Rousing from Slumber

"I sleep, but my heart waketh." 
Song of Solomon 5:2 

Some sort of lethargy entangled me like a thick quilt that would hinder one from embracing the new day.

My step was as heavy as my sigh and even washing the dishes felt like toilsome labor.  

I couldn't understand. I was supposed to be the one who brewed the first cup of coffee before daybreak, who had her quiet time in the stillness of the morning, who was energized by the breath of dawn.

And yet, for more than a fortnight I would struggle with this unexplained illness that would cause me to drain energy from the home instead of contribute to its supply.  Mysterious fevers accompanied every night's sleep while the alarm clock invited a headache to pound.  It was time to prepare lunch by the time I would wake to take breakfast; even when I succumbed to my drowsiness and retired early, I never felt quite rested.

Neither fresh air nor cold showers would shake the languor.  I just couldn't wake up. 

Was it spiritual or physical? I did not know. Perhaps my spine was misaligned or I needed badly to detox.  We began back therapy more regularly. I quit drinking coffee and consuming sugar. There was a slight improvement, but the fevers still came while the energy would not.

And what was worse: I began to lose the desire to improve my condition, and this frightened me.  When had I fallen into this slump, this valley? Why was it so difficult to muster the zeal to advance the Kingdom? Why was I becoming more complacent with my sin? Why was I becoming comfortable with strained relationships and selfishness?

I sleep. Through sin that dwelleth in us we may become lax in holy duties, slothful in religious exercises, dull in spiritual joys, and altogether supine and careless. This is a shameful state for one in whom the quickening Spirit dwells; and it is dangerous to the highest degree. 

Even wise virgins sometimes slumber, but it is high time for all to shake off the bands of sloth. It is to be feared that many believers lose their strength as Samson lost his locks, while sleeping on the lap of carnal security. 

With a perishing world around us, to sleep is cruel; with eternity so near at hand, it is madness. Yet we are none of us so much awake as we should be; a few thunder-claps would do us all good, and it may be, unless we soon bestir ourselves, we shall have them in the form of war, or pestilence, or personal bereavements and losses. 

O that we may leave for ever the couch of fleshly ease, and go forth with flaming torches to meet the coming Bridegroom! 

God was incredibly gracious in delivering my "thunder-clap".  I was scheduled to travel with Daddy to New Orleans for week-long business trip.

We were hoping that I would have a chance to catch up on sleep and become diligent in daily exercise. I would have time to quiet my mind with steady reading while I sunned beside the hotel window. I would have a week to rest, to think, to create, to write, to pray.  

And I did. Physically, I was rejuvenated.  

But God was pleased to jar me from my state of spiritual apathy as well. 

First, the time was provided for Daddy and I to talk deeply over matters that were weighing on my heart. I gave my heart anew to my father, and he gave me his instruction. This was not a thunder-clap, but rather like a refreshing rain that washed a few worries away.

The "thunder-clap" came in a second Providence. Daddy wanted to try to take me to dinner someplace else than the hotel restaurant. So we took to the streets of New Orleans. He gave me instructions in deportment and I did my best to heed his advice. 

He suggested that we might browse a souvenir shop to see if we could find any decent gifts to bring home. I found a bottle of hot sauce for my brother and was perusing the sun hats for my sister when Dad suddenly told me I needed to hurry.  We hastily paid for the bottle of hot sauce and left the store.  The chaotic music that they were playing in the stores made him uneasy. I felt the same way, and was glad to be out of there. 

I saw another shop filled with pretty long flowing dresses and asked to stop there. I knew McCauley would like quite a few things hanging on the racks. As I shopped, Daddy walked toward the back to ask if the attendant could suggest a good restaurant.  Before I'd made my way to the scarves, Daddy was urging me to leave again. When we were a safe distance from the store, he explained that they had bongs burning in the back and that the curious smell alarmed him. Were they really smoking marijuana?!  I reminded him that the name of the store had the word "Hippy" in it, so we shouldn't be surprised if that were the case.

We tried several more shops, and left each one just as suddenly for one shocking reason or another. I had to browse with downcast eyes (which is difficult!), glancing carefully at the bottom of every rack to determine if it was safe for viewing. You may call me sheltered if you like - I do not mind. I am infinitely glad that I am sheltered for when I did accidentally catch a glimpse of some very wicked things, I was anxious to escape the marketplace and Daddy was all too ready to oblige. I think this is how a Christian girl should be - sensitive to sinful paraphernalia and ever ready to turn her foot way from Vanity Fair. I only regret that I am not so sensitive to the manifestations of my own besetting sins and so ready to turn away from the snares of my pet temptations.

