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Revelation 3:14-22 ESV
This is Jesus Christ speaking to this church in Laodicea. Now this is most likely the collective body of those professing Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior throughout the entire city. For “the church” is not a building, nor a church denomination, nor a civic or social club, nor a business incorporated under the state, although this is what it has largely been turned into here in America. But the church is the collective body of Christ throughout the entire world which lives in and which worships together in various locations.
Now, I am not going to go into all the history behind what is spoken here, but I believe the Lord would have me look at this through the lens of the present day “church” here in America, and you can apply these truths to wherever you live and to wherever they apply. If I look at where the church overall is in America – not to include every person who professes faith in Jesus, and not to include every congregation of those who profess faith in Christ – I would have to conclude that the church here looks like this one.
For the American church, overall, has become very worldly. They have incorporated as non-profit organizations (businesses) under the state, and they have adopted the ways of the world and the world’s business and marketing plans, schemes, and goals for how to grow their “churches” (businesses). And so they have also bought into many lies of the enemy of our souls who wants to destroy the church, and so the church is being destroyed from the inside out by adopting the ways of man.
So, the church at large here in America is like the Laodicean church in that they have become very lukewarm regarding their walks of faith in Jesus Christ. They go through the motions of religious practice, but overall they are not much different at all from those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ. For they do and say the same types of things, watch all the same movies, listen to the same music, play all the same games, and many feel at liberty to sin against God habitually and without conscience.
Few, it seems, are surrendered to Christ, walking in his ways and in his truth, obeying their Lord and his commands, living holy and morally pure lives to the glory and praise of God. Few, it seems, are not walking in sin, willfully, deliberately, and habitually sinning against their Lord in word and in deed. For the “gospel” message which is permeating today’s church here in America makes no demands for true repentance and walks of obedience and holy living as required by God for salvation and for eternal life with God.
And, no, this is not “works salvation.” This is the gospel message that Jesus Christ taught and that his NT apostles taught, that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness, godliness, moral purity, and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, then we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
But, like the church in Laodicea, so many are being lied to and are being persuaded to reject the truths of these Scriptures and to accept the lies, instead. So they have convinced themselves that a profession of faith in Christ once in their lives is enough to secure them heaven for eternity. And so they don’t really see how wretched is their spiritual condition and how blinded they really are to the truth. But in my experience, I have found that most in this situation are not even open to hearing the truth.
So, the Lord is counseling this church here in America to turn from her sins (to repent) and to turn back to the Lord, and to make him truly Lord and master of her life. He is counseling her to leave her lukewarmness and to now be on fire for the Lord and for his word and for his gospel message, and to live holy and godly lives in obedience to the Lord. He is counseling her to make him Lord of her life and not self and not other humans, and to follow him wherever he leads, instead of following the ways of the world.
The Lord has not given up on his lukewarm church here in America, but I believe he is disciplining her, and that greater discipline is yet to come in order to bring her to her knees in genuine repentance. For she is still far too worldly, and she is not being the light of the world and the salt of the earth, but her light is being hidden and she has lost her saltiness, i.e. her testimony for the Lord seems nonexistent. For so few now are living and sharing the gospel of Christ, but they are sharing the world, instead.
So, we must be those who conquer all that, and who are dying daily to sin and to self, and who are following our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. Our lives are to be committed to Christ and to his will for our lives and not surrendered to this world and to blending in with our culture. Jesus is to be Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives and we are to be his servants who are doing what he wants and what he planned for our lives even before the creation of the world (see noted Scriptures above).
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.
“‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
This is Jesus Christ speaking to this church in Laodicea. Now this is most likely the collective body of those professing Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior throughout the entire city. For “the church” is not a building, nor a church denomination, nor a civic or social club, nor a business incorporated under the state, although this is what it has largely been turned into here in America. But the church is the collective body of Christ throughout the entire world which lives in and which worships together in various locations.
