DAILY DEVOTIONALS: 10.7.23

 TheVanishing Serpents “For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.” (Exodus7:12) Like the future image of the beast, which will seem to have life, these magician-induced serpents can only have been “lying wonders” (2Thessalonians 2:9). Neither men nor demons can really create life; this is a prerogative of God alone, who “created every living creature” (Genesis1:21). However, both human magicians and demons can generate hypnotic mental states and occult hallucinations that ungodly people like pharaoh may be deceived into seeing as real physical entities. When their demonstration was over, however, nothing was left. Even their rods (not “serpents”) were gone, for Aaron’s genuine serpent had made a meal of them. In a true miracle of creation, Aaron’s God had transmuted the dead atoms of a wooden stick (just asHe later made it to produce blossoms and almonds, Numbers 17:8) into a living serpent, capable of consuming other sticks that only appeared to be serpents. The deception of the magicians was revealed when they were unable later to imitate Moses’ miracle of turning dust into lice throughout the land of Egypt (Exodus8:18). Interestingly, many people believed for many centuries that similar phenomena—which they called “spontaneous generation”—occurred naturalistically, but this notion was scientifically demolished by Pasteur over a hundred years ago. Only the livingGod can create life! The miracle of Aaron’s rod is also a parable. Aaron’s rod of life took on the nature of the serpent, just as Christ was made sin for us (2Corinthians 5:21). But then it swallowed up the other serpent-rods, and the sting of “that old serpent” was put away. Thus, “death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting?” (1Corinthians 15:54-55). HMM ------------------------ HolyAnointing “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.” (1John 2:20) The word “unction” in our text is translated “anointing” the other two times it is used (1John 2:27). That term, and a companion word, are used only seven times in the New Testament, but all refer to the same essential concept often spoken of in the Old Testament. Both things (tabernacle, temple, vessels, offerings) and people (priests, Levites, kings, ambassadors) were “anointed”—often ceremoniously—to identify them as consecrated or honored for a special service or position. Once anointed, the person or object wasto be held in great respect by everyone. Thus, we who are the “children of God” (Romans8:16) have been anointed by God Himself (2Corinthians 1:21) in such a way that the anointing abides, teaches, and is truth (1John 2:27). This anointing is, obviously, no ceremonial oil demonstrating an honor (Psalm133:2) but rather the “pouring out” of the Holy Spirit Himself onto and into our earthly bodies, consecrating us to be the very “temple” of the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 6:19). This “unction” further designates us to be “kings and priests” (Revelation1:6) who will one day “reign on earth” (Revelation5:10). We are called “lively stones” (1Peter 2:5) being built into a spiritual house for the Lord. Furthermore, we are to be seen as “chaste virgin[s]” (2Corinthians 11:2) who are ambassadors of Christ (2Corinthians 5:20), having been set apart as a “vessel unto honour” (2Timothy 2:21) in the “household of God” (Ephesians2:19). We are to know all these things. HMM III --------------------------- TheMinistry of Reconciliation “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us theministry of reconciliation.” (2Corinthians 5:18) The great work of reconciling lost men to a holy God has been accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ, yet He “hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation,” through which we, as His ministers (i.e., “servants”), urge men, “Be ye reconciled to God” (vv.19-20). This wonderful “ministry of reconciliation” is outlined in 6:1-10, under three subcategories, totaling 28 characteristics. First, there is a tenfold ministry of suffering. “In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings” (vv. 4-5). On the otherhand, it also encompasses a ninefold ministry of godliness: “By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right handand on the left” (vv. 6-7). These attributes of suffering, combined with the characteristics of godliness, produce what might be called the ninefold paradox of the ministry. “By honor and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor,yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things” (vv. 8-10). The central paradox of these nine is the great central theme of the Christian life, centered in Christ: “As dying, and, behold, we live!” This is the ministry of reconciliation, for “they which live should...henceforth live...unto him which died for them, androse again” (5:15). HMM ------------------- Bearingand Helping to Bear “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ....For every man shall bear his own burden.” (Galatians6:2, 5) This is one of the most commonly cited Bible “contradictions,” the apostle Paul commanding us, almost in the same breath, to bear other people’s burdens and yet to bear our own burdens. There is, however, no real contradiction, and both commands are equallyvalid and important. The problem is partly one of translation. There are two Greek words used here, baros and phortion, respectively. The first means “heavy load,” the second “responsibility.” When a Christian friend has been stricken with a great burden—whether sickness, financial need, death of a loved one, or even a grievous sin in his life that he has been unable to overcome by his own strength (see v. 1)—he needs desperately the love and supportof his Christian brethren. The Scripture assures us that when we help relieve this burden, we “fulfill the law of Christ.” The previous chapter also notes this: “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians5:14). At the same