“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” — Romans 13:11
The word of God is exciting, because the word of God is alive. These are not stale old words from some author who is dead and gone.  
Yes, the one who held the pen, the Apostle Paul, is gone, but the author still is alive.  
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:21)  
Because the author, the Lord Jesus Christ, is alive, these words are relevant for our time, and we must take heed.  
A major failure in those who read the Bible is that they assume God is speaking to someone else. But the Lord God, through His word, speaks to all men of all ages.
Let us look at what is said.
“And that, knowing the time…” The Lord is speaking to those who know, not those who don’t know. It does not take a college degree to know what time it is. The coming of the Lord is near — even at the door — yet many are asleep spiritually.  
“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39)
We know what time it is, just like they did in the time of Noah, therefore it is time to “awake out of sleep.”
Before the flood that “took them all away…,” there was mercy offered.  “… the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, …” (1 Peter 3:20).
Awake out of sleep, the signs of the times are everywhere;  Awake out of sleep, The Lord is not “willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Awake out of sleep, “…the day is at hand.”  Awake out of sleep, the Lord gives His people the power to “cast off the works of darkness and … put on the armor of light.”
Awake out of sleep! Oh sleepy church, oh sleepy members, oh sleepy pastors, let us awake and not continue on as before with eyes and hearts closed in slumber. We are called to awake to the need of the world for revival, that men and women one more time would understand that the God of heaven wants to walk among them.
All around this world, the people of God are praying for it, and we are called to join them in petitioning heaven to come down again.

Bradeen is the pastor of House of Prayer Christian Church and a member of the United Ministerial Alliance.