We continued to search for a restaurant. If it wasn't an unappetizing menu it was the music blaring or the smoke hanging heavy in the greasy air that kept us from settling on any dining place. The mound of garbage overflowing from dumpsters guarded other doors. By the time we found a suitable place, it was dark and the rowdy din of New Orleans nightlife was beginning to make me anxious. Couldn't we just eat at the hotel? Daddy agreed and we settled for another second-rate meal at 5 Fifty 5. After the kind waitress took our order, I remarked to Dad that I was glad we we'd chosen to eat at the hotel. I was getting so nervous on the streets because my mind was in hyper-drive because there was just too much to analyze. We both agreed I needed to mature in that area - I needed to be able to handle a challenging environment with Christian fortitude and a peaceful spirit. But I'd had enough practice for a day, and my mind enjoyed the rest of simply analyzing the aesthetic implications of mixing old upholstery with modern light fixtures and trying to discern if there was any kind of order to the jazz music they were playing in the background. 

source

While Daddy was busy at the convention the next day, I observed the street from my hotel window. My mind was buzzing as I tried to assimilate the things I'd seen the night before. How could a city display its wickedness so openly? The influences of Christianity had faded in so many areas: voodoo was celebrated, putrid dumpsters gaped open at the entrance of restaurants, people dressed carelessly, chaotic noise was called 'music', licentious women were a main attraction, gambling looked like innocent fun compared to the other lures that were freely advertised, quality food and hygienic environments were concepts seemingly rejected by most establishments. The frequent appearance of the fleur de lis was a constant reminder of the Enlightenment ideology imported from Europe as well as the example of cultural compromise set forth by Roman Catholic missions.

Meanwhile, I had been reading a debate about abortion between Christian friends and scoffing atheists. How angry the liberals become when Christians endeavor to protect innocent life! I was saddened to think of the stronghold that humanism has in our society - so penetrating that the act of dismembering a baby in his mother's womb is not only conceivable... it's legal! I had just read a news article that announced that Chick-fil-A was caving under the pressure from the sodomite community. How close to Sodom and Gomorrah are we when it becomes a "hate crime" to declare God's Word!

As these things rolled over my mind, I began to weep for my country. A sense of responsibility began to fire my veins. Our generation will be receiving the baton. We will be obligated to make our choices in light of God's Word. Will we humble ourselves before God and pray? Will we seek His face? Will we turn from our wicked ways? If we do not, we call more judgement upon ourselves and our future children. But if we will do these things, by God's grace, then God will hear from heaven and heal our land. What will we do?

Whatever we do, we must not sleep.

My heart waketh. This is a happy sign. Life is not extinct, though sadly smothered. When our renewed heart struggles against our natural heaviness, we should be grateful to sovereign grace for keeping a little vitality within the body of this death. Jesus will hear our hearts, will help our hearts, will visit our hearts; for the voice of the wakeful heart is really the voice of our Beloved, saying, "Open to me." Holy zeal will surely unbar the door.

Thank You for the divine and merciful "thunder-clap", my Lord. You have answered my prayers, as well as those of dear friends and family. You have refreshed me with physical rest and have given me energy anew. You have also lifted me out of this valley. Let me ever rest in Christ, but let me slumber in spiritual lethargy no more.

There is a world that needs the Gospel.

By Your grace, I am awake and ready. What Kingdom work do You have for me today?

"Oh lovely attitude! He stands
With melting heart and laden hands;
My soul forsakes her every sin;
And lets the heavenly stranger in."

* Selections of text in lighter grey are taken from the evening's meditation for September 24th in Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. 

Who is Your Allegiance To?

Have you asked yourself the question lately,

Where are we and How did we get here? 

...and yet most of us were born here and educated in the very system that we stand against! 

Huh...that's right, we are the one's that have been lulled to sleep by the wiles of the enemy, and educated (conformed by & to) the very system that we detest! Disguised as the necessity for mankind to prosper or in my words, "a state of welfare humanism".

This is not a NEW idea and it did not start with Karl Marx. It is a based on Greek philosophy. Read Socrates (known homosexual), Plato, Aristotle, (better yet read The One and the Many by R. J. Rushdoony) to better understand the dilemma, but you still have to ask yourself the question "AM I PART OF THE PROBLEM"?

The answer is going to be you are either part of the problem or want to be part of the solution, there are no in betweens! There is no neutrality you are either a covenant keeper or covenant breaker.

