Esotropiart

Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district.

Luke 7:12-17 NASB

I believe firmly I gave my heart to Jesus when I was young. It was at that time I became a new creature in Christ. I have little memory of specific events, but I know I was in His hand most of my life. As God's presence is traced down through history alongside His people the Israelites, so too can I trace His presence in my life. I remember hearing Him speaking to me through His Word, the Bible. I remember feeling His presence on many occasions. I remember a passion in my heart for His church, the Word of God, reaching people, etc.

Nevertheless, I had forgotten some of these aspects for a time in my life. About three months ago I awakened, as from a slumber. It was not by something I did, but rather I was roused by God Himself. Today I was listening to the Bible and heard the passage from Luke above. Somehow I felt as though this young man Jesus woke up was me! I read it, and it shocked me for a minute. That is what Jesus did for me. Though I was already "saved", the darkness of this world had me in some odd trance, as good as dead. Something miraculous is taking place in me, and it is by the power of the Holy Spirit of God! Praise His Name!

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

For this reason it says,

"Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you."

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:6-17 NASB

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

John 3:1-21 NASB

I am something new. The Spirit flows. It's a deep mystery, but God is pleased to call me His son. I hope the same for you. It is His offering as God Almighty. Are you a Christian already, and just feel like you're in a slump? Do you doubt even your own salvation? Been there, done that. I don't have answers or a cure. Jesus does. Ask Him to wake you up. Ask for the faith you don't even have. Do it even if it takes tears and smashing the floor in agony. Life is hard enough as it is. Don't face it without the Master's guidance. He will help carry your burden so it won't seem so heavy. Even with the heaviest of loads, knowing and walking with the Savior is enough to make me run at great cost. Even if the yoke crushes me, I will smile at the face beside me who smiles back and calls me to run!

You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Romans 8:9-11 NIV