ARISE, SHINE FOR THY LIGHT HAS COME........

  I  am not the type of person that makes a resolution @ the beginning of each new year.  I simply choose to improve and with GOD's help, be better than the year before.  What I do is ask GOD to help me get closer to Him than I was the year before.  More of Him and His purpose for my existence and less of me and my desires.  I have many desires,  do you reader?  But I want God alone to steer this ship, so I am down the line in this chain of command,  somewhere between 4th and 5th.  With GOD's help,  I chose Isaiah 60:1 (kjv)  for my theme this year:  'Arise Shine for thy light has come and the Glory of the LORD has risen upon thee'.   So that is what is happening after a some what challenging year, ending with the death of my beloved baby brother.  You may remember my post 4 years ago entitled 'Miracle Right in Front of Our Face'.  It talked about my brother being brought back from the dead while in the hospital, and us saying,  what we assumed to be good-bye to him.   GOD was merciful and revived the dead and gave him 3 more years of life, that he lived to the full. (think Hezekiah)  Nov. 2016, my brother died, and as  a family we were united again  to say goodbye, this time to a family member we all saw raised.  We rejoiced @ his memorial @  the goodness of our merciful, gracious GOD and we were comforted to know that sickness and disease can't take from us any longer.  Praise GOD!!  What was amazing to me  was the many people that loved my brother and talked @ his memorial  service about how he helped them and encouraged them even though he had health issues he struggled with.  The man in the wheel chair nearly brought me to tears when he took me aside privately and shared an event my brother helped him with.  I didn't know he was so loved by so many, people that are dealing with life's struggles and issues as JESUS said  we  would have down here. (John 16:33)   So with that said and done and other issues that arose,  I am in constant remembrance mode  of what GOD said in Hebrews 13:5 (Deuteronomy 31:6,8) 'He will never leave me nor forsake me'.  Arise - get up, get going,  I have things for you to do and your presence is what I need;  Shine for thy light has come - It is your time to bring ME into your existence an into where ever  this lighted path takes you each day;  And the Glory of the LORD has risen upon thee - you are MY choice Audrey,  some will hear and some wont, I want those that will hear.  Translate and Meditate is how I take the   Scriptures.  I pray for MORE of GOD,  so I have to be ready,  willing and ready to act when HE speaks.  Yes, HIS Word is alive and speaking to those that have ears to hear them.  That's where you will find GOD in HIS wide - open Word!!  Glory to GOD!!!   So after this challenging year and now into a brand new year and new beginning,  GOD is working His plan.  HE's moving out the clutter and inserting me into where HE wants me.  Doing it HIS way!! Glory to GOD!!!   GOD is not a hoarder.  He does not collect useless junk to store incase HE can use it later.   I have not had this much fruit of the Spirit oozing from my spirit ever! It is abundant!  My cup is overflowing!  It can only be an act of the All Powerful GOD Almighty,  cause from the outside looking in  it looks like a different picture. But GOD looks on the heart and JESUS said, 'lip service is useless,  it is the heart that I see' (author's paraphrase)  Matt. 12:35-36.  Wonder how many people GOD has chosen for doing something for HIM that did not answer HIS call?  ponder,  ponder.  You need  only look at the world's events to see that a shift is taking place.  You wont find answers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, (social medias not listed), television, radio. All these are things the world says are must - haves and yes GOD himself uses @ times, (1Cor. 1:27 -28),  but FAITH in HIM alone is what HE says HE is pleased by. So Arise, Shine for thy light has come and the Glory of the LORD has risen upon thee; is my theme this year. This is the time to get into the deep things of GOD and do what ever is commanded  to do. Love  GOD first with all your being,  without hindrances, good, bad, come what may,  Love others  and pray for the sick,  laying hands on them.  Jesus said they will recover (Mark 16:15-18).  My choice, as long as I am in this body, (2Cor. 5:9) is to Raise - up, Shine bright,  Display the goodness of My GOD!!  (author's 2017 word translation of Isaiah 60:1).  Impactful and Effective are the buzz words  GOD is using to reach a people that will hear HIM.  These people may be located in the least expected places. The following is a small list of Bible people God used to do wonders for HIM.

1.Joseph - a kid     9. Solomon - womanizer
2.Rahab - a harlot       10.Paul - persecutor
3.Moses - a murderer    11.Ruth - an idol worshipper
4.Hannah - a barren believer  12. Jonah - fish food
5.Elijah - a fearful prophet
6.Esther - an orphan girl adopted by a family member
7.David - a lustful wife thief  
8.Jael - a dangerous girl with a tent peg
                         13. the woman @ the well- a town herald   14. Nebuchadnezzar- Babylonian king
15. the prodigal son - a party happy, lusty boy with money   16. Naaman's wife's captured Israelite maid -  carrier of a healing message

When the call from GOD came, Faithful people answered, no matter their station, condition, or status in life, Faith acted.

GOD's Blessings on all HIS people!!  Isaiah 60.