Sunday, March 23 ~ Intensity
~~Revelation 3:15-16
“I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
~~Do you remember the popular country music song recorded by Jerry Reed entitled: “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot”? The lyrics of the song go on to say, “When you’re hot, you’re hot, when you’re not, you’re not.”
The verse for today’s Lenten devotion refers to one of the letters sent to the seven churches (Laodicea) in the book Revelations. Laodicea was a city of great wealth, comfortable, complacent, and lukewarm about their spiritual fervor.
The hot/cold allusion to the Laodicean water supply is a fitting metaphor for the activities of this church. Laodicea had always had a problem with its water supply. The city of Hierapolis, to the northwest, was famous for its hot mineral springs. An aqueduct had been built to bring water to the city from the hot springs. But by the time the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool – only lukewarm and filled with minerals (impure), so it tasted terrible. According to Christ, these believers were neither cold nor hot; instead, they were merely lukewarm, as bland as the tepid water that came into the city.
Many have thought that this cold and hot refers to spirituality – and that Christ would rather have ‘cold’ people (without faith at all, or without any sort of growth) than ‘lukewarm’ believers (who believe some). They take the word ‘cold’ to be negative and ‘hot’ to be positive, with ‘lukewarm’ in between. Instead, both ‘cold’ and ‘hot’ should be taken as positive. Christ wished that the church had cold, refreshing purity, or hot, therapeutic value, but it had neither. They were lukewarm.
Taken from Life Application Bible Commentary
When you’re hot, you’re hot, when you’re not, you’re not. Where are you on this day of Lent? Have you lost your intensity for GOD? There may have been a time you ran white HOT in your faith. Refuel your faith, heat up the desires of your heart for God for the good of the kingdom here on earth.
George Kissick