Chronic Backsliders?

[Ferd]

How often are chronic backsliders also chronic bad decision makers in the rest of their lives.

seems to me these go hand in hand.

[DividedThigh]

i have to say, that our generation is plagued with a lack of focus, some of it taught by video games and television, it is difficult for many to fathom the responsiblity of making a commitment and sticking to it, god help us, dt

[GodsBabyGirl]

Let's entertain that there are 'chronic backsliders.'

If this is the case, it is my belief that they exist because the church has become this sadistic, religious monster that does not restore the fallen.

Many of today's altars are the most dangerous places in the world, more dangerous than Iraq.

Countless folks who we term backslidden, chronically so, may have it in their hearts to WANT to repent and get right.

But there is NO safe place, as Bro. Garrett preached, where a backslider can come, repent and be restored and changed.

Why is that?

Because before the presence of God can get to a person to convict them of their sin, here comes religious spirits condemning them, posting on the Web, reminding them how wicked they are, religious spirits all up in da church, shoosh shooshing about how far Sis. So and So and Bro You know who has fallen...

They so busy shoosh shooshing and running to their computers or their Pastors that they don't have a clue or a burden to pray for that soul...

Let alone help restore such a one....

But is this the heart of Christ?????????

WWJD????

The woman caught in adultery, Mary Mag and the others come to mind.....

No one wanted to help them. Some were ready to kill them, banish them to hell, beyond hope, restoration or salvation or deliverance.

But ain't it funny how God works????

What the religious folks called chronic, apostate, GOD called RIGHTEOUS!

Who was the first one to see Jesus resurrected in all His splendor and glory???

Wasn't his boys who traveled with Him, or the religious folks.

But a former hooker!!! One everyone gave up on!!!!!!!!

So to the chronic backslider....I am here to tell you, there is HOPE for you!

Hear what GOD says about you, not man....

LOVE TO YOU!!!!

[Michael The Disciple]

Originally Posted by GodsBabyGirl

Let's entertain that there are 'chronic backsliders.'

If this is the case, it is my belief that they exist because the church has become this sadistic, religious monster that does not restore the fallen.

Many of today's altars are the most dangerous places in the world, more dangerous than Iraq.

Countless folks who we term backslidden, chronically so, may have it in their hearts to WANT to repent and get right.

But there is NO safe place, as Bro. Garrett preached, where a backslider can come, repent and be restored and changed.

Why is that?

Because before the presence of God can get to a person to convict them of their sin, here comes religious spirits condemning them, posting on the Web, reminding them how wicked they are, religious spirits all up in da church, shoosh shooshing about how far Sis. So and So and Bro You know who has fallen...

They so busy shoosh shooshing and running to their computers or their Pastors that they don't have a clue or a burden to pray for that soul...

Let alone help restore such a one....

But is this the heart of Christ?????????

WWJD????

The woman caught in adultery, Mary Mag and the others come to mind.....

No one wanted to help them. Some were ready to kill them, banish them to hell, beyond hope, restoration or salvation or deliverance.

But ain't it funny how God works????

What the religious folks called chronic, apostate, GOD called RIGHTEOUS!

Who was the first one to see Jesus resurrected in all His splendor and glory???

Wasn't his boys who traveled with Him, or the religious folks.

But a former hooker!!! One everyone gave up on!!!!!!!!

So to the chronic backslider....I am here to tell you, there is HOPE for you!

Hear what GOD says about you, not man....

LOVE TO YOU!!!!

This does not sound like Churches I have been in. The norm is that most are more than willing for a backslider to be restored. Many times they are treated with love and kindness.

I would be interested in knowing if these people have the Holy Ghost. I would also be interested in knowing how long they had the Holy Ghost before they were allowed to become active in ministry. Did they have enough time to fall in love with Jesus before they started ministering to others? Did they have enough time to become rooted in their own faith before they began sharing it with others? We all fall short and have problems from time to time. To keep backsliding over and over raises some serious questions. I'm not sure if they can change the kind of ground they are. I believe that if they are sincere that the Lord is able to change their hearts.

