THIS IS MY FAVORITE VIDEO OF ALL TIMES
Monday, March 9, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
hot cold or maybe room tempeture
The city of Laodicea was built in a region that was full of seismic activity and had experienced many earthquakes. As often happens in a seismic area, vents came up from the depths of the earth,allowing boiling hot water to reach the surface. In the nearby city of Hierapolis, these hot springs were famous. People came from great distances to bathe in those waters, believing they had medicinal
powers. An experience in those waters was viewed to be therapeutic and effective in improving one’s health. Another city named Colosse was not too far away. As Hierapolis was known for its hot springs,Colosse was known for its cold waters. Just as people journeyed to Hierapolis to bathe in the hot springs for health purposes, people would travel great distances to vacation in Colosse, where they could invigorate themselves by taking frequent dips into the famous, refreshing, cool-to-freezing waters of that city. Laodicea may have been the biggest and richest city in the area, but it had neither hot nor cold water. Therefore, the people of Laodicea had to leave their luxurious homes and travel to Colosse if they
wanted to enjoy fresh, cool water. On the other hand, those who desired to soak in the hot springs had to travel six miles to Hierapolis.
Once in an attempt to bring the hot water from Hierapolis to Laodicea, a huge construction project was commenced. The goal of those who initiated the project was to build pipes that would channel the hot water six miles from Hierapolis to the city of Laodicea. The pipes effectively delivered the water — a real feat of construction at that time. Sadly, however, the water lost its heat along the way.
By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was not only lukewarm, but it had developed a sickening,nauseating taste. The taste was so revolting that no one wanted to drink it! So when Jesus told the Laodiceans, “…Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,I will spue thee out of my mouth,” this was a message that carried a strong punch. He was telling them, “Because you have become so dead, dull, sickening and nauseating — because no spiritually refreshing waters flow from you and you have no healing properties left — I will spue thee out of
My mouth!” The word “spue” is the Greek word emeo, and it means to vomit, to spit out, to regurgitate. This picture of Jesus threatening to “spue” the Laodiceans out of His mouth doesn’t mean He was rejecting them or disinheriting them. It just reveals how utterly distasteful a spiritually lukewarm condition is
to Jesus. The fact that these believers were lukewarm means they weren’t good for anything; they were neither cool and refreshing, nor were they hot and healing. They were just stuck in the middle, like something that has lost both its flavor and its heat along the way. These words in
Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
powers. An experience in those waters was viewed to be therapeutic and effective in improving one’s health. Another city named Colosse was not too far away. As Hierapolis was known for its hot springs,Colosse was known for its cold waters. Just as people journeyed to Hierapolis to bathe in the hot springs for health purposes, people would travel great distances to vacation in Colosse, where they could invigorate themselves by taking frequent dips into the famous, refreshing, cool-to-freezing waters of that city. Laodicea may have been the biggest and richest city in the area, but it had neither hot nor cold water. Therefore, the people of Laodicea had to leave their luxurious homes and travel to Colosse if they
wanted to enjoy fresh, cool water. On the other hand, those who desired to soak in the hot springs had to travel six miles to Hierapolis.
Once in an attempt to bring the hot water from Hierapolis to Laodicea, a huge construction project was commenced. The goal of those who initiated the project was to build pipes that would channel the hot water six miles from Hierapolis to the city of Laodicea. The pipes effectively delivered the water — a real feat of construction at that time. Sadly, however, the water lost its heat along the way.
