The Church That Nauseates God!

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.Revelation 3:14-16 NIV

Whenever I read this passage of scripture, I think about where the Church is today. Every year, it seems, we get further away from living the way God intended us to live. And every year, we come up with more and more excuses to turn away from the tried and true--loving God and loving one another--living in obedience to His Word.

The reason the world is in the shape it's in is because we no longer know how to love--God or one another. If we loved God, we would not support, promote or encourage sin--living in opposition to His Word. If we loved one another, there would be no violence--no killing of children, people or suicide bombers. There would be no theft, no backbiting, no name-calling and hurling insults at others simply because we lack appropriate communication skills.

Yes, "what the world needs now--is love sweet love--it's the only thing there's just too little of."

But because we know not how to love--we have become complacent--apathetic--void of any feelings one way or the other. We are neither hot or cold, but lukewarm and God says, being lukewarm, makes Him sick enough to throw up. I can only imagine how nauseated He really is watching us flounder betwixt and between pacifying the world and man's dictates and trying to muster enough energy to give Him halfhearted worship. Our obedience to His Word is not evident in most of what we see on the news and in our communities--and in the buildings where everything is supposed be done according to God's Word--not man's traditions.

Oh yes, we're making God nauseous and if we're honest with ourselves--most of what we do should make us sick enough to return to Him, but apparently, we have not arrived at that place--yet.

We will get there--to that place when we realize we're tired of living in our own puke--trailing it wherever we go, stinking up every place we go, watching people cover their noses so they won't inhale the stench. Hopefully, we'll get there before Jesus returns but if we don't, we'll have no one but ourselves to blame since His directions are written in His Word and since we have Holy Spirit to guide us--we must listen and obey. When we don't, we spread the stench of disobedience.