Yes, I understand Jesus Christ is my all and all...He also says IF you love me YOU will KEEP my commandments. Who is your allegiance to? The state or the Creator God?

TEN PLANKS OF THE COMMUNIST MANIFESTO
(If you think you don't have time to read all of them, read #10.)

Could this be happening in America? If so, how?

Our "elected representatives" have passed laws implementing these anti-freedom concepts. The communists have achieved a de facto FEDERAL SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT in America.
In 1848 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels wrote a book outlining a political ideology, titled "The Communist Manifesto". Marxism's basic theme is that the proletariat (the "exploited" working class of a capitalistic society) will suffer from alienation and will rise up against the "bourgeoisie" (the middle class) and overthrow the system of "capitalism." After a brief period of rule by "the dictatorship of the proletariat" the classless society of communism would emerge. In his Manifesto Marx described the following ten steps as necessary steps to be taken to destroy a free enterprise society!! Notice how many of these conditions, foreign to the principles that America was founded upon, have now, in 2012, been realized by the concerted efforts of socialist activists? Remember, government interference in your daily life and business is intrusion and deprivation of our liberties!

First Plank: Abolition of property in land and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.
(Zoning - Model ordinances proposed by Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover widely adopted. Supreme Court ruled "zoning" to be "constitutional" in 1921. Private owners of property required to get permission from government relative to the use of their property. Federally owned lands are leased for grazing, mining, timber usages, the fees being paid into the U.S. Treasury.)

Second Plank: A heavy progressive or graduated incometax.
(Corporate Tax Act of 1909. The 16th Amendment, allegedly ratified in 1913. The Revenue Act of 1913, section 2, Income Tax. These laws have been purposely misapplied against American citizens to this day.)

Third Plank: Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
(Partially accomplished by enactment of various state and federal "estate tax" laws taxing the "privilege" of transfering property after death and gift before death.)

Fourth Plank: CONFISCATION OF THE PROPERTY OF ALL EMIGRANTS AND REBELS. (The confiscation of property and persecution of those critical - "rebels" - of government policies and actions, frequently accomplished by prosecuting them in a courtroom drama on charges of violations of non-existing administrative or regulatory laws.)

Fifth Plank: Centralization of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
(The Federal Reserve Bank, 1913- -the system of privately-owned Federal Reserve banks which maintain a monopoly on the valueless debt "money" in circulation.)

Sixth Plank: Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.
(Federal Radio Commission, 1927; Federal Communications Commission, 1934; Air Commerce Act of 1926; Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938; Federal Aviation Agency, 1958; becoming part of the Department of Transportation in 1966; Federal Highway Act of 1916 (federal funds made available to States for highway construction); Interstate Highway System, 1944 (funding began 1956); Interstate Commerce Commission given authority by Congress to regulate trucking and carriers on inland waterways, 1935-40; Department of Transportation, 1966.)

Seventh Plank: Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
(Department of Agriculture, 1862; Agriculture Adjustment Act of 1933 -- farmers will receive government aid if and only if they relinquish control of farming activities; Tennessee Valley Authority, 1933 with the Hoover Dam completed in 1936.)

Eighth Plank: Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies especially for agriculture.
(First labor unions, known as federations, appeared in 1820. National Labor Union established 1866. American Federation of Labor established 1886. Interstate Commerce Act of 1887 placed railways under federal regulation. Department of Labor, 1913. Labor-management negotiations sanctioned under Railway Labor Act of 1926. Civil Works Administration, 1933. National Labor Relations Act of 1935, stated purpose to free inter-state commerce from disruptive strikes by eliminating the cause of the strike. Works Progress Administration 1935. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, mandated 40-hour work week and time-and-a-half for overtime, set "minimum wage" scale. Civil Rights Act of 1964, effectively the equal liability of all to labor.)

Ninth Plank: Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country.
(Food processing companies, with the co-operation of the Farmers Home Administration foreclosures, are buying up farms and creating "conglomerates.")

Tenth Plank: Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.
(Gradual shift from private education to publicly funded began in the Northern States, early 1800's. 1887: federal money (unconstitutionally) began funding specialized education. Smith-Lever Act of 1914, vocational education; Smith-Hughes Act of 1917 and other relief acts of the 1930's. Federal school lunch program of 1935; National School Lunch Act of 1946. National Defense Education Act of 1958, a reaction to Russia's Sputnik satellite demonstration, provided grants to education's specialties. Federal school aid law passed, 1965, greatly enlarged federal role in education, "head-start" programs, textbooks, library books.