The Church that Arises and Shines
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January 16, 2011 |
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 "Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising" (Isaiah 60:1-3).
There are many churches and servants of God that preach the Word of God, but it is a rare instance in which the heart and will of God is correctly presented. It is just as what Amos says in 8:11, "'Behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD GOD, 'When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the LORD.'"
It is in times like these that someone has to preach about the gospel of sanctification which contains the true heart and will of God. That person also has to be able to manifest the power of God to confirm the word and reveal the glory of God world-wide.
1. Believers in God should shine the light in this age of darkness.
Today's generation is in pitch blackness due to sin. Sin and evil are rampant to an extent that words can't describe. Today's world is more stained with sin and evil than the day when there was the Flood of Noah and the day when Sodom and Gomorrah met with the calamities of judgment.
Furthermore, sin and evil are not limited to just a couple of places or a few individuals these days. From a young child to an elderly man, without distinction in age, and irrespective of education, social position, or wealth, sin and evil are rampant. People are trying to become purified by means of 'rules and education', yet the world becomes more evil and is falling deeper into ever graver sin.
That's why Isaiah 60:2 reads, "Darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples." This Word indicates the current generation, the generation that exists today. What we need in this age as darkness is covering the world is the light. It is the Word of God which can enlighten the darkened hearts of people. We also need the power of God that confirms the Word spoken. Churches are supposed to play this role of 'shining the light', but it is all but impossible to find such a church in this world. Such a church must point out sin by the Word of God and help people to change their lives. But, in many cases they can't or won't do it.
Even though sin and evil are so prevalent throughout the world, churches should never take a part in it. Churches should teach their people to understand the heart and will of God, and to live by the Word. However, there are many churches which don't preach the Word of God. Instead, their people are being taught to compromise with the world. There has to be a church that will arise and shine when people truly need the light in this dark world.
2. What is the church that arises and shines?
The church that arises and shines should cover the whole world with the holiness gospel and God's powerful works and fulfill the will and providence of God. Just as He had Noah prepare the Ark for the great flood, and just as He forewarned Abraham about the judgment in Sodom and Gomorrah to give a chance of survival to Lot and his family, there should be a church that can play the role of an ark of salvation in this end time.
Just as Jesus said in Luke 18:8, "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" It is now truly difficult to find faith. Many people still confess that they believe in the Lord and say, "Lord, Lord" but how many of them have spiritual love which makes them capable of receiving salvation? Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter." People may say they live by the will of God in their own way. However, when precisely judged by the standard of God's Word, how many of them can courageously confess that they lived by the will of God?
The chances are that, even though there are so many verses in the Bible that point out sin, some church goers don't pay attention to any of them at all. They just say and believe such things as, "I will be saved because I go to church," "As long as I go to church, I can receive blessing," and "God is love. He forgives any kind of sin." They misinterpret the Word of God to have it fit with their thoughts.
It is in this kind of spiritual environment that we must shine the light with the Word of God. Then, those who have goodness in their hearts and those who truly want to believe in God will surely come to the light. On the other hand, there are people who hate the light. However, we should never give up on them. By all means, we should shine the light of salvation on them as well. To draw such people nearer to the Lord, we absolutely must have the power of God. Furthermore, it must be the explosive power of God. There has to be great explosive works of the Holy Spirit which exceed the powerful works recorded in the Bible. With this power, this church will accomplish national evangelization and widen the door to the world mission. Then, kings and nations will come before us. By accomplishing this work, God adds to the number of souls who can be saved, and He accomplishes His providence.
3. We must win in the spiritual warfare with the Antichrist
One of the many important tasks that we have to successfully accomplish as 'a church that arises and shines' is in the battle against the antichrist. The forces of the antichrist have occupied the world much more deeply and widely than we expected. However, we should have the power as strong as theirs in order to accomplish the world mission which is the duty given to Manmin. To save just one more soul, until the Lord comes back again, we should go into every corner of the world. The broadcasting ministry, book ministry, handkerchief prayer meetings, seminars, and so on; there are so many things to do. As we are doing these works, conflicts with the forces of antichrist, both minor and major are going to be unavoidable.
Since we have the power of God that goes beyond imagination however, and despite their disturbance, we will surely accomplish the world mission which is given to Manmin in the providence of God. We need spiritual warriors who can do their jobs in the front lines of battle. That's why I've told you that we need servants of God and workers who are prepared. We can greatly accomplish the world mission as much as we want.
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