Monday, June 30, 2014, 3:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Arise and Shine.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Isaiah 9:1-7 (NIV).
No More Gloom
This is a prophecy about Jesus Christ. He was from Galilee. Those who are in distress are the ungodly, who do not speak according to the word of God. They have no light of dawn. They still walk (live) in their sin. Yet, Jesus Christ, the Light, came to earth, took on human flesh, died for our sin, was resurrected, ascended back to heaven, and sent his Holy Spirit in his place to be with us and to live in those of us who believe on Him. One day he will come again. He came to give light (truth; life) to those who walk in darkness (in their sin).
Shattered the Yoke
When we are still in our sin, it is a lot like having a bar across our shoulders. We bear the weight (burden) of that sin in our lives. Yet, Jesus Christ came to shatter that yoke of sin that burdens us. Amen! When we carry around in our bodies the burden of sin, it is miserable. Yet when Jesus breaks that burden, we are joyful! It is a lot like being set free from the confinement of prison. In our sin we are behind bars. We are locked up inside. We can’t see the light of dawn. We are not free! We are bound in slavery to sin. Yet, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, he delivers us from the weight of and the slavery to our sin so that we are now free to walk in the light of His love. In our sin, we are free from the control of righteousness. Free from sin, we are now free to walk in His righteousness. Amen!
Mighty God
Jesus Christ was born as a baby, but not of the will of a man and a woman. God the Father supernaturally impregnated a young virgin who gave birth to the Son of God. He grew up on this earth as a child and then as a young man. In his early 30’s he began his ministry. Although he was fully God, he was also fully man, yet without sin. Yet, he did suffer like we suffer, and he was tempted to sin in all the same ways in which we are tempted. So, he knows what we go through. And, he sympathizes with us in our weaknesses.
During his years of ministry on the earth he preached repentance (turning from sin) for the forgiveness of sins. He told us that if we want to have life with God in heaven that we have to die to our old lives of living for self and sin and we have to follow him in obedience. He said that his sheep listen to his voice and they follow him. He said we have to be “born again,” not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. He said that if we love him, we will obey him. He taught that being a follower of Christ meant leaving our old lives of sin behind us, and it means we now walk in his righteousness and holiness. Some believed his messages. Many did not. Some loved him. Many hated him. All deserted him when they arrested him. One betrayed him. Another denied him. Many crucified him. Yet, he came back to life! Amen!
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. When he died, our sins died with him. When he rose from the dead, our sins remained buried. He conquered them in death and in his resurrection. What this means for us is that, through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can be delivered from our sin, and we can have life with God in heaven. We no longer have to walk (live) in darkness (sin). We can now walk in his Spirit, in his love, and in his righteousness and in his holiness. Amen!
The way this happens is that, when God the Father draws us to Christ, and when we hear the gospel of our salvation, we respond by humbling ourselves before God, repenting of (turning from) our lifestyles of sin, allowing the Spirit of God to transform (change) our hearts, and by submitting to the Spirit of God by now walking in the Light, living by the truth, and by following Jesus Christ wherever he leads us - no longer conformed to the ways of this world, but transformed in the renewing of our minds, so that our desire now is to live holy lives pleasing to God – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us (See Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; 12:1-2; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1-5).
So, if you have never before accepted God’s invitation to his great salvation, or if you have bought into the lies that say you just pray a prayer to receive Christ but repentance and obedience to Christ are not necessary to salvation, then I pray today that you will submit your will to Jesus Christ, humble yourself before him, turn from your sin, allow him to change your heart, and that you will now live and walk in the Light; in the power and working of the Spirit and of God’s grace within you in conforming you to the image of Christ. For we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (See Eph. 2:8-10). We are no longer our own. We are bought with a price. Therefore, we are to honor God with our lives.
Arise and Shine / An Original Work
March 6, 2014 / Based off Isaiah 60
Arise and shine; your Lord has come.
Allow His light to flow through you,
For many walk in wickedness.
Show them the way to life anew.
Arise and shine. Your Lord loves you.
Lift up your eyes, and look about.
Some do believe, while others doubt.
Believe in all God’s promises.
The many will, In Christ, find rest.
Lift up your eyes, and you’ll be blessed.
Arise and shine; salvation comes
To all who trust in Christ, God’s Son.
Forgiven of their sins, they’ll be,
When they repent on bended knee.
Arise and shine, so all will see.
Lift up your eyes, and see your Lord.
He will revive his church, forlorn.
Though humans have forsaken you,
They will find Christ, and walk in truth.
Lift up your eyes; God honors you.
http://originalworks.info/arise-and-shine/
No More Gloom
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.
