While We Sleep

One night, a preacher and his 6-7 yr old son were coming home from church. They came upon an overpass, upon which there were a great number of ambulances, firetrucks, and police cars-there had been a terrible wreck. The man got his son out of the vehicle and walked up the embankment to see if there was anything he could do to help. When he came to the top of the embankment, he beheld, to his shock and unbelief, the mangled, lifeless corpse of an individual who had been thrown from a vehicle during the wreck. He covered the eyes of his son, picked him up, and carried him back down the hill as fast as he could. He tried to explain to his son what they had just witnessed in an attempt to comfort his little heart.

Once they got home, the father prayed for his son, hugged and kissed him, and then sent him to bed. At about 2 o'clock in the morning, the dad got up. He noticed that his son's bedroom light was still on. He opened door and reached for the light switch, but noticed that his son was still fully dressed, sitting on the side of the bed, quietly weeping. His dad asked him why he wasn't asleep. His son replied with these heart crushing words, "Dad, how can we sleep when people are dying?"

That's my question for you today: How can we sleep when people are dying lost and going to hell? While we sleep, hell fills! While we sleep, the enemy sows his seeds of death and destruction! While we sleep our communities are decaying, being overrun with drugs, prostitution, and crime. While we sleep, our babies become teenagers and our teenagers become drug addicts and pushers. Oh, what we lose while we sleep!

Some time ago, I had a terrible nightmare. I dreamed I walked into a church where I was supposed to preach. I immediately became overtaken with the fact that all the lights had been dimmed. I had to walk through a foyer to get into the sanctuary. Inside the foyer, the pastor was leaned against a corner wall, asleep. I walked into the sanctuary and found the lights were dimmed in there, too. As I looked around I discovered that EVERYONE was asleep. Some were laying down in the pews while others were sitting up with their heads slumped over, chins resting on their chests. And to my shock, some were laying down, asleep on top of the altar! A spirit of slumber had completely taken the place. And, unfortunately, there are many churches that have fallen to the same fate.

My cry for the American church is as follows:

Isa 51:9 Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake...

What will happen when we wake from our sleep?

Lu 9:32 But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory...

When the church decides to wake from her slumber, we'll see the glory God! When the church repents for allowing her heart to grow lukewarm, and for some, cold and indifferent, we'll see God rend the heavens and come down! When we humble ourselves, confessing we're not where we're supposed to be with God, confessing that we can do nothing without God, we'll see a breaking in our churches. When the American church spends more time in prayer, supplication, and intercession than they do in basketball practice, gospel sings, and self promotion, the sound of battering rams will be heard crashing the gates of hell. We'll have revival in no time. We'll see sinners being born again on our altars! We'll see saints refilled with the power and glory of Holy Ghost! We'll see lethargic church members burning with the fire of God.

Wake up brothers and sisters! It doesn't matter who you are, what your name is, how long you've been saved, or what church and denomination you belong too, we're all the same while we sleep!

David Lamb

They Followed the Pied Piper

I felt the Spirit quicken my heart. I had to rise and ask His design. My heart hurts. Oh, the burden!

Our young people! They are running hard toward hell. They march like mindless zombies. Their stride is in rhythm with the Pied Piper's, with Satan's hypnotizing melody. It is beautiful, but wicked. It is unlike anything they've ever known, saw, or felt, but it numbs them from feeling the sting of their conscience; the pull of the Spirit, checking them, convicting them over the crimes they've commited against God.

Even many of those that sit on our pews are dabbling in the forbidden. They move forward with a glazed expression upon their faces. They're oblivious to the thick darkness that moves upon our land; of the imminent destruction that looms near. Their eyes are blinded by the god of this world. While their life consists of little more than cell phones and social networks, Delilah rocks them into a deep coma. Like Samson, they will be afflicted.

To the luke-warm; the self-righteous pharisee; the hypocrite; the prayerless mother; the burdenless, Spiritless father: Will anyone try and stop them? Will anyone lift their voices, breaking the trance? Will anyone be alarmed? Will anyone break free from the steely cords that hold them, that have them entangled, making them slaves to this deceitful world and its diabolical ruler, long enough to make an eternal difference? Is there anyone who will pray; intercede for the souls of our youth?

