Current Events and the Bible - Part 3

Current Events and the Bible –Part 3

               “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants                                      things which must shortly take place.” Revelation 1:1

In the book of Revelation, (not Revelations,), but is singular because it is about The Revelation of Jesus Christ.  John, the Apostle was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos when Jesus came to him in a vision. Jesus spoke to John about things to come and End Times.  He began with seven churches and what was good about each one and what was wrong.  Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea were the seven churches. 


There was a good part for 6 of the 7 seven churches, but the last one; the church at Laodicea.  “I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.” (Rev. 3:15)  Then comes a fiery dart to your heart.  “So then because you are lukewarm and neither hot or cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth.”    (3:16)


This is so scary because I know so many people who are lukewarm. Let’s begin with Hot and Cold.  Hot is easy to explain.  It is someone who is filled with zeal to follow Jesus.  Let me give you an example; Peter was so filled with zeal that he followed Jesus where ever he went.  When he was in the boat with the other disciples and saw Jesus walking on water, he jumped right in the water and began walking toward him.  After Jesus died on the cross, Peter was the one who preached to all those around him and Acts 2:41 tells us, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Our pastor, Verne Wright of Shiloh Tabernacle Fellowship is much like Peter; very zealous and ready to share Jesus with anyone and to pray for healing.


It reminds me of my husband, Associate Pastor Jerry Ritter and myself when we first got saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.  We carried a big Bible wherever we went and witnessed to every person we knew and to our entire family.  We were hot!  I will say that today most of our family are saved, serving the Lord and active in ministry.  Praise God!  Over these many years, our zeal is not as hot as it was, but our faith has grown and is deeper than ever.  Whomever needs to know Christ, will hear it from either of us.


Now about cold!  How many people have you known who are back-sliders and wander about in darkness?  They may still ‘believe’, but they don’t really want anything to do with church and keep what they know about salvation to themselves.  Their hearts have grown cold and they have nothing to share with others.  However, they do not deny the existence of God and Jesus. 


What is ‘Lukewarm’?  Rev.3:16: “But since you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”  (Bible: Lukewarm is defined as ‘nauseating) It means that you have no desire to actively serve God.  On occasion you may go to church, but are not involved. You may occasionally put something in the offering but don’t believe in tithing. “You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”  [Rev. 3:16-17]  Meaning you don’t feel you need God in your life and you don’t ask him for help, because you don’t believe he would help you.


When you don’t have God in your life, you don’t have any hope.  What a scary place that is to live without God in your life and feeling hopeless.  Yet, he still loves you and in Rev. 20, he offers you a way out. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

 When I was about 11 or 12, I spent a week at my Grandmother’s house.  She was a woman of God, although I didn’t know about things like that at the time.  A neighbor girl came over to play and my Grandmother gave us a picnic lunch on the grass along with a Bible.  Then she said, “You girls each pick a verse out of the Bible and memorize it.”  The verse I found was, Revelation 3:22.  “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."  It took me many years to understand what it meant, but I never forgot it.  I say that to you today, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  If you fit into the category “lukewarm”, ask God to show you what it means; touch you with his mercy and fill you with Hope!