BBD 11.15.10 Falling Back - Part 1 (New)

#1 · November 15, 2010, 11:55 am

Quote from Forum Archives on November 15, 2010, 11:55 am
Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

www.theburningbush.net
www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is
made up of more than 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive
prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you love to send and receive inspirational emails the Burning Bush
Inspirational Group is for you. To join send an email to
bbinspire-join@welovegod.org

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at
www.theburningbush.net.

The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 2686 new subscribers since January 1, 2010!!
There were 1367 new subscribers during 2009!!

11.15.10

Falling Back - Part 1

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation
has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who
will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear
it. - 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

Fall back, spring forward. Daylight Saving Time, we all love it right? I've
seen several people writing about how difficult this last week has been
since Daylight Saving Time has ended. For me this last week has been great!
I've gotten back that hour of sleep, finally, that the government stole from
me back in the spring when we all moved our clock forward an hour. It is so
much easier for me to fall back, to have another hour; than it is to spring
forward, and lose an hour. (You can find out much more about Daylight Saving
Time at this website www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/)

Spiritually it is the same way, in that it is so much easier to go
backwards, than it is to move forward in our spiritual lives. Spiritually,
we are either moving forward, or going backwards - we are never standing
still. I once preached a series of messages about springing forward in God's
power. Only in His power can we grow as Christians; only through His power,
His resources, can we become more conformed to the image of Christ. Without
God's power, without His resources, His guidance, we will fall back, and it
is very easy to do. If we want to keep from falling back, and instead move
forward in our spiritual lives; it will take some action on our part, it
will take some effort.

Why do we want to move forward spiritually? It should be obvious, but for
some it may not be. In the Old Testament, after the Children of Israel
escaped the slavery of Egypt, we are told that God was not pleased with
them. In 1 Corinthians 10:5-7 we are told, "But with most of them God was
not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now
these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust
after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were
some of them." God was not pleased with most of them because, why? Because
when the twelve spies went into the Promised Land, ten of them came back
with a bad report. God was not pleased with them when they murmured and
complained about the manna, and not having meat to eat. God was not pleased
with them when they made a golden idol while Moses was up on the mountain
receiving the Ten Commandments. God was not pleased with them for their
sexual immorality.

The example here tells us who are living today something about what we
should want to avoid. That something is this: we do not want to NOT please
God, we do not want our lives to be unpleasing to God. Let me be clear, I do
not think that God will send a plague of snakes among us like He did the
Israelites. I do not think that He will literally make us wander in a real
desert until we drop dead, like a whole generation of Israelites did. What I
really think is that we do not want to find out what God will do when are
lives are not pleasing to Him. Most of all, we do not want to miss out on
His blessings because we have failed to please Him.

It comes down to our hearts. Do you have a desire to please God with your
life? Or, do you really just not care, whether you do, or not? If you want
to please God, then you will be able to keep from falling back, and move
forward in your walk with Him.

Copyright © 2010. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals
in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was
primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities
throughout the United States and Canada.

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer
Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

For information about how to hear my testimony in your church visit this
link: www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=22160

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube (now Tangle) at:
connect.tangle.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.

Posted by: edwrather <edwrather@...>

Visit the Burning Bush websites:

http://www.theburningbush.net
http://www.theburningbush.org

The Burning Bush websites have received visits from more than 170 countries.
Celebrating 11 years online since January 31, 1998. Since June 8, 1998 the
Burning Bush Devotional has been spreading the truth of God's Word to more
than 11,000 subscribers across the world.

Please join the Burning Bush Prayer Group. The group began in 1998 and is
made up of more than 300 prayer warriors. Send prayer requests and receive
prayer requests. To join send an email to: bbpg-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

If you love to send and receive inspirational emails the Burning Bush
Inspirational Group is for you. To join send an email to
bbinspire-join@welovegod.org

You can now leave comments/feedback about the devotionals at
http://www.theburningbush.net.

The Burning Bush Devotional
Welcome to the 2686 new subscribers since January 1, 2010!!
There were 1367 new subscribers during 2009!!

11.15.10

Falling Back - Part 1

Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation
has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who
will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the
temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear
it. - 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.

