Which Jesus Are You Following?

 

The Bible tells us that at the mention of the name of Jesus the demons tremble. They know what He represents and who He is in all His majesty and glory. However, Christians today have been so successful in remodeling Jesus that the Jesus of today is anything but awesome and powerful and to be revered. The Jesus of today is a fun guy who was prepared to do all the dying so that we can do all the living. He is the ultimate symbol of love and grace, which is true, and He is here to satisfy all our needs. He is non-judgmental and He promised to bless us, protect us, forgive us, guide us, provide for us and when the time comes, to take us home to be with Him.

 

 

Awesome! All this talk about dying to self, crucifying the flesh and carrying our cross and being holy or we will never see the Lord is all alien to most Christians. Our Jesus will never be so demanding and unreasonable. That’s not cool at all. This is the 21st century bro. So loosen up a bit, relax. Jesus can dig it, He will understand, right? Wrong. You find the real Jesus from the Bible now or you are history.

 

 WHICH JESUS ARE YOU FOLLOWING?

There is no doubt about it. We live in a day of mass confusion. There is confusion among politicians and world leaders, confusion in the financial world, confusion in our educational systems and confusion between different religious beliefs. It seems as if a blanket has been dropped over the entire earth, causing mankind to grope in the dark for answers.

 

 

Meanwhile, in the Christian realm, there is confusion concerning who Jesus really is. There are many voices today which claim that Jesus is the answer, that Jesus is the way to achieve ultimate happiness, worldly success and personal fulfillment, relational and marital success among other things. There are Jesus marches, Jesus rallies, and Jesus conventions. But what does it all really mean? Could it be that the popular Jesus of today who is sung about in rock and roll songs, revealed in elaborate drama series and portrayed as a “fun loving” kind of guy in many churches, really cool and non-judgmental, is not the same Jesus of the Bible? How do you see Jesus?

There are those who, when they think of Jesus, see Him as the sweet cute little baby (especially during Christmas time) who came to the earth long ago, wrapped in swaddling clothes and cuddled in Mary’s arms. This Jesus is not overbearing or threatening. Baby Jesus does not demand anything.

 

 

Boy, what a relief? Instead, He is helpless and dependent upon human care. This Jesus is easy to sympathize with, love and accept with little or no effort on our part. While this scenario may seem far-fetched to some, many Christians live their lives as if Jesus was still a helpless babe in a manger.

Their spiritual lives lack substance, power and purpose. Jesus is as distant and remote to them in the spiritual realm as the baby Jesus is in the earthly realm today. The reason for this is they can remain in control of their lives and live as they wish while still claiming to be a “Christian.” Their Christianity is nothing but an “add-on” kind of thing, like another membership in a notable club. After all, they believe that Jesus came as a baby two thousand years ago and they prove it by celebrating Christmas every year. The problem is, Jesus did not remain a helpless babe in a manger. Just as Jesus “…..grew and waxed strong in spirit” (Luke 1:80), so should we who claimed to know Him. It is a dangerous folly to ignore the purpose for God sending His only begotten Son and shun growing in the knowledge of Him and in a relationship with Him.

 

 

Oswald Chambers said,

 

“If you look upon Jesus Christ from the common sense standpoint, you will never discern who He is; but if you look upon Him as God ‘manifested in the flesh’ for the purpose of putting the whole human race back to where God designed it to be, you will get the meaning of the Redemption. To the common sense standpoint of His own day, Jesus Christ was “the carpenter’s son’. (Matthew 13:55) We do not deal with Jesus as the Carpenter of Nazareth: we deal with the Carpenter of Nazareth as God manifested in the flesh.” (Still Higher for His Highest, pg 185)

 

Some relate to Jesus as a teacher. Their relationship to Him is on an intellectual plane where they read His words and analyze them to death. As long as Jesus remain a point of intellectual interest and no more, the heart can remain untouched and unchanged, even though there may be some outward conformity. These people can appear to be informed and knowledgeable about the Bible, yet they have no concept or relationship with the real Jesus and any writing or teaching they may produce lacks Spirit and life. Jesus must be recognized as God incarnate in our heart.

