Awake Oh Sleeper: by Karina Ruthenberg

Wake me up, Wake me up
From the distractions of this world
Wake me up, Wake me up
From the perversion of my own heart

I don't want to sleep any longer
I don't want to sleep any longer

Wake me up, Wake me up
From the pride of my own flesh
Wake me up, Wake me up
From the god's that I've created

I don't want to sleep any longer
I don't want to sleep any longer

Awake oh Sleeper
Arise from the dead
and Christ will shine on you
Open your eyes to His truth

Wake me up, Wake me up
from the blindness of religion
Wake me up, Wake me up
from the deafness of tradition

I don't want to sleep any longer
I don't want to sleep any longer


Wake me up, Wake me up
from the error of my thinking
Wake me up, Wake me up
from the this mezmerizing culture

I don't want to sleep and longer
I don't want to sleep any longer

Awake oh sleeper
Arise from the dead
And Christ will Shine on you
Open your eyes to His truth

Psalm 103:4

Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
(Psalm 103:4 ESV)

To be redeemed is to be "bought" back....to have someone else take the penalty for us or pay the price for us. To be delivered. How many times oh Lord have I felt like I was just that..."in a pit" and couldn't get out. Couldn't crawl out, couldn't yell my way out, with noone to rescue me. But you oh Lord, you deliver us from the pit....you take our place, you rescue us and pay the cost for us to be delivered. Oh Lord how freeing is that to know that when I do get in a pit, that I have a deliverer...I have someone to rescue me. Even if I were on a deserted Island...you are there to pull me out. Even if I am caught up in my own misery in my mind...you oh Lord can set me free.

I feel right now that is what has happened several times in my life. When I was in the middle of my divorce, stuck in the hotel, not knowing when I would be set free, or if I would be set free. I thought there was no where out...but you oh Lord, pulled me out and brought me to Kansas City. Oh, how greatful I am. When I was caught up in my drinking and didn't see anyway at all to quit...you delivered me, you gave me a way out like your word promises. And once again, after being told my whole life that I had mental illness...you revealed to me how that was a lie and all I needed to do was speak it and you would free my mind from the lie that satan sent me as a child from my mother. Believing and putting myself on medication because I didn't know I could run to you with my anxiety, that I could run to you with my depression. All I had ever seen was a medicine bottle. I knew I was saved, but didn't know that you loved me enough to give me freedom from my own thoughts. You are my kinsman redeemer Lord...oh how I love you you and am so thankful for your redeeming hand, your redeeming love and your redeeming power.

And you crown me with steadfast love and mercy. This means you surround me with steadfast love and mercy. I see that to mean that you cover me, hide me, keep me safe from the outside influences that could once again affect my mind. You crown me with your love and mercy so that the things of my past do not continue to haunt my mind. So that, they do not pull me back into the shroud of darkness that satan would so love to see me get pulled back into. You love me Lord...oh how you love me.

Spiritual Atoms

Nucleous, neutrons, protons and electrons...all of the good stuff that molecules and atoms are made of.  The intracate, minute substances that our bodies must have to exist. Each component needed for the body to function and live.  So, how much of this science do you remember?  I had to rely on Google, our trusty friend to remind myself of what is what and how it all works together.  So, if you remember from your wonderul high school days, the human body is made up of cells and cells are made up of many different molecules. Molecules consist of one or more atoms of one or more elements joined by chemical bonds.

To dig a little deeper atoms consist of a nucleus, neutrons, protons and electrons. The number of protons (positively charged particles) in the atom's nucleus determines the number of electrons (negatively charged particles) surrounding the atom. Electrons are involved in chemical reactions and are the substance that bonds atoms together to form molecules. Electrons surround atom's in one or more shells with the innermost shell considered to be full when it has two electrons. When the first shell is full, electrons will begin to fill the second shell. The second shell is considered to be full when it has eight electrons.

