Arise

Pastor Hilton opens his message from Proverbs 24:16, 'for a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again.' He emphasizes the distinction between the just and the wicked is not that both fall, but that the just gets back up. He then explores the biblical concept of 'arising,' noting that when Jesus arose in the Gospels, He was about to exercise His power. Citing Matthew 8:23-26, the storm on the sea, he explains that when Jesus arises and rebukes the wind and waves, a great calm follows. In Matthew 9:18-25, Jesus arises to follow a ruler to his dead daughter; His disciples also arise, and the dead girl arises. The point is that when we respond to Jesus' arising, nothing—not even death—can stay down. In Luke 6:8, Jesus commands the man with the withered hand to 'rise up' in front of skeptics, showing that we must obey despite the opinions of others. Mark 10:49-50 illustrates that when Jesus calls us, we must cast away our old identity—the beggar's garment—to truly arise. John 5:5-7 reveals the impotent man who had been invalid for 38 years; Jesus asks him, 'Wilt thou be made whole?' The man offers excuses, but Jesus does not ask why he is lame—He asks if he wants to get up. Pastor Hilton exhorts the congregation not to let reason or the devil's lies keep them down. When Jesus says 'arise,' they must respond immediately, for in His presence, every dead situation can be revived and every need met.