Tag: Awaken From Spiritual Slumber

²⁴ He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, ²⁵ but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. ²⁷ And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” ~ Matthew 13:24-30

Parents are currently taking their young children to see a new movie without even checking to see what it’s about first. Now, you may be wondering: what’s the big deal if they don’t research every single movie before taking their kids to see it? The film they’re taking their young children to see is a horror film. It’s a dark what-if spin on Barney. How is this happening?

Parents see a cute unicorn in a show with some smiling kids that gives the same feels as Barney did, and so they take them to see it. No checking first. No reading what the film’s about. Nothing. Just looking at a cover image of the film and thinking it looks cute. Christians are a lot like this. Having the appearance of goodness doesn’t make something good. Having the appearance of innocence doesn’t make it innocent. It’s not about the outside alone, but about the inside.

We are spiritual beings living in both a physical and spiritual world. We can’t just live our lives by, it looks safe, so it must be safe. No. We have to research. We have to pay attention. We are in a spiritual war right now. It doesn’t matter how good the beat sounds or how catchy the song is; what do the words say? What are the people singing that song saying? We, as Christians, have to be like the LORD, especially when it comes to discernment. We don’t just look at outward appearance, but we look at the heart.

We don’t just take someone’s word for it, we look at their fruit. We pay attention to what is being sold to us, and we don’t always have to buy everything they try to sell to us. Our enemy disguises himself as an angel of light; why would his followers not do the same? We have to stay awake. We have to stay vigilant. We have to pay attention and be watchful, for evil is sown while good men sleep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Look Past The Cute Unicorn.

⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

I watch a lot of debates between Christians, Muslims, Atheists, etc., and a well-known Christian apologist’s wife explains how Muslim’s will try to trap Christians into a very weird argument by twisting very simple words. One example is that they will ask ‘is Jesus fully God?’ most Christians will answer yes. Muslims will then respond with ‘which part or what percentage of God is Jesus? And what part or percentage of God is the Father? How fully God is He?’

Now, they know that doesn’t make sense, but it will trip up and catch most Christians off guard because it’s such a strange argument. So, what do we do? The Christian apologist instead answers that Jesus is truly God, rather than fully God, to avoid the foolish twisting of words. We have to prepare ourselves by studying our Scriptures and the tactics of our enemies. We have to know our Scriptures better than they do. Why? Because the enemy is notorious for twisting, misquoting, reinterpreting verses, words, and arguments in order to tear down our faith. Why? Because our faith is under attack.

We’re no longer preparing for and/or engaging in spiritual warfare. The enemy is at war with us, but only a few of us are at war with him. We’ve become a sleeping giant. The world is at war with us, but we aren’t taking it seriously. It’s about time the Church wakes up and joins this spiritual war currently consuming us. Currently leading our children away. If we would only wake up, we could change the world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Wake Up This Sleeping Giant.

¹⁶ Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ~ John 3:16-19

I watched a reel the other day of a woman saying that the least important thing for a Christian to do is evangelize. That’s the very last thing that should be on a Christian’s to-do list. Why? Because there’re so many other things that are far more important for a Christian to do. She said that church is a place where we need to take care of our neighbors, not a place obsessed with conversion. According to her, that is the work Jesus called us to do. There’s a reason why Jesus says that the last Church will be spat out of his mouth because of their lukewarmness.

There is nothing more important than someone’s eternity. Lazarus was starving to death, but when he and the rich man both died, it was Lazarus who found comfort in the afterlife, not the rich man. The rich man, though he had everything he could possibly need or want on this earth, still went to a place of torment. Why? Because having everything on this earth is meaningless if the end isn’t torment and torture.

How did this woman defend her case? By simply saying that she is a pastor’s wife. She tried to speak from a place of authority rather than showing in Scripture where she could defend her point. Why? Because she couldn’t. Scripture is very clear. Jesus Himself is very clear. He came for one reason and one reason alone. It wasn’t to feed the hungry or give water to the thirsty; it was to get souls saved. It was to redeem mankind. What good is feeding someone if you neglect spiritually feeding them?

