Revelation 3:22. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Well, it’s another cloudy, rainy, lazy-day Saturday morning at the end of April! And believe me, I milked it to the very last drop! I got up several times intending to come downstairs and do the Father’s business, but only ended back in bed when I saw the weather and the dismal, foreboding looking situation outside. (smile) But we can only put off necessary things for so long, and finally my spirit said enough is enough, time to get up and get a move on, because later on you will complain that the day has passed you by, not willing to accept that you first ignored it.
And that’s how we often are with Jesus; when we don’t get something we prayed for, we complain, forgetting that before our supplication, we had completely ignored Him, despite His constant knocking on the door of our hearts. And Jesus said it quite plainly in His messages to the churches in Revelation, this one to the church at Laodicea, who He first admonished by saying: ‘I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would (wish) thou wert (were) cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew (spit or vomit) thee out of my mouth.’ (Rev. 3:15-16)
And isn’t that the gospel truth in these lukewarm, lackadaisical days of church attendance and actions! It certainly is! More supposedly Christian believers are simply sitting on their laurels than ever before, not doing anything to really promote the kingdom. And that’s why Christ admonished the Laodiceans. The scholars say: ‘The church is likened to lukewarm water, or as being virtually worthless. Christ says He will “spew them out,” or eject them from His company.
The hot waters of nearby Hierapolis were known for their medicinal qualities, whereas Colossae was known for its cold, pure water. But Laodicea was forced to receive water by aqueduct from other areas. By the time it arrived at Laodicea it was lukewarm and provoked nausea. The works of the Laodicean church were as worthless as the city’s lukewarm water. The description does not refer to a backslidden condition, but rather to their lack of faith.’
And the very same thing applies to us lukewarm Christians today. It’s not to say that we have matured then backslidden. No, we’ve never moved on from our baby steps of faith at all! We’re just drifting through life, enjoying the things of the world, calling ourselves believers, but not doing anything to prove it. And if we’re wise, we would take Jesus’ further counsel to the Laodiceans to heart.
‘Because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods (have become wealthy), and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried (refined) in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment (garments), 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. As many as I LOVE, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent.’ Rev. 3:17-19)
Ah friends when Jesus admonishes us, He doesn’t pull any punches, but tells us just like it is. And after we explore the scholars’ explanation of those verses, we’ll see how very appropriate the warning also is to us today. The scholars say: ‘Laodicea was famous for its wealth, its bankers, its medical school, its popular eyesalve, and its textile industry. Christ says that spiritually the people of the church are poor, blind, and naked. True wealth is found only in God’s grace. This church had no spiritual value (gold), virtue (white raiment), or vision (eyesalve). He urges the Laodiceans to repent of their lack of genuine faith and of spiritual understanding.’
And I would strongly suggest that we do the same in the lukewarm, lacklustre atmosphere that characterizes today’s church. Very few of us seem willing to get up and fight the good fight for Christ, either afraid of the enemy, or just simply lazy and not interested, figuring that we’re going to heaven and that’s good enough. But that’s not true friends. Just sitting on our fannies can never be good enough when you call yourself a Christian.
And finally, we come to the words that I envisaged when we first began the Bit, but was led into the other necessary and important stuff by the Holy Spirit. (smile) Jesus finally says to all who reject or refuse to accept Him: ‘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 (dine) with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20) Yes friends, Jesus is always knocking at the door of our hearts, asking for permission to come in and dine with us, to have sincere fellowship with us and to enjoy the many blessings that flow from such a relationship.
And Jesus is ever so careful about going where He’s not wanted that one commentary says: ‘This illustrates that Jesus will not force His way into our lives and will only come in when invited. In other words, He is faithful in presenting Himself as the solution to our problems but will not interfere unless we ask Him to.’ And that’s the living truth my brethren. Jesus wants us to truly desire a relationship with Him, but He’s not going to force us to do so, knowing that if we call out to Him, then it’s more likely we’ll be serious about the relationship and fight to have it endure, than if He forces Himself on us.
But please note that His offer is always on the table, and He’s always moving around knocking on doors, hoping that the occupants will be welcoming. And to those that welcome Him with open arms, and sincerely seeks to do His will, here’s what He promises. ‘To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in (on) my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in (on) his throne.’ (Rev. 3:21)
Wow mih people! Yuh hear that! If you stand up strong for Jesus and fight the good fight in His name and overcome the evil world and all its foolishness, then He will grant you the privilege of sitting on His throne with him, just like He did the Father’s will down here on earth, and was rewarded with a place beside the Father on His throne. Now what could be better than sitting on a throne, reigning in Christ’s kingdom in heaven with Him eh? NOTHING…absolutely NOTHING my people!
But it’s all up to us. The ball is in our court now, and we must decide to accept Jesus’ advances or not. And you know, He’s so intent on reaching us, in breaking down the barriers of our hard hearts, that we may not be swallowed up in eternal separation from God, but in eternal life with Him, that He ends with another warning, one He said a couple times down here on earth too. ‘He that hath ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ (Rev. 3:22)
Yes my fellow saints, let’s wake up and acknowledge the truth nuh, that Christ is the ONLY real and good option we have! And if you don’t believe me, then just look at the terrible state that our world is in, and is getting worse every day, because that’s what the enemy desires. But Christ desires it to be fixed, to be improved so that we can live in true LOVE and fellowship in it, and thus, He’s calling on us to help Him do the job. And if enough of us agree, then our world can be turned in a veritable paradise for our children to enjoy. So, let’s accept His glorious offer nuh. Much LOVE!
…when Jesus knocks…the wise thing is to immediately open the door…and say…Welcome my Lord and Saviour…
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