Scripture
"But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them - I place no other burden on you... He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS ... as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star" (Revelation 2:24-28).
Observation
We love those who have gnarly testimonies. They make our services exciting. These are the ones under the spotlights. They headline our crusades. They become the special speakers, the evangelists, the ones magazines and books are written about. These become the Christian celebrities who have television specials made from their lives of past crime and sin.
But their testimonies all start to sound the same after a while: "I injected peanut butter into every vein I could reach with a dull or dirty needle; I snorted powder, murdered people, lived in gangs, and spent half my life in a federal maximum security cell. And when I turned 8 years old, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Praise God."
These seem to be the only credible ones. You see, we think that only those who really have a testimony of coming out of hell itself will be the ones that God uses. Then we compare ourselves with those who have "testimonies." If you have been raised by godly parents, or if you were involved in church youth groups since your first post natal checkup, or if you have been one who chose to stay away from drugs and illicit sex, gangs and rebellion... compared to the others, you can feel just about absolutely useless to the Gospel. You don't have any "testimony" ... nothing to speak of, anyway. It's almost as if you need to just go out and sin for awhile so you can have a testimony that others will want to hear!
However, here we have a precious reward, a commendation to those whose testimonies have been birthed out of wisdom rather than out of foolishness. These are the ones who, the Bible defines as, those who have not known the "deep things of Satan." They refused to get involved in the kinky activities of this age, the underworld of sexual sin and refused to fall into the deep valley of addictions. there are those who stayed true to the King when it wasn't popular to do so. These are the ones to whom God gives the highest award of all ... The Morning Star!
These are the ones that will be given "authority over the nations." This is the greatest testimony of all. No award is higher.
Not many get to be recipients of the Morning Star. Of course, all who have opened their hearts to Christ receive mercy and redemption, but very few will wear that medal when we stand before His throne.
Application
This is what I pray for with my children, for those in New Hope, for my grand kids ... that they will be recipients of the Morning Star. There is no greater testimony known to the angels. We as pastors and leaders must promote those whose testimonies come not from foolish pain of past mistakes, but those whose testimonies have been forged out of faithfulness and love.
Prayer
Father, help me to encourage our young leaders to be recipients of the Morning Star. And help those who have lived for You from their youth to realize that there is no greater testimony than a lifetime of following You. Raise up more who are Recipients of the Morning Star. Our pulpits cry out for these leaders whose lives are sculpted out of obedience rather than error. We need both, but we need a larger measure in these last days of the ones heaven calls Recipients of the Morning Star.
