January 26, 2006

• Thanks for your advice and tempering my zeal a bit regarding dating! It is nice to check things out before acting in certain circumstances. Sometimes a bit of hesitation is far better than doing or instituting something I might later regret.

  
  

  Well, as promised, here is the last church, and one that I pray fervently never becomes part of my attitude toward Christ.

  
  

  The Lukewarm Church

  
  

  Laodicea

  
  

  Lao – means people like laity and dicea talks about decision, or rule.

  
  

  This is a church run by the people. In fact when Jesus addresses the church instead of saying the church in Sardis… or any of the other towns, he addresses this church as “the church OF THE Laodiceans. Seems that even Jesus did not feel that it was His church, but a church run according to the rules of the Laodiceans, popular vote. Today some of the decisions made in the church are made more from political correctness, than the Word of God. I think that some churches are acting more like this church at Laodicea.

  
  

  I think that in my life, often Jesus and I wrestle for control, but Jesus wins. In this church it seems that what the town wanted they got, and that did not always agree with what Jesus wanted.

  
  

  This was a very rich town, wealthy, and the center of banking. They made a lot of money with an eye salve that was very popular with people with eye problems. Being part of an aqueduct system, they received water from the hot springs , but by the time the water made it to Laodicea the water was lukewarm. They had an coliseum that could seat 30,000 people and had circuses nonstop for the pleasure of the citizens. Much of what they did was done through political trickery for they could not defend themselves militarily.

  
  

  Jesus identifies himself as the Amen and the Faithful and True Witness (in Greek -marteo from which we get the word martyr), and the Beginning (in Greek arche which means originator).

  
  

  This is one of the churches that Jesus had no good commendations for. I so pray that when Jesus looks at my life that he sees good, and not lukewarm. Imagine Jesus wanting to vomit them out of His mouth. It seems that Jesus can work with hot and with people who are cold, but to have a mixture or lukewarm He cannot work with.

  
  

  When I came to Christ, I had reached the bottom and had realized that I really NEEDED Christ. Before that I felt that I could do without Him and the things He stood for. Some people in the church feel that they have it all together, and that is a dangerous place to be. For they have enough knowledge to put on an outward show, but inwardly they are dying for lack of Heat and Life and Light that comes from the Word. In verse 17 it says “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

  
  

  My heart goes out to those people because I know what they are talking about. In my pagan days (testimony on 10/7/05) I felt that I was in control of my existence. I depended on myself, felt that no one could help, needed no God, I was god, I was so wrong. Everyone has areas of need, and needs God. We cannot do it on our own. If God chose he could take His hand of protection off of us, and we cannot monitor even our body processes without God. Who among us can control our breathing 24 hours a day, not to mention our circulation, our digestion, etc. Then you add onto that the continued existence of our planet, and the interconnectedness of all. Reminds me of God’s answer to Job. We can do NOTHING without God and we kid ourselves if we feel that we do not need anything.

  
  

  Then there are those churches out there, the ones that scared me before I got saved, who think that because they have some truth, that they are invulnerable. No way, we need daily infilling of God and His Spirit if we are to continue to grow in Christ. Christ is not interested in status quo, He wants us to grow more like Him each day. If we cease to move, cease to study, cease to grow, cease to try and become more like Him, we become lukewarm.

  
  

  Imagine an old-fashioned steam locomotive going down the track. The engineer stops putting coal into the engine. For awhile the train will continue down the track based on momentum achieved from the coal, but once the coal burns down, at some point gravity (sin and pride, etc) will start gradually slowing down the train until the engine is lukewarm, no longer producing steam. At first the people on the train would not detect the lack of steam, but after awhile, when the train gradually slows more and more and then the engine ultimately stops on the tracks the people will realize that something is drastically wrong. Some churches of today are running on the steam of the past, and the momentum is going, but they are not adding fuel to their spiritual fires. I guess that is why today people are praying so much for revival and repentence.

  
  

  Jesus does not want that from us, He loves us too much to see us stopped like that. I am certain his anger against lukewarmness is because in His love He knows the end result of that will not be in our best interests.

  
  

  Jesus offers them a way out that is so particular to their city that it is mind boggling. He suggests that they buy gold from Him, refined in the fire. I read a story once about how refiners used to refine gold. They would put it over the fire, skimming off the impurities, and when asked how they knew when the gold was finished, it was because they could see their reflection in the gold. Oh for Jesus to see His reflection when He sees me, alas, there is still much more to be refined. – Don’t forget that Laodicea was a banking town.

  
  

  Then he said white garments that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness not be revealed. This town of Laodicea was known for producing a shiny, black cloth that was much in demand. And people paid good money to buy it. The funny thing is that we can dress our outside, but be naked and hurting inside. Far better to be clothed in white garments, which are the garments of righteousness. We get those garments when we are washed in the Blood of Jesus’s sacrifice. He is how we become righteous, it is not of our own that we can. And if you read further in the book of Revelation (cheat and read ahead) you find that after the fifth seal is broken the souls of those who were slain for the word of God and the testimony that they held will be given white robes. Revelation 6:9-11.

  
  

  The next verse, Revelation 3:19 is so important to me, because God does not give up on us, He didn’t give up on me, and He won’t give up on anyone, even lukewarm ones, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” Another translation replaces zealous with the words ignite yourself. So as long as Jesus is making correction in our lives it means that He loves us. If I ever get to the point of feeling that I need no correction, please let me know the mistake I am making in my mind. Far, far better is the fire of refinement and the correction of Jesus than a false sense of perfection.

  
  

  Did you ever notice that after Jesus was resurrected, every time we see Him he is eating. So it is important that when He stands at our door and knocks, he will come in and sup with us. Verse 20. We do this every time we have communion with Him, and in the days that Revelation was written, the belief was that if you shared bread or a meal with a person it was a sign of great intimacy, for you shared the same food so were linked together. I think it is awesome that Jesus would want to sup with us.

  
  

  And if they get over their pride (become humble and a servant) then they are going to sit with Jesus on the throne. He hasn’t given up on us, He is waiting to share His kingdom and love with us.

  
  

  What a great God we serve.

  
  

  Have a blessed night.

  
  

  Heather

  • 7:37 pm
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