“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.”
– Revelation 3:14-16
Have you ever taken a drink of coffee that was room temperature or left a cold bottle of water sitting in your car on a warm day, only to find it tepid and tasting like bath water? If you answered yes, then you know the disappointment it is to your senses. Being lukewarm isn’t especially desirable when it comes to liquid, and interestingly, it’s not good for our spiritual lives either. In fact, this is why Jesus reprimanded the Church at Laodicea. Because they were neither hot nor cold, He threatened to spit them out of His mouth. However, when we see this verse, we lack the cultural understanding of a first-century reader. Everyone in those days knew that Laodicea, which was rich, opulent, and full of wealth, did not have clean water. In fact, there was a pipeline there that was constantly being emptied because it would fill with grit, and this led to some gnarly and contaminated offlow. Therefore, most residents of the region got their water from the cold mountain spring of Colossae to the north or the bubbling hot springs of Hierapolis to the south. It was this fact of life that was the framework through which the local Christians received the Lord’s exhortation to be either hot or cold, for if they were as stagnant as the water in their hometown, He would have no choice but to render them useless. You might say that He was challenging them to be productive in their faith, and to be both hot and cold in some fashion. My friend, you are not a lukewarm Christian! Because you are full of the Holy Spirit, you bring refreshing like the flow of a waterfall and healing like the warmth of a hot spring. In your Savior’s power, you are both hot and cold, and He is using your life to love the world in His Name. As you plant your soul firmly in Him, your spirit rejuvenates others while you impart restoration through your prayers and uplifted hands. You are a passionate force for change in His Kingdom, and as you bring yourself fully before Him, your devoted surrender waters the lives of many people. |
Prayer
Jesus, help me to never be lukewarm in my love for you, but to be both hot and cold so I can refresh and heal others.
Reflection
Is your love for God lukewarm in any way?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
One Response
Thank YoU, Bobby, for bringing to light, this Scripture from Revelation! I forgot about this! Your vision and reminder of this message, causes positive thought and reflection, at least for me! I’ll ponder this deeply and use it, as I move on in my journey at this point in my life! Thank YoU, for Blessing so many, especially me!
-Bill Kelley