"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot." (Revelation 2:15, from my last Friday reading)
Too many people over the years have equated, "hot," with jumping up and down in the aisles or blazing "Hell fire" preaching, great anointed "presence," or big meeting-every-night churches. And whatever, "cold," means to them, the accusation of, "lukewarm," is an indifferent attitude toward Jesus Christ, "The Word of God," and His Words, the Bible. The issue with, "lukewarm," people is that they believe what agrees with the prevailing culture position, and a personal, "Oh, I can't believe God would----------" They don't seem to be outright contrary to God; they just are not outright for Him. It is an attitude that sort of says, "Of course I believe the Bible; I just can't see how you could say that person has, "sinned and come short of the glory of God." Or, "Of course I love Jesus; but if a person lives a good life, how can you say he is not 'righteous'"? Notice in our text, however, that the issue is, "I know your deeds," not, "I know your beliefs." A, "lukewarm," person is a person who acts out a life style of indifference toward the, "Word of God." In all reality, they just do not take the Bible that seriously. There is a constant search for a different "take" on the Bible. Those who do so think that if they can just make the Bible more "civil," more people would accept it.
More and more in cultures around the world, those who desire to follow Jesus Christ are encountering increasing doubts about the Bible, not outright rejection of the Bible, but a sort of, "Ah, come on. You have to be a little more open-minded about that. Do you really think God meant_________?" For generations now in Western Culture, people have been reworking the Bible to make it more acceptable to an ever increasing desire to make God into man's image. They are neither, "cold nor hot," toward the Bible, just sort of, "Ah, come on," about the Bible.
The temptation is all around us every day. But you and I have a wonderful promise, a promise made to those in Laodicea who would be totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. I pray the exhortation to the Laodicean Church often, "I advise you to buy form Me gold refined in the fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself...; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline....He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me in My throne...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for the, "gold," to which You refer, "white garments," and the, "eye salve." Whatever the depths of meaning, I desire them. Amen.
*************************
Truth About South Africa: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
10:00 and 02:00-05:00 time slots still not filled
Too many people over the years have equated, "hot," with jumping up and down in the aisles or blazing "Hell fire" preaching, great anointed "presence," or big meeting-every-night churches. And whatever, "cold," means to them, the accusation of, "lukewarm," is an indifferent attitude toward Jesus Christ, "The Word of God," and His Words, the Bible. The issue with, "lukewarm," people is that they believe what agrees with the prevailing culture position, and a personal, "Oh, I can't believe God would----------" They don't seem to be outright contrary to God; they just are not outright for Him. It is an attitude that sort of says, "Of course I believe the Bible; I just can't see how you could say that person has, "sinned and come short of the glory of God." Or, "Of course I love Jesus; but if a person lives a good life, how can you say he is not 'righteous'"? Notice in our text, however, that the issue is, "I know your deeds," not, "I know your beliefs." A, "lukewarm," person is a person who acts out a life style of indifference toward the, "Word of God." In all reality, they just do not take the Bible that seriously. There is a constant search for a different "take" on the Bible. Those who do so think that if they can just make the Bible more "civil," more people would accept it.
More and more in cultures around the world, those who desire to follow Jesus Christ are encountering increasing doubts about the Bible, not outright rejection of the Bible, but a sort of, "Ah, come on. You have to be a little more open-minded about that. Do you really think God meant_________?" For generations now in Western Culture, people have been reworking the Bible to make it more acceptable to an ever increasing desire to make God into man's image. They are neither, "cold nor hot," toward the Bible, just sort of, "Ah, come on," about the Bible.
The temptation is all around us every day. But you and I have a wonderful promise, a promise made to those in Laodicea who would be totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. I pray the exhortation to the Laodicean Church often, "I advise you to buy form Me gold refined in the fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself...; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline....He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me in My throne...."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I pray for the, "gold," to which You refer, "white garments," and the, "eye salve." Whatever the depths of meaning, I desire them. Amen.
*************************
Truth About South Africa: www.jerusalemberlinwashington.blogspot.com
10:00 and 02:00-05:00 time slots still not filled
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
