LOST IN THE CHURCH PEW

One of my pastor’s daughters, a young woman in her early twenties, wrote the following. It is self explanatory and I pray that this message will get deep in your inner man.

Just climbed into bed & I'm remembering the special time I had today with my family in the Presence of God. And I can't stop smiling. What a privilege.

The thought occurred to me that so many people don't know what God's presence

feels like. Some Christians have never heard Him speak nor have they been overwhelmed by Him. They have never been so moved by Him so they are trembling and gushing with emotion. Today & many days I have encountered the sweet tangible presence of God, yet I often take it for granted. The literal God who created the universe...He hung the stars and He moves the sea and still He wants to spend time with me. He WANTS me. He LOVES me. That's priceless.

I pray tonight for so many of my friends who may know who Jesus is, but have never really encountered Him. God is very real. And He actually talks to us. And He will change you from the inside out if you'll let Him.

I pray for God's Holy Spirit to saturate you wherever you are. That you will experience the wonderful and sweet intimacy that comes once your heart is open to receive it. I pray for a deep desire to be ignited in you- a hunger to know who He is...drawing you closer & closer to Him. I pray that you'll feel what I've felt. And you'll know what I know- you'll hear God speak His promises over your life and you'll understand who you are.

You are a child of the God of all creation. He calls you His.

                                                         —Feeling thankful, Alanna White, Nov. 2014

The young lady who wrote it has a wonderful walk with The Lord, knowing Him intimately, experiencing His closeness and unfathomable love. She experiences the reality of the old Merle Haggard song, “In the Garden”:

I come to the garden alone

While the dew is still on the roses

And the voice I hear falling on my ear

The son of God discloses.

Chorus

And he walks with me and he talks with me

And he tells me I am his own

And the joy we share as we tarry there

None other has ever known

He speaks and the sound of his voice is so sweet

The birds hush their singing

And the melody that he gave to me

Within my heart is ringing.

Chorus

I'd stay in the garden with him

Though the night around me is falling

But He bids me go through the voice of woe

His voice to me is calling...

Chorus

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/merlehaggard/hewalkswithmeinthegarden.html

Alanna’s post immediately stirred my heart. I long for the inexplicable wonder of the Manifest Presence of God. Such experiences produce a burden in the heart for other believers in the Lord Jesus to know Him like this; even more so, a desperate cry for the salvation of the lost. How many people go through the religious motions, show up for church often but don’t know the Lord Jesus personally? How many have prayed a sinner’s prayer but never come to grips with the Lordship of Christ and true repentance? OH WHAT THEY ARE MISSING!! These are the ones I refer to as “Lost in the Pew.”

I posted a FB note just a few days before her word expressing this concern. A “witness of” has direct, personal knowledge of what they speak of. I define a “Witnesser” as one just speaking what they heard, spitting out words they may have been taught but no firsthand knowledge of what they speak.

ARE YOU A WITNESSER OR                                                 A WITNESS OF?

What is the difference between evangelizing and becoming a witness of who Jesus is? It is good to do the correct things we have been instructed to do BUT when our actions flows out of a transformed heart it is a whole other story. One is never fulfilled living by the law, following lists of do's and don'ts. Jesus is the Word made flesh and His desire is for us to experience the Word becoming such a part of who we are too. Thus we see the difference between a witnesser who speaks about what Jesus does and a witness of who Jesus is. No doubt that this a lifelong process, a progression that the Lover of our soul draws us through. The prayer of the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon, "Draw me and I will run after you" becomes the longing of our hearts as we allow Jesus to take us through this process. As you read the Song of Solomon you see that her prayers started out much more “I” centric and gradually became centered on her lover. It is a lifelong thru all the nice, and not so nice, places and phases of this temporary life in this house of flesh. One day we are released from the temporal to the celestial, "then shall we ever be with The Lord." Until then may our lives become that witness of the person of Jesus, ever showing His characteristics, His eternal love as described in 1Cor. 13. Doing so requires the empowerment that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is all about and that facilitates continual surrender of the self will to God's will.

