"Am I alive?" How do I really know? Other Christians tell me that I am. I have the name, the reputation. But is that Christ's assessment of me? How do I know if I truly am spiritually awake?

If every Christian were awake spiritually, there would be no reason for the Lord to make statements to his followers like "Be watchful." In the book of Revelation the Lord makes statements to his church like, "If thou shalt not watch..." then there will be real consequences in your spiritual life. In Mark 13 Jesus says “And what I say unto you I say unto all, watch." Is there any doubt as to whom the Lord is speaking to? He is speaking to all of his followers, and he is telling them to watch.

A believer that is watching is a believer that has learned to embrace the daily instruction of the Holy Spirit. You are not wise because you understand the deep things of God. You are wise because you love reproof, you love correction, and you love instruction. Proverbs 12:1 says "Whoso loveth instruction, loveth knowledge..." and Proverbs 9:8-9 says, "...rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee. Give instruction to a wise man and he will yet be wiser." This is the secret of watching.

You cannot watch until you have first opened your eyes from spiritual slumber and allowed Christ to deposit the light of practical Holy Spirit instruction within you. This is what Paul meant when he said to the Ephesians, "Awake thou that sleepest, and Christ shall give thee light." As Paul goes on to explain in Ephesians 5, the function of light is to first reveal what is hiding in the darkness. The light of Christ has a very practical work to do within our dark hearts first, and then he intends his light to radiate out through us as we become lamps that bear his flame.

Saints, how much of the life of Jesus and his light do you really want? Here is an honest test: how much do you love reproof, correction and instruction? It is time for the bride of Christ to open her eyes and watch. The King is coming. Will you be ready to endure the midnight season that is coming? Have you stored extra oil? Are you ready to bear witness to that light that is within you? May this message encourage the Lord's people unto that end. Amen.

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