YOU CAN COME BACK!

If you have drifted away from the church and God and Christ and the Truth, there is a way to
return. God is eager to receive you and forgive you. If there is any restraint, it is surely not on
God’s part. He longs for your restoration, your confession.
To the church at Ephesus the Lord said, “Repent and do the first works” (Rev. 2:5). What
happened to this group of Christians? They had left their first love: “But I have this against thee,
that thou didst leave thy first love” (Rev. 2:4). They didn’t love the Lord as they had at first. But
Jesus is urging them to return. And what does He advise? That they repent and go back to doing
their former works.
Yes, that is the way to return to your first love--go back to your first works. Go back to the
regularity of church attendance that you practiced at first. Go back to praying and reading the
Bible the way you once did. Go back to working the way you once did. Go back to visiting the
way you once visited. Go back to giving the way you used to give. You will soon find yourself
living the way you once lived and loving the way you once loved.
The prodigal son (Luke 15), remembered himself as he had been in days gone by. Then he
saw himself as he had become: “I perish with hunger” (v. 17). He next made a resolution: “I will
arise and go to my father” (v. 18). The rest of the story is quite thrilling. He didn’t have to beg
his father to take him back. The father was waiting and watching for his return. That is a picture
of your heavenly Father--a Father who is longing for your return. If you have drifted He waits
and longs for you. Will you return or not? The answer is up to you.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: Teaching children to count is not as important as teaching
them what counts!
Have a great week!

Love ya,
Jesse