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3-22-00

This word is submitted by Steve Bliss (a-poet@ix.netcom.com)

Be Alert and Sober
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1 Thessalonians 5:6 (NAS),
so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.

Last night in my twilight of sleep I had this dream. I saw a man lying down on the ground, as if sleeping outside. There was another man walking about in full view of all. He was carrying a container of what appeared to be gasoline. As he walked about he was pouring this liquid wherever he went, purposefully leaving a trail of fuel. He walked over to the sleeping man and poured also over him and kept walking.

A few moments later the sleeping man aroused, yet apparently unaware of the gasoline he was soaked in. He sat up, look a cigarette out and lit it.

God shows us that in the world many are blind to the actions of the enemy. He walks about freely pouring out his destruction. He wishes them to burn in torment with him. One so covered in sin is unaware of his danger that he ignites his own destiny. We who have vision can see. We are not given this just to see, but to act. We are to act as our Lord modeled, pulling others from the flames of hell with meekness. We can open the eyes of the blind (Luke 7:21). If We reject Him we too will become blind (John 9:39). Ours is not a ministry of condemnation or judgement. We are to be minister of reconciling others to one another and the Father (Matthew 5:24, 2 Corinthians 5:18).

We should heed the words written in Jude 1:23 (NJB), "others you must save by snatching them from the fire; to others again you must be compassionate but wary, hating even the tunic stained by their bodies"