Be Hot - Not Lukewarm

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.

(Revelation 3:15-17)

Jesus spoke these words to the Apostle John in the spirit, probably while John was a Roman captive on the Isle of Patmos. John was given to write seven letters to seven churches in the Roman province of Asia, or modern-day Turkey. In the last of the seven letters to the churches, Laodicea, Jesus describes a people who were so nonchalant in their relationship with him that he is threatening to expel them from the body of Christ.

Much of the affluent Western Church today could be described the same way. American Christians today especially do not rely on Jesus for help in any part of their daily lives. Instead they rely on their wealth and even call that a blessing from God. But he doesn't want self-reliant unenthusiastic supporters. He wants followers who love him with an all-consuming fire. He wants us to call on him for our daily bread.

As an American male, I think I’m not supposed to need help with anything. I was taught to believe I can handle any situation that comes along. I try to bull my way through life’s challenges without going first to the Lord and let him show me the answer. I usually struggle far too long before I realize why everything seems to be so hard. On that rare occasion when I do go to the Lord first, my whole life goes much easier. That’s always because I’ve let him make the decisions that guide me on the righteous path. I wish I could tell you why I don’t do that more often.

Have you ever taken a drink of a beverage you thought was either hot or cold and it turned out to be lukewarm? Do you remember what that was like? Did you want to spit it out? I know I probably have. Now can you imagine how Christ feels as he watches what's happening in HIS Church? The true believers in the Church today are the only reason he hasn't spit out the Western/American Church, because it is almost totally apostate these days. The Church doesn't call sin what it is anymore. Therefore, nothing is off-limits, nothing is over-the-line, there are no boundaries anymore.

Most American Christians don’t have the slightest idea how poor they are by following after their wealth rather than following Jesus. Most of the people in Churches of the West don’t know how wretched they are when they ignore the guiding voice of the Holy Spirit. They don’t understand how blind they are to their predicament or how naked they are without the covering protection of the armor of God! Don’t just be a fan of Jesus; be his ‘on-fire follower’ and help change the world around you!

Father God, from the very beginnings of the Church, you were predicting our failure as your people in this age. Even though this passage was written to a specific first century congregation, it perfectly describes what is going on in today’s Western/American Church. They hardly ever utter the name of Jesus, because they have no idea how wretched they are without him. They are clueless about what salvation is really all about, which is pitiful because salvation is within their reach. Because their bank accounts are full of money they think they’re rich, but they are the poorest of the poor. They think they have the light of truth, but they are in total darkness, blind as can be. They dress like they want to honor you God, but without Jesus’ covering blood, they are naked as newborn babes. We ask you, create in us a zeal to restore your Church to what you intended it to be. We want to be on-fire and in love with Jesus, and if  our relationship begins to cool, give us a good old Holy Spirit slap up-side the head. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!