TODAY'S CHURCH OF LAODICEA

Revelation 3: 14-21...'To the angel of the assembly of the Laodiceans write:
The Amen, the Faithful and 'True Witness', the Beginning of the creation of God,
says these things: 'I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you
were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I
will spit you out of My mouth.

But, you say, "I am rich, and have stored up goods, and have need of nothing,"
yet do not realize that you are 'wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. I
counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by 'fire', that you may be rich; and white
garments; that you may be dressed, that the shame of your nakedness may not
appear, and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.'
Those 'whom I love',* I rebuke and discipline. Therefore, be zealous (become
zealous for Me) and repent..

Listen, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My Voice and opens
the door, I will 'come in' and dine with him and he with Me.
To him who overcomes will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also
overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him
hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.'
In Revelation, a number of churches that were praised were also
rebuked by Jesus. One was the Church of Laodicea. The body of
believers received a warning that at the 'return of Christ' that He would
not accept them. What was wrong with the Church of Laodicea and
how is this 'warning' to them also a warning to us today?
'I know your works, you are neither cold nor hot..would that you were
either cold or hot.'

God's problem with this church (and with many of today's churches)
was that they lived as though they had one foot in the world and one
foot in heaven, but they were foolish if they thought He would permit
such wavering back and forth. 'You adultrous people! Do you not know
that friendship with the world is emnity with God? Therefore, whoever
wishes to be a friend of the world makes him an 'enemy of God'...James
4:4.

The Laodiceans imagined they were safe because they professed
Jesus as their Risen Lord, even though they did not act as though
Christ's life, death, and resurrection had actually impacted or changed
their lives in anyway or their hearts. Their churches even became more
legalized and little was run by the true Spirit of God. Thus, the Spirit of
God leading was left out and the church, needing nothing, they ordered
how the church would be.
The Church at Laodicea had permitted wealth to dull them spiritually.
In fact, they grew into leaving the power of God out all together. They
became prideful and independent. In fact, they behaved as though

'they could take God or leave Him'. They were well provided for by their
'own' actions. They had enough and sat satisfied and all comfy cozy.
As life got harder, 'then', they would cry out to Yahweh. Ease and
comfort had cooled any true zeal, fire of that deep relationship with God
on a one on one basis, or that inner excitement ceased only to a
minimal degree. This lukewarmness was a symptom of a more serious
condition, that of self-reliance. Being neither hot nor cold is a serious
problem before the Lord.

Sexual immorality was frequently the top of the list of sins the
Apostles' list of sins. So, how could a mere lack of 'passion' be so
important? This alone shows how lukewarm behavior disables Spiritual
endurance against all other sins of omission and commission.
When a Christian takes his/her eyes off of Christ, he or she begins to
tolerate sin in their lives. Tolerance leads to adopting sinful behavior
such as in worshipping other gods, like sports, or another held in high
regard and ends in adultry against the Lord your God.
When you are fully committed to Jesus Christ and doing all the works
demonstrates a full, life-giving understanding of the Gospel and full
obedience to Christ's commands that 'on-fire', 'born-again believers
possess, then, He will endow you with 'power' to share the Good News
and how walking with Christ exponentially has changed your life. You
want to share the excitement. It is neither a chore or a work...just all
pure power and joy from being with Him.

Paul encouraged the Galatian church, 'Let us not grow weary of
doing good, for in due season, we will reap, if we do not give
up...Galatians 6:9. Not only is this a sign that we are living fruitfully for
Christ, but there will be a reward. 'The one who conquers will be
clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the
Book of LIfe. I will confess his name before My Father and before His
angels...Rev. 3:5.

The opposite is true for those who are dozing. Instead of being
revived, then, He says..'I will come like a thief, and you will not know at
what hour I will come against you...3:3. 'Left behind' bears much
meaning in this scripture for those who are unwilling to wake up.
There are 'no days off' for 'faithful living as the 'Presence of God'
dwells within us. This is a life-long, full-time committment...all made
possible by the Holy Spirit being invited into our hearts and lives on a
full-time basis, of Him being allowed to dwell and work through His
temple which is within us, and for
all those who 'truly' worship Him and have that 'passionate love affair'
with Him.

Our bodies need sleep, but we cannot take a break from loving
Jesus. Rev 2-3 appears to be saying that 'if we go on a spiritual holiday
or live outside of the Presence of the Lord, then, Jesus is 'not in us'. We
have not loved Him and truly received Him into our lives and been
changed.

Being neither hot nor cold is like believing that all one has to do is
satisfy a 'minimum' requirement to be saved, our 'Get Out of Hell Free'
card. But, Jesus wants 'all of us'. We are either 'all in ' or 'all out'.
So, it is impossible, once we 'truly' submit to Him, to wish we were
apart from Him in anyway, by making our own decisions, only needing
to pray when things go wrong. That only ends in the death of a
relationship. God wants 'Family' Imagine a Father sitting at the
morning breakfast table. The children come in and just quickly speak a
list of wants for Him to accomplish for them and then out they go. There
is no daily conversation, no communication back and forth, no real love
being demonstrated...just a cold-hearted wish list. Wouldn't that grieve
any of us? And, yes, so, it grieves the Father, also.
So , perhaps now we can see, we are neither hot nor cold and our
souls are in 'grave danger'.

We can enjoy fellowship with the Father and Jesus in our mortal
bodies today, which is far more satisfying than any worldly pleasures or
physical temptation..See II Cor. l2:20. Nothing and no one will ever
compare to Jesus. This call to Laodicea addresses as far as people
today for we are living in the time in history of the Laodicean church.
People today believe they are saved because they said a prayer, 'once
upon a time' asking Jesus into their lives. We must rouse ourselves and
allow Jesus to become 'complete' Lord of our lives..24/7.
In summary, the Church of Laodicea had become apathetic in their
love for Christ...or showing no interest, enthusiasm, or concern for the
deeper fellowship with God. The desire for other things to come had
choked off the deeper lessons and full meaning of God's will and desire
for His Church as we now have entered the End Times in history and in
the soon return of our Precious Lord, making the Word
'unfruitful'...Malachi 4:l9.

Christ called them to 'repent', 'awaken from their slumber', to live
'zealously in that deep, love filled relationship with Him, to choose this
day whom you will serve...Joshua 24:l5.
The Lord issues that same call to us, here, today, to those who say
they are willing to turn around, awaken, rise up, to love Him now with all
their heart, mind, soul, and strength as their bridegroom and all that entails, and be willing to die to self so now He can live through them in
Spirit and Truth!

If not...Judgment awaits! I beseech you to now heed this Word

from the Lord!

Amen.

The Wilderness Preacher