GET BACK...TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED

Greetings Oh Ye Children of Adam and Eve...how does your Garden grow?

Joni Mitchell wrote the song Woodstock...recorded by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young about the 3 days of Peace and Music...as a musical desire to "get back to the garden."

(WOODSTOCK by Joni Mitchell)

I came upon a child of God
He was walkin' along the road
And I asked him where are you going
And this He told me
I'm going down to Yasgur's Farm
I'm gonna join in a rock and roll band
I'm gonna camp out on the land
I'm gonna get my soul free

We are stardust...we are golden...we are billion years old carbon...caught up in the devil's bargain...and we've got to get ourselves BACK TO THE GARDEN.


Joni spoke of the inward desire of mankind...to get our soul free from the entanglement of sin and get back to what was lost in the Garden because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. (Read Genesis 3:1-24 for full details of the Fall and the cause and effect of the Fall).

The cast of characters is God, Adam, Eve, and the serpent (little s) who we see in later Scriptures is identified as the devil (little d). God gave A & E everything they needed...and restricted them from one tree...the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The day they eat from that tree...they would surely die. (Genesis 2:16,17) The tempter crawled into the Garden and tempted the woman...and placed doubt in here mind about what God said and then countered what God said with twisted lies and logic. (Genesis 3:1-5) While the serpent was talking to the woman...we see that Adam was WITH her, and he ate also. (Genesis 3:6) Later on... the first mention of a car is found..."So He (God) DROVE the man out...and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to GUARD the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:22-23) This is the GARDEN that Joni Mitchell...and CSNY allude to.

The problem is...that any attempt to "get your soul free"...and any attempt to "get yourself back to the garden." will fail...because...you are "caught up in the devil's bargain"...and only ONE THING can buy off the devil...another's life for the life of the fallen A & E.


The Beatles....who said "All You Need Is Love...and then they BROKE UP."..lamented that they wanted them...and us...to GET BACK TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED.

There really is a cry of the human heart to GET BACK... to where we were created to be. Many people have tried...and continue to try...to GET BACK TO THAT PLACE THAT YOU ONCE BELONGED...by either trying to transcend who they are...or cover up who they are by using everything from metaphysical mumbo-jumbo, drugs, alcohol (the accepted drug), attitude, bravado, intimidation, masks, sexual pleasure, pleasure in general (hedonism), pornographic lifestyles, (FILL IN THE BLANK)...of whatever you use to attempt to GET BACK TO THE GARDEN.


"For if while we were enemies we were RECONCILED to God through the death of His Son, much more, having bee reconciled, we shall be SAVED by His life...and not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have NOW received the reconciliation...therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin (disobedience) entered into the world...and death trough sin (cause and effect of disobedience in the Garden) and so death passed to ALL MEN (Woodstock Generation included) have sinned." (Romans 5:9-11)


"For the love of Christ controls us...having concluded this, that ONE DIED (Jesus) for us ALL (everyone), therefore all died...and He (Jesus) died for all...so that those who live might NO LONGER LIVE FOR THEMSELVES...but for Him (Jesus) who died and rose again on their (the all) behalf." (II Corinthians 5:14-15)

Well...one thing is right..."There is NO PLACE like home."...but it will take more than wishes and dreams, clicking of ruby slippers...or a good witch with a wand to make that happen. It will take more than just being good, sharing all things in common for 3 days at a music festival.

"He (God) save us...not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit." (Titus 3:5)


NOTE: Our problem is...that we are trying to GET BACK TO THE GARDEN on the basis of how we do...on how much we do for others...on our own goodness...and we keep running into Romans 3:10, 23..."As it is written...there is NONE righteous...NO...NOT...ONE...and "We have all FALLEN SHORT of the glory of God." We keep circling back to a garden of weeds, crop failure, drought, etc...in our own strength.

"For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit." (I Peter 3:18)

NOTE: We keep trying to GET BACK TO THE GARDEN...TO WHERE WE ONCE BELONGED... by trying to die for ourselves...the UNJUST FOR THE UNJUST...and we end up with the same dead spirit as when we started...with the same longings.


