Wake Up!

 I like to spend a lot of time on my blog talking about God's love.  I think it's important for those who once lived lives of sin to know that God doesn't hold their past against them, and reminding other Christians that we shouldn't either.  It's the truth, and is often preached, but isn't always lived.

God's love is important.  I want everyone to know of it, but even more, I want everyone to actually know it.  It's a good topic to talk on.

But right now, I am sad, and angry.  I think the fancy word for that is grieved.  I think I've talked a bit about this before, but I feel like it needs brought up again.

The church in America is asleep at best and dead at worst.  The church in America has a tendency to be lukewarm.  God hates lukewarm.  As he told the church of Laodicea:

"But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!" — Revelation 3:16 NLT

 Over 50% of people in the United States say that they are Christians (source).  There are 328.2 million people in the US.  Even 50% is almost 200 million people.  Almost 200 million people say that they are Christians.

And you have the nerve to tell me that there is still so much evil in America?  And it's getting worse?  Wake up already.  You sit in your pews and sometimes you might give, and sometimes, sometimes you don't even go to church, you sit at home and watch an online service (understandable in certain circumstances), or you even just sleep in on Sunday, because, well, God knows you're a good person after all.  But you don't even know the God you claim to serve!

You can list more Pokémon than you can quote Bible verses!  And no, this isn't a dig at Pokémon, I love Pokémon.  You can list more Disney characters than people from the Bible (another fandom I enjoy)!  You can retell every episode of your favorite TV show, but you don't even know the story of Jael (Judges 4, if you're interested)!

No, being a Christian isn't all about knowing about God, but when you know more about the things in the world than you do about the God you claim to love and serve, the one who isn't gonna let you go to hell because you're a "good person...."  Honey, you done screwed up.

No, God doesn't want you to go to hell.  He straight up says that he doesn't want anyone to be destroyed.

"The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." — II Peter 3:9 NLT

But you have to repent.  And if you're living your life all lukewarm, like the church in Laodicea mentioned in Revelation, you're screwed.  And you screwed yourself over, God didn't do that to you.

"You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." — Revelation 3:17 NLT

This is what God said to the church of Laodicea, and we are blind in America if we think God isn't saying this to us.

Like I pointed out in my post Stop. Praying., if we, as the church, actually followed what our God asked us to do, and speak up for those who can't speak up for themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9), took care of the abundant amount of widows and fatherless in our country (James 1:27), gave to those who had need (Luke 12:33), and just generally loved others as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:39), we wouldn't have all the issues that we're having.

There would be decent people in office, because the over 50% of Christians would get out there and vote in decent humans, who truly care about helping others.  The over 50% of Christians would stand up and ask God to use them and to put them in positions where they can be the ones voted in to help others.  If every single one of the over 50% of people who say that they're Christians truly knew the God I know, and truly cared about doing his will, then we could be over here moving mountains.

Wake up!  Please!  I'm begging you!  Wake up!  Do what God has asked you to do, live the life he's asked you to live!  It's not easy.  I promise you that right now.  If it were easy, I wouldn't be writing this blog post with tears in my eyes, nervous to even post it because I'm afraid of the backlash.  But it is good.  It is rewarding.

When you allow God to love others through you, it's incredible the changes you can see in a person.  It's amazing to see his love change others.  It's amazing to see his love change you as you let him work through you.

Please...wake up.

God's message to the church of Laodicea didn't end by him calling them lukewarm and arrogant and saying he was going to spit them out and be done with them.  Because he wasn't done with them.  He didn't write them off, he didn't say, "Welp, y'all are too stupid and I am done.  G'bye!"

This is how he continued his letter to them:

"So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see.  I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference." — Revelation 3:18-19

He said, "Come back to me."  He said, "Stop acting like this."  He said, "I will help you see what is right to do and do it."  He said, "I love you.  Act like you love me."

And then he ended his letter like this:

"“Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.  Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne." — Revelation 3:20-21 NLT

 There is hope.  We can still be victorious.  But you have to wake up first.  Please...please...wake up.

"“Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” — Ephesians 3:14b NLT