Seven Churches…Church # 7

Today we look at the last church in Asian Minor that the Apostle John wrote a message.  This church of Laodicea was somewhat different than the others, in that they were of the mind that they were totally self-sufficient:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ 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. ¹⁸ 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. Revelation 3:14-19 (TPT)

To put it in the vernacular, they thought they were all that and a bag of chips! This is probably one of the reasons thatt Jesus said that it was very hard for the rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven. When you think that you have it all, and that you acquired it by your own hand -then what do you have need of from anyone else? The problem with this line of reasoning is that it is so short-sighted. No matter how good we are, we really can’t see beyond the immediate. Even if we are into planning and preparing, none of us know what calamities can occur than can knock us off of our feet. Take the current example of the coronavirus. It brought the whole world to a standstill. How can the whole, entire world get this virus at the same time? How can nations have to shut down because the spread of the virus was so great? How can you cripple a people that have mastered being independent and resourceful?  Ask the coronavirus!

It’s not just about a pandemic however. Whenever we get so self-satisfied that we feel it is all under control, we run the ire of two very separate entities. One of them is that slew foot devil, who loves to mock the people of God. The second one and most important is God Himself. God wants us to remain in an attitude of humility. He wants us to always remember that it is because of Him that "we live and move and have our being". Outside of Him, we can (really) do nothing. 

This was not the stance that the church of Laodicea took however, and their rebuke was sharp and to the point. Repent and get it together or their names would be blotted out. The Spirt was urging them to consider that, "it is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed". Even as Revelation 3:19 says, 

"Those I love, I rebuke and discipline, Therefore be earnest and repent."(KJV)

Another timely message for every generation. 

Maria