FINAL WORDS...FINALLY

The sentiment is NOT wrong...we do have that hole in our soul that longs to GET BACK TO WHERE WE ONCE BELONGED...but the method of filling that hole is like trying to fill a BLACK HOLE in outer space. It is impossible.

The ONLY WAY TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE ONCE BELONGED...is via Jesus.

Sometimes Christians are accused of being closed minded about this thing called salvation and reconciliation to God. We are ridiculed because we don't subscribe to "all roads lead to Rome"... or there are "many paths" to God. The reason that we are so closed minded...is because Jesus is so closed minded.

"Jesus said to him, I am THE way...and THE truth...and THE life...no one comes to the Father... but THROUGH ME." (John 14:6)

As C.S. Lewis states that Jesus is either (a) Liar (b) Lunatic on the same level as a poached egg
(c) Lord.

I choose Lord...the ONLY WAY BACK TO WHERE I ONCE BELONGED.

"Therefore I any man/woman/mankind is IN CHRIST...he/she/we are NEW CREATIONS... old things past away...behold...new things have come." (II Corinthians 5:17)

Love and Garden Kisses
Rodney "Got Back To Where I Still Belong" Boyd

GET BACK TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED

Howdy-do Buckaroos...where are you? Oh...you may be in Montana (shout out to Pat and Charlotte)...you may be in Tanzania (shout out to John...yeessssss!)...
you may be in Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria (shout out to Don and Nancy)...you may be in Peru (shout out to Ron and Annette)...you may be in America (shout out to....well...you know who you are).

The question is...WHERE ARE YOU? The other question is...ARE YOU WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED? The Beatles last live concert was on the rooftop of their recording studio. The album was the last released (Let It Be) but was not the last recorded (Abby Road). The movie was a chronicle of the breakup of the Beatles...in a last attempt (led by Paul) to get back to their roots.

Periodically...I find myself asking myself those questions about location in my Christian journey/walk. Am I progressing...regressing...possessing...obsessing?

In an ever changing world...I feel like I am teetering on the brink of an abyss...
without a safety net. It makes me think of the album by The 77's...PING PONG OVER THE ABYSS. With all of the world events swirling around me...I feel like I am out of control. Everything seems so complicated. I long for the GOOD OLD DAYS. Sometimes I long for the BAD OLD DAYS before I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour.

"Get back...Get back...Get back to where you once belonged." (The Beatles: Get Back)

"Take me back...Take me back dear Lord...to the place...where I first believed you." (Andrea Crouch: Take Me Back)

Gotta gotta get back...gotta gotta get back...(Wayne Cochran: Going Back To Miami)

"Having Jesus for my FIRST LOVE makes the darkest day shine...He has filled me with His Spirit...and I'll love Him until the end of time...and that's a long time." (Joe English: First Love) NOTE: Joe played with Paul McCartney and Wings during their hayday...and played with a rock jazz group called SEA LEVEL with former Allman Band members...and then became a Christian and added a groove to Christian music.

QUESTION: Where are you? Are you where you once belonged?
NOTE: I am not talking about maturing in the faith...but talking about BASIC ROOTS.

You may be asking yourself...why does Rod have these pictures of this flamboyant...overdressed...over styled hair yahoo? I'm glad you asked yourself this question.

This is Mr. Wayne Cochran? Wayne Cochran...aka THE WHITE KNIGHT OF SOUL...was a rock and roller from the 50's, 60's and 70's. His big song that he wrote was LAST KISS...recorded by Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. Wayne was discovered by Jackie Gleason who T.V. show was filmed in Miami Florida. Wayne had a hit with the song GOING BACK TO MIAMI. Wayne also wrote the song C.C. RIDER (big song for Elvis...and a movie with Joe Namath was based on the song...also recorded by multiple artists including Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels). NOTE: The C.C. in C.C. Rider stands for Wayne's Band...
Cochran's Circuit Riders. Wayne is also noted for his HAIR. He brought the POMPADOUR to new heights. Take a ruler to Elvis' Pompadour and then measures Wayne's. And the last bit of trivia for you Trivial Pursuit Vault... Wayne was responsible for Elvis' costumes during the Vegas/70's touring years.