time, the privilege of having Christian friends who will share and help with an otherwise unbearable load does not at all absolve us from the responsibility of doing our own part in carrying out our God-given responsibilities. There is no placein the Christian warfare for Christian beggars or Christian crybabies. “Study to be quiet, and to do your own business. That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without” (1Thessalonians 4:11-12). The preceding verse (Galatians6:4) had urged that “every man prove his own work.” Since God has both created and redeemed us, we can be sure He is concerned about us and will not allow trials, or place upon us duties, that are greater than we can bear (1Corinthians 10:13). HMM -------------------------- Howto Know the Will of God “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledgehim, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs3:5-6) The key to knowing God’s will is willingness and determination to follow it before knowing it. “If any man will [literally ‘wills to’] do his will, he shall know” (John7:17). The best indicator whether one is really willing to follow God’s will is whether or not he is now following that part of His will that is already known as revealed in His Word. This requires first knowing and believing, then obeying the Word, especially those portions dealing with God’s general will for all Christians. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm119:105). Then, if one indeed is following the revealed will of God, he may ask in confidence (1John 5:14-15) for the Lord to indicate His will in a specific matter on which there is no explicit biblical teaching (see also James 1:5-6). God will then answer, though it may not be immediately. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke18:1). It may not be in accordance with our preferences or personal judgment, but it will always be for the ultimate best. “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit...maketh intercession for the saints according to the will ofGod. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans8:26-28). God will lead in two ways in the absence of specific Scripture guidance (which must always take precedence, of course). One is by providential circumstances, the other by inner witness of the Spirit, and these two must agree. Then, if all the terms have beenmet, one should proceed to follow God’s will as best he can, knowing that God will redirect him if he has made a mistake. God does want us to know His will, and He will “direct our paths.” HMM ---------------------- Boldnessin Prayer “In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” (Ephesians3:12) There is a wonderful exhortation and promise in Hebrews 4:15-16: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted [that is, ‘tested’] like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, thatwe may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” We aren’t to come presumptuously or arrogantly to God in prayer, but we can come boldly! This is not by virtue of our own merits but because Christ Himself has opened the way for us. “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecratedfor us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews10:19-22). Because He has been fully tested yet free from sin, and because of the shed “blood of Jesus” and the opened veil “through his flesh,” if we come “by the faith of him,” we do have “access” to God’s “throne of grace” and can boldly present our petitions. Thesemust, of course, be dependent upon His will, for “this is the confidence [same Greek word as ‘boldness’] that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And...we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1John 5:14-15). But, whether a particular request is granted or denied in accord with God’s greater wisdom, or whether the answer is delayed until God’s more propitious time, we can always “find grace to help in time of need.” He is our great high priest, our mediator, ouradvocate with the Father, our intercessor, and we can surely pray with “boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.” HMM --------------------- WhatDo Fig Trees Do? “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” (James3:12) The answer to these rhetorical questions obviously is “no.” A fig tree cannot become an olive tree in one growing season, or in a million of them. Nor can a grapevine evolve into a fig tree, no matter what happens to it (grafts, mutations, chemicals, radiations,anything). In the very first chapter of the Bible, each kind of plant God created was given the genetic information by its Maker to reproduce only its own “kind” of plant, not to diverge into some other kind, although its offspring could develop into many varieties ofthe parental kind (but even that only within strict limits). The same was true with the animals. Ten times in Genesis 1, God, in five verses, tells us that each created kind of plant and animal was coded to reproduce just its own kind (Genesis1:11-12, 21, 24-25). Just in the event that some skeptic might reject Genesis 1 as factual, the same theme is reiterated in the New Testament, not only in our text but in Paul’s great chapter on death and resurrection. “God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to everyseed its own body. All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds” (1Corinthians 15:38-39). This biblical truth is confirmed by every scientific observation ever made on plants and animals—whether living, dead, or fossilized. No one has ever seen a frog evolve into a prince, or a vine into an olive tree, either in the present or in the fossil recordof the past. “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that man should fear before him” (Ecclesiastes3:14). HMM -------------------- Coming into Focus - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. �1 John 3:3 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/coming-into-focus/- Listen