Matthew 9:35-38

Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 28:16-20

John 21:15-19

Philippians 2:1-11

Isaiah 58:6-12

What do these verses tell us about the return of Christ?

In what ways do the passages describe the need to be ready?

What actions accompany those who believe in and are preparing for His coming?

What is the Spirit showing the Church or ourselves regarding our role in bringing the kingdom of God to the world around us?

Awaken. What a journey we have been on as we have explored the scriptures to understand what characterizes those who live awake to the life and calling of Jesus, awake to the promptings and power of the Holy Spirit and awake to the reality that Jesus will one day return. Now we turn our gaze outward. Those who are awake to the life of God within can not ignore the needs of the world without. After Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4, he tells his disciples, “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest.” 

Similarly in Matthew 9, after interacting with broken people in a broken world we read, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.’” (Mt.9:36-38)

An awakened people of God is the light of this world. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus reminds His listeners that no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, but rather it is placed on a stand so that it gives light to the whole house. In the same way, Jesus says, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Mt.5:14-16)

We are all awakened to different needs. Here are some of the needs that the verses in this study pointed out and how we might be prompted to meet them:

• Feed the hungry
• Give drink to the thirsty
• Welcome the stranger
• Clothe the naked
• Visit the sick
• Come to the prisoner
• Make disciples of all nations
• Provide encouragement in Christ
• Provide comfort from His love
• Participate in the Spirit
• Fast on behalf of the oppressed
• Bring the homeless poor into your home
• Feed His lambs
• Tend His sheep
• Feed His sheep
• Intercede on behalf of those in need

Clearly the needs in this broken world are endless. I can easily feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of brokenness and suffering all around me. Where do I begin and will whatever I do really make a difference?  Perhaps you have had this thought as well. It can become paralyzing if we compare what we have to offer with the immensity of needs that we are made aware of. But, He is the Lord of the harvest. He is fully aware and able. It is up to Him to dispatch us as He chooses. 

Mark 13:34 states that the return of Jesus is like a man going away…”and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task.” If you don’t know what your “assigned task” is, that is okay. The more you spend time with Him, the more you love Him and obey Him because you love Him, the more you invite the Holy Spirit to fill you and empower you, the more awakened you will find yourself to see those around you as He sees them. Our eyes are on our Lord and our ears are open to His calling. It is not about comparing ourselves with each other or measuring our “impact” with each other. It is about pleasing and serving our Savior Jesus and participating in the good works that He uniquely has prepared beforehand for us to walk in. So that when He returns, and He is coming, we can hear him say to us, “Well done good and faithful servants. Enter into the joy of your Master.”

Mark 13:21-27

John 8:31-47

1 Peter 5:6-11

2 Corinthians 11:1-4, Genesis 3:1-15

James 3:13-18

What do these verses tell us about the return of Christ?

In what ways do the passages describe the need to be ready?

What actions accompany those who believe in and are preparing for His coming?

What is the Spirit showing the Church or ourselves regarding our need to live alert to the ways that Satan seeks to dull us or divert us from the life and love of God?

In the song “Awake my Soul” is the line, “And when he moves, make no mistake, the powers of hell begin to shake… Awake my soul and sing and lift his Name on high!” As God’s people awaken and as He moves in them and through them, the powers of hell shake and then quickly assemble to mount their counter-move. Perhaps you are experiencing this. Fears, doubts, accusations, opposition from without or within, these and many more are Satan’s well worn tactics to resist an awakened people.

Recently a good friend, who has fought through multiple physical hardships and setbacks, yet continues to live vibrantly as a lover of Jesus and people, received news of yet another physical problem. While this in itself was difficult to absorb, the more debilitating pain came from the whispers. Whispering thoughts seeped into her mind that she was now even more of a burden to her family. Those evil thoughts gradually multiplied, suggesting that the only kind thing for her to do, if she really cared for her loved ones, was to end her life so that they would be relieved of the burden she was placing upon them. This courageous woman brought these heinous thoughts into the light, confessed them to a few trusted friends and faced these thoughts head on in prayer, renouncing them in the name of the conqueror, Jesus. She shared that after that confrontation, the thoughts were completely gone. 

Satan is vicious but he is defeated and he knows it. One of his most effective access points through which he sows his poison is the mind. 2 Corinthians 11 speaks of our minds being led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. Later in chapter 12, Paul talks about the weapons of our warfare as being spiritual and part of the preparation for this spiritual warfare is to take thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ.

 Picture if you will, our minds as a fortress. The enemy tries to send unseen infiltrators in over the walls and if they succeed, they quickly blend in with the good guys who dwell inside. But what if these infiltrating thoughts are identified as belonging to the enemy and are captured. They are then brought before the One who has conquered them through his obedience unto death, the One who is now exalted at the right hand of God with the name above all names, before whom every knee must bow. He has the authority to deal with them. 

