"Are We Lukewarm"

Love, where is your fire

I hope you clicked on the link above and listened to the song :) I heard this song when one of my sonography classmates twin sister sang it in ASU's A Capella group. At the time, I didn't GET the song. I recently rediscovered this song (I am certain it was God's intention for me to) and it has laid so heavy on my heart. It has been a song that I can relate to so closely. This song is Brooke's cry out to God for a life full of Him - an inferno of Him. Take a look at the lyrics...

Love, where is your fire?
I've been sittin here smokin away
Makin signals with sticks and odd ends and bits
But still there's no sign of a flame

Impostors have been passin
Offerin a good feelin glow
But I'm holdin out for what you are about
An inferno that burns to the bone

Some urge me to be temperate
Lukewarm will never do

Cos I, I wanna blaze with you
So I'm holdin my heart out to you
Holdin my heart out

So I stand, handin out torches
Speakin words that are lamps to their feet
Til the time when you come
And I'm whole and we are one
And the fire in me is complete

Some tell me to be moderate
But lukewarm will never do

Cos I, I know I'll blaze with you
So I'm holdin my heart out to you

Then a doubt comes to lie at the back of my mind
That I'll offer you me and you'll politely decline
So I hasten to mute it, Ill shout and rebuke it away
Away, away, away, away, away, away

Cos I, I know I'll blaze with you
So I'm holdin my heart out to you, to you, to you
Cos I, I know I'll blaze with you
So I'm holdin my heart out to you
Holdin my heart out, holdin my heart out
Holdin my heart out, holdin my heart out

In these lyrics, she is longing to be a woman on fire for the Lord, and although impostors are offering empty promises, she is holding out for the fire of God. People are telling her to be moderate and temperate in her desire for the Lord, but that just isn't enough for her. She doesn't want to be lukewarm, she wants to be hot. And what happens when our hot turns to lukewarm? Lukewarm doesn't start from cold - it comes from hot that is cooling.  My hot baths are sometimes too hot to even get in to, but over time without adding more hot water, it becomes lukewarm and then cold. There are times when we are tired, we are uncertain of God's timing and we just don't feel like worshiping. But we have to keep adding to the fire - going to the next level. Constant thirst, constant prayer, constant worship, constant love. 

I found this verse...Revelations 3:15-16 - "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth." 

With a little more reading, I found that this was to the Church of Laodicea, the wealthiest of the seven cities, known for the banking industry, manufacture of wool, and a medical school. But the city had a problem with its water supply. At one time an aqueduct was built to bring water to the city from hot springs. But by the time the water reached the city, it was neither hot nor refreshingly cool - only lukewarm. The church had become as bland as the water. Lukewarm water doesn't make a good drink. These believers didn't take a stand for anything; indifference had led to idleness. By neglecting to do anything for Christ, the church had become hardened and self satisfied and it was destroying itself. We, as Christians, do not want to become half hearted, self sufficient Christians. We need Christ to light up our faith and get us into actions. 

This has had me thinking for the last couple of weeks - why am I not completely on fire for God the way I want to be? I go to church every Sunday, Bible study every Wed, listen to Christian music in my car, read my Bible, take notes, and have a desire to contribute in ways to glorify God. However, I find myself struggling for that flame. If your fire is starting to go out, how do you get it back? For me personally, I need to take a stand for my faith and not just go through the actions of a Christian, but I need to make some MAJOR changes in how I live my life. While I realize that none of us are perfect in how we live and I am ok with that...I do some things in my life that others may see as hypocritical. That is the last thing I want someone to think of when they think of me. 

I have friends that are believers and some are nonbelievers. I tend to play it "safe" so I don't offend anyone. I try to stay moderate and temperate for those people. I have recently posted on my Instagram about Natalie Grant leaving the Grammys because she was uncomfortable. If it was me, would I have had the courage to do the same? I was even a little hesitant to post about that because I didn't want to offend anyone. While I didn't watch the show, I did see pieces of it on the news, and I do not blame this lady for leaving...I applaud her. I could not believe some of the things that were happening on that stage.  As a Christian, I should not be supporting this type of behavior or performances. When I started thinking, I realized that I spent almost 200 dollars last January to go see Justin Bieber in concert. Can you imagine what 200 dollars could do for the ministry my church has in Kenya to help teenage girls out of forced prostitution. Ouch. That cut deep. What am I doing by making a celebrity more important than work in a ministry. I also got an end of the year letter from my church that had the amount of money I tithed in 2013. Ouch. That dug even deeper. Everything I have is from Him, and I haven't trusted in Him enough to give back. 

I found an article online about a lukewarm person...

1. You seldom read the Word of God outside of church.
2. Your prayers can be best described as “emergency flares” rather than open and consistent communication with God.
3. Corporate worship is optional. You mix it in when it doesn’t interfere with anything else.
4. Corporate worship is social and strategic. It’s a place to see friends, share your frustrations about politics, and maybe even schedule a business meeting or two.
5. Your “Religion” is more about form and tradition than it is about a relationship with the living God..
6. You say that you are a Christian, but it has little or no impact on the way you live.

7. You give money to charity and church as long as it doesn't impinge on your standard of living. 

8. You tend to choose what is popular over what is right when in conflict. 

9. You are moved by stories of people who do radical things for Christ, yet do not act. You assume acts are for "extreme" Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm Christians call "radical" what Jesus expected all of His followers to do.

10. You gauge your morality or "goodness" by comparing yourself to others. You are satisfied when you aren't as hard core for Jesus as that one person, but not as horrible as that other person.

11. You love Jesus and He is a part of your life, but he isn't allowed to be in control of your life.

12. You are thankful for your luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor except as at Christmas or special times.

The Bible is full of examples of  people who were hot, cold, or lukewarm for God. In each case, there are lessons we can learn from their lives. I urge you to take a moment tonight and ask God for a fire in your life for Him. Replace all the empty promises of the world, and replace them with a desire and a longing to walk with Him.