The most important structural feature of an atom in order to determine its chemical integrity is the number of electrons in its outer shell. A substance that has a full outer shell tends not to enter into chemical reactions and remains stable. Because atoms seek to reach a state of maximum stability, an atom will try to fill it's outer shell by either

Gaining or losing electrons to either fill or empty its outer shell

Sharing its electrons by bonding together with other atoms in order to complete its outer shell

Atoms often complete their outer shells by sharing electrons with other atoms. By sharing electrons, the atoms are bound together and satisfy the conditions of maximum stability for the molecule. (http://www.healthchecksystems.com/antioxid.htm)

Sharing electrons is fine as long as atoms are bound together and maximum stability is reached.  However there is a known state called Free Radicals that have become a dreaded enemy of our cellular system. This scavenger of our cellular system is what Dr. Oz is always declaring the latest discovery of new wonder pills or super foods that will eradicate these little devils. 

What are Free Radicals and how do they harm us physically? In it's simplist form...Free Radicals are unstable molecules that attempt to steal the electrons of the closest molecules to stableize themselves.  This causes the molecule that lost it's electron to become a Free Radical itself. The Free Radicals begin to deplete other molecules which in turn feeds the Free Radicals creating a chain reaction.

Normally a healthy and nourished body can handle Free Radicals using it's strength to destroy the incoming assult and prohibit other damage.  If, however, the needed nutrients are not available, the Free Radicals can cause damage to the cellular structure and in turn cause disease and illness.  Oh, but this is a whole different discussion.

So...by now I am sure you are asking, what the heck does this have to do with me and why do I care. Well...let me share the wonderful picture that I believe the Lord gave me of how our spiritual lives mirror our physical makeup.

Imagine your spirit man as an atom with the nucleous in the center filled with protrons and the outer shell lined with electrons.  It makes sense - Man=atom/adam. Within our spiritual atom just like our physical atom the number of positively charged protons that an atom has determines the number of negatively charged electrons.  Let's imagine the protons which are positively charged being the Word of God that feeds our spirit. Let's visualize this positively charged inertia creating proton is the Word of God that electrifies us, charges us and empowers us to reflect His Word and His love.  In contrast we have the outer shell of our Spirit Atom being the negatively charged electrons.  Consider if you will that those electrons are in part our Heart of Flesh when we recieve the Word of God. If the number of postively charged protons has to correlate back to the negatively charged electrons wouldn't it make sense that in reaction to the Word of God...Faith is created in our Heart of Flesh causing us to change and reflect His heart.

Within the physical atom electrons are a necessary part of the chemical reaction that causes molecules to be created. The electrons surrounding the atom cause chemical reactions and which creates inertia thus creating molecules. In the spiritual atom this would look like the life giving force that is within our spiritual atom once it has been charged with the Word of God.  In the physical these Molecules then combine together to formulate cells.  They all work in harmony with one another and feed off each other maintaining stability and sound structure. In the spiritual, this is the Word of God causing inertia in our spiritual being and causing the changes within us that is then poured out in our community and on those around us.

As we expand on this thought, we need to understand the importance of the molecule needing to maintain maximum stability.  In order for the molecule to function properly and to give off the full spectrum of energy that the molecule was created for it must reach it's maximum stability by having the right number of protons and electrons and the chemical reactions to be creating the inertia. Likewise, for maximum stability to occur in the spiritual atom...we need the right balance of the Word of God, the fellowship of believers, understanding of the word or revelation and simple relationship with the Lord. All of these things are imperative for us to have balance, stability and to function in the purposes and calling that we've been set apart for.

So, how do we reach that perfect number of protons and electrons? As stated previously the number of electrons can be gained one of two ways.

Gaining or losing electrons to either fill or empty its outer shell

Sharing its electrons by bonding together with other atoms in order to complete its outer shell

So, I believe the picture that the Lord gave me was that as we function properly in fellowship with other believers and serve one another that we share electrons as we share experiences and revelations.  As we serve one another and give of what the Lord has given to us this completes the spiritual atom of the other believer. 

So, picture if you will the center of your Spiritual atom...the Heart of Flesh that scripture says we receive when we are born again. ( Eze 11:19) In the Center of this heart is the Spirit of God which guides us and leads us in all our ways.  It is made up of the desires of our heart which should become more and more the desires of our father in order to maintain a stable structure. . Our relationships are central to the structure of our Spiritual well being as well.  Obviously the central relationship being our relationship with the Lord.  


