You are Wretched, Pitiable, Poor, Blind, and Naked, Part 5

 Don't look now. You are naked. 

We are currently going through this passage.

“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17

We already learned that although you may think you have it all together, a complete bank account, a lovely home, a car, and the position where you work, God calls you “wretched, pitiable, poor, and blind,” But did you know that you are also naked?

Now of course we could talk about literal nakedness. It was never meant to be a problem. Clothes were not needed. Until we sinned and allowed sin and sickness, and disease, and even shame, to come in. Look here in the beginning.

“And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:25

However, when Adam fell, he allowed sin and shame to come in.

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Genesis 3:7

Was Jesus talking about the literal naked when He said this?

"I was naked and you clothed me," Matthew 25:36

Of course, we are talking about the literal meaning, to clothe those in need. Giving to the poor, and or homeless as an example. Remember what James said?

"If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:15-17

Makes sense does it not? We should be doing this. Without a doubt, we need to help those in need. If you see a kid in your neighborhood that has no shoes, or shoes falling apart? Get some new ones for them. You see someone on your way to work all the time, and they do not seem to have decent clothes? Go get them some. But I submit to you, that Jesus is not only referring to physical clothing but spiritual clothing as well. This is what God is talking about here in our context as well.

What is spiritual clothing? Look at this.

"If then you have been raised with Christ,"

Wait, what does that mean? Us. Me and you. If you accepted the sacrifice of Christ, we were put to death, the flesh that is, and we were born again. We were raised from the dead with Jesus.

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but Christ is all and in all."

That is the naked you. The dirty you. The you that is in need of new clothes. What Clothes? Keep reading.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Colossians 3:1-17

If you are in this world, and of this world, the clothes you are wearing are worldly, dirty, obscenely offensive, worn out, and rags. You may as well be running around naked. You will be naked in the end. Look at this warning from God.

“Your nakedness shall be uncovered, and your disgrace shall be seen. I will take vengeance, and I will spare no one.” Isaiah 47:3

This is why He warns “Christians,” or children of God, this warning.

“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” Revelation 16:15

The world sees you as one of theirs. You are wearing their colors. But there is better clothing to put on. Clothes that will help you to be "beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another" It is through the Blood of Christ that you get these clothes.

Look at Galatians 3:26-27

"So in Christ Jesus, you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ."

Even the $3000.00 suite does not cover the ugliness and evil that lies beneath. Are you allowing God to clothe you?

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress," Isaiah 61:10

Look what we are promised here.

“The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.” Revelation 3:5

What about the world? What about the devil? There is a war going on and the truth is, you are on one side or the other. If you claim to be with God, are you fighting the war naked? Unless you are David, I suggest you put on the armor that cannot be overcome. The armor that no weapon ever formed can harm you. The Armor of God.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints," Ephesians 6:10-18

Without God and Christ's blood, you do not stand a chance. No chance in hell. You are on your way there. You already lost. You already belong to the devil. You are “wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” But here is the good news. This is Jesus talking. This is God talking directly to you. 

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:18-19

With God. With the blood of Christ, you,

"have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

You have put on the robes of righteousness. You have put on Christ. As for the war? The devil? You have put on the whole Armor of God. NOTHING will ever separate you from His love. Wear and teach others to wear, clothes that can never wear out. Clothes that are whiter than white and will never fade. Armor that can and will protect you from anything. Let's get dressed, and go out looking for others to clothe. What say you?

Say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God.

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!

You are Wretched, Pitiable, Poor, Blind, and Naked, Part 3

 You are so poor

We are currently going through this passage.

“For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17

Welcome, today. Yes, you are wretched and pitiable until Jesus calls you out of this world. But did you also know you are poor? I'm not talking in a worldly sense. As a matter of fact, in a worldly sense, you may be very well off. Think about that phrase for a second. We call those that have lots of money, “well off.” People look at people like Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerburg as “well off.”

