In these spiritually perilous times, when friends and loved ones are walking away from Jesus, it is our Christian duty to intercede for them. Stand in the gap for them to the LORD God.
If your pastor is straying from sound biblical hermeneutics, pray for him before you go to him with your concerns. Keep pastors and leaders in prayer - for they are targeted by the enemy the most, since the devil knows he can do the most damage by fouling up the message.
I'm reminded of Job - after bearing the false accusations of his 'friends' and his long discussion with God regarding his plight, he had to be the one to pray for them since he was in right standing with the LORD and they weren't. If he hadn't stood in the gap, they would have been toast.
How do believers go from having a sound faith to backsliding to apostasy? It happens gradually. Using the acronym G-N-A-S-H -- we can see the process:
G- Grounded in their faith
N- Neglectful of staying in Word
A- Apathy sets in
S- Self-righteousness about their life
H- Hostility toward God
Once apostasy takes root, I do not think they can be brought back. When they get to the point where they mock believers for their faith, they have finished their course. The Apostle John speaks of that:
"If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that." - 1John 5:16
Don't stop praying for those 'prodigal sons.' May your prayers be led by the Spirit of Christ so you will know for whom to pray and when to leave them in God's hands and to their own devices.
If you find yourself doubting and straying -- remember this prayer:
"LORD, I believe, help my unbelief." Mark 9:24
Keep the faith!!
"And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, 'My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.'” - Job 42:7-8
"This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme." - 1Timothy 1:18-20
"I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God." - 3John 1:9-11
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