By the time the water reached Laodicea, it was not only lukewarm, but it had developed a sickening,nauseating taste. The taste was so revolting that no one wanted to drink it! So when Jesus told the Laodiceans, “…Because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,I will spue thee out of my mouth,” this was a message that carried a strong punch. He was telling them, “Because you have become so dead, dull, sickening and nauseating — because no spiritually refreshing waters flow from you and you have no healing properties left — I will spue thee out of
My mouth!” The word “spue” is the Greek word emeo, and it means to vomit, to spit out, to regurgitate. This picture of Jesus threatening to “spue” the Laodiceans out of His mouth doesn’t mean He was rejecting them or disinheriting them. It just reveals how utterly distasteful a spiritually lukewarm condition is
to Jesus. The fact that these believers were lukewarm means they weren’t good for anything; they were neither cool and refreshing, nor were they hot and healing. They were just stuck in the middle, like something that has lost both its flavor and its heat along the way. These words in
Revelation 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Am I lazy
during my devotions I found out that there is a difference between laziness and slothfulness
I had always thought slothfulness and laziness were the same thing, but
they are not. To my utter amazement, I discovered that “slothful” doesn’t have anything to do with laziness! It comes from the Greek word nothros and describes something that is dull, monotonous, or unexciting;something that is slow and sluggish; or something that has lost its speed or momentum. This “something”
is still moving, but it isn’t moving with the same velocity and aggressiveness it once had. It has lost the drive, thrust, impetus, pace, and speed it once possessed. This word therefore presents the idea of someone who was once zealous about something but whose zeal has now dissipated, replaced instead by neutrality.
The Greek word nothros
could be typified by a candle that no longer burns brightly as it once
did; now its flame has dwindled to a mere flicker of its original intensity. The candle still gives light,but not the way it once did. Thus, the word nothros doesn’t present the picture of laziness; rather, it speaks of someone who has lost his zeal or his intense conviction about a matter that once was of great importance to him. It denotes a person who has become disinterested and whose zeal has been
replaced with a middle-of-the-road, take-it-or-leave it mentality.
Because of this word nothros,
Hebrews 6:12 could be interpreted this way:
“Quit being slothful — quit acting like someone who has lost his enthusiasm and excitement and has now sunk into a state of being slow, boring, monotonous, sluggish, dull, and uninterested….”
When I grasped what the word “slothful” really meant, I began wishing the Lord had accused me of laziness! I saw that “slothfulness” has nothing to do with the amount of energy you or I putout to do a job. Instead, it speaks of an inward condition. Even though it may look like we’re going somewhere on the outside, inwardly we’re stuck in “neutral” and going nowhere.
God help me not to be slothful I want to love you today the same way I did 15 years ago when I got saved
I hope you get something out of this like I did
I had always thought slothfulness and laziness were the same thing, but
they are not. To my utter amazement, I discovered that “slothful” doesn’t have anything to do with laziness! It comes from the Greek word nothros and describes something that is dull, monotonous, or unexciting;something that is slow and sluggish; or something that has lost its speed or momentum. This “something”
is still moving, but it isn’t moving with the same velocity and aggressiveness it once had. It has lost the drive, thrust, impetus, pace, and speed it once possessed. This word therefore presents the idea of someone who was once zealous about something but whose zeal has now dissipated, replaced instead by neutrality.
The Greek word nothros
could be typified by a candle that no longer burns brightly as it once
did; now its flame has dwindled to a mere flicker of its original intensity. The candle still gives light,but not the way it once did. Thus, the word nothros doesn’t present the picture of laziness; rather, it speaks of someone who has lost his zeal or his intense conviction about a matter that once was of great importance to him. It denotes a person who has become disinterested and whose zeal has been
replaced with a middle-of-the-road, take-it-or-leave it mentality.
Because of this word nothros,
Hebrews 6:12 could be interpreted this way:
“Quit being slothful — quit acting like someone who has lost his enthusiasm and excitement and has now sunk into a state of being slow, boring, monotonous, sluggish, dull, and uninterested….”
When I grasped what the word “slothful” really meant, I began wishing the Lord had accused me of laziness! I saw that “slothfulness” has nothing to do with the amount of energy you or I putout to do a job. Instead, it speaks of an inward condition. Even though it may look like we’re going somewhere on the outside, inwardly we’re stuck in “neutral” and going nowhere.
God help me not to be slothful I want to love you today the same way I did 15 years ago when I got saved
I hope you get something out of this like I did
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