This is a prophecy about Jesus Christ. He was from Galilee. Those who are in distress are the ungodly, who do not speak according to the word of God. They have no light of dawn. They still walk (live) in their sin. Yet, Jesus Christ, the Light, came to earth, took on human flesh, died for our sin, was resurrected, ascended back to heaven, and sent his Holy Spirit in his place to be with us and to live in those of us who believe on Him. One day he will come again. He came to give light (truth; life) to those who walk in darkness (in their sin).
Shattered the Yoke
You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor…
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor…
When we are still in our sin, it is a lot like having a bar across our shoulders. We bear the weight (burden) of that sin in our lives. Yet, Jesus Christ came to shatter that yoke of sin that burdens us. Amen! When we carry around in our bodies the burden of sin, it is miserable. Yet when Jesus breaks that burden, we are joyful! It is a lot like being set free from the confinement of prison. In our sin we are behind bars. We are locked up inside. We can’t see the light of dawn. We are not free! We are bound in slavery to sin. Yet, when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, he delivers us from the weight of and the slavery to our sin so that we are now free to walk in the light of His love. In our sin, we are free from the control of righteousness. Free from sin, we are now free to walk in His righteousness. Amen!
Mighty God
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
Jesus Christ was born as a baby, but not of the will of a man and a woman. God the Father supernaturally impregnated a young virgin who gave birth to the Son of God. He grew up on this earth as a child and then as a young man. In his early 30’s he began his ministry. Although he was fully God, he was also fully man, yet without sin. Yet, he did suffer like we suffer, and he was tempted to sin in all the same ways in which we are tempted. So, he knows what we go through. And, he sympathizes with us in our weaknesses.
During his years of ministry on the earth he preached repentance (turning from sin) for the forgiveness of sins. He told us that if we want to have life with God in heaven that we have to die to our old lives of living for self and sin and we have to follow him in obedience. He said that his sheep listen to his voice and they follow him. He said we have to be “born again,” not of the flesh, but of the Spirit. He said that if we love him, we will obey him. He taught that being a follower of Christ meant leaving our old lives of sin behind us, and it means we now walk in his righteousness and holiness. Some believed his messages. Many did not. Some loved him. Many hated him. All deserted him when they arrested him. One betrayed him. Another denied him. Many crucified him. Yet, he came back to life! Amen!
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he took upon himself the sins of the entire world. When he died, our sins died with him. When he rose from the dead, our sins remained buried. He conquered them in death and in his resurrection. What this means for us is that, through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we can be delivered from our sin, and we can have life with God in heaven. We no longer have to walk (live) in darkness (sin). We can now walk in his Spirit, in his love, and in his righteousness and in his holiness. Amen!
The way this happens is that, when God the Father draws us to Christ, and when we hear the gospel of our salvation, we respond by humbling ourselves before God, repenting of (turning from) our lifestyles of sin, allowing the Spirit of God to transform (change) our hearts, and by submitting to the Spirit of God by now walking in the Light, living by the truth, and by following Jesus Christ wherever he leads us - no longer conformed to the ways of this world, but transformed in the renewing of our minds, so that our desire now is to live holy lives pleasing to God – all in the power and working of the Spirit within us (See Ac. 26:16-18; Ro. 6-8; 12:1-2; 2 Co. 5:15; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1-5).
So, if you have never before accepted God’s invitation to his great salvation, or if you have bought into the lies that say you just pray a prayer to receive Christ but repentance and obedience to Christ are not necessary to salvation, then I pray today that you will submit your will to Jesus Christ, humble yourself before him, turn from your sin, allow him to change your heart, and that you will now live and walk in the Light; in the power and working of the Spirit and of God’s grace within you in conforming you to the image of Christ. For we are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (See Eph. 2:8-10). We are no longer our own. We are bought with a price. Therefore, we are to honor God with our lives.
Arise and Shine / An Original Work
March 6, 2014 / Based off Isaiah 60
Arise and shine; your Lord has come.
Allow His light to flow through you,
For many walk in wickedness.
Show them the way to life anew.
Arise and shine. Your Lord loves you.
Lift up your eyes, and look about.
Some do believe, while others doubt.
Believe in all God’s promises.
The many will, In Christ, find rest.
Lift up your eyes, and you’ll be blessed.
Arise and shine; salvation comes
To all who trust in Christ, God’s Son.
Forgiven of their sins, they’ll be,
When they repent on bended knee.
Arise and shine, so all will see.
Lift up your eyes, and see your Lord.
He will revive his church, forlorn.
Though humans have forsaken you,
They will find Christ, and walk in truth.
Lift up your eyes; God honors you.
http://originalworks.info/arise-and-shine/