Saturday, May 4, 2013

Hot, Cold, or Lukewarm?




We might be lukewarm if we…

…tend to choose popular over what is right

          …neglect to share our faith with family, friends, and neighbors

                    …desire approval from others more than from God

                             …continuously find ourselves “playing it safe”

…consider praying as a last resort


WARNING!
These are just a few signs of a lukewarm Christian!


“He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” (James 6-8)

Have you ever thought about the many benefits of hot and cold water? We typically enjoy drinking liquids that are either hot or cold. Additionally, hot water boosts our immunity and can act as a natural remedy to remove toxins and waste from our bodies, while cold water increases blood flow and has many benefits for numerous health conditions; both hot and cold water have therapeutic and even culinary uses. Lukewarm water on the other hand is barely warm, unpleasant, and useless. And just as we find lukewarm water the least appealing of all, God finds lukewarm Christians the most distasteful kind of believer.

·         Hot water people are full of passion and are on fire for God; they devote themselves to the works of Christ, share their faith, love, and enthusiasm.

·         Coldwater people are those who are wondering, lost and just need to be reached.

·         The lukewarm Christian is one who does everything halfheartedly, and who is described as unauthentic and hypocritical. Their spiritual needs are more concerned with physical and worldly needs, and they only rely and follow God half way.


The bible makes it very clear; being a lukewarm Christian is not considered good in the eyes of the Lord. When He deals with the lukewarm believer, He is angered by his half way measures!

“So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot not cold, I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16)


We might be lukewarm if we…

…say we love God, but don’t allow Him to control our lives…

…focus only on our own daily agendas and to-do lists…

          …require worldly pleasures, and give out our left-overs…

                   …don’t trust God when the unexpected happens…

                             …lack conviction or enthusiasm…

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? (Matthew 5:13)

The good news is that there is a cure for lukewarm Christians! If we have grown too comfortable or self-reliant we must recognize our condition and have a sincere desire to change. When we ask the Lord to help us with this battle, He will be willing as long as we are faithful and obedient. He is more than willing to discipline and correct our attitude in order for us to repent and be on fire for Him again. With all of our hearts we have to make sure that no relationship, selfish interest, worldly possession, or profession falls from the desire to give God all the glory. We have to keep striving and advancing toward the highest standard of excellence, and in everything we think or do praise His name. When we allow God to change our priorities and attitudes, He will lead us on to reach the reward of our high calling. We must think the thoughts of His Word with Him and do that which would please Him. He won’t allow us to remain lukewarm if the desires of our hearts are to serve Him with joy and all our strength!

Linking up this week with:

Beauty in His Grip Button

USE this for BLOG

42 comments:

  1. Hoi dear Denise. I read this blog with shame in my heart and I am so glad and thankful you said that there is a cure for lukewarm Christians!

    This is a good post. Thank you for your openess and wise, spiritual lesson.

    xxx

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    1. A good reminder for us all (I am pretty sure!) :) Blessings sweet Jedidja!

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  2. Bold, Right, and Good! What calling has the Lord blessed you with to carry out such a bold message? Bless the Lord for Choosing You!!

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    1. Thanks for the visit and for your words; God puts on my heart just what I need at just the time I need it. :) Blessings!

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  3. Dear Denise
    I have found that relying not just on myself, but also on my good religious deeds, makes me lukewarm and tasteless! We need to often look at whose strength we rely on! Good reminder, thank you.
    Blessings
    Mia

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    1. Amen Mia; good words! :) Blessings to you, too. :)

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  4. I love that you give every day examples of what a lukewarm Christian is and does. I hate impractical rantings. I enjoyed your wise and relate-able words. Well done.

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    1. Thanks Candy; blessings for a joyful weekend! :)

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  5. Denise, this is the kind of message that calls one to the carpet so to speak. I like that you didn't leave us without a solution to resolve our lukewarmness. All hope is not lost. Hope you're enjoying a blessed weekend my friend.

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    1. There is always a solution with God (never hopeless!), if only we open our hearts...right?? :) Sweet blessings to you my friend!

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  6. Well, this hit home. Thanks for the wake up call.

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  7. Excellent post, Denise. Much food for thought here. An important part of preventing becoming lukewarm is daily, devoted time in the Word. The disciples headed to Emmaus said their hearts burned as Jesus explained the Scriptures, and He can still do that today as His Spirit teaches us His Word.
    God bless,
    Laurie

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    1. Thanks Laurie...yes; our daily devotion is the nourishment that keeps us faithful and united! :)

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  8. Great reminder. I am glad that you shared there is a cure :) I visited from Sharing His Beauty & am glad that I did!
    Blessings,
    Joanne

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    1. Thanks for reading; I am glad you stopped by too! :) Blessings!

