Where To Turn

Yesterday, I concluded my post this way, “The time has come to consider our fears of a self-destructive apocalypse for what they truly are – a portend of the world without God, or at least where we subjugate God to filling our desires instead of seeking His desires.  These apocalyptic visions keep driving us to solve our own problems.  Maybe they should drive us to seek God’s wisdom.”  I wrote that after the day before discussing the rash of church closures across the nation.  The juxtaposition of the posts raises an interesting question, “Are people not turning to the church or, is the church not worth turning towards?”

As I have pondered that question, God’s message to the church at Laodecia, as recounted by John in Chapter 3 of Revelations came to mind:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Origin of the creation of God, says this:

‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.  Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have no need of anything,” and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to apply to your eyes so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline; 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 will dine with him, and he with Me.  The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.

That is an oft-cited bit of scripture.  Hell and damnation preachers love the “vomit you out of my mouth” stuff and Evangelicals adore citing the “Behold I stand at the door and knock” imagery.  But nobody likes to talk about the whole, “Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline” thing.  Yet the fact of the matter is they are all part of a whole and should be considered together.  Said “vomit” is indeed “rebuke and discipline” but He is still standing there and knocking.  The question is “What are we to do?”

That answer is also in the passage, “…be zealous and repent.”

Two weeks ago (during Yom Kippur), I commented on a mini-sermon carried by The Jerusalem Post.  It is a discussion of just what it means to repent.  Said the writer: