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Prosperous New Year of Enduring Riches! Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness
the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen
upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the
brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and
see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall
come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine
heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be
converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. Isaiah 60:1-5 Shining the Light The passage quoted above is filled with
wonderful words of hope and victory from God. May it become a reality in your life
throughout 2008! Now, the world may be dark, but the Lord's glory shines upon those who fear Him. In the midst of darkness and evil, in the midst of an adulterous, blasphemous, and idolatrous generation God says to us, "Arise, shine..." Who is the Light? Jesus. "
Then spake
Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth
me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John
8:12 How do we shine the light? The answer to that
question is found in the above scripture. We
are able to shine the light by following Jesus. Following Jesus is to reject
all sin in our lives. Then the darkness in our lives will disappear. Let's look at the following verse which tells
us more about how we can shine as lights in this year, 2008: "Do
all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye
may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst
of a crooked
and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the
word of life " Phil 2:14-2:16a Can we go through
life without complaining? YES! God will give us the grace if we believe and
are determined to keep His Word. We can turn budding complaints into requests
with thanksgiving unto God. "Be careful for
nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God." Phil 4:6 No matter whatmountain or valley the Lord may lead us through this year, let's rememberthat it is when we are leading peaceful and thankful lives, doing all things without murmurings and disputings, that we will shine as lights. Then, "the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising."
The
light shines in the darkness and despite that darkness,
a mighty revival is birthed in us and will spread to those who are drawn to
that irresistible radiance which they will witness in us during our bright rising. Faith in this promise
that is given to Jesus
said, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither
do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and
it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which
is in heaven." Matt 5:14-16 Good works that shine the light such as visiting the: "...fatherless and widows in their
affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. " (James 1:27) and
what the Lord said in Matthew 25:35,36, "For
I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. " The
power of God in using us to lead many into His kingdom will simply overwhelm
us as we pour out our praise and honor to the King of kings and Lord of
lords. "Then thou shalt
see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear,
and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto
thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee."
Our true and enduring prosperity is the Light of the
world, Jesus Christ filling our hearts. We can shine the light when we are
under the control of the Holy Spirit producing good works (fruit), which will
cause others to praise our Heavenly Father. Yes, the Holy Spirit will draw
multitudes to that Light shining forth in us for the salvation of their souls
resulting in the true revival promised by the Lord in Isaiah 60:1-5! When
God comes near to us, then we will have the ability to shine, reflecting His
Glory. "The glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.." But,
how can we have God come near to us? The answer is that when we draw near to
God, then He will draw near to us. If we walk according to His commandments,
He will lift us up also! That's a promise from James 4:8-10, "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." Do you know Jesus? He is the Everlasting Light that can bring light
into your dark situation and give you hope. The New Year can be a blessed one
for you, if you ask Jesus to shine upon your life. Then, you in turn can
shine the light for others to be saved. May
this be your blessed experience in 2008,
dear believer! A Happy, Wonderful
New Year to you in the Matchless Name of Jesus! |