I thanked Ricky as he filled my coffee cup. I took a taste as he started to walk away.
“Hold on Ricky,” I said. “This coffee isn’t hot. It’s just warm.”
As he took my cup, Ricky said, “Sorry. Be right back.” A minute later he returned with a different cup of coffee. I tasted it. “Perfect,” I said. “Nice and hot, just the way I like it! Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Ricky said as he left.
“You like hot coffee?” Stan asked.
“With breakfast, always,” I responded. “Sometimes in the afternoon I will have a glass of iced coffee, but I never like warm coffee.”
“Just like Jesus,” Stan said.
“What in the world do you mean by that?” I asked. “He didn’t drink coffee, did He?”
“I don’t think so,” Stan replied, “but, like He told the apostle John to write to one of the early churches, He doesn’t like lukewarm churches.”
“And,” he continued, “I don’t think He likes for there to be lukewarm Christians.”
“Lukewarm Christians?” What’s that?”
“To me, Stan responded, “a lukewarm Christian, is just like the coffee you sent back. Warm, not hot, and doesn’t taste very good. Maybe a little bitter. Not on fire for God. Kind of wishy-washy. More just sitting on the train station platform waiting for the train to glory, rather than doing something with the salvation that has been given.”
“And the Bible talks about that?” I asked.
“Sure does,” Stan replied. “The Book of Revelation, where the apostle John wrote down and sent letters to the different churches pursuant to what Jesus told him. And what He told John to write was pretty graphic.”
“What?”
“He said He was going to spit them out!”
“I’m going to have to check that out,” I said as I finished my coffee. “I don’t like lukewarm and I don’t want to be just lukewarm.”
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And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: “The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I would that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth’.” Revelation 3:14 – 16.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, that you tell me what you want, what you like and what you don’t like. And thank you that you have given me your Holy Spirt to live in me as the Counselor and Helper to lead me in being the Christian you intend. I confess that too often I have been, and am, lukewarm in my relationship with you. Please forgive me. And please, Father, help me to follow your lead in only being who and doing what you intend in order for me to have a vibrant and ever-growing relationship with you so that I am not a lukewarm Christian. Thank you I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: What does it mean to you for the church to be “lukewarm”? What about a person who is described as a “lukewarm” Christian? What does such a person look like? Do you fall into that category? Why or why not? If a person asked you what it would take for a person not to be a lukewarm Christian, what would you say that it would look like? And how would it happen?
Waiting for the Train 