WHILE MEN SLEPT
"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph 5:14-17).
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It's been just 4 months ago we completed God's seven annual Holy Days. This yearly seven step plan is for our preparations to be spiritual servants in God's kingdom. We have three months left to be on our own to see if we will stay the lessons taught with out slacking off or going off track.
Christ admonishes us in Matthew 7, to follow the pathway that leads to eternal life. "Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto ["eternal" life] and few there be that find it" (Matt 7: 13 - 14).
Jesus is saying, that to follow Him it would require, faith, discipline, and endurance . Those three requirements allow no room or time for napping or slumbering, like the ten virgins experienced prior to their hearing the midnight cry. Our faith, discipline, and endurance is being examined by our Creator to see how spiritually awake we are.
Matthew chapter 13, will set the furnishings on the stage for this article! "Another parable put Jesus Christ forth unto them, [His disciples] saying, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field" (Matt 13:24). The previous parable dealt primarily with the reception of the seed of truth. V.25, "but, while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [we can call degenerate wheat] among the [good] wheat, and went his way." Why do I say degenerate wheat? Because the righteous and the wicked are often mingled together in the physical visible church. V.26, "But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares [degenerate wheat] also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, did not you sow good seed in your field? From whence then has it tares? He said unto them, an enemy has done this. The servants said unto him, wilt you then that we go and gather them up? But he said, no; lest while you gather up the tares, [bad wheat] you root up also the [good] wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, gather you together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the good wheat into My barn" (Matt. 13: 27-30).
Verse 25, gives us the answer to how the degenerate wheat or seed was able to get planted among the good. "...while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares [degenerate wheat] among the good wheat and went his way."
Consider this phrase "while men slept." There have been many disastrous events in history that have occurred while men slept. Nations have changed owner ship and people have lost their lives.
Sept. 12, 1759 -- in Quebec, the French headquarters in Canada was under attack by Major General James Wolf of England. After the French repelled three attempts by the British, the governor felt safe and wrote a letter to a friend and said, "We are no longer concerned about the security of Quebec." The story continues, However, while men slept, the British scaled the north wall along the St. Lawrence seaway, and at early dawn, caught the French unprepared and won the battle. The North American Continent came under the control of Britain.
A similar event occurred in New Jersey around late December in 1776. That story tells us the fire for American independence burned low, because several defeats were suffered in a row. But while men slept, General Washington led 2500 men across the Delaware river at Trent, New Jersey on Dec. 26, 1776, and swept a victory for American independence. These physical stories like this should alarm us to stay alert and awake! Not relax our guard against our enemy Satan.
The Apostle Paul reminds us and warns us in his letter to the Thessalonians about the air of confidence and security we might find in this world and its ways. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety; [or knowing the people are slumbering and sleeping] then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape" (1 Thess 5: 2 - 3).
These verses remind us of another familiar story that happened on April 14th 1912, 98 years ago, when a British ocean liner named the Titanic sank on her maiden voyage when crossing the Atlantic from South Hampton England to New York- suffering the loss of over 1500 lives. This unexpected stunning accident raised the question. How could so many people have lost their life on such a big well built passenger ship?
The Titanic weighed 46 thousand, 328 tons. The rudder alone weighed 100 tons. It was the biggest object ever set in motion by man. It was 11 stories tall and 4 city blocks long, accommodating 2,500 passengers and had a crew of 1,000. This modern day sea going vessel had 16 watertight compartments with its engines producing 50,000 horses of power at the rudder. We all have read stories that this ship was thought by many to be unsinkable.
The captain of the ship Edward J. Smith had 40 years of experience at sea and was considered to be the elite captain of the White Star Line fleet of ships. Captain Smith said when interviewed, " I have never been in an accident of any sort worth speaking about. I never saw a wreck nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort." When asked about the Titanic he replied, " I cannot imagine any condition which would cause this ship to flounder. And I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. He concluded his statement by saying, "modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that."