Without question there�s a blessing in having a proper and balanced understanding of what the Bible teaches about the last days. It is not to drive us into a state of panicor needless alarm, but it should have a purifying effect on our lives spiritually. John wrote, �And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure� (1 John 3:3 NLT). Scripture does teach that the Lord is coming back, andwe need to be ready. Jesus said of His return, �No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows� (Matthew 24:36NLT). However, when we see certain things happening, these should alert us that His coming is near. The Bible says that we are moving quickly toward the Lord�s return, so we need to pay attention to the signs of the times. Sometimes we get so bogged down in details that we don�t get the big picture. We can get confused as we study Bible prophecy because we don�t understand how the propheticbooks unfold. That should not discourage us. Luke 21 is commonly known as the Olivet Discourse. A direct parallel of Matthew 24, it gives us a bird�s-eye view of end times events. It begins with the emergence of theAntichrist and ends with the return of Jesus Christ. In addition, it describes the tribulation period that is yet to come upon the earth. The occasion for this message was the disciples� admiration of the temple. There also was a sense among the followers of Jesus that He would establish His kingdom then andthere. Against that backdrop, Jesus took the opportunity to bring things into focus and help the disciples understand that He hadn�t come to establish an earthly kingdom at thattime. Rather, He came to die on the cross for the sins of the world. At the same time, Jesus described for them how His kingdom ultimately would be established. He also predicted something that would happen within their lifetimes as well asthings that are yet in our future�things that very well could happen in our lifetimes. Then Jesus closed with a personal exhortation: �Watch out! Don�t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness, and by the worries of this life. Don�t let that daycatch you unaware, like a trap. For that day will come upon everyone living on the earth� (Luke 21:34�35 NLT). Not only does Jesus warn us against living in an ungodly way, but He also warns us about living in such a way that we don�t walk with God as we ought to. It�s so easy, evenfor Christians, to go through life without a concern about God, His Word, and what He has to say to us. But that is not how we should be living. We need to be living in such a way that we�re ready for the Lord�s return. We need to make every moment count. ----------------------------- Do-It-Yourself Divinity - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org He replied, �Don�t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, �I am the Messiah,� and saying, �The time has come!� But don�t believe them.� �Luke 21:8 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/do-it-yourself-divinity/- Listen In the times in which we�re living, we should be aware of religious deception. Jesus said that in the last days, there would be an explosion of it, culminating in the appearanceof the ultimate deceiver, the Antichrist. We should look out for cults and groups who say they�re the way to God and that their leader, guru, or teacher is the Messiah. Today, in addition to relatively establishedcults, newer groups have sprung up. There has been a literal explosion of mysticism and spirituality in recent years. But for the most part, it has not been a return to biblical Christianity. Rather, it has been a New Age mixture of everything under the umbrella of so-called spirituality. People basically have a do-it-yourself divinity. They say things like, �I don�t believe in organized religion, but I am a very spiritual person. I draw a little from thisbelief and a little from that belief. It all will get us to Heaven or closer to God.� However, the Bible tells us that in the last days, Satan will use every kind of wicked deception to fool those who are on their way to destruction because they refuse to believethe truth that would save them. They will be condemned for not believing the truth. We need to realize that whenever there is the genuine, there always will be the counterfeit. The devil is the great deceiver and the great counterfeiter. Jesus said of him, �He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies� (John 8:44 NLT). The devil is an expert at offering substitutes for the real thing, with enough truth to make it believable and enough error to destroy us. That is why we must be students of Scripture. The Bible tells us to test the spirits to see if they�re really of God (see 1 John 4:1). We must stop believing the false teachingsthat come our way. Far too often, we in the church are gullible because we allow our feelings and emotions to direct us instead of looking at things through a biblical lens. We must learn to think biblically and compare everything to what the Bible teaches. We also need to understand that all religions do not teach the same thing. To believe otherwise is to ignore what the Bible teaches. Jesus said, �I am the way, the truth,and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me� (John 14:6 NLT). If you are a true Christian, then you must believe that Jesus Christ is the only way to God. -------------------------- TheTeacher �And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.