Friday April 19th-Jesus'-Messiahship-Standing at the door!

 Rev.3:14-22Message to Laodicea

   “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

  The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

    ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.    So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.    Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,    I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.    Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.    Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.    He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.    He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

Paul talks about Laodecia four times in Colossians.   

They are not unbelievers but believers.

Col. 2:1 4:13 15 16  

He struggles on their behalf to have their hearts encouraged, having been knit together in love and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery that is Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument.  Col. 2:2-4

Here in Revelation the Lord says they are neither warm nor cold but lukewarm.  They have become rich and wealthy and in need of nothing.  They do not even know that they are needy.  They are blinded and naked.  They are doing things in their own strength.  They have taken the easy way out and are not really committed to anything.  I think they have become so desensitized that they do not even know what they are doing.  

Sounds like our world today!

He tells them buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Rev. 3:18

Buy-Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters;

  And you who have no money come, buy and eat.

  Come, buy wine and milk

  Without money and without cost.

    “Why do you spend money for what is not bread,

  And your wages for what does not satisfy?

  Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,

  And delight yourself in abundance.

    “Incline your ear and come to Me.

  Listen, that you may live;

  And I will make an everlasting covenant with you,

  According to the faithful mercies shown to David.  Is. 55:1-3

Gold-so that the  proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ  I Peter 1:7

Those whom He loves He reproves and disciplines

Be zealous and repent!  I encourage to go before Him and see if there is anything that He needs to reprove or discipline in your life.  He is loving and there is no condemnation in Him. It is good to do this often because the evil one comes in so sneakily and we sometimes do not even know it until we are out of control.  

Have we started out on our journey with Him, totally dependent on Him and some how along the way we have lost sight of Who we are following? 

Is He knocking on your door?

You just have to open the door and He will come in and dine with you. To him who overcomes He will grant to him to sit down with Him on His throne as He also overcame and sat down with His Father on His throne.

I encourage you to take some time this Good Friday and this weekend to just be humble and surrendered to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.  Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Heb. 12:2

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Sunday, we rejoice because our Savior, our Messiah did not stay in the tomb.  He is risen!