“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. [Revelation 3.14-19]
I am just going to "spitball" here a little bit... I claim no divine understanding of the Book of Revelation, but I DO have the Holy Spirit to guide me and bear witness to what it is saying. So, what I write here today is my attempt to allow the Spirit to give me revelation about the Book of Revelation.
I had a thought today wondering if these seven churches might be a progression of the Church through history... What if the seven churches represent seven periods of time in the history of the Church? As I read back through all six that preceded the church of Laodicea above, I could see how perhaps we have indeed seen the six first church periods come and go in history. This would mean that those of us today then are living in the time of the church in Laodicea... and I must say, I can see how that just might be the case!
"Hot" or "cold" represent passion. As Jesus presents it to John, lukewarmness represents the lack of passion. Lukewarmness then is nothing of what God desires of His people. Lukewarmness, as Jesus presented it, is directly tied to wealth - sufficiency in all things. So we might conclude then, that "need" and "passion" are closely associated.
In the Gospel of Mark we find this important passage:
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” [Mark 11.22-25]
The "mountain" is this passage represents "need." And here is where Laodicean "wealth" gives us trouble: we don't passionately see "mountains" today as "need" but instead lukewarmly see them as something that our wealth of finance and knowledge can and will overcome. Lukewarmness may be "heard" in the following statements: "there's an app for that," "there's a pill for that," "there's a surgery for that," "there's a payment plan for that," or "there's an explanation for that, Google it!" All these share one thing: they remedy "need" with a common worldly solution therefore quenching "passion" for God as only the All-Sufficient One.
If indeed the seven churches represent a progression of the Church historically, we are DEFINITELY in the period of Laodicea! It is definitely time to pay attention! Time, as we know it, is about to change!
This might be further supported in the last bit of today's passage: I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.
The significance of these two sentences is grossly overlooked in Christendom. "Need" and "passion" are related in that "need" is representative of correction and discipline and "passion" is representative of repentance and devotion (as opposed to indifference). If "need" therefore is viewed through the indifference (lukewarmness) of worldly knowledge and solutions, there will be no "passion" in seeing "need" as God's corrective and disciplinary call to repentance and faith.
We should at least ask ourselves the next time we take a pill, file an insurance claim, or call the bank, "Is my need a call to repentance and faith?"
Father, if I am writing nonsense here, please forgive me and prevent my words from causing harm to Your people. If however, You are speaking to me, let this message bring people back to You. So be it.
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