Preserving the past: Part two
Sometimes people tell us to forget the past and that is true for some things; things such as mistakes, failures in our lives and so on, but we have such a heritage that we truly do want to preserve as well. So this blog is the other side of the coin.
Certainly we cannot go back to the past however we do well to remember what was good and it is not wrong to desire the way of life that we knew back then. It is not wrong to remember what Jesus has done for us. In fact the Bible says in Jeremiah 6:16, “Stand at the crossroads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it.”
Here in this passage clearly, God was asking His backslidden people to remember what they once had, “the good way” and to return to it and I believe with every fibre of my being that God is calling His people today to remember what we once had and He desires us to return to that “good way.” For the last several evenings, four to be correct, we have been attending a church where they have been celebrating their seventy fifth anniversary and they have certainly preserved that “good way” the way of worshipping God that I for one used to know.
This is not living in the past but it is present tense…it is now. The Bible admonishes us to remember the pit from which we were dug and to remember the place or “Remember then from what you have fallen” a quote from Revelation 2:5. This, an admonishing to the church at Ephesus, a church that had everything in place, a church that should have been an example because of their good deeds and their patience in serving the Lord, but they had lost that fervency, that desire, that first love for Jesus and He tells them to remember what they once had and to return to it. He is saying to the church of today, “Remember what you had, remember where you were and return to it.” Return to your first love; return to your love for Christ; return to the place where God moved so deeply in your soul; remember the old paths of righteousness. Remember, you who have strayed from the Godly upbringing of Mum and Dad, remember and repent. “Return to Me and I will return unto you,” is the Word that God wants you to hear this very day. Don’t feel His presence anymore? Remember and return and be restored, that is the best way to preserve the past.
posted by Randall | 7:16 a.m.
3 Comments:
Hi Randall
I remember what it was like when I was first saved. I went around singing I saw the light all the time.I did not even understand what it was that happened to me,I just new that I new that Jesus loves me and I wanted to tell every body.For the first time I felt God's presence and the joy that can only come from knowing God personly.Looking back I throught that nothing bad could ever happen now that I have Jesus in my life,but life is life and the devil still wants us to fall.
It is having Jesus in our life that makes the diffences.We can talk about how good it was back then,but today can be even better if we stay on the path that God has for us.
I know you are right about God wanting His people to come back to Him.It is never to late to take [the good way]and start your walk with God over again.We all came from the same pit and we all can have the same forgivness.
It is easy to get so busy working for God that you forget about spending time with God.Let us all remember that first time we felt Jesus,s presence and the joy that we had then,lets make each day like the first time,keep that joy.
C.M.
Are we really looking for what we had in the past? What was it that we want so much now, but let go so easily, when we had it.
Did GOD only let old people in his churches, or only young people, I think not. The churches were full back then, why not now? Has GOD changed his way of doing things, no again, it is us that have changed. The church was once strong, but you know my other word for strong...that’s right {stupid },and we are stupid, if we think we will fill the churches like before, because we didn't fill them then, the "HOLY SPIRIT " did and will again.
We must remember, what is now is soon past and will change the future, but the future, will become the past. It is nice to remember, but don't dwell on it, you can't get back the past, only change our future.
Coffee
We do not have to live in the past, in fact, we are encouraged not to do so. However, it is very dangerous not to recognize the benefits of the past, and to keep it in our minds. There is a saying, that "if we don't deal with history, we are likely to repeat it", or something like that.
Also, there is much teaching in the early books chapters of the Bible, teachings of Moses and Joshua, about giving time to consider the past, all that God had done for them. Teachings about making sure the children heard - many scriptures urging the remembering of the greatness of God of the past. We can benefit from that teaching, too.
We have to live in the present, as Randall points out, but we would be greatly helped if we walked in the "ancient ways", following the teachings of the Bible, our parents, and forefathers.
Post a Comment
<< Home