Allow me to express this same concept from another perspective that drives home the importance of every believer “getting it,” allowing Jesus to reveal Himself to us by taking us through the process. Think of the Church as an orchestra. Each instrument needs to be tuned so that the Lord will hear the symphonies he is listening for. The tuning process can be rough as the strings get tighter than they are comfortable being. The cumulative sound of untuned instruments is offensive to a skilled musician's ears but He knows how beautiful a sound will result from the tuning process. The Master musician will bring out the sounds of those often rough looking instruments more beautiful and effective than anyone ever imagined. This Divinely inspired and directed music will resound globally and bring transformation to hearts.

It has often been said, to know Him is to Love Him." As believers in the Risen Lord Jesus we live a life of joyful obedience. We can experience His joy and peace even in the toughest trials of life. His love is expressed so abundantly when we are doing right AND when we need His corrections. Repentance quickly becomes a lifestyle. Loving the Manifest Presence of God in a church service, in the prayer closet or anywhere else is a passionate pursuit. May all who know of what I speak share it with those who do not.

Joy of Salvation Restoration

From the conviction of your sin to lovingly reaching out to others is a wonderful process.

Psalm 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11    Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13    Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

This morning during worship the Lord touched my heart in a wonderful way with a song about Jesus doing all He did at the cross He did all for love. There is a line that says, “The love that tore the veil within my heart.” Suddenly I was transported back in time to the day and evening when I got saved, Dec. 17, 1971. My girl friend and I stepped in the door of what had been a barn, now in transformation to become much more, and my personal walls were destroyed by a Presence I knew nothing about. You could say that the veil within my heart was shredded.

Earlier this morning, during prayer meeting before the service, the verses from Psalms came strongly to mind. We often sang that chorus back in the 1970’s. Thinking about that these two things that the Lord spoke to my heart I realized the connection. The four verses quoted above are a progression, indeed a process every Christian goes through. Before going into this marvelous process, please come with me back to Dec. of 1971 in a place called Freeville, NY where there was a Christian commune called Love Inn.

My first visit to that Christian commune in Freeville, NY was the result of a complex series of events that the Lord used to bring many of us “hippies” of the 60’s era to Himself. I Googled Love Inn and found the following quote,

Begun in the late 1960's as a community of young people seeking Jesus, Love Inn occupied the farm of Peg Hardesty. The community eventually expanded to include a radio and tape ministry as well as coffeehouses, worship seminars, and various publications. The church was later incorporated and the name was officially changed to Covenant Love Community. http://covenantlove.squarespace.com/about

The Lord moved on Peggy’s heart to give the farm to those starting this commune. The way I remember it, the women lived in her house and the guys slept in a part of the barn that was transformed into a dormitory. Peg’s kitchen served all these “strays” until a kitchen was built in the barn. The Lord miraculously provided for everything they needed and that was one of the things that really caught the attention of this former “commun-ist” (misspelling intentional). The other draw was a very beautiful “hip chic” I recently met, she had a joy I didn’t understand, her inward and outward beauty was irresistible to me. Her invitation to go Love Inn with her was impossible to pass up.

Here it was, a “self-sufficient” (really God dependent) commune, something I dreamed of for several years. Great thanks to Peggy, who I only met very briefly, and to Scott Ross who was the founder and Pastor, for following God’s leading. Thanks to whomever provided all those groceries that were bagged on the floor with everyone was gathered around in Peggy’s living room, thanking the Lord in ways I never experienced. Then there was Susan, the girl who captivated my heart. Add to that a big bunch of people still in the uniform of the 60’s (types of clothing and length of men’s hair) who looked like I did. On top of all that was the most important factor of all, the Presence of God all over that farm. It was God’s time, God’s place and my heart had been prepared for the end of my search for something real in this life. All things in place, after dinner there were three of us around a table when the Holy Ghost showed up in great power. I got saved and Susan received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. What a Divinely orchestrated day!! I got back to my apartment and needed to celebrate. I walked up Court St. hill to the college, in thigh  deep snow in the middle of the night shouting Hallelujah, experiencing that joy and peace that could not be kept inside.

