Star of morning, Star of night

--> As fall has progressed, my normal morning prayer time begins in increasingly greater darkness. As I go out to our living room to walk and pray, the first thing I do is usually stub my toe on something left on the floor. But after that, I like to look outside through a little window at the top of our front door. The window faces the east, and eventually, I get a great view of the sunrise. But that’s not what I see first as I peer out into the early morning blackness. There is a quite brilliant star that sits just above the point where the sun will crest the horizon within the ensuing hour. It is quite interesting because it outshines by far any other stars that might still be left over from the nighttime display. This star quite literally captivates my attention, as it dances and sparkles brightly. I find myself staring and admiring it, curious as to how this star is able to shine so brightly well into the dawn, as the sky begins to lighten with the approaching sun. I realized that I was getting a glimpse of what the Bible calls the Morning Star. The physical morning star is in actuality the planet Venus shining so powerfully. I sensed the Lord say to me that there was great significance in this imagery for me, and I began to search the scriptures for what truths God might be speaking through this natural and spontaneous early morning object lesson. Let me share with you a few things I found and what profound meaning they have for me prophetically.
In Revelation 22:16, Jesus says to us directly, “I, Jesus, am the bright and morning star.” Jesus as the Morning Star reveals much about who He intends to be to His people as we get closer to His return. Following this description is the verse “The spirit and the bride say “Come” (v17) and “Yes I am coming soon! Amen! Come Lord Jesus!” (v20) The Morning Star speaks of the end of night and the soon return of our Lord Jesus and his coming kingdom. Scripture is clear in its imagery that in the end times evil will grow worse and there will be an increase of wickedness. It can seem that as darkness increases, we wonder where is God in all of this? For anyone who has suffered through sickness, pain or insomnia all night, it can seem like the surrounding darkness will never give way to the sunrise. We can feel that way now. With shamelessness, public flaunting of evil, and the disintegration of morality and purity all around us, it can seem like the night can’t get any blacker. But in the same way that my eyes were drawn to and fixated on that star, He desires that our eyes be fixated not on the depth or the length of the darkness, but on His brightness and glory.
Focusing on the morning star in the midst of great darkness is what the church of Thyatyra was chastised for not doing. (Rev. 2:26) They had lots of outreach and faith and love for their common man, but they tolerated a spirit of adultery in their midst. They had been compromised by the darkness and had slipped into drunkenness and immorality. But for those who overcome that lapse into participating in the darkness, there is the promise of being given both power over the nations and the Morning Star. (v. 28) This is the promise of spiritual authority and power that comes from increasing levels of faithfulness and consecration to Him in the midst of a powerful seducing spirit. And it is a promise of a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus for those who will stand strong against the spirit of compromise during the dark days of immorality that precede Jesus’ return. We must keep ourselves fixated and focused on our Bridegroom, doing whatever it takes to stay alert, ready, and lovesick for His return and chaste and pure in preparation for meeting Him, even as others lose heart in the lingering night and slip into drunkenness, partying and uncontrolled anger (see Luke 12:45 and Matt 25:48)
But when Jesus as the Morning Star is prophetically revealed and highlighted to our spirits, it is an indication that we are drawing closer to the end of darkness and the coming of the dawn. Much like when the morning star shines brightest and begins to rise higher above the horizon like a herald announcing the coming day. 2 Peter 1:19 says “We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place and Christ the morning star rises in our hearts.” The prophetic revelation to our hearts that the darkness is soon giving way to the coming of the day of the Lord is like the appearance of the morning star on the horizon and its rising just ahead of the sun. The Holy Spirit is moving on hearts and giving them a sense of urgency regarding the soon coming of the Lord. The bride will hear what the Spirit is saying and join Him in calling out, “Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!”
One other thing to note about the morning star. As the sky begins to brighten, if you look away from the star, it is easy to lose sight of it and not be able to spot it again at it rises. You have to keep your eyes on it, or you lose sight of it.
What God is saying to me through all of this imagery is:
1) He is coming soon. It is time to be ready and to be watching and waiting for His soon return.
2) We must keep our eyes fixed on Him. He wants to captivate our attention, our focus, our desires and our time. This is a very crucial kairos moment we are entering. It is not a time to frivol away what is precious and valuable (our time, affection and resources) on cheap and trivial things (i.e. media, possessions, self-pampering, etc. and the chasing after these things)
3) The prophetic rising of the morning star in our hearts means we must realign our priorities, pursuits and passions to match what His are for these unique end-times (winning the lost, discipling the nations, bringing justice to the oppressed, being consecrated and intimate with Him in unprecedented measure)
4) It is time to be His bridegroom, fixated on Him, madly in love with Him alone and captivated more and more by His beauty and not lured by the false beauty of counterfeit attractions.
5) It will be easy to lose sight of where Jesus is as the day of tribulation approaches. Those who have trained their eyes on Him will have the confidence and authority to walk among the confusion and devastation with a sense of His real Presence and what He is saying and doing. Those who did not buy oil for their lamps in the quiet place of intimacy before the trial will long to know this intimacy, but it cannot be bought so quickly. NOW is the time to press in to Him in intimacy and uncommon consecration as never before.

