A True “Spiritual” Awakening
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.”
(John 6: 63 NASB)
If we had been there, walking with Jesus, would we have followed Him?
It’s easy for us to say: “Why yes, of course, we would have followed Jesus.”
If we had been there, walking with Jesus, would we have stood up in the crowd and identified ourselves as a “Jesus follower” when we knew it could cast us into prison?
It’s easy for us to say: “Why yes, of course, we would have followed Jesus,” but would we have stood up for Jesus?”
If we had been there, walking with Jesus, and if we had been identified as one of ‘HIS,’ would we have stood up, spoken out loud, and even boldly gone wherever Jesus led us to go?
Truthfully, we like to say: “Why yes, of course, we would have followed Jesus,” but would we have really followed?”
If Jesus had just taught a ‘hard-to-swallow truth,’ one that clearly identified Him as the “bread of life,” who provides eternal life, would we have believed Him?
Would we have stood there in the crowd, having known Jesus since He was a boy, the son of Joseph and Mary, the one we had known our whole life and just ignored him?
Oh, most definitely, we can sit here, thousands of years—later—and we can say with boldness: “Why yes, of course, we would have believed,” but would we have truly believed?
People speak of a ‘Spiritual Awakening’ that needs to come to the world, and maybe we too have even proclaimed it so; nevertheless, in order to be an ‘awakening’ there needs to be an admission of ‘sleeping.’
Are we a world of people—Asleep?
Are we a world of people—Napping?
Are we a world of people—Snoozing?
Are we a world of BELIEVERS—FULLY AWAKE, or are we sleepwalking as we go through life?
Are the children of God—FULLY DOING—FULLY LIVING—FULLY OBEYING—THE FATHER’S WILL?
Or are we merely saying we do?
GOD Controls—EVERYTHING!
GOD Awakens—THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO FOLLOW JESUS!
GOD Does!
- We cannot awaken ourselves to God. Only God’s Holy Spirit can do that: Stir One’s Heart to Hear God.
- We can only willingly get down upon our knees and seek time alone with God.
- We can only willingly dust off the cover of our Bibles and begin to read God’s Word.
- We can only willingly open our mouths to speak the truth of Jesus, God’s Son, when someone asks us to testify about our faith, about how we know that we know that we know we will go to heaven when this earthly life is officially done.
That’s all we can do!
Pause to listen to a beautiful melody: “Jesus Does” by We The Kingdom. Listen to the lyrics, really hear the difference between who we are & what we do—And What Jesus Does.
We say the world needs to experience a True “Spiritual” Awakening, but are we ready to awake, arise from our slumber, and truly follow Jesus?
Or are we merely saying we do?
JESUS SAID:
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.
(John 6: 63-64 NASB)
But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.”
It’s so easy for us to say: “Why yes, of course, we would have followed Jesus,” but allow that question to dig deep & pause to ask, to really ask if we are speaking the truth?
Do we share intimacy with Christ?
- Do we step into our prayer closet and really pray?
- Do we spend minutes, hours, even days, listening to God?
Do we daily spend time digging into His Holy Word?
- Do we daily, actively read our Bible, searching for what the Spirit is teaching us this day?
Do we read, really study His Word?
- Do we apply what we study, what the Holy Spirit is teaching us to see, to change, to lay down, and to forsake as we take up our cross and follow Jesus?
Do we follow, really follow where He leads?
- Do we go, really go where He tells us to go?
- Do we speak, really speak whenever the Holy Spirit says: “Speak, child, speak.”
Do we really share an intimate relationship with Christ—OR—Do we just say we do?
Are we ready to awake, arise from our slumber, and truly follow Jesus?
Are we ready for A True “Spiritual” Awakening?
“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.
(John 6: 63-66 NASB)
But there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.
And He was saying, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.”
As a result of this many of His disciples left, and would no longer walk with Him.”
Would that have been us—the one who left Jesus and gave up walking with Him?
We like to say: “Why no, of course not! We would have stayed true to our faith and followed Jesus!” But would we have stayed true?”
We like to say: “Why yes, of course, we would have followed Jesus!” But would we have followed Him?”
How will we respond?
How will the children of God react when the world screams at us, knocks us down, hits us, or locks us up—for our faith?
We like to say: “Why, we will do this, say that, or react this way,” but will we really?
“So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to leave also, do you?”
(John 6: 67-69 NASB)
Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
And we have already believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”
May we come to know, really know—JESUS, THE HOLY ONE OF GOD!
May we get down on our knees to PRAY!
May we pull out God’s Word to really STUDY!
May we ask God to give us boldness & courage to WITNESS!
May we be the body, the church, the people HE HAS CALLED US TO BE!
May we thank God for giving us a TESTIMONY OF FAITH TO SPEAK!
As we do these things, may we raise our hands, praising & worshipping the KING of kings—THE ONLY ONE WHO BRINGS A TRUE SPIRITUAL AWAKENING!