VIDEO Rise & Shine, Shine! Shine! Shine!

Sept 7, 2011

RISE & SHINE, SHINE! SHINE! SHINE! “Sunshine” Behind The Scenes

Dear LORD, how precious is the assurance of your sweet loving presence ! I love you Lord, and I trust my whole life into your hands. Strengthen my wings of faith help me to accept the need to grow and mature through your word. Help me to be still and know what you are trying to tell me, as I learn and grow spiritually in your word. Amen

Produced By: “Sunshine”
Written by: “Sunshine” Brenda E. Smith and C.D. “Moon” GarrowJr.
Publisher: Red Hot Trax BMI (c) ‘09,2010
Label: Melody Dawn Records
This country gospel music video with lyrics is “Sunshine” Behind The Scenes. Edited by “Sunshine”. “Sunshine” Brenda Smith is a regular guest on the TV show *Light Waves*

Take the Initiative Against Drudgery

Arise, shine… —Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

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Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest. Disciples Indeed, 395 L

OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Hope Of Jesus’ Return

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Throughout history, people have debated what happens after death. This subject in many ways remains a mystery since the dead cannot tell of their experiences.

Yet God’s Word contains an abundance of information about life after death. In today’s verses, Paul explains what will happen at Christ’s return—both to the saints who have died and to those still living. First, Jesus will descend from the sky in a way similar to His ascension. (See Acts 1:11.) Then, God will resurrect the bodies of departed believers, whose spirits will have been with Jesus since the moment of physical death (2 Cor. 5:8). Next, Christians who are still alive will be transformed; they’ll rise to meet Jesus in the air and will dwell with Him forever.

While we should strive to glorify the Lord every moment we’re alive, it is important to be aware of these future events. The reason is found in 1 Thessalonians 4:13: “So that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” In fact, verse 18 tells us to comfort each other with the understanding of what will happen when Jesus returns. Knowing the pain we encounter in this life—from tragedy, loss, fear, and sickness—God gives Christians a glimpse of the wonderful future in store.

What a loving heavenly Father! He understands our pain and gives us such hope, comfort, and strength to endure life’s hardships. Read the Scripture passage again—but this time, in place of the words “those who have fallen asleep,” substitute the name of a departed Christian you love—and bask in the hope that the Father has given.

Set With Christ

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:2-3)

The apostle Paul, looking forward to the time when we shall “ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17), wrote: “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you” (Philippians 1:23-24).

The fact is, however, that we can be “with Christ” even while still abiding in the flesh, as Paul himself emphasized. This is the great principle called positional truth. “Positionally,” we are already “with Christ,” for that is where God sees us and how He relates to us. He has “raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6).

Before we could be raised up with Christ, however, we first had to die with Him. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Galatians 2:20). God even saw us as buried with Christ when He was buried, and this is the great truth symbolized in our baptism. “We are buried with him by baptism into death” (Romans 6:4).

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more” (Romans 6:8-9). He died for us, so our deserved death became His substitutionary death, and His victorious resurrection becomes our own unmerited deliverance from death in eternal resurrection life. This is our position now, and our assured everlasting possession then, for we are with Christ, who “dieth no more.”

This truth is not only a wonderful doctrine, but as we see in our text, a focus for our thoughts, and real incentive for godly living. HMM

So Rich A Treasure

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:13-14

The experiential knowledge of God is eternal life (John 17:3), and increased knowledge results in a correspondingly larger and fuller life. So rich a treasure is this inward knowledge of God that every other treasure is as nothing compared with it. We may count all things of no value and sacrifice them freely if we may thereby gain a more perfect knowledge of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This was Paul’s testimony (Philippians 3:7-14) and it has been the testimony of all great Christian souls who have followed Christ from Paul’s day to ours….

To enjoy this growing knowledge of God will require that we go beyond the goals so casually set by modern evangelicals. We must fix our hearts on God and purposefully aim to rise above the dead level and average of current Christianity.

If we do this Satan will surely tempt us by accusing us of spiritual pride and our friends will warn us to beware of being “holier than thou.” But as the land of promise had to be taken by storm against the determined opposition of the enemy, so we must capture new spiritual heights over the sour and violent protests of the devil.

Lord, I’ll set my sights higher and seek a greater experience of You. I’ll not let the enemy stop me. Amen.

Ready For God’s Highest Will?

Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. (Hebrews 10:9)

Let us consider three simple things reinforced in the Word of God for those who would discern God’s highest will.

First, be willing to put away known sin!

Second, separate yourself from all of the attractions of the world, the flesh and the devil!

Finally, offer yourself to your God and Savior in believing faith!

God has never yet turned away an honest, sincere person who has come to know the eternal value of the atonement and the peace that is promised through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The only person who will never be cleansed and made whole is the one who insists he or she needs no remedy. The person who comes in faith to God and confesses, “I am unclean; I am sin-sick; I am blind,” will find mercy and righteousness and life.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior, the Cleanser. He is the Purifier, the Healer. He is the Sight-giver and the Life-giver. He alone is the Way, the Truth and the life!

As a man does not make himself spiritually alive

As a man does not make himself spiritually alive, so neither can he keep himself so. He can feed on spiritual food, and so preserve his spiritual strength; he can walk in the commandments of the Lord, and so enjoy rest and peace, but still the inner life is dependent upon the Spirit as much for its after existence as for its first begetting. No man himself, even when converted, hath any power, except as that power is daily, constantly, and perpetually infused into him by the Spirit.

The motive-power of action to a believing man lies hard by the realization that God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven his iniquities.