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Maybe you have some you know of like this. They get onfire for God, come to church, pray, read the word, get involved with the work of God to minister to others and reach lost souls. Then they grow cold and stop going to church, stop praying, stop reading the word....stop everything but go back to their former selves. Then they make a go at it again and start coming back to church etc etc...

Are these people destined to be like this? Are they just a certain kind of ground Jesus refered to that the seed falls on?

If so is there anyway to change the kind of ground you are?

[LadyChocolate]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

This does not sound like Churches I have been in. The norm is that most are more than willing for a backslider to be restored. Many times they are treated with love and kindness.

That is what I have seen also.... What I find with those who come in and out, in and out,............ they just don't want to live totally sold out to God. It is the roller coaster ride again. When the newness wears off, then they are ready to get back out into the world again. I don't think the church is the major one resposible there...

what I have found is when people have been hurt by the church, they will leave it altogether..... they don't play the roller coaster games...

[GodsBabyGirl]

Originally Posted by LadyChocolate

That is what I have seen also.... What I find with those who come in and out, in and out,............ they just don't want to live totally sold out to God. It is the roller coaster ride again. When the newness wears off, then they are ready to get back out into the world again. I don't think the church is the major one resposible there...

what I have found is when people have been hurt by the church, they will leave it altogether..... they don't play the roller coaster games...

Whether one has been hurt by the church or are just struggling to live for God, does any of these reasons justify giving up on a soul????

Jesus bears long and suffers with us, how come we can't do the same for a soul?

It is my belief that they have the Holy Ghost, that even those we deem are apostate reprobate still hear the voice of God. They are still able to become convicted by the Holy Ghost. The only difference between them and us is that we obey the leading of the Holy Ghost.

It is my belief we should never lose faith that a soul will come to salvation. What if that soul was our child's? Would we be so nonchalant about it, so quick to say they never had nothing in God, or whatever?

I think the church is suffering from a lack of love for the lost.

We don't believe God can save and deliver anymore.

That is just how I see it...

[My Own Eyes]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

Maybe you have some you know of like this. They get onfire for God, come to church, pray, read the word, get involved with the work of God to minister to others and reach lost souls. Then they grow cold and stop going to church, stop praying, stop reading the word....stop everything but go back to their former selves. Then they make a go at it again and start coming back to church etc etc...

Are these people destined to be like this? Are they just a certain kind of ground Jesus refered to that the seed falls on?

If so is there anyway to change the kind of ground you are?

Interesting thread. I thought as the resident backslider, I would be the voice of my people

Ok, so I can't seriously speak for everyone who has left the church, but I can give my perspective. (Of course, there is no set definition for what a backslider is, I only apply the label to myself somewhat ironically, and based on what I consider the average apstolics opinion to be.)

Was I destined to be like this? Am I just a certain kind of ground Jesus refered to that the seed falls on?

I would say that as a black and white person of extremes with serious perfectionist tendencies probably plays a small part in it. As for the soils...I have long identified with the thorny soil. Not because I think that the cares of life are more important than God, but simply because the cares of life tend to completely overwhelm me to the point where I tend to concentrate on them too much to the detriment of spiritual matters.

However, though those things may have played a small part in my pendulum swinging of the past, they are only a small part of the entire puzzle.

Can we change? Of course. Life is change.

I like a theory I heard once, that we are not a set type of "soil", but that we are all at the same time. Each time the Lord speaks to us, it is a seed that is sown, and we in our free will respond to it different ways. Sometimes we accept it and are the good soil. Sometimes it get chokes out by thorns before it can really flourish. Or it falls on the path and is stolen by the enemy.

