MAKE UP YOUR MIND!

The above is a funny scene from the Walt Disney movie "Jungle Book" - one of my all-time favorites!  Although the scene has humor, it starts me off on the topic at hand quite nicely - as you can tell from the Blog Title.

Wishy-washiness (Pritchard Dictionary), indecision, "I don't know/care" attitude, "middle of the road" or "straddling the fence" mentality - all of these ways Bugs The Snot Out of Me (graphic pic I know)!  But, you know what?  I believe God wired me to have a similar part of His nature at full force, full-time within me - the detesting of lukewarmness!

The Red Letters in Revelation 3:16 say, "So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."  The word "spit" in the NIV or "spue" in the KJV is emeo in the original Greek.  It means to vomit, to spit out, to regurgitate.(Thank you Mr. Renner)  Now my image of bugging the snot out of me is not looking so bad is it?  Between me and God we have got gross covered don't we?  But, that is how God feels about a SO-CALLED Believer who is useless.  God's Spirit and body on earth, The Church, does not have any desire to take it in (bad taste) and His body has no use for it within (no nutritional value), so He spits out the believer and his/her works or "deeds" ("I know your deeds, that you are neither cold or hot..." -Revelation 3:15).  How do you like that deep analogy in one sentence? ;)

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

     These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.  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.  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.

      Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.  Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

      To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.  Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  (Revelation 3:14-22)

Again, the first thing Jesus speaks to with the church in Laodicea are their works.  Indeed, the Laodicean individual, church, and/or Church Age displays their independent spirit by saying - " 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' " (verse 17a).   However, it seems the second part of verse 17 reveals a more dire condition.  "But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."  They were independent, indecisive, and defiant.  "Perhaps they were well provided for as to their bodies, and this made them overlook the necessities of their souls. Or they thought themselves well furnished in their souls: they had learning, and they took it for religion; they had gifts, and they took them for grace; they had wit, and they took it for true wisdom; they had ordinances, and they took up with them instead of the God of ordinances. How careful should we be not to put the cheat upon our own souls! Doubtless there are many in hell that once thought themselves to be in the way to heaven. Let us daily beg of God that we may not be left to flatter and deceive ourselves in the concerns of our souls." (Matthew Henry Commentary - http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/revelation/3.html?p=4)

Have you ever had a bad case of acid reflux?  That is what God is having here!  Notice a GREAT little word in verse 16 - "about".  Jesus says, "I am ABOUT to spit you out of my mouth."  He has not performed the act yet, because of His awesome heart for us and digestive tract.  ;) 

First, Jesus tackles their spiritual poverty.   "These people were poor; Christ counsels them to buy of him gold tried in the fire, that they might be rich. He lets them know where they might have true riches and how they might have them. First, Where they might have them—from himself; he sends them not to the streams of Pactolus, nor to the mines of Potosi, but invites them to himself,... Secondly, And how must they have this true gold from him? They must buy it. This seems to be unsaying all again. How can those that are poor buy gold? Just as they may buy of Christ wine and milk, that is, without money and without price, Isa. 55:1 . Something indeed must be parted with, but it is nothing of a valuable consideration, it is only to make room for receiving true riches. 'Part with sin and self-sufficiency, and come to Christ with a sense of your poverty and emptiness, that you may be filled with his hidden treasure.' " [http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/revelation/3.html?p=5]


Second, the LORD wants us clothed correctly in the Spirit.  "They were without clothing, had neither the garment of justification nor that of sanctification. Their nakedness both of guilt and pollution had no covering. They lay always exposed to sin and shame. Their righteousness were but filthy rags; they were rags, and would not cover them, filthy rags, and would defile them.  These people were naked; Christ tells them where they might have clothing, and such as would cover the shame of their nakedness. This they must receive from Christ; and they must only put off their filthy rags that they might put on the white raiment which he had purchased and provided for them—his own imputed righteousness for justification and the garments of holiness and sanctification." [http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/revelation/3.html?p=5]

Lastly, Jesus desired these individuals to see reality the way He did via the power of the Holy Spirit.  "They were blind; and he counsels them to buy of him eye-salve, that they might see, to give up their own wisdom and reason, which are but blindness in the things of God, and resign themselves to his word and Spirit, and their eyes shall be opened to see their way and their end, their duty and their true interest; a new and glorious scene would then open itself to their souls; a new world furnished with the most beautiful and excellent objects, and this light would be marvellous to those who were but just now delivered from the powers of darkness." [http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/revelation/3.html?p=5]

What a wonderful Savior!  He took the time to say, "I counsel you to....".  Later, in verse 19 Jesus even makes it clear that we are blessed He is dealing with us at All!  "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline."
Taking the other side of that - if He had not rebuked or disciplined these, He would have not cared or loved them and considered them damned.  But my God, continues to be a God of many chances.  In the very next part of this verse (19) Jesus provides more of The Answer - "So be earnest and repent."  God has done His part with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.  He has also gone above and beyond by NOT YET spitting these people out of His mouth!  Now, He says, "Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."  "Oh, What A Savior, Oh Hallelujah!"

Many believe this Laodicean Spirit has come and been upon the world as an age of humanity for some time now.  True Believers in Jesus Christ have the answer.  We, as those true believers, can pray for our country and the world, plus start sharing as the Holy Spirit leads with those who need to hear this message of Hope.  God is disgusted with defiance, arrogance and pretending to be a believer in Christ, BUT He hasn't "spued" YET!  So, for those that need to apply this, please follow His solution and keep from being God vomit!