Monthly Archives: January 2017

Day 1 – Arise, Shine…

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

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“Arise, shine, for your light has come,  and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” Isaiah 60:1 NIV

Arise! – It is a command! It is an imperative! Get yourself up! Take initiative! Don’t stay down! Take action! This command, this imperative is a word of power that activates into action.

The prophet Isaiah was speaking prophetically to Jerusalem. He was announcing that the lonely, desolate night has come to an end and Jerusalem is to awaken, rise up to a new day, a new season.

He is also speaking to us.

Let us arise! The night is over. The desolation has come to an end. The loneliness is no more.

Shine! Your light has come. Jesus has come!

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 NIV

Jesus is the light!  As committed followers of Jesus, we are in Him, we are in His light. And we can hide in His light and allow Him to shine through us.

When we allow God through His Son to shine through us His glory will rise upon us.  Just as God manifested Himself in visible glory to the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land, so He would manifest Himself in to us as our guide and protector.

Let the people see the Light in us! Let the people see Jesus in us!

What will it take for me to get up from my slumber? Get up from my sleep? How will I let others see Jesus in me in 2017?  What is preventing me from shining?

Pray Isaiah 60:1

Heavenly Father, thank you for your love and grace that sent us Jesus. Thank you, Jesus for being my Light and guiding me. Holy Spirit empower me to get up and take action. I put my trust and faith in you, O God. Manifest your glory, your presence through me. Help me bring forth the best in me. Help be bring forth love, faith and hope. Help me bring forth the Jesus in me. I want to shine.

Hide Me in Your Light  Click on the link to worship in song.

Focus on the Father, Not on Fasting

02 Monday Jan 2017

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We begin every year with a time of prayer and fasting. We choose 21 days and the Daniel Fast for our congregational fast at El Shaddai Bethlehem.

“The 21-Day Daniel Fast is a partial fast, based on Daniel 10:2-3 in the Bible, in which Daniel says he fasted for three weeks. During the fasting period, only certain foods are eaten. Prayer, meditation and giving the results of the fast to God are also important components of this fast.” – Casey Holley livestrong.com

Preparation requires commitment. Commit to be intentional about praying and fasting.

Set a specific time in the day when you will read your Bible, meditate on it and respond in prayer. Don’t overwhelm yourself by requiring of yourself to spend hours of daily prayers or to read several chapters of the Bible in one sitting. It is not about doing, it is about being. Being in the moment where your focus is on God, His Word and your response to Him.

Remember, abstaining yourself from food is not as important as making this season of prayer and fasting an opportunity to grow closer to God.

“Focus on the Father not on fasting.” – Pastor Gerry Hartman.

If you are not using a Bible Reading Plan, then I encourage you to check this blog daily for a Daily Devotional, January 2 – January 22, 2017.

I will be using the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 60 as the basis for this Devotional and I encourage you to memorize our 2017 Verse of the Year.

2017 Verse of the Year

“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60:1 NIV

I pray that the next 21 days will provide for you the opportunity to grow closer to our Heavenly Father, discern the mind of Christ and become familiar with the leading of the Holy Spirit. May you be blessed to bless others.