Luke 8:52-53 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.
One of my favorite stories from World War 2 came after the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto made the following statement: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve." The reason I love this quote is it inspires me about Christ's Church. When are we going to stand up and fight for all the onslaught the enemy has attacked us with? Where is our resolve? When are we going to wake up? Do we realize the enemy is laughing at us? The same way the people who were in Jairus' home laughed at Jesus. All He did was say something similar to Admiral Yamamoto; "she's not dead, but asleep." In the midst of all that is going on around us, when are we going to stop wailing and mourning? When are we going to wake up?
Here is what I believe: The church isn't dead, we are sleeping. Why are we sleeping? We have been intoxicated with the things of the world. The enemy has done an incredible job of distracting us from what God has called the church to do. Read Joel 1:5 and see how God speaks to you: "Wake up, you drunkards, and weep!" Every time I read this I see God trying to reach out to us. I am praying that it doesn't take a "Pearl Harbor" to wake up this sleeping giant called the church.
Are you awake or are you sleeping? Do you hear the enemy laughing at you? How can we respond in this time of crisis going on all around us? Will we settle staying intoxicated and remain in our slumber?
APPLICATION TO MY LIFE
1. How does the Admiral's quote regarding Pearl Harbor apply in your own life? Church?
2. What are you wailing or mourning for? Is it time to stop?
3. Are you awake or asleep? Sober or intoxicated?
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