Journey Through The Bible
  Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 14-16
  New Testament Reading: Revelation 3

See! 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 (Revelation 3:20).

There is probably no other scripture that is taken out of context and misused as much as this one. Often today, this verse is used in evangelistic efforts, stating that Jesus is standing at the door of your heart waiting for you to ask Him into your life.

Instead, in this verse, John paints a disturbing image of Jesus standing at the door of His church, pleading with the congregation to open the door of the church and invite Him in. The Lord was about to tell this church the truth about its spiritual condition; unfortunately, they would not listen. They had become lukewarm in their faith and were blind to their own needs and unwilling to face the truth.

Jesus said without Me you can do nothing (John 15:5).The Laodicean church thought they had the blessing of God because they had become rich and wealthy.  They had become proud of their ministry and had begun to measure their success by human standards instead of spiritual values. They became lukewarm toward God because they thought they no longer needed Him (v17). Their Savior had become an afterthought and now He was standing outside the church, trying to get in!

Despite their lukewarm relationship with Jesus, He still loved them. Jesus extended the church an opportunity to repent of their pride and humble themselves before the Lord. He invited the church to experience a renewed relationship with Him. Jesus would not force a relationship upon the church, but He stood near knocking, waiting for them to open the door and choose Him.

Today, the city of Laodicea lies in ruins. The Lampstand has been removed; the Light of God no longer shines there. The Lord loved them and disciplined them so that they would repent (v19) but they ignored His warning.

Today, Christians are still prone to finding a false sense of security in money or positions as we drift away from the center of our faith. May we learn from the mistakes of the Laodiceans and choose to accept Jesus’ invitation for a closer walk with Him.