1 November, 2015 | Turning Back to God

Dear all, welcome back to 'The Nathan Report'. Today is a beautiful day and yes, God has made this day.

We begin with a beautiful song by Robert Robinson: 

"Come thou fount of every blessings"

Illustration: Narcissus, a hunter, was so good looking that girls fell in love with him. There was a girl at the same time, 'Echo', who fell in love with him but became heart broken as she wasn't able to express her love to him. Goddess Nemesis was watching this and saw echo heart broke . Goddess Nemesis decided to take revenge. So she puts him into temptation by showing him his own image on a pool of water. Nemesis lured Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was only an image. He was unable to leave the beauty of his reflection and he eventually died, as he had stopped eating or drinking. Nemesis believed that no one should ever have too much good, and she had always cursed those who were blessed with countless gifts.

Turning Back to God

2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Lamentations 3:40, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.”

Lamentations 3:55-58, “I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.”

Throughout the word of God, we can find that God continually says, "Come Back!", "Come Back!"

Illustration: We were traveling to a small town for a pastor's conference. We were unable to find the way. So we asked someone about the way to which he directed straight. When we turned on our mobile GPS, it asked us to take U-Turn. We ignored and went straight as instructed by the pedestrian. We turned on GPS again, now we found a new GPS route. We finally reached with additional 60Kms to it. Had we taken the first U-turn, we would have reached on time. 

Many times God tells us, "Don't walk that path", "Don't do that", "Turn away from it" etc. Once he says, we must obey instantly. Many times we don't listen to what God has to tell us. 

There are so many individuals in the bible who took wrong steps and suffered. Moses, Elijah, King Saul, Jonah, Peter, John Mark are one of the finest examples. 

For us, Bible is the best way. It doesn't matters how wrong you may have gone, it will always show you a way out. 

Psalms 51 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; And take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with a willing spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; And my mouth shall show forth thy praise. For thou delightest not in sacrifice; else would I give it: Thou hast no pleasure in burnt-offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: A broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then will thou delight in the sacrifices of righteousness, In burnt-offering and in whole burnt-offering: Then will they offer bullocks upon thine altar.”

Isaiah 55:6-7, “Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”

If we turn towards God, He will forgive.

Acts 3:19

“Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;”

How can we turn to God?

1- Recognize your sinful condition. 

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

2- Repent your sinful condition. 

Bible says, we need to build one another. We need to praise God together and we need to take our own Guard. When we commit a mistake, we need to repent. 

3- Accept God's forgiveness.

1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

4- Learn to establish Godly relationship within one body of Christ. 

Acts 2:42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

1 Corinthians 12:47, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, but one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary: and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness; whereas our comely parts have no need: but God tempered the body together, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked; that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffereth, all the members suffer with it; or one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.”

5- Don't give up!

Proverbs 24:16, “For a righteous man falleth seven times, and riseth up again; But the wicked are overthrown by calamity.”

Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me.”

Acts 3:19, “Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord;”

Illustration: Robert Robinson was saved when he was 24 years of age, who wrote, "Come thou fount of every blessings." 

He had left God. One day he was traveling on a bus and to his surprise there was a girl who was reading the same song and as she wasn't able to understand. So she approaches Robert and asks, "Sir, do you have any idea what this hymn probably means?" Listening to this, he burst into tears. 

Turn back to Lord. When you turn back, you will have Joy. Joy of God is incomparable to any lavish or privilege. 

If we turn back, He will show us His face. He will bless us abundantly and forgive us. Those who begin with the service of God, are likely to go on successfully in their own affairs. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, it was Solomon's praise, that what he undertook, he went through with; it was by the grace of God that he prospered in it. Let us then stand in awe, and sin not. Let us fear the Lord's displeasure, hope in his mercy, and walk in his commandments. In Jesus' name, Amen!

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