Relationship Service verses Religious Service
Part 1: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RELATIONSHIP AND RELIGION

By Wayne O’Conner

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The two audio links below, following my free verse prose,

is part of my second album of “Songs in the Night from Jesus” subtitled “Jesus Rap.”

If you wish to read along with the audio please click on the left white sideways triangle below.

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Christians ought to know
The difference
Between following Jesus religiously and relationally.

One of my favorite Christian Legal Podcasters said, recently,
And this is a paraphrase,
That from what he has read in the scripture,
You just repent and follow Jesus, a relationship is not needed.
And yet, he trains his followers to say “Christ is King” when they post.

Even though he doesn’t talk about “what would Jesus do”
For every daily crossroad he comes to, that is how he seems to live.
And every night, when he and his wife retire to their sleeping chamber for the evening,
They commit their upcoming day to Jesus
And ask for help to do what Jesus would have them do!
He mentors and models a good and saintly
Example to his friends, family, and podcast followers
Without being “religious.”

From what I see,
He has a relationship service lifestyle
That exemplarily honors Christ
To a watching world and a host of angels.

From what I have seen,
Many who profess the necessity of following Jesus,
In contemporary churches, in steepled buildings or home living rooms,
Say we need to have a personal walk with Jesus,
Then train you to submit to them as they usurp the rulership of Christ.
Like in the time of Jeremiah,
They hold captive, followers of Jesus, like birds in cages.
Many leaders rule like a great Kahuna,
Daily and weekly demanding tribute.

If we read the Bible, searching for a pattern,
We will see that for those who serve Jesus
That their service is not cookie cutter theology.
Different prophets or famous saints from Adam to Peter,
Had strengths and weaknesses.

Jesus only took Peter, James and John
Onto the Mount of Transfiguration.
Mary and Martha’s household was close to Jesus,
Yet that family did not spend every day together with Him.

Jesus ministered daily to the twelve
And yet he had a much larger group.
And many of those disciples, from the larger group,
One day left his service: read John 666 – that is John, chapter 6, verse 66.

The Pharisees, most of them, followed religious rules to the T
Most of them, honored God with their lips,
Yet their hearts were far, far away.
And many people of that day emulated them.

They, with few exceptions, like Nicodemus,
Lived a life of cold, hard, religious service,
Devoid of any relationship life style.
Contemporarily, leaders leading by bad example,
Are as common as grains of sand along the sea.

In Matthew 7 Jesus warns that not everyone who says “Lord,”
Or lives a life of religious service will enter heaven.
Expecting great rewards for their service,
Instead they will hear,
“Depart from me, I never knew you.”

Knowing Jesus personally
And seeking to daily honor Him
Are the weightier matters.

Truly, if Christ is King in your life
Then you will want a personal daily relationship
And cannot settle

For a simple religious acknowledgment
Of His Kingdom
And a life of cold, inflexible, religious service.

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Please note that the background music for the song is a Limited Use for Educational Purposes event. Also, I have purchased Karaoke CD Hits CDG Volume 25 which allows limited Karaoke use of this background music. The lyrics are my own. The background is only a small section looped multiple times.

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Relationship Service verses Religious Service Part 2:
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW JESUS PERSONALLY,
RATHER THAN RELIGIOUSLY?

If you wish to read along with the audio please click on the left white sideways triangle below.

Following Jesus means more than just calling yourself a Christian.
Following Christ means more than weekly “church” attendance,
Be it in a Catholic or Protestant Edifice
Or gracing Couches and Recliners in a Home Fellowship Gathering.

Worship based on mere human traditions and rules
Is as useless as stale salt tossed onto a dusty street!
Samuel told King Saul that God cares much more
About obedience and a heart that listens to Him!

John, in the 17th chapter of his book,
Defines eternal life itself as knowing God the Father
And Jesus Christ the Son, whom He sent.
Having a relationship with Jesus
Is about a dynamic living relationship
Not living out a religious checklist!

Jeremiah 24:7 promises that God will give us a heart to know Him.
Will we let our freewill harden our hearts
Or by our freewill submit to Jesus?

In Philippians chapter 3: verses7-9, Paul the Apostle,
Considers all of his religious background
And strict rule-following as worthless when compared
To the surpassing value of knowing “Christ Jesus my Lord.”

James 4:8 promises us that if we draw near to God,
He will draw near to us.

Revelation 3:20 depicts Jesus as standing at the door knocking.
He promises that if we hear his voice and open the door,
He will come and eat with us.
This pictures a close personal relationship, supping,
Not a formal, ritual and tradition-bound,
Inflexible and religious meeting, to share a meal or mere words.

So, I encourage you all to know Jesus personally.
Follow this third chapter proverb:
“Trust the Lord with all of your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding.
In all yours ways acknowledge Him
And He will make straight your path.”

I charge you:
Flee the ways of the Pharisee
And avoid the inflexible path of cold, hard religion.

Remember, even though salvation may not require,
In the strictest sense, a relationship, with Jesus,
The Lord desired that close relationship with the disciples
And His friends, when He walked the earth.

Today, the Holy Spirit has been given
To all who repent and follow Jesus.
Before Jesus came to trod the sands of the Holy Lands
The Holy Spirit was generally reserved
For prophets, priests and kings.

Today, any saint who surrenders his life
Can benefit from that special daily walk anointing.
You have a freewill, true,
But if Christ is truly King,
Seek to go beyond being sealed into the Kingdom,
And allow Jesus, through His Spirit,
To walk in a genuine relationship with you!
Daily!

Please note that the background music for the song is a Limited Use for Educational Purposes event. Also, I have purchased Karaoke CD Hits CDG Volume 25 which allows limited Karaoke use of this background music. The lyrics are my own. The background is only a small section looped multiple times.

“YOU OUGHTA KNOW” BY ALANIS N. MORISSETTE as the background music.

LYRICS by Wayne O’Conner – wayneoconner.com

Written 9/7/26  The teaching on this page is the second song on the “Songs in the Night From Jesus ‘Rap’ Album. Song number 1 of that album can be found at this link: https://wayneoconner.com/jesus-warrior-dream-song-just-the-song-with-link-to-teaching-and-backstory-info/

To find the original “Songs in the Night from Jesus” music please follow this link: https://wayneoconner.com/songs-in-the-night-from-jesus/