Let Your Light Shine Brighter Than Ever Now!

It’s been a tough week for America emotionally and spiritually. I have wept over our nation and the church multiple times this week and in recent months. It’s extremely painful to see where we are spiritually and where we are headed.

Even though I believe things are about to get much worse, unless the Lord intervenes (which I pray He might), I don’t want us to be discouraged. Not at all!!! Let’s keep encouraging one another as long as we can.

This is not a time for fear. Whatever happens, it is a time for more faith and trust in God than we’ve ever had before.

Our God Still Reigns!

Kingdoms rise and fall. But God’s kingdom, alone, will last forever. We, who belong to Jesus, are citizens of His heavenly kingdom! Our God is still on His throne. He will still accomplish His good purposes.

It may be that we, like many of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout history and around the world even today, may go through a difficult time of trials.

The Lord may use this time to refine and purify His people. He may use it to make us more fruitful than ever. May we be ready and yielded to His leading and His will, whatever it may be.

We know He knows what is best and He knows the appointed times and seasons for each nation, as well as for His plans in the end.

It’s time for us to have the faith of Esther, David, Daniel, Paul, Ruth, the apostles, and others. What if the painful trials we face and the shaking in this world are required for many to come to salvation and eternal life in Jesus?

I believe God wants to do huge things right now in the midst of all the chaos as we trust Him and continue to follow and pray. God can turn any wicked plan of the enemy into blessings for His people and His kingdom. He who is in us is greater than he who is in this world.

The enemy’s plans and motives are evil. But God’s motives toward us are good.

No One Can Take Away the Things That Matter Most

God has not abandoned us. He has not forsaken us. No one can rob us of what God has given to us. We are not orphans. He withholds no good thing from those who love Him. We, who are in Christ, have:

  • His presence.
  • His Word.
  • His promises that cannot and will not fail.
  • His Spirit.
  • His love that nothing in this world can remove.
  • His good plans for our future.
  • His victory over sin, death, the grave, and this world.
  • His authority in the heavenly realms to pray in God’s will into this world.
  • His leading and Light.
  • His mind and His heart.
  • Every spiritual blessing.
  • Access to the storehouses in heaven.
  • Freedom from condemnation.
  • Freedom from sin.
  • Freedom from fear and anxiety in this world.
  • His beautiful design for marriage, family, and our lives.
  • His assurance of His sovereignty over the universe.
  • His prophecies and warnings about the last days.
  • His spiritual weapons.

Be Ready to Shine!

Remember, this is a great spiritual battle. The labor pains are coming more quickly and intensely. That is not a surprise. Jesus warned us that this would be the case so we could prepare.

I believe Scripture teaches that the rapture could happen at any time. I believe the Tribulation is very close. So I pray we will all be ready.

God can and will equip and prepare us to patiently endure and to obey and do His will for whatever time we have here. Only He knows when that day will be. He can give us the grace we need to face what comes with boldness in Him as we desire Him and His will far above anything else.

It is time for this generation to rise to become great heroes of the faith. Not because we are so wonderful or strong. We’re not. Many of us have never faced anything on this scale before.

But we can be faithful because He is with us and He is worthy of all of our love, adoration, worship, praise, thanksgiving, and trust. It’s time for all of us to be sure we are in right relationship with God and other people, as far as it depends on us.

My Prayer for Us

I pray that we will all:

  • Keep our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, seeking Him far above anything or anyone else.
  • Stay in His Word and in fervent prayer.
  • Follow Jesus and share the Gospel no matter what happens.
  • Be filled with His Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control.
  • Love God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength.
  • Cling to His promises like never before.
  • Allow Him to strengthen our faith and infuse us with the courage and boldness we will need to face whatever is ahead.
  • Be faithful wives and moms who honor the Lord in our motives, thoughts, words, and actions.
  • Set godly, holy examples of love, honor, dignity, and respect for the Lord, for our husbands, for all other people.
  • Overcome evil with good.
  • Respond to hatred with love.

Things may not be the same as they were again in our country or around the world. But God has us, and our children, here specifically in this time period for His good purposes to be salt and light right now. Here in this place.

May He give us the ability, and may we receive it, to rise to the spiritual task at hand. To become the purified, spiritually mature Bride of Christ. To share Jesus and the Gospel with the world with great love, compassion, and courage.

May we be the prayer warriors this nation and this world need at this very hour.

It’s not time to give up or to be discouraged, precious sisters. It’s time to look up and stand firmly. We know the end of this story. Jesus wins in the end.

Scriptural Encouragement

  • He has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Heb. 12:26-29
  • How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Ps. 31:19
  • For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. 2 Chron. 16:9

The ABC’s of Salvation

If you don’t yet know the Lord, please do whatever you need to do to set things right today. Let’s all be ready for the Lord’s return but also just in case today is the day He calls us home.

A = Admit you are a sinner and you can’t be perfect and holy enough in God’s eyes to be right with Him on your own. Turn away from your sin.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Rom. 3:23

B = Believe that Jesus (God in the flesh) died on your behalf to pay the price for your sin and to give you a way to be right with God – to be forgiven. He lived the perfect life you couldn’t live. He died the death you deserve and rose from the dead in victory over sin, death, and the grave on your behalf!

“The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord.” Rom. 6:23

C = Confess that Jesus is your Lord – this means, Jesus is now your Master and you live your life for Him and His glory rather than for yourself. You say it out loud to others and you live it from now on. You lay down your will and your desires and follow Him, inviting Him to direct and use your life for His will.