Well-off = being in good condition or favorable circumstances, well provided: having no lack, being in easy or affluent circumstances, prosperity.

Most think of that as being the ideal life to strive for. Wealth has become easier and easier to obtain. As long as you are willing to do certain things. We have “YouTubers” making $30,000 dollars a day making 10-minute videos. We have people like “Mr. Beast” who gives away hundreds of thousands a year because he keeps making millions a year. Every kid wants to be the next “influencer” who has millions of “Followers.” This desire, is so great, that we have parents putting their underaged daughters on the internet half naked or worse, dancing for old perverted men to sit and watch.

One of the problems with this, as one famous “influencer” found out, is that you better continue to do these things and never stray from the worldview. She made one joke about a “Transgender” person and got nearly canceled. May still be in the long run. We will have to see what happens.

I wonder though, just how rich are they truly. I would suggest to you that they may be even poorer than you.

Here is another problem. Most of us think of them as “the rich.” Some strive to and will be willing to do, anything, to be them. However, did you know, YOU are rich? You are in the 1 percent? If you live in America, even if you are considered poor in the American sense, you are richer than most in the world. A roof over your head, one or two cars in your driveway, a computer in your pocket, two more TVs, running water, electricity, and food on the table whenever you want it. Whatever you want. So no. You are not off the hook. You ARE the rich Jesus talks about when He says this.

“And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” Matthew 19:22-24

One of the biggest sins that exist is the sin of covetousness. This is why it is Commandment number 10.

"You shall not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's." Exodus 20:17

Why? Because of what it can lead to. Lying, cheating, theft, and even murder. Why?

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:10

Jesus, Himself told us we cannot love money and serve God.

“No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Luke 16:13

Is your J.O.B. your G.O.D.? I'm seriously asking you. Is your job your god? Ridiculous you say? Are you sure? Think about it.

We spend most of our awake time at our jobs. We do things that we would never do for our jobs. Our job pays us money that???

Pays our bills, and gives us a roof over our heads. Food on the table. Cloths on our bodies. Electricity. Vehicle to come and go. Entertainment. We rely on our job to meet our needs. Used to be, men would work 9-5 Monday through Friday. They would go out and do whatever would supply them with the money to live. The wife and mother would stay home to raise the children. Then after dad got home, they would all sit around the table and have dinner. Talking, and sharing their day's events. Then came the weekends, when they would spend time as a family.

Now, most of the time, both the man and woman are out working 24-7. Working 9-5 is nearly all but gone. Weekends off? Rare. Got to make that money.

I know some people that work themselves to death. Some are very successful, out there doing what they do, and then they come home and wonder, "Where did the kids go?" Well, they grew up and graduated. Now they are out on their own. Sorry, you missed them growing up. Got to make that money.

"Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease!" Proverbs 23:4

When you drive your body, 24-7, you deprive it of sleep, food, and even simple rest. Eventually, it will give out. He who dies with the most toys wins? Got to make that money.

Jesus warned us over and over again about things like this.

“And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

He says “one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” What you have does not mean anything. It should have no bearing on your life whatsoever. You are not your bank account. You are not the house you live in or the car you drive. None of that matters. Look what he tells us about the rich man.

“And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21

Jesus told us plainly.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Some of you are thinking, “But I have to work 24-7. I have to work two jobs. You do not understand. I have to pay bills. I have to supply for my daily needs. Gotta make that money.” Jesus has an answer for that as well.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:25-33

Are you relying on your job? Are you relying on yourself? Or are you trusting in, and relying on God? Trust me, when you put God in charge of your life, you will indeed be richer than you can possibly imagine.

You are not rich at all without Him. You are nothing more than wretched, pitiable, and poor. You are most likely also blind. More on that next time. Do you wish to be truly rich? Do you want to start saving up your 401 E, your eternal retirement plan? Start storing up treasures in heaven? To start? You need Jesus. Say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

May the comfort of the Holy Ghost, and the peace of our Lord Jesus, be with you all. May God bless and be with you, always.

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!