Rise up part 1
It doesn't seem like a lot of the religious world knows this, but in the early church being a disciple of Christ was very much being part of a revolution. Even the phrase, "Jesus is Lord" was in direct opposition to the ruler of the time, "Ceaser is lord." It was a time of change. Upheavel. It was the Apostle Paul writing a letter urging the church to "...be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Don't try to fit in when you were made to stand out, right? There's something new available. Something better. A more excellent way. We have BEEN transformed (by the finished work of the cross) and now we can BE transformed into what we've BEEN transformed into. What came before is over and done. We can learn from it, but we don't have to be defined by it. So let me quote my key verse for this Rant series. Isaiah 60:1, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee." And, again, the key to the key verse is the finished work. Arise for thy light IS come. The glory of the Lord IS risen upon thee. Don't rise up in order to get something. Rise up because you've got something. Don't "love" to try to get something--that's not love at all--love because you have something. Something that's too big, and too good, to keep to yourself. There's a song that says, "What you got if you ain't got love? The kind that you just want to give away..." That's what love is all about. Because that's what love is. Love is giving. For God so loved the world He GAVE His only begotten Son. He wanted us to have the best, so He gave us the best. Jesus gave His life for us, and He gave His life to us. So that we could have it. So that we could experience it by letting God love us and by loving each other with that same love. So that we could shine. Rising up isn't enough, if you keep doing the same old, same old. If you conform to the world you're missing out on the Kingdom. Even though we are IN the Kingdom already. Even though we ARE the Kingdom (because the King lives in us, and through us, and as us). Look at Isaiah 60:1 in the Amplified Bible. "Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you." Arise from spiriual depression. If you're stuck in a rut... rise up. A rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out. It's the bondage of sin and death. Unbelief. Not knowing who you are or WHOSE you are. Rise up. To a new life. Shine. Be radiant. Like Jesus on the mount of transfiguration let the light that's inside shine forth. The glory and brillance of the Lord. The glory and brilliance of YOU. For YOUR light has come. What's inside is bursting at the seams, trying to get it. And all you have to do to let it out is believe that it's in there. See yourself clearly as the light shines ON you, and it will shine THROUGH you. OUT of you. And then you can stop trying to be someone you're not and you can rest. You can be who you are. You can BE transformed by the renewing our your mind. By letting your heart be your guide. By letting LOVE be your guide! It's new. It's radical. It's a complete difference from the world. And that's the point.