Warning

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus”. Acts 3: 19-20 NIV

In the original Greek, repentance (metanoeo) means to change one’s mind and heart, to think differently and to see things differently.

Turning to God signifies a complete reorientation of life away from how you were living before repentance.

Used in the verses above it signifies much more than just saying “I Am Sorry”. It is a heartfelt transformation of your perspective and walk in life. It is an about-face. You must abandon your previous ways, and you have to institute a new walk with God, that is visible for all to see.

You need to have a much broader sense of what needs to be repented from.  Just not what you may consider a sin.  But how are you living daily? Are you caught up in the ways and habits that the world considers success and happiness?

 Do you consider behavior to be something that gets you into heaven? Are you totally ignoring an intimate relationship with God? You are “religious” and believe in God yet are in the group of people that God says He spits out of His mouth.

 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked”. Revelation 3: 15-16 NIV

You see the people in these verses are good religious people. To the world they are following God and are living a life or a Christian. Apathy will cause many good people to miss out completely on being in the group of those that are raised up to meet Jesus when He comes again.

To me this is the life that needs to be repented from and totally walked away from.  Are you on fire for God in every minute of every day? It is not about standing up and preaching or condemning people for their behavior.  God is telling those in the Laodicea churches that if they are not representing His character in every situation and circumstance. Living a life of Love for all. If they are not on “fire” to represent Him in everyday life, then He is going to spit them out of His mouth and then they will be in the group of people that God says He does not know.

Being “on fire for God” means having an intense, passionate, and active devotion to one’s faith. It describes a believer whose love for God is so all-consuming that it shapes every area of their life, rather than just being a casual, Sabbath only commitment.

Spiritual Fervor: A strong, visible enthusiasm for prayer, worship, and studying the Bible.

Boldness: An eagerness to share their faith, serve others, and stand up for their beliefs, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Transformed Priorities: A conscious shift away from selfish or worldly desires toward living a life that reflects God’s teachings.

The verse in Revelation is speaking directly to you!  Not to the world of non-believers. God is addressing you in your daily walk of life and telling you that He sees and knows your deeds and He considers them to be lukewarm. You consider yourself well off by worldly standards but to God you are pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

In Verse 18 of Chapter 3 in Revelation, God gives you three things that you can buy from Him to become on fire for Him.  You must buy these three things!  He is not just giving them out for free. You can not buy these with money or success, church attendance, or good behaviors. 

You buy them by time spent with God in an intimate relationship.  You buy them from turning from the world and turning towards God.

You must become His character.

Prayers for all.

Larry