TO THE 2 PARTIES IN THE CHURCH
Holman Bible Illustration. Public Domain.
The
Lukewarm christian
What will many Christians be like
before Christ returns?
This know also, that in the last
days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own
selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false
accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors,
heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having
a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For
of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women
laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never
able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres
withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds,
reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for
their folly shall be manifest unto all men,
as theirs also was. 2 Tim 3:1-9 (KJV)
And unto the angel of the church of
the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true
witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou
art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So
then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out
of my mouth. 17 Because
thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and
knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked: 18 I
counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and
white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine
eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke
and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 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. 21 To him that overcometh will
I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down
with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches. Rev 3:14-22 (KJV)
Repent! You don’t know
when Christ is coming back—you need to be right with Him!
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom. 2 And
five of them were wise, and five were
foolish. 3 They
that were foolish took their
lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels
with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and
slept. 6 And
at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to
meet him. 7 Then
all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish
said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But
the wise answered, saying, Not so;
lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell,
and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the
bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and
the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I
know you not. 13 Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh. Matt 25:1-13 (KJV)
To
the Weary, Faithful Christian Soldier
To you, dear Christians, who have been
faithful and are weary from the Battle. Let me remind you of a few things.
First of all, come to the Lord and cast your cares upon Him. David let out his
frustrations in life to the Lord and we see that though he initially came
frustrated, he left confident in His Lord based on the record of the Psalms. As
my Pastor has said before, “If we come away heavy after praying, we haven’t
really cast our cares upon the Lord. We’ve just complained.”
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For
my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light. Matt 11:28-30 (KJV)
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he
shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalms 55:22 (KJV)
Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility:
for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble
yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due
time: 7 Casting
all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:5-7 (KJV)
If may feel as if everyone is against you.
Even Elijah felt that way:
I say then, Hath God cast away his
people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God
hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture
saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord,
they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left
alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto
him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee
to the image of Baal. 5 Even
so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election
of grace. 6 And
if by grace, then is it no more
of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace. Romans 11:1-6 (KJV)