� (2Timothy 2:24) Patience and gentleness are invaluable Christian virtues in any occupation. Teaching, however, involves other attributes as well, and these are effectively set forth by Paul in the second letter to young pastor Timothy. Consider just four of these importantexhortations to God-called teachers. Be straight. Sound doctrine is absolutely essential, the most vital criterion of all. �Hold fast the form of sound words....Shun profane and vain babblings....Preach the word....Exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine....Endure sound doctrine� (1:13;2:16; 4:2-3). Straight doctrine is the basis of everything. Be strong. One can, of course, be strong and gentle at the same time, and this is what God requires. �Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus� (2:1). A non-gracious Christian leader is a disgrace to his calling. Be studious. The Lord has given us His inspired Word and a �sound mind� with which to study it, as well as �the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us� (1:7, 14) to illuminate it, and He expects us to be diligent in its use. �Study to show thyself approvedunto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth� (2:15). Be steadfast. As he concludes, Paul foresees the awful spiritual and moral conditions of the last days�surely enough to intimidate and discourage any Christian. �But,� he then says �continue...in the things which thou hast learned� (3:14).This exhortation is followed by the strongest passage on the full divine inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of the Scriptures to be found in the Bible. Regardless of circumstances, a Christian teacher must maintain sound doctrine, be both strong and gracious,be diligent in handling the Scriptures, and just �live there� in the Word of God. HMM -------------------------------- OurLord Shepherds His Children �The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me besidethe still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name�s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparesta table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.� (Psalm23:1-6) Psalm 23 is our tutor, instructing us to praise Yahweh�s care for His redeemed. He is the supreme Pastor, Sustainer, Preserver, and Savior of His beloved children. With supreme exhilaration, David joyfully shouts aloud for his beloved Shepherd, who is noneother than Yahweh�the Creator of both heaven and Earth. Employing the most intimate metaphor found in Scripture, the eternal Shepherd lives with His flock, devoting everything in His caring arsenal of benevolence to minister to us as our personal (not distant)guide, physician, and protector, for His glory and honor. At the psalm�s beginning, the Lord�s name occupies the emphatic starting point. Next, the word �my� reveals an unbreakable pledged relationship which even �dares to link� our Lord and His child with contentment�s result��I shall never want.� Everything elseemphasized in this psalm rests and flows from these nine foundational words. Let these words sink deep into your soul, especially if you have not yet embraced our Lord in salvation. The Creator of the universe cares for you, and He is willing that none should perish. Repent of your sin and place your faith and trust in the finishedwork of our Lord Jesus Christ. CCM ----------------------------- Signs of Christ�s Return - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org And everyone will hate you because you are my followers �Luke 21:17 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/signs-of-christs-return/- Listen We know from church history that the church has undergone relentless persecution. All the apostles, except for one, died the death of a martyr. John was banished to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. Church tradition suggests thatJohn�s persecutors tried to boil him in oil, but they didn�t succeed. So they banished him instead. The church went through horrible times of persecution. From the first century to 314, the martyr period of church history, thousands of courageous Christians laid down theirlives for the sake of the gospel. Ten great waves of persecution took place under the various Caesars, who sought to eradicate the Christian faith from the earth. But instead of destroying Christianity, theyonly strengthened it in many ways. The gospel is alive and well, and Jesus Christ is still working powerfully. God allowed this persecution, and He will allow persecution. In fact, one of the signs of the last days will be increased persecution. And it will intensify during the tribulationperiod. Today there are courageous people around the world standing up for their faith. Yet in the United States, we will complain if someone makes fun of us for reading the Bible.Let�s thank God for the freedom that we have to do this. And let�s thank Him for the freedom that we have to preach the gospel. As Christians, we will face persecution. If you are a godly person, then you will be persecuted. The Bible says, �Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus willsuffer persecution� (2 Timothy 3:12 NLT). Maybe God has allowed persecution in your life. It might be someone at work who always has hard questions for you or a neighbor who gives you a hard time for your faith inJesus. Or maybe it�s a family member who doesn�t believe. It could be that you are doing something right. God will allow persecution in the life of the believer. Not only is persecution confirmation that we are children of God, but it also causes us to cling tighter to Jesus andremember this world is not our home. Jesus told His disciples, �If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longerpart of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you� (John 15:18�19 NLT). As signs of the imminent return of Jesus continue to unfold, it should keep us on our toes spiritually. Jesus said, �So when all these things begin to happen, stand and lookup, for your salvation is near!� (Luke 21:28 NLT). We are stewards over our lives, our time, and our resources. And one day we will be held accountable for it. Let�s not waste our time. Let�s not go on with business as usual.Instead, let�s allow this teaching of the Lord�s return to motivate us to live godly lives. ------------------------------ TheDoctrines of Salvation �For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one thatbelieveth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.