These Things Saith He – Scripture for the Laodiceans

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. – Revelation 3:20

Jesus knocks, but we don’t always open. We don’t open because we don’t want to hear what He has to say. We might say that we love Jesus, and on some level this can be true. However, our love of this world is in the way and makes us lukewarm towards Him – and we know it.

We know that if we open the door and hear what Jesus has to say, He will ask us to let go of things that we want to hold on to—things that we serve instead of Him. We cannot serve this world and Him also. Though we live in this world, we cannot be of this world because He is not of this world.

If He is knocking and we do not open—and if we are sons of God in the making—then the Father will chasten us to make us more receptive of the good things that we can gain from Jesus. The riches that He has to offer are far better than the things of this world, but without faith, we cannot receive them.

The good things that Jesus gives us are of the Spirit, and though we might prosper in some measure if we live uprightly, many of the things of Spirit have nothing to do with gain in this world. The understanding and wisdom that He gives are often hinged on faith of future gain, not in this world, but in the Kingdom of Heaven to come.

We can experience the things of the Kingdom of Heaven in some measure even now as the Spirit works in us and causes the things of Jesus to manifest in our lives. The more this happens, the more Jesus is our Lord in sincerity, and the more authority He gives us also because we are of the same purpose as He is. “I am come to set fire on the earth, and what will I if it be already kindled?”

It is difficult to overcome the world. We might be ashamed to admit our love of this world, but if we are faithful to admit our faults to God, then He is faithful to forgive, to guide us, and to strengthen us in the way He would have us to go.

This is something that no one can do for us. We can encourage one another in the things of righteousness on a basic level, but each person needs to open to Jesus and hear what He would have them to do personally—and there will be things required of us depending on what we are given. “To whom much is given, much is required.”

Be careful what you ask for. Sometimes we ask for things without taking measure of what it means for us, but we can trust that God is in control of all things and nothing or no one can remove His hand. Yet, let us not be foolish and bury our talent in the earth. The earth is for the dead and the dead rule it until Jesus returns, and in Him alone we have life. Even life from the dead when we refuse the dead and the dead rise against us.

Below are some scriptures that we can consider and compare to what is written by the Spirit to the Laodiceans. This is list is a work in progress. I will take some time away to complete the final These Things Saith He work, Lord willing—and I think—Lord insisting.

• Matthew 6 and Luke 14
• Matthew 19 and Mark 10
• Luke 12
• Hebrews 12
• Proverbs 3

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All Current “These Things Saith He” Drafts

The above is the draft version of a chapter to a book I plan to write and publish in a manner that is free of charge to the public.

I wrote in These Things Saith He: Contents that I will publish the drafts here first and offer opportunity for others to share their thoughts before the final work is completed.

I’m open to and greatly value the insight, experiences, and thoughts of my Christian brethren because we are a body knit together in Christ that is meant to work together without over reliance on our leaders. I am not your leader, but I do try to be faithful to what I have received to the best of my ability, and I look to Jesus for gracious judgment of my service and the service of all who truly love Him.