5 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Mary Poppins once sang "stay awake don't rest your head, don't lie down upon your bed, while the moon drifts in the skies, stay awake don't close your eyes. Though the world is fast asleep, though your pillow is soft and sweet, your not as sleepy as you seem, stay awake don't nod and dream, stay awake don't nod and dream."
St Paul tells us to stay awake and it seems like more and more the church seems to be falling asleep on the job. He tells us to stay awake and not at like the world around us, but the church has become more like the culture rather than counter culture. This does not mean the church should oppose everyone the culture world around us tells us to do, but it needs to speak the truth of God in all this.
Put on the full armor of God and be prepared to stand up and give a defense of what God has taught us. The Light of the World shines even in the darkest places. Christ shines his light into the hidden areas of our lives and reveals how sleepy we really are. So stay awake! Stay alert! St Peter will tell us that Satan prowls around like roaring Lion. We need to be alert and stand watch not only for ourselves but for one another.
St Paul tells us to encourage one another and build each other up in the truth of the Gospel. Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of sins. He died so that you maybe his own. He rose to give you new life. The time is coming when Christ will return to judge the living and the dead. Stay awake and alert for the day is coming soon. In that day Jesus will give all believers eternal life, and those who do not believe will be condemned to Hell.
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