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It’s Time to Wake Up! Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. We’re not always eager to wake up in the morning and start a new day. Sometimes we’re in a deep sleep or in the middle of a dream. Sometimes the house is a bit chilly and the warm covers feel oh so good. However reality usually wins the day and we get up and go about our business. The boss doesn’t seem to be very understanding when we arrive at work at on our own schedule. It’s pretty much the same in our Christian walk, Isn’t it? The context of Ephesians 5 shows that Paul is speaking to believers who have been lulled asleep and are oblivious to the effect of the evil that surrounds them. He reminds them, and us, that the days are evil and that we need to Light of Christ to walk wisely as we make the best use of our time. We need to know what the will of the Lord is for any situation that arises in our lives. Given the signs of the times that are all around us, we most definitely need the Light of Christ to know how to react to the current financial meltdown and the changing political scene of our government. Most of all we need to have our ear to the ground and our eyes on the sky as we await the return of our Lord. Matthew 25:1 ¶ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. In The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven was likened to ten virgins, five who were wise and five who were foolish. Their assignment was to have their lamps trimmed and lit that they might be able to meet the bridegroom when he returned to claim his bride. Well, the bridegroom didn’t come right away and all of the virgins went to sleep. At midnight, the cry went out, “The bridegroom is coming.” They all arose and trimmed their lambs. However, five of the virgins didn’t have sufficient oil to keep their lamps burning. The oil of course is a type of the Holy Ghost. While they went to buy oil, the bridegroom returned and they were refused entry into the wedding. They heard the sad sentence from the Lord, “I know you not.” He then said, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh Mt. 25:13). The parallels between this parable and our present generation are obvious: We are at the midnight hour when things are at their darkest. Our government is promoting homosexuality, abortion and embryonic cell research at the same time that they are rejecting the God of heaven. The only mention that He is given is at the end of a speech when we hear , “God Bless America.” Of course when we listen closely we find that the gods of Islam and Hinduism carry equal weight with the God of the Bible. If we want God’s blessing, we must bless Him first. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…. (Ps. 33:12). World condition certainly show that we are living in perilous times (II Tim. 3:1-5). We are beset by wars, terrorism, slumping employment levels and the collapse of housing and financial markets. We are living in a time when one country with a few bombs could destroy this world, if God permits. If we are only looking at these things through natural eyes, these are indeed dark days. The whole world is reeling and looking for an answer. However, we who are in Christ can look up and rejoice, our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28). The call is going out, “Behold the Bridegroom is coming, go out and meet Him.” I believe that people are starting to wake up and realize that there is no future in this old world. We have no guarantee that our savings will be here tomorrow, much less in our old age. Our hope must be in the One who feeds the birds and cares for the flowers of the field. We are promised that if we seek the kingdom of God first, our food clothing and shelter will be supplied to us by our loving Father in heaven (Mt. 6:25-34). It’s time to wake up! It’s time to wake up and return to God’s word for our answers. One thing is very clear, Jesus is coming back for a glorious church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing (Eph. 5:27). We have a very potent spot remover available in the precious blood of Jesus (I John 1:7). Jesus is very explicit in Mt. 24 that no one knows when He is coming, but that He will return when we don’t expect Him. The servant who is waiting, watching and working will enter into His kingdom while the unfaithful servant will be damned. It’s time to lay aside our weights and besetting sins. (Heb. 12:1). Try as we might, we can’t serve God and the god of this world at the same time. It just doesn’t work! It’s time to get serious and walk before our Lord in righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24). Holy and Whole are from the same root word. God demands all of our heart soul mind and strength (De. 6:4-5; Mk. 12:30). He doesn’t settle for second best. Nor does He settle for our Sunday morning performance, he’s a 24/7 God and He expects the same from us. Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Free Ebooks That You Can Download. An Expository Study on the Book of Colossians The I AMs of Jesus Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@About-Him.Com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe to About-Him Devotional Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries Free Ebooks That You Can Download. An Expository Study on the Book of Colossians The I AMs of Jesus Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@About-Him.Com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe to About-Him Devotional Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries The purpose of About-Him.Com is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ whom we preach as the Almighty God manifest in the flesh. It is our desire that everything presented on these pages increases your faith in our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 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