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| Photo of flat white coffee courtesy of Jeanne Henrique's ~ Collage of Life |
For
the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first
begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of
God? 1 Peter 4:17
As I read, I absentmindedly reached for my cup of coffee. I took a sip, expecting the bold, fresh taste
of hot coffee, but instead it was lukewarm. Yuck! That was not what I wanted.
I poured the coffee in the sink and made a fresh cup. Hot or iced, it’s delicious. Does anyone like coffee lukewarm?
I thought of the Lord’s message to the seven
churches in the Revelation.
The church at Laodicea had become lukewarm. (See Revelation 3:14-22)
I
know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.
Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither
cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:15-16
Spew us out of His mouth! Just like we might do a bland sip of coffee
that has gotten lukewarm.
I used to think that statement was too harsh. It sounded rather like a kick in the seat of
the pants accusation. The Lord rebuked
the church, but He goes on to say that He chastens those He loves.
The church at Laodicea needed revival. They needed to repent of their sins and
return to God with their whole hearts, ready to embrace their calling with
renewed enthusiasm. Not unlike the Church today needs revival. We all know far too many Christians that
could be described as lukewarm.
We need repentance…renewal…fresh fire in our souls.
I remember the time when I had newly dedicated my life to
the Lord. I was so excited about the Good
News of Jesus Christ and so grateful to God for my salvation. Joy filled my heart with love and hope. I wanted to tell everybody about Jesus. No one could have accused me of being lukewarm then.
We ought to pray as David did.
Cast
me not away from your presence, and take not your holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and
uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:12-13
Mya showing off her new princess skirt.
I'm glad you've visited Write Moments with God. I pray that you will have renewal in your heart and it's warm glow will give you strength. Remember, the joy of the Lord is your strength. Please consider leaving a comment below. I always appreciate hearing from you.
I loved this post! I totally understand that God wants us all for Him--or not. It's worse for all concerned and a confusing testimony when someone is on the fence.
ReplyDeleteYes, definitely HOT coffee!
Thank you Lou Ann. I was a bit afraid it might be too "strong". Blessings.
DeleteRose - a reminder to remain passionate in our love for Christ - a message that always needed. That message to the Laodiceans is a strong one. I guess it's meant to be a "kick in the pants."
ReplyDeleteIt is a reminder to remain passionate. I'm amazed so often by the relevance and modern sound of the language in the Scriptures.
DeleteREPENT - REPENT - REPENT = A few of my favorite words. Keeps you in a wonderful and peaceful state of grace. I love to be obedient to the Lord. What a long and rocky road I had to travel to find this wonderful place...it would have been so easy if I had been obedient, but now I know the true value of God's favor does not reside in my perfection but His alone.
ReplyDeleteThank you Rose for all you do to spread the Word and love of God...
XOXO
Jules
Jules, I always love to hear from you. I appreciate your heartfelt messages. Beautiful words...the true value of God's favor does not reside in my perfection but His alone. Thank you for all your encouragement. Blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI think you and Jules have said it all and much better than I ever could!! God Bless!
Delete