“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.” (Revelation 3:16-17 The Message Bible)
As you read things that people post on social media, you can indicate a thumbs up, showing that you “Like” what you saw posted or you can put a thumbs down, expressing you definitely did not like what you read. “Likes,” can communicate thoughts that potentially can lead one astray from a good life based on the sights seen by eyes of the Lord, negatively impact one’s belief on what is acceptable behavior as defined by God’s word and prevent someone from continuing to stay committed to the climb.
Well, my advice to you, if you are one of the people who spend hours on social media, other than to guard your mind is threefold. First, when you recognize that the content is definitely not something for the godly, go to another posting immediately. Don’t let the enemy use this technical platform to unconsciously have an effect on you. Second, let the Lord’s expectations for you to be beneficial as a individual Christian, and as part of a collective body called the local church. Yes, an active presence in your “church” is still what Christ desires and “Likes.” He wants you to be beneficial to others, both beneficially and as a part of the body of Christ. Listen, to get what I am saying, please perceive “cold” and “hot” from beneficial perspectives as you think of the Lord’s analogy in The Book of Revelation, and do not be “lukewarm,” which is neither cold of hot, not beneficial. Don’t be stagnant, as the translation above says. Third, get on fire for the Lord, knowing He knows you, as individuals and as local church bodies. Yes, seek to please Him and earn a “Like” from Jesus. That is the “Like” that will keep you going in the right direction and doing the right things. For what you feel, knowing you pleased the Lord, that will keep you pressing on toward the mark.
As you can tell from the scriptural passage above, our spirituality is important from Jesus’ point of view. Therefore, examine yourself this Tuesday morning. Check you viability as one who truly has the victory in Christ Jesus. Take a look at yourself and evaluate whether you are living holy or living as hypocrites live. That was strong, but listen, I am just a specific messenger today, charged with specifically posing a specific question to specifically for YOU. So, I ask you, “Would you get a “Like” from Jesus?” Your answer has to be “Yes” or “No.” If your answer was the former, live beneficially for the Lord. As a matter of fact, choosing the latter analogy used by the Lord, stay on fire! If your answer to the question I just posed was the latter, pray that the Lord will do what is expressed in the words of the song below, composed by Gene Bartlett in 1965. Love you, my friend. Be blessed!
“Set my soul afire, Lord, for Thy holy Word, Burn it deep within me, let your voice be heard; Millions grope in darkness, in this day and hour, I will be Your witness, fill me with Thy power. Set my soul afire, Lord, set my soul afire, Make my life a witness of Thy saving power. Millions grope in darkness, waiting for Thy Word, set my soul afire, Lord, Set my soul afire. Set my soul afire, Lord, for the lost in sin, give to me a passion as I seek to win; Help me not to falter, never let me fail, fill me with Thy Spirit, let Thy will prevail.”
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King