Second Mile

OK, so I admit it. I am at mid-life. But instead of having a crisis, I am having a catharsis. A deep purging of my soul's desires and motivations. I look around me and I really don't want to be a statistic. I want to finish this race well. God has been dealing with me about Jesus' command that we are to go a second mile if asked. Though this passage is about mistreatment and persecution, I think there is a broader application as well. I began to realize that I may not be able to physically or emotionally handle being forced to go one mile, let alone be able to fulfill the command to go two. And it may not be an evil oppressor that is forcing me to go father then required. It may be my Lord asking me. If God asked me to reach a tribe high in the Himalayas, would I not only be willing, but physically would I be able? If it is His plan for me to remain active in full-time ministry until I am 80 years old, so that I can help bring in the end-time harvest of souls, am I shortchanging His plan because of poor eating and exercise habits today? I don't want to back into eternity by default. I want to be one of those Overcomers in Revelation 2 and 3, going from strength to strength, just hitting my fullest stride as I cross the finish line. I want to have stamina and longevity so I can hear the "well done". I want to be around for my wife and kids and grandkids for that matter and not end up in the emergency room because of my poor choices. But it won't happen because I wish it to. I have to set and obey strict boundaries in my life. I want to live a life of uncommon consecration, set apart for Him so His anointing rests heavy enough on me that others I touch can be set free. I need to cultivate deeper and deeper intimacy and partnership with my wife. I have to get on the treadmill daily, do the ab crunches and say no to overeating. I have to set the alarm earlier to spend more time to face the onslaught of evil all around me. I have to develop my ministry skills to not fall into complacency and professionalism. Going the second mile is more than a decision of a moment. It is the preparation of a life and an implementation of a lifestyle. I want to be able to go the second mile. To wherever He says, doing whatever He asks.

Help, My Fall Has Been Hijacked!

Am I mistaken, or are there still thirty-eight (count 'em, as of this writing on Sept 22nd) shopping days until Halloween? And where, pray tell, have all the Halloween super-stores come from? I turned around and they have suddenly appeared on every corner like an orange-and-black Starbucks-esque franchise taking over the retail world. I had envisioned a more uplifting replacement for the shopping space that the local Circuit City once occupied. Now instead of buying an Apple I can bob for apples.

OK, I know Halloween has increasingly become a bigger and bigger event over the years. But in my memory, only Christmas used to occupy such a nostalgic and important place in American culture as to justify a whole season dedicated to the event. Don't we all actually need a whole month or more to write all the Christmas cards, attend all the Christmas parties, and buy enough gifts for every cousin and great-aunt in our families? But more than that, the spectacle of the long Christmas season is a testimony to the greatness and importance of the One for whom it is all about.

But this black cats and jack-o-lantern stuff in every store starting in August to me is making a statement. It's more than money hungry retailers trying to pull one over on naive shoppers, milking them for as much cash as possible as early as possible. Just let them try some month-long glitzy and attractive marketing blitz to promote Mother-in-Law Day and the consumers still aren't gonna bite. No, Halloween has taken up a huge place in the collective consciousness of post-modern America, and retailers are just capitalizing on a movement. It has become the new anti-religious holiday of choice for non-religious people. And it is being promoted, celebrated and planned for in a way that is disproportional to the actual value and meaning of the day.

