SITUATION Although the Jews live near nations that worshiped idols. God reminded Israel to worship him only. God promised to send the Messiah, indicating that full deliverance was yet to come. Psalms 111 and112 begin each phase with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
OBSERVATION Praise the true God! Reading Scripture helps us know God better, we are equipped to worship him more earnestly.
INSPIRATION The apostle Paul points out in Romans 1 that everyone knows that there is a God. His existence is revealed in creation; creation demands a Designer. And it is revealed in conscience, we all have an innate consciousness of right and wrong . . .
The heathen do not want to retain the true God in their knowledge. They know that belief in such a God would cramp their life-styles. So they turn to idolatry. They make images of people, birds, animals, and snakes and then worship them. Since each successive image represents a downward step in the scale of creation, it follows that they feel less and less responsible to live clean lives. If their god is a snake, it doesn't really matter how they live. This explains the close link between idolatry and immorality. Idols made by humans beings do not make moral demands on their worshipers . . .
Belief determines behavior. That is why it is so important to have true views of God. The higher our thoughts of Him, the more our lives will be exalted, holy, and glorious. (From Alone in Majesty by William MacDonald)
APPLICATIONWho is God? Answer the question by making a list of God's attributes from these psalms. Circle three from your list. Over the next three days, reflect on one attribute each day. As the day goes by, discover how this reality about God affects you.
EXPLORATION Knowing God -- Hosea 6:3; Matthew 22:29; John 4:24; 7:16-17; 8:31-31; Romans 1:21-25; Ephesians 4:14-15, 18; ;2 Peter 3:18.
The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Soulwinning is everybody's business. When our Lord Jesus issued the Great Commission, He did not direct it just to preachers, or the highly educated, or the good talkers.
He sent us all... and made us all equally responsible. Yet, sadly, I'm told that the vast majority of church members today have not won another person to Christ in the last 12 months. In fact, most Christians surveyed said they have never personally led anybody to the Lord.
Why? I'm convinced it is not because they don't care. Most Christians I meet are very concerned about the lost. They are praying for unsaved loved ones and many are giving to support missionary and evangelistic ministries. They rejoice to hear good reports of precious souls won to Christ.
Why, then, have they not become soulwinners personally?
I believe it is because they feel unworthy and unprepared to talk with another person about something as important as his or her personal salvation.
"I don't know what to say... or where to find the right scriptures," people often tell me. "And if someone asked me a question, I'm not sure I'd have the right answer. What if I said or did the wrong thing and kept someone from being saved?"
Have you ever felt this way? Well, let me tell you from my own personal experience that there is something YOU can do for the Lord. You can personally witness to others and help lead them to make a decision for Christ.
We didn't get home that night until about 9 o'clock, and Dr. Van Impe had a flight to catch at 6 o'clock the next morning. Besides, it was storming, with rain and lightning. But he insisted on getting the invitation flyers delivered. He got on his bicycle and rode through the rain to each house in the neighborhood. Who knows how many did watch the special and hear the gospel proclaimed!
Be God's representative in your everyday living
I'd also like to share with you about the little mission field the Lord has given me just a few blocks from home.
I tell you this, not to call attention to myself, but to show you that God has a ministry for each of us -- a job we can do that no one else can accomplish.
When I'm not on the road with my husband, I often stop by a small shopping mall near our home. It has many convenient stores and shops, and when I can spare a few minutes, I enjoy just browsing.
During my visits there, the Lord has given me opportunities to witness to several of the workers there -- waitresses and sales ladies -- and to lead some of them to Christ.
Now, I didn't go there with my Bible under my arm, looking for someone I could talk with. In almost every case, the individual would approach me and start the conversation.
Sometimes they'd say, "Why are you always so happy? There's something different about you!" Or when I asked how they were doing, they might say, "I'm having a problem..." and begin to pour out their heart to me.
They didn't care whether or not I was a Bible school graduate or even what church I went to. But they sensed my love and interest in them... and they wanted to hear my personal testimony. Helping them pray and accept Jesus was just so natural and easy, then.
These girls might never have watched our TV program, or attended a crusade or church service. But right there, in their world, they were searching and hungry... and so receptive.
You can be a soulwinner
There are people in your world that only you can reach. They don't need you to preach to them, or persuade them. They just need you to share with them the same joy and power that helps you through life.
Every person you work with or go to school with ...every waitress, or sales person, every visitor to your front door may be looking for someone like you -- a real, everyday, down-to-earth, flesh and blood person -- to tell them about Jesus and how to be saved.
When the opportunity comes, be ready. Show love... tell what the Lord has done for you. The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
If you're willing to do these simple things, you can be a soulwinner. And what a thrill and joy to help someone else accept the Lord.
Set a goal to win at least one person to Christ this year. You can do it! And you'll discover why the writer of Proverbs declared, He that winneth souls is wise (11:30).
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?” (James 2:14, NLT)
It's official: the world is coming to an end.
At least that is what a lot of people are talking about these days. The latest end-of-the-world fad surrounds the date of December 21, 2012. Apparently Nostradamus and the ancient Mayans are in agreement on this one, so more people claim to believe it. There’s even a movie coming out this fall called “2012,” so we can all get a sneak preview of our demise.
But it's not just limited to ancient pagan cultures and mystics. Google "end times" and you will find dozens of books purportedly by Christians that will tell you of the coming apocalypse. (There is one still for sale that claims God will destroy the world in 2008, but I'm sure the author has a good explanation for that one.)
