Dear Saints,

Is Jesus about to puke you out of His mouth?  How would you know?  By taking your spiritual temperature.  He called us to do that individually and as a church this Wednesday in our evening study of His letter to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22.

Before we think we can pass over the question, let’s remember that this church said they didn’t need anything and were trusting in their own spiritual riches.  But Jesus said their true reality was that they were lukewarm and making His stomach turn.  Soon, He’d have to spue them out His mouth so His Body (the Church) felt better.

Remember that hot or cold is good to Jesus, just not lukewarm.  Hot is a soothing drink.  Cold is a refreshing one.  Lukewarm does nothing but collect gross stuff and spread disease.

How can you heat things up spiritually?  Jesus said the remedy is to repent and be zealous.  Think about how water boils.  It doesn’t just happen.  The stove top burner is turned on applying heat until bubbles begin to bounce around.  Then it’s ready to get things cooking!  We need to turn the heat up real high for that to happen.  But then a slower and steady heat can keep things simmering.  Still, the knob does need to be turned “on” and kept off “low”.

What about becoming crisp and fresh spiritually?  A sober spirituality that makes for a clean and holy lifestyle?  Is it time to make some more ice cubes in your life?

Either way, if you want to approach Jesus in worship tomorrow with zeal that makes Him prefer we stay together as a Visible Church rather than be expelled, notice that it begins with each of us turning up the heat or cooling things down before we get there.  You can’t turn it on and off like a light switch the morning of, or at least it’s not as likely.  Things need to be raised to a boil throughout the week.

Let Jesus take your spiritual temperature in prayer.  And adjust your settings accordingly.  Have an ear to hear what the Spirit has to say to our Church:

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:19).

This is never not a message we don’t need to hear.  We are never done growing spiritually, and we are never not tempted to grow stale.

Semper Reformanda,

Pastor Grant