The day of the Titanic accident was on Sunday April 14th. The weather was clear skies, and calm seas, temperature 32 degrees. Their speed was about 22 knots, equivalent to approximately 25 miles per hour. They had in their minds eye, to break the record time for crossing the Atlantic ocean. During its last day afloat, the Titanic had received six separate warning of ice and icebergs in the area. The last one they received was in the evening at 9:40 pm. Two hours after that last warning the Titanic hit an iceberg on its port side, and a little after 12 midnight Captain Smith ordered the lifeboats to be taken out, after they had sent out distress calls. They fired off rockets like fire works in hopes they would be interpreted as distress signals.
Another ship named the "California", also of the White Star Line, was only ten miles away, it had stopped for the evening because of the ice conditions. Their captain didn't want to go through the ice fields at night. Unfortunately, their radio operator was off duty, so they had no way of receiving the Titanic's distress call. The California's officers on duty that night saw the rockets but weren't sure they indicated distress, so they did not chose to wake their captain who retired with orders to not be disturbed!"
That night at 2:20 AM in the dark of night, the Titanic turned perpendicular in the ocean. Without the Titanic Captain Smiths knowledge, a ship 58 miles ahead of the Titanic had already gone through the ice field, heard the S.O.S. distress call from the Titanic. Captain Rosstren, a man known by his crew to be a seen many times in silent prayer, turned his ship Carpathin around and headed back through the icebergs to help rescue the people on the Titanic. He passed by icebergs that were 200 feet high, but that did not stop him from his mission!
Stories like this should make us think- it does make a difference who is at the helm! It makes a difference who is the captain! And, it does make a difference who is asleep and who is awake!!
We have heard and read the story of Belshazzar - the son of Nebuchadnezzar, who saw hand writing on the palace wall that said, "You are weighed in the balances and was found wanting" (Dan 5:27). That sentence cost Belshazzar his life and kingdom. Dan 5: verse 30 reveals, "In that night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was slain."
The story behind that verse is the Meades and Persians entered in and conquered Babylon, killing Belshazzar while he and his guards slept.
A story closer to our memory is when we were invading Iraq, a "U.S.A." Muslim soldier that was on guard duty rolled a grenade into a tent during the night where some soldiers were sleeping, killing one and wounding others.
These stories and events from God's word and now history should warn and alert us to be aware of the dangers that can happen while men have slept, and slumbered! Many tragedies like these can occur to us - if we are asleep and not watching!
Some men have fallen into a deep sleep like Jonah before he was swallowed by a big fish. We know Jonah's story. God had commanded Jonah to go preach repentance to the city of Nineveh, but he boarded a ship to flee in the opposite direction. So God brought a mighty tempest [storm] on the sea; and the men in the boat felt they were in danger. Where was Jonah during this time? Jonah was fast asleep. "Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the Sea, to lighten it for them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep" (Jonah 1:5). V 6, tells us the captain confronted Jonah. "So the ship master came to him, and said unto him, what mean you, O sleeper? Arise, call upon your God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not."
Many today are in a deep sleep just like Jonah was, so far as their spiritual life is concerned. There's Satan's evil storm all around them but they are spiritually asleep regarding it. Their sins are being ignored by their calloused attitude- God you are not going to command me on how to live my life!! With that kind of reasoning the Apostle Paul's words need to be heeded: "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. Wherefore be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph 5: 14-17). It is a sin for a called out one not to use his God given faculties and intelligence in the contemplating of God's will for him!
There is another example in Mark 14, that shows us what Jesus Christ' attitude and will was - while the disciples slept. "And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and He said to His disciples, sit you here, while I shall pray. And He taketh with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; and said unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry you here, and watch. [stay alert and awake]. And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, Father, Father, all things are possible unto You; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, But what You will." After praying this, Christ walked back to see how the disciples were. "And He came, and found them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, Sleep you? Could not you watch one hour? watch you and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The Spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again He went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when He returned, He found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither know they what to answer Him. And He comes the third time, and said unto them, sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrays Me is at hand" (Mark 14:32-42).
Evidence is found in Matthew 16, that Christ had plainly told His disciples several times that He would suffer and die, but it seems they had ignored His telling them. "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt 16:21).
