In this piece we are going to charge ourselves a little before we pray, we will be sharing together on the “The Market Place of Purpose”.
And our focus text is going to be Isaiah chapter 60, we will read from verse 1. And as the Lord gives us grace, we might read the entire chapter in piece meal, but we are going to focus on Isaiah 60. From verse 1, it says; “Arise, shine for your light has come and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people, but the Lord will arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you. The gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”
We are going to pause in that verse 3. There are certain things that we are going to draw out from these three Scriptures and we are going to see as we go on reading the other Scriptures. They made mention of three important things; number 1 is light. And I am excited that the first mention in verse 1 was about light not darkness. It said; “Arise, shine! For your light has come.” If you look at your Bible, after come there is an exclamation mark. Meaning that there is an announcement of this. There is an announcement being made about light.
Now, ‘Arise, shine’ is a command, not a suggestion or an advice. It says arise, shine. So, if somebody is told to arise, meaning the person was not in that posture or that position before, the person is called to action. ‘Arise, shine for your light has come’. The reason you need to arise and shine is that your light has come. What gave rise to your light? What makes your light to be in demand? Just like we are using the word market place, you are saying to someone that is selling wears and the person has just been sitting down waiting for customers to come around, and customers are not coming, and maybe a neighbor of his or somebody else that knows him says stand up, your customers are here.
You are about to engage in a trade, you are about to start selling your wears that you have been waiting for so long to sell. With this mindset, I want us to picture the conversation. ‘Arise, shine’, it is time for your light to be purchased, to be appreciated. How do we know this? If you go to verse 3, it said; ‘Gentiles shall come to your light.” Your light has become a merchandize as it were, that people are coming to. And it said; “And kings.” So, its not only the gentiles, ‘Kings will also come to the brightness of your rising.’ Meaning that, before this time, you were not rising, but at the command of arise, you started rising. So, you and I as Disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, have come to a time in history, a time in the calendar of God and in the agenda of God for mankind, that our merchandize in Christ, what we have received from Christ will be demanded for. Why?
The reason is in verse 2. It says; “For behold; Look at it. The darkness shall cover the earth.” What you think is common is not common. What you think is everywhere is not. ‘For behold’ Look! The darkness shall cover the earth. So, because the darkness has covered the earth, there is a demand for light. And who are those that will supply light? The Disciples of Jesus Christ. Jesus said to us; I am the light of the world. Then in further conversation He said you are the light of the world. A city set upon a hill that cannot be hidden. Will a man light a lamp and hide it under a bushel? No! He will place it strategically. Why? There is darkness.
So, if you have been a follower and a Disciple on CentreNDL”>Disciple of Jesus, and you have been thinking, why am I following Jesus? to what end am I following Jesus? All these that I have been studying, the things that I have been studying, the prayers that I have been praying, at what point would they become relevant? I am happy to announce to you that now is the time when a demand will be placed upon the light on your life. If you remember that Scripture in Malachi where God said He is going to sit as the refiner’s fire and the launderers soap. He said He is going to purge and purify the sons of Levi. To what end? That they may offer.
In market, for you to produce something, you offer. There is offer and acceptance in business law. For there to be a contract to be in place, there must be offer and acceptance. So, what are we offering this earth that the Bible says; the darkness shall cover? Light! So, as a Disciple on CentreNDL”>Disciple of Jesus, if you have not become the light, you don’t have what to offer. As a Disciple on CentreNDL”>Disciple of Jesus, if you have not become the light, you will not have what to offer when demand is laid on you. It says; “Behold darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people, but the Lord.” The reason why you have light is because of the Lord. You are not sourcing the light in yourself.
The reason why many people will not be able to supply light when the demand is laid upon them is because the source of their light is not the Lord. So, we must understand it, that light is not in yourself. It is sourced in the Lord. But the Lord will arise over you. When they demand light, you will not supply your own light, you will supply the light of the Lord. The reason why you will be able to combat darkness, in this time and in this season, is because when the demand is being laid, there is a supply by the Lord. I remember that Scripture, my husband used to love it so much, it says you will stand to feed the flock in the strength of the Lord.
So, if we are going to use that Scripture and wrap around it, you are going to dispel darkness by the light of the Lord. Morality cannot dispel the present darkness in the world. How many moral things can you quote for somebody that is deep in homosexuality? How many moral things can you quote to a drunk or an addict of drugs? You combat darkness with light not morality. It is the light of the Lord that dispels darkness. Because if its just darkness, you can say let us look for any light. It is the darkness. The darkness requires the light. And that’s why the reason why many believers are frustrated with the present darkness of the world is because we are trying to shine our own light, not the light of Christ.
You cannot combat the present darkness of this world with your own light, you need the light of Christ. And it said; “When the Lord arise over you, His glory.” And I love that. So, the light will not leave you empty, you will not just be dishing out light, you will be given the light of the Lord and you will be having His glory.” What does that glory mean? It said; “His glory will be seen.” Like a garment. So, when people encounter you, there is no shame. Recently I was just looking at many people that have been bashed up and down on social media. And I am asking Lord, why are they being attacked? Yes, I know the world can be very vicious and all that. They can go the extra mile, but I am looking at the absence of glory. Because there are some people you can’t just bash like that. Even if you are an unbeliever, you can still see the glory.
