I have been in a Reflective & Meditative mode of late and decided to share I have been going betwixt Mark 4:1-20 and Rev 3:1-22 and came to ask myself�Where are You Jude in your Life & Walk with the LORD Jesus*�Are you Cold, Lukewarm or Hot ?�xo
Mark 4:1-20 (NKJV)
The Parable of the Sower
1~ And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.
2~ Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:
3~ �Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.
4~ And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.
5~ Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.
6~ But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.
7~ And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.
8~ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.�
9~ And He said to them, �He who has ears to hear, let him hear!�
The Purpose of Parables
10~ But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
11~ And He said to them, �To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables,
12~ so that {{{ � Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.�� }}}
The Parable of the Sower Explained
13~And He said to them, �Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?
14~ The sower sows the word.
15~ And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts�..{{{ COLD }}}
16~These Likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17~ and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word�s sake, immediately they stumble�..{{{ COLD }}}
18~ Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word,
19~ and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful�.{{{ LUKE WARM }}}
20~ But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.��{{{ HOT }}}
Rev 3:1-22 ( NKJV ) Christ's Letters to Three Churches
The Dead Church� {{{ COLD }}}
1~"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
"These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
2~ Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3~ Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
4~ You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5~ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6~ "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'
The Faithful Church� {{{ HOT }}}
7~ "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
"These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
8~ "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
9~ Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.
10~ Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. 11~ Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.
12~ He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. And I will write on him My new name.
13~ "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'
The Lukewarm Church� {{{ LUKEWARM }}}
14~ "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
"These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15~ "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16~ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17~ Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked
18~ I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19~ As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20~ Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21~ To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
22~ "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."'"
Many believers who are always screaming about WE ARE THE CHURCH, WE ARE THE CHURCH, the building ain't the church...don't care to accept that the letters God had John to write to the churches WERE TO THEM! The church body!Not the building. LOL They don't have eyes to see that since they ARE THE CHURCH, these lettes are to them (us) who are the church.
Within all of us who claim, profess, and confess to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, every one of these messages and complaints God has agianst each church represents the form of character God sees inside of all of us.
For the most part there is not a believers on this site or anywhere, who is not one or more of these church especially, the church of Laodicea.
Many believers are lukwarm water and worthless as Christians , and try very hard to mix their carnal worldly beliefs and matters to try to fix godly things of God. No one chas truly been converted on the inside from above.
Many believes are being UNCHANGED AND CONFORMED to the things of the world, and are not being spiritually TRANSFORMED, because they would rather be POLITICALLY CORREST, THAN TO BE SPIRITUALLY RIGHT...
They seek material things and wealth, and have nothing stored up in heaven. Not realizing that to be wealthy is to have a close relationship with Christ and forsaking all others stuff.
Some say they are Christins believers have works, but no wealth in the spiritual things of God. They lack genuine FAITH and have no godly spiritual understanding of God'w word, God's purpose for saving them, or who God really is..
Many believers have a FORM OF GODLINESS and really don't know God, they know about God, but there is a difference in KNOWING GOD INTIMATELY, and KNOWING ABOUT GOD OUTSIDE OF BOOKS SOMEONE ELSE HAS WRITTEN, AND WHAT THEY SKIM THORUGH ON THE INTERNET... What a true believer speaks from their hearts about God always indicates the person's true intimate relationship WITH God....can't say much about somebody you don't know up close and personally. Left their first love... were hot as long as God was busy doing stuff for them, but when God stopped to make a person step out inf aith, their hearts turn cold... God become second to what He does for them. love affair is gone south. what's the saying? ...I love you, but I'm not IN LOVE with you. That's what many say abotu God.
