Sunrise

Sunrise:Have you ever had one of those mornings were you just wake up early for no reason? Well I had one of those Tuesday Morning. It was about 5:30am and I am pretty sure God just woke me up, He wanted to show and tell me something. Didn’t know that at the time though, at the moment I just thought well, guess I’m awake. So I grabbed my book that I am reading (Beloved Disciple By: Beth Moore) and went out on the balcony to read. At this point it is about 6am in the morning, so there is just enough light outside that I could read, the sun had not come up yet, but you could see by the colors in the sky that it wasn’t going to be much longer! Now, I looked up in sky and saw one star, one really bright star!! I just thought it was really cool so see one that early in the morning, you couldn’t see any of the other stars since the sun was about to come up, but you could see this one. It was one of those moment were you just have to thank the Creator of the Universe for the little things, like stars in the sky. Your probably wondering when I’m going to get to the reason I wrote this note. Well I thought the best way for you to understand is for me type out what I was reading as the sun was coming up, God just wanted to meet with me that morning. An intimate moment…that no matter who I tell no one else was there but God and I. It was a moment between the Lover of my Soul and I. What is even cooler is as the sun was coming up this chorus kept playing in my head “Every Sunrise sings Yours praise, the Universe cry’s out Your Name, singing praises all my days now that I am alive! It’s all because of Jesus I am alive” Were I was reading it picks up at Beth just talking about what may have been going through the mind of John after seeing all the healings Jesus had done that day. That moment when you are just trying to soak in all that happened. Don’t forget the John was a young guy, a fisherman, he was human just like you and me, so can you imagine seeing all he saw, it would be one of those moments where you lay down at night and are just trying to process all that happened that day!! Imagine getting up and knowing, this is not going to be just another day, I’m following Jesus, who knows what could happen…I agree when Beth Moore says if she were John the thought she would be laying there thinking is “Is there nothing this man can’t do?” Side note---I had no idea this is what was in store for me to read this particular morning---“When John awakened that morning, his mind could not have conceived just how many mercies were new that particular sunrise… Can you imagine walking right beside Christ? Knowing what size sandal he wore? Recognizing, His accent, And favorite figure of speech? …Remember to not over spiritualize John. He was as equal flesh and blood as you and I, but what he witnessed reached far beyond the natural realm.”A solitary place: “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him. (Mark 1:35-36)“….my dearest times with Jesus on this plant have been in the secret places. That is heaven to me…”“In Revelation 22:16 Christ said “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and Morning Star.” The Morning Star is the bright planet Venus in the eastern sky before or at sunrise. I’ve seen it many mornings. When I get up to have my Morning Prayer time, outside is still as black as night. I love the comfort of knowing that the sun will rise during the course of that precious time with God. I often step out on the porch, look at the sky, and behold one star that shines far brighter that the rest. That morning not far from the lapping waters of Galilee’s shore, the bright Morning Star rose while it was still dark and lit the desolations with the lamp of Glory. Only God saw. Oh child.” Our heavenly Father asks us today, “would you rise for only Me to see?” (that is what got me))). Mark tells us Jesus went to a solitary place. To be reading everything you just read while just having seen the morning star and watching the sunrise as I’m reading just took my breath away. Even sharing this with you I’m just reminded of the part “Would you rise for only Me to see?” ---I read this later that day at the pool--- “In Mark 1:36 tells us that Simon and his companions went to look for Jesus. The only companions we have meet so far in Marks’ Gospels are Andrew, Peter, James and John, so we can almost be certain our John was among them. Notice they weren’t called disciples yet. I’m not sure they qualified as learners and pupils yet! Whoever the companions were, the terminology of the original language tells us they were tracking Jesus down, almost like a manhunt. The Greek word katadioko, translated “to look,” is often used in a hostile sense. I’m not suggesting they were hostile toward Jesus but that they were quite anxious and maybe even a little put out with Him that He wasn’t where all the people were. We see no indication from the text that they hesitated for a moment of respect or awe when they found Jesus praying. They barreled on the scene with. “Everyone is looking for you!” I would like to offer a little conjecture that the companions tracking down Jesus may have been Peter, James and John. Later in His ministry, these three men were chosen by Christ to watch Him on several different occasions in the inner places. Something caused Jesus to single them out. I believe Scripture will prove that it wasn’t their spiritual maturity. I think two primary motivations compelled Christ to draw the three into several intimate places: 1) The fact that they just didn’t “get it” at times2)The fact that Jesus knew once they did “get it,” they’d really get it!In other words, I wonder if Christ might have thought, So you’re not the boundaries type, are you? OK. I’ll take you behind some ordinary boundaries, but I’ll hold you responsible for what you learn while you’re there. Just food for thought….I have a friend whose little boy thought he was the teacher’s pet because she seated him in class right in from of her desk. He didn’t realize for years that she was motivated by his discipline problems. Why didn’t she just send him to the principal instead of expending so much energy on him? Because she knew the child had a student in him, and she was determined to find it. And she did. We’re going to see Peter, James and John get their desks moved to the front of the class. Just like children, at times they might be tempted to think the Rabbi moves them there because there were the Teacher’s pet.”I don’t know about you but I can relate! It reminds me how much Jesus loves us, and is patience, merciful and gracious with us far beyond what we deserve, and how I don’t have to instantly have it all together, I am a work in progress!Eph 2:10 “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”Phili 1:6 “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” The story Beth told reminds me of the kids I have at work (ASP), the ones that tend to miss behave more, or who are a little more defiant, want to push the limits are the ones you have to keep an extra close eye on, and keep extra close, but as you love on those kids that at times make you want to pull your hair out, they are the very ones that will run up and grab your neck and give you the biggest hugs your have ever had, and want to be your helper, they just want to be right there with you. So I get the idea, sometimes they have the idea you are keeping them so close because they are your favorite, verses I am keeping you close so you stay out of trouble…hahaha…Those are the moment when I really see God as a Father…I just feel him telling me “stay right herd by Me, and you’ll stay out of trouble...hahaha