In Matthew chapter
24, the disciples asked Jesus what would be the signs of His coming. In
verse twelve, Jesus said of one of these signs: “And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” This verse, along with
many other scriptures such as 2 Thessalonians 2:3, indicate that many
‘Christians’ will fall away in the last days and that their love for God
will be cold. In Revelation 3:15-16, God speaks to the church of the
Laodiceans “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold not hot: I
would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm and
neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth”.
It’s a sad day when
the church, which is the light of the world (Mat. 5:14), becomes a small
burning piece of coal instead of a brilliant flame of fire. This didn’t
happen overnight. This gradual falling away has come through years of
vicious attacks by Satan. The devil has used several different
strategies in his plans for the downfall of the church. A big one on the
list is the boob tube---that little box that appears so harmless, yet
sends forth a world of iniquity. That wonder of an invention has
bombarded the world with violence and lust, which has desensitized
mankind. Christians have allowed the devil to tell them what they should
eat; what they should wear; how they should smell; what they should
believe. If you’re thinking that the television has not been used by the
devil, then you are blind. Satan will use every means possible to bring
your downfall. I Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your
adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he
may devour:”
How have we been
desensitized? I heard a preacher describe the conscience of man as a
triangle with three sharp points. Every time you hear or see something
that is wrong, the triangle turns and you feel the pain as your
conscience is pricked. If you’re exposed to sin over and over again,
then the points of the triangle will eventually wear down until they are
smooth. The sin is no longer painful. An example of this is that the
devil has slowly indoctrinated the world into accepting homosexuality.
He started with comedy. Sin seems so much easier to accept when it’s
funny. Christians were ‘entertained’ by homosexuality. They had
forgotten that Romans 1:32 says, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that
they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same,
but have pleasure in them that do them”.
God tells the
Laodicean church that they have basically made Him sick. They proclaim
to be Christians, yet they are indifferent towards sin; they are
indifferent towards the needs of others; they are indifferent in their
service towards God. The
churches of Ephesus, Sardis and Laodicea show the downward spiral of
spiritual decline. The Church of Sardis had not been watching. The
Church of Ephesus had left their first love. And the Church of Laodicea
was lukewarm. If you stop watching and guarding your heart and mind,
then you will leave your first love. If you leave your first love, then
you will become lukewarm, lulled to sleep by the fog of indifference.
When a person falls
in love, they are bubbling over with happiness. You can’t wait to tell
your family and friends about your newfound love. A mature person will
then protect and guard their new relationship. How would you respond to
your spouse, who proclaimed they loved you, if they turned their head
away when you were speaking to them or didn’t respond to your affection?
It’s nauseating when someone says they love you but their actions
are speaking something totally different.
Christianity is the
same way. When you accepted Jesus, your heart was overflowing with love
for Him. You didn’t want to do anything to displease Him.
However, you stop communicating with Jesus on a daily basis. Your
mind has been bogged down with the things of this world-- how to make a
living and just survive. You relax by sitting in front of the television
instead of reading your Bible. You think you’re spiritually fine since
you go to church every Sunday and give tithes. You become indifferent to
the evil going on around you because you feel too tired to try to change
anything. Sin creeps into your life little by little. So, how’s your
relationship with God? God said that He would spew you out of His mouth.
You’re asleep at the wheel; you haven’t been watching; you haven’t been
wise, but you have been enticed away from the fold.
Let’s take a look at
what’s happening to you in another dimension--the Spirit world.
Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”. There’s a
battle raging right at this moment for your very soul. God is calling
you to “awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ
shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14). He tells us in Romans 13:11
that it is “high time to awake out of sleep:” Today, you need to choose
“whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). It’s time for you to wake up and
join the battle. Turn off the t.v. Fall down on your knees before God
and confess your sins. 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called
by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will
forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” This reminds me of a few
verses I wrote years ago:
Our hearts have grown cold, and
slothful our ways,
The harvest is ripe and short are
the days,
Prayer and faith can move
mountains, but brother when do you pray?
Fall down on your knees; see what
God has to say.
Let all the earth praise Him, fall
down on your knees,
Awake from your slumber, awake
from your ease,
The angels cry holy around His
great throne,
Praise God in the highest, Thou
will be done.
Dear heavenly Father, I pray that
You will stir Your children to repentance. Give us a hunger and thirst
to draw closer to You. Fill our lamps with oil that we may not be
ashamed at the coming of Your Son. Make us vessels worthy for Your use.
I ask in Jesus precious name. Amen.
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