KEY SCRIPTURE: Joh 11:13 KJV” Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.”

In the discourse of the Lord with His disciples, Jesus talked about Lazarus sleeping, and so He was going there to wake Him up. The disciples also answered Him that, if he is sleeping then he would wake up by himself. These two views are not the same. There is

1. The sleep of death. John 11:11b, 13a Joh 11:11b&13a KJV “….Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death:

2. There is the sleep of rest that every one of us undergoes each day. Mark 4:38 KJV And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

3. There is sleep in sin. These are acts of darkness Rom 13:12 KJV” The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”

4. Finally there is the sleep of slumber. Prov 24:33 KJV” Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:”

 Sleep as a means of resting the body is God’s provision for men to renew their strength, yet the bible cautions against sleeping in sin, sleeping through laziness, and the sleep of death which could be a tool of the evil one against men.

Every child of God should be careful not to fall into the sleep of sin. The Bible calls sin, the work of darkness. Sin is getting into a partnership with the devil to execute his program. It is associated with sleep because one in such a condition is insensitive to God.1Th 5:5 KJV “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day:’ we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” Dear child of God, wake up from every sleep of sin. In light of this, THERE IS NO NIGHT for the child of God for we are permanently in the day(righteousness). Darkness must therefore not impede your walk in Christ.

There are some who are given to laziness. They would not pray, have no time to study the bible for themselves and are generally slothful. They have allowed their flesh to dictate to them always seeking someone to pray for them, and prophesy to them. These are sleeping in slumber, and their results is lack, poverty and deception by false prophets.

No child of God must sleep in slumber for we live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. Tell your flesh, your  spirit is in charge and not it.

CONFESSION

Thank you, Father, for the truth of your word. I am continually in the Spirit and give no place to the flesh. My life keeps advancing in all I do for I am led by the spirit as I live by the word.

THOUGHT: THE CHILD OF GOD LIVES IN GOD’S DAY, AND HAS NO ‘NIGHT’.

FURTHER STUDIES

Gal 5:17 KJV “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Rom 12:1 KJV “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.