The last letter, the 7th to the Laodiceans…
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Go on, say this isn’t your letter, say it all you want…because I can assure, no matter how many times you deny it, its still ours. It fits us, it fits us more than I care to admit. We are “ lukewarm” ...we have forgotten who we are. Look around you, look at all of your amenities, your houses, your cars, your TV’s, your stereos, your dishwashers and clothes washers, your indoor plumbing. Your sports arenas, your shopping malls, your movie theaters, your concert halls etc…etc…etc…the list is endless. We live in more luxury than any other class of believers throughout all of church history. It’s just like this letter says, “ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”...this is us, this is exactly how we act.
And this is how He feels,
—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Go on, say this isn’t your letter, say it all you want…because I can assure, no matter how many times you deny it, its still ours. It fits us, it fits us more than I care to admit. We are “ lukewarm” ...we have forgotten who we are. Look around you, look at all of your amenities, your houses, your cars, your TV’s, your stereos, your dishwashers and clothes washers, your indoor plumbing. Your sports arenas, your shopping malls, your movie theaters, your concert halls etc…etc…etc…the list is endless. We live in more luxury than any other class of believers throughout all of church history. It’s just like this letter says, “ Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing”...this is us, this is exactly how we act.
And this is how He feels,
—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
And we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, but especially blind and naked. We don’t have a clue what has happened, or what is still happening. Not one. We don’t have a clue to what’s been going on around us. Not one. Most of us still think our Government is out to help us, most still think the things this country is justified in the actions it takes around the world. Have we forgotten? This very same thing this country is doing right now, is absolutely no different than the inquisitions of the past. Not even a little bit. And we turn a blind eye to it, as though we are somehow justified in our actions as a nation.
We are naked, we have exposed ourselves...
We have welcomed in our homes false teaching, as though it was truth. Because it sounds good, it feels good. Just as the Apostle Paul warned we would do…
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. II Timothy 3
And again…
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and turned aside to fables. II Timothy 4
How about again, but this time with Peter…
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. II Peter 2
How about John, or maybe James, or the writer of Hebrews? What about the things the Messiah said, or those of the old testament, and the prophets? Page after page after page I could fill with warning upon warning of how deceitful these time in which we would live would be, and yet we still invited these men into our churches and our homes. We welcomed them, we listened to them, we called them teachers. When they were no more than just the blind leading the blind.
How did we think for an instant these warnings didn’t apply to us, as though we are somehow above the inherent word of YHWH? What made us think this wouldn’t affect us? How did we come this far? How did we allow these foolish men into our homes? What made us think for an instant that a seminary or theological degree meant anything when it comes to understanding the words of this great book. The Messiah himself went through this very same thing with the Pharisees and Sadducees. He called them “vipers”, “hypocrites”, “white washed walls”….men that “swallow a camel but shit out a gnat” And these very same men are here today, and we admire them, we adhere to them, we take their advise as though their degrees have offered them something that’s above us. As though the word of YHWH is only understood by them.
Don’t think for an instant this letter carries a bad message. And anyone that does think this way has no understanding of the letter itself. Because even though this letter is hard to hear, it carries with it the greatest of all the rewards…
20 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. 21 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.
22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
Do you see? This is our letter. For this is the first time a dinner is mentioned, the marriage supper of the Lamb. But look at the reward, the greatest one of all 7 of the churches. The ability to be seated with Him on His throne at the end of days.
“For the first shall be last, and the last shall be first”
Listen to what this letter says and change. Chase Him with everything you have, because the time is short. Become red hot, overcome this place. Let go of all its amenities and reach for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…and His Son, the Messiah. Stop listening to the teachers and listen to the words written in this book.
The time is now, and the choice is yours.
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. II Timothy 3
And again…
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and turned aside to fables. II Timothy 4
How about again, but this time with Peter…
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. II Peter 2
How about John, or maybe James, or the writer of Hebrews? What about the things the Messiah said, or those of the old testament, and the prophets? Page after page after page I could fill with warning upon warning of how deceitful these time in which we would live would be, and yet we still invited these men into our churches and our homes. We welcomed them, we listened to them, we called them teachers. When they were no more than just the blind leading the blind.
How did we think for an instant these warnings didn’t apply to us, as though we are somehow above the inherent word of YHWH? What made us think this wouldn’t affect us? How did we come this far? How did we allow these foolish men into our homes? What made us think for an instant that a seminary or theological degree meant anything when it comes to understanding the words of this great book. The Messiah himself went through this very same thing with the Pharisees and Sadducees. He called them “vipers”, “hypocrites”, “white washed walls”….men that “swallow a camel but shit out a gnat” And these very same men are here today, and we admire them, we adhere to them, we take their advise as though their degrees have offered them something that’s above us. As though the word of YHWH is only understood by them.
Don’t think for an instant this letter carries a bad message. And anyone that does think this way has no understanding of the letter itself. Because even though this letter is hard to hear, it carries with it the greatest of all the rewards…
20 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. 21 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.
22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
Do you see? This is our letter. For this is the first time a dinner is mentioned, the marriage supper of the Lamb. But look at the reward, the greatest one of all 7 of the churches. The ability to be seated with Him on His throne at the end of days.
“For the first shall be last, and the last shall be first”
Listen to what this letter says and change. Chase Him with everything you have, because the time is short. Become red hot, overcome this place. Let go of all its amenities and reach for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob…and His Son, the Messiah. Stop listening to the teachers and listen to the words written in this book.
The time is now, and the choice is yours.