Neither Hot nor Cold Revelation 3:16

When we think of hot or cold, one thing is certain, they are both relative to our environment. When walking inside our home from a 41 degree Celsius day into a room that was 28 degrees Celsius felt cool to my skin. In fact it stayed cool on my skin for some time, at least till it was time to sleep and it was still 32 degrees outside and 28 degrees inside. Scientist tell us that the most comfortable temperature for the human body is around 22 degrees Celsius. Hence we know by study where about we should adjust our climate controls.

In the same way the environment effects our temperature in the natural it can also be said that it effects us in the spiritual. We know the story of the frog that boiled to death simply because it stayed in water that was slowly increased in temperature, apparently unawares that the increase in temperature can kill it. Jesus speaking to the Church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:16 says "..you are neither hot nor cold..". Jesus speaking of their faith says because of this they had become ineffectual to those around them. I believe we too can become like this if we don't have a spiritual barometer to measure where we are at in our faith. As a result, the church believed they were rich when in fact Jesus said they were poor.

What then is our spiritual barometer? When I was young, my parents had a sauna built not too far from our backyard swimming pool. Especially in winter, we would spend the evenings heating the sauna and finish by throwing ourselves into the cold water of the swimming pool. When we were in the sauna, we would sometimes pour cold water onto the hot rocks of the sauna's heating elements. As a result the water would be changed into steam and produce an intense heat in the small room.

When we use the above analogy, we see that when water is applied to something hot it is transformed into gas or steam. In the same way, when we apply the water of the word of God to our lives, if we are "hot" or have a fire caught up in our bones as Jeremiah spoke of in chapter 20:9, then that water should be transformed. The water of the word of God should become the revelation of God's Spirit in our hearts.

Any person can read the bible and pray, but it is God's Spirit that brings the change. It is this revelation that I believe is our spiritual barometer for our lives and when we are burning with God's Spirit in our hearts and lives it will not be the environment that effects us but we who effect our environment.

God Bless