Neither hot nor cold
S - Rev 3:15-22 (NASB)
15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.22 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.' "
O - This portion of the book of revelations is to the seven church's, this particular church Laodicea was the last of the seven, and the only church not to be given some positive feedback, but instead is subltly and harshly rebuked for being lukewarm. Likely this meant they were passive Christians in there community and of little influence on other people's lives. They neither stood fast against the evil or false teaching (hot), nor did they preach truth where ever they went (i.e. not cold), This Christ warns us is a dangerously ineffective church. But thankfully we have a loving, merciful God , full of grace, that allows us to the learn through scripture what we are to do if we are lukewarm. Jesus basically say first come back to Him, be refined through the His spirit, so that you may become kingdom of heaven rich, clean off past sins, and free of shame. He stands ready to give us all things neccessary to be both hot and cold.
A - The application for me is to recognize that I am the church, and I can become lukewarm if I allow myself to get comfortable in my own salvation to the point where God's truth and God's mission seems somehow less required for me to have a good life. I know for me, in my season after Iraq, I hit a valley, and was surely Luke warm for many months. I lacked energy and passion for anything except getting myself out of the valley. My testimony is that as I sought Christ in that period, he was faithful to answer, through prayer and whispers of the holy spirit I was able to find my way back to a passionate pursuance of his truth and purpose for me in the local church. Once I was realigned and began to passionately pursue this purpose I found the fire and the ice in me to continue to serve the lord with more abandonment.
P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for todays message, may it be sealed to my heart. I pray Lord that you help me not to become luke warm again, that you can use me in this world to speak your truth, rebuke that which is not of you, and encourage those around me to submit to your holy authority. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.
O - This portion of the book of revelations is to the seven church's, this particular church Laodicea was the last of the seven, and the only church not to be given some positive feedback, but instead is subltly and harshly rebuked for being lukewarm. Likely this meant they were passive Christians in there community and of little influence on other people's lives. They neither stood fast against the evil or false teaching (hot), nor did they preach truth where ever they went (i.e. not cold), This Christ warns us is a dangerously ineffective church. But thankfully we have a loving, merciful God , full of grace, that allows us to the learn through scripture what we are to do if we are lukewarm. Jesus basically say first come back to Him, be refined through the His spirit, so that you may become kingdom of heaven rich, clean off past sins, and free of shame. He stands ready to give us all things neccessary to be both hot and cold.
A - The application for me is to recognize that I am the church, and I can become lukewarm if I allow myself to get comfortable in my own salvation to the point where God's truth and God's mission seems somehow less required for me to have a good life. I know for me, in my season after Iraq, I hit a valley, and was surely Luke warm for many months. I lacked energy and passion for anything except getting myself out of the valley. My testimony is that as I sought Christ in that period, he was faithful to answer, through prayer and whispers of the holy spirit I was able to find my way back to a passionate pursuance of his truth and purpose for me in the local church. Once I was realigned and began to passionately pursue this purpose I found the fire and the ice in me to continue to serve the lord with more abandonment.
P - Dear heavenly Father, thank you for todays message, may it be sealed to my heart. I pray Lord that you help me not to become luke warm again, that you can use me in this world to speak your truth, rebuke that which is not of you, and encourage those around me to submit to your holy authority. I pray all this in Jesus name, Amen.
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