1 Thessalonians 5:5-9 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. [6] Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. [7] For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. [8] But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. [9] For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
The DNA of God is forward only. There is no reverse in God.
Never one time in the Bible do you find God going backwards.
Everything about God is forward motion
More, greater, forward, higher, deeper, passion, drive, reaching, stretching, pressing, hunger, and thirst. These are the words that express the attitude of God when it comes to the Christian Life.
I believe the sentiment, and the spiritual D.N.A. of the Christian life could be expressed in this one scripture
Exe 14:15 and the Lord said unto Moses, wherefore criest thou unto me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.
This is what I hear the Spirit of the Lord saying today. Tell the people to go forward.
I feel like most of the church world, is feeling today, just like the Israelites felt that day when they heard Moses speak those words to them.
They felt like Moses had lost his mind. First of all they were worn out physically, mentally, and emotionally. They were exhausted. And no doubt they were very disappointed in Moses, because it looked like he had led them into a trap. They no doubt felt just like multitudes are feeling today Drained, empty, wiped out, tired, and sleepy.
Every body needs a cheer-leader in their life, but lets be honest about it Sometimes the last thing you want is a cheer-leader.
Sometimes you dont want to cheer up. You dont want to be happy You want to be tired. You just want to sit down and mope. You want to be upset for awhile. You just want to sleep.
In the great classic Pilgrims Progress, one of the greatest threats to pilgrim and his companion hopeful, on their journey, was the enemy of sleep.
Let me read to you an excerpt from this great classic
"I then saw in my dream that they went till they came into a certain country, whose air naturally tended to make one drowsy if he came a stranger into it. And here Hopeful began to be very dull and heavy of sleep; wherefore he said unto Christian, "I do now begin to grow so drowsy, that I can scarcely hold up mine eyes; let us lie down here, and take one nap."
CHRISTIAN. "By no means, lest sleeping, we never awake more."
Hopeful. Why, my brother? sleep is sweet to the laboring man: we may be refreshed if we take a nap.
Christian. Do not you remember that one of the shepherds bid us beware of the Enchanted Ground? He meant by that, that we should beware of sleeping; wherefore let us not sleep as others, but let us watch and be sober.
Hopeful. I acknowledge myself in fault; and had I been here alone, I had by sleeping, run the danger of death.
This is one of the tactics the enemy is using against the church today He is wearing out the saints. The saints are becoming weary. And they are just looking for a soft place to go to sleep. Not to say that they are lazy, or that they are not great warriors, but they are tired.
The dictionary defines sleep as... a condition of body and mind that typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended.
It's interesting that when referring to going to sleep, you never hear phrases like... I leaped into sleep, or I jumped off to sleep.
But instead we use the phrases like he fell asleep, or I fall asleep.
The infererrence is that you don't overcome sleep, but sleep overcomes you gradually.
That's the battle we're in today, people are being overcome by sleep... the desire to just lay down and surrender to a spirit of slumber.
Like never before, we need the cheer-leaders, even if we dont want to hear them. We need to hear them thundering from the pulpits Wake up O sleepy heads, your journey is not over. Theres many more giants to be slain.
Joshua 13:1says... Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.
There is much land, much property, much spiritual territory, that belongs to the children of God, but the enemy has moved in and become a squatter. It's time to evict the squatter and take back, and repossess the land that belongs to us.
One of my favorite little verses in the Bible is right here in 2 Kings 4:24… Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
I feel like this is a word for the church today, as though the Holy Spirit himself is saying Drive Go forward Slack not Unless I tell you to.
Slack not. Don't back up... Don't take your foot off the gas... Wake up... Get busy.
Again in Ezekiel 1:12 And they went everyone straight (forward:) whither the Spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
This is the word of the Lord today Get up, and get moving. Get in gear. Youre not home yet. You cant afford to get caught sleeping.
I know were tired. I know were battle weary. I know it feels sometimes like your efforts dont make any difference at all. But they do Every movement in the right direction keeps the kingdom of God advancing.
Every prayer, every testimony, every hallelujah.
Every time you quote a scripture, every time you clap your hands in faith.
Every time you sow a seed, every time you speak in tongues, you are fighting back the hordes of hell.
Upward, onward, higher and higher, more and more, greater and greater, glory to glory.
Its like the old song Higher Ground says
Vs 1. Im pressing on the upward way, new heights Im gaining every day, still praying as Im upward bound, Lord plant my feet on higher ground.
