Arise, Shine

“ARISE, SHINE; FOR THY LIGHT IS COME, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD ISRISEN UPON THEE.” ISA. 60: 1

Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world… 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

NOW is the high time to let our light shine before the world. Does the lamp know that it is shining light? No, it does not know it. And the same way, we shine light without knowing it, but others see the light and give thanks, not to us, but to our heavenly Father.

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come.” We ourselves have no light, but it comes to us. We ourselves alone cannot shine, even if we tried our best. As a lamp cannot shine without oil or electric current, so we need the Holy Spirit to shine in us, which makes us mediums for spreading light. Therefore we are not to receive thanks for our light but our heavenly Father who sent it to us.

Jesus said, “Without Me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 The Pharisees did good works, in order to get the praise of men, but the true Christians will not receive praise which belongs to God alone.

Sister White writes, “that many ministers preach themselves to the people in place of God. True ministers of the gospel preach Christ so vividly that they themselves will disappear from the scene. This is possible only though the aid of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.” Matt 10:20

Paul said, “1 live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Gal 2:20

Our own self must die that Christ may live in us. Dead people do not commit sin, neither does a dead person seek praise to himself. When our own self is dead and Christ lives in us, then we are sinless and seek the honor of Christ only. A messenger does not have his own message, but the message of Him who sent him. He is not permitted to change the message nor add to it. We all are God’s messengers and we must faithfully proclaim the message which we have received from God, and then all honor comes to God only.

AMEN