Wake Up!

Wake Up!

Revelation 3: “To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

 

“This is the message from the one who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know what you are doing; I know that you have the reputation of being alive, even though you are dead! ² So wake up, and strengthen what you still have before it dies completely. For I find that what you have done is not yet perfect in the sight of my God. ³ Remember, then, what you were taught and what you heard; obey it and turn from your sins. If you do not wake up, I will come upon you like a thief, and you will not even know the time when I will come. ⁴ But a few of you there in Sardis have kept your clothes clean. You will walk with me, clothed in white, because you are worthy to do so. ⁵ Those who win the victory will be clothed like this in white, and I will not remove their names from the book of the living. In the presence of my Father and of his angels I will declare openly that they belong to me.

 

⁶ “If you have ears, then, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches!

 

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After working all day, I went to visit someone. It took a while to get there and I spent most of the evening enjoying the time. It was late when I left and I had more than an hour to drive home. About fifty-five minutes into the trip I woke up driving up an exit ramp that was not mine. I slammed on brakes, rolled the window down and drove home locally.

 

• I thought I was awake, but I was sleep driving.
• I was lulled to sleep by the repetitious mileage.
• After waking up, I had to do something different!

 

John, the disciple JESUS loved, quotes JESUS giving a warning to Sardis. This church thought they were alive, when they were really acting dead. They may have fallen into a false sense of security because of their reputation of being on fire, but JESUS saw they were not walking with HIM.

 

My Observations:

• JESUS wants me to remember what I was taught and what I heard about HIM.
• “My” reputation does not matter, rather doing GOD’s good and perfect will does.
• Waling with JESUS is important to HIM so I should choose to do this daily.

 

Thinking I am awake and being awake are two different things. I mean, I can be doing things that seem right, but I may, in fact, be going through the motions without my heart being filled with the presence of GOD. I can go to church, sing songs and give money without believing in the power of JESUS.

 

GOD wants me to “Wake up” to what JESUS has done and is doing in my life every day. HE wants me to turn from my sinful pats on my own back to see that I need help daily. HE wants me to return back to the days when I was on fire for the LORD because I had just accepted HIM as my Savior.

 

Challenge

• What reputation do you think the writer is speaking of?
• Have you ever thought you were doing GOD a favor by doing what feels comfortable to you?
• Will you return to the fire you once had for JESUS so you can make HIM known to many today?

Wake Up

Wake Up

Romans 13: ¹¹ You must do this, because you know that the time has come for you to wake up from your sleep. For the moment when we will be saved is closer now than it was when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light. ¹³ Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day—no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy. ¹⁴ But take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires.

 

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Seeing the huge stack of paper, my work was cut out for me. I was supposed to look at surveys and input customer responses. I started out with high energy, but as the day went on I started getting tired so I took a “quick” nap during lunch.  I woke up well after I was supposed to and now I was behind in my work.

 

• There have been many times when I started out strong, but soon became tired.
• There have been many times when I fell asleep on something I was supposed to be doing.
• There have been many times when I woke up and still had the responsibilities, but only a shorter time to do what I should have been doing all along.

 

“Wake up from your sleep” Paul says. The sleep he is referring to is a lulled sense of security from doing hidden things. He mentions two serious topics, “dark’ and “light.” The day is almost here and the night is almost over. But what am I getting prepared for? What must I do?

 

• GOD wants me to know JESUS is going to return.
• GOD wants me to prepare the world for HIS return.
• GOD wants me to take up HIS “weapons’ starting with the most powerful one called love.

 

Blindness has made me fall asleep. I mean, when I get lost in the concerns of the world, I get worried, doubt GOD and slip into sin for comfort which steals my joy and feeds mu sin nature. Afterwards, I feel hurt, lost and wandering.  My fighting increases and I grab the world’s weapons.

 

Human weapons hurt, kill and destroy, just as Satan wants us to do. BUT GOD has more powerful weapons, one being love. Love heals, protects, grows and raises people up. It was love that raised JESUS from the dead. GOD said “You must do this” and I accept HIS statement.

