LOVE...Honestly
It's easy to talk about God from a safe place. You know, a place where you don't have to be really honest. You just talk about him and the things you know about him. It gets more difficult when you're forced to be perfectly honest about what he's doing in your heart. This is the place where I find myself right now.
I've been a Christian for forty years and in ministry for thirty five years. After all that time, I haven't stopped learning new things from God. Some of those things are stuff I should have learned a long time ago, but I found it difficult to change my way of thinking and my attitudes to really learn the basic lesson. I'm talking about a very basic Christian value taught by Jesus, in fact commanded by Him. I've had to come to grips with the fact that I'm not good at loving people.
Jesus told us to love one another so that those who are not believers will know that we are followers of Christ. The apostle John said "In this world, we are like Jesus." It is absolutely a foundation of the Christian faith to love one another. Yet I struggle with it. But God in his faithfulness comes to me, touches my heart, and shows me once again that I am in great need. My need is to love others as Jesus has loved me. After all my years of loving Jesus and doing his will, I must be honest and say that I don't understand how to love even my brothers and sisters in Christ, let alone my neighbors and my enemies.
I know that I am to love others by laying down my life as Christ has laid his life down for me. But it seems so difficult. Would I actually die for a friend? But when I really look at it, Jesus laid down his life for me in many ways. He taught the message of love and lived it all of his days on earth. Even when he wanted to be by himself, he was compelled to touch people with the love of the Father. On the day when he ended up miraculously feeding five thousand men along with their families, he was actually trying to get away to be alone. But when he saw the crowd, he loved them. Compelled by that love, he taught them, fed them, and showed them the personality of the Father.
I think laying down my life for others may be a simple matter. Maybe, like Jesus did, if I could allow myself to be inconvenienced and interrupted by people, I could actually show love to them like Jesus did. I'm always focused on the task, dead set on following my agenda. What if I just let myself get interrupted? What if I allowed people to be more important than my plan? Maybe then I would actually be like Jesus, laying down my life in my community and my church.
When the folks in the world look at the church, I think they wonder what this is all about. They see factions, arguments, holier than thou attitudes, hypocrisy, and general weirdness. What if we came together and just loved each other? What if we served one another out of the love that God has placed in our hearts? Do you think others might notice and think that it's good? I do! When we strip away all the stuff that we think is Christianity, it boils down to this simple truth; Love each other. I think it's the truth for me anyway...honestly.
Sunday, April 10, 2016
Friday, February 26, 2016
LEARNING HOW TO FEAR GOD
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from the profit Malachi. Just before the transition to the New Testament, these short four chapters are packed with good news-and possibly some not so great-for us to take in and digest. I learned something recently from there that speaks to me about my own life and my need to learn to fear God in a genuine way.
When I was in my early twenties, I had only known Jesus for a few short years. But I was diving into the Word and learning as much as I could. It was my passion and I couldn't get enough. I remember the day. It was a moment I will never forget. I had just finished studying when I leaned back in my chair and said out loud, "I think I'm getting this all figured out!" Immediately the thought came to me: That wasn't good. Watch out! I now know this was the voice of the Holy Spirit, but in those days, I hadn't really learned to distinguish the voices. What followed were months of spiritual struggle like I had never experienced before.
There have been many years since then and many new and wonderful things have happened. But there have been some bad times as well. I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with God, but I'm not sure I've ever understood what it means to fear him. In the third chapter God says through the profit Malachi, "You have spoken arrogantly against me." As I look back at that time years ago, I get it. That's exactly what I did that day. This arrogance has to do with elevating myself above my dependence on God. I think I can do it on my own and for most of my life that is exactly what I did.
Arrogance against God can be a number of things. Maybe I give up on my Christian life and think it just really isn't worth the struggle. Maybe I look at people who don't know God at all and see that they are doing just fine. In fact they are doing great. This serves to push me off-track in my pursuit of the kingdom of God. In the end, it is futile to look anywhere else but to God for my strength, health, hope, joy, and love. Malachi spoke God's word and it hit me right between the eyes.
But there is a redemption from my struggle. Malachi 3:16 says this: "Then those who feared the Lord met together and talked, and the Lord listened and heard." (NIV) There is a value that can only be given us through times of meeting together. When we sit down together and talk about life with one another, it is prayer. It brings a unique fellowship with each other and the Holy Spirit that is life-giving. This helps me to understand why the writer of Hebrews cautions us to never forsake meeting together.