 

Oswald Chambers puts it this way,

“Immediately you lose sight of the central, majestic Figure of Jesus Christ, you are swept off your feet by all kinds of doctrine and when big things hit us, we find that our religion does not stand us in good stead; our creed does not agree with Jesus Christ. The revelation of the Deity of Christ does not come to a man’s intellect first but his heart and life and he says with amazement, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ The great point of the bible revelation of God is not that God was in Christ but that Jesus Christ is God. ‘He that has seen me has seen the Father,’ says Jesus. If Jesus Christ is not God, then the only God we have is an abstraction of our own minds.” (Ibid. pg 20)

 

 

Many people today stress Jesus as the healer and worker of miracles, while ignoring the other aspects of His being and character. This unbalanced understanding of Him is warped and limited because of the fanatical emphasis of healing and signs and wonders that must always be present. Thus, the way is opened for a wrong spirit with a variety of occult activities such as mind-science and metaphysical “healings.” The Bible warns us that in the last days, there shall come a “falling away” from the truth with “all power and signs and lying wonders.” (2 Thess. 2:3,9)

 

 

Others focus on Jesus as the Prophet of things to come and ignore their own spiritual lives and relationship to Him as their Savior and Lord. While prophecy is not only fascinating and undeniable proof of the accuracy of God’s Word, it cannot preserve the soul from eternal damnation. The apostle Paul said it well in

 

1 Corinthians 13:2,

And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith, so that I could move mountains and have not charity (love), I am nothing.

 

Multitudes, when they think of Jesus, relate to Him as being on the cross. They never see Him in any other light except upon the cross. While it is important to never forget what Jesus did for us on the cross, we do not serve a Jesus who is still nailed to a cross! On the contrary, our Lord was buried and rose again on the third day. We serve a risen Savior who sits on the right hand of God. If we only see Jesus as being forever nailed to a cross in our daily walk, we can fall into the trap of being sympathetic with the suffering Jesus but never know Him in His victory over sin and death. Furthermore, we can slip into a type of sordid remorse for our sins that has no solution. We must understand the complete Gospel; the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, in order to be set free.

 

 

Of course, there are those who think they are “saved” because they believed in the historical Jesus. The fact that Jesus was a real Person who lived and died two thousand years ago is a well documented historical fact. Yet, this type of “belief” does not result in eternal life any more than the belief that Jesus was a “good man” secure one’s salvation.

 

 

The truth is, according to Scripture, only a remnant will be prepared for Christ return. Contrary to false teachings blanketing the world today, there is not going to be a “third reformation” and “big worldwide revival” (thanks to “spiritual mapping” coupled with “territorial warfare”) that will “establish the Kingdom on earth.” Furthermore, this alleged “Kingdom” will not be ruled by “dominionist overcomers” in “Joel’s army” made up of “apostles and prophets” who are “little gods” so that “Jesus can come back.”

These false teachings, along with “signs and wonders,” are sweeping millions of people into the clutches of hell. If you have fallen for these “doctrines of demons” or if your pastor is preaching such lies, WAKE UP! The Bible does not teach any such thing. Repent and separate yourself from these satanic lies before you find yourself in total delusion from which there is no remedy. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 11:1-4, 13-15)

 

 

The New Age version of Jesus puts Him in the same category as the so-called “great teachers.” To them, he is a “Master of Wisdom,” but definitely not the only begotten Son of God who died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. If you want to “see” Jesus, then study the Book of Revelation. Revelation is about the revelation of Jesus Christ and it promises a blessing to all who read it (Revelation 1:3) In the first chapter of Revelation, we read of the appearance of the resurrected glorified Christ and the apostle John’s reaction to this revelation:

 

Revelation 1:13-17

And in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, cloth with garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His hair and head were white as snow, and his eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were fine brass, as if refined in a furnace and his voice as the sound of many waters; His had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a two-edged sword and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and Last.

 

This vision of Jesus is a far cry from the popular “All American Jesus” who is always smiling and cool and loves sports, encourages the American Dream, jumps up and down in churches to some form of hypnotic “worship” and who loves so-called “Christian” rock and roll that puts to shame the music in the secular bars and nightclubs.

 

 

“Well,” you may be saying, “the Jesus I know wants me to be happy. After all, I have a big poster of Him on my wall that shows Him surfing and my church is growing every week because we have so much fun. We don’t have to sing those old hymns, which is such a drag; we have rephrased the Ten Commandments a little, to give it a 21st century flavor; we can dress and act any way we want and besides, it’s really cool and entertaining.” Really? Then you do NOT know the Jesus of the Bible and probably NOT born again. Period!

 

 

I am looking forward to the return of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, not some wimpy little goody two-shoes or cartoon character Jesus who has no power over His enemies. My Jesus is coming in power and great glory!

 

Revelation 19:11-16

And I saw heaven opened and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on him was called Faithful and true and in righteousness He judges and makes war, His eyes were like a flame of fire and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was cloth with a robe dipped in blood and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He should strike the nations. And he Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

THAT is my Jesus! Which one is yours?

 

Disclaimer: The views or opinions expressed by the columnists are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Christianity Malaysia.com

 

 

References for pictures

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http://jesusbootcamp.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/your-prophet.jpg

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