Originally Posted by LadyChocolate

That is what I have seen also.... What I find with those who come in and out, in and out,............ they just don't want to live totally sold out to God. It is the roller coaster ride again. When the newness wears off, then they are ready to get back out into the world again. I don't think the church is the major one resposible there...

what I have found is when people have been hurt by the church, they will leave it altogether..... they don't play the roller coaster games...

I am sure that there are many who have been hurt, and they leave and never come back. But I must point out, that there are many like me. Who are hurt, but who several times came back for more.

Why did I roller coaster? I think each story is probably a little difference. I think the crux of it was being born again in a very unhealthy church. When I say that, please understand it is not my bitter cynical opinion of a church that hurt me. 75% of the people that attended that church have left. Many have gone on to other Apostolic churches, some for non-apostolic churches, and some for no church at all. So please understand its not hurt, or sour grapes talking. The church was very bad.

But ultimately it wasn't the church or the pastor, or my being hurt or mistreated that caused my problems. It was simply that the foundation of what I was taught about Jesus and all spiritual matters, was horribly twisted.

Have you ever talked to someone who was raised in an abusive home? Often they will talk about how when they were young, they didn't understand that it wasn't normal. At some point they began to question somethings, but imprinting can be very difficult to overcome, and often they battle it their entire lives.

For me, the picture that I had of God, he was harsh and exacting, all justice and very little love (unless you were "good enough" to some how earn it). So I would go through stages where I worked and worked and worked and worked, I did everything I could, to somehow be found worthy.

But no one can be perfect, so eventually I would burn out. I would think, "what's the point? I'll never be good enough. Why should I even try? I might as well just give up....the end result will be the same"

And so I would give up, for awhile. But eventually I would start thinking that maybe I just hadn't tried hard enough the last time. THis time I would be able to do it. But of course, I wouldn't be able to, and so the cycle would repeat itself.

For a long time I believed that all my inadequacies were to blame, that eventually turned to blaming God for demanding more than I could ever hope to do. Until one day I sat on my bed and said "God, either you are nothing at all like what I have come to believe, in which case I really need to find out who you really are. Or, you are every horrible thing that I have come to believe, in which case I want nothing more to do with you."

That is when I got off the roller coaster. (Though to be fair, I didn't leave the church for 4 or 5 months after that, and ultimately my leaving had little to do with any of the hurt or damage done by the church, as by that time I was in a realitively healthy apostolic church. )

[LadyChocolate]

Originally Posted by GodsBabyGirl

Whether one has been hurt by the church or are just struggling to live for God, does any of these reasons justify giving up on a soul????
Jesus bears long and suffers with us, how come we can't do the same for a soul?

It is my belief that they have the Holy Ghost, that even those we deem are apostate reprobate still hear the voice of God. They are still able to become convicted by the Holy Ghost. The only difference between them and us is that we obey the leading of the Holy Ghost.

It is my belief we should never lose faith that a soul will come to salvation. What if that soul was our child's? Would we be so nonchalant about it, so quick to say they never had nothing in God, or whatever?

I think the church is suffering from a lack of love for the lost.

We don't believe God can save and deliver anymore.

That is just how I see it...

Did I miss something? Who said anything about giving up on a soul? I just made the observation that those who become hurt usually leave church altogether.... Those that are in and out have a hard time staying completely dedicated to God.... They stay on a spiritual roller coaster... I never said we should give up on them...... And I do believe that God can save and deliver.... otherwise, I would be lost! The church cannot save people, only God can....but then He can only save us if we let Him do what needs to be done in our lives.....WE have to be willing.....

[Sam]

Originally Posted by My Own Eyes

...
I like a theory I heard once, that we are not a set type of "soil", but that we are all at the same time. Each time the Lord speaks to us, it is a seed that is sown, and we in our free will respond to it different ways. Sometimes we accept it and are the good soil. Sometimes it get chokes out by thorns before it can really flourish. Or it falls on the path and is stolen by the enemy.
...

I have also heard that we can be like any of those soils when we hear God's Word. While I do not think that was the main point of Jesus' teaching, I do think it can be an application.