When that time came, it would have been good for the disciples to have encourage Him in what He was about to face. But they were asleep at the wheel so to speak. Their excuse must have been they were exhausted from having a long day, so they went to sleep, instead of giving sympathy to Jesus' request.
Today some called are exhausted and worn down spiritually. Not knowing who to believe any more because there are so many doctrinal changes being made. This is why there is a need for all of us to be on guard, awake and watchful, or as we know the evil enemy Satan will attack us in our weakest moments, when our mind and eyes are slumbering and sleeping. Remember, our enemy Satan the devil never sleeps. He is always awake and active, 24 hours a day. That is why we need to be always on guard. And not be like Sampson who was caught off guard.
Some today are sleeping the sleep of Sampson, who was lulled to sleep by Delilah. Delilah tried three times to find the source of Sampson's great strength. Samson, being worn down after hearing her requests these 3 times, found his conscience annoying and bothering him "to death." He gave in and told Delilah the truth about his strength. "And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; that he told her all his heart, and said unto her. There has not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." V 19, comes the sleep we all need to be aware of, that sleep of being lulled into a comfort zone, this is when deception can takes over. "And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; And she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him" ( Judges 16:16-22). Why did he do such a stupid thing? No doubt, he was so elated and charmed by this woman that he didn't want to lose her. Judges 16:4 said, that he loved Delilah.
Many today, like Sampson can be charmed asleep by some smooth articulate speaker or some lustful activity of some sort in this world. We cannot presume we can place ourselves in a position of letting our guard down by slumbering and sleeping and thinking we are safe.
One day we may let our guard down and wake up like Sampson and find that God's Holy Spirit has departed from us. Just like Samson's strength departed from him.
Another area of concern is found in the book of Proverbs chapter 6. This speaks about some sleep the sleep of the sluggard. Sluggard meaning, to be sluggish, having no energy to stay on the straight and narrow path. "How long will you sleep, o sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall your poverty come as one that trivialis, and you want as an armed man" (Prov 6: 9-11). Man has been endowed with a large measure of free will. Today many are sluggish and inactive, and not concerned about serving and building Godly character. So with no work on the self to do, they often slack off on praying, and studying God's word. When that happens, its easy to fall into a state of slumbering and sleeping like the ten virgins did.
If we are busy applying God's word to our life's character, we can be a useful tool in God's hand and in His kingdom.
Again, read what the Apostle Paul says about sleeping the sleep of carelessness. "Wherefore he saith, awake you that sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be you not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Eph. 5:14-17).
There is a lot of careless people in God's church's today. After the breakup of the "Worldwide Church Of God" some seem to have forgotten the importance of keeping God's statutes and laws, that has been put in place for their learning and practicing for eternal life in God's kingdom. Seems they have lost the understanding of what the will of God for them is.
The Apostle Paul when preaching to the Ephesians church showed them how Christ raised them and will us from spiritual death. "And you has He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has quickened us together with Christ, [ made alive together with Christ ] (By grace you are saved;)" (Eph 2:1-5).
Carelessness can cause many to slumber and sleep spiritually, deceiving themselves. Paul's writings said let us not go on sleeping as others do. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 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. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess 5:6-9). This implies indifference to the nearness of Christ return, being lethargic can keep a called out one from being prepared for the final events at this end time. Paul is exhorting us not be ensnared by spiritual slothfulness but to be fully wide awake and sober.
The Apostle Peter reminds us, "But the end of all things is at hand: be you therefore sober, and watch unto prayer" (1 Peter 4:7). Again he says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5: 8 - 9).
God's called and chosen people must stay awake and keep in mind the things we are being warned about. Many are living unrealistically in illusion, thinking they are awake spiritually, but many are slumbering and are asleep. Some think that all things are fine as they are, but they have slipped into spiritual poverty. When that happens what is their fate? What is David's answer to a question like that? "Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, [ the eye is the light of the soul. It reflects our inner feeling]. David continues "Lest I sleep the sleep of death;" [eternal death]" (Psa 13:3). Let us wake up and not let that happen to us!
Lets be active, and do our very best in our Lord's service. Proving to Him that we are willing to stay on guard and stay awake and not be slumbering or sleeping while waiting for Jesus Christ return.
James Russell
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