I Have Decided to Follow Jesus-No Turning Back

1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition
II Thessalonians 2:1-3

They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness
II Peter 2:15

Looking all around us, we see signs of the birth pangs of the Great Tribulation all across the globe. Even those that do not profess Christ have been saying that we're living in the "last days."

We look to Israel, and know that the Word of God tells us that she represents our time line of things that are soon to come.

Before Jesus comes to retrieve us, we're told that there will be a great falling away from Him.
Falling away in the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance is #646 in Greek, it means defection, apostasy.

Apostasy in Websters means: a total desertion of or departure from one's religion, principles, faith, party, cause, etc. defection, renunciation.

In the encyclopedia I find: the total rejection of Christianity by a baptized person who, having at one time professed the Christian faith, publicly rejects it. It is distinguished from heresy, which is limited to the rejection of one or more Christian doctrines by one who maintains an overall adherence to Jesus Christ.

Before Jesus comes for His Bride, THIS WILL HAPPEN. I'm determined that I'll not be among those. In Jesus' Name.

That makes me remember Hebrews 10:35, 36
35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us

Matthew 24:13
But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

Endure in the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance #5278, Greek means: hypomeno and it means:
to remain
to tarry behind
to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee
to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ
to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments

Remember the old hymn "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back." I say YES YES YES, that's ME.

We're told in Hebrews 3:6
but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

I WILL HOLD FAST MY CONFINDENCE AND THE REJOICING OF THE HOPE FIRM TO THE END.

Hebrews 3:14 says:
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end

Hebrews 4:14
Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast confession.

I Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

We have much to look forward to. We have a GREAT REWARD with the Lord, and we're NOT going to turn back, or fall away, in the Name of Jesus.

If we have done anything to reproach the Lord or compromise our walk in HIM, we have I John 1:9 that says:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We must do like David did and call out to the Lord saying:
Psalm 51:10-17
Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart--These, O God, You will not despise.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Father, strengthen our resolve to serve You. HELP US to call out to You and set our feet firmly on YOUR WAY, Your paths. Help us to choose LIFE. We KNOW that in YOU is life everlasting, we choose life and not death. In Jesus' Name.