Renew your faith

We received new glassware as a Chr istmas gif t this year. Working Glasses to be exact. Our old glasses—which we called water goblets, because, after all, we are Baptist—had seen better days. I think they were wine glasses but we do not drink (if you do it’s okay) so they were only used for tea and water but anyway, the old water goblets had gotten really dusty looking and needed to be tossed. Even the 23-year-old graduate student that used to live at our house said those things have got to go.

That’s what happens isn’t it? Our furniture gets worn out, the carpet in the house gets worn out, I’m always afraid my clothes will go out of style and I won’t know it. Are leisure suits still in?

It’s like opening the refrigerator one day and smelling something funky. How long has that been incubating? It’s probably the cure to Covid but we don’t know it!

We are not always as sensitive as we should be, in fact we grow to be insensitive don’t we? What smell?

The Blonde follows a woman on Instagram who shares fashion tips. Her bio says, “Too old for Abercrombie, not ready for Chico’s.” I get that. We don’t always see when it’s time to move on. That’s why we need community (church) and we need friends (brothers and sisters in the faith) that love us enough to hold us accountable (Galatians 2:11-13).

In Revelation 3 Jesus told the Church in Laodicea that while they thought they were doing okay—they were not cold or hot, they were “lukewarm.” He said, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked.”

Ha! Their problem went beyond out of style clothes. They were not even wearing clothes. Yikes! I don’t even shower naked so I can only imagine how they should have been spiritually embarrassed before Christ!

Later Jesus says, “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.”

Why is Jesus outside of the church? Knocking, asking to come in? I am afraid the average church is in way more trouble than even I think it’s in. Jesus, not even in the church! Jesus is not a part of the church! Asking to be invited into the church?

In Jeremiah 8:5 we read, “Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding?” And in 14:7 it says, “our backslidings are many; we have sinned against you.” I don’t know about you but I need spiritual renewal every day. We are naturally selfish and it’s easy to not include Jesus in our daily living.

In Romans 12:11 we are told to not be “slothful in zeal, but be burning in spirit, serving the Lord.” The Apostle Paul told a young/middle-aged pastor named Timothy to “fan the flame” (2nd Timothy 1:6).

Nothing is static is it? We are either moving forward with Christ in a vibrant, healthy relationship that is growing in it’s dependency and devotion or we are naked, lukewarm, backsliding, letting sin become the new normal and letting it rule our lives.

Listen for a minute. How many of us hear someone knocking at the door of our heart? Can I encourage you? If you hear someone at the door open that thing up! Fan the flame, throw some wood on that fire, get dressed, toss the glasses, throw away what is stinking up that refrigerator (Hebrews 12:1) and renew your faith today!

He told me to tell you that.