"For this reason it says, Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14

FOG Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Looking out my window one Saturday morning, I saw fog creeping off the Missouri river and approaching North Terrace Park. It was interesting to watch the mixing of the different air currents. Blue skies above accented the mist below. The fog slowly moved up the valley towards the Lexington bridge. Before I knew it, we were enveloped in fog. Even the trees in front of our apartment were hard to see. This is an interesting parable of what can happen to us spiritually. The enemy has many ways of getting at us because of our lack of spiritual insight. A doctrine that has an element of truth to it, but also carries error, may hinder our spiritual sight. We can lose sight of the fact that our love for Christ has left us and we are just going through the motions of serving Him. We may not be aware of our deception, because we feel that we are loving Christ by helping others. The only way to true spiritual vitality is to stay close to Christ. Don't follow formulas, but maintain a relationship with Him and serve others. God doesn't want sacrifice but obedience. Pray, hear from God and then obey. Here are some ideas on staying awake spiritually. "Awake sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." (Ephesians 5:14) Die to your wants and live for the purposes of God. "Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:11) Don't just think about spiritual armor, use them in your daily life. The best defense is a good offense. Start being actively involved in serving Christ and He will instruct you in the way you should go. In my life one of the areas that really helps me is to write. Writing helps my mind get into gear and I am able to think. Once I get started ideas start to flow. God has told me to write and the Spirit moves when I do what I am supposed to do. (Isaiah 30:21; Acts 5:32) "Thy word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." (Psalm 119:11) Bible memory can effect your heart. "God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6) Never consider yourself the final authority; look to God and to others for advice. In Desert Storm they talked about the fog of war. Many times we are so involved in the fight that we can't see the total picture. "I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Behold I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall injure you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." (Luke 10:18-20) You can easily get side tracked by looking at the power that God gives you. Instead look at Jesus the author and perfecter of your faith. (Hebrews 12:2) "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." (2 Corinthians 4:3,4) Those who do not know Christ are not able to see the truth. The veil remains unlifted because it is removed in Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:14) Christians have the ability to remove the veil because Christ has given us the keys of the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 16:19) The gates of hell can't stop Christ's church. Effective prayer for the lost can break the veil over their eyes. Why? Because Christ who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) 2 Peter 1:1-11 shows that walking with diligent faith in the promises of God, will allow us to bear fruit and have a victorious life in God's kingdom. If we lack this we are blind or short sighted. "The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." (1 John 2:10,11) If I am doing something for the Lord and have hate in my heart for someone, then my ability to hear from God is suspect because I am walking in darkness. The Scripture says that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If I am in darkness then I would have a blockage in hearing from Him. Jesus is the light of the world. If we walk with Jesus we are walking in the light. If we are not walking with Jesus we are in the darkness and we do not know where we are going. (John 12:35) To walk with Jesus is to love Him, and do what He says. That is why it says in 1 Corinthians 13 that without love we are nothing. A good test to know that we are walking with love for Jesus is to ask ourselves this: do we want people to know what we are doing? "For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." (John 3:20,21) This would not work with someone that has a hardened heart, but it will work with a servant of God that desires to please God. "Because you say, 'I am rich and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked." (Revelation 3:17) If we trust in our wealth or our ability to take care of ourselves we loose our spiritual sight. Spirituality is putting our trust in God. A spiritual man examines everything to see where God's will is. (1 Corinthians 2:15) His heart is tender towards the leading of the Spirit. Home | Back to Top

This website is hosted for free by . Get your own Free Website now!