Encouragement and encounters

“God…has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (2 Corinthians 4:6)

Nearing the border of the Mara and Seregetti East Africa 2008

Divine glory is a tangible characteristic of Jesus Christ- Its what the soldiers in Gethsemane were incapacitated by, falling down immediately. (John 18:6) The priests in Solomons temple experienced a similar thing, unable to even minister at the sight and sound of God’s manifest glory.

Divine glory keeps us in the right place: small in our own eyes, humble, needy and yet desiring to experience Jesus Christ more. It keeps us in awe, filling our hearts with our Creator, the God of mystery- Daniel 2:22 ) Great is the mystery of godliness and if we lose the awe and mystery, we should question if we are truly viewing Jesus Christ correctly. Somehow the great apostle Paul (awesome in ministry) kept himself longing for God’s glory, and voiced it like this “we behold His glory and are transformed in the same glory…” (2 Corinthians 3)

Jesus prays that we would experience His Glory (John 17:24). Sixteen hundred years previous, Moses stood on a mountain top. After seeing many miracles, signs and wonders (Moses’ knew they pointed to God’s inner nature)- Moses was not a sign ’seeker’ but longed to know God’s glory. (Ex 33:18) “Please show me Your glory…” The Lord protected Moses. Israel’s history in the Old Testament is a narrative of gaining and experiencing God’s visible manifest glory, while also losing it. In Ezekiel, the glory left the temple in stages, gradually. This usually happens when we begin to depend on our own wisdom, sucess, past spiritual victories, or the opinions of people around us. The God of Glory is worshiped by millions of supernatural beings in Heaven- if we (natural, struggling supernatural creatures- struggling to process faith/unbelief in the 4 by 6 inch box called our brains) don’t make Him the highest priority which He deserves, it usually is unlikely that we will experience Him or know Him correctly. Whether suffering or ruling and reigning- the Spirit of Glory is ready to swallow us up, speak to us, and reveal Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:14)

“We saw the glory of the One and Only” exclaimed the Beloved disciples (John 1:14 2 Peter 1:16-18) This testimony was normal for disciples of Jesus’ day. Why not today?- He is the Lord of Glory, and great is this glory- this is the true Jesus Christ. This is the gospel of God’s glory, heralded by angels, and wondered and worshiped by those of us who long to experience Him (1 Timothy 3:16). Let us never lose sight of it- “Great is the mystery of this gospel” -1 Corinthians 2:7-8

Acacia tree

Are you spiritually bored? That can change in one small moment with one molecule of God’s glory. Do you struggle with thoughts of lust, immorality, fears, anxiety, insecurities and other problems normal to us all? One encounter with the Jesus of Glory will leave an unforgettable mark on your soul. Do you feel misunderstood or even rejected/hated? One drop of love from the River of Glory or from Holy Spirit will make forgiveness and love an easier response. O, Lord of Glory we long to know You, experience You, see you, eat with you.. just like Peter, James and John! (1 John 1:1-5, Rev 3:20) It was quite normal for all of God’s beloved friends to have radical and life altering encounters with His Glory.

Let us go on a quest for God’s glory- there is no other quest that will provoke more controversy, splitting theological hairs, accusations and other fun stuff. Dr. Ian Bond says ‘the anointing and respectability do not walk together for very long….” The Lord is a wonderful Person and like most quality persons does not desire to share Himself or His secrets with those who are just ‘trying him out until the next person’ or until the next movie comes along. All normal people get jealous and hurt if they are betrayed or experience unfaithfulness.

I have experienced small measures of this glory- one signature of Heaven’s glory is ‘you want to experience more and more,’ just like when you first met Jesus Christ- He was all that I could think about in those early days. It is interesting to note that the Apostle Paul told one of the most carnal churches of his day (a church out of order, struggling with immorality and other sins like drunkeness at the communion table)=

“Eagerly desire spiritual gifts”- desire is a Greek word comparable to ‘lust”- “intensely desire” is a good rendition. Why did Paul say such seeming nonsense (Corinth struggled with alot of problems, including stewarding spiritual charismatic gifts)? Could it be that God’s supernatural glory even on the lowest levels is healthy for our Christian faith? -1 Corinthians 14

I don’t know of another endeavor in this lifetime more worthy, and one that you will never have regrets about. We are not talking about getting famous, gaining a ministry or ministry sucess, or getting your picture in Christianity Today. All those things are ok, but should never eclipse the lofty priority. God’s glory is his inner and outer beauty. Solomon compared the glory of God with the glory of kings (Solomon was the most wealthy king in Israel’s history)- Proverbs 25:2

“Didn’t I say to you that if you would believe, you would see the Glory of God?” John 11:40