Revelation 3:19 As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.
That’s a message we’d all do well to comply with my Friends! Originally it was meant for the church at Laodicea, one of the 7 churches in Asia that John claimed to have received messages for in his vision. ‘The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.’ (Rev.2:20.) (Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Pergamos and Laodicea) Jesus had a particular message for each one, per His view of their spiritual shortcomings. That for Laodicea is rather interesting. ‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ (Rev.3:15-16) The church at Laodicea is compared to lukewarm water because it has few useful purposes. Water must either be hot or cold to fulfil most of our jobs for it. The message therefore is to be passionate about one thing or another; don’t sit on the fence, be either for or against, hot or cold, not lukewarm. And since Jesus considers the church lukewarm, then it’s virtually worthless, and He’ll spit it out, cast them aside because of their lack of spiritual enthusiasm. The subject of lukewarm water appears to be more than just John’s imagery. It seems Laodicea received its water via aqueducts from other areas, and by the time it arrived there it was really lukewarm and induced nausea. So John’s metaphor was right on. But they made up for the lack of water in being an otherwise wealthy city of bankers, a medical school, a popular eye ointment and a bustling textile industry. Consequently, they were more concerned with their earthly wealth than their spiritual life. ‘Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.’ (Rev.3:17-18) Oh Friends, John cleverly refers to the things they were well known for, and doesn’t it sound just like our present day world, where we’re all caught up with material possessions and earthly concerns, seeking to become rich in those things, while neglecting our more important spiritual health? Remember the human being is both physical and spiritual. The physical dies and returns to the dust from whence it came, but the spiritual lives on forever, either in darkness and damnation with the enemy, or light and eternal life with Jesus. That means we should all be paying very close attention to our spiritual health, because that’s the part that lives on, but unfortunately, too many of us are neglecting it. Oh People, Jesus LOVES us all, LOVES us so much that He doesn’t want to lose anybody to the enemy, which leads Him to say; ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten.’ We all do the same thing; it’s standard procedure for caring humans. We rebuke or chasten our children or LOVED ones when they don’t do right, so why should it be any different with Jesus, especially when He’s the epitome, the personification of LOVE? When Job’s friend, Eliphaz rebuked him, he said, ‘Behold, happy is the man who God correcteth: therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty. For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.’ (Job 5:17-18) And Solomon advised: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov.3:11-12) So the Lord’s no different to us; He practices tough LOVE too. So why are we surprised when He rebukes or chastens us eh? If He didn’t care greatly, have a heart full of unconditional LOVE for us, He’d just let us go about our own selfish, stupid business and pay the dire consequences afterwards. But just like us, who try to correct our LOVED ones when we see them going astray, He tries to bring us back to the tried and true path from which we’ve diverged. And it’s simple; ‘be zealous therefore and repent.’ Oh people, please remember one thing; whatever the Lord does in our lives, it’s not for His benefit, but for OURS. The same way we correct our children for their benefit. And despite all our shortcomings, our disobedience, and our lustful earthly preoccupation, Jesus shows His great LOVE, by still extending an invitation to us.’Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.’ (Rev.3:20-21) Oh Friends, right now, at this very moment, Jesus is knocking on the door of all our hearts. Please, let’s all throw open the doors wide and invite Him in, as a most honoured and cherished guest, to dine with us. It would be such a wonderful occasion; the food, drink and entertainment would be par excellence. And after that we can sit with Him on His throne, next to His Father. Wow! What an occasion! And all God’s people said: ‘Glory Hallelujah to the Lamb, for He is worthy to be praised!’ Oh Friends, do we want to spend eternity in darkness and damnation? Of course not! Then let’s accept Jesus’ offer; it’s the best one going. Also remember that 2009 is the Year of Rejuvenation, and what better place to start than with our spiritual health! Much LOVE!…he that hath an ear…let him hear…
