The Frog Gets a Wake-Up Call

 

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Thursday, May 2, 2019

“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.  “Look! I stand at the door and knock.  If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.  Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.  “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”  Revelation 3:14-22

You know that old saw about finding the good in anyone?  It’s not in here.  In this vision of Revelation Jesus is dictating letters to John to the seven churches of Asia Minor.  When it comes to the church at Laodicea he’s got nothing good to say. 

The sticky part here is that when Jesus didn’t find something good to say about them, He didn’t follow my mother’s advice; He didn’t just keep his mouth shut.  Instead the letter is a scathing rebuke of a proud, content group, prancing around in their miserable wretchedness. 

There’s nothing good about lukewarm faith.  The story about the Frog in the Kettle is evidence enough; lukewarm water may feel comfortable to a frog placed in body-temperature water in a pot on the stove.  If the water was boiling he’d jump out like a rocket going off.  But if you raise the heat ever so slowly, the frog’s body will adjust to the temperature until he just sits there and cooks to death. 

Such is the picture of the church at Laodicea, cooking to spiritual death in their comfortable complacency.  They’ve got what they think they need, and no longer have any desire to engage in hot pursuit of following Jesus.  Like the fable about the emperor who was convinced his new invisible suit of clothes was the height of fashion, and pranced around naked for everyone to admire, the church at Laodicea was blinded by materialism and power bought with earthly riches.

So, what does Jesus do…cleans their clock, right?  He slashes and minces them up like a frog in a blender.  No…not at all.  Jesus, in a matter-of-fact tranquil tone informs them they’re on the wrong path, and warns them to repent, get hot for the Kingdom; He wants them to change their ways.  His crowning touch of mercy is to offer them friendship.  He tells them they’ve put him on the outside with their attitudes, but he’s standing at their door, knocking to come inside.

This is the kindness of our Lord…one who is patient and loving, willing to have open arms for the sinner-saint gone astray.  The invitation is always extended to come back!

For You Today

It’s easy to slip-into complacency.  There are a million excuses (I’m too old, too young, not trained, things in the way, fear, comfort, sickness…et al).  Every one of the excuses is tied to temptation, and each one raises the temperature of the water in the cooking pot.  So, wake up; it’s later than we think! 

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[i] Title Image:   Pixabay.com

[ii] Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from The New Living Translation©

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The Cost of Arrogance

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Tuesday, July 25, 2017

What sorrow awaits rebellious, polluted Jerusalem, the city of violence and crime!  No one can tell it anything; it refuses all correction.  It does not trust in the Lord or draw near to its God.  Its leaders are like roaring lions hunting for their victims.  Its judges are like ravenous wolves at evening time, who by dawn have left no trace of their prey.  Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain.  Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God’s instructions.  But the Lord is still there in the city, and he does no wrong.  Day by day he hands down justice, and he does not fail.  But the wicked know no shame.  “I have wiped out many nations, devastating their fortress walls and towers.  Their streets are now deserted; their cities lie in silent ruin.  There are no survivors—none at all.  I thought, ‘Surely they will have reverence for me now!
Surely they will listen to my warnings.  Then I won’t need to strike again, destroying their homes.’  But no, they get up early to continue their evil deeds.  Therefore, be patient,” says the Lord.  “Soon I will stand and accuse these evil nations.  For I have decided to gather the kingdoms of the earth and pour out my fiercest anger and fury on them.  All the earth will be devoured by the fire of my jealousy.  “Then I will purify the speech of all people, so that everyone can worship the Lord together.  My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings.  On that day you will no longer need to be ashamed, for you will no longer be rebels against me.  I will remove all proud and arrogant people from among you.  There will be no more haughtiness on my holy mountain.  Those who are left will be the lowly and humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the Lord.  The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will never tell lies or deceive one another.  They will eat and sleep in safety, and no one will make them afraid.”  Zephaniah 3:1-13^(NLT)

Hans Christian Anderson wrote a tongue-in-cheek fairy tale about an emperor who was so vain and arrogant he was convinced by a shrewd tailor that because of the new invisible suit of clothes made for him he was the finest dressed ruler in the entire world.  Parading around in his skivvies, the emperor was the laughingstock of the parade!

Many have compared America as a chosen the purpose of being to God’s representative to the world, and a great force for good…just like ancient Israel.  Now, I would not, as the old expression has it, throw out that baby with the bath water.  However, if my friends are right about America’s self-view of invincible exceptionalism, and if our leaders are fully-clothed, in their right minds, I would simply submit that the comparison between the United States and God’s chosen Israel must be accepted in its’ entirety!  Another old saying holds that you must take the bad along with the good!

