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| Such impressive wood but rotten inside! |
October 10, 2014
Lukewarm, and wretched!
A church boasts of herself,
"I am rich, and increased with goods,
and have need of nothing." You can be sure this is not the last church
that does so.
He who is " the Amen, the faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" diagnosed her as
" neither cold nor hot," and "knowest not that thou art
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."
There is such a vast difference between the
church's opinion of herself, and the Lord's assessment of her, an assessment
that is assuredly faithful and true. Aren't we thankful that the faithful and
true witness would not leave a church to wallow in self-delusion and deception?
No flattery from the faithful and true witness! Too many preachers will flatter
you in order to fleece you!
And these truthful words are said of a church
still loved by the Lord Jesus Christ, "as many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." Is it not frightening to know
that a church still loved by the Lord Jesus could sink so low as to be
wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked? A church perceived to
be in that condition would have been despised and abandoned by other churches!
And this is still a church with whom the Lord
desires to restore His fellowship, "Behold, I stand at the door, and
knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and
will sup with him, and he with me." The Lord does not give up on a church
so easily - though "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked." How he coaxes and pleads, motivates and encourages this church to
repent from her evil ways!