That’s a message we’d all do well to comply with my Friends! Originally it was meant for the church at Laodicea, one of the 7 churches in Asia that John claimed to have received messages for in his vision. ‘The seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.’ (Rev.2:20.) (Ephesus, Smyrna, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Pergamos and Laodicea) Jesus had a particular message for each one, per His view of their spiritual shortcomings. That for Laodicea is rather interesting. ‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.’ (Rev.3:15-16) The church at Laodicea is compared to lukewarm water because it has few useful purposes. Water must either be hot or cold to fulfil most of our jobs for it. The message therefore is to be passionate about one thing or another; don’t sit on the fence, be either for or against, hot or cold, not lukewarm. And since Jesus considers the church lukewarm, then it’s virtually worthless, and He’ll spit it out, cast them aside because of their lack of spiritual enthusiasm. The subject of lukewarm water appears to be more than just John’s imagery. It seems Laodicea received its water via aqueducts from other areas, and by the time it arrived there it was really lukewarm and induced nausea. So John’s metaphor was right on. But they made up for the lack of water in being an otherwise wealthy city of bankers, a medical school, a popular eye ointment and a bustling textile industry. Consequently, they were more concerned with their earthly wealth than their spiritual life. ‘Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor and blind and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.’ (Rev.3:17-18) Oh Friends, John cleverly refers to the things they were well known for, and doesn’t it sound just like our present day world, where we’re all caught up with material possessions and earthly concerns, seeking to become rich in those things, while neglecting our more important spiritual health? Remember the human being is both physical and spiritual. The physical dies and returns to the dust from whence it came, but the spiritual lives on forever, either in darkness and damnation with the enemy, or light and eternal life with Jesus. That means we should all be paying very close attention to our spiritual health, because that’s the part that lives on, but unfortunately, too many of us are neglecting it. Oh People, Jesus LOVES us all, LOVES us so much that He doesn’t want to lose anybody to the enemy, which leads Him to say; ‘As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten.’ We all do the same thing; it’s standard procedure for caring humans. We rebuke or chasten our children or LOVED ones when they don’t do right, so why should it be any different with Jesus, especially when He’s the epitome, the personification of LOVE? When Job’s friend, Eliphaz rebuked him, he said, ‘Behold, happy is the man who God correcteth: therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty. For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.’ (Job 5:17-18) And Solomon advised: ‘My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord LOVETH he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.’ (Prov.3:11-12) So the Lord’s no different to us; He practices tough LOVE too. So why are we surprised when He rebukes or chastens us eh? If He didn’t care greatly, have a heart full of unconditional LOVE for us, He’d just let us go about our own selfish, stupid business and pay the dire consequences afterwards. But just like us, who try to correct our LOVED ones when we see them going astray, He tries to bring us back to the tried and true path from which we’ve diverged. And it’s simple; ‘be zealous therefore and repent.’ Oh people, please remember one thing; whatever the Lord does in our lives, it’s not for His benefit, but for OURS. The same way we correct our children for their benefit. And despite all our shortcomings, our disobedience, and our lustful earthly preoccupation, Jesus shows His great LOVE, by still extending an invitation to us.’Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.’ (Rev.3:20-21) Oh Friends, right now, at this very moment, Jesus is knocking on the door of all our hearts. Please, let’s all throw open the doors wide and invite Him in, as a most honoured and cherished guest, to dine with us. It would be such a wonderful occasion; the food, drink and entertainment would be par excellence. And after that we can sit with Him on His throne, next to His Father. Wow! What an occasion! And all God’s people said: ‘Glory Hallelujah to the Lamb, for He is worthy to be praised!’ Oh Friends, do we want to spend eternity in darkness and damnation? Of course not! Then let’s accept Jesus’ offer; it’s the best one going. Also remember that 2009 is the Year of Rejuvenation, and what better place to start than with our spiritual health! Much LOVE!…he that hath an ear…let him hear…
SCRIP-BITS 