Other verses in that song from this morning’s worship asked what would I have done, what would I have become, if it wasn’t for the Cross, if it wasn’t for that love that tore the veil in my heart. What if Susan hadn’t invited me to go there? What if Love Inn wasn’t there, less than ½ hr drive from Cortland State where we were students? No doubt I, and many hundreds of similar people, would have been dead or in jail.

Now let’s look at the process that starts at such a cross road.

Step 1: Psalm 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Salvation requires repentance, the turning from the sinful life we lived before. In order for that to happen we need to understand, in our inner man, that our heart isn’t clean and we can’t clean it up ourselves. Thus comes the prayer for a clean heart. I didn’t understand this concept very well that night, in fact I smoked some hash to celebrate. The Lord’s grace was amazing in that the drugs had no effect on me; I was just so excited about have a new boss of my life, Jesus the King of the Universe.

Step 2: Verse 11    Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Having experienced His presence enjoins this prayer; it is far too wonderful to ever desire to away from. I learned this lesson the hard way. A few weeks after I got saved I took my guitar to and audition for a band at someone’s house in the country. The pipe was coming around as several us where jamming. I didn’t know better than to take what was freely offered. We smoked a lot of pot that night, the air was completely filled with the smoke. When we stopped playing I felt that separation from His Presence. The old paranoia hit me harder than I could remember. Repentance followed swiftly.

Step 3: Verse 12    Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation…

I think it gives the Lord Heart ache when His kids don’t remember, nor experience with ever increasing dimensions, this unspeakable joy. We are saved and can experience Him in ways within and beyond our senses constantly. We all try to do so much on our own, and usually fail or just don’t measure up to His expectations. If we would just stop striving and listen to His usually gentle leading life would get better. His joy will grow in our hearts and we’ll be more successful in every way. The RESTORATION of the JOY OF SALVATION can be a daily experience, even if it is just a depth breath and heartfelt utterance of,”Thank you Jesus.”

Step 4: This is perhaps the most important and most rewarding. With the previous steps taken we can declare our intent to follow the Great Commission,

Psalm 51:13    Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Matthew 28:19    Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost…

20:    Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen

Don’t you just get excited about the end of verse 20, the promise of His Presence with us always and everywhere? How can we do anything less than what He said to do? The love of God in our hearts should stir us with compassion and love for people who don’t personally know Him. To know Jesus is to love Him and consequently all those He died for – that doesn’t exclude anybody. The joy of salvation equates to the joy of the Lord, is exceeds the realm of “happiness,” it is the source of inner strength. This is my biggest motivation for writing these blogs.

In conclusion, look at the command to those who just went quickly through this process. The Law of the Lord had been ignored for a long time. The book was found and read to the people. They experienced deep conviction for their sin and tears of repentance flowed. Now with this new outlook on life, with their commitment to follow the Lord, their leader commands them,

Nehemiah 8:10    Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

DWELLING WITH GOD, PART 2

We left off in Part 1 with the topic of how our relationship with God is on His terms. This is illustrated in the Lord’s direction concerning the design of the tabernacle,

Exodus. 25:9. “According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Everything must come back to this cornerstone truth that the Tabernacle is where we live with God, where we relate to Him. The Father’s heart is not just to have weekly visits with the Saints in the church house, He wants to live among us.

What the Scripture Doesn’t Say

It is crucial in our relationship with the Lord, or anyone else for that matter, that we not get

side tracked and end up where neither nor the Lord intended. It is easy to get side tracked, the enemy would love to see you so busy with what doesn’t matter that you miss the things the Lord has for you. There are many specifics not mentioned in the description of the tabernacle. As an engineer, my carnal mind finds this irritating, I want more detail. The Lord wonderfully gives us all we need, let’s not scientifically try to analyze manna, or the Trinity, arguing as we do so.

Ex.25: 3-7 list some things, but no quantities are mentioned, nothing is said as to how to gather it, how to store it.

