Passivity

In the messages to the seven churches of The Revelation, Jesus links a description of Himself to each church that pertains to the message to that church.  To the Laodiceans, He is "the Amen".   We see Jesus described as the Amen in Isaiah's prophecy and Paul's exhortation to the church at Corinth.
Isaiah 65:16 (NLT)  All who invoke a blessing or take an oath will do so by the God of truth.  For I will put aside my anger and forget the evil of earlier days.
II Corinthians 1:20 (NASB)  For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.

Why is it important that we see Him as our Amen?  The word that is translated Amen, is "truth".  The message to the Laodicean is connected to the city of Laodicea.  It was a progressive city and very wealthy.  Banking establishments, a medical school and textile industry were part of its attraction but the only draw back was the lack of an adequate water supply, although it boasted hot springs known for their healing potential.  It was an environment that was expressed in the church more than the Spirit of God, for they were content with their environment.  The people were not separate from, and so not a candle shining brightly to, the environment in which they lived.  They were not a living Amen to the darkness. 

I see a similar contentedness in the Christian world today.  We share a love of comfort with the world and are content with our air conditioned homes, security in our jobs, easy transportation and promise of all things secure.  But God is shaking things, concepts, philosophies, and nations.  The whole world is going through a shaking.  We have no idea how much is going to be lost in this shaking.  But I know one thing that will be accomplished.  We will lose our contentedness with the world around us.

To what is our passivity directed?  To God.  We take His blessing as our due.  We expect Him to be there when we need Him.  We seek Him when we have a need or when it is convenient.  We find our security and our comfort and our pleasure in the world around us.  We measure our reputation by the world's approval.  Our recognition is gained by what we achieve in their eyes.  Our challenge to them is measured by their idea of correctness.  We are not God's Amen to the world.

I want to be pleasing in His sight.  If the world thinks I am a fanatic, weird, "hateful" and misguided, I am willing to lose their approval to gain God's.  How can we lift up the banner of Jesus' victory without making war on Satan's hold?  The army of God does not stay happily on furlough.  It marches through the land.  Read the second chapter of Joel and see God's Headlines for this day.  One significant verse out of that chapter is Joel 2:11[Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)] ¹¹ And the Lord hath uttered his voice before the face of his army: for his armies are exceeding great, for they are strong and execute his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible: and who can stand it?
It is the end of passivity.