Another question...why am I saying all of this about Wayne Cochran..and what does this have to do about GETTING BACK TO WHERE YOU ONCE BELONGED?

In 1981...Wayne along with his wife Monica became a BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN. Since that time he has been ministering Jesus to people who would never set there foot in the door of our comfortable seeker friendly sanctuaries. He has been ministering out of the North Miami Christian Center and is a Harley riding pastor. WAYNE GOT BACK...TO WHERE HE ONCE BELONGED. So many of us take sojourns into the land of sin...I know I have.

As I started this Rambling out...I need roots...grounding...security...a place where things make sense to me. My answer always come back to the basics.

"I know you are enduing patiently and are bearing up for My name's sake, and you have not fainted or become exhausted or grown weary...BUT I have this [one charge to make] against you...that you have LEFT [abandoned] THE LOVE THAT YOU HAD AT FIRST---you have deserted [Me]...your FIRST LOVE." (Revelation 2:3,4)

YIKES...the message was for the church of Ephesus...but it penetrates my heart. What could the solution possibly be. The problem is...I appear to be doing all the right things...but my MOTIVE is skewed. I am running on automatic pilot versus love. What is the answer?

"REMEMBER then from what heights you have fallen. REPENT--change the inner man to meet God's will---and DO the works you did previously [when FIRST YOU KNEW THE LORD]. Or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you CHANGE YOUR MIND.... and REPENT." (Revelation 2:5)

THE FORMULA FOR RESTORED LOVE

1. Remember (ruminate)
2. Repent (change)
3. Redo (implemented action)

I think back to 1968 when Brenda Sue Williams walked in a garage on a sunny Sunday afternoon to listen to THE BLIND DISTORTION practice. Immediately...I was in love...she wasn't. But...I was persistent...like a fly buzzing around sugar...and eventually wore down her resistance. NOTE: Today this would be called stalking. Once she allowed me to date her...I was consumed with sending her love notes, calling her, going out with her, spending time with her...even to the point of going to church with her. I lavished her with gifts...and would be the first thing on my lips when I talked to other people. Today...I still love her with a passion...give her coffee in the mornings along with cookies or muffins, or whatever is around the house. I love being with her...love to hear her voice over the phone during the day.
Sometimes...we have to REMEMBER...CHANGE...AND REDO those FIRST THINGS...to keep the fires of romance burning. NOTE: Men, do you need to REPENT.

There is a a great teaching series by Derek Prince called the FOUNDATIONS SERIES. It is currently out in book form as THE SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVER'S HANDBOOK...and in workbook form called SELF-STUDY BIBLE COURSE These are Ruminatin' Rod's Recommend Reading.

They are based on FOUNDATIONAL principles/teachings that are found in Hebrews 5:11-6:3) They are considered the MILK OF THE WORD...and are expected to be mastered...and then taught to others. The MEAT would be DOING the MILK. Jesus told His disciples that "My MEAT is to DO the WILL of Him who sent me...and to accomplish His works" (John 4:34)

When you read about the BASIC...the ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES...you see that the way to walk in the MEAT vs. the MILK...is by PRACTICE. We become mature by practicing the basics.

"But solid food/meat is for the mature who BECAUSE OF PRACTICE have their SENSES trained to discern good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY!!!!!!

Get back...get back....get back to where you once belonged...gotta gotta gotta get back...take me back to the place where I first believed....having Jesus for my FIRST LOVE.

Get back...to reading the Word...praying to God...fellowshipping with fellow believers...and get back to sharing your faith. Get back to loving God with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength...and love your neighbor as yourself.

Love and FIRST THING KISSES
Rodney "Still in love with Brenda...and most of Jesus." Boyd