TODAY'S LESSON: HALF-N-HALF
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
Revelation 3:16
Kinda harsh language for bible times, but Jesus wasn't talking just to them. He was speaking to us today.
You see, we have the very same problem that the Laodicean church had back then.
What was their problem?
They had become indifferent to the things of the world.
How did Jesus feel about that?
Well, lets see.
In Matthew 6:24 Jesus said:
No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Sounds like he wasn't going for it.
In Exodus 20:5 we see that the Lord our God is a jealous God.
In verse 3 he tells us that we are to have no other gods before him.
In verse 5 he goes on to say that we ought not bow down ourselves to them, nor serve them.
Malachi 4:1 says:
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
Who are the proud?
Non Christians-yes, but they're not the only ones.
As Christians, we tend to let our pride get in the way many times.
And do you know what the middle letter of pride is?
"I''
That's right. It'll get ya in trouble every time.
That verse talks about how those that do wickedly shall be stubble.
Now, what does that mean?
Well, it's like this. Our pride has stunted our growth!
When we are in the flesh, Paul says, in Romans we shall die.
It is only by the grace of God that we live.
For by grace are ye saved through faith;and that not of yourselves:it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Very simply put:
The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy.(James 4: 5b)
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.(James 4:4)
but
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.(James 4:8a)
So,
stop riding the fence
and
start standing for something or you'll fall for anything.
Remember
pride and sin are best friends
and
they have a very big common factor.
"I''
If we take the focus off ourselves, then no longer will sin...
take us further than we want to go
make us stay longer than we want to stay
or
make us pay more than we want to pay.
