Arise and Shine
(week 10, 2003)
Olubi Johnson
We are living in a time in which gross darkness covers the earth: the darkness of uncertainty, fear and insecurity.
The threat of terrorism and a possible nuclear war, if the imminent war in Iraq and the current tensions in the Middle East are not properly handled, looms ominously over the world in this hour.
Furthermore, the church, which should paint a picture of hope for the world in this dark hour, is instead, in the majority, sending a wrong signal to the world by the sexual immorality and financial impropriety that are common place therein.
However, in this gross darkness, there is a remnant in God’s church that is now to arise and shine.
Isaiah 60:1-5 (KJV): 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.
If this remnant in the church does not arise and shine in this hour the earth will be smitten with the curse of war, death and destruction. So the purpose of this article is prophetic and apostolic: to turn the hearts of the spiritual fathers to the children and the children to the fathers so inspiring and instructing the remnant of the church to arise and shine NOW!
Malachi 4:5-6 (KJV): Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
We are fully persuaded that the remnant of the church will indeed arise and shine. That remnant will arise out of Zion from beyond the rivers of Ethiopia as saviours to firstly Egypt and subsequently the rest of the Arab world, represented by Assyria, and will bring about revival in the middle East to all the Arab nations who will then make peace with Israel and so bring a blessing to the earth and not a curse in this hour.
Zephaniah 3:10 (KJV): From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering.
Isaiah 18:7 (NIV): At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD Almighty from a people tall and smooth-skinned, from a people feared far and wide, an aggressive nation of strange speech, whose land is divided by rivers– the gifts will be brought to Mount Zion, the place of the Name of the LORD Almighty.
Obadiah 1:21 (KJV): And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’s.
Isaiah 19:19-24 (KJV): In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them. And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land:
You shine mainly by letting your eye (Ephesians. 1.18) be single.
Luke 11:33-36 (KJV): No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
This means having singleness of mind and purpose as it concerns the Kingdom (Matthew. 13.33).
Do not be distracted by rebellion, pride, envy, strife, covetousness, or carnal ambition.
Rather maintain an attitude of humility, love and determination for spiritual excellence.
We further shine by exercising ourselves in daily prayer in the spirit, so that out of our bellies will flow rivers of living water (John 7. 38-39) that will flood our environment and nations with the glory of God.
We also shine by daily reading, meditating, speaking and practicing of the Word of God since the entrance of His Word giveth light (Psalms. 119.130).
