I can read the same passage in the bible several times and all of a sudden it has a deeper meaning. This happened the other day while I was reading Revelations in the Message Bible.
Jesus appeared to John on the Island of Patmos while he was worshiping God on a Sunday. John fell flat on his face as if dead when he saw Jesus. Suddenly for the first time I realized I would too if I saw Jesus this way. I had never felt this way the other times I have read this passage.
John writes "I saw a gold menorah with seven branches and in the center, the Son of Man in a robe and gold breastplate, hair a blizzard of white, eyes pouring fire-blaze, both feet furnace bronzed. His voice a cataract, right hand holding the Seven Stars, His mouth a sharp biting sword, his face a perigee sun.
This was a frighting and very powerful Jesus that appeared to John. Not the baby in the manger, or the kind Jesus walking this earth healing and helping people, nor the broken Jesus on the cross, dieing for our sins. It wasn't even the white glorious Jesus who returned after dieing on the cross. This was Jesus, God in his glory and power, our king.This got me to thinking how much I have put God, Jesus in a box. If I saw him this way perhaps my life would me more on fire for Him, who sits on the throne. We Christians have minimized God to suit our needs and wishes then we wonder why we don't have the power he has commanded us to have.
Have we become the church of Ephesus where Jesus sees their hard work and their refusal to quit, how they can't stomach evil, BUT have walked away from their first love and fallen like Lucifer fell?
Or like the church of Thyatira who is very persistant at loving faithfully to please God but allow the Jezebel into their midst and hearts?
Then we could be like the church of Sardis who was so busy doing life that they had not finished doing God's work.
At times I have done each of these sins and more. We are to put Jesus, God first in our lives. If I could remember Jesus as he appeared to John then I think it would be easier to have the fear of the Lord and worship whom he really is.
How would we the church react if Jesus appeared to us like this during our Sunday morning worship time?All I can say is 'Lord help me see you the way you want me to see you'.
