Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Spittin’ Mad
The Church at Laodicea – Part 1 of 2
Have you ever been locked out of your house? If so, you know what an exasperating feeling it is. This is what the Church at Laodicea did to Jesus Christ – they locked him out of His House, the Church (Revelation 3:14-22). He was separated from His bride, Access Denied, and He was spittin’ mad. To paraphrase a popular song, “You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit into the wind, you don’t pull the mask off the ole’ Lone Ranger, and you don’t mess around with…” – Him! Perhaps the worst thing you can do is to lock our LORD and Savior out of His Church and your heart.
The letter to Laodicea is a long letter. It is also a harsh, frightening letter, with Jesus getting to His points of contention very quickly. As with His address to the Church at Thyatira, Jesus has absolutely no compliments or commendations for the Church at Laodicea. Jesus sends this Church a strong message of rebuke and warning, implying an impending judgment is imminent.
Who are these people who would do such a thing? Can you imagine how Christ must have felt toward them when He was shut out of His own Church? He is on the outside, wanting to come in. On the inside, everyone is content, so consumed with themselves they did not even notice Christ was no longer present. They were so busy fulfilling their own agendas they did not hear Him knocking. In this letter, He is yelling for them to open the door to let Him in. I believe Jesus is yelling similarly at many churches today.
Laodicea was founded in the 3rd Century BC by Antiochus II, the son of Antiochus, one of Alexander the Great’s four top generals. Antiochus built Laodicea in the LycesValley because it controlled the entrance to the province of Phrygia. He named the city after his wife, Laodicea.
Laodicea was 40 miles southeast of Philadelphia and on the road to Colossae. Philadelphia was part of a tri-city region that also included Colossae and Hieropolis (Colossians 4:13-16). It was the chief city of Phrygia and an important banking center. This wealthy city had a vigorous economy and housed an astronomical gold reserve. Christ likely had this in mind when He said in Revelation 3:18, “I advise you to buy Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich.”
Laodicea was well-known for an eye-salve that was produced there called “Tephra-Phrygia”. This salve was made in the form of a tablet that was crushed and then applied to people who had ocular ailments. It was sold throughout the Roman world. No doubt Jesus had this in mind in verse 18 when He said, “I advise you to buy from me…eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see”.
The citizens of Laodicea were also very fashion conscious and the city hosted a thriving garment and clothing industry. A very rare breed of sheep was raised around Laodicea that produced beautiful, black, glossy wool for clothing. A garment factory there produced a famous, expensive outer garment called a “Trimata”. It seems obvious that Christ had this in mind when He said in verse 18, “I advise you to buy from me…white garments, that you may cloth yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed”.
Just in case the meaning of these blatant cultural references might be missed, Jesus uses yet another local feature to get the Church’s attention. The region around Laodicea was known for its hot mineral springs. These springs bubbled with hot mineral water that was carried into Laodicea through above-ground aqueducts, where it was harnessed and later sold. The mineral water had a pleasing taste to it when sipped while very hot. Conversely, it had a refreshing taste when drunk very cold. However, it was repulsive to drink when it was just lukewarm.
Colossae hosted cold water springs, while Hieropolis hosted boiling hot water springs. By the time the water reached Laodicea from Colossae, it was no longer cold, as the sun had warmed it. By the time the water from Hieropolis reached Laodicea, it was no longer hot, as the ground had cooled it. So Laodicea had access to only lukewarm water. Surely this is exactly what Jesus had in mind when He said in verses 15-16, “I know your deeds, that you are neither hot nor cold; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth”.
“Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19). Jesus’ love for this Church does not allow Him to sit idly by. “Because the LORD disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son.” (Hebrews 12:6). While this Church is waiting for Christ’s return with casual expectation, Jesus is getting ready to punish them with violent expectoration. Those who shut Him out can expect to be put out.
When we begin to “cool off” spiritually and begin to go our own way, it is normal for Jesus Christ to discipline and to chasten us. When we lock Jesus out of our hearts and our Churches, it is normal for Him to get spittin’ mad. It is normal to experience the disciplining hand of God when we shut Him out of our lives. He chastens us to repent of being lukewarm and half-hearted in our commitment to Him. He is trying to get us to repent from the sin in our lives and to return to Him.
What is your spiritual “temperature” today? Are you hot, cold, or lukewarm? Have you locked Him out of His Church? Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, wanting to come in (Revelation 3:20). He wants you to be red hot and on fire for Him. He wants to fan the flames of your passion for His perfect and eternal love. Don’t shut Him out with a casual, lukewarm attitude. Welcome Him into your heart with the burning passion He so desires from you.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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