Let Your Light Shine Bright - Charles D. Harris

The last few weeks we have been looking at Divine Alignment with respect to the issue of how we perceive our self-worth.  Last week it was about purpose and destiny.  The analogy of a GPS – God Purposing System – recalibrates direction in accordance with your willful chosen routes toward the destiny entered into the GPS.

Question: Have you ever used a GPS system and found yourself at a dead end or roadblock keeping you from your destination? In your life, think about that obstacle in your walk or your life right now hindering you from moving forward. 

14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. - Mat 5:14-16 NASB

Now it’s time to let YOUR light shine! We as believers are to re-present the Lord. One the things we are supposed to present is the “light” of God.

Listen to  Let Your Light Shine Bright

The word ‘light’ in Hebrew is ore – אוֹר – which means the strength of the head. The word light comes from a root that means ‘order.’  Light’s purpose is to bring order. Out of chaos He spoke “Light Be!”

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. - Gen 1:3 KJV

Light’s role is to bring order…Your role is to bring order.

It can never be God’s will for you to be disorderly or a trouble-maker.

When God says to you, “You are the light of the world,” that means you are to bring order to the world.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day. 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. - Proverbs 4:18-19 NASB

Two conditions exist here: 1) the walk of righteousness, and 2) the way of the wicked. The more you walk in the way of righteousness, the more light is going to be in the world. When you are in rebellion, you are in the area of darkness bringing disorder. The embodiment of the kingdom is symbolized by light.  And the light is symbolized in scripture by the menorah

 "Then you shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand and its base and its shaft are to be made of hammered work; its cups, its bulbs and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. 32 "Six branches shall go out from its sides; three branches of the lampstand from its one side and three branches of the lampstand from its other side. 33 "Three cups shall be shaped like almond blossoms in the one branch, a bulb and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms in the other branch, a bulb and a flower--so for six branches going out from the lampstand; 34 and in the lampstand four cups shaped like almond blossoms, its bulbs and its flowers. 35 "A bulb shall be under the first pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the second pair of branches coming out of it, and a bulb under the third pair of branches coming out of it, for the six branches coming out of the lampstand. 36 "Their bulbs and their branches shall be of one piece with it; all of it shall be one piece of hammered work of pure gold. 37 "Then you shall make its lamps seven in number; and they shall mount its lamps so as to shed light on the space in front of it. 38 "Its snuffers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 "It shall be made from a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 "See that you make them after the pattern for them, which was shown to you on the mountain. - Exo 25:31-40 NASB

Whenever you hear lamp stand…Menorah is a symbol of who you are. The Menorah represents the sevenfold Spirit of God. The seven branches of order!

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. - Gen 1:1-5 NASB

Prior to light there was a condition of waste and emptiness. Darkness! It is the absence of productive capacity. It is disorder and chaos.  In that place God brings forth plan, purpose, order, function, reality.

He took something that had no value and brought purpose.

You are created with a destiny and purpose as discussed last week. You are called to bring order.  That is what we call the ancient paths of God.  The ancient paths of God are His expressed light into the world. Prior to Him touching your life, it was a waste...it was worthless in terms of being able to bring forth life. He loved you enough to not leave you that way. He invades our reality with light.  God specializes in taking our disorder and turning it into order.

There has been an ongoing assignment while there is the assigned time of Day

1 But there will be no more gloom for her who was in anguish; in earlier times, He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious, by the way of the sea, on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. 2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. 3 You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian. 5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. 6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. - Isa 9:1-7 NASB

Day is the opportunity and the time to bring forth His order, Torah, etc.  Darkness competes with this. Darkness is in the form of lawlessness; doing what’s right in your own eyes; the democracy around what “feels right” to do.  It’s more chaos on top of chaos.  Without the light of God…the Order of Yeshua…you’ve got nothing!

11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. 14 If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? - 1Co 3:11-16 NASB

As we are bringing forth light, and the works of God, as we are bringing forth God’s government…we are going to be tested by fire.  If our works build on the foundation and they utilize the things in our lives, gold, stone, etc., those works will last. Every one of us has a mandate in this hour to build order…to be light…to bring forth families that operate in blessing…to honor the word of the Lord, the feasts of the Lord, the times of worship…all the things that are of God.  We are to re-present the light of God to the world. We will encounter fire because the Lord will test to see the purity of the gold.  Remember the menorah was made of one piece of pure gold that was hammered into place. You and I are going to be tested. We are the light. We are the menorah. We are the symbol; we are the seven-fold light in the earth today, we are the temple.

Fire makes gold shine; it destroys wood and stubble and works of the flesh and it hurts because it burns. The more of God’s order we get going the more peace we are going to have. We go through the various things like the ancient paths, etc., so that our soul contains more gold. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego didn’t burn in the fire because they were in Gods order. God’s order was, you don’t bend your knee to an idol. They went into the fire; they were pure gold; and thus, they weren’t consumed.

We are at a place where we have to determine our consumption quotient. Some of us are suffering because of decisions we made which seemed like logic at the time, but that was rooted in works that were not of God, and so those decisions got us into a situation where everything was crazy and chaotic. The path of least pain is what was chosen. Run, quit, give everything away, etc.  People in similar pits will be willing to give you “pit” wisdom. That wisdom does NOT deal with the violation of the word of God back at the decision point. 

We need the order of God which will mean many times…suffering in the short term because you are going to burn a lot of flesh. You need to get to where the original rebellion was and let God work that piece out. An exercise program after putting on a lot of weight, hurts. Credit cards, debt, keeping up with the Joneses…whatever it was, it’s ok. God is not going to leave you there, so don’t you allow yourself to stay there. You’re supposed to be bringing order to the world; not allowing the world to bring you into disorder. 

We need to get to God’s rest. It might cost us, but nothing is worth giving up His rest. The place where we are walking with gold and shining in the world and people will not judge by what the eyes see but by what the heart feels.

9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - Hebrews 4:9-16 NASB

Activation

Breaking the yoke of darkness where it is trying to steal the light. God doesn’t care about darkness; He cares about light.  It’s time to stop hiding in the darkness. Don’t let the darkness continue.

Partner up: (honor confidentiality and trust)

1)     What is/are the primary cloak(s) of shame (thoughts and attitudes) that are keeping me in darkness and from bringing God’s order or light (try to stay away from religious terms like pride, rebellion and ask the Holy Spirit for specifics)?

2)     Confess this to the Lord - the deeds of darkness. Tell Him, “I need light and I commit myself to Your order.”

3)     Boldly ask the Lord for His strategy on how to overcome the obstacle.

4)    Commit to paying the short-term price, whatever it is.

5)     Partner to pray for and bless to overcome.