Last week, we talked about the connection between lawlessness and lukewarmness and the fact that the adversary hates passionate hearts. But what does unbridled passion look like for us today?
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: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 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— 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. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 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. 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. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. -Revelation 3:14-22, NKJV
Laodicea means “people’s rights,” and this lukewarm church was advised to BUY gold refined in the fire. In other words, the key to overcoming lukewarmness is personal sacrifice… surrendering our rights to God.
In I Chronicles, we see a plague being released in Israel because of David’s sin of numbering the people. The Lord stopped the angel from destroying Jerusalem at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David and the elders of Israel repented and begged for God’s mercy, and the Lord told David to erect an altar there. Ornan offered to give David the land, the oxen for the sacrifice, the wood for the fire and the wheat for an offering, but David refused, saying this:
Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.” -I Chronicles 21:24, NKVJ
Remember that one of the goals of this season is to untangle from the spirit of this age and world systems. And remember that lukewarmness and lawlessness are connected. The prevailing atmosphere of our culture and of church culture is one of comfort and convenience. We want the benefits without the sacrifice. We do not earn what has been freely given to us in Christ, and we do not strive or perform to earn God’s approval. Unconditional love and acceptance and unshakeable identity are the foundations of our spiritual life that are supposed to be firmly established in spiritual “childhood.” Upon those foundations are the “young man” goals of overcoming, maturation, stewardship, ruling and reigning. If you are unable to press through the fleshly veil of inconvenience or uncomfortability, you will not have the spiritual muscles to steward the entire earth for His glory.
In a recent encounter, the Captain of the Lord’s Hosts showed up in a corporate gathering as our Glorious Champion. This is Joshua 5, where the people had crossed over but had to be circumcised. This is the cutting away of the flesh. Without this, we will not be able to steward our Promised Land.
The temptation of Christ was all about having the kingdom without the suffering. Again, we don’t earn it, but we pay the price to steward it. And it will cost the death of self and of the flesh.
Just one glimpse of Yeshua overturning the tables of the money changers and you will see that He is not a tame Lion! ZEAL for His Father’s house consumed Him! And it can consume you, too.
Next week, you’ll learn how your unbridled passion will lead you through the chaos and into the eye of the storm where there is peace… and where you, like Elohim in the beginning can release your “Let there be!”
Until then…
Virginia