“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” Rom. 10:9-10

If you have questions, please reach out to me in the comments or on my contact page.

or go to:

www.gotquestions.org

How to Have a Saving Relationship with Christ

10 comments

  1. We are not adrift in chaos. -Elisabeth Elliot

    “… in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” -Psalm 139:16

  2. Great post April! Light is My Word of the Year this year. I created a journal to put notes about that in, and “Let Your Light Shine” is the title page.

  3. This is the 3rd time this week I have heard this teaching about letting your light shine – including teaching Matt 5:16 as a memory verse to kids. Also Todd Friel said this week to remember to let our light shine and also to not complain! Thank you April. Spot on as usual. Love you sister and thank God for you.

    1. Martha M,

      There is a verse in a song Go Light Your World by Chris Rice the Lord just reminded me of as I read your comment:

      Carry your candle, run to the darkness
      Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
      Hold out your candle for all to see it
      Take your candle, and go light your world.

      The temptation will be for us to hide and be afraid. How can we, instead, be courageous and run right into the darkness with help and hope for those who need it?
      I believe God will show us the way and give us opportunities as we trust Him and walk in His joy and in faith, knowing He’s got us and He has things figured out and is already way ahead, preparing the way.

      Thanks for your insights!!

      Much love, dear sister,
      April

  4. Thankyou so much for your encouragement April. I have been so worried that I won’t be able to stay strong in the trials. I’m praying for strength to face whatever may come. I pray that we will all remain steadfast, knowing that He is worth it and for the joy set before us! Sometimes it’s hard to get my head around all this. I must remember that God is faithful and will not leave me. I pray you will continue to be a light in our lives too. I’m so thankful God has raised up faithful witnesses like you April

    1. Mrs. Beth McLaughlin,

      You are very welcome. I don’t think any of us have the strength we need on our own to face even small trials. Thankfully, Jesus is able to give us all the strength, grace, power, and faith we need to face whatever may come. He will be with us. He will prepare and equip us. He will empower us. There is a lot to absorb right now with how intense the battle is. But God will be as faithful to us as He was to the great heroes of faith from the past and around the world today.

      What a great time to cling to His promises more than ever, to stand more firmly on His Word and His truth, and to invite Him to purify and prepare us. And what a blessing that He gives us each other to encourage and build up one another’s faith.

      He is SO VERY good!

      Much love!

      1. Dear April,
        Once again, you speak what I believe the Lord has been speaking to me personally and so many other believers for awhile now. I just love and appreciate your passion for others to know Jesus. I pray that Jesus returns quickly.

        We definitely were not promised days of ease and no trouble or persecution. We were told to expect it. Since around 2012, the Lord has pressed upon my heart that we would see his judgement very soon in America and that he was needing to step back as we have fallen away from his standards. I remember feeling so passionate- wanting to share with everyone.

        Unfortunately I was not sensing others (believers) same passion and urgency. I felt a bit weary to be honest that others weren’t also seeing the urgency and need. I had a brain tumor (benign) in 2013 and I was left with no deficits. God showed me a part of himself I never experienced before that time. I remember feeling that it could be to help me share him even more with the unsaved world and as a RN, even more to those who are dying. I also thought perhaps it could be for me to know how Jesus was right beside me, as he always has been but even more so during that time in a very precious way-so that should I die someday by persecution for my faith, I have absolute no fear at all in death. I don’t think I feared death prior to this but after this experience I went through, Jesus became even more real to me.

        I’ve been a believer since I was 7 years old so Jesus and I go way back haha. But, it was during this time in 2013, that I saw his presence even more than I ever did before. I’ve had some visions and dreams- some have taken place and others partially and seem to be in the works of taking place. All this to say, it is truly amazing to me how today, everyone everywhere or at least believers, are sensing the stir of something happening or about to happen. It’s not just me. I was starting to think I was losing it lol. I believe now that the Lord was preparing me for whatever reasons.

        When the pandemic began, I started to play the piano and one of the songs I played and sang was “Purify My Heart” with the chorus “…refiner’s fire….my heart’s one desire..:is to be holy…set apart for you Lord.”

        Reading what you just shared about how we need to pray and ask the Lord to purify us just really spoke to me. I love your list of everything we can and should be praying for. One other thing…I felt the Lord tell me about 6 months ago to pray as he taught his disciples to pray. I have been praying this prayer often. He impressed on my heart that this prayer covers it all and why he taught his disciples to pray this way.

        Another amazing thing I have noticed since I believe he spoke this to my heart, was that he must have been also speaking the same to others because I have seen so many other people praying this or sending it around on social media. I just love how God works. So thankful for other like minded “sisters” like you.

        God bless you April! Would love to meet you and sit down and have coffee and share together. If not here, definitely someday in heaven!

        Much love and blessings,

        Juliana

        1. Juliana,

          Very true. Jesus promised that we will have trouble while we are in the world but to take heart because He has overcome the world!

          Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your story. Yes, during our trials, we press closer to the Lord and learn to trust Him in new ways. Our faith grows and we deepen in our love and appreciation of Him. What a beautiful thing.

          Isn’t God SO wonderful to prepare us, in advance, for what we will face?

          He has been speaking this to my heart since 2008 or so, as well. What a blessing to see so many believers united in prayer.

          I can’t wait to meet you one day and share our stories together. It will be glorious!

          Much love, dear sister,
          April

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