Verses 3-7 list some things, but no quantities are mentioned, nothing is said as to how to gather it, how to store it.

3    Here is a list of sacred offerings you may accept from them: gold, silver, and bronze;

4    blue, purple, and scarlet thread; fine linen and goat hair for cloth;

5 tanned ram skins and fine goatskin leather; acacia wood;

6 olive oil for the lamps; spices for the anointing oil and the fragrant incense;

7 onyx stones, and other gemstones to be set in the ephod and the priest’s chestpiece.

They didn’t know if they would be in 1 place long enough to complete the project, or if they might have to be transporting all this stuff. The scripture didn’t have to say any more for us to get the message to give what the Lord puts on your heart to give, give willingly, give generously, give specifically.

Ex. 25:10    “Have the people make an Ark of acacia wood—a sacred chest 45 inches long,

27   inches wide, and 27 inches high.

11    Overlay it inside and outside with pure gold, and run a molding of gold all around it. 

12    Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.

Here is some description the ark, but how were the sides joined? How was the bottom held in place? How thick were the boards that it was made of? How thick was the overlay? What was the diameter of the rings to hold the staves?– Who cares? The fact that these scriptures don’t mention these details is that they don’t matter. Those details won’t help you win the lost or become more like Jesus.

Ex. 25:13    Make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 

14   Insert the poles into the rings at the sides of the Ark to carry it. 

15    These carrying poles must stay inside the rings; never remove them.

How long were these sticks? What was their diameter? How thick was the gold overlay? Did they stick out past the Ark, like we see in pictures, or where they same length as the Ark, so it was carried like a coffin? This would make it easier to walk around inside the Holy of Holies? After all, the Lord did say not to remove the sticks from the rings. Can’t you just do what the Lord asks you to do without knowing all the details? Do you really need to know all the long term implications of obedience? Isn’t God trustworthy? He will give us all we need so let’s not complain or get hung up on tangents that don’t profit.

The Tabernacle symbolizes the unity of the Church

Exodus 26 contains considerable detail about the construction of the tabernacle: The walls and curtains, the boards, the support pieces and connectors. The roof is made of several layers of different cloth and skins. There is significance in the typology of all the detail, however, let’s look at it from above, as the eagle looks down and sees it.

First of all, this is no ordinary tent. It is extremely beautiful and ornate. It is built 1^st class. This shows the nature of God and also how the Father sees the heart of His kids. We can be comfortable in such beauty and splendor, in such extravagance, because we are children of the King of Kings. This is a beautiful place and God sees you as so beautiful, so lovely. He loves you enough to have given His life for your redemption. The Holy of Holies is such an awesome place, so much gold, so much amazing craftsmanship, such a beautiful veil to pass through to get inside. It is in this place that the Father wants to meet with us, at the Mercy Seat, at the heart of everything that the Tabernacle is all about.

Another amazing thing about this tent is that it all fits together. There are lots and lots of pieces. There are big pieces, little pieces, heavy stuff and small lightweights, wood, gold brass, silver, cloth, animal skins. Each piece has prophetic significance, has practical functions and some life application of scripture. All this stuff can only be put together “according to the pattern shown thee on the mount.” Can you see the analogy to the church, to the Body of Christ?

Psalm 133:1   Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

This verse becomes more important in this light. What would happen if the blue loop on the edge of the curtain told the gold tache to stay away, “leave me alone, I don’t want to be connected to that other blue loop.”? (Ex. 26:6). There wouldn’t “be one tabernacle.” What about that big wood board (Ex 26:16), covered in gold? It is happy to be between 2 other boards just like itself, but Oh No, it refused to be put into that socket, thinking it is too good to be put into inferior silver. It would fall down! I believe the Lord sheds tears over the disunity within churches and between churches and denominations.

God’s Presence goes with us:

The first detail listed is the Ark of the Covenant. Just the name of this item indicates that a relationship with God is a place of safety. Noah built the ark that God used to save life from the flood. A covenant is more binding than a legal contract so entering into covenant with The Father demonstrated His love and power throughout the Bible is a safe thing to do.

