The Laodicean church

 The Laodicean Church

The book of Revelations records Christ speaking to the Church at Laodicea. A Church referred to as the Lukewarm Church.

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: 

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  

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

So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.  

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 

To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.  

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelations 3:14-22

Here Jesus addresses a church that thinks it is doing well. It is a rich church that thinks it needs nothing. In reality it is as Jesus puts it, it is, 

“Wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”

As someone once told me Laodicea was “in deep need of spiritual healing.” 

The call of Jesus is to turn to Him that they may receive that healing.

Churches and individuals today especially I find here in North America think they are rich. They may be in a material sense rich. They are however if you look closer at them spiritually “Wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” They need deep spiritual healing.

They need to turn to God. To pray and study God’s word as often as they can. They need to take the teachings of the Scriptures to heart. 

Jesus tells us,

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelations 3:20.

One thing I have learned over the years is that no matter how close we think we are to Jesus we can get even closer. We must never think because we appear to be rich that we are.

Just because we may appear to be rich especially in a material sense does not mean we are spiritually rich.

Our cry to God should always be “Draw me closer to you Lord.”

Please think about it.

A Trustworthy saying

  A trustworthy saying

Jesus said,

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34.

The apostle Paul writes,

“Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him, we will also live with him; 

if we endure, we will also reign with him.

If we disown him, he will also disown us; 

if we are faithless, 

he will remain faithful,

for he cannot disown himself." 

                                              2 Timothy 2:11-13. 

Where do you stand with God? Are you living for Christ? Are you willing to give up everything for Christ?

Please think about it.

Dealing with your fellow man

  Dealing with your fellow man

In the book of proverbs we read,

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. 

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8,9.

Do you stand up and help the poor.

Proverbs 29:7 states,

 "A righteous man knows the rights of the poor; a wicked man does not understand such knowledge." Proverbs 29:7.

There’s an interesting quote from the Talmud that states,

“When a man appears before the Throne of Judgment, the first question he is asked is not, “Have you believed in God?”  Or “Have you prayed and observed the ritual?  “He is asked: “have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all your dealings with your fellow men?” The Talmud

So I ask you dear reader. “Have you dealt honourably and faithfully in all you dealings with your fellow men?”

Please think about it.

A call to be holy

A call to be holy

The apostle Peter writes,

“Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1Peter 1:13-16.

The apostle Peter here calls Christians, true believers in Christ to be holy.

In chapter two of first Peter, Peter notes,

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.1Peter 2:9.

As a royal priesthood we are obligated to live a holy life. A life that attracts people to Christ without us even saying a word.

Francis of Assisi wrote,

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

                                                                                         Francis of Assisi.

We should not have to tell the people around us that we are true believers in Christ Jesus. The holy life we live should say that for us. Without us saying a word.

Please think about it.

Praise be to God

Praise be to God
The apostle Peter writes,
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you” 1Peter 1:3-4.
As believers in Christ Jesus we can praise God for the new hope He as given us through Christ Jesus. We can say with the psalmist,

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 

Worship the LORD with gladness;

 come before him with joyful songs. 

Know that the LORD is God.

 It is he who made us, 

and we are his; 

we are his people, 

the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; 

give thanks to him and praise his name. 

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations. 

                                                                            Psalm 100.

Can you do this?
Please think about it.

Are you a good steward?

Are you a good steward?
The apostle Paul writes,

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ 

and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

                                                                         1Corinthians 4:1,2.

In biblical times a steward was someone who looked after his masters belongings as though they were his own.
So it is with anyone who truly believes in Christ Jesus. We are entrusted with the teachings of Jesus. Jesus speaking to his disciples said,
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20.
Making disciple and teaching them all that Jesus taught is a sacred trust. We must not pervert the truths Jesus and the disciples taught in any way. The apostle Paul said,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”  2 Timothy 2:15.
Thus my question to anyone who considers themselves a Christian. A true follower of Christ Jesus,

Are you correctly handling the word of God?

Or

Are you twisting the word of God to match what you believe?

Please think about it.

Stewards for Christ

Stewards for Christ
The apostle Paul wrote,

“Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ 

and stewards of the mysteries of God. 

Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”

                                                                                                  1Corinthians 4:1,2.

  As Christians we are stewards of Christ. While a servant had no unique position within his masters household, a steward did.
A steward was a slave who administered all the affairs of his masters household. He owned nothing himself, but was entrusted by his master to handle all of the what the master owned. Joseph in the Old Testament was Potiphar’s steward (Genesis 39:2-19).
Just as Joseph was faithful to Potiphar and did his best to administer Potiphar’s estate so must we as Christians be good stewards of Christ’s estate.
As Christians we are called to administer the word correctly. The apostle Paul writing to Timothy said,
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth....” 2 Timothy 2:15.
We must remember that everything we do, is done for Christ, not for our personal gain or glory.
We as Christians must study the scriptures carefully and present them carefully and correctly to those around us, Christian and non-Christian alike.
That is what it is to be a follower of Christ.
Please think about it.