Backsliders Of The CROSS

King James Daily Bible Study Devotional Message Title: Backsliders Of The CROSS Date: Tuesday September 20, 2011 Chapters: Hosea 7-14, Proverbs 20, Psalm 99 Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-20 Highlight of Chapters: Israel’s sad state, Sins denounced and their captivity foretold, Israel’s coming distress because of sin, God's tender love for Israel, Israel’s ruin, their return in the kingdom age, and their restoration foretold. Hello My Friend/Guest, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities...Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;..While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” -II Peter 9,10,15,19-21. There are two types of Christians, there are those who follow Christ the day they got saved, learning and growing day by day in the Lord, as they live a more godly life. Then there are those who see fit to turn their knowledge of Christ into a commodity, a profit for themselves, the sad thing is in all of it, while they seldom deny Jesus Christ “who TAUGHT” they do deny Christ “who BOUGHT”. You see, Satan has no problem with people knowing the name Jesus Christ, what he has a problem with is teaching the CROSS of Christ and his target to get people off of the CROSS is using people who have the received the CROSS. While these backsliders of the CROSS prosper for a time in teaching false doctrine they will fall as they have God to answer to. A slew of charges were drawn up against Israel by God Himself, to name a few, they are charged with ingratitude to God, sinning in a daring manner against His mercy, mixing themselves with the nations of the world, learning their ways, and bringing their superstition and idolatry into the worship of God. God's punishment, the destruction of Israel. “When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard. Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me. And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me. They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.” - Hosea 7:12-16. You know, God has no problem with people who are living an ungodly life that simply have no idea who He is, but He does have a problem with those who have received Christ, know Him, yet constantly live a corrupted, ungodly life, knowing well that they are redeemed. The amazing thing is that He will not destroy them completely, but He will chastise them. Still today, God charges Christians with the same charges He charged Israel with, He will never destroy a saved soul, but you can expect chastisement if you are living an ungodly life. “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?..Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” - Hebrews 12:6,7,11. The people of Israel are often compared to a vine being planted in a good soil and well taken care of, yielding much fruit. This time, God compared Israel to an empty vine that only brought fruit to themselves, which had no value to it. A vine is only valuable for its fruit, but Israel now brought no fruit to perfection. Their hearts were divided and since God is the Sovereign of the heart, He will have all of it, or none of it, but He gives them a chance to repent. “Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images. For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us? They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field...Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.” - Hosea 10:1-4,12. God always gives us a chance to repent, if you think about it, He truly does give us several warnings to repent before He allows what we are trying to do to happen in the first place. God refers Christians as those who abide in the Vine, who is none other than Jesus Christ. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ”- John 15:4,5. In order to show us that we need to be dependent only on Him, God is going to place chastisement and suffering in our lives. Satan will constantly entice Christian's with false religion and false hopes, bringing them away from the truth and living ungodly, corrupted lives. However, as long as we abide in the Vine we can live a godly prosperous life as we allow the truth of the CROSS to be our guide. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me..Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ” - John 14:6,12-16. Today's Prayer: Dear God, Lord, God of all wisdom, we come to you seeking Your direction in our lives. We ask for a discerning heart so that we can effectively lead the people entrusted to our care. We need Your wisdom to distinguish between right and wrong, truth and error. As we pray in the Spirit and absorb Your Word into our hearts we will walk uprightly and do justly. It is a natural outflow of Your wisdom and Spirit that abides within us as we choose to walk in Your ways. Be our vision during the light of day and darkness of night; whether waking or sleeping we yield my all to You. In Jesus' name. Amen. God Bless You, I am praying for you, Christina Are You 100% Sure That You Are Going To Heaven? You Can Be: http://www.godsprice.com Missed A Devotional: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/daily-bible-study Subscribe To This Devotional: King James Bible Study Visit: I'm Following Jesus