What I've learned is this: The opposite of arrogance is humility. Therefore living in the fear of the Lord is living in humility. I find myself praying regularly asking God to help me be humble before him. Really it's my own choice, but God is interested in removing everything that hinders my love relationship with him. I won't get closer to him by being arrogant. I will learn to love him, serve him, and be his kid through being humble and always acknowledging him as MY Lord. He draws near to the humble, but resists the arrogant. I want to be humble.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is from the profit Malachi. Just before the transition to the New Testament, these short four chapters are packed with good news-and possibly some not so great-for us to take in and digest. I learned something recently from there that speaks to me about my own life and my need to learn to fear God in a genuine way.
When I was in my early twenties, I had only known Jesus for a few short years. But I was diving into the Word and learning as much as I could. It was my passion and I couldn't get enough. I remember the day. It was a moment I will never forget. I had just finished studying when I leaned back in my chair and said out loud, "I think I'm getting this all figured out!" Immediately the thought came to me: That wasn't good. Watch out! I now know this was the voice of the Holy Spirit, but in those days, I hadn't really learned to distinguish the voices. What followed were months of spiritual struggle like I had never experienced before.
There have been many years since then and many new and wonderful things have happened. But there have been some bad times as well. I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with God, but I'm not sure I've ever understood what it means to fear him. In the third chapter God says through the profit Malachi, "You have spoken arrogantly against me." As I look back at that time years ago, I get it. That's exactly what I did that day. This arrogance has to do with elevating myself above my dependence on God. I think I can do it on my own and for most of my life that is exactly what I did.
Arrogance against God can be a number of things. Maybe I give up on my Christian life and think it just really isn't worth the struggle. Maybe I look at people who don't know God at all and see that they are doing just fine. In fact they are doing great. This serves to push me off-track in my pursuit of the kingdom of God. In the end, it is futile to look anywhere else but to God for my strength, health, hope, joy, and love. Malachi spoke God's word and it hit me right between the eyes.
But there is a redemption from my struggle. Malachi 3:16 says this: "Then those who feared the Lord met together and talked, and the Lord listened and heard." (NIV) There is a value that can only be given us through times of meeting together. When we sit down together and talk about life with one another, it is prayer. It brings a unique fellowship with each other and the Holy Spirit that is life-giving. This helps me to understand why the writer of Hebrews cautions us to never forsake meeting together.
What I've learned is this: The opposite of arrogance is humility. Therefore living in the fear of the Lord is living in humility. I find myself praying regularly asking God to help me be humble before him. Really it's my own choice, but God is interested in removing everything that hinders my love relationship with him. I won't get closer to him by being arrogant. I will learn to love him, serve him, and be his kid through being humble and always acknowledging him as MY Lord. He draws near to the humble, but resists the arrogant. I want to be humble.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Yes and Amen!
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ. And so through him the 'Amen' is spoken by us to the glory of God."
2 Corinthians 1:20
I am confident that all of us have many promises that God has given us. Of course every promise in the Bible is for us, but beyond that, we have all received promises regarding our future, our circumstances, our relationships with others, and more. Over the course of time, our faith may waver because we don't see the promises becoming realities. So the entire purpose of my words today is to remind us that every promise of God is still true.
God gives us the promises. I know that you have received promises from Him that are very personal. They may have come through a person who shared with you what God has spoken to them about you. It may have come through spending time in the Word and prayer. If the Holy Spirit gave you the promise and gave you the awareness to realize that God was the author, then the promise is still 'Yes.' God does not change his mind. He does not withhold his promises because we have done something wrong. What God promises is not dependent on what we do. They are given to us purely out of His incredible love for us.
I know that our faith wears thin sometimes. As time passes, it is more difficult to stand firm in God's promises. I know people who have written down promises years ago, but have yet to see them. Does this mean that God is a liar? Not at all. His promises are still 'Yes.' God's timing is his alone. We cannot force him to move. We must realize that the promises God has given us were set in place before the creation of the world. They were already a part of our destinies before we were born. In that fact we take courage and comfort. God's words are true and have been set for us in advance.
There remains but one thing to do: We must speak the 'Amen' to all of God's promises. By doing this, you are simply saying, "God, I agree with your promises for me." Too many times, we have tried to do things to earn the blessing of God. This never works. Instead, it usually binds us to self-imposed rules. All God asks of us is to simply agree with his plan. This is faith. It takes faith to say, 'Amen' to God's promise. But if we do, we are sustained until the fulfillment. Be encouraged today. In God, all his promises are "Yes and Amen!"