The intent of this special piece of furniture known as the Mercy Seat, is the place to hang out with God.

Ex. 25:22  “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony…”

The Ark of the covenant played a very significant role in the Exodus, and at other times in ancient Jewish history. The Biblical precedent is,

Num 10:33 “And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey: and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey, to search out a resting place for them.”

It is symbolic of God’s omnipresence, you take Him with you wherever you go. The whole tabernacle was designed for mobility, for frequent set-up, tear dawn and transport. From wherever you were when you first got saved, until you get to heaven, your life is an exodus and the Lord is with you throughout the trip. The following promise to Moses is something we can cling to today:

Exodus 33:14   The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.”

15   Then Moses said, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place.

16    How will anyone know that you look favorably on me—on me and on your people—if you don’t go with us? For your presence among us sets your people and me apart from all other people on the earth.”

It was work to take the ark with them. They had to tear it down, carry every piece with them and set-it all up again when the Lord said to. Just think of the logistics off all that. It was heavy, especially with its contents. It takes some work to carry His presence with us wherever we go. It involves staying prayed up and walking in the Spirit. It requires understanding and bearing the weight of His glory, not just in church, but in the world. Jesus is our example, look what happened when He showed up at the wedding party. He didn’t steal the show but He sure made a difference.

In Conclusion:

We have the choice, continually before us. Do we carry this heavy ark, leading others to freedom, or do we take the easy way and slide into the muck of sin? With every temptation, He makes a way of escape. Ascend the hill of the Lord, or slide down to the pits of hell on greasy grace? Life or death, it’s our choice. Make a positive difference or be another slime ball just fitting in with a hell bound crowd? Our love affair with God should be sufficient motivation to climb up, go up the stairs into His chambers. Love is not something you fall into, it is a mountain to climb. Aaron, and his sons, had to maintain and put on the beautiful priestly clothes. Are you wearing yours? 

DWELLING WITH GOD: PART 1 OF 2

A STUDY ON THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS

Written by Andy Levine, with considerable

help & inspiration from the Holy Ghost.

Introduction: Why we study this topic.

Ex. 25:8, “And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”

The Hebrew word for sanctuary is mishkan, which means dwelling place. It is used 139 times in the Old Testament, always referring to the sanctuary, the “tent of meeting.” Just as God was with His people in the wilderness, His desire is to be with His people today. 

1 Cor 3:16, ‘Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?’ and also, 2 Cor 6:16, “…for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people”.

When we hear God’s heartbeat, we hear this and Jn. 3:16. Let your senses and your spirit experience the atmosphere of this dwelling place, His heartbeat is a happy beat.

Zeph. 3:17,”The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”

Moses goes into God’s Presence:

The description in Ex. 25 is preceded by several wonderful chapters describing miraculous things God is doing with Moses and Israel. We see Moses frequently communing with God and receiving the 10 Commandments. Now, just before the “tent of meeting” is detailed, there is a key to hearing God’s heartbeat. Moses took a risk to get closer to the presence of God. Picture the scene at the end of Ex. 24.as the Lord calls Moses in v.12,

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there…” Moses responds in V. 15, “Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.” So far this sounds pretty cool, like something many believers would not hesitate to do, wow, experience the Shekinah. Look a little further, are you ready for this? V.16 “And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days … (V17) And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. (V18) And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount…”

Moses followed the call of God to a place of interaction with the Almighty, a place to be alone with God, a place where he would hear God’s heartbeat.

We go there to.

Are we that desperate for intimacy with God that we would climb up a mountain, get to the top even though it looked like “like devouring fire on the top of the mount?”  Was Peter this desperate when he got out of the boat to walk on the water in the midst of a storm? I’m glad Jesus makes it easy for us,

Matt 11:28-30, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.“

This relationship, however must be on His terms, “He is Lord.” 