Vs 2. My heart has no desire to stay, where doubts arise, and fears dismay, though some may dwell where those abound, my prayer my aim is higher ground.
Never think you have arrived. There are higher mountains to be climbed, wider rivers to be crossed, bigger giants to kill, greater glories to behold.
There is no place to turn around. From the day of your new birth it is an upward journey. Beware the Enchanted Ground There is no time for sleep.
The Christian life is not for pansies or the timid and fearful. The Christian life is a life to be seized. To be lived boldly, fearlessly, and aggressively.
Mt 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.
The word violent” means forceful, to use force, to crowd oneself into, to press.
The word force” means to seize, to carry off by force, to pluck, pull, to claim for oneself eagerly, to take.
Genesis 26:13 Speaking of Isaac, says And the man waxed great, (and went forward) and grew until he became very great.
Notice that Isaac only became very great (by going forward).
Forward is not an accident. You can slide back effortlessly, but you can't go forward without intention and effort and an unwave-ring determination.
We are not going anywhere by accident... The only way we progress in this Christian life is, through intention and effort.
The Holy Spirit is waiting to put his Super on our Natural; but He won't do anything until we do something.
Remember this very simple yet powerful truth When Jesus introduced the Holy Spirit in the Bible, he introduced him as our helper. Not our servant. The Holy Spirit is sent by God to assist us, to help us, to give instructions and directions. He comes to guide and counsel, and to empower us as we move our feet.
In other words, as we do our part he is activated.
The Bible says that Samson would shake himself and then the anointing would come upon him.
This means to me I have to do the natural, and he will do the Supernatural.
The secret ingredient of faith is: Push.
Somebody said I'm just waiting for opportunity to knock at my door.
Somebody else said: The door of opportunity is marked (push).
I am certain that many more doors open by pushing than by waiting.
Of course we know that there is such a thing as waiting on God. But that is speaking about the lifestyle of communion and fellowship and depending on his presence. It is not speaking about living with your hands folded waiting for God to bring every thing to you.
*The woman with the Issue of blood went after her healing.
*Bartimaeus went after his sight.
*Zacchaeus climbed the sycamore tree. He went after Jesus.
*The Syrophenician woman went after deliverance for her daughter.
*Jairus went after Jesus, to raise his daughter from the dead.
*The widow whose son died rushed to Elijah to restore life to her son.
*The desperate leper fell at Jesus feet seeking his healing.
Along with this greasy grace that has come to the church, has also come (a lazy faith).
We need to get back to some fiery mountain moving, bold and agressive faith. The kind of faith that doesn't just sit around on its hands, but it works.
But wilt thou know O vain man, that faith without works is dead? (James 2:20)
I'm going to say it again, the secret ingredient of faith is push.
The master key to the Christian life is faith.
According to your faith be it unto thee.
It may not sound like a big deal, but I have to tell you, sometimes it takes a lot of faith just to keep moving.
Just to resist the urge to give in to the spirit of slumber.
If you ask me today what was the key to the great deliverance of the Israelites at the red sea? I would have to say
They kept moving
*They didnt feel like it, but they kept moving.
*It didnt make sense, but they kept moving.
*They were afraid, but they kept moving.
*They were tired, but they kept moving.
*They felt like quitting, but they kept moving.
*They were frustrated, but they kept moving.
It may not sound like a great deep revelation, but I can tell you personally, and from the word of God, that many times, to just keep moving is the difference between life and death. You have to keep moving.
You have got to inform the devil that youre not dead.
You may have been knocked down, and even knocked out, but you still got breath. And if you still got breath, you still got praise, and if you still got a praise, you still got a weapon. And if you still got a weapon you can still fight. And if you can still fight, you can still do damage to the devils kingdom.
David Brainerd a missionary to the Amazon Indians, died when he was 29 years old. He died in the home of his father in-law, Jonathon Edwards. But he did more damage to satans kingdom from his death bed, than most people do perfectly sound and healthy on their feet, in a life time.
What did he do? He kept moving.
He kept praying
He kept worshiping God
He kept writing letters, and exhorting the saints
He kept fighting the good fight of faith
David Brainerd never stopped climbing, even though he had reached a place many only dream of He never quit pushing. He never lay down in the enchanted ground to sleep. He fought, he climbed, he worked, and he prayed, until the angels carried him home.
This is no time for sleeping.