Fall used to be about football, falling leaves, harvest, Thanksgiving, and an oh so very small part of the end of October. It was "oh, yeah, we need to sow Suzy a costume for Halloween coming up on Friday and stop by the store for a bag of candy in case some trick-or-treaters ring the bell." But it has morphed into the Holiday that Hijacked Fall in 3-D. It's goblins and witches and horror in your face for weeks on end. And it really is silly what we have allowed it to become.

Drive-by evangelism

Dalene tells of a youth leader she knew when she was in high school who publicly boasted that he wanted to date a thousand girls before he married. The look of disgust as she tells it reveals how it made her feel about him. And how about the poor girls who found out they were number 101 or 845 on one man’s notch-filled dating belt? I am not sure if he ever filled his quota, but there must have been a whole host of emotional casualties in this version of drive-by dating. Why does it sound kind of disgusting? Because it treats people as numbers. And it lacks in genuine concern for developing authentic relationships which take commitment of time and investment of soul.
Years ago there was a young woman who married an eighty year old billionaire and got him to will his entire estate to her. After his death, the man’s family fought this decision in court, rightly feeling that this woman was not genuinely in love with him but only after his money. No one likes to feel used. And we are all deeply suspicious of people who appear to have hidden agendas in their pursuit of people. Certainly no one mistakes that a telemarketer on the phone is interested in anything else than scoring a sale.
I have been thinking a lot lately about motives in missions and especially how it may feel to be on the other end of evangelistic endeavor. If missionaries, pastors and church members do not have as their number one goal the genuine love and care for any unbelieving person, then we may be blind to the fact that, to others, we come off like that youth leader or gold-digging heiress. We can pursue people, but if we do not continue to invest our lives and time in them once they are “caught” then we are guilty of drive-by evangelism. And the world has every right to be disgusted.

The End of Summer

I know there is an official date on the calendar designated as the first day of fall. But according to my personal indicators, two things signaled the official end of summer in our household. One, our daughter went back to school. Third grade, to be exact. New shoes, school supplies, immunizations (because we came this year from overseas), backpacks and sack lunches. It's a fall tradition.

And second, I went to the final home game of our local triple A baseball team, the Fresno Grizzlies. Summer is over when the lights go out at Chuckchansi Park. It's a sentimental night. And everyone would just like an old fashioned win under our belts as we head into a season of raking leaves, chopping wood, and hearing about Brett Favre's ninth retirement comeback as well as PETA, the Humane Society, and junior high girls picketing every Philadelphia Eagle's game. Everything surrounding this game was phenomenal. My guests, the mascot, the on-field entertainment between innings (http://twitter.com/dragkings), atmosphere, weather - it was a perfect evening. All except the game. It went 12 innings. My team had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th with one out. A simple sacrifice fly ball would have done the trick. Imagine, you make an out and win the game. Only in baseball. Only...no luck. Three guys were out there waiting to cross home plate and send everyone home winners. But they all got stranded. And so did the collective hopes of ten thousand spectators.

Being stranded reminds me of the situation facing many missionaries who are in the middle of their four year term serving overseas. The financial crisis has hit here at home with a thud like a wicked curve ball, catching everyone off guard. Most missionaries are locked into a pretty tight budget and depend on every dollar that was pledged to not only get them to the field, but to keep them there. So when people are unable to go to bat for them, it is like getting stranded. The season is not over, but the loss takes the wind out of your sails for the last games remaining to be played.

Think about it. Most missionaries that are supported don't need a grand slam or even a base hit. Just hanging in there and trying to make contact with the ball can keep the game going. And it leaves room for us all to be winners. If you're hitting it hard financially, and you have made a promise to a missionary, you may tempted to default to a pinch runner or forfeit the game. But stay in the batter's box. You just might get a break. God can keep it going well into extra innings if we just hang in there and don't hang up our cleats to early. There's some guys on base who are counting on us to bring them home winners.