2 Corinthians 1:20
I am confident that all of us have many promises that God has given us. Of course every promise in the Bible is for us, but beyond that, we have all received promises regarding our future, our circumstances, our relationships with others, and more. Over the course of time, our faith may waver because we don't see the promises becoming realities. So the entire purpose of my words today is to remind us that every promise of God is still true.
God gives us the promises. I know that you have received promises from Him that are very personal. They may have come through a person who shared with you what God has spoken to them about you. It may have come through spending time in the Word and prayer. If the Holy Spirit gave you the promise and gave you the awareness to realize that God was the author, then the promise is still 'Yes.' God does not change his mind. He does not withhold his promises because we have done something wrong. What God promises is not dependent on what we do. They are given to us purely out of His incredible love for us.
I know that our faith wears thin sometimes. As time passes, it is more difficult to stand firm in God's promises. I know people who have written down promises years ago, but have yet to see them. Does this mean that God is a liar? Not at all. His promises are still 'Yes.' God's timing is his alone. We cannot force him to move. We must realize that the promises God has given us were set in place before the creation of the world. They were already a part of our destinies before we were born. In that fact we take courage and comfort. God's words are true and have been set for us in advance.
There remains but one thing to do: We must speak the 'Amen' to all of God's promises. By doing this, you are simply saying, "God, I agree with your promises for me." Too many times, we have tried to do things to earn the blessing of God. This never works. Instead, it usually binds us to self-imposed rules. All God asks of us is to simply agree with his plan. This is faith. It takes faith to say, 'Amen' to God's promise. But if we do, we are sustained until the fulfillment. Be encouraged today. In God, all his promises are "Yes and Amen!"
Monday, November 19, 2012
Death to Life
"Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness."
Romans 6:13
One morning recently, I was praying. It occurred to me that our God of resurrection. He brings us from death to life. We are so conditioned to view our lives as ones that are passing from life to death that we forget this important truth. While the world is passing from life to death and our bodies are doing the same, God is doing a miracle in our behalf. He is leading us the other direction into eternal life. So I wondered, why can't I apply God's way of death to life in every area of my own life?
I already know that I have passed from death to life. I was dead in sin and now I am alive in Christ. This is the foundation of the Christian life. But the reality is this: Where I live, in a world that is sinful, and in a body that is slowly dying, death seems to be in control. So I asked God how it works. How do I apply his way of death to life to every situation? The answer is found in the instructions of Jesus. When he taught us to pray, he told us to say this: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Through this I know that I am to pray the kingdom of heaven into every area of my life. I am even supposed to pray the kingdom into the world around me.
God's kingdom is all about life, not death. I saw part of a movie recently. In one scene, the characters found themselves in a place where everything was backwards. Gravity drew things up instead of down. Plants grew down from the top of a cave, instead of up from the ground. The only things that were still under our laws of nature were the people themselves. They were in awe of this magical place. The same is true of my life. I am subject to the laws of the natural world. My body is dying and death is imminent for every living thing. But I also live in a kingdom where all the laws of the natural world are reversed. His kingdom is full of opposites to the world I live in. There is life there, not death. There is health there, not sickness. There is prosperity there, not poverty. There is the presence of God there, not the curses of the enemy. His kingdom is like the magical place in the movie. Everything is opposite.
So the way for me to apply God's way of death to life is to pray his kingdom into those areas of my life where I am literally dying. If I need life in my finances, I find it in the kingdom of God. If I need life to my body, I find it by praying his kingdom into my health. You see, I understand that I have everything in Christ...in the Spirit. But now I must take what is mine spiritually and apply it to the physical. This physical reality in which I live must be turned upside down by the power of the kingdom of God. As I do it, as you do it, our lives are transformed and everything about us is passing from death to life just as God has planned. Death no longer reigns, but life! And that, even more abundantly!
Romans 6:13
One morning recently, I was praying. It occurred to me that our God of resurrection. He brings us from death to life. We are so conditioned to view our lives as ones that are passing from life to death that we forget this important truth. While the world is passing from life to death and our bodies are doing the same, God is doing a miracle in our behalf. He is leading us the other direction into eternal life. So I wondered, why can't I apply God's way of death to life in every area of my own life?