Look at the purpose of this elaborate, ornate, detailed place again,  Ex. 25:8. “…that I may dwell among them.” Where people live together, they relate to one another. As we look at the details of the Tabernacle, let’s make sure to keep this foundation in mind. Everything must come back to this cornerstone truth that the Tabernacle is where we live with God, where we relate to Him. The Father’s heart is not just to have weekly visits with the Saints in the church house, He wants to live among us.

Its on God’s Terms

“For the scripture is designed to direct us in our duty, not to fill our heads with speculations, nor to please our fancies.” Matthew Henry, commentary on Ex. 25:1-9

Exodus. 25:9. “According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.”

Our relationship with God is not on our own terms. Though we live under grace, not law, we cannot live with the concept that everyone can do what is right in his own eyes. Living for the Lord, relating to God, is under the concept that John the Baptist, and then Jesus, preached,

Matt. 4:17, ”Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

 Studying the tabernacle will give us insights into God’s terms for this relationship. His terms are wonderful and reflect His loving character.

Look again at the beginning of Ex. 25. V1 – “The Lord spake unto Moses,” The Lord is not a blabber mouth. The scripture repeats this phrase, or other’s like it, frequently. Think about the consequence of these occurrences, think of the infrequency of these things in historical prospective. We have daily communication with the Father but words with such tremendous consequence are rare. Yes we must be led by the Spirit but we are given wisdom to live. There are those special times when you know you have heard from God and they should always be “wows” to us.

V2 – God told Moses to speak to about 2 million people. Now that’s a WOW. The Lord was very specific in His instructions and showed His character. He was asking, not ordering, the people to part with a large amount of high dollar stuff. Nothing in the list (verses 3-7) was common or inexpensive. These former slaves did not leave Egypt empty handed, they came into some big bucks. Now the Lord is asking them to give it to build the Tabernacle. The verse emphasizes that this must be a willing, heart felt, offering. Remember, these are Jews, and the response was overwhelming. Now that is a WOW.

When God makes His plan and purpose plain, and shows His love at the same time, His people respond. Hearts are moved to sacrificial action at the demonstration of His love and power. This awesome display of supernatural power on Mt. Sinai coupled with a request, not an order, is a combination the hearts of man cannot but respond to generously. 

Stay tuned, Part 2 covers "What the Bible Doesn't Say," how the Tabernacle symbolizes the Church and "God's Presence Goes With Us."

What is God’s Glory?

·         What do we mean when we pray and sing for God to show us His glory?

·         What does it mean to when way we say, “Glory to God”?

·         How does an experience of the Glory of God change one’s life?

So often we use expressions that our understanding of is limited, or that we may not have any real understanding. Sometimes I’ve heard people pray things, or sing phrases in songs and asked myself if those saying what they say have any understanding of what they are asking for, could they stand the answer to those prayers? Perhaps the lack of apparent answers is due to lack of readiness for the answer. To deal with these questions I decided it is time to do an in depth word study on “glory.” In Biblical context, I believe before even starting to dig, that this is a big, multi-faceted topic, similar to “grace.”

The intent is not to write a lengthy dissertation, but to wet appetites for more. You will find links to some great writings on the topic at the end of this blog.

Much of what I have always clung to about God’s glory is from Exodus 33:18 where Moses asks God to show him HIS glory. Moses uses the Hebrew word, “kabod.” This is the word used most often in the scriptures of glory. In this verse it is translated with the two words that are most often translated in reference to, weight and honor. This Hebrew word is used 120 times in the Old Testament. It is used in reference to weight and heaviness 20 times and in reference to honor 45 times. Some say that in ancient Hebrew culture, reference to weight had to do with having a lot of, such as a rich man being heavy in wealth, or as we might say today, “so and so is loaded.”

