Diagnosis: SPIT-WATER
I’ve found myself to be lukewarm. Wouldn’t it be great if I could just snap my fingers and turn things back to normal? If I were a computer, I could add/remove someone in my life using the control panel. I could put my son in the recycle bin and restore him when I feel like it (Talk about a time out…). I could improve my appearance by adjusting the display settings. I could turn off the speakers when life gets too noisy. I could click on “find” (Ctrl, F) to recover my lost remote control and car keys, which would be tremendously helpful. To get my daily exercise, just click on "run"… and if I mess up my life, I could simply press "Ctrl, Alt, Delete" and start all over. But, I’m not a computer. I can’t run the “Turn to Jesus” software and kick-start my heart back in motion. I see what I need to do, I simply pray that if I go through the motions again, motivation will follow. I sure do need it.
Point #1 “Check-Up”
I need to see the spiritual doctor. I have felt blah spiritually. I doubt I’m the only one who’s felt like that, but maybe I’m wrong and everyone in this whole-wide world is just a juggernaut in the BIBLE. Frustrating! They knock out scripture left and right. They’re Super-Hero Christians. I asked my wife if I was cold spiritually. I didn’t want to be lukewarm and I knew I wasn’t hot spiritually… I was actually hoping that I was cold, so that I would be something useful, even though I’m not right. I don’t know, but at least I wouldn’t be spit water.
Then my wife shared this passage with me:
2nd Peter 1:2-11
Grace and peace be given to you more and more, because you truly know God and Jesus our Lord. Jesus has the power of God, by which he has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus called us by his glory and goodness. Through these he gave us the very great and precious promises. With these gifts you can share in being like God, and the world will not ruin you with its evil desires.
Because you have these blessings, do your best to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add patience; and to your patience, add service for God; and to your service for God, add kindness for your brothers and sisters in Christ; and to this kindness, add love. If all these things are in you and are growing, they will help you to be useful and productive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who does not have these things cannot see clearly. He is blind and has forgotten that he was made clean from his past sins. My brothers and sisters, try hard to be certain that you really are called and chosen by God. If you do all these things, you will never fall. And you will be given a very great welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
That passage led me to this passage – the motivation scripture:
Revelation 2:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
That's pretty straight forward. If I'm not hot or cold, then I am spit water. Seriously, I don't know what a "cold" Christian is, but I can't think of it as being really good. Still, this passage inquires that it is of some use. A "hot" Christian is of some use, as well. We already looked at 2nd Peter 1:2-11, which gives good instruction, so long as you have faith to build on.
I believe I’ve been subtracting a lot lately. But here in 2nd Peter, the scripture shows that I need to add. I need the foundation of faith. I need to throw a “plus goodness” and a “plus patience” to that faith. Of course, I need to “plus love”, because you just can’t have enough love. Maybe my love will overflow out of my mouth because ‘by the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks’. That’s in Matthew 12:34, if you want to check it out.
The next day, I began to feel it: life and a passion for God. I started looking at scripture throughout the day, pondering and thinking what I would put in my quiet times at night. So, I started with what is my next point.
Point #2: Treatment
Matthew 6:25-27
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
I’ve come up with a non-original idea of spiritual math, which tells me that "worrying" doesn't add anything to the equation. Actually, I it takes away from life. Pharmaceutical companies make a good chunk of change off of those who spend their time worrying a bundle. It is a subtraction. How do I know? Check this out...
Matthew 13:18-23
"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."
Since worrying chokes spirituality, worrying is a subtraction in spiritual math. AND worrying makes a person “lukewarm.”
1st Corinthians 11:1-16
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. I praise you because you remember me in everything, and you follow closely the teachings just as I gave them to you. But I want you to understand this: The head of every man is Christ, the head of a woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered brings shame to his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered brings shame to her head. She is the same as a woman who has her head shaved. If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off. But since it is shameful for a woman to cut off her hair or to shave her head, she should cover her head. But a man should not cover his head, because he is the likeness and glory of God. But woman is man's glory. Man did not come from woman, but woman came from man. And man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. So that is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. But in the Lord women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women. This is true because woman came from man, but also man is born from woman. But everything comes from God. Decide this for yourselves: Is it right for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Even nature itself teaches you that wearing long hair is shameful for a man. But long hair is a woman's glory. Long hair is given to her as a covering. Some people may still want to argue about this, but I would add that neither we nor the churches of God have any other practice.
The way I read this is like this: the woman is the man's glory. And if the man wants the woman to have long hair, Brilliant! And if he wants her to have short hair, that’s great as well. It really is for us to decide. The last verse really clears it up for me: we don't have a practice about it. I want to say that this means: they don't care all that much. After verse 16, it talks about divisions within the congregation (clicks in the congregation). I am sure some were women with long hair and others with short hair. That's why in verse 16, they say that arguments are not their cup of tea. And it shouldn't be. Does God love a long-haired woman more than a short-haired woman? I think he loves them and accepts them equally. He just doesn’t want the church to be split up by what is really a “non-spiritual” issue.
Here's the thing. The Bible is as relevant today as it was yesterday and it will be just as relevant tomorrow. This passage isn't really about hair. It's about arguments and divisions. And verse 16 says that the church is not to participate in such things.
Point #3: Prescription
I think Proverbs is the way to go. If I need straight out direction from the Bible with no corners cut, then Proverbs will tell it to you straight. For example: In Proverbs chapter 12 and verse one, it says: “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.” That is telling it like it is. You’re stupid if you don’t like to be corrected. Or you could just say that you’re dumb. Either way, it’s not an uplifting characteristic.
Proverbs 1:1-7
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of
for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance - for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
See, there it is. You’re a fool if you despise discipline. That’s what the Bible says.
Proverbs 9:7-12
"Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
Proverbs 30:5-6
"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar."
I went to my E-Sword, which gave a definition of the word “add” in Proverbs.
BDB Definition: Proverbs “add” is yâsaph which, of course, is a verb:
- To add, increase, to join, join oneself to, to be joined, be added to, to cause to add, increase, to do more
So when looking at the passages, you can see that adding and joining are essentially the same. Think about that. I can join myself with knowledge. I can join myself with guidance. HOW GREAT IS THAT???!!! And then to think of 2nd Peter and all the things I can join to my very being, its mind boggling. I am truly digging this series.
And, of course, Proverbs 30 (like in Revelation 22 verse 18 and 19) shows that there is a subtraction if a person is to add to the words of God. I am sure the same applies if someone emits or cuts out from the words of God.
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