Come Back To Jesus, Your First Love

 

    So, it has been my intent to start this blog for quite a while now, but I have been dragging my feet. I believe that it has been mostly out of fear. However, I know that our Father is love and perfect love casts out fear. I want to be an encouragement to those who will be reading as well as desiring your encouragement too. So, I will be courageous and move forward trusting in the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

    First, I wanted to describe my first love of Jesus in the beginning. I wasn't "On Fire" as some have said, or others saying, "I know the exact date I was born again!" Mine was a simple, childlike, and trusting faith yet, I felt distant from God. However, I believe that everyone's journey of coming to know Jesus is unique.

    I have believed in Jesus for over fifty years now, and the honest truth is that I have struggled with ups and downs in the doubts department (saved/not saved, loved/not loved by the Father, etc..). Do you have struggles too? Please, tell me about them. However, I want to say something changed in me two or three years ago and now, even though I have developed some physical ailments and suffer from depression, today, I can confidently say that I have no doubt in my heart and mind that Jesus is my Savior.

    Second, Let me share with you a bit of my Christian background. I attended regular church for about forty-some years. Then, I started to research how the Early New Testament believers met in the book of Acts and made the comparison with the church I was attending. Everyone in the body of the New Testament Believers had the opportunity to participate and share with others about their relationship with Jesus as well as psalms, hymns, instructions, etc.. but, it was like looking at  a still picture. In the beginning, when I left the body of believers there was a huge amount of guilt and it took quite awhile to get over it, but Its all about our love relationship with Jesus that needs to be our top priority right?

    Moving on, a friend of my wife said we should meet in her home to have church. Well, needless to say we never got that off the ground and I did not attend church with a regular body of believers for a number of years, but I continued to focus on research. Time passed, I knew what I knew about believers meeting together, however, I thought that I would give regular church another go hoping that change would have taken place. There was back and forth and I would participate by leading singing, etc., hoping in my heart and through my prayers that change would come.  It was not to be even though I still have friends from that particular body of believers and I pray for them as well. 

    From what I know now, the first thing that we must do is to make Jesus our top priority. Yes, it is important that we do good works for they were prepared in advance for us to do. However, they must not super-cede our relationship to Jesus nor should they be replaced by ritualism or ceremonialism.

    How did this all start out? After I retired, most of my early mornings usually started with coffee cup in hand gazing out the picture window pondering many things related to my relationship with Jesus. So, I've been reading about coming back to Jesus as our first love by searching on the internet as well as reading the Bible.

    So now, we can embark together in discovering what it means to come back to Jesus, our first love.  I can only speak for myself how this is fleshing out in my life. I think this started consistently about two or three months ago. There is nothing mystical about it. Much of my early morning is spent sitting on my sofa in silence just talking to the Father asking him to help me to overcome sin for that day alone. Also, I spend time being thankful for everything he has given, especially my Savior. During this time, there is no particular order. 

Please share your comments.

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