Sunday - Eve of National Day

Sunday we came to the last of the seven churches. Normally we speak about saving the best for the last, but in this instance the worst was kept for the last -the church at Laodicea. Outwardly it was prosperous, inwardly poverty stricken; a contrast from the church at Smyrna. The people had allowed wealth and self sufficiency to affect their spiritual outlook. The city known for its garments, took pride in its medical schools and medical research and discoveries received a terrible verdict - wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, naked. It's a lesson for us all.

Here our Lord sees a church which had lost its vigour - neither hot nor cold, lukewarm, apathetic, complacent. It had lost its values - trusting in material wealth instead of on the Lord. It had lost its spiritual vestures despite the rich rich garments the city produced. It reminds me of Han Christian Andersons' fable - the Emperor tricked by a con man went on parade naked. He thought he was clothed in splendour! That fairy tale is the a picture of the church at Laodicea. It's a warning to us today!

Laodicea was a rotten church, but despite its condition the Lord still loved the people. What a beautiful statement from the Lord, "Behold 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." (Rev. 3: 20) Fanny Crosby has put the words into a song. (I've not heard it sung for a long time.)

"Behold me standing at the door,
And hear me pleading evermore
With gentle voice; O heart of sin,
May I come in, may I come in?

I bore the cruel thorns for thee,
I waited long and patiently;
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in, may I come in?

I bring thee joy from Heaven above,
I bring thee pardon, peace and love;
Say, weary heart, oppressed with sin,
May I come in, may I come in? (SASB 229)

Holmon Hunt painted the picture of Christ - "The Light of the World" depicting Jesus standing outside the door of man's heart. After he had painted this picture, he showed it to a close friend, Henry Clark before it was publicly exhibited. Clark looked at the kingly picture of Christ, with the crown of thorns on His head; the lantern with its perforations that speak of the truth being revealed in different ways; at the rough and ready door and the clinging tendrils of ivy which had spread themselves over the door, indicating the door had not been opened for a long time. Then he turned to the artist and said, "Mr. Hunt you have made one mistake in the picture. You have painted the door without a handle."

Holman Hunt replied, "It is not a mistake. The door has a handle on the inside."

Christ stands at the door or churches and individuals. It is up to us to open the door and let Him in. Christ the perfect Gentlemen will not force His way in. He waits to be invited.

While the message was addressed to the Laodicean church, it is a call and a challenge to us - The Salvation Army and the whole of Christendom. Sometimes I feel today we are so concerned with programmes, rituals, observances, fund raising etc all very good and proper but forget to let Christ dwell in our hearts.

Our Corps Officer,(Pastor) is away and my wife and I were pleased to stand in for her. We did the meeting. Seeing it was the Eve of National Day, I chose for my theme - 'Celebrating the Almighty God.' We began the meeting with the great song of praise, "How great Thou art" and ended with "Great is Thy faithfulness." The message was based on Psalm 145 that speaks about the Greatness, Goodness, Glory and Grace of God.