Assembly of God. 2ist January 1979. "PRAYER SANCTUARY’ BULIBTIN — No. 16a Dear Prayer Partners, "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of Thy house; and Thou chalt make then drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the Fountain of Life; in Thy light shall we see light" (Psalm 36.8-9) This morning we come to the Fountain of Life! A continuing danger that faces every Christian is that of spiritual deterioration - or bacsliding. "Change and decay" applies not only {fo the material world, bat can also apply to our spiritual experience. Tt oan creep on us so insidiously! Our devotedness to God slackens, habits of worship slacken too} Ouristian conduct becomes less scrap- Ulous, the boundaries of separation gradually disappear, and confor ities to the yorid make their appearance. We have lost touch with Goa! Daou hast left thy first love", "Thou art lukevarn and neither cold nor hot", Of Sensgn it is recorded, "He geld, I will go out as at other tines, and shako myself, And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him!" (Judges 16.20). Oh, Brethren, 8 greatest fragedy 40 to lose God ant not to ales im! "Strangers have devoured his strength end he knoveth it not; yea, eroy hairs are here and there upon hin, yet he knoweth not? (Hosea 7.9) Of course the backslider nay be restored, but many have found it spiritually dizficult to regain in full what was lost in the tack siidden state. Can you fully make pungent the oalt that has lost its Savour? Gan you infuse new force nto truths waich a Gospel-hardened fanilierity has deprived of their virtue and interest? Well, maybe, gut the bird with the broken wing never flew oo high again". Mary and Joseph lost Jesus in one day, but 1% took three days’ to find Hin. Why do Christions backslide? Because they fail to draw daily upon {heir NBy-izva GUPYIY. They fail to have the "inward man renewed day by day" (2 Cor.4.16) Christ is our life - without Him we perish! Oxe of the devil's tost effective weapons 4s the "innocent, harmless" Snare of NEGIO?! Neglect to walt upon God, neglect to read His Word, neglect to attend Church regularly. Jesus asked, "What vill a man Give in exchange for Lis soul?” What will he give? Just a little neglect - that is all! Just a little neglect! (Heb 2.3) That is why it is so IMPORTANT, so ESSENTIAL, that we maintain our Contact with God each day. And St ia euch @ blessing too! ORDERING AND FOCUSING YOUR PRAYERS. Wnen the disciples asked the ord Jemus to teach then to pray, He Pesponded wish what is know a "Zhe Lord's Prayer". It is tae nest wonderfully ordered and focused prayer ever known (Matt 6.9-13) We Should adept the sate prinospie. Serein, iiss the value of a Frayer Sneek. Sue was atesiaed to Buiistin No.2. TP you have lost or ris laid it, please get another off the table in the Foyer. A blessing sheet 13 available also. te jour prayers thie weck will you make a special plea for the Lond fo age ell His peopte to pray! Prayer is a most urgent need of the Ghuiren today. The Gospel must_go out — urgently, and in pover —end foly.Ghoet imepired prayer wilt accomplish tais through a prayerful, Spivit-anointed people. the end of tho ego io upon us - the race ie corrupting itself, the Church ic largely silent and powerless and {iiipbepared fer the coming of the Lora! Brethren, I feel things are degparete — bub ve azo uobl, God Rep ust Goa help wat *13"rr nordtNe TO YOU, ALL YE THAT Paso BY?" ; ; denne ever stop to contenplate what it means to die outeide of Christ! ea *toe0 every hour are going to a lost eternity! Lost! Tost! No tongue And tell, no Heart imagine what it means to be lost! Yet this is the Ceraition alzesiy of ail who are not saved. Can we contemplate such ceeenteio apatving Go our neighbor, our friend, our boy or our girl? faa set not tp evineed to pray and pray and prey'~ and testify, win, td yea? Oh, what a tragesy it will be IP ve hall etend in that sre day, withthe blood of those to whon ve aid not speak ~ on our handet ut