I already know that I have passed from death to life. I was dead in sin and now I am alive in Christ. This is the foundation of the Christian life. But the reality is this: Where I live, in a world that is sinful, and in a body that is slowly dying, death seems to be in control. So I asked God how it works. How do I apply his way of death to life to every situation? The answer is found in the instructions of Jesus. When he taught us to pray, he told us to say this: "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Through this I know that I am to pray the kingdom of heaven into every area of my life. I am even supposed to pray the kingdom into the world around me.
God's kingdom is all about life, not death. I saw part of a movie recently. In one scene, the characters found themselves in a place where everything was backwards. Gravity drew things up instead of down. Plants grew down from the top of a cave, instead of up from the ground. The only things that were still under our laws of nature were the people themselves. They were in awe of this magical place. The same is true of my life. I am subject to the laws of the natural world. My body is dying and death is imminent for every living thing. But I also live in a kingdom where all the laws of the natural world are reversed. His kingdom is full of opposites to the world I live in. There is life there, not death. There is health there, not sickness. There is prosperity there, not poverty. There is the presence of God there, not the curses of the enemy. His kingdom is like the magical place in the movie. Everything is opposite.
So the way for me to apply God's way of death to life is to pray his kingdom into those areas of my life where I am literally dying. If I need life in my finances, I find it in the kingdom of God. If I need life to my body, I find it by praying his kingdom into my health. You see, I understand that I have everything in Christ...in the Spirit. But now I must take what is mine spiritually and apply it to the physical. This physical reality in which I live must be turned upside down by the power of the kingdom of God. As I do it, as you do it, our lives are transformed and everything about us is passing from death to life just as God has planned. Death no longer reigns, but life! And that, even more abundantly!
Monday, November 12, 2012
Words of Life
"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power."
1 Corinthians 1:17
"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."
1 Corinthians 2:13
There is a misguided philosophy that is alive and well in Christianity today. Some believe that the church must teach 'life management.' These would be things such as coping skills, self-help, etc. Unfortunately most of those who teach in our churches are not experienced enough or educated enough to teach such things. It should be left to the psychologists and experts. What we are called to teach is the same message that Paul preached. It is an intensely spiritual message that cannot be discerned with human wisdom.
Human wisdom has little eternal value. It is a bold statement that the apostle made. He declared that if he were to speak the gospel with human wisdom, the cross would be emptied of its power. In other words, there are no words of life found in human wisdom. Men have sought eternal life in many different ways for thousands of years. They have taught about ways to better one's self in hopes that we would be good enough to please God. But all of these philosophies, spoken apart from the power of the cross, leave us as we have always been; hopeless and dead in our transgressions. But in the church, we are to teach a gospel of life, a gospel that honors the cross and helps us to understand the incredible, history-changing things that happened there.
The gospel is not one of human wisdom. We cannot teach the power of God through words that have been learned through human ideas. In an attempt to remain relevant, some have attempted to make the gospel an appeasing, self help idea. But the mandate to us is to express spiritual truth with spiritual words. When we do this, the Holy Spirit is able to take those words and revolutionize lives. When the words are grasped by the hearers, everything in their lives becomes new. They are absolutely new creations. There is a saying that goes like this: "He (or she) is too spiritually minded to be any earthly good." This is usually said about those who are perceived as pseudo-spiritual. But spiritual things are taught in spiritual words. It is not our responsibility to water them down to be palatable. A true message of life is a spiritual thing, and the only way to communicate it is through spiritual words.
We must allow ourselves to be taught by the Holy Spirit. In the course of this teaching, many things taught by human wisdom will fall away. The light of God exposes lies that we have believed. I would much rather live my life as a spiritual being who is taught by the Holy Spirit. I've had enough of human wisdom. I've tried to live that way and it didn't work. The only way to true life is living in the Spirit. I'm not going to live by words of death anymore. I choose to live and speak words of life.
1 Corinthians 1:17
"This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."
1 Corinthians 2:13
There is a misguided philosophy that is alive and well in Christianity today. Some believe that the church must teach 'life management.' These would be things such as coping skills, self-help, etc. Unfortunately most of those who teach in our churches are not experienced enough or educated enough to teach such things. It should be left to the psychologists and experts. What we are called to teach is the same message that Paul preached. It is an intensely spiritual message that cannot be discerned with human wisdom.
Human wisdom has little eternal value. It is a bold statement that the apostle made. He declared that if he were to speak the gospel with human wisdom, the cross would be emptied of its power. In other words, there are no words of life found in human wisdom. Men have sought eternal life in many different ways for thousands of years. They have taught about ways to better one's self in hopes that we would be good enough to please God. But all of these philosophies, spoken apart from the power of the cross, leave us as we have always been; hopeless and dead in our transgressions. But in the church, we are to teach a gospel of life, a gospel that honors the cross and helps us to understand the incredible, history-changing things that happened there.