What the Lord is “loaded” with is revealed in His response to Moses in Ex. 33:19 the Lord tells Moses, “I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee.” That word “goodness” is not synonymous with glory; He just says that Moses will experience God’s goodness in a supernatural way. The Lord gets a bit more specific,

19    The Lord replied, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will call out my name, Yahweh, before you. For I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose. (emphasis added)

I would have to say based on that that mercy and compassion are very high up on God’s list of what He wants men to know about His character. Jesus said it clearly,

Matt. 5:16    "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father who is in heaven"

As you study the Gospels, take note of what Jesus did and realize that everyone in the body of Christ is called to be doing,

Jn.14:12   I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

There is another side to the experience of God’s glory. The vision of God’s glory is something human flesh cannot handle in its fullness. I think the Lord was cautioning Moses about what was about to transpire. Two verses later God uses the word “kabod” and does some very special things to protect Moses from it:

Exodus 33:22    As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

23    Then I will remove my hand and let you see me from behind. But my face will not be seen.” (NLT)

Look at Isaiah’s vision of the Glory in chapter 6. Take heed to Isaiah’s reaction to what he experiences in reference to the “kabod”

Isaiah 6:1    It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple.

2    Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.

3    They were calling out to each other,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!

    The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

4   Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke.

5   Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” (NLT)

Ezekiel also had a vision of the Glory,

Ezek. 10:4   Then the glory of the Lord rose up from above the cherubim and went over to the door of the Temple. The Temple was filled with this cloud of glory, and the courtyard glowed brightly with the glory of the Lord.

5    The moving wings of the cherubim sounded like the voice of God Almighty and could be heard even in the outer courtyard.

Perhaps the most striking reaction to God’s glory was at the dedication of the Temple Solomon built,

2 Chronicles 7:1    When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple.

2   The priests could not enter the Temple of the Lord because the glorious presence of the Lord filled it.

3  When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the Lord filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying,

    “He is good!

    His faithful love endures forever!”

A most wonderful and well known experience of the glory in this supernatural form was the “transfiguration.” The Disciples that Jesus took with Him up the mountain had a very definite, life changing experience and received a supernatural Word from the Father,

Mark 9:2-4   Six days later, three of them did see it. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. His clothes shimmered, glistening white, whiter than any bleach could make them. Elijah, along with Moses, came into view, in deep conversation with Jesus.

5-6   Peter interrupted, “Rabbi, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking, stunned as they all were by what they were seeing.

7    Just then a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and from deep in the cloud, a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love. Listen to him.”

Many of God’s people have experience a measure of the “kabod,” especially in an anointed time of worship in the corporate setting. We’ve experienced such intensity of this Manifestation of His Presence that standing, or sitting, erect are not options, we find ourselves on the floor or at least bending over with little to say except, “Praise you Jesus” and words spoken in tongues – English just don’t say what is going on in the heart. These are incredible experiences but they beg the question, “What’s different when you get up?” What was different for Moses was that he knew another name of the Lord and that the Lord is compassionate and merciful with those He chooses to be. Thank God for John 3:16 where we see that He loved the world (all the people in it) so much.  Amen

I have written extensively on this topic in the blog called Life Lessons from Revelation - http://andy-levine.blogspot.com/ ). You will find practical, down to earth, applications of the revelations John had in the heavenly realms.

Links to additional articles on this topic

http://www.gospeltruth.net/1843OE/431220_gods_glory.htm This sermon by the great 19^th century evangelist & teacher, Charles Finney is “loaded”. It will change your life if you take the time to think about what Finney says. Read his biography to understand what real revival is all about.

http://www.thehighcalling.org/reflection/what-gods-glory#.U4oj8_ldVPc  Mark D. Roberts  draws attention to Ezekiel 10 were the prophet saw God’s glory in a very overwhelming way. He then provides some great definitions of glory that provoke one to be more like that by apprehending God in our lives.

http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-gods-glory  John Piper talks about making God’s glory public so as to bring Him glory. He sums up his brief comments with, “So God's glory is the radiance of his holiness, the radiance of his manifold, infinitely worthy and valuable perfections.”    (©2014 Desiring God Foundation. Website: desiringGod.org)

http://www.wadetaylor.org   Most of the articles by Wade Taylor or in the button on the left of the home page, “Articles by Others” are about the presence of God and His Glory. I love especially the series of articles by Walther Beutler on the Manifest Presence of God.