I couldn’t help but notice the sun shining through the clouds the other day. As I took a moment to thank the Lord for this beautiful view, I was instantly reminded of His glory. He is beyond wonderous, providing me with little reminders of this fact, all the time. He says it right in Exodus that if we saw His face we would die. It’s that glorious. Could you imagine the majesty of that moment? The one where you come face to face with the Lord for the first time. The intensity. That thought reminded me of the bright golden sunlight shining through these clouds. I could only imagine the majesty of the throne room, considering this is what we get to experience here on earth.
The Lord drew my attention to the clouds. I immediately felt they were in the way. They were blocking the suns powerful rays of light. It didn’t matter how bright the sun was. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, or what the temperature outside was reading. The clouds were blocking the mighty sun. No matter the angle I turned my head, no matter which way I looked at it, the clouds blocked the entirety of the sun. I could only see the suns light, in part through the breaks in the clouds.
As I asked the Lord what He was trying to tell me, I simply heard back “sin blocks the shine”.
I began to see a vision of a sun. It was bright in the summer sky, hanging as high as it could. The rays nearly blinded me to the point that I had to look away. The Lord put on my heart that with Jesus in us, with the Holy Spirit alive in us, this is what people should see. They should see the fruits of the spirit overflowing in your life. They should see they way you light up a room, even if they don’t know anything about you. They should feel and see the presence of the Lord in you and active in your life. You should be shining as bright as the sun.
The sky began to darken as the clouds were ushering in. The Lord put on my heart that the clouds to the sun are the same as the sins to our spirits. So many Christians walk around expecting to be viewed as flawless, shining bright as the sun; when in reality they are cloudy and no where near as bright as they believe they are. You can have multiple degrees, you could be a self proclaimed theology pro, you could attend a thousand meetings and go up for prayer each time. You could call yourself a prophet, apostle, preacher, teacher, evangelist or just a plan old Christian, and still be dark as a summer thunderstorm if sin is permitted in your life.
When we die to ourselves daily, when we have the Holy Spirit, when we spend time in the word and with the Lord, we will shine. Not only inside with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; but on the outside with the signs, miracles and wonders of the Lord following you. This is how we shine, by doing the works of our Father.
It’s one thing to have a cloudy day, it’s another to willingly allow sin to cloud your life, your thinking, your vision, and the Lords breath in your lungs. Don’t be the believer that willingly sins because the Lord will give you mercy. We are not called to squeeze into Heaven by the skin of our teeth because we begged for mercy. We are called to live victoriously here on earth. We are called to kill our fleshly desires and to chase after righteousness. We are called out of the religion of works and into relationship of heart. We are called to be the hands and feet of Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit. This is what Jesus died for. Not for us to be weak minded Christians begging in our prayers every night.
We are called to recognize our authority given to us through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus isn’t a feel sorry for you kind of Lord. Think about the man by the pool. Every year others got in before him. His attitude was one of pity, one of being a victim, saying to Jesus that he never has anyone to help him in the water to be healed. What did Jesus do? Did He say oh, ok hold on let me throw you over my shoulder and carry you down there? No. Did he say oh it’s ok, I’m so sorry you’re going through this? No. He said “pick up your bed and walk”. He said help your self. We can’t be passive Christians waiting on our butts for miracles to show up, going to church with fake smiles, praying have pitty on me prayers and expecting the world to just line up wanting Jesus so they can be just like us. We need to read the word, take it for the truth that it is, stand on it, and shine like the sun. We need to pour out what the Lord pours into us. We need to be active Christians.
Stop ushering in the clouds, it’s time to shine!
Titus 1:15-16
15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
John 14:12-14
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
John 5:4-9
4 For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
5 And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
7 The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
9 And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.
Mark 16:17-20
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Exodus 33:20
But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”
Matthew 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Psalm 34
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
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