While Men Are Sleeping

 

The dog days or the dog days of summer are the hot, sultry days of summer. They are historically the period following the heliacal rising of the star system Sirius, which Hellenistic astrology connected with heat, drought, sudden thunderstorms, lethargy, fever, mad dogs, and bad luck. These dog days are today taken to be the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Well, I don’t know how your luck has been running, but it sure has been hot – the longest consecutive run of one hundred degree days we’ve had in a long time. But, I noticed early this morning, while escorting my little Chihuahua, Bella, on her daily excursion of doggie duties, the days are beginning to wane with the lack of light on the horizon at six or six-thirty. I had to giggle to myself in the thought that in the midst of our one hundred degree days, in just a few short weeks I’ll be doing the same thing except the pre-sunrise temperature won’t be eighty but more like sixty – then we can start griping about the cold for five months.

[Isaiah 29:13-21] “…but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away” (Matthew 13:25). While men sleep - the enemy has come and sown weeds among the good wheat – abortion has become an acceptable means of population control; homosexuality has become an acceptable lifestyle; sex outside of marriage has become a common behavior; teenage pregnancy has reached epidemic proportions; our society has become addicted to drugs, pornography, gambling, and alcohol, all of which develop into huge health problems – not a peep; men are still asleep. Individualism, pluralism, secularism, and apathy supplant congregations rendering the church impotent, totally incapable of doing anything about our moral crisis – because men are sleeping on it. No one seems to know what is right or what is wrong any longer. Sadly, most people don’t think there is any right or wrong, and those who do, don’t seem to care one way or another. So, everyone is doing what feels good to them at the moment, and what will make them feel good about themselves later on. While men sleep - the weeds are growing rapidly and numerously.

 “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. That is why it is said: ‘Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’” (Ephesians 5:11-14). Look around! What used to be done in secret, in the dark, behind closed doors, is now in the open for even the blind to see. How scary will the nightmare become before men wake up? While men sleep - America is becoming a Godless nation, forbidding even the mention of God in public education and public affairs. Will our national motto, “In God We Trust” become obsolete? While New Testament Christians sleep - false religions are sprouting up all over this nation and around the world and like Israel of old mankind is abandoning their Creator to worship their Baal’s. Don’t you think it’s past time we awaken out of our sleep? New Testament Christians once turned the world upside down by preaching Jesus Christ. The days are getting shorter, light is lacking and love is growing cold. Christ’s return is going to surprise the majority of mankind as the blind continue to follow the blind. “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:13). Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead! Christ will give you light, and love that will never grow cold.