Which Temperature are You?

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Rev 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 

Recently the Lord has been showing me that there are no true riches when God is excluded from them. What do I mean?  Well, have you noticed that even something as innocent and everyday as traveling without a real purpose other than to get away, that people are not getting the rest and relaxation they were looking for?  Their holiday was expensive, perhaps weather didn’t cooperate and now they are home left wanting.  Either wanting another and better vacation or the thought of getting back to work is too difficult to handle.

 

And then there’s Christian fellowship.  Sometimes we get so busy after church we just fly out of the building before we can even say hello to someone, and offer our love and prayer to those in need.  Now we seem to all go our own way and rush back into our busy lives even on the Lord’s day of rest.

 

One of the things I noticed was after Covid restrictions fell, people eased back into their routines of busyness and gone went the fellowship as we shared our griefs, anxiety, sorrow and even fears.  As difficult as the pandemic was, it drew us together with a common cause, and it also split us apart.  There are many repercussions and after- effects that followed, and are still prevalent.  It seems now that the Covid conversation is one we dare not bring up in case it breeds a disagreement on differing views, especially when it comes to the vaccine that was thrust upon us.  But this is not about Covid, this is about the state of our heart and what we love.  If anything, Covid was a testing of our heart.

 

As I’ve been pondering the opening verses, I’ve been praying and asking God to stir my heart to make it hot again. Somehow the busyness of my life that was ramped up in the last few months has dulled me to the things of God.  I feel challenged to check my heart and re-priorize my priorities and put God first.  I have become occupied from the things of this world keeping me busy instead of focusing on the Lord and the writing ministry He has given me.

 

If we read throughout Scripture, the Old and New Testament, God always requires that His children, in whatever capacity or title we have been given, are faithful and true to our wonderful loving and mighty God; true to Him and true to the calling He has placed on our lives.  When we turn to the things of the world instead, our hearts will turn cold towards God and hot towards something or someone else.  The Old Testament testifies again and again to this. Solomon is a good example.  His downfall were the many foreign women he took as his wives.  They were of pagan roots and did not honour the God of Israel. As a result His kingdom eventually fell into disrepute.  He did not leave a very good legacy to future generations.

 

What captivates us and takes us away from our loving Father and Savior Jesus?  Why are we afraid to give Him our all?  What can we do to stir the fire of the Spirit within us and and bring glory to God and bear fruit for Him?  He deserves all of our life and service, for He gave His life for us.  These are important questions to ask ourselves today.  The world will try everything in its power to dissuade us from following, living and speaking the truth of our almighty God.  The do this so that their own sinful lifestyles will not be exposed. And the following Scriptures challenge us to make a choice.  We cannot have it both ways.  It is all or nothing, hot or cold, and no in-between.

 

1Jn 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1Jn 2:16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

1Jn 2:17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

The things of this world are quickly passing away. Let’s spend the time with our Lord while we still can, and trust Him and love Him with our whole heart to keep us faithful to Him alone to the very end.