The gospel is not one of human wisdom. We cannot teach the power of God through words that have been learned through human ideas. In an attempt to remain relevant, some have attempted to make the gospel an appeasing, self help idea. But the mandate to us is to express spiritual truth with spiritual words. When we do this, the Holy Spirit is able to take those words and revolutionize lives. When the words are grasped by the hearers, everything in their lives becomes new. They are absolutely new creations. There is a saying that goes like this: "He (or she) is too spiritually minded to be any earthly good." This is usually said about those who are perceived as pseudo-spiritual. But spiritual things are taught in spiritual words. It is not our responsibility to water them down to be palatable. A true message of life is a spiritual thing, and the only way to communicate it is through spiritual words.
We must allow ourselves to be taught by the Holy Spirit. In the course of this teaching, many things taught by human wisdom will fall away. The light of God exposes lies that we have believed. I would much rather live my life as a spiritual being who is taught by the Holy Spirit. I've had enough of human wisdom. I've tried to live that way and it didn't work. The only way to true life is living in the Spirit. I'm not going to live by words of death anymore. I choose to live and speak words of life.
Friday, November 9, 2012
O My Soul!
"But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me."
Psalm 131:2
" Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name."
Psalm 103:1
The Psalmists often talked about the soul. If you read carefully, you will see that they were always talking to their souls, commanding them to do certain things: Be still, be quiet, praise the Lord, don't be downcast. This is because we have control over our souls. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions. We have authority to tell our souls to act appropriately to the situation. In other words, we make choices to guide our souls into relationship with God.
I am learning to quiet my soul in the presence of the Lord. When I pray, I have the mentality that I should be speaking. I think, "If I am not talking, I'm not praying." But this could not be further from the truth. Prayer is fellowship, communion, and conversation with God. I find myself more and more, being quiet and allowing God to simply minister to me through his love, peace and blessing. Some may call this meditation. Whatever it is called, the benefit of quieting one's soul before God is beyond measure. For me, I would much rather hear from God and be touched by him than to speak a thousand words of requests. I know it's important to lay my requests before him, but then I must be quiet and receive from God.
I am also learning that I must command my soul to praise the Lord. There is nothing more valuable than this. As I praise him, I am strengthened and encouraged. Not only is God exalted through my praise, but my soul is built up. I find myself saying, "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" I say it often, even in the midst of a busy day. It is a simple way that I have found to praise God and encourage my soul at the same time. It's a simple thing, but when words fail me, it is more than enough to express my praise to God.
It's interesting to me that the further I grow in relationship with God, and the older I get, things get much more simple. I have always thought it was complex, but I am as a child and He is my Father. I don't need to know much on my own, just receive what he gives me. I continue to be amazed that God's kingdom works completely opposite of the world. The world tells me I must know more to grow. God tells me I must know little and he will bring the spiritual growth. How refreshing, how stress-relieving is the thought. "Bless the Lord O my soul! Be quiet and receive his blessing."
Psalm 131:2
" Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name."
Psalm 103:1
The Psalmists often talked about the soul. If you read carefully, you will see that they were always talking to their souls, commanding them to do certain things: Be still, be quiet, praise the Lord, don't be downcast. This is because we have control over our souls. The soul is our mind, will, and emotions. We have authority to tell our souls to act appropriately to the situation. In other words, we make choices to guide our souls into relationship with God.
I am learning to quiet my soul in the presence of the Lord. When I pray, I have the mentality that I should be speaking. I think, "If I am not talking, I'm not praying." But this could not be further from the truth. Prayer is fellowship, communion, and conversation with God. I find myself more and more, being quiet and allowing God to simply minister to me through his love, peace and blessing. Some may call this meditation. Whatever it is called, the benefit of quieting one's soul before God is beyond measure. For me, I would much rather hear from God and be touched by him than to speak a thousand words of requests. I know it's important to lay my requests before him, but then I must be quiet and receive from God.
I am also learning that I must command my soul to praise the Lord. There is nothing more valuable than this. As I praise him, I am strengthened and encouraged. Not only is God exalted through my praise, but my soul is built up. I find myself saying, "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" I say it often, even in the midst of a busy day. It is a simple way that I have found to praise God and encourage my soul at the same time. It's a simple thing, but when words fail me, it is more than enough to express my praise to God.
