Ok, I am getting into this church at Sardis. They appear to be a group of believers who have "chalked up" Christianity to just "going through the motions"...you know...be nice, give to a certain charity, shake someone's hand once in a while....maybe go visit someone in the hospital...stuff like that. Life may be boring....and you may be unaware or perhaps even hiding those innermost thoughts, so your conclusion to life is...we live..we die...and make the best of it.
In verse 2 of Revelation 3, I read it like this:
"Get up on your feet! Wake up! Slap yourself in the face if you have to! You got to come out of this. People around you think you are doin' good...but remember...I see everything! I know your heart and I know your thoughts. You don't think I am very exciting to follow. You think the whole plan of salvation...is rather boring.
Listen, you are missing the whole thing on this.... the reason why life is nothing more than "going through the motions" because...you have made your life boring! Why blame all this on Me?
Think about other things in life you pursued...you do it with passion... a particular hobby...a particular interest..rooting for your favorite sports team...maybe a career move... you give your time and effort to see it through.
But Me?...you just think Christianity is playing the role of some "goody 2 shoes"...being cordial...being agreeable...while your thoughts are far from Me. And then, you think you can control your own thoughts and keep them out of the "gutter"...life to you has become nothing more than one big "drawn out" game.
Life starts with our...friendship...not all the things you do...get to know Me...and it will all change. It may involve saying "No" to other things you see in life...even the so-called "good things" sometimes. I want the real Me to come out...through the real You!"
Often times I have read where people and even ministries will use this portion of Scripture in Revelation to "fire people up" to spread the Gospel...to get others to Jesus. There is certainly some value to doing that, yet some of the very same people participating in these type of outreaches are found later in their life with an inner emptiness or falling to some devastating sin that leaves personal wreckage in their lives.
Why is that? I personally think that is what Jesus is saying to the church of Sardis. Come back to Me...your programs don't interest Me...your social programs are not changing lives...including yours. First, you must return to Me....spend time with Me...and life will have meaning for you again, for all that you do....we will do together! Then, you will find Life...for I am the Giver of Life.
Dr. Laurance M. Guld, President Emeritus of Carleton College once said:" I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or missile. I don't think our civilization will end that way. I think it will die when...we no longer care."
Life has its moments, and things don't always turn out the way you thought...Knowing Him and enjoying a relationship with Him....is a sure way through!
In verse 2 of Revelation 3, I read it like this:
"Get up on your feet! Wake up! Slap yourself in the face if you have to! You got to come out of this. People around you think you are doin' good...but remember...I see everything! I know your heart and I know your thoughts. You don't think I am very exciting to follow. You think the whole plan of salvation...is rather boring.
Listen, you are missing the whole thing on this.... the reason why life is nothing more than "going through the motions" because...you have made your life boring! Why blame all this on Me?
Think about other things in life you pursued...you do it with passion... a particular hobby...a particular interest..rooting for your favorite sports team...maybe a career move... you give your time and effort to see it through.
But Me?...you just think Christianity is playing the role of some "goody 2 shoes"...being cordial...being agreeable...while your thoughts are far from Me. And then, you think you can control your own thoughts and keep them out of the "gutter"...life to you has become nothing more than one big "drawn out" game.
Life starts with our...friendship...not all the things you do...get to know Me...and it will all change. It may involve saying "No" to other things you see in life...even the so-called "good things" sometimes. I want the real Me to come out...through the real You!"Often times I have read where people and even ministries will use this portion of Scripture in Revelation to "fire people up" to spread the Gospel...to get others to Jesus. There is certainly some value to doing that, yet some of the very same people participating in these type of outreaches are found later in their life with an inner emptiness or falling to some devastating sin that leaves personal wreckage in their lives.
Why is that? I personally think that is what Jesus is saying to the church of Sardis. Come back to Me...your programs don't interest Me...your social programs are not changing lives...including yours. First, you must return to Me....spend time with Me...and life will have meaning for you again, for all that you do....we will do together! Then, you will find Life...for I am the Giver of Life.
Dr. Laurance M. Guld, President Emeritus of Carleton College once said:" I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or missile. I don't think our civilization will end that way. I think it will die when...we no longer care."
Life has its moments, and things don't always turn out the way you thought...Knowing Him and enjoying a relationship with Him....is a sure way through!
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