Day 13: Wake Up and Come Alive

Meghann Easley

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  (Revelation 3:1-6 ESV)

Some of us have heard a combined theme coming from the Holy Spirit for a while, a theme of both “Wake up” and “Come alive”!  From individuals within KC having dreams, to our worship team prepping music and each individual picking “their” songs for the week, so many seeing this common theme.  I don’t think it was a coincidence that this began before our season of prayer and fasting.  But, even with that knowledge sometimes it’s not as easy as saying, “ok”! It’s actually something that takes the work of Holy Spirit to move in and call us back to His heart!  I was reading these verses in Revelation and I found this commentary interesting;

“We have met the enemy,” Walt Kelly announced a generation ago in his comic strip Pogo, “and he is us!” The message to (the church of) Sardis lists no specific enemies, internal or external. There is no name calling–no liars, no Balaam or Jezebel, no deep secrets of Satan, no synagogue of Satan, no throne of Satan. Consequently, of all the congregations in Asia, we know least about Sardis and its problems. Yet no other message is more damaging or more urgent than this one. Walt Kelly was right. Too often, when we encounter no spiritual adversaries, it is because we are the enemy. The only enemy named at Sardis is the angel to whom the message is addressed.*

OH! That we would have a corporate awakening to have ears to hear! May each of us find this season of fasting awakening the “dead” parts of our soul and at the same time allow the Holy Spirit to move in and sift out the seeds that may sprout things not of Him.  In order to fully come alive we must all walk through the season of dead to be brought to full life.  This isn’t easy, I’ve heard from some of you that in the last two weeks pain and confusion seem to have abundantly tried to sprout to life.  

Yet we should not be surprised!  In order to have ourselves “weeded” of what could harm us, we must become aware of those areas!  We must wake up to the darkness inside ourselves and our ever-present need for our Savior to cleanse and renew those areas.  It’s not an easy thing to discover darkness in our own hearts, but God is in these moments too.  Just like his words to the Church of Sardis so many years ago, he is speaking to KC today.   He’s looking for those willing to conquer the fear of death to self and be renewed for righteousness’ sake.  He can run far with a body unified toward this task!  He is calling KC to be this type of church – one that’s faced the giant of “ourselves” and boldly declared death and life!  He sees in us individuals worthy of His own death and He sees a corporate body worth fighting for! 

So, dear friends, my prayer for us is this, that we would take time today to stand in front of a mirror and declare freedom for the captives, declare life to the dead areas, and pray for each other and for ourselves!  That today we would ‘Come Alive’ more and more!  And in those moments of trepidation and pushback we would remember this is for our good and for God’s glory that we would be fully awake in HIM!  

Please declare with me:

Holy Father, you have allowed me to be taken into a season of sifting and shaking not to destroy me, but to solidify the quaking of my knees and my heart.  You have called me to be part of a body that is strengthened through my own strengthening and is weakened in my areas of weakness.  So today I give you access to my full heart and body.  Lord, please call out into light the areas that have been held in bondage in darkness.  May what needs to die die, and what needs to be watered find the living water of your spirit and grow!  May the generations be blessed by our desire to love you more!  Give me ears to hear and eyes to see your heart for me and for my KC family.  

• IVP New Testament Commentaries are made available by the generosity of InterVarsity Press.