God, wake us, shake us, break us before it's everlastingly too late. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Are You Free?

One man says, "I'm pathetic; good for nothing." His head is hung low and he is discouraged. Another man says the same thing, but with a smile on his face and joy in his heart. The difference is the first holds to the idea that one day he could be great, that he has the potential to be great, and incessantly tries to climb higher. He is slave to himself and is heavy laden with never ending failure. He doesn't know it, but his feet are shackled with pride. He doesn't know it, but regardless of how hard he tries, he cannot win-it is an impossible fight.

The second man understands he will never be great, that he doesn't have the capacity to be great, and that God doesn't expect him to be great. Because of this revelation, he casts everything over on His Christ whom he has found to possess more than enough strength to carry him and all of his burdens. He is liberated from the horrid struggle with self. He is freed from all the unreasonable goals which he had set for himself in times past. God's strength is made perfect in his weakness. He is free indeed.

Brothers and sisters, could I talk you into surrendering all to Jesus? It may be hard, but it will be worth it.

When Life Hit Me In the Face

I recently turned 35 years old! Usually, I just move right through my birthdays without much thought, but this one was different than all of the rest. For some reason there was an unusual realization of time. I know I'm not old, but I suddenly understood that I am getting older; that I've lived a lot of life, witnessed and experienced a lot of pain, and cried and laughed and loved and gained and lost a great deal for one man. I noticed the pain in my back and wrinkles on my face haven't gone away. I was startled by the thought that 20 year old young men and women look at me like a father. I gasped at the fact that 35 is half of 70 and that my uncles and aunts are in their 70's and my grandmother died in her 70's and that was 25 years ago. I realized that I don't want my children to grow up anymore; that I want them to stay just like they are. I was shaken by the thought that I want time to stop. I was in awe that I was thinking about death.

But I also realized there's a good chance that I may have another 35 years; that I may have another 35 years to love and live and heal and cry and forgive and help and hope and give and strengthen and build and pray and preach and listen and care.

I realized that there are 5 people (my wife and 4 children) that I'm not expendable to. I realized that my babies are going to grow up and be my best friends tomorrow, so I better cultivate that friendship now, making sure they are indeed my best friends tomorrow. I realized that I actually have some friends that are good and faithful more than they are bad and unfaithful. I realized that I have some people that I can call at midnight. I realized that when they act stupid and forget me, they are important enough to remind them to not forget me anymore. I realized that I have been bad and unfaithful at times. I realized that I have forgotten them sometimes. I realized I had better pick the phone up at midnight when they call. I realized that I had better make it a point to call them back when they leave a message.

I realized a smile goes a long way. I realized that I haven't been laughing enough and laughing is fun. I found that I am at my wisest when I'm just listening and shaking my head up and down and saying "uh huh".

I realized people are fallible, very important, but fallible. In fact, I now think that we are all crazy as a loon with only brief moments of sanity! I realized people are going to lie to me, ignore my wife and I, talk about us, use us, think they're better than us, forget us, and a million other things that fallible people do. And, to my surprise, I realized I didn't mind that as much as I used to; that I've come to expect it and can always forgive them and act like I don't recall all of the bad things they've done to us when they come back around and bless us. And I realized that I want them to come back around ... if they want to. And if they don't want to come back around, I can hope they are happy. I realized they are hurting, too, and that I can choose to heal, even if they do not.

I realized that the pure in heart see God; that all things are working for me and not against me. I realized that God has used every person in my life (family, friend and foe) to make me a better Christian, husband, father, friend, and preacher. I realized pride and selfishness are two of the most deadly things in the world because they build walls and shut life out.

I realized that although He wants my best, God knows I'm human and doesn't expect me to be anything but human; that He doesn't expect greatness out of me; He wants me to die, so He can be great through me. I realized that through Christ I can be truly free, liberated from this world.

