NEITHER HOT NOR COLD

You make me sick.

In the book of Revelation John is talking about the end times, the time of judgment. The book of Revelation was written at the time Christians were entering persecution from the Romans. John explains what God had revealed to him about the end times, and what will be required of Christians at the time of judgment. He encourages Christians to be faithful and to resist the demands of worshiping anything other than the one true God. He warns of the final battle that will take place between Satan and our Heavenly Father, and let us know how to be on the winning side. One of the things John warns about is a Christian losing his fervor for Christ. Christians that are just in a state of suspended animation if you will, doing nothing to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the third book of revelations the Lord says that if you’re lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, you make him sick and he wants to spew (vomit) you out of his mouth. So how do you know if you are a lukewarm Christian?

Let’s consider this, are you doing anything for the cause of Jesus Christ? Do you witness, or leave tracks in restaurants, theaters, or any other social events that you go to? Do you study your Bible and pray for others, or are all your prayers for only yourself? On a scale from 1 to 10 where would you place your self on the heat meter? 1 being cold and 10 being hot, what number would best describe you? Perhaps your passion lies in a different form of service, such as Senior Saints, Meals on Wheels, a prayer chain, or a Sunday school teacher. Maybe beside your 10% tithe you give to other charitable organizations also. Just how on fire for Christ are you? Are you a Sunday morning Christian? If people saw you on Friday or Saturday night how would you come across? As a devout Christian, or a hell raiser having the time your life, thinking you can have absolution in a confessional?

The Bible describes it to us this way; Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? This statement, found in the second book of Corinthians, is pretty self-explanatory. Why do you hang around unrighteous people if you are professing to be a righteous follower of Christ? Invest your time in places where it counts, like a youth director, a counselor, or just a good friend who is there when people need them.

In the book of Matthew it gives warning against people pretending to be one way, when their hearts are turned another way: O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Being lukewarm can be considered a condition of the heart, barely pumping enough blood to feed only the brain, if the brain gets fed then the feet get cold, numb, and die. But a healthy heart can supply the blood to both head and feet.

Many years ago there was a school shooting in Columbine, where the shooter asked the young girl are you a Christian? Knowing her answer would be her death sentence, rather than lie she answered yes, and met her fate. She was not lukewarm, she was not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. What would your response be if the shooter had a gun pointed at your head? Would your answer be no, with a cold heart? Would your answer be; “well it depends on what you call a Christian,” answering with the lukewarm heart. Or would your answer be a resounding yes, with the heart on fire with the love of Jesus Christ?

As parents our children learn by our example, a mantra you have heard from me time and time again, and will continue to hear it. This is one of my passions that parents lead by example. You cannot go to church on Sunday and play nice, and raise hell the other six days of the week. Christianity is not a Sunday morning fix, but rather a 24/7 lifestyle. Are your children living with lukewarm parents? Knowing what the Lord says about lukewarm Christians, what is your game plan? Are you going to remain a thing that the Lord wants to spit (vomit) out of his mouth?

We as authors have all been subject to the scrutiny of editors going over our work. They do not hesitate telling us when we have written a piece of garbage. Well, the Bible is more or less an editor of our life and it tells us when we are acting like a piece of garbage, and tells us what to do to rectify the situation. If we turned in our life paper today, what would our grade be?

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Revelations 3:15-16

 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

I John 2:15-16

He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Matthew 12:30

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.   

James 3:10-12

 

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