"Wake up, and strengthen what remains...." (from Revelation 3:2, ESV, emphasis added).
"Arise, shine, for your light, has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you..." (Isa. 60:1, ESV).
"... The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed' (Rom. 13:11, NIV).
"... The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed" (Rom. 13:11, NIV)
God is able to bring everything into a light and wake up the spiritually lukewarm and those who are lackadaisical by the power of the Word, which is alive and active, and able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart (cf. Heb. 4:12). We don't hide anything from God (cf. Psalm 90:8, ESV: "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." God sees in the dark and nothing is hidden from his countenance. Jesus sees through the veneer of our facade and knows the real person that we are, even if we don't (Psalm 139:23,24, ESV: "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!").
Paul urges the Ephesians (5:14, ESV) to arise from their spiritual slumber and death: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." We all get our wake-up calls in due time and need the motivation to do the Lord's work by finding our spiritual identity (who we are in the Lord and what is our gift?). This pertains to a spiritual wake-up call not one of physical exhaustion or even of sloth. God calls us to do His work and we all have meaningful tasks to fulfill if we do it in the Spirit. "Whatever you do, do to the glory of God" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31).
I'm not talking about the used-up, seasoned believer who occasionally falls asleep during a sermon that he doesn't relate to or understand, but one who fails to see what he's on earth to do in the name of the Lord. We need to be mission and ministry-oriented and serve with a purpose to achieve God's will. God didn't come to make bad men good, it is said, but dead men alive (those who know and fellowship with God!). "God speaks once, yea twice, and man does not notice or hear it" (cf. Job 33:14)!
"Arise, shine, for your light, has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you..." (Isa. 60:1, ESV).
"... The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed' (Rom. 13:11, NIV).
"... The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed" (Rom. 13:11, NIV)
God is able to bring everything into a light and wake up the spiritually lukewarm and those who are lackadaisical by the power of the Word, which is alive and active, and able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart (cf. Heb. 4:12). We don't hide anything from God (cf. Psalm 90:8, ESV: "You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence." God sees in the dark and nothing is hidden from his countenance. Jesus sees through the veneer of our facade and knows the real person that we are, even if we don't (Psalm 139:23,24, ESV: "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!").
Paul urges the Ephesians (5:14, ESV) to arise from their spiritual slumber and death: "Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." We all get our wake-up calls in due time and need the motivation to do the Lord's work by finding our spiritual identity (who we are in the Lord and what is our gift?). This pertains to a spiritual wake-up call not one of physical exhaustion or even of sloth. God calls us to do His work and we all have meaningful tasks to fulfill if we do it in the Spirit. "Whatever you do, do to the glory of God" (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31).
I'm not talking about the used-up, seasoned believer who occasionally falls asleep during a sermon that he doesn't relate to or understand, but one who fails to see what he's on earth to do in the name of the Lord. We need to be mission and ministry-oriented and serve with a purpose to achieve God's will. God didn't come to make bad men good, it is said, but dead men alive (those who know and fellowship with God!). "God speaks once, yea twice, and man does not notice or hear it" (cf. Job 33:14)!
We need to be energized, kindled, and equipped by the Holy Spirit (not lukewarm, apathetic, nor ignorant), and not try to accomplish God's will in the power of the flesh: I'm not against good deeds, just those done in the energy of the flesh! In summation, even believers can become hard-of-hearing spiritually and turn a deaf ear to God. Soli Deo Gloria!
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