JESUS SPEAKING
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish that you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth […] as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Revelation 3: 14 – 16, 19.)
INSPIRED THOUGHTS
After being seized by the Romans, the Apostle John was marched into a crowded coliseum and plunged into a vat of boiling oil. But when he remained unharmed, the masses within the coliseum began to convert to Christianity. The Romans, fearing his influence, placed him in prison on a deserted Island off the cost of Turkey (known as Patmos.) While in exile on this island, in about the year 95 A.D., an aging John received a revelation from Jesus Christ. In this revelation, Jesus addressed the seven churches located in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. For some reason the Laodicean church had become lukewarm. They were once bold, zealous, and uncompromising; and yet over time they had succumb to personal comfort, complacency, and routine. Jesus rebuked them; commanding them to obey His directives: to be zealous again; to be bold; to spread the gospel; to serve others and to work hard to save souls. God’s message to the Laodiceans is timeless; it pertains directly to the church today. There is no half-way; a moderate faith is a dead faith. For the believer there are no vacations, no breaks, and no retirement. We must all continue to serve God to the fullest. If we stop serving Him, we are in danger of becoming lukewarm, cold, and dead.
Interestingly enough, a recent study revealed that early retirement can lead to an increased risk of death. In 2005, three groups of otherwise healthy individuals were studied; those who retired at 55; those who retired at 60; and those who retired at 65. “In this research, death was almost twice as likely in the first 10 years after retirement at age 55 compared with those who continued working.” The tendency to take it easy and relax can have disastrous consequences. To lose enthusiasm for God’s message is to fail to fulfill the highest calling of God. As believers, we must fervently work for the Lord until He returns to gather us together.
Are we eager to serve God and others today; or have we been serving ourselves? Are we on fire for the Lord, or have we become cold? Are we readily spreading the gospel, or have we fallen silent? Have we faded into the background, or do we speak the truth with boldness? We must be brave and reach out for Christ. May our heart be ignited by the consuming fire of the Holy Spirit. May the words of God flow from our mouths, and may our good works never cease; may God use us to transform others; and may we always represent the church of God with conviction and zeal.
“Lord Heavenly Father, fill us with Your Holy Spirit, that our hearts may burn for You. May we shine brightly in the lives of all those we meet. Give us the words to speak and the strength to continue. May we never grow weary or become lukewarm; may we never stop serving others, knowing that one day we will have our rest in You. We love You Lord, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name we pray, Amen.” God bless all of you!
Jesus Speaks 