Skip to main content

Go Back (Revelation 2:4-5)

 


David Dunn wrote and preforms a haunting song that says, "I wanna go back to Jesus Loves Me, for the Bible Tells me, for the Bible Tells Me So.." So often in our Christian walk we can as the song says "grow older and grow apart," that is apart from knowing Jesus personally, and instead know him intellectually through theology, doxology, and all the ologies. I am not saying knowing Sound Doctrine and Good Theology is bad, the problem is when we substitute it for the relationship with Christ. Sometimes we have to reset, to go back to where we were as the song says, which is actually Jesus' own words to one of the churches, "But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first." (Revelation 2:4-5). 

Some of us this new year need to go back, to turn back to Christ in a personal way, and not be merely content with gnosis (knowing about) Him and get back to ginosko (knowing personally) Him. Such a urging is not a sign of failure, that somehow you have apostasized. No, it is like a marriage, when one is long married you can fall into the motions of work, raising kids, and etc; that you forget that passion you once had, and the relationship devolves into routine rather than a vibrant interpersonal connection. So what many counselors will tell you is go on dates, and do things you did at first when courting, to go back and remind each other why you fell in love, this is the same with Jesus who is the Bridegroom (John 3:29) and we are Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9). 

There is no shame in going back, in fact, if you are sensing it is time to return to how things were once with the LORD, that is a good indicator you are indeed perceptive of your relational state, and it is Holy Spirit guiding you to return to your First Love, rather than be content with religious repetition and routine. Jesus did not die to have us relate to him as some theory or text, He is Alive and lives in Us, and all one has to do is believe in Jesus Christ as Son of God and Lord, and speak with Him, worship Him, and spend time With Him. Just as you do with your family. Do not neglect this opportunity in the new year if you are feeling called to go back, to return to a passionate faith and relationship in Christ. Make no mistake though, trying to get right in your relationship with The Holy Trinity will not be without obstacles, its not like the devil wants you to get closer to Christ. Just as date night with a spouse can have everything and the kitchen sink coming against it, so will problems arise to derail you seeking The Lord and going back to that love you had at first. So if it feels like a battle, do not see that as a sign that you should give up or that something is wrong, like any relationship you fight for, there are obstructions and distractions. Stand firm, and keep going back to "Jesus Loves Me," let that be a mantra as you "Come Back to the Heart of Worship.. because its All About You, Its All About You, Jesus!" (Matt Redma). Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Potrait of Jesus: What Christ Looked Like

What was Jesus’s appearance? Pseudo-historians at National Geographic and other publications argue that Jesus’ humanity was of Arab or African descent. This is impossible because Jesus our God was Son of David according to His flesh, “He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, regarding His Son, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (God),” (Romans 1:2-4), and King David was described as the following, “So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy [red, ruddy, from the word admowniy {ad-mo-nee'}; from 'adam ; reddish of the hair or the complexion red, ruddy], with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he. So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came ...
4 comments
Read more

Dispensationalism

John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) was a man who did two things, he took 70th week of the Book of Daniel and stretched out to the End Times, and he was the father of  Dispensationalism , a belief system that God dispenses different peoples with separate blessings and covenants. According to Darb'ys doctrine of Dispensationalism, God dispenses different covenants. There are total of seven dispensations that divide the history of man: I. Dispensation of Innocence (prior to the Fall, "Do not east of the Fruit of Good and Eve, Eden), II. Dispensation of Conscience ( You must assuage guilt and sin with blood sacrifices.) III. Dispensation of Human Government (Multiply and Subdue the world, example the Tower of Babel Gen 11:1-9, and Genesis 1:28). IV. Dispensation of the Promise (Dwell in Canaan, Jerusalem) V. Dispensation of the Law ("Obey the Law of Moses and the Prophets"). VI. Dispensation of Grace (The Church, Jesus Christ has come...
Post a Comment
Read more

Orthodox Christianity and Messianic Judaism

There is a divide between the two sides of Christianity. One is lined by a rosary, the other with tallit (prayer shawl). In the west we tend to come from a Greco-Roman understanding of The Bible and Jesus Christ. We are saturated with images of the Crucifixion and see through the red lens of Calvary. Now The Messianic or Jewish perspective is becoming more prevalent as people begin to study the roots of the Christian faith. After all, Jesus was a Jew and his Twelve Disciples were all Jews of different sects and positions in society. By studying the Jewish roots of Jesus we come to understand the ancient customs, practices, rites, and traditions that are featured in the Old and New Testaments. We learn in Jewish tradition that a Rabbi had to be ordained by two rabbis and that when Jesus was asked, "by who's authority do you say these things?, (Luke 20:2)" the Pharisees were asking who had ordained Jesus and where he got his yoke (teachings), and Jesus responds, "wh...
Post a Comment
Read more