Medium to Mild

Medium to Mild

August 28, 2016

Revelation 3:15  "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!"

To the church in Laodicea, Jesus did not describe Himself as wielding a sword or with angry fireballs in His eyes. He described Himself as the ruler, as the one who had been given charge over the earth, and the one with the only true testimony in life. In other words, He had the final say and His final say was the truth. Jesus then told the church He was aware of their actions, but more importantly the truth about their hearts. He knew the condition of their hearts, in unbiased fashion, and their hearts were at a setting going from medium to mild. They were not on fire for the Lord, yet they were not ice cold to Him either. They were just tepid in their relationship with the Lord and fully content to stay there.

When he was describing their middle-of-the-road status, He was not talking about their maturity level in their walk with Him. A new Christian can be completely sincere in His faith, with the execution of it off slightly; Jesus has patience for this. Jesus was not talking about their knowledge of the Word or that they were following false teachings. He had no complaint with their doctrine, their belief system, or the method of handling the Word. He was frustrated with them because they had simply allowed their hearts to be set at medium. Apparently, Jesus does not like medium. He'd prefer all or nothing. In the letter, He wrote that they had become wealthy Christians by the world's standards and their wealth was allowing them to deceive themselves. Since Jesus had the only unbiased testimony about them, He told them that their hearts were not focused on the right things, their wealth was not helping them they way they thought it was.

Jesus recommended they trade for gold that had been refined in the fire by Him. The meaning of this is similar to laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven. His gold was truth, and faith, and being rich in deeds, not monetary treasure. True wealth has nothing to do with physical assets but everything to do with spiritual rewards. Their spiritual rewards were lacking, since they depended on their physical wealth while allowing their hearts to be set on medium. This is one of the biggest issues facing the church in first-world nations. Decorative housing, occasional vacations, ample health care, freedom to live out a personal walk with Jesus without persecution--these are actually dangerous to a person's heart. They give the feeling of comfort, which creates complacency. Complacency allows a heart to go from medium to mild. Jesus said He wanted to spit complacency out of His mouth. This imagery is similar to a person who thinks he is talking a refreshing sip of ice water on a hot day and realizes mid-mouthful that it is vinegar, spitting it out with vigor. That's how Jesus feels about most of the Christians in His churches today. He wants to spit them out of His mouth like vinegar. 

While you can evaluate your own life all you want, the opinion of Jesus is the only one that matters since He holds an unbiased testimony about you. Does He find that you are comfortable and complacent, that you've reach a level in life where you can coast in your walk with the Lord while focusing on your simple pleasures? Jesus wants your all or your nothing, not the middle-of-the road mentality that you think is enough to get by in life and church. Jesus wants hearts that are dedicated to Him. Half-hearted attempts at serving the Lord won't make it in His kingdom. In fact, Jesus promised discipleship for those who found themselves at a setting of medium. This discipleship, He said, will come in the form of discipline. Turn the dial up on your Christianity, lest you get ready for some discipline.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Matt 6:19-21, 1 Cor 3:11-14, Heb 11:26, Heb 12:4-11, Rev 3:13-21, Rev 22:12

Truth Revealed

Truth Revealed

August 21, 2017

Revelation 3:9  "I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars--I will make them fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you."

The letters Jesus wrote to the seven churches, His light to the world, all carried with them a strong degree of correction. This was for all the churches except for Philadelphia. Jesus had praise and encouragement for the church in Philadelphia. To the other churches He started His letters depicting His frustration and anger, but not so when He addressed Philadelphia. In their letter, Jesus described Himself as holy and true, holding the keys of David. The description of holding David's keys was in referencing to being a king, THE KING, and holding the rights to the throne. Those holding rights to a throne also had all power and authority over the kingdom. He was reminding the church that He had all power and authority over the world and all those in it, with the ability to make the inhabitants do what He wants. 

This was critical to encouraging the church of Philadelphia, reminding them He held the authority over all the inhabitants of the kingdom. The church in Philadelphia was like most healthy, God-fearing church today, dedicated in serving Him yet growing weary of doing the right thing and fighting off those who would try to pervert their Christianity. Jesus called those, who were not true Christians, liars. Jesus promised He would protect them from the liars. Not only would Jesus protect them from the liars, but make the liars confess the truth in front of them, being humbled on their knees and acknowledging the true saints as being right in the eyes of the Lord.

