Threshing Floor Tabernacle

To be lukewarm is to be useless. At a time when God needs us, we’re fully engulfed with ourselves rather than engaged in our Father’s affairs. We live in a time where men and women are lovers of themselves rather than lovers of God (see II Tim 3:1-5), and Jesus is knocking at the door of the Church trying to get in. We’ve not only shut the world out but we’ve shut Jesus out. It’s time for a change.

 

The Laodicean Church saw herself as okay. The people said they were rich, increased with goods, and had need of nothing. That literally means, “We are rich and wealthy, and continue to get richer and wealthier and we don’t need nothing or no one.” Jesus on the other hand said, you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. What a contrast! Pride is so subtle, yet deadly. We must examine ourselves to make sure we have not fallen into that state.

 

If we say, “I’m blessed”, but in reality we are heartbroken, bitter, angry, resentful, spiteful, malicious, robbing God, envious, and carnal/sinful, we lie and do not the truth (see I Jn 1:6). Hear what Jesus said:

 

• Wretched means enduring trial. It is to be going through something that causes you to become distressed, miserable, and wretched.
• Miserable means worthy of mercy (I know!). It is the combination of “misery” and pitiableness. Miserable comes from “miser,” one who has the means available to relieve his pain, but chooses not to take advantage of it; hence, miserable, and one to be pitied.
• Poor means to crouch, one who crouches and cowers, poverty stricken condition, powerless to enrich, one who only obtains his living by begging.
• Blind means opaque (as if smoky) and is derived from a word that means to envelop with smoke, i.e. to inflate with self-conceit. It also is used elsewhere as high-minded, and to be lifted up with pride.
• Naked defines the condition/nakedness of the body/Church.

The Good News is that Jesus has the answer, “The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!” (Rev 3:19 MSG)