Final Arising: Rise to the Occasion
August 28, 2025 4:55 PM
LaTonya Canada-Christ
In depth message to repentance in order to arise in the full character of Christ in order to be prepared to stand in your faith of Jesus the Christ. If our repentance is not complete, genuine, and thorough - whatever remains will be used against you and those you love to renounce your faith in Jesus. Key points of what we can expect to see as the kingdoms of this world oppose the Kingdom of Our God.
Introduction: The Call to Full Allegiance
The Lord is calling His people into a place of full surrender and complete allegiance to Jesus Christ. This is not the hour for half-hearted faith or divided loyalty. To rise to the occasion in these last days, we must allow the Spirit of God to deal with rejection, distrust, fear of man, escapism, selfish ambition, and hidden sin.
Jesus Himself set the example. He lived fully surrendered to the Father’s will, even unto death. He calls us to follow Him in the same way: to lay down our lives, take up our cross daily, and live for His glory alone.
The Fear of Death
Mark 10:32–34 tells us how Jesus went ahead of His disciples toward Jerusalem. He knew betrayal, mocking, scourging, and death awaited Him. Yet He walked forward, because He also knew the resurrection awaited on the third day.
Death is not the end—it is simply the doorway into eternity. “It is appointed for man once to die, and after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) For the believer, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Fear of Death Includes:
- fear of poverty or lack,
- fear of imprisonment or persecution,
- fear of mockery, rejection, or hatred.
But Jesus was with Paul when all others forsook him. Paul reminded himself—and us—that the Lord will never leave or abandon His people. David, too, strengthened himself in the Lord when his own men turned against him (1 Samuel 30:6).
We must learn to say: “Soul, we have one life to live, and it belongs to Jesus.”
Jesus declared: “No one takes My life from Me; I lay it down.” (John 10:18) We too must willingly lay down our lives.
Overcoming the Fear of Death
- Repent of rejection, distrust, and fear of man.
- Remember our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world who suffer imprisonment and death for Christ.
- Apply the blood of Jesus to every fear, declaring: “Jesus, I give You my life.”
- Receive His perfect love, which casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
“They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death.” (Revelation 12:11)
Selfish Ambition and the Call to True Greatness
In Mark 10:35–40, James and John asked Jesus for positions of glory. They were focused on status, legacy, and ambition. But Jesus reminded them: “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup I drink?”
Selfish ambition shows up when we:
- long for past “glory days,”
- cling to our own plans,
- seek the praise of man,
- or refuse to let go of personal dreams.
Jesus warned: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
We must repent of self-promotion and regret. God’s plan is always greater: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20).
Servanthood: The Way of Christ
In Mark 10:42–45, Jesus explained true greatness: “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Jesus lived this:
- He washed His disciples’ feet.
- He healed His enemy’s ear during His arrest.
- On the cross, He forgave His executioners and cared for His mother.
True greatness is found in serving—especially when it costs us.
We must repent of quitting, complaining, or setting limits on what we will do for God. Now is not the time for spiritual retirement. We are being prepared to witness before the world.
Instead, let us embrace joy, patience, meekness, and an eternal perspective, knowing that every act of service is seen by the Lord.
The Iceberg: Hidden Sin
Like the iceberg that sank the Titanic, hidden sin beneath the surface can destroy a life. Unconfessed sin—pride, lust, unforgiveness, bitterness—will eventually be exposed under pressure.
Isaiah 58 commands us not to “hide ourselves from our own flesh.” We must allow the Spirit of God to shine His light on every hidden place, and repent now before it causes a fall.
Our Title Fight: Prepared Witnesses
We are not being prepared for comfort, but for conflict. Not for ease, but for endurance. The days ahead will test us, but God is preparing a bold, faithful people.
Paul described his life as: “in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings…” (2 Corinthians 6:4–5). Yet he also said: “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (v. 10).
This is the witness God is raising up in these final days: men and women who will not shrink back, but shine with the light of Christ.
Final Exhortation
Now is the time to:
- Repent fully in heart, mind, soul, and strength.
- Apply the blood of Jesus to every area of life.
- Pray for boldness, signs, and wonders (Acts 4:29–30).
- Remain humble, contrite, and devoted.
- Love not your life, even unto death.
We are entering the birth canal of Jacob’s trouble. The water is about to break. But those hidden in Christ will arise.
*“For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Photos courtesy Depositphotos
