His lullaby is a tempting melody.

The whispers are gentle. Sweet even. The chorus lulls into passive complacency. His song woos into silent agreement. Warriors trade their weapons for comfort. Spiritual eyelids flutter closed. A deep sleep overtakes their souls. 

Satan rejoices. 

His scheming has been successful. 

In actuality, it was easy. He didn’t have to send his demons to work through witch doctors and terrify humanity into submission. Blood sacrifices and curses were unnecessary. Even the distractions of other religions and idols were nearly irrelevant. No, his tactics have become far more subtle and dangerous…  

The havoc he wreaked has been hidden under masks of pleasure. His lies are tempting, mixed with just enough truth to get by without raising the alarm. Humanity is apt to believe them. He knows it. Under his spell, we fall blindly into a trap of comfort; the ease of life without responsibility. 

“Enjoy being young and dumb while you can. Party hard. Get drunk. Work later.”

 

“There is no ultimate purpose in life. Do what makes you feel good now.”

 

“Church and community are optional. Just an hour or two on Sunday morning is enough.”

 

“Attain money, beauty, and power. That is success.”

And so, his song goes on… 

However, Satan made a mistake. He tricked people into sleep, but God created mankind to work. People are getting restless. They’re tired of hopelessness. They’re starving for a change. 

They want to wake up.

In comparison to Satan’s lullaby of an easy, pain-free life, Jesus blares a horn. His calling is to die to ourselves. To sacrifice our pride and selfish desires on the altar where true life begins.

Woah, talk about a jolting alarm! Death?! Really, Jesus?

Even during His time on earth, Jesus made it hard to follow Him. He didn’t invite people to a church with a coffee bar. He called them to lay down all they had known and follow Him: their security, their families, their lifestyles…and the craziest thing happened. They went! They followed Him through deserts and hostile towns. They followed without money, extra clothes, or comfort. Their lives were never the same. 

Meanwhile, the western church has become a club that hangs out with itself. The effects of Satan’s lullaby are obvious. Attendees are just that. They attend. On a Sunday morning, they dress up. They hear the pastor’s words. Maybe they’re bold enough to say an “Amen!” They shake a few hands. They leave. 

Yet, they leave unchanged. They sleepwalk through life. 

And when the reality of life hits, who do they blame? The God they were promised was good. Wasn’t He supposed to make life easy? To provide for every need? To keep their loved ones alive?

Sadly, these people were merely turned into converts. Lured into Christianity with the promise of unconditional love and eternal life, they said the sinner’s prayer. That’s all well and fine, but it can’t end there. 

We need to make disciples, not converts. Disciples know Jesus FIRST as King, the only One worthy and powerful enough to reign supreme in their lives, and THEN as Savior, the One who redeems them and washes them of their sins. They are people who are sealed by the power of God. Their allegiance stands strong even to the death because they know the whole truth.

A true disciple’s belief is not based on what is easy or comfortable, but on the fact that God is worthy of their devotion no matter what happens to them on earth. Pain, suffering, persecution, and even death only push disciples to further dependence on God. They recognize all else is a lie. The truth they hold dispels Satan’s lullaby. 

The world needs true disciples. 

The time has come. 

Sound the alarm! 

 

WAKE UP, SLEEPERS! 

ARISE FROM THE DEAD. 

 

“But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.

Therefore it says,

“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.””

Ephesians 5:13-14

 

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For a glimpse into just how powerful and active discipleship is currently, please watch this incredible excerpt with an Iranian pastor. He shares about the Middle East awakening as shown in the movie, Sheep Among Wolves (which you should also watch!).