Revelation 22:16 says; “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the Bright Morning Star.”
This is the greatest gift, the gift of Christ Himself. The reward is not merely authority. It’s union with Jesus, the One who is the dawn of the new creation.
The promise of the star is tied to the promise of ruling with Him, to share in His royal dignity and messianic authority. It’s the assurance of His coming.
The morning star (Venus) appears while night still lingers, announcing the coming of the dawn. The morning star appears before sunrise - a pre-dawn certainty. This is what we have in Christ; a certainty of Christ’s return and the coming fulness of His kingdom. The promise means believers will not be swallowed by the night. They will shine with Christ’s own light.
In Revelation 2:28 Jesus is saying; If you remain faithful, you will have Me – My presence, My glory, My authority, My dawn. It’s one of the most intimate promises in all of Revelation: Christ gave Himself to the overcomer; those who endure and withstand persecution and hardship.
We’re to be consumed by Jesus and when we are, we’re not relegated to the fringes of life. He is our reward and comes with the authority to rule in life.
While we often live ordinary lives, we do have a call. Do what you do, with Jesus in mind. Ask; would Jesus be proud of what I’m doing/ the way I’m doing it? If not, if you feel convicted and conflicted, be humble, repent and try again. Practice good stewardship in all that you do.
Sin stops you entering into all that God has for you. You can’t enter into the things of the Spirit when in sin. And remember; other people are watching. They’re watching your reactions. They’re judging your attitudes, your behaviours. They’re looking for Christ in you. Make sure they see Him. And if you think you’re not doing justice to Jesus, get into praise and worship. This opens the door and allows Him entry into your life.
Psalm 23 talks about the cup that runneth over. You’ll know the verse; “He sets a table before me in the presence of my enemies, He anoints my head with oil, my cup runneth over.”
Back in Jesus’ day, when the king invited you to dinner, your cup would be filled. If the king was unhappy with your company, your cup wouldn’t be filled a second time. If your cup was half filled on the second pour, you knew you could stay a little longer. If the king overflowed your cup on that second fill, you knew you were wanted, your company was enjoyed and you could stay for the rest of the evening.
The King fills your cup to overflowing. Constantly. He loves you. He wants you to stay and keeps your cup in overflow. It’s up to you and me, to actually come to the table and be seated with the King. We don’t need a boat load of faith. Just a mustard seed.
So, let’s come to the table and take of the elements now, in remembrance of Him who sacrificed for us, so greatly. Lord, as we come to you now and take communion, we praise You. We honour you. And we thank You for that great, great and ineffable sacrifice.
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