In Revelation chapter 3:14-20, Jesus says, “”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 wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and {that} the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”
“The disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (A child is as “humble” a human being as any human ever seems to be. They exhibit a pure and sincere humility, unlike the false type of humility most adults exhibit. Jesus is now talking about a child of God. A “born again” believer of Jesus Christ.)
“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.” (Now, He’s talking about 2 type of people in this world; those people of the world who receive a child of God, as being a Christian OR, the other; by their words of unbelief and human philosophy, cause that new child of God to stumble, doubt and question the reality, love and faithfulness of God toward them; those will be doomed.)
“Woe to the world because of {its} stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!“
And then in the very next sentence, Jesus speaks to the child of God. “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire.” “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.”
America has many stumbling blocks…
Consumerism (Chasing after the next great electronic device or product)
Celebrity (Holding a person up as a mythical status in importance)
Humanism (I’m the most important person on the planet is mankind)
Success (I want to achieve all my dreams, no matter what)
Choice (I’ll make my own choice based on what I want)
Comfort (Lazy and just want to be comfortable, even when I see others hurting)
Busyness (No Time For God; I’m trying to support my family)
Individualism (I don’t need others; I’m my own person)
Instant Gratification (What I do in the privacy of my home is my business)
Believe God To Be (Personal Opinion has created your God; I don’t think God would punish me because I’m a good person)
Sexual Freedom (It’s my body and I can do what I want)
Appearance (Image is everything; looks are so important)
Money (How much money is enough? You can never have too much)
Amusement (We spend billions on video games, big screens and electronic devices for our pleasure)
What did He mean? He was saying, that if any of these things are “stumbling blocks” to entering into the kingdom of heaven and walking in child like faith, humility and love; GET IT OUT OF YOUR LIFE as fast as you can! Cut it off… pluck it out… just get it out of your life!


gathering Friday on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.