I also was overcome by the thought that my days are few and that I must make the most of them. So, since I'm blessed enough to have a handful of people that actually care enough about me to read this little note, I promise you, I am going to love, live, and bless more the second half of my life than I did the first.

David Lamb

We Need Revival

My mind is troubled and sleep doesn't come easy.

My heart's heavy with a burden that won't leave me.

There's a sleepy-eyed look on the people's face.

I hear luke-warm souls singing "Amazing Grace".

The altars are bare and our churches are empty.

We think song and dance are the remedy.

But while we eat our fill and sleep our nights away,

Hell fills, the flame is gone, and our children are not saved.

We need revival, a divine arrival. We need God to come down.

Do You Have Enough Religion to Love?

Some people have enough religion to make them hate, but not enough to make them love. Love should be the driving force of every Christian. In fact, without love we're not Christians.

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

We must love God:

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

But if we do not love men, we cannot say that we love God:

1Jn 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Being a preacher, demonstrating the love of God is an absolute necessity. If I do not, I have no business preaching in Christ's stead. And that does not mean that the theological subject has to be the love of God, it means that everything taught and preached must be saturated with it. It means that the manner in which I shake the people's hands, hug their necks, the manner in which I listen to their problems (serious or trifle), must be sincere and with the compassion of Christ. God is love and His people are loving.

One of our major problems is pride. I've found myself pushing doctrines because I wanted to be right, not because I wanted men to be saved. The messages were not motivated by love for God and people; they were motivated by a love for myself. May God smite me, and every preacher, when we use the sword as a threshing tool and not a razor sharp instrument of life.

One of the hardest things I had to learn was that those who were trying to convert me over to their false understanding of the Bible were often doing it because they loved me and truly felt I was deceived. So, although they were doctrinally wrong, their motive was right. It softened my heart toward them and made me realize I was attacking people that loved me.

Let us weigh our motives. Why am I saying what I'm saying? Am I trying to prove a point? Will this actually build the kingdom of God? Even if I'm right, will this destroy the weak? Is this the proper venue for such a message? If the love of God and His kingdom are the motivating factor, check yourself again, and then love the people.

The Pulpit: Pulling Men From the Pit

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

As a preacher, my greatest fear is dying and having won too few souls to the Lord. As Christians, I believe our unwillingness to reach for the loss will be taken much more serious by God than what we think. One only has to read the fifteenth chapter of Luke to discover the heart of heaven toward the lost. God rejoices more over the repentant sinner than He does over ninety and nine just that need no repentance. God has commanded us to reach the least, the last, and the lost.

Think about it like this: Let's say you and I have been friends for 40 years. During that space of time your grandmother, grandfather, mother, and dad all died of cancer. Let's say I was there at the hospital and funeral homes each time, grieving over your loss. But then you found out that I had known the cure to cancer all along, but did not share it with you or anyone else. What if you found out that I knew the cure to cancer while I stood over the death bed of your mother and cried with you? How would that make you feel about me? Well, we have the answer to this wicked world's disease! His name is Jesus. It is a sad day when Christians carry around the only known cure for sin, yet are too proud or lazy to tell the world about it! Judgment will not befriend a man who either doesn't count Christ a valuable enough asset, or doesn't love the world enough to share Him with them.

WHAT IS THE PULPIT OTHER THAN A PLACE WHERE WE PULL MEN FROM THE PIT?

Jude 1:22 And of some have compassion, making a difference: 23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire;

We must get busy winning souls. That was the primary thing on Jesus' mind!

Lu 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Paul, too!

1Co 9:22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

A friend of mine was delivered from a gross false dotrine that teaches that faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ is not sufficient to save a sinner from hell. (Ro 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.) He was told by a preacher that is still imprisoned by that doctrine that he knew he was coming out because he had started to preach Jesus and was trying to get people saved! Well, my friend isn't the only one to think the message of Jesus is the most imortant subject known to man:

1Co 2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

Let it be said of me that I was a man who preached Jesus and tried to get souls saved!