A simpler picture of the mind than that of a walled fortress can be found in John 10. Jesus talks about a sheep fold, which is an enclosure to protect sheep at night. Consider our minds being likened to this sheep pen. He says that all who climb in another way, other than going through the gate are thieves and robbers and they come to steal, kill and destroy. There is but one gate in the enclosure. Jesus says, I am the gate, and my Father is the gatekeeper. In this picture those sneaky, subtle thoughts that separate us from God: fears, doubts, condemnations, accusations, half-truth lies, prideful judgments, jealousies, covetous ambitions, admitted consciously or slipping in subconsciously, begin their work to steal our peace, kill our trust and destroy our faith. But what if these thoughts are intercepted, captured and brought to the mind’s gate? Jesus is the gate, His Father is the gatekeeper.

 “Jesus, does this thought belong in my mind? Is this thought the truth or is it an enemy? If it is, by your authority, can you deal with this enemy?” The sooner I intercept the thieves and robbers, the less damage they have done and the easier they are to extricate. But I don’t have to eradicate them myself; I bring them to Jesus and nothing can get past Him. As many times as enemy thoughts sneak in, I can bring them to Jesus, I can tell him that I don’t want this fear, this jealousy, this lie, this judgment in my mind. I can ask Him to please take it and deal with it yet again. And He is faithful and He will do it.

As we awaken to living a life of holiness and obedience, we may also awaken to thoughts within our minds that are entirely unholy and rebellious. Rather than ignoring them, squelching them, excusing them, we can bring them to the light, like my courageous friend, and ask Jesus to exercise His victory on our behalf.

Judges 6:11-40

Luke 1:26-56

Acts 13:1-5

Hebrews 11:8-10

John 14:15-31

1 Thess.5:24

What do these verses tell us about the return of Christ?

In what ways do the passages describe the need to be ready?

What actions accompany those who believe in and are preparing for His coming?

What is the Spirit showing the Church or ourselves regarding our need to live awake and respond in obedience to God’s calling?

Let’s pick up where we left off with Caleb and the hill country. In Joshua 14 and 15 we read that Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him the land of Hebron because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak (the big, scary dudes). In the course of the conquest, he declares that to the one who takes territory alongside him, he would give his daughter, his pride and joy, Achsah as his wife. Othniel proves to be such a man and he marries Achsah. But Achsah has the spirit of her father, the spirit that he taught and modeled and imparted to her throughout all those years of wandering in the wilderness. While Othniel is content with the portion of land they have been given, Achsah believes for more and so goes to her father. “Father, give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” Like her father who had in his heart the hill country, she has in her heart the springs. And so what does Dad do? He gives her more than she asked for, the upper and the lower springs. 

Both Caleb and Achsah model bold obedience to the call of God that he has put on their hearts. When it is time to go for it, they are ready. And how is it that they are ready? Because they have maintained general obedience in those things that keep them alert and tethered to God. There is a general call to obedience that is true for all of his children, for all time: to love him, to remain in his word, to believe in his character, to trust him, to cling to him. These obediences position us to be alert to a specific calling, some hill country, some spring of water that God has laid on our hearts, something, someone, that creates an ache within such that we would come to the Father and ask for it boldly. What is that for you? 

General obedience lays the groundwork for a specific calling. Whoever is faithful in little, is prepared and positioned to be faithful in much. 

Perhaps as you read this, you are reminded of a hill country. Perhaps it was 45 years ago that you saw it, but now after all these years, here it is again. Is it time to go and ask the Father to bless you and through his strength grant you that for which you have longed?

In the account of going up to possess the land, there were those who, unlike Caleb, were less eager, less bold. In Joshua 18 we read that there were seven out of the twelve tribes of Israel whose inheritance had not yet been apportioned. Joshua exhorts them to rise up. “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?” After this kick in the pants, Joshua then gives them stepwise instructions on how to get going. 

Some of us are like Caleb and Achsah. Others, and I would say more of us, are like the seven tribes of Israel, who need exhorting, encouragement and instruction in obedience to move toward that which God has given. Timothy was such a man. Where Paul was a Caleb, Timothy was entirely faithful in general obedience but less bold in his specific calling. Paul reminds Timothy that God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and a sound mind. “Fan into flame the gift of God that is within you.”

These words immediately bring to mind our woodstove. Before going to bed, we stoke the stove with fuel and then shut down the air flow so that it burns slowly throughout the night. In the morning under the ash there is a bed of glowing embers but no flame. It is time to stir the coals, gather them, blow on them and gradually add more fuel as we fan the fire into flame to heat the house for the day. 

How was Timothy to fan into flame the gift and calling of God? Invite the Holy Spirit to fill him and work through him, gather with others for encouragement and prayer, remember God’s word and God’s promises and take the first small steps of obedience toward the hill country. In this study we looked at other people in scripture, Mary, Abraham, Gideon, Jesus’ disciples, Paul and Barnabas. Each of these took steps of obedience as God led them forward in His calling for their lives. Each of these was able to take the next step by maintaining their general calls of obedience to abide and follow. 

What is your hill country? It could be your family, one child, a child you sponsor in another country, an elderly neighbor you serve,  people you pray for, a ministry, a business, writing notes of encouragement… All of this is to say, there is no calling too small or too big. It is all about obedience and it is all to bring glory to the God who leads us. 

As we awaken to obedience, is God blowing on the embers of His calling in your life? Will you trust him to say yes and take the first step?