There is nothing more important than one’s eternal soul. Nothing. Yes, taking care of our neighbors is important, but unless we are saving souls in the process, it’s pointless. Unless saving souls isn’t the end goal, then your actions are pointless. What good is it to feed someone in this life, but rob them of food in the next? They might die full, but at the end of the day they still have to stand before the Throne of God, and He isn’t looking for whether or not they were fed, but whether or not they know Him. Charity is important, but nothing is more important than evangelizing and getting souls saved.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Do The Most Important Work.

³ But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them, “You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us” ~ Ezra 4:3

Listen to what Zerubbabel declared concerning a secular, and if I may say so, heathen king: “We alone will build to the LORD God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.” Zerubbabel was not being unkind for the sake of pride. He was making a clear and necessary distinction. Those who approached them were not part of the covenant people. They had no rightful share in the work. Therefore Zerubbabel and the leaders with him refused their help. The rebuilding of the house of God would be done by those to whom the command had been given, and by them alone.

We who belong to Christ also have a mandate from our King and God. He has commanded us to preach the Good News of His kingdom in all the world, so that people may hear, believe, and accept the sacrifice of our LORD Jesus on the cross of Calvary. In this way His Church is to be built upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ and His shed blood. The work is holy. The foundation is exclusive. No other name is given under heaven by which we must be saved.

Yet in our day we often act as though the opposite were true. We want to include all those who have no genuine part with us—Muslims, Hindus, those who blend other religions with a claim to follow Christ, and anyone who prays to other gods. Because we are politically correct, we are afraid of offending anyone. Therefore, we become so inclusive that we will not exclude anyone, no matter what. We treat a simple profession—“I am a Christian, I believe in Jesus”—as automatic inclusion, regardless of lifestyle or unrepentant ways.

But Jesus Himself warned us that this is not how it works. Not everyone who cries “LORD, LORD” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Many will claim His Name while remaining strangers to His authority. True faith requires more than words. A person must forsake and leave behind all falsehood and wickedness. He must come to Jesus to have his sins forgiven, and his heart sprinkled with the shed blood of the Lamb. Then he must live for the LORD exclusively, because Christ has purchased us with His own death and resurrection and has given us eternal life. There is no room for divided loyalty.

Heavenly Father, I come to You asking for Your forgiveness. Teach me Your ways that I might serve You with a pure heart and clean hands. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen.

¹³ When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, ¹⁴ if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ¹⁵ Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. ~ Matthew 7:15-20

250 years ago, a new country was born. One built on the belief that all men are created equal and endowed with unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness by their Creator. Men and women willingly gave up their status, wealth, homes, and their very lives in order to ensure that the United States of America would be free from the tyranny of the British crown. 250 years later, there are those who try their best to take these rights away from us each and every day, as they pretend to be acting in our best interests.

They say they are for the people, yet do their best to take away the rights of the people. America wasn’t built in one day. It wasn’t just born out of thin air. It was built on the sacrifice of the brave men and women who wanted a better life for themselves, their children, and their children’s children. They were willing to lose everything, as long as it meant they had freedom. Today, we desire the opposite. We’re willing to sacrifice our freedom for the sake of convenience and empty promises.

The world has dramatically changed in the past 250 years. We’ve become comfortable in our privileges and rights. We’ve become spiritually dead because we don’t know what it’s like to not have the freedom of religion. The freedom of assembly. The freedom of speech. So, we’ve become docile to the point of deep slumber. And as we’ve slept, the wolves have descended. They’re wide awake, taking away everything from us. Even the simplest of things such as the right to collect rainwater.

The enemy will continue to run rampant, as long as the Church remains asleep. As long as we refuse to do anything. 250 years ago, our forefathers risked their lives and all that they had; what are we willing to risk to defend our freedoms? To ensure that our children and our children’s children grow up in a better world than we did? Will we get up a little earlier in the morning to pray? Will we spend a little extra time in our Bibles seeking wisdom from God? Will we begin to spiritually invade the enemy’s camp through prayer, fasting, worship, and time with our God?

Today is America’s 250^th birthday. It’s a day that we remember, celebrate, and commemorate the birth of this beautiful nation, but let it also be a day of prayer that it might remember its God and renew its dedication to Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Waste This Birthday.

⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. ~ Hosea 4:6

³ [Jesus] answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” ~ Matthew 15:3

The more negative comments we receive on our website, the more I realize that the source of these comments is from a place of ignorance. One of the biggest problems in the Church is one that plagued ancient Israel as well, the lack of knowledge. We go based on human tradition instead of the Word of God. Instead of studying the Word of God to show ourselves approved, we ignore Bible verses and stories because they contradict what our tradition says. It contradicts our preconceived notions.

God looked out over His people and said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” I don’t think today is any different. Actually, I think it’s worse. The Bible is accessible in paper and digital form. It is translated into hundreds of languages. There’s really no excuse why we should remain willfully ignorant about the things of God.

So, what’s holding us back? Is it spiritual laziness? Pride, because we don’t want to be wrong? What’s keeping us from growing in the faith? The book of Hebrews chastises the Hebrew people by saying, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12). The Hebrew people had been separated and made special because of their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God made Himself known to them. Gave them promises. Gave them revelation and prophecy that He didn’t give to others, yet when the Messiah came, they missed Him. When the Holy Spirit came, they didn’t grow.

The Church has been given so much opportunity to grow. We’ve had revival after revival, yet we drop the ball and remain on milk. We rarely ever make it to solid food. To meat. Why? Ask yourself, what’s holding you back? What’s keeping you from growing in the faith?

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Seek Out Knowledge.

Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV

[15] I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. [16] So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

I watched a video the other day of men who had been standing for over a decade straight. They refused to sit down. One man’s feet had gone black and were swollen large. Others would come and clean them for him and put ointment and treatment on them. The reason for refusing to sit? The believed they will see their god Shiva, and that is their hearts’ desire.

They’re willing to give up everything, including their very limbs for the sake of possibly seeing their god. Our God dwells in us, gave up His life for us, yet we won’t even sacrifice a little “me time” to meet with Him. He doesn’t even demand such extremes to see Him; all we have to do is call on His name and He will come to us.

As Christians, we’re lazy. We refuse to do what we need to do in order to see our God. The Living God. The Almighty God. The God of all gods. He doesn’t even ask that much of us. Spend time with Him. Read and study His Word. Pray and worship. Come together in fellowship with other believers. Give up this world. There’s people who refuse to sit. Refuse to put their arm down. Refuse to eat in hopes of seeing their god. They truly believe. They are true seekers. True believers. They are filled with passion. Why?

Because they don’t have the same grace we do. And we, as Christians, take advantage of it. We use it up and act as if it’s our get out of jail free card. As if we have no standard to measure up to. We act like the Nicolatians who sinned all the more because of grace. This is not the way. We have to become passionate for God, lest we fall deeper into lukewarmness and be spewed out of His mouth.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Keep Standing.

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20^NKJV

Paul was completely obsessed with the things of God. His every purpose, his every move, his every decision was based on…: “What would Jesus have me do?” We have to understand that obsession shapes our thoughts, dreams, hopes, and vision. Obsession consumes us in every way; in fact, it’s what gives life to our ambitions in life! They are what define us.

What are you obsessed with? What drives you? If Scripture puts you to sleep every time you read it, you’re not obsessed. If Church bores you, you’re not obsessed. What we are obsessed with will tell us our spiritual temperature. It’ll let us know whether we are hot, cold, or lukewarm. Christ was obsessed with us. It’s what kept Him on the cross when He could have gotten off. When He could have saved Himself. When He could have called twelve legions of angels to His rescue. Christ was obsessed with His creation. What are you obsessed with?

Romans 11:29 NKJV

²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression, “Use it, or lose it.” But when it comes to God’s gifts and calling, that saying does not apply. What God has given you cannot be lost or revoked. Paul encourages his young protégé, Timothy, to “stir up the gift of God which is in you.” (2 Timothy 1:6).

We need to do the same thing—we must stir up the gifts given to us. Just as natural talents and skills are sharpened through training, practice, and repetition, spiritual gifts are activated the same way—by putting our faith into action.

We will never see the sick healed if we never pray for the sick. We will never exercise authority over demons if we never act in faith in the Name of Jesus when those situations arise.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Stir To More.