ISAIAH 60:1-5
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 2 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 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 “Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. 5 Then you shall see and become radiant, And you heart shall swell with joy;
The past two months have been an absolute whirlwind… Louisiana, Atlanta, Kalamazoo, Kaleo Leadership School in Livingston and a missions team from Michigan. God has been blowing a fresh wind on our church body here in Livingston, and has continued to connect us more deeply to different ministries within and on the periphery of our Kaleo family. It has been a Glory filled summer thus far. Watching God bring apostolic leaders in and out of our church body has further confirmed that most definitely we are called to act as Antioch Center here in the middle of Appalachia. A place where different leaders and ministries can connect and be refreshed. A training ground for new leaders to be equipped and sent out. A prophetic well of prayer and worship that will lead the charge in reaching the most lost and bound up parts of society around us. We are just beginning to walk in all that Jesus has called us to, what a glorious privilege.
I was reminded this week that the very first message I gave in, what is now, our beloved church building was on this Scripture from Isaiah 60. I had no idea then what all we would be experiencing now.
During that time it was hard to know how to move forward. At that point, we were going through many trials and transitions as a church family. I only knew that we needed to position ourselves to Arise and Shine. Today, although our trials are much different from then, I personally feel that it is just as important that we position ourselves to look expectantly forward to all that God is doing and is about to do in our midst.
As Isaiah prophesied there will always be darkness on the earth pushing in on God’s people. There will always be pain and trials, but more so, God’s glory will also always be available and present for us in the middle of it all. Our response is to live from that glory, Arise, Shine and allow Jesus to be glorified through us. Here’s my money back guarantee for our church body moving forward… Because we are following Jesus it will be Good! No doubt about it. Lift your eyes, prepare your heart, and step into what God is doing! We are a revival church actively moving forward in a unique call that Jesus has fastened to our hearts!
Love,
Pastor John
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