“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
It’s hard to sleep in the daylight. Oh, it can be done, but most people only sleep soundly in the dark hours of the night. Darkness is creeping over this world, and Christians are getting sluggish. It seems as if most who claim to be Christians have become drowsy because of the darkness of worldly ways and are ready to sleep.
Fighting the darkness is tough and seems overwhelming. Instead of looking at the world and seeing a mission field, many people just figure that somebody else can share the Gospel. Ho-hum, are you getting sleepy? Why should we care? The answer to that question is that if you’re a born-again Christian, you should have a desire to share the Gospel with friends, family, and complete strangers.
Christians hold the Light of God within us, so let your light shine! “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Live your life so others can see Jesus living in you. Jesus gave a command to His disciples. “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples just before He ascended into heaven. Did the disciples think, “Ho-hum, there’s time for preaching the Gospel tomorrow,” or did they get busy shining the Light of God into the dark and wicked world?
Darkness had been in the world, but now Satan had a new target: Christians. He thought that with Jesus out of the way, he could easily silence these men and ruin God’s plan for humanity. Satan was wrong. The disciples remembered all of what Jesus taught them and took their marching orders seriously, and they got busy.
Were they afraid? Yes. Their lives were in danger because of preaching the Gospel, but they wouldn’t hide from Jesus’ command to them. They had power from the Holy Spirit. Jesus had breathed upon them and filled them with the Holy Spirit, but during Pentecost, they were set on fire for the Lord.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).
What an amazing power they had. Brothers and sisters, that same power is in us today. Every Christian is sealed with the Holy Spirit. “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
That power is in every Christian, but we’re falling asleep. The world is getting dark, and zzzz, we are sleeping.
I watch many videos on YouTube. I don’t have television reception because it seems to me that most of what passes for entertainment is simply Satan using the airwaves. I have stumbled across some wonderful channels that teach Scripture and inspire me. One is by a young organist who walks through the English countryside to find ancient country churches. He gives the history of the stone church and then finds the organ, where he plays beautiful music. As I watch, I think of the generations of people who have worshipped there through the centuries, and I’m reminded of the importance of Christianity in history.
I also watch videos of various “street preachers” and am saddened by the resistance they seem to face. Still, they preach God’s truth. One video I watched recently talked of the fact that in England, a person can be arrested for speaking of Jesus. What a contrast between the days when the stone churches were built and when faith rang out in word and song.
Today, Satanic darkness is trying to silence God’s truth; ho-hum, zzzz. Have the English fallen asleep? Have Americans or Canadians or Germans or the French?
“The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:12).
Ho-hum, darkness is falling, and Christians are falling asleep. Zzzzz. Wake up! Onward Christian soldiers! Get that armor on and fearlessly take a stand for Christ. Don’t allow our voice to be silenced. Let the Light of Jesus shine through you and overpower the darkness of evil.
The darkness that’s creeping throughout the world isn’t darkness caused by a moonless night or the sun being dimmed by storm clouds. The darkness in the world is evil and comes from Satan, who only wants to destroy people. Is there any way to stop this evil?
The God of all creation is able, and He allows us to work with Him. Most Christians have a “ho hum” attitude and either ignore or join in on the sin that is permeating the world. Some have decided to just close their eyes and sleep through it all. We have Scripture to guide us, and when we read it through the Light of the Holy Spirit, God’s word will be illuminated to light our path.
“NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).
May we be led by the Light of God and allow the Holy Spirit to give us the power to stand against the evil.
As Christians, our sins are forgiven, and when we repent of sin, we must turn away from following the darkness of Satan; we must live in the Light of Jesus. Sin matters and is defined by God. It isn’t “updated” to change with the moral (or immoral) lifestyles of modern society.
When we have a ho-hum attitude toward God’s truth, we mock Him. Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood to take our sin away. Temptation will always be there, but be strong and “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Come out of the darkness and into the Light.
The overshadowing darkness has been a slow, step-by-step process brought about by Satan. This never could have happened if Christians hadn’t let the darkness lull us to sleep. Are we ashamed of our Lord?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
Jesus Christ died to purchase our salvation, but too many Christians hide in the darkness of the world. Every sin can be forgiven, but repentance is necessary.
The Apostle Paul wasn’t always a good guy. He was filled with anger, pride, and hate. His goal in life was to punish the Jewish people who recognized Christ as their Messiah. On his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians who had fled there to escape persecution, he met Jesus.
“And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus; and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven” (Acts 9:3).
Jesus spoke to him from that light, and Paul’s life was changed. The darkness of evil that had controlled him was outshone by the Light of the Lord. Paul was often arrested for spreading the Gospel, and in his testimony before Agrippa, he spoke of his conversion on the road to Damascus.
“And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou has seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee: Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:15-18).
This was the purpose for Paul’s life, and because he obeyed his marching orders, just as the original disciples had obeyed their marching orders, Paul spread the Gospel to the Gentiles; his letters were written through the Holy Spirit and stand through the ages as God’s truth.
God’s word never changes. Each of us has a calling from God. Not all of us have orders to go into foreign lands and spread the Gospel, but we all have orders from Jesus to wake up and spread His light to a darkening world. Too many preachers compromise God’s truth in order to not upset the congregation. After all, if anyone is offended by their sin being condemned, they won’t put money in the offering. Ho hum, does it really matter?
People like to take the forgiveness Jesus has to offer, but have no intention of changing their lifestyle to honor Christ. Ho hum, who cares? Our children are taught lies in school while prayer is forbidden; sin is raging, and people are dying with no hope of eternal life. Zzzz, just let me sleep.
“And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
Wake up! It does matter.
Remember the way the world was prior to the flood of Noah? There was only one way to be saved, and that was through leaving sin behind and entering the Ark. Jesus is our Ark today, but people choose the darkness of sin.
“But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23).
Remember the fire and brimstone which fell on Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness and the sin of homosexuality? God gave Lot and his family a way of salvation, but they had to leave the sin behind and not look back. Lot’s wife chose to look back at the sin rather than fully accepting God’s grace.
“But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).
This was an important lesson used by Jesus when speaking of the end times. “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).
God’s judgment is coming, and during the final seven years, the darkness will be thick. Christians will have been taken Home, and the Holy Spirit will no longer indwell people. He will still be working in the world but won’t indwell people. Today is the day to wake up to God’s light and the power of the Holy Spirit. Come away from the darkness of sin and follow the Light of Jesus.
“Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
You can’t follow Him if you’ve fallen asleep, and you’ll fall asleep if you just don’t care.
First, you just don’t care, ho-hum, then you fall asleep, zzzz, and Satan takes another step to silence God. Time is short, and this isn’t the time to have a ho-hum attitude or fall asleep. We have our marching orders, and all of us need to be wide awake to fight in this war.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
Recommended prophecy sites:
www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com
All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.
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