We should be walking in His Grace and fulfilling the things that He created us for and the purpose within us. But just like our Physical body with all of the parts that are wondefully made like the atoms, the molecules, the cells and all that they are comprised up...they must be fed with the nutrients that keep them alive and healthy.  We must soak in His Word, maintain the fellowship of believers, be enraptured with His presence and nurture the relationship that we have with Him. 

At the same time...as we join together in relationship with other believers...sharing in our experiences, sharing in our revelations, sharing in our love, the Lord binds us together using our experiences jointly for the maintaining of each of our persons.  This causes us to be dependent on one another for our maximum stability and to fulfill our maximum potential. Again, this is a whole different topic that we will get to on another blog.

I challenge you to study the science further and see what revelations the Lord gives you!!

When you have nowhere else to run........

The Lord gave me a vision of a man walking thru a city.  He walked and he walked, then he spotted his shadow behind him as the day turned into evening.  He continued to watch the shadow and slowly began to run.  He ran as if he were being chased by a demon, yet nothing was chasing him but his own shadow.  Now and again he walked looking behind him again and cringed at the sight of the shadow. Oh how he wanted to be out of the darkness of that shadow.

The man ran until there was no more city to run in.  All of a sudden he comes to a desert and walks  with a glaring sun overhead and the man's shadow disappears.  The man is relieved from the lack of the shadow.  He is excited that he can walk in freedom without the shadow chasing him and begins to walking at a slower pace.  Soon he is walking even slower as the sun depletes him of his last bit of energy, the last bit of hydration in his body is dripping off his face as he slowly falls to the ground.  No energy left in his body from the glaring heat and dry air, he feels as if he can walk no further.  He now regrets leaving the shadow behind, for where their was a shadow their was relief from the intense heat.
As the man does, we think that the light of the sun is the ulitmate revelation of our purpose....the success of our lives, the world in which we live that we believe can fulfill us, sustain us, and satisfy us. Yet it overpowered his senses as he can only manage what his bodies can absorb.
In the distance the man sees a large shadow on the horizon and begins to crawl towards it.  After what seemed hours, he finally reaches what in reality is a cave.  Funny, he was running from his shadow and the darkness that was within it, yet he moves towards the darkness of the cave to find relief from the light.  Filled with ultimate relief he crawls inside and sobs as his body slowly begins to adjust to the coolness and darkness within the cave.

After he has rested a bit he attempts to light a fire.  Ironic, he ran from his shadow into the light, now back into the darkness he finds relief yet is trying to bring light back into the darkness.  He strikes a match and lights a fire and the flames begin to burn.  As they burn he relaxes and watches the light dance on the walls of the cave as drafts of wind hit the flame it burns brighter and dances higher.  He watches and reflects that he is now in the presence of both light and darkness.  The light causes his body to warm and be comforted at the same time allowing him to see and become familiar with his surroundings.  He lies and wonders why he feared the shadow so much, yet why did he also could not tolerate the light of the sun.  Such is our life.  We run from the shadows of our past, trying to find a way out from our hidden sins and our burdening behaviors.  We try to find purpose for our life and the intense light of this world is what we are drawn to.

We think that the light of the sun is the ulitmate revelation of our purpose....the success of our lives, the world in which we live that we believe can fulfill us, sustain us, and satisfy us. Yet it overpowers our senses as we can only manage what our bodies can absorb.

At Peace the man continues to seek his heart for revelation of why he has sought to run from the shadow, why he ran to the sun, and now why he seeks the peace and quietly lit cave.  As Elijah found the Lord in the cave after running and seeking Him everywhere else.

You too can find the Lord in the peaceful place of rest, whereever you have finally stopped, exhausted, refusing to or unable to go on.  When you are finally tired of running from your past, running from your sins, tired of the platform of the world bearing down on you and sucking all that you have to offer from you, then you can find the Lord while He may be found as Elijah did.  Elijah had looked for him in the wind, he had looked for him in the rain, he had looked for him in the earthquake, but had not found him until he entered the cave and the Lord spoke softly to him.....leading his way.  The Lord ultimately sent him back the way he had come...but this time he went with the voice of the Lord speaking peace to him when the shadows came, speaking peace to him when the wind was scourching him....now he had the Still Small Voice of Jesus Christ to follow after.

1Ki 19:9

There he went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?