Wake up! Stay Alert!

"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on your guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. It's like a man going away; He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back --whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone, 'Watch!' "

-Mark 13:32-37

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."

-Matthew 21:34-36

Have we forgotten? I have certainly forgotten. I think I forget on an hourly basis these words from Jesus. Any day God could end things, could it be today, or maybe tomorrow. None of us know the day or the hour, not even Jesus. Yet we are commanded to be prepared. I don't know about you, but I am not prepared. Actually, I don't feel I have done anything good for the kingdom of God lately. I feel like my sin has hindered the cause of the Gospel and Satan has been winning even when I think I'm right with God.

I'm trying to determine what God's Will is for my life currently. I don't know it, and today I struggled a lot in spiritual warfare because of my lack of clarity. Doubt is a powerful force in my life right now. I know I've talked about it before on here, and yet when you think it's gone it always comes back. I just want to have faith like a mustard seed. I want to know what it is like to be faithful, ya know? I hate that I cannot trust God completely, and I'm certainly working on it. What's nice though is that I really analyzed my heart today before God, and before I went into work I read this verse,

"for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

"Wake up, O sleeper,

rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you."

Be very careful then, how you life --not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, (always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

-Ephesians 5:14-21

I love that verse, one of my favorites. I needed to hear it. I felt like the Holy Spirit was saying, "Wake up Amber," I don't think I am fully awake just yet, but I'm making progress. I'll have to get some more spiritual nutrition in my being. But after reading those three passages, it just shook me, in the first two Christ is saying, 'wake up people! you can't lazy around and think tomorrow will just be there for you to change!" because we don't know what tomorrow holds. Then Paul tells the saints in Ephesus to wake up.

Something I've realized about scripture is that there is an urgency in it. What's strange about it is that there is a contrast to wait patiently and to trust in God's timing, however, we are also called to be urgent about how we live our lives. To stay alert, and to live by making spiritual progress. I think it is a rather nice contrast because within the urgency we receive there is a peace. The peace is knowing that God has it all under control and God has also given us a responsibility to live our lives out for His glory and His kingdom.

So I guess the challenge is, are we alert daily? Do we live our lives for God's kingdom? Or do we choose to let every opportunity God gives us to disappear. Believe me, this is a big challenge for me. I cashier and I literally engage with 200 people a day if not more, how many of those people do I actually show Christ to? Depending on the day...probably not many.

Well then, my hope and prayer for our lives is that we will stay alert and live to shine God's kingdom into the hearts of the lost as Christ has done for each and everyone of us. I hope that becomes your goal for this life. (as well as for mine)

God bless!

In Christ,

Amber

You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth and so confirms his covenant which he swore to your forefathers as it is today.

-Deuteronomy 8:17-18

It is God who provides. The LORD giveth, the LORD taketh.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is when Job's wife tells him to curse God and die because of the tragedies that fell upon their life, and he says,

"You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?"

We are such an ungrateful kind. When bad things happen we get angry with God, but when good things happen we question and even disbelieve God was ever involved. When in fact it is God who gives us the resources to either enjoy life or to suffer through it. In both instances He is Sovereign because He can show Himself in both circumstances and one can still seek peace in the midst of a blessed life as well as in a cursed life. From being drowned in the wealthiness of middle class society one can certainly see poverty as an appealing and freeing way of life. Hence the reason why some people seek poverty to receive enlightenment.

Whether one is poor or in wealth God can use both for the glory of His kingdom. I can't wait for the day when it will finally be established. I know many can't wait for that day, even creation can't wait. (Romans 8:19)

Currently Feel: Lukewarm

Have you ever felt nothing? Have you felt being neither good nor bad? Why am I like this? I get this way from time to time, what is wrong with me? Maybe I just discovered that when I think I had it all planned out and my life set something comes and totally sets it into chaos. I think I have lost the sight of who I am. I don't know who I am. I don't know what I want. I know what I need, but I feel like I've lost the ability to receive it. I'm so sick of myself. I'm so sick of dealing with myself. I'm sick of living my own life, I'm sick of thinking I'm serving God and questioning whether it is God who I am serving or if it is actually myself.

A couple of Sundays ago when I was sitting in service during a sermon I looked across the congregation of people that I was sitting among. I thought to myself, "why are they here? why do we come every sunday to a place where we sit down and have someone talk to us?" I go to a rather large church as well, and the Senior Pastor is somewhat famous so he is good at what he preaches and I get a lot out of it from time to time, but what is the point of the preaching? What is the point of the preacher if no one learns and uses what is taught? I looked out across the mass of people I was surrounded around and thought, how many of these people came here to truly hear the Gospel? or are these people here just to listen to this man preach? or is it the message? and if it is the message, what good are they using it for unless they just leave it at the doorstep from sunday to sunday and it never leaves the building from where it was preached.

Back in m hometown of St. Louis I attended a Baptist church. At the main entrance into the building of the church when you would leave there was a sign above the door that said, "The Mission Field." I'm curious to know how many people truly see this place we live in a "mission field." I'm curious to know how many people are truly making it their priority to lead people to Christ.

I want to know of all the people that claim to be Christian, how many of them would actually die for it. I am waiting for the day when God allows this lovely luxurious place that we live in to totally become a place that is completely intolerant towards Christianity. I'd be interested to know how many of these "christians" would still call themselves that. Would I be one of them?

I just don't know anymore. I don't know how to be a Christian...I don't know how to have faith. I don't know what God is calling me to do with my life, or if I am even listening to Him. Maybe I've become so enticed by this place's luxury that I have forgotten God all together. What's the point in studying theology? D. L. Moody didn't go to school, he studied the Bible and that is all he studied. What am I missing? I'm probably missing my brain because I am in such a confused state of being.

What is the whole point of this blog? To realize I don't understand life and I am so utterly frustrated with myself for not staying in the Word and in prayer daily for the past couple of weeks. My soul is completely restless...

"out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD; O LORD hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you O LORD kept a record of sins O LORD who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. I wait for the LORD my soul waits and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the LORD more than watchmen wait for the morning more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." Psalm 130