 

• Do you have a sense of urgency regarding the return of CHRIST?
• Are you so focused on you own sins that CHRIST is not your focus?
• Will you wake up and take up the weapon of love JESUS so generously poured out on you so you can stop paying attention to your sinful desires today?

Alarm Clock

Alarm Clock

John 12: ³⁷ But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:

“Lord, who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:

⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts,
Lest they should see with their eyes,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.”

⁴¹ These things Isaiah said ^[f]when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

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After placing my child in the baby carrier, I performed my daily ritual. I loaded important papers and other work items in the back seat. I got in the car and started to drive off. When I looked in the back seat, I noticed the baby was not there. I got out of the car and went into the house. There was my child, sitting in the carrier, smiling. Oh, and I noticed my coffee was sitting on top of the car.

• There have been times when I was distracted.
• There have been times when I had so much on my mind that all I could do was concentrate on what was causing stress.
• There have been times when I was awake, but could not remember how so much time had passed.

JESUS had healed blind people, cured people of extreme diseases, and raised people from the dead. This was the beginning of a list that is too long to write. Unfortunately, the longer the list, the more the people would not believe in HIM. They were distracted by their desires and could not “see” or “hear” HIM.

• GOD wants me to wake up and see what HE made me for.
• GOD wants me to open my eyes to those around me who need HIM.
• GOD wants me to understand in my heart what HE wants me to do.

 ““HE has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts” are the words that scare me most. I mean, if I want something that GOD does not want me to have, HE may give it to me, in abundance. HE will then blind me to think “I” did this. HE will also harden my heart to think HE does not exist or HE no longer heals.

GOD wants my full attention. HE wants me to believe in HIS healing, saving power. HE can do whatever HE wants, whenever HE wants. Fortunately, HE wants to do things with love in HIS heart. I am glad HE pursues me.

• Are you distracted away from GOD’s power?
• Are you just going through the motions, not knowing why so much time has passed?
• Will you wake up and see GOD in your life so you can understand with your heart how much HE loves you today?

What have you done for ME lately?

Revelation 3: ² Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. ³ Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.

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Remember when we used to lift some heavy weights we asked each other.  One friend responded “Yeah, I used to be a monster.”  I responded, “Yeah, but do you have any rehab exercises now, my shoulder hurts!” It seemed like our glory days are way in the past. I wonder if I feel like my best “service to the LORD” days are behind me too.

• Sometimes I look back on the things GOD had me do and I think I’m still doing them.
• Sometimes I try to remember how the SPIRIT moved me instead of letting the SPIRIT move me.
• Sometimes I reminisce on my glory days of serving the LORD and think HE can no longer use me.

“I remember when” are the words that came to mind when it came to looking at my service to the LORD.  I don’t mean “when is the last time I went to church” I mean when is the last time I had fire in me that just jumped out of me? When is the last time I couldn't hold my tongue and I could not help doing something bold for CHRIST?

Sadly my service had boiled down to mere rhetoric. What should I do?

• JESUS says “Wake up!” Stop looking at others and start looking inside.
• JESUS says “Strengthen what little remains” by loving others and serving boldly without feeling defeated!
• JESUS says “Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly” revisiting when I first began my walk with HIM and stop doubting HIS love!
• JESUS says “Repent and turn to ME again” and stop looking at the news and current circumstances and watch MY power!

In my mind I had become a superhero because of the things I had done in the past. This gave me license to judge others, BUT GOD asks me a difficult question; “Do you still love ME?” “Yes” I said sheepishly. “Then feed my lambs” HE says to me calmly wanting me to focus on HIM and not anything else.

• Are you feeling like you are barely holding on to the LORD?
• Do you feel like giving up?
• Are you living your life contrary to how GOD wants you to live?
• Can you turn to HIM today and recognize HE will always love you even until the end of this age?