� (Romans1:16) The great theme of �salvation� (Greek soteria, Hebrew yeshua) is prominent in both Old and New Testaments. It basically means �deliverance� and can be used for local and specific �deliverances� from perils, as well as for the eternal deliveranceof one�s soul. In the latter sense, it is used for deliverance from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin in daily life, and from the very presence of sin in the future life. Salvation, of course, is found only through the Lord Jesus Christ, whose very coming into the world was to �save his people from their sins� (Matthew1:21). The name Jesus means �salvation.� In fact, His name really was Yeshua, the word that often is translated �salvation� in the Old Testament. Devout Simeon, after waiting for many years, took the infant Jesus in his arms, exclaiming by theSpirit, �Mine eyes have seen thy salvation� (Luke2:30). The theme of salvation is �so great� (Hebrews2:3), it embraces many major doctrines of Scripture. As a very sketchy summary, one may note that it includes the doctrines of atonement (Leviticus17:11); of substitution (Isaiah53:5); of imputation (Romans4:6-8); propitiation (1John 2:2); redemption (1Peter 1:18); remission (Acts10:43); justification (Romans3:28); adoption (Ephesians1:5); reconciliation (Romans5:10- 11); regeneration (Titus3:5); sanctification (Hebrews10:9-10); and glorification (Romans8:30). When a person is saved, the blessings implied in every one of these great doctrines of salvation become his, whether Jew or Gentile, whether found in Old Testament prophecy or New Testament fulfillment. No wonder Paul was not ashamed of this greatgospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, and neither should we be! HMM --------------------------- Abiding �And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not beashamed before him at his coming.� (1 John 2:28) There is nothing sophisticated or subtle about this Greek word, meno, used many times in the New Testament. The various shades of �remaining� or �staying� are easily understood from the context and always focus on a consistent and even permanent situation. So it is in our text. The Christian is expected to �stay� in a relationship with the Lord Jesus�implying both a permanent relationship and a �normal� relationship. We are to abide in Christ so completely that we would be like a branch growing out of the vine�thusmaking �fruit� possible (John 15:4-5). We are to continue in His Word so thoroughly that our prayers will be in synchronization with His will (John15:7) and our behavior will be in synchronization with His commandments (1 John 3:24). The steadfast �dwelling� in Christ promises to produce a confidence in our eternal relationship�the word choice especially emphasizes freedom in speaking, an unreservedness in speech. As Peter freely spoke at Pentecost (Acts2:29) and the disciples received boldness to speak the Word of God (Acts 4:31), so our �plainness of speech� (2Corinthians 3:12) in witnessing sets the stage for our �boldness in the day of judgment� (1 John 4:17). Ultimately, of course, the lifestyle of abiding in Christ while on this earth builds the sanctified relationship with Christ that we are to enjoy for eternity. �Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise� (Hebrews10:35-36). HMM III ------------------------ DrowsyChristians - by Greg Laurie � www.harvest.org This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. �Romans 13:11 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/drowsy-christians/- Listen With self-driving cars now on the market, we�re seeing more and more stories in the news about drivers falling asleep at the wheel. One driver, for instance, was fast asleepin his moving car when a police officer noticed him. After they unsuccessfully tried to wake the man, the police had to force his car off the road. In the same way, some Christians today are asleep at the wheel. They have a spiritual lethargy, a passivity about them. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, �This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now thanwhen we first believed� (Romans 13:11 NLT). The J. B. Phillips New Testament puts it this way: �Why all this stress on behaviour? Because, as I think you have realised, the present time is of the highest importance�itis time to wake up to reality. Every day brings God�s salvation nearer.� Paul addressed these words to Christians, to genuine believers whose spiritual lethargy and laziness made them appear and act as though they had no spiritual life. Effectively,they were asleep at the wheel. We can be in a state of spiritual slumber and not even realize it. In fact, we might even deny it. Yet the Bible warns us to wake up from our spiritual sleep. Thus, Paul was saying, �It�s time for you to wake up.� He probably was alluding to the soon return of Christ. If you believe that Jesus could come back today, then you�revery astute theologically. As believers, we should realize that Jesus could come back at any time. But we must also recognize that we don�t know how long we will live. When we�re young, we think we have all the time in the world. But then one day we look at ourselves inthe mirror and it�s obvious that we�re getting older. Titus 2 reminds us, �For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We shouldlive in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed� (verses 11�13 NLT). Long ago, it was common to write this phrase over financial documents: memento mori. The literal translation, �Remember you must die,� obviously had a grounding effect onreaders. Regardless of how much money we have saved or invested, we will leave it all behind one day. That�s why we need to keep perspective and make every day count. The psalmist David said, �Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered�how fleeting my life is� (Psalm 39:4 NLT). We must live every day as though it could be our last. Because one day it will be. -----------------------------