Tag: shine

Arise Shine – Isaiah 60:1

March 20th, 2024
Somehow it looks like this Post I wrote in April never got out of my Draft Box… So Bonus of TWO Posts Today

The latter third of the book of Isaiah is amazing. Isaiah has moved forward, in prophesy. He addresses the coming of the Messiah as a sacrifice and then to the time of the end yet to come.

We get a picture of the inclusive work that will bring people from all nations into the Kingdom of God. We see the New Heaven and the New Earth, peace reigning, the time of the millennia and eternity to follow.

In Isaiah 66:1 God says, Heaven is my throne, the earth is my footstool. Then v2 I look favorably on this person, the one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word. Wow

Back in chapter 59 he describes the world they were living in that we can relate to and our need for God.
- 59:10 says we grope along a wall like the blind… are like dead among the healthy
- v11 salvation is far from us
- v15 truth is missing… there is no justice
- v16 he saw there was no one, he was amazed (appalled) that no one interceded (so) HIS OWN HAND BROUGHT SALVATION!
- v17 He is armed in the Armor of God
- v20 the Redeemer will come
Then he makes a covenant in v21 My Spirit and my Words will not depart from your mouth… forever

What should we be doing in a world like this, with promises like that? Well I’m glad you asked

60:1 – Arise Shine – for your light has come – the Glory of the Lord shines over you

Come on now

Yes Darkness covers the earth v2 says BUT – BUT – The Lord will Shine

Darkness is not the end nor in control – The Light WILL Shine – Glory Will Appear

Now, before I get too far, God doesn’t say to us, “In these dark days MAKE a light.” or “Be a Light” or “Buy some light”

NO God says, “GET UP – ARISE – qum=stand up. People of God – get up, take a place, and then.

SHINE – that word ur = Flame, Fire, Light. Oh I seem to remember Jesus saying “you are the light of the world a city on a hill” And Revelation 1 shows Jesus walking among the lampstands – we aren’t light source but we are the light SHINERS – we are light Fixtures. We just hold The I AM who Is the Light – Jesus is the Light –

So Arise and Shine – the Light has already come. Yes, there is darkness – but don’t waste too much time telling darkness that it is dark, just shine light. We seem so busy cursing darkness when we need to shine light.
- v3 – Nations will come to your light – people looking for light will come if we will shine light
- v4 – Raise your eyes and look around – If we will just LOOK for the opportunities it is there sons and daughters of God
- v5 Then you will see – and do what? – be radiant – MY GOODNESS. If more people of God would see then radiate light instead of rejecting darkness – radiate light. Instead of fighting and scoffing – radiate light. And v5 continues – your heart will tremble and rejoice
If you read on through chapter 60 as all of these latter chapters are hitting peaks of prophesy with many ages and eras between them fulfilling and leading to Heaven in vv19-20 when there is no longer the need of the Sun or the Moon as light because the Lord is our Light in Eternity. All the people will be righteous and v22 peaks, the least will become a thousand, and the smallest a mighty nation – WHY

– I Am the Lord and I will Accomplish it quickly in its time.

OH that doesn’t mean “quickly” as in tomorrow necessarily, but when God does it, it will happen quickly.

What must WE do in Dark Days? – Arise Shine

What must we do in a world that needs answers? Arise Shine

If we have seen the Light, have the Light, what must we do? Arise Shine

Oh and notice the very next verse is 61:1 and it circles back around to the work of the Lord Jesus, the Christ

The Spirit of the Lord is on me to bring good news, healing for the brokenhearted, liberty, freedom – to proclaim the year of the Lord’s Favor

Arise Shine for the Light has Come
Salvation: Work It OUT

June 6th, 2022

Several years ago, living in USA military community in Germany, I was invited to participate in physical training (PT) with the Chaplain Corp of the army. So all the chaplains and assistants, commissioned and non-commissioned. The Command chaplain gave me my own PT uniform. Shorts and a T-shirt – he didn’t give me socks. They had just changed from light color to black. So I wore Black Socks. I was the only one, in about 50 with Black Socks. I was “out of uniform”. And everyone was asking, “who’s the guy in black socks?” They all wanted to be able to wear black socks but couldn’t

Philippians 2:12 Paul doesn’t say “work it in” but “work it out.” Jesus told us we are a City on a hill that can’t be hidden, a light meant to be visible, not covered. Then in v13 Paul continues, God is working IN us to both will and do what pleases him. I know some days we don’t WANT to “work it out”, but keep it in, yet God in You, the Holy Spirit, in the will of the Father, with the message of the Son’s Gospel, makes you WANT to, and creates the opportunity while giving the power to work it OUT.

Then Paul tells us HOW to work it out.

V14 – cut out the grumbling and arguing … Hello Somebody, Hello Church.

V15 Why? So you may be blameless, pure, and faultless.

The challenge for the church of Jesus Christ is great and we need not make it worse by ruining our reputation with our grumbling and arguing. Paul reminds that we are in the midst of a crooked and perverted Generation, and we need to be different in the best ways. Oh my have you read “Christians” on social media, come on. We are to SHINE like STARS

V16 “BY”… see here is the thing. The people of God WILL stand out… we ARE different… One BLACK Sock in a sea of WHITE will stand out. The Question is “by what will we be known?”

Will they say, “there are those people of God, always complaining about something, always fighting with someone”. Is that how we are to be known? No

V16 “by holding firm to the word of life” – what is the word of life? John 1.4 “in him (Jesus) was life and that life was the light of men 5 that light shines in the darkness and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”

If we would be known for being people that shine light, offer life, give hope in the darkness, oh my if only that is what we were known for. Love where there is no love, life where there is no life, hope where there is no hope.

I don’t have to argue with darkness just shine light. I don’t have to put down darkness, make fun of darkness, just shine the light.

And if I give my life to be a pure, faultless, blameless giver of light, then I, like Paul, v17 “I am glad and rejoice” why because it was an act of worship on the altar of God, a gift of life to a dying world. And Paul closes as do I v18 “and you should also be glad and rejoice with me.”

By the way, a few weeks after my PT with the chaplain corp the army changed the “uniform” to black socks to match the rest of the uni and I was then known jokingly as the “civilian pastor who got our socks changed.”

How will you be known ?

Tag: shine

Arise Shine – Isaiah 60:1

Salvation: Work It OUT