Don't Hit Snooze! - Global Ministries and Relief Inc

I seldom need an alarm clock to wake me up. I have been graced with an internal alarm clock and typically wake up at whatever time I set my body-clock. I travel over forty weeks a year and will try to be on the first flight out in the morning, so far I have not missed a flight because I never heard the alarm. The shrill sound of an alarm is not a pleasant way to wake up, but it gets the job done. I’m amazed when I meet people who are running late because they slept through their alarm clock. How is this possible?

When I was in Boot Camp, we had one soldier who was always running late because he couldn’t wake up; as a platoon, we were often being punished because of his tardiness. One day, through his lateness, we had suffered enough, and so while he slept we carried him out of the bungalow, through the camp, and eventually we placed him and all his equipment in the middle of the parade ground. He had a rude awakening when we all gathered on the parade ground for morning flag raising. If I can recall, I think we all got into some serious trouble for our antics, but it was worthwhile to see his face when he woke up with the entire Regiment gathered around him. After that, he always woke up on time.

Can you hear the alarm clock of God waking the sleeping saints from their spiritual slumber? It’s time to wake up; it’s time to get out of bed. Whatever you do, don’t hit the snooze button. You don’t need another ten minutes of sleep!

Therefore, He says:

“Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:14-17)

Don’t Hit Snooze!

Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who have drunk from the Lord’s hand the cup of His anger;
The chalice of reeling you have drained to the dregs.
(Isaiah 51:17)

Don’t Hit Snooze!
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. (Romans 13:11)

Don’t Hit Snooze!
Therefore, let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. (1 Thessalonians 5:6-10)

Don’t Hit Snooze!
“I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief. (Revelation 3:1-3 NLT)

There is a common theme running throughout these Scriptures, and that is the Spirit of God is saying, “It is time to wake up!”

Believers who are asleep are easily recognizable
Go through this simple checklist and see if any of these indicators apply to you. If one or more of these apply to you, then I strongly suggest that it’s time to wake up and get back to a spiritual state of being awake. It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, as you do a heart-evaluation be honest with yourself and with God. Those who are asleep:

They have no hunger for the things of God.
They are inactive in their church; no involvement other than obligatory church events to show face.
They don’t pray unless facing a personal emergency.
They don’t read their Bible.
They spend all their free time on entertainment, hobbies and personal business.
They don’t fellowship with other Christians.
They lack generosity and have ceased giving to their church.
They have no concern for the state of the lost or personal evangelism.

Are you awake or asleep?
While I am writing this Blog, I am at the Garage having my car serviced. They will run a diagnostic to check if there are any potential problems and to ensure my car performs at its best; they will let me know what needs adjustments or repairs.
• After checking the state of your heart, did you discover any potential issues?
• Are you awake or are you asleep?

We as the Church need revival
One of the definitions for revival is a spiritual awakening. Do you agree that we need a spiritual awakening? When you look at the low levels of involvement and commitment, it becomes apparent that we need the heart of God’s people to be awakened from their spiritual slumber.

We need to wake up because it is harvest time.
We need to wake up because it is time for the watchmen to be on the alert.
We need to wake up because there is a war and we are a part of God’s victorious army.

If you are snoozing and you need to be awakened pray this prayer from the depths of your heart and then get out of bed and get engaged in the things of God as a priority.

“Lord God Almighty, I recognize that I am spiritually asleep and I need to wake up. I turn my attention to the things that matter and make You my highest priority. Forgive me for my indifference and neglect of our relationship. Thank you for new beginnings!”