How to Watch for the Signs of Falling Away, so that You Don’t!

By Deborah Bell

(Lead Apostle DGAN Global Network and DGFC churches)

(Originally posted 18 December, 2014)

DON’T LET ANYTHING KEEP YOU FROM YOUR SPIRITUAL HOME!

Remember those confessions you made about your spiritual home, your church?

Remember the covenant you made with Christ and therefore also with the House of the LORD?

Don’t let anything stand in your way of belonging to a healthy body of Christ…not even your “stuff”!

STAGES OF FALLING AWAY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST

People have heard me talk generally about the stages of falling away and so I’ve decided to share some general points and patterns of signs to watch for.

I’ve been wanting to write this article for the last year but God knows the right timing. I

know it is a long one, but it will be one of those that you can put in your memory bank!

Hopefully you can help others through it!

Let me start by saying that although every pastor knows that every church has what is

called a “revolving door”, no pastor EVER wants to see ANYONE walk out of that door!

There is not one pastor I know that doesn’t “mourn” when people leave the church.

Why? Because pastors love their flock with the love of GOD and they will do everything in

their power to offer a person that has fallen into hopelessness, or grown cold, or for

whatever reason has shifted; wise godly counsel to stay, if they will have ears to hear.

The Church is not just an organisation, it’s the family of GOD. Pastors invest their time in

people’s lives because they see people as GOD does, recognizing their full potential and

wanting to see that realized in every person.

We are living in an age, where the word teaches that people will fall from the body of

Christ, that the road is narrow and few will enter on it.

Make sure you are entering through the narrow gate, and not the broad one because the

broad one seems or appears more attractive in the now. Don’t let your fear of overcoming

obstacles keep you from your God given inheritance.

When a person leaves the church, they most often are throwing away their God ordained

destiny. Unless it is because they are following the heart of God for a new ministry in the

church or God has called them elsewhere. But this will always be confirmed by Holy Spirit and your Fivefold Leader or Pastor, who will help you and support you if this is the case.

But when these so called God 'directives' are never confirmed by Holy Spirit and mature solid people or leaders in your church; or you receive 'confirmation' by those that are not actively in the Church or are not seasoned, it may be that these are the directives of the desires of your flesh and not from the Lord. Check your spirit.

Christians that know your spiritual walk, should always be honest with you and they are usually people that can see when you're moving in a direction that causes you to break covenants ordained by the Lord.

God always brings confirmation in line with the Word and usually when its from

the LORD your leaders will always support you. When it's not they will still be there to support you but they will give you 'signposts' along the way to guide you, the rest is up to you! They have no motivation except love for you and to see you flourish.

If you see a brother or sister in these below stages; Pray for them, and then talk to them in love. Tell them what’s on your heart. Share with them what the Word of God has to say. If we love one another we will speak the truth in love. Not in a cliche of love.

What are some of the causes of falling away?

It really varies, and one cannot list everything here, as everyone is an individual. Ultimately it is stuff like;

• not following the word that God is speaking into our lives through Holy Spirit, our leaders, our friends. (By the way, those words, will always work in agreement if they are from the LORD.)

• It’s outright disobeying God, and continuing to follow our own desires; whether it be the need for acceptance, or because we've not been dealing with issues that cause us to make wrong decisions which come from a place of fear. Then that old cycle of “gilgal” leads us to further blindness as we follow the wrong voices. Often, people know the right thing to do, but continue to follow the flesh. With the result they feel guilty, therefore draw further away.

• They also tend to blame others instead of taking responsibility for their part in where they’ve ended up; and so it goes on. It’s allowing our weaknesses to be taken captive by the enemy as well as our minds, instead of the other way around!