Fall back, spring forward. Daylight Saving Time, we all love it right? I've
seen several people writing about how difficult this last week has been
since Daylight Saving Time has ended. For me this last week has been great!
I've gotten back that hour of sleep, finally, that the government stole from
me back in the spring when we all moved our clock forward an hour. It is so
much easier for me to fall back, to have another hour; than it is to spring
forward, and lose an hour. (You can find out much more about Daylight Saving
Time at this website http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/)

Spiritually it is the same way, in that it is so much easier to go
backwards, than it is to move forward in our spiritual lives. Spiritually,
we are either moving forward, or going backwards - we are never standing
still. I once preached a series of messages about springing forward in God's
power. Only in His power can we grow as Christians; only through His power,
His resources, can we become more conformed to the image of Christ. Without
God's power, without His resources, His guidance, we will fall back, and it
is very easy to do. If we want to keep from falling back, and instead move
forward in our spiritual lives; it will take some action on our part, it
will take some effort.

Why do we want to move forward spiritually? It should be obvious, but for
some it may not be. In the Old Testament, after the Children of Israel
escaped the slavery of Egypt, we are told that God was not pleased with
them. In 1 Corinthians 10:5-7 we are told, "But with most of them God was
not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now
these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust
after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were
some of them." God was not pleased with most of them because, why? Because
when the twelve spies went into the Promised Land, ten of them came back
with a bad report. God was not pleased with them when they murmured and
complained about the manna, and not having meat to eat. God was not pleased
with them when they made a golden idol while Moses was up on the mountain
receiving the Ten Commandments. God was not pleased with them for their
sexual immorality.

The example here tells us who are living today something about what we
should want to avoid. That something is this: we do not want to NOT please
God, we do not want our lives to be unpleasing to God. Let me be clear, I do
not think that God will send a plague of snakes among us like He did the
Israelites. I do not think that He will literally make us wander in a real
desert until we drop dead, like a whole generation of Israelites did. What I
really think is that we do not want to find out what God will do when are
lives are not pleasing to Him. Most of all, we do not want to miss out on
His blessings because we have failed to please Him.

It comes down to our hearts. Do you have a desire to please God with your
life? Or, do you really just not care, whether you do, or not? If you want
to please God, then you will be able to keep from falling back, and move
forward in your walk with Him.

Copyright © 2010. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited. The Burning Bush website has
been online since January 31, 1998. On June 8, 1998 the email version of the
Burning Bush Devotional was first sent. Ed Wrather began writing devotionals
in the early 1990s. The distribution of these first devotionals was
primarily through the Burning Bush Newsletter sent to prison facilities
throughout the United States and Canada.

Many prayer needs are posted at the Burning Bush website on the Prayer
Request page. You can also post your prayer requests there and they will be
forwarded to the Burning Bush Prayer Group (Of course, I am always in need
of prayer - please pray for me.).

If you are not my friend on facebook or myspace you can be, just add me. The
devotionals are posted in my blogs on those two social networks and you can
leave comments, feedback about them there. There are other social networks
designed just for Christians, however, this is an outreach project to reach
those who may not know the Lord or may have wandered away. You can help me
reach out to them.

For information about how to hear my testimony in your church visit this
link: http://www.theburningbush.net/pages.asp?pageid=22160

If you enjoy the devotional please recommend it to your friends. They may
subscribe by sending a blank email to burningbushdevo-join@welovegod.org

Two videos of my sermons are posted on GodTube (now Tangle) at:
connect.tangle.com/Wrather

You can listen to services at my son, Clark Wrather's church (First Baptist
Church of Broken Bow, Oklahoma) live on Sunday mornings at 10:55am CST
http://www.kkbifm.com/

There is a complete devotional archive at the old Burning Bush website. Here
is the URL: http://www.theburningbush.org/33.html.

You can unsubscribe to the pure text version of the devotional by sending a
blank email to burningbushdevo-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email.

You may subscribe to the html text group by sending a blank email to
burningbushhtml-join@welovegod.org and you may unsubscribe by sending a
blank email to burningbushhtml-leave@welovegod.org and then respond to the
confirmation email. If the link does not work, copy and paste the link.