I know, this is a really cheesy joke,(A star wars reference in case you missed it.), but what is the point of telling a joke if it is not a little cheesy. Unfortunately, this joke represents the lives of too many Christians. Lukewarm. We like to live in the middle of the road when it comes to our faith. We say we are Christians to our church friends, yet we don't act like it around our other friends. You know what I am talking about. On Sunday morning, we lift our hands and say Amen! at the right moments, but then Monday comes around and we forgo everything God in order to impress/fit in with our unchurched friends. Jesus warns us against this in the gospels. "Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’- Matthew 7:20-23
Back in Bible days, during the days of Samuel the prophet, the Philistines attacked Israel and took as a prize the Ark of the Covenant. After much suffering and torment brought down on them by God, they decided to send the ark back to Israel. So they prepared a new cart with cows that had never been yoked, attached the ark to the cart with a guilt offering and sent it on its way. Once they crossed the border from the Philistine territory into Israel, the town they came to was call Beth-Shemesh. Upon arrival, the Levites offered the cows as an offering to God and the Philistines went home. But, God was unhappy with some of the people because of the way the Ark was handled, so the people call on their friends in the city of Kiriath-Jearim to come take the ark off their hands. This city is was about the halfway point to Jerusalem. For 20 years, the ark stayed right here. Not quite in God's temple, but enough out of enemy territory. I feel like a lot of us Christians like to live in this halfway point. We are closer to God in some ways, but in other things, we can still see the surrounding territories. We can have one foot in God's temple, and one foot on the border, and yet we don't see the wrong we are doing. God doesn't want us half in/half out. He wants children who are all in no matter what. Men and women who stay with both feet in the throne room, praising him and giving him all the glory.
"So then since you are lukewarm, neither hot or cold, I will spue thee out of my mouth"- Revelation 3:16.
I don't want to be spued from the mouth of the Father because I could not fully commit to being God's child. I want to get to Heaven with absolute certainty that I did all that I could do to draw closer to God with every area of my life. That in times when I may have strayed, I always came back with true repentance and asking for complete forgiveness. I know I am a sinner, but I also know what Jesus gave for me, and I can't live halfway when Jesus didn't stop at halfway, but went all in for m and you.
Adam Semple- A Young Man on a Mission From God
*photo credit- arcaneproperties.com
No comments:
Post a Comment