07/03/2018 — The Church today, and individual believers, cannot afford to compromise the things of God in order to be relevant to the culture. The culture will never be like the Kingdom, but our attempts to be relevant will make us lukewarm and mediocre in God’s eyes. Like heavenly bodies approaching a black hole, we can get sucked into a place from which we won’t return if we embrace the culture we are called to convert for the sake of the Kingdom.

A lifestyle of holiness – of refusing to deviate from the things of God – is needed in our world now more than ever before. And when you radiate the light of the Kingdom, you become attractive to those who live in darkness.

EDUCATION

Revelation 2:18-27

“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

“The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like fine brass, says these things: I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience, and that your last works are more than the first.

“But I have a few things against you: You permit that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, but she did not repent. Look! I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I will put her children to death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the hearts and minds. I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

“Now to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, who have not known what some call the ‘depths of Satan,’ I will put on you no other burden. But hold firmly what you have until I come.

“To him who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, I will give authority over the nations–

“He ‘shall rule them with a rod of iron;

like the vessels of a potter they shall be broken in pieces’–

even as I myself have received authority from My Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (MEV, emphasis added).

Revelation 2:18-27

“To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write:

“The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says these things: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of My mouth. For you say, ‘I am rich, and have stored up goods, and have need of nothing,’ yet do not realize that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments, that you may be dressed, that the shame of your nakedness may not appear, and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

“Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent. Listen! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.

“To him who overcomes will I grant to sit 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” (MEV, emphasis added).

APPLICATION

• Historically, we have tended to view many things in life as one of two mutually exclusive extremes. The quest for compromise can be good and wise when it comes to everyday relationships. But it’s poisonous when we start to waver on the things of God in order to accommodate the culture.
• Truth, mixed with error, becomes error, which becomes sin, which leads to death. But there is a second danger that lies between extremes. It’s the pervasive and perverse idea that we can travel from one end of the spiritual spectrum to the other at any time, with no negative effect and with great ease. This is sheer fallacy and fantasy spawned by hell to blind us to the dangers, disruptions, and perils lurking in the space between.
• We can’t afford to stay in the space between light and dark, truth and error, Kingdom and culture.
• Those on fire for God are secure in his presence, and those who are cold to Him can be persuaded to repent and believe the Gospel. But the lukewarm – the consumers of the Church, rather than the contributors – are infecting the Church, damaging its witness and giving a false assurance of salvation.
• Standing with one foot in the boat and one step on the dock is inherently untenable. At some point you need to get in the boat or stay on the dock.
• We’ve lost our way, but we can find it again. Make a commitment to be ‘all in’ for the Kingdom, and leave the space between behind in your life!

IMPARTATION

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your clear call in Your holy Word, the Bible, to be on fire for Your Kingdom. Order my steps so that I may never be lukewarm or influenced by the culture You have called me to influence for Your Kingdom.

Fill me with the desire to communicate with You through prayer. Make me hungry for Your Word. Show me how I can bring your Kingdom to bear where You have given me influence. Make me a light that exposes darkness in our culture and leads my friends and family to a saving relationship with Your Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ – Jehovah Joshua Messiah – I pray. Amen!






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