While We Were Sleeping

1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”   Ephesians 6:18 “Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ?s men and women.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 (Amplified Bible) “Be alert and on your guard; stand firm in your faith (your conviction respecting man?s relationship to God and divine things, keeping the trust and holy fervor born of faith and a part of it). Act like men and be courageous; grow in strength!”

The above verses form the basis of what follows.  We are told to be alert, meaning to be awake and watching in these and many other Scriptures in both the Old and New Testaments.

A few days ago as I was going about my own business, I sensed the Lord instructing me to write this article titled as above “While we Were Sleeping...”.   In a moment of time, I was realizing so much that is contrary to the principles of our God and our Nation seems to be exploding around us.  I knew in the same moment that it didn’t just start this year or this decade, but rather we - the Church, the Body of Christ (as a whole) - have not been awake enough to stand like men as issue after issue arose in this Nation.

We disliked it that abortion was being allowed as “Constitutional”.  We disliked that prayer was removed from school; that biblical references were removed from one public place after another.  We grumbled that sexual perversions were filling our cinema’s and TV’s and much more.   We were so lethargic on our watch that a few years ago, major publications wrote headlines saying that God is/was dead. 

God is only dead on the earth because His people, those who have received their redemption by the Blood of the Lamb, are sound asleep or at least dozing off.   A few years ago, I and four other men drove several hundred miles and spent four really long days receiving instruction in the Lord.  We all wanted to get home and one brother in particular wanted to drive.  He began to weave around on the road.  We would speak loudly and he would arouse.  He insisted however that he was not to tired to safely drive.  Well, after a couple of swerves onto the shoulder, we insisted he allow someone else to drive who was awake.   Later, he kept telling us that we were just being extra concerned, and that he would have kept us safe.  I don’t know that any of us agreed with that!

Today in our Nation many are sounding an alarm that we need to arouse, to wake up from our sleep and allow the God of all creation to shine brightly in our lives.  Many are warning of pending disaster if we don’t watch what is going on.  Many are just like the brother above - “I’m awake, we will all be safe”.    These who claim to be alert, but are not, fail to see that while we were sleeping, the enemy of our soul, the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy, the one seeking to devour, has been able to set up camp in positions which the Righteous in the Lord should have been holding.  In lieu of rejoicing, many are moaning. While we were sleeping, the family structure has been nearly destroyed by deviating from God's plan of a Father and Mother training up a child in the way he or she should go.  While we were sleeping, our educational system was infiltrated by many who want to revise our history and in the name of “helping” have in reality caused a decline in our scholastic abilities in basics such as reading and the ability to think through issues logically.  While we were sleeping, our laws were altered to give advantage to those who are acting contrary the the principles of morality.  While we were sleeping, an entitlement society was formed putting both the recipient of such entitlement and those supporting it in increasing bondage.

It is time for the Church, the Righteous in the Lord, to AWAKE, to ARISE and release Truth in the streets before it is too late.  We must openly insist, that this Nation return to those God-honoring principles that made America great, and have always released both the provision and protection of our Creator.   It is time to recognize that in Christ we can indeed do whatever is required of us by our God.  We can awaken.  We can stand.  We can release Truth.  We can stand the pressures that will certainly arise as we bring our culture back to a place where corruption and distrust are replaced with honesty and integrity because we honor the Word of God which is Truth. 

Awaken, arise, get involved in what is happening.  Refuse to function apart from what is right in the sight of God.  Let’s not sleep until the waters have risen above our noses or the fire has kindled upon us, but rather stand up in Christ and reveal His Glory to a lost and dying world.  Decide today to recognize we have been asleep, repent and arise in His strength.  Do it for the sake of the generations that follow us.  Go for it!