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  9. Hi Denise, I love this post. So practical! I think in some ways i am lukewarm (hide my head in shame) and in others I'm on the right track. Thanks for the reminder to get my ducks in a row.
    God bless my friend
    Tracy

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    1. Practical, but something I certainly have to work on and keep in check! Not always sure MY ducks are in a row-ha! Love you my dear friend! :)

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  10. We all understand "half-hearted" effort and never approve of "half-heart" service given to us on a daily basis. Why would we want to give "half-hearted' service to God in our faith. We give full and enthuiastic attention and effort in the people, places and things that we truly believe in, love and desire. I thik that we (generally speaking) don't see and know our Heavenly Father clearly or understand who He is, how He is, what He did and what He does ... and can we believe in, love and desire that which we do not really know? We work hard for that which we believe in, love and desire, trust in, depend upon, and put our full-weight of faith upon. Why are we not "all in"? So Is half-hearted really "half-belief" or the doubt of unbelief or laziness of self-centeredness? Denise, This is so scarey to me because of the eternal implications to the individual and the immediate affect upon our society to bring the light of Christ in "Saving" faith to a lost and dying sinful world. We need to seriously look at ourselves in the mirror and ask; "What do i believe and why?" We need a "Great Awakening" in our own life and in this world, and I think that knowing God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) is the key. To know Him is to love Him. We need to seek Him daily, with all that we have. God bless you sister-in-Christ for this wonderful post and challenge for our life. Blessings.

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    1. Aw; lovely words written Brian! Thanks for your comment; it is scary and we must continue to stay focused on who He really is and what we really believe in. Blessings sweet friend...

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  11. My one word for this year is ...surrender. So in order to do this, I need to give up my rights and learn to trust God. There's nothing half hearted about that. No more lukewarm!

    Blessings and love,
    Debbie

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    1. They go hand in hand...indeed Debbie! Blessings!

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  12. Excellent thoughts and examples of being lukewarm. May we ever stay hot for our Lord in our daily walk.

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    1. Thanks Hazel; "ever stay hot"...I agree!

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  13. Denise - Ugh...I think we all suffer from Lukewarmness..at some level. :( I know I do. Thanks for challenging our hearts & stirring us all toward the fullness of Christ, the abundance that comes from running hard after Him.

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    1. There are just those days...thankfully they are only temporary! Blessings Jen!

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  14. A good post, Denise. A convicting post. I know I have too much lukewarmness in me. I've been praying that I will have a fiery passion for Jesus.

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    1. I pray too Peggy; and long for more "fire"! Blessings!

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  15. I want to be hot like a cup of hot cocoa - just filling causing an "Ahhh" - but sometimes I think I'm hot like melted chocolate when it touches the skin - and it's too much - how I want to be effectively hot:) I love visuals - and your visual gets the point across beautifully - and practically!

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    1. I love your visual too; perfect! Blessings sister!

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  16. I tend to stray on the side of safety. Trying to be more courageous!
    (Although, for the record, I like lukewarm water the best. But I won't mix that in with my theology. ha.)
    Thanks for sharing this encouragement.

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    1. Thanks for visiting Lisa....sometimes it's a bit hard to step out of our safety net! :) Blessings!

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  17. Love Love Love!! My pastor refers to "lukewarm christians" as Christian Athiests, as they believe in God but live as if he doesn't exist. He wrote a book titled Christian Athiests that goes right along with this post.

    I wanna daily be On Fire for God - I don't even think that's too much for God to ask. Isn't that a fair reaction considering what He has done for us??

    Great post, love! Have a gorgeous rest of your week. Hugs to you, friend!

    Falen

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    1. It's true; we can't worship and praise behind closed doors Falen; love what you said here. :) Hugs to you too!

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  18. Hey Denise this post is good stuff mann thanks for putting this up! -hugs- from Singapore! :)

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    1. Lots of (((((hugs))))) to you too sweet Joy!

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  20. Hi Denise! Love this post! Unfortunately, we as Believers must constantly be reminded of this. When in fact the mere thought of what our Savior did for us on the cross, should keep us on fire for Him ALWAYS!! The translation of spit in the Rev. 3:16 is "spew", which means vomit. When you vomit something out...it is violent and forceful because it has caused a great unsettling to the person. Thanks for sharing Denise and thanks for linking up...have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. So true Michell; it is harsh but oh how we can drift! I don't want to ever be cold! :) Blessings, and happy Mother's Day!

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  21. I always think about where he says 'if you are lukewarm I will spit you out of my mouth'.. I never, never want to be that.. Everyday I pray that He keeps me near Him, that he doesn't let me take a step away from Him, and that He keeps a longing for Him in my heart always.. Thanks for this post :)

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    1. I agree Ren; neither do I! Wonderful blessings to you dear sister...have a blessed weekend!

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  22. Alas, I have spent far too much lukewarm.

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