Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3).
I just returned from a ministry trip to Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is a old city with beautiful old buildings and stately architecture. The scenery is incredible to view. It’s a picture perfect view of older Europe. But spiritually, there is great darkness. We held outdoor events providing music and personal ministry. People would walk by and sneer at us. Some would scowl and make loud, off color comments about religion and God as they walked by. It reminded me that we are living in dark days. The spirit of antiChrist is encroaching into every fiber of life worldwide. The do what you want, independent attitude that makes light of God’s Word, that makes light of morality, that promotes any lifestyle as pleasing to God, is being promoted with abandon in every nation and city on earth.
But, Jesus has given you and me as Christians the light of life. He has urged us with loving pleas to walk in the light so that the darkness would not overtake us. The world needs to see the light of the world shining from us.
Twenty five hundred years ago, the prophet Isaiah saw our day and encouraged those living in our time to arise and shine. In Jesus absence WE are the light of the world. We are to let our light so shine that people will SEE our good works and want to know the God that we love.
Today is the day to cleanse ourselves from the defilements of the flesh so the people in darkness can see our God. They can only see Him through the lense of OUR lives. Let’s repent now of walking in the flesh and of living a self-centered me pleasing lifestyle. Repent now if the immorality of the age has tainted your wardrobe, your mind, your fleshly habits, or your heart. Jesus wants purity in us so others can see Him.
As the darkness get darker, let’s move ourselves towards God with much time spent in prayer, in fasting, in meditation on the Word, and in looking for opportunities to minister life to those held in the clutches of darkness. Your single life of purity and consecration to God can make a huge difference in a world moving headlong into hell. Let’s make today count for Jesus.
This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires (Romans 13:11-14 – NLT).