It has been a year since I have been on this blog. The past few weeks I have been getting the spiritual nudges from the Holy Spirit to re-enter into this blog but for a more specific purpose -- to share Jesus Christ in a meaningful way that anyone who reads the words will have clarity and understanding. This "nudging" has been done by several people and not by my own prompting. I would find myself in a conversation with someone and we would be talking about Jesus in the 4 Gospels or another story in the Bible and I would share my thoughts and would be told, "You should write about Jesus" or "You should be giving Bible studies." I am not ready to begin giving Bible studies again. I am not confident in myself to do so. I have, sadly and regretfully, neglected my Bible studies. I admit it because to say otherwise would be dishonest.
I also have had other instances happen. I have friends that I've corresponded for years via the internet and in postal mail, who recently became on fire for Christ - re-born in Him - and they suddenly have turned to me for guidance and inspiration. This has been most unsettling and humbling for me. Unsettling, because I do not see myself as a good man or a holy man that anyone should turn to for spiritual guidance. But Jesus Christ is real and alive, this I have never doubted nor ever stopped believing. Jesus is always here with you and me. I have, quite honestly, been slumbering spiritually. Spiritual slumber is a deadly condition. It means someone is asleep to the Holy Spirit's nudging and whispering and they find themselves slipping into the ways of the world, the lost world - the world without Christ.
Spiritual slumberers are self-deceived. They think because they believe in Jesus that everything's okay, that God loves them so much that He will overlook this or that small discretion, the occasional dalliance with sin. Now, most people would scoff and say, 'So, what's a drink or two of booze or beer? It's not big deal?" .... or ... "Looking at that good-looking woman is okay, what does it matter?"
IT MATTERS TO GOD!!
And it should matter to a Christian. Am I confessing anything to you? No - that's between me and Jesus Christ but I wanted to point out that spiritual slumber can be deadly. Why? "The wages of sin is DEATH." Romans 6:23. Jesus' death on the cross was Him paying the wage (read: DEBT) of sin. He died our debt. He paid what we owe. Why? Because He and the Father love us. Romans 4:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Jesus did not deserve to die that death - but we do deserve it. But He (and the Father and the Holy Spirit) did not want us to die eternally. They want us to live with Them again for eternity. Thus, He had to pay the debt owed - He died our death. I had to wake up. If any of you are slumbering, I say to you humbly, "WAKE UP!" Romans 13:11 says - "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to AWAKEN OUT OF SLEEP; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."
His coming is near, my friends. Please wake up. If you don't you could miss out on the LAST greatest event in this world's history.

No comments:
Post a Comment