It's interesting to me that the further I grow in relationship with God, and the older I get, things get much more simple. I have always thought it was complex, but I am as a child and He is my Father. I don't need to know much on my own, just receive what he gives me. I continue to be amazed that God's kingdom works completely opposite of the world. The world tells me I must know more to grow. God tells me I must know little and he will bring the spiritual growth. How refreshing, how stress-relieving is the thought. "Bless the Lord O my soul! Be quiet and receive his blessing."
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Wake Up!
"And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
Romans 13:11&12
Clearly it is time for the church of Christ to wake up. I am not one to discredit the church or call it out as apostate, but I do believe that you and I must awaken our spirits to the things that God is doing today. The scripture above begins by saying, "And do this..." What the apostle Paul is talking about here is love. He had just finished saying that love is the fulfillment of the law. So we are to wake up to the fact that love is the greatest thing we have as Christians.
The church has been accused of being asleep to the things that God wants to do. Maybe we have been, and maybe some still are. But for those of us who are living our lives to grow in knowledge and relationship with Jesus, the idea of waking up is somewhat different. It is a call for us to intensify our seeking of God and his kingdom. It is a call for us to love more than we ever have before. As we approach the day of his return, everything becomes more intense. Every move we make, every word we say takes on more significance. It's as if time is compressing. Paul uses the analogy of darkness and light. The night is almost over, it is time to get up and get the day started. This is true because the return of Christ and the establishing of his earthly kingdom is nearer now than ever before.
Sometimes I wake up before it is time to actually rise. Often it is within an hour of the time appointed for me to get up and get ready for the day. When this happens, it is very difficult, even impossible to go back to sleep. Why? Because the day is almost here. The same is true of the times in which we live. All the things we hope for as Christians, all the things we anticipate are closer now. The church is strengthening. The enemy is flailing. The kingdom of God is being established. How can we sleep through all this? We are being awakened by God himself. He is calling to us to wake up and get ready for his coming.
A bride prepares all day for her wedding ceremony and feast. We are the bride of Christ and the wedding supper of the Lamb is coming. It is preparation time and there is no time for sleep. Let's make a decision to love God's people and those who are yet to be saved. Let's make it our goal to seek God and his kingdom more than we ever have. We must devote time to this. Spending time with God is a blessing, let's make it a priority. Being told to wake up is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it is a great and hopeful thing. It means a new day is dawning. The night is nearly over.
Romans 13:11&12
Clearly it is time for the church of Christ to wake up. I am not one to discredit the church or call it out as apostate, but I do believe that you and I must awaken our spirits to the things that God is doing today. The scripture above begins by saying, "And do this..." What the apostle Paul is talking about here is love. He had just finished saying that love is the fulfillment of the law. So we are to wake up to the fact that love is the greatest thing we have as Christians.
The church has been accused of being asleep to the things that God wants to do. Maybe we have been, and maybe some still are. But for those of us who are living our lives to grow in knowledge and relationship with Jesus, the idea of waking up is somewhat different. It is a call for us to intensify our seeking of God and his kingdom. It is a call for us to love more than we ever have before. As we approach the day of his return, everything becomes more intense. Every move we make, every word we say takes on more significance. It's as if time is compressing. Paul uses the analogy of darkness and light. The night is almost over, it is time to get up and get the day started. This is true because the return of Christ and the establishing of his earthly kingdom is nearer now than ever before.
Sometimes I wake up before it is time to actually rise. Often it is within an hour of the time appointed for me to get up and get ready for the day. When this happens, it is very difficult, even impossible to go back to sleep. Why? Because the day is almost here. The same is true of the times in which we live. All the things we hope for as Christians, all the things we anticipate are closer now. The church is strengthening. The enemy is flailing. The kingdom of God is being established. How can we sleep through all this? We are being awakened by God himself. He is calling to us to wake up and get ready for his coming.
A bride prepares all day for her wedding ceremony and feast. We are the bride of Christ and the wedding supper of the Lamb is coming. It is preparation time and there is no time for sleep. Let's make a decision to love God's people and those who are yet to be saved. Let's make it our goal to seek God and his kingdom more than we ever have. We must devote time to this. Spending time with God is a blessing, let's make it a priority. Being told to wake up is not a bad thing. On the contrary, it is a great and hopeful thing. It means a new day is dawning. The night is nearly over.
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