In Zephaniah’s prophecy, Israel is lambasted and warned that their arrogant ways, ignoring God, justice and mercy, are stripping the nation of any chance of being God’s witness of love.  Instead they are full of themselves and ripe for judgment. 

Where did this arrogance come from?  It was largely the leaders who began to believe their own press reports about Israel’s special history, power and protection by God.  With impunity and unmitigated gall they began to congratulate themselves on their place in history and how they held all the cards.  They forgot the One who was really in charge. 

Those who want to compare America as the New Israel need to see the pitiful similarity between ancient Israel’s leaders and America’s political power brokers, who act with either ignorance of, or indifference towards God. 

Of course this is not much different than the voters who put them in power.  We have gone way past even the pretense of being a Christian nation, past modern and post-modern, all the way to godless hedonism.

May God have mercy on us; we are going to need it!

For You Today

As bleak as the political scene and horizon may look for America, there is always hope for a nation, an individual, or a neighbor who will return to God. 

May it be so with me, and with you, as we commit ourselves to proclaiming His kingdom today; let the revival begin!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image: Pixabay.com

How Long, O Lord?

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Tuesday, July 18, 2017

This message was given concerning Edom.  This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says:  “Is there no wisdom in Teman?  Is no one left to give wise counsel?  Turn and flee!  Hide in deep caves, you people of Dedan!  For when I bring disaster on Edom, I will punish you, too!  Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor.  If thieves came at night, they would not take everything.  But I will strip bare the land of Edom, and there will be no place left to hide.  Its children, its brothers, and its neighbors  will all be destroyed, and Edom itself will be no more.  But I will protect the orphans who remain among you.  Your widows, too, can depend on me for help.”

Jeremiah 49:7-11^(NLT)

Whenever there’s a death there is certainly mourning.  And it lasts for a time, after which, life then tends to move on.  But not with political grief; that just seems to hang around forever.  If the Democrats win the day it will be Republican sorrow and gnashing of teeth; if it’s the other way around, Democrats will sit in sackcloth and ashes for the duration of the next cycle.  Calamity is the face of the party of opposition, no matter if it is mule blue or pachyderm red.  For either side of the aisle, when one side wins, in the mindset of the other side it means the end of the world for decency, prosperity and apple pie…except in heaven.

God gave Jeremiah a message to deliver to neighboring Edom – a thorn in Jacob’s side since antiquity, and still so – to those who put all their trust in political power – for the right or wrong reasons; God said:  don’t do that, because, if you think for one minute political power can save you….when it comes to disaster, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Now, I’m certain that’s not the way it sounded in Hebrew; I’m sure the LORD uses better grammar than that…but the meaning is unmistakably foreboding.  God is patient, but God never relinquishes his sovereignty.

In the U.S. presidential campaign of 2016, there were those who wanted to Make America Great Again; and there were many who wanted to save the world from those who wanted to make America great again.  When the dust settled…well, it actually hasn’t settled…nor will it…ever…but, at least after the ballots were counted, the dance of political intrigue and posturing was just starting; and so it goes. 

I’m wondering this morning if we in modern America are just like ancient Edom; do we trust in what we’ve built through our history of possessing this land, and building our power structures through Congress, and having powerful armies and weapons around the world?  Is our trust in having enough economic power to bully anyone who gets in our way?

Whether it’s fair or not to compare the U.S. to Israel’s Arab neighbors is debatable; my wonderment is tied to the attitude of invincibility of people who have vested their eternity in American exceptionalism.  If there’s one thing about history repeating itself that is fixed and unchanging it’s that invincibility is transitory at best, and an illusion at its most dangerous.  Like the Emperor’s New Clothes, we can tell ourselves God is on our side, and that we are once again great, and that all the news is fake or true.  But the only lasting government is located a good bit North of Washington, and a lot higher than CNN.

For You Today

Edom was completely destroyed for her arrogance and resisting God’s ways, as well as persecuting God’s people.  The existence of the nation ceased, and their civilization is unknown today, just as Jeremiah prophesied. 

It seems we could add a little addendum to our national motto, In God We Trust.  Perhaps we could also remember daily, nationally, and very personally:

It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  Zechariah 4:6^(NLT)

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

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NOTES

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[i] Title Image: Pixabay.com