it shall ALWAYS be green.

This suggests that even while you are waiting for your season of fruitfulness, remain pleasant. It means that whether things are working for you or not, you are beautiful. Even when you are going through dry season of life, you shall always remain “green.

4.    PROSPEROUS

And whatever he does shall prosper

The tree is PROSPEROUS.

This speaks of success in all endeavours

And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green
And will not be anxious in the year of drought
Nor will cease from yielding fruit

“When” not if 
The heat will definitely come. There shall always be dry season of life but this believer has no cause for alarm. When others are saying there is a casting down, he is smiling and saying there is a lifting up. When gross darkness covers the earth he is shining.

Joshua 1:8 says:

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;

 but thou shalt meditate therein day and night,

that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein:

for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

I liken the book of the law here (the word of God) to the rivers of water. So for a believer who is rooted in the Word of God, prosperity is sure.

I ask you again: Are you are tree planted by God? Are you productive? How pleasant are you? Do you want to be prosperous? Spread out your root to the rivers of water and it shall be well with you.