Our world is full of people who have no comprehension of what God is – many are convinced there is no God – allegedly wise men and women keep telling them this.  Sadly most churches have little to say in protest at this state of things.  We are now reading the book of Revelation and today in ch. 3 we completed the message Jesus sent  through his angel (see ch. 1 v.1) to 7 selected churches.  We see these as representative of all the different types of churches, that is – congregations – that have existed through the ages.
Each message starts with the words, “I know your works.”  God’s all seeing power knows everything that is happening and Scripture employs various imagery of language to indicate this.  We saw an example of this today in Zechariah ch.6 with 4 chariots who “go to patrol the earth” (v.7)
The message in Revelation to the believers at Laodicea is ominous!  It is a message that fits the condition of spiritual life today.  It pictures a self-satisfied community who “are lukewarm, and who are neither hot or cold” and because of this “I will spit you out of my mouth” [v.16]  They say of themselves, that they  “… have prospered and need nothing, not realising that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked”[v.17] – in a spiritual sense.
They need to “buy from me”   says Jesus “white garments so that you may cloth yourself …” [v.18] This takes our thoughts back to v.4 and the message to the believers in Sardis where there were still “a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white … and I will never blot his (or her) name out of the book of life …” [v.5]
What are these garments?  God’s message through Isaiah is frequently relevant to the messages in Revelation. Look at Ch. 61 v.10 “I will greatly rejoice … for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness” to happen when “the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations.” [v.11]
How essential it is to realize what we really are – from the perspective of our Lord.  Jesus knows we are not perfect, but he said to those at Laodicea, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him … “ [v.20]  Opening God’s word and reading it prayerfully every day surely means we are opening the door of our hearts to welcome our Lord into our minds.