Wake Up

A plead. My heart aches for the sleeping church.

Photo by Lukas Blazek on Unsplash

I am deeply bothered in my heart. Almost to the point of frantic weeping and pleading. This angst builds and builds as I continue to watch and listen.

Discontentment is a powerful thing. It thrives in many lives. Along with discontentment is anxiety and worry. We worry about the future of our children, the future of our health, and the future of our country.

Many around the world worry about the condition of their safety. They worry about clean water. They worry about food. They worry about radicals coming in their towns and slaughtering them for being Christian.

Many people want more than what they have. They desire bigger houses, bigger rooms, more money, more savings, more comfort, and the list is endless.

We see men running around this world like rats in an italian pizza shop. Collecting. Guarding. Manipulating. Advertising. All the more busy and all the more anxious. Indeed, we have covered ourselves with blankets of social media and fast food. We have taken pill after pill of medication to calm our ever wiggling souls.

We don’t sit in quiet. We don’t think. Indeed we can’t. We move. We watch endless hours of news that feeds on our desperate condition. We scroll for hours with our eyes fixed on others. Fixed on recent scares. Fixed on the constant “what if’s” that we read.

We set our eyes on games. We imagine ourselves as heroes because our life seems too dull and full of worry. We seek after quick riches and fame. We put ourselves out on the internet at any cost. Women have revealed what was innocent for the whole world to see, thinking that this is the way to get noticed and loved.

We are in a pit of delusion. Busy, busy, busy. Phones have locked our sights on the world. We are slaves to a screen. We don’t look up anymore. We don’t remember or think deeply on what reality really is. We don’t look to God, because in our worry and busy lives, we conclude we can fix it. Indeed, we think government can fix it. We think schooling can fix it. We think a psychologist can fix it. We think drugs can fix it.

This is dangerous.

Christians are as sheep led by teachers who have fallen into sin after sin. Christians are so enamored by the trinkets around them that they live as if there is no God. Ask a Christian near you what he or she loves to do, what they spend their time on, and you will hear them say exactly what the nonbeliever would say. You will see their eyes fixed on their phone and their conduct and speech set on things like movies, trends, video games, and conspiracy. Indeed, when speaking about their God, they will only quote the cliche or their favorite preacher.

Ask them about scripture and they know as much as what they knew in Sunday School. They rarely read it. Indeed, it’s boring.

Because of this, we are men and women who are like a rich man jumping into the dumpster for food.

We have grown fat from our comfort and consumption. We rest in our delicious self appreciation and glamour. We are nearly at the end of our great feast as a nation who enjoyed riches and prosperity as the rest of the world starved. Indeed, now the rest of the world is clinging to Christ while we as a nation grow in hatred for him.

Men and women losing their lives and facing persecution we can’t dream of. The people who this country hates are the people repenting and dying for Christ name while we sleep in our delusional fame.

I call you to wake up!

Remember!

Indeed can we remember? We haven’t set our minds on promises in scripture. We haven’t let our heart bathe in the wonder and beauty of Christ. We don’t know what it is to lose our comfort and cling to eternal life.

We can’t remember. We can’t enjoy the meal laid out before us in scripture because we are starved. Though we look rich and full to other countries, we are starved. Our teachers and shepherds have gone after idols. They have become lustful and twist the words of God for money. Indeed, all are being exposed!

Book after book have been written and yet we see lives ending in shambles. A shipwreck. Our churches are filled with glamour and the rich. Shouldn’t we be filled with widows and orphans? With the tax collector and sinners?Shouldn’t our money go towards needs and not bigger buildings? Do we need names for ourselves? Do we really have anything to say? We are speaking and speaking and yet churches are dwindling in love and holiness. Could it be that we claim to know the way and actually deny it?

We need to remember.

Why?

Because unless we know that what we have is trash, we will never look to the real treasure, Christ.

Wake up.

We must pray.

Remember when Christ was in the garden and he was about to go to the cross?

Remember his disciples were asleep?

What did he say?

"So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." -Matthew 26:40-41.

We are in a war. Do we know this?

Are we watching and praying?

Indeed we are watching. We’re watching things that don’t matter. We are praying for our food. I’m sure. But shouldn’t we be more desperate and dependent on God?

I wonder if Colossians 3:2 can help us when it says,

”Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Why would Paul say this?

Because we must have right focus. We must see reality lest we get caught in a snare. We are in a snare. Many are worried and anxious because they are in snares and cares of a world that’s passing away!

Psalms 94:19 says,

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.”

Is this true for you friend?

Listen, the world doesn’t have the answers. Your next president may give you some comfort for a time, but the world is passing away.

1 John 2:17 says,

“And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever."

This includes America. Should we fight for righteousness? Definitely. Is America our salvation? No.

Here’s what will give you freedom:

Cling to Christ.

You afraid of the future? It’s all covered and the Bible says “Do not fear” 365 times. That’s one for each day.

Get your bible and soak up the promises of God. Set your mind on them. The only hope is Christ.

We must wake up. We must remember Gods faithfulness. His control. His will. His Gospel.

We must put away all that distracts us. We must stop filling our minds with lies and worries and set our minds to know and embrace truths!

Then we must pray.

Wake up!

Cling to Christ!