Most of you remember the fairy tale of the Emperor's New Clothes. If you don't you can google it and there are many sites that have the story. Impostors claimed to be weaving exquisite cloth for the emperor and yet what they held up for inspection was nothing! Fearing that something must be wrong with themselves, the king's men didn't challenge the impostors but complimented them on the material. The emperor in turn didn't want to admit that he couldn't see anything, and ended up wearing an imaginary set of clothes!
We, like the emperor, think we are wearing a great outfit when the world tell us we looks good, but in reality we are, by God's standard naked.
When we look at ourselves through the eyes of the world, we see ourselves as reasonably happy, reasonably well off, reasonably well clothed, and reasonably healthy. Yet if we are not living wholeheartedly for Christ we are in fact, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and yes, naked.
So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 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— 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. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
(Revelation 3:16-19)
Are you fervent for the Lord? Do you see the urgency of reaching the lost for Christ? Do you see the urgency of reaching the 'off track ones' for Christ?
It is when we lose our fervency and our sense of urgency that lethargy, apathy, and lukewarmness set in. Suddenly we are no longer sacrificially serving God out of a commitment, but serving Him when it is convenient. When we can afford to, when we're not too tired, when we don't have anything more important or more enjoyable to do.
God help us!
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment