Arise!

Arise! "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you (Isaiah 60:1). It has been a while, and I would like to wish all of you a (belated) happy year that has already unfolded. I thought I should start up the year sharing with you the message I preached on New Year's Day - Arise! This is how the Amplified version of the Bible renders the passage in Isaiah 60:1 - "ARISE [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you - rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!" You could take this scripture in any way God uses it to minister to you. But, let me share with you some of the messages that come through for me - and, hopefully one thing, if not all, will resonate with you. The first point I will make is that there is an assurance of the power and presence of God in your life, announced by this scripture. This year is loaded with blessings, favour, challenges and opportunities for you to unleash all of God's light in the darkness around you and bring glory to God. A call to action - to prepare your minds for action and take positive action. This is a call that affects the way you live in every area of life. It is a call to holiness; a call to mind your language; a call to repent in the way you treat others, etc. Peter writes (1Peter 1:13 - 16 MSG), "So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy." Your response to this call from God is key in bringing God's glory to a desperate world. A call to reject the negative circumstances of life and accept the goodness of God. Don't settle for less; don't just accept anything life throws at you; take your destiny in your hands and resolve to go into the depths of God. Even the prodigal son changed the negative circumstances of his life when he resolved to Arise. "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father..." Luke 15:17 (NKJV - emphasis mine) Implicit in this call is the fact that you are capable to making it, whatever "it" is in your life. At the very place where you had failed previously, you will now succeed. A call to commit to doing the basics of the Christian life: Prayer (finding time to be with God daily), being aware of and praying about the concerns in our communities, our nation and our world. Bible study - Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom. "Every part of Scripture is God- breathed and useful one way or another-- showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." (2Timothy 3:16 - 17 The Message) Sharing the good news of salvation and God's heart of compassion with the world. In this year you have the opportunity to practice true religion (James 1:27), using your gifts and blessings to help the poor and needy, intervene (speak up) for the oppressed, go beyond yourself and get involved in the bigger plans of God in your community and the world. So, whatever your situation, understand that the motivation to arise is predicated on the nature of the Father (Psalms 103:8 "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."). Resolve to arise, and when you arise, circumstances will conspire in your favour to help you reach your goal and bring glory to God.