Revelation 3: Buy From Christ

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
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. 
You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. 
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
Here I am! 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. 3:14-20 NIV

There is so much to be gleaned from Revelation.  It is after all, as John says in the introduction, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.".(Rev. 1:1-2 NIV)  Since It is the word of God, the one who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, there is no dimension of time as we normally consider.  God's word is as relevant today as it was when John found himself on the Isle of Patmos.  The same truths apply to the church today as when this book was written.  As much as I hate to admit it, the primary letter to the churches which applies to the American church today is the letter addressed to the Laodicean church.  ''You are neither not or cold', we are told and we immediately have the taste of lukewarm tea in our mouth.  It's not hot, it's not cold, it's undrinkable. 

We think we're wealthy, we take up huge collections to pay for the huge churches we build.  We magnanimously send our token missionaries to foreign lands. We entertain the lost with our enormous musical productions.  We give some of our resources to the poor and downtrodden as long was we don't have to come in physical contact with them.  'You think you are rich', God says, 'but you don't know how wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked you are.' 

Meanwhile, Christ is still  knocking at the door. ' Buy from me', he says, 'buy gold that has been refined by persecution, by sacrifice, by blood.  Buy the white robe of righteousness.  Buy the balm that will allow you to open your eyes.  Don't be tempted to buy all the trappings of the world, buy from me!'