That’s why verse 3 said; the gentiles shall come to your light. That light that you have received in Christ, gentiles will come to it. They will say see we don’t understand it but there is something about your life. The spirituality that we are discussing about is not a joke. You either have it or you don’t have it. You can’t fake it. The seven sons of skiver that were attacked, what was missing was not the name of Jesus in their mouth, it was the glory.
When the devil came, no light. They moved close no glory. They were able to strip them naked and disgrace them. The opposite of glory is shame, reproach. The absence of glory is the presence of shame. That’s why when you see a believer struggling, maybe its that the light of the Lord has not arisen over that believer. And that’s why as Disciples of Jesus, as the world is placing a demand on us, we must place a demand on Christ. We must not get to that point where we feel we are okay on our own. Because as long as we are in this world, we are the light of this world. And has long as we are in this world our light must be sourced in Christ. And see from verse 4, it started talking about the benefits that will come as a result of the light that you have. It says “‘lift up your eyes all around and see’. They all gather together, they come to you, your sons shall come from afar, your daughters shall be nursed at your side, then you shall see and become radiant. And your heart shall swell with joy.”
No matter what you are going through right now, these prophecies will come to pass in our lives as long as we are following Jesus faithfully. It might take time. Just like in Habakkuk. It said; “Write this vision, make it clear upon the tablets, that he who reads it may run with it. It said; though it tarries, wait!” Even though it looks as if there is no glory, wait. Though it tarries, wait. When the Disciples were following Jesus, the twelve. They were walking barefooted following Him through all the streets, towns, villages and the places Jesus went to. When Jesus was physically with them, it looked as if their life was nothing to write home about. They had to go to the mouth of a fish to pay tax, they had to go from place to place, sleep in boats, sleep on rocks, they had to multiply five loaves of bread and two fishes.
Then it came a time, people were selling their lands, when Jesus was alive, they were not selling their lands to bring, when Jesus left, the Disciples entered into this realm, people were selling their lands, so much so that Ananias and Saphira also wanted to be like Barnabas and sell their own land and bring it to the feet of the Apostles. They stepped into that realm of glory. They said they can’t continue to serve tables, let us focus on the ministry of the word and prayer. The Bible says; added to the church one day three thousand. If three thousand people are here, don’t you know it will feel good? The crowd! And they are not just coming empty, the Bible says they were taking of their possession and they were selling, The Bible says non lacked among them.
So, this Scripture was fulfilled among the Disciples. They lifted up their eyes and they stared gathering to them. Their sons came from afar. Their daughters were nursed by their side. They saw and they became radiant. Their hearts swelled with joy because of the abundance of the sea that was turned to them, the wealth of the gentiles. So, lets us not look far, even the Disciples of Jesus enjoyed it. And Jesus made them to understand when they said we have left all to follow you, what shall we have? He said you will have in this world and even hereafter. And He said 12 of you will judge the 12 tribes of Israel. That’s glory. The demand that the world is going to place on our lives will require sacrifice. And what is the sacrifice that we must give or pay as Disciples of Jesus? To learn from Him, sit at His feet.
When you are sitting at His feet, it will look as if time is going nothing is happening, but so much is happening in the realm of the Spirit, there is a light that you are attracting, there is a glory that is coming upon you. And as you continue to stay at His feet, when the world demands of that light, you will not be empty. And if we continue on and on right unto verse 16 and 17, you will see that the blessing of receiving the light, the blessing of actually paying the price of Discipleship is evident. Have you been following Jesus and it looks to many people like you are wasting your time? I am here to announce to you by the Spirit of God that that day of demand is already here. That that time when the glory of the Lord will truly be seen upon your life is already here.
When the Bible says “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be exalted above the hills.” That day is already here, what does it mean? It says nations, many people will troop to it as solution—the solution center. The place of answers. They will say we don’t know what to do, but we know one brother, he always knows what to do. When Daniel was sitting with the Lord praying and knowing the Lord, the day of demand came; Nebuchadnezzar had a dream, everywhere was in pandemonium, and they were going up and down, they said if his wise men could not deliver, he was going to cut off their heads. And there was a man, demand was placed on the Discipleship of Daniel. And Daniel said to nebuchadnezzar, give me time. I know one that is a revealer of secrets. I know the Lord that is able to make all these things plain, and he went to the Lord and he downloaded and he came and delivered.
The reason why this is important for us and we are going to pray about it is because we are in that season, that time already where the demand is being placed upon our Discipleship and we must be able to supply. If truly we are faithful Disciples. Jesus showed us examples, they will bring those that are lame, blind and the Bible says and Jesus healed them all. He didn’t say go and come back, let me quickly talk to Michael and Gabriel if they can help me connect to God quickly and see what we can do about this case. He was able at every point in time that a demand is placed on the anointing of God on His life, He will deliver. And He said as I am so are you. So, if a demand is laced upon our lives as Disciples of Jesus Christ, let God be true and every man a liar, we must supply.
And that’s why we are in the market place of purpose. The Bible says the calling of God is without repentance. What God has called you to, He has not changed His mind. Don’t think God has gone to rest over the matter, He is waiting on you to stand up, arise and shine. The Bible says the earnest expectation of creations eagerly await the manifestation. What is the manifestation? For the sons of God to deliver. For the sons of God to supply. And the question is this; how many of us are supplying? How many of our lives are delivering?
That is why we are going to pray at this point and say Lord I am ready; can you speak to God about the calling of God upon your life, say Lord I receive the grace to arise.