Now, I am not going to go into all the history behind what is spoken here, but I believe the Lord would have me look at this through the lens of the present day “church” here in America, and you can apply these truths to wherever you live and to wherever they apply. If I look at where the church overall is in America – not to include every person who professes faith in Jesus, and not to include every congregation of those who profess faith in Christ – I would have to conclude that the church here looks like this one.
For the American church, overall, has become very worldly. They have incorporated as non-profit organizations (businesses) under the state, and they have adopted the ways of the world and the world’s business and marketing plans, schemes, and goals for how to grow their “churches” (businesses). And so they have also bought into many lies of the enemy of our souls who wants to destroy the church, and so the church is being destroyed from the inside out by adopting the ways of man.
So, the church at large here in America is like the Laodicean church in that they have become very lukewarm regarding their walks of faith in Jesus Christ. They go through the motions of religious practice, but overall they are not much different at all from those who make no profession of faith in Jesus Christ. For they do and say the same types of things, watch all the same movies, listen to the same music, play all the same games, and many feel at liberty to sin against God habitually and without conscience.
Few, it seems, are surrendered to Christ, walking in his ways and in his truth, obeying their Lord and his commands, living holy and morally pure lives to the glory and praise of God. Few, it seems, are not walking in sin, willfully, deliberately, and habitually sinning against their Lord in word and in deed. For the “gospel” message which is permeating today’s church here in America makes no demands for true repentance and walks of obedience and holy living as required by God for salvation and for eternal life with God.
And, no, this is not “works salvation.” This is the gospel message that Jesus Christ taught and that his NT apostles taught, that we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we practice, and if righteousness, godliness, moral purity, and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, then we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
But, like the church in Laodicea, so many are being lied to and are being persuaded to reject the truths of these Scriptures and to accept the lies, instead. So they have convinced themselves that a profession of faith in Christ once in their lives is enough to secure them heaven for eternity. And so they don’t really see how wretched is their spiritual condition and how blinded they really are to the truth. But in my experience, I have found that most in this situation are not even open to hearing the truth.
So, the Lord is counseling this church here in America to turn from her sins (to repent) and to turn back to the Lord, and to make him truly Lord and master of her life. He is counseling her to leave her lukewarmness and to now be on fire for the Lord and for his word and for his gospel message, and to live holy and godly lives in obedience to the Lord. He is counseling her to make him Lord of her life and not self and not other humans, and to follow him wherever he leads, instead of following the ways of the world.
The Lord has not given up on his lukewarm church here in America, but I believe he is disciplining her, and that greater discipline is yet to come in order to bring her to her knees in genuine repentance. For she is still far too worldly, and she is not being the light of the world and the salt of the earth, but her light is being hidden and she has lost her saltiness, i.e. her testimony for the Lord seems nonexistent. For so few now are living and sharing the gospel of Christ, but they are sharing the world, instead.
So, we must be those who conquer all that, and who are dying daily to sin and to self, and who are following our Lord in obedience and in surrender to his will for our lives. Our lives are to be committed to Christ and to his will for our lives and not surrendered to this world and to blending in with our culture. Jesus is to be Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives and we are to be his servants who are doing what he wants and what he planned for our lives even before the creation of the world (see noted Scriptures above).
My Sheep
An Original Work / June 24, 2012
Based off John 10:1-18 NIV
My sheep hear me. They know me.
They listen to my voice and obey.
I call them and lead them.
They know my voice, so they follow me.
They will never follow strangers.
They will run away from them.
The voice of a stranger they know not;
They do not follow him.
So, I tell you the truth that
I am the gate, so you enter in.
Whoever does enter
Will find forgiveness and will be saved.
Nonetheless whoever enters
Not by the gate; other way,
He is the thief and a robber.
Listen not, the sheep to him.
Oh, I am the Good Shepherd,
Who laid his own life down for the sheep.
I know them. They know me.
They will live with me eternally.
The thief only comes to steal and
Kill and to destroy the church.
I have come to give you life that
You may have it to the full…
They know my voice, so they follow me.
