Luke Warm and Loving It...

On the last bible study we were challenged to spend more time with God.  I was planning to read my bible tonight, but when I was listening to the radio this afternoon I heard about Francis Chan, I remember him speaking at my church a long while ago.  So I went to You Tube and looked for some of his video, one I found interesting, the title says "Luke Warm & Loving It". He was preaching from the Book of Revelation and read one of the letters, which some of us read probably many times, the passages say:

¹⁴"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
      These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. ¹⁵I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You 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. ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. ²¹To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

I missed those days when I first met Christ, wide eyes over Him, on fire about Him.  A friend warned me about this before, that the fire may go out over time if I don't keep it alive, keep stoking the fire.  I heard him and I made a promise in my heart that I will not let this happens.  However, the passages above warned me.  It says that I thought that I was rich and have comfort, but I am wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.  I'm not a rich man by any means, but we are rich compare to the rest of the world.  We have comfort.  Most people I know including me don't worry about if we are going to eat tomorrow.  We worry about what we are going to eat tomorrow.  All I'm saying is that I have comfortable living and if I worry, I'm not worry about how I can really make an impact for the Kingdom.  At least not anymore.  
I missed that kid, a kid that was just saved, so young in the faith, the kid that was devouring the bible until he was so tired he couldn't read anymore.  A kid that just got this world turned upside down and didn't care, because he has this new faith in God, a new hope in God, a new life in God.  I really do miss him.  He found the Kingdom of Heaven.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field."

But I think now I feel like I'm not really on fire anymore, I feel lukewarm.  I forgot what true riches are.  I forgot that not all that glitters in life is gold.  I need to get the true gold refined in the fire.

But God still love us.  Those whom God loves He will rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.  God is standing at the door and knocking. If anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come in and eat with him, and he with Him.  I never enjoyed God's discipline but I know He wants me to learn about something, He wants me to give up certain things in my life, trivial things in my life.

Sometime I forgot about this grand vision about Heaven:
²At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. ⁴Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. ⁶Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.
   In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." ⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
 ¹¹"You are worthy, our Lord and God,
   to receive glory and honor and power,
   for you created all things,
      and by your will they were created
      and have their being." 

I really need to break out of my comfort zone, this comfort living, not conforming to this world any longer and not worrying about stuff this world worries.
I prayed to God to show me the lukewarm areas in my life, to give me strength and more importantly to be on fire again about His Kingdom. 

*You can watch Francis Chan sermon here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBhqrtMqrv8&feature=related