Christian Mission Outreach

One night the Lord awoke me with a whistle in the spirit sounding like the announcement of a text message. So I asked Him what “text message” He had for me, and heard, “I Am the Bright and Morning Star.”   

I looked up: “‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.’” (Rev. 22:16) Jesus is the true Light of the world, always burning brightly, displacing darkness. “For our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:29) With Him in us, His light shall be seen.

 ``In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend [overcome] it.” (John 1:1-5)

 Light comes from His life. In Strong’s, the Greek, zoe, refers to mere vitality. Light inJohn 1 is phos from phao meaning to shine or make manifest, especially by rays. God’s Light invigorates, bringing revelation making known His thoughts.

 “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:6-14)

 Jesus came to reveal the Father. “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. … The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (John 1:16-18) Jesus is still revealing Him by His word and Spirit.

 Sometimes we receive Light by Him magnifying words, speaking to us directly or through someone else; other times by some type of inner witness. The first time John met Jesus, although both were still unborn babies, the Light of Christ reached him in the darkness of his mother`s womb. John leapt when pregnant Mary arrived. Growing up, living far apart, perhaps the cousins rarely saw each other. As adults, John knew his cousin was the Messiah, but needed more revelation to recognize Him and proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’ … John bore witness, saying, `I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.’” (John 1:29, 32-34)

 

When I was like the man on the banner, spiritually in the land of the living dead, the word of God came to me, “Jesus is the light at the end of the tunnel.” It became the womb of the second birth, opening up at the right time. (Ps. 139:7-12; 27:13) I found that when I humbled myself, the light of Christ reached me there coming to my head, heart and limbs, reforming me.

 Zacharias prophesied that John would “‘give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high [Messiah] has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’” (Luke 1:77-79) Jesus did it for me! His Light convinced me of sin, forgave me with merciful saving grace when I repented and assured me of His love. “‘The Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth’” (John 16:13) with resurrection power.

The Creator of the stars declared that His light is “Bright”. Just as fishing boats navigated by the stars at night, the true church navigates in the darkness around them by Jesus, the “Bright and Morning Star” - brighter than angel “morning stars”. (Job 38:7)

“Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isa. 60:1-3)

 Like Venus, the morning star as day is breaking, when the Lord first gives us revelation it may be eye-opening, bright, yet not blindingly strong; like torchlight in the darkness.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” (Ps. 119:105)

When He comes during our spiritual day as “‘the Sun of Righteousness [arising] with healing in His wings,’” then His Light can be intensely brighter.

 Those who overcome the toleration of the Jezebel spirit which teaches and seduces Jesus’ “‘servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols,’” will receive power and authority from Jesus “‘and I will give him the morning star.’” (Rev. 2:20, 28) When I went back to meet with Catholics after the Lord helped me overcome, Holy Spirit led me in diffusing a bright yet gentle light of Christ at first.

 In New Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord shall be our light. Instead of the mark of the beast, the Lord’s servants shall have God’s name marking them. “They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” (Rev. 22:4-5; 3:12) “But I saw no temple in it for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” (Rev. 21:22-23)

 I was privileged to see the glory-light of the Lord in 1981. When it came at night, shafts of brilliant yellow light dispelled the darkness physically and spiritually, bringing revelation knowledge. Jesus can guide us however He chooses. Truly,

“Those who lay in darkness and in the shadow of death have seen a bright light.” (Isa. 9:2)