It does not matter that you are right and that others know it, however; it matters that you are right in the eyes of the Lord. It matters that your Christianity is true. It matters that you always do the right thing and deny those who would pervert Christianity trying to get you to do the same. Jesus encouraged that church and reminded them of His willingness to honor those who held to His teachings, who were not liars in their faith, and who stayed faithful to the end. Jesus holds the authority over those who are around you, those who may not be true Christians and those who may be attempting to deceive you. The Lord holds the authority over the liars. The truth will come out and the Lord will honor those who hold true to Him. The truth will be revealed in front of everyone. The Lord holds the keys to the kingdom and the door He has opened for you cannot be shut. He has opened the door to His kingdom for those who remain full of His truth.

Not only will the Lord reveal the truth, but some day those liars will be humbled in front of you. It is not your job to humble them or force them to admit you are right, that is the Lord's responsibility. He has promised to vindicate you, forcing them to acknowledge He has loved you on account of your faithfulness. He has promised to make them acknowledge He has shown you favor because you have held true to Him. Furthermore, the Lord has promised you will be spared from the suffering that is coming during the end times, keeping you from living through the tribulation. While the tribulation is a whole other conversation, all you you need to do is keep the faith, do the right thing, and the Lord will protect you from it. You are not a liar and the Lord desires you to hold truth to His word. He understands you are weary of doing right, when at times it would be easier to deal with liars according to their own methods. That is not an option if you are going to remain faithful to Him.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  Ps 63:11, Rom 1:18, Gal 1:10, Col 3:9, Rev 2 & 3

Not Always Saved

Not Always Saved

August 14, 2017

Revelation 3:2  "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God."

When Jesus dictated the seven letters to the seven churches, His lamps unto the World, He was not writing to the non-believer. He was not writing to the Jew, or to the Pharisee, or anyone following false religions. Jesus was writing to a very specific group of individuals. He was writing to Christians, to those who professed to follow the name of Jesus and had received salvation for the repentance of their sins. It was a very narrow group of individuals, and each Christian church was subject to their own struggles. None was perfect and Jesus recognized that. He was sending the letters on ahead of Himself, to convince the believers He was on His way and that when He arrived, they better be living rightly. They better had fixed the problems within the four walls of their church and within the lining of their hearts.

The church of Sardis, though, they were unique above all other churches. Jesus said they had a reputation that preceded themselves. He acknowledged that they were known for being a healthy church, a living and vibrant place where lives were changed and people were true believers and worshipers of the name of Jesus and the one true God. They hadn't fallen victim to false teaching and they hadn't worshiped other Gods. Their problem, however, is probably the most common problem among churches today. He said they had a reputation for being alive but they were really dead inside. This reputation of once being alive could not have been gained if it wasn't legitimate at one time. My guess is that the church of Sardis was once an amazing environment where lives were restored and healed, where people were truly introduced into a relationship with Jesus. Their fault, however, was falling victim to the status quo.

The church of Sardis had risen to the level of excellence in the eyes of many and they tried to maintain it on programs and practice and the perpetuation of going through the motions. Jesus said they had gone through the motions long enough that it still looked real to those peering from the outside. They were now faking it, because somewhere along the line it was easier to do it from memory than from the heart. Their hearts were no longer in it. Jesus had a warning for them; He threatened to erase their names from the book of life. Many people believe that once you have come to the knowledge of Jesus as your Savior, and repented of your sins, that you will enter Heaven no matter what you do after that moment. Jesus said He had the authority to "blot out that name from the book of life." A name could not be blot out if it had not been written there in the first place by the only one who could write it in place. I can't write anyone's name in the book of life, only Jesus has that authority. But Jesus also has the authority to take away someone's name, thereby voiding their salvation and ticket into Heaven. Only true believers, those who believe and live that way until the very end received salvation. Those faking it or going through the motions are at risk.

You and I are probably the most at risk for this. Those in the church of Sardis were still regular church attendees, after all they were part of the church body who would be reading His letter. Apparently, those who were once rich and vibrant in their relationship with Jesus, can still be church attendees until the very end, yet end up with their name blotted out of the book of life. This is a sad state of affairs, to lose the most important thing ever and not even realize it, your salvation. Jesus says wake up before its too late. Falling asleep in church could void your salvation. You still have work to do for Him; your life is not complete and therefore your tasks are not complete. Stay alert and keep your heart in it at all times, lest your name get blotted out from the book of life.

Don't take my word for it; look it up:  John 15:1-6, Rom 11:17-22, Phil 2:12, Revelation 2 & 3