The Wake Up Mix!

To My Fellow Believers,

If you were to look at the notes that I take during a sermon at church, you would see lots of little drawings of musical notes and song titles between the lines and in the margins of the page. These are random inspirations of how God is pairing relevant Christian songs with the different points that the Pastor is giving throughout the message. As he walks us through the verses that we are studying, God is simultaneously creating a music play list in my head with lyrics that mirror the message. Music is one of the biggest ways that God ministers to me and helps me understand what He is trying to say. It helps me apply what I am learning to my life day-by-day so I am not just a hearer of the word but also a doer. I call this type of musical inspiration the Message Mix. This week's mix is called the Wake Up Mix! and comes through the teaching of Pastor Luke McDonald with his sermon titled Waking Up to My Sleepiness. You can watch a video of the sermon here Waking Up To My Sleepiness. 

Keep on growing and stay awake.

God bless from your brother,

DJ Seaquest



Romans 13:11-14
The Day Is Near
¹¹ And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴ Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber

Someone who is born again is awake and to be awake is to be alive. However, today's culture and the world's standards and distractions are constantly competing for the attention of God's children. They will keep us from all the good that He has for us if we are just tired enough from battling them not to notice that we have drifted off. Now that we are saved, we have the choice to stay sharp and stay awake.

Awake and Alive (The Quickening) by Skillet.

Afterlife (Neon Feather Remix) by Switchfoot



 

 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.

If you believe Christ died for your sins then you have been saved. Since we are not in heaven yet, we have this hope to hold onto while we are waiting. This hope is my strength and is what keep me going when this life gets tough. I can't keep on without it and I know there will be a day when there is no more pain and no more tears.


There Will Be a Day by Jeremy Camp

So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Sometimes I just need to grow up-spiritually speaking. An example of my darkness is that I used to care way too much about what other people thought of me before I knew Christ. After I met Him, I realized my identity is in Him. It was then that I started to understand that I am not what other people think of me. My whole self is in Him and that is something that I cannot do for myself. That means that I can never loose it. 

Man Up Anthem by Lecrae,KB,PRo,Trip Lee,Sho Baraka,Tedashii & Andy Mineo
1-1-Six Clique

13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness,not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.

I don't think God has given me a bunch of ridiculous rules so I can be limited and miss out on life. In fact, I feel that it is the exact opposite. Before Christ, I lived a life very much like what verse 13 warns us against. I can tell you from personal experience that I feel more freedom away from those sins in my life as a married monogamous guy than a single crazy party person. The culture might say that I'm missing out but that is a lie. My life has never been so fulfilled and I don't even want to participate in that junk.  

 

14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh

This boils down to a battle between the World VS. the Word. Which one will I obey? When God says "no", it is an act of love not some the misconceived micromanagement of my life. He promises that if I choose to say no to the world and yes to his recipe for life, than I will have a supernatural satisfaction that is only possible through him. I have tried to follow my heart and my flesh only to end up in the ditch. I was so lost. Now that He found me, I can experience a love and a lifestyle that is out of this world...literally. Having a relationship with Jesus is better than anything this world has to offer.  


Me Without You (Capital Kings Remix) by Toby Mac