I have no desire to ignite an end times debate, but recently my pastor said something in passing that caught my attention. He said that the word "believe" essentially means "by live." While not completely etymologically accurate, it is true that what we really believe is what we will really live by -- or at least try. Let's face it, if people really believed that the world was coming to an end in the near future, would they go to work? If I really thought that there would be no 2013, I would not save money, send my kids to school, bother paying taxes or even mow my lawn. If I believed that the end was near, I would live that way.
Worldwide destruction aside, there is an important daily application of this principle. It's easy to say that we believe the Bible, but sometimes it seems difficult to live by it. Which raises the question: what do we really believe?
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith," Paul wrote in Second Corinthians. He realized that our beliefs should translate to our thoughts, words and actions. Otherwise, it raises doubts as to what we really believe. Of course, none of us is perfect, so there is a lifelong struggle to align our old nature with our new spirit. So I have developed a new exercise for self-examination that I will share with you.
From now on, substitute the word "believe" with the phrase "live by." Instead of saying, "I believe in daily prayer," say, "I live by daily prayer." If the second declaration is true, then so is the first one. If not, there is a disconnection. I'm not trying to put anyone on a guilt trip, because I'm primarily talking to myself. When I ran through a short list of things I believe, it forced me to examine my certitude when making the substitution.
For example:
* I "live by" studying God's Word every day. * I "live by" the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) * I "live by" the omnipresence of God. He is with me every moment of the day. * I "live by" an unashamed witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." (John 14:15) In other words, if we believe that we love him, we will live by his commandments. How can something so simple seem so hard? Just before Paul tells us to examine ourselves, he says that "we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him...."
This natural weakness can only be overcome by a supernatural presence. In a sense, Paul is calling our bluff. It's easy to talk a big game, but what do we have when we hit the field?
There has always been criticism of hypocrisy among Christians. Of course, that is true because we hold to a standard that is beyond our own capabilities. If we believed that right and wrong did not exist, I suppose we could escape all form of hypocrisy and let all evil run rampant, but we choose to follow God’s Word and strive to align our lives accordingly, even though we sometimes fail. This is where the glory lies. Yes, we believe in something that is more wonderful than human nature. Yes, we believe that we can be transformed by the grace of God into better people. And that is why it should be a daily exercise to turn what we "believe" into what we "by live."
This Week Examine your beliefs and see if they translate into your words, thoughts and actions.
Prayer “Jesus, transform my life every day so that I live by Your words. Help me declare what I believe in how I live.”
"The divinity priority is worship first and service second."
Richard J. Foster
FAITH UNDER FIRE
Home: No place for Bible study
- WND - May 22
A San Diego pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a county official and warned they will face escalating fines if they continue to hold Bible studies in their home. The couple, whose names are being withheld until a demand letter can be filed on their behalf, told their attorney a county government employee knocked on their door on Good Friday, asking a litany of questions about their Tuesday night Bible studies, which are attended by approximately 15 people.
“Do you have a regular weekly meeting in your home? Do you sing? Do you say ‘amen’?” the official reportedly asked. “Do you say, ‘Praise the Lord’?”
The Daily Jot Thursday, April 30, 2009 'Occupy till I come.'
By Bill Wilson
Greetings in the Name of Him Who Is Truth!
Many Christian Americans are distraught over the turn of current events. They do not believe that there is any use in opposing the current government because it is too out of control and too powerful. They see their Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms being diminished one by one. They see the overarching dominion of the current administration as against everything Christian-using hard earned tax money to nationalize major financial and manufacturing businesses, to fund abortion in America and abroad, to support sexual immorality-and they throw up their hands and say "we cannot do anything, let us just pray and hide in the shadow of our Lord's protection until He returns."
In the gospel of Luke Chapter 19, Jesus speaks a parable to those who believed that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. The parable was about a nobleman who went into a far away country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return. Jesus said in verse 13, "And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Occupy till I come.'" And after he returned, he called the servants together to see how they had managed the money. Some had done well and multiplied the money, others not so well. The servant who disobeyed, hid the money, and did not multiply it for the noblemen was punished and the money was taken away and given to the obedient servants.
Take heart Christian Americans: Jesus said "Occupy till I come." The dictionary says an occupier is one who "takes possession and control, such as a military invasion." It is not a passive charge. In order to occupy in this nation, where the Lord saw fit that the people choose its leaders and government, one must be clear on his mission. And to do that, one must know the Bible. God's word gives us all the tools and the Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual gifts to occupy. To do so, we must understand His word as it is meant, not as it is taught by deceivers who loosely translate the word of God to their advantage. Then we must know the US Constitution, which was based on the word of God. Then we must act.
By using the word of God as our understanding, the Constitution as our legal standing, and by discerning the times and the events of the nation, we must take possession and control. A government that terrorizes its people for photo opportunities; that casually says it expects deaths from pandemic disease, yet is doing virtually nothing to protect its citizens; that uses citizens' money for wicked purposes against both the Bible and the Constitution; is a government that must be brought into alignment with both. And Christian Americans, charged to occupy by their King, Lord and Savior, must engage the fight. Otherwise, When the Lord returns, we will be treated like the servant who was disobedient.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day! Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry www.dailyjot.com
The Supreme Court
A Warning For Our Times: The Book of Judges Max Lucado
It's was a nation born out of a passion for religious freedom. Free practice of faith had been oppressed and forbidden in the old country. The people longed to be in a place where they could worship God as they desired.
So they left. Willing to battle the fears of the unknown in exchange for freedom. Only a small portion of those who began the journey survived it.
When the travelers reached the new country they celebrated. They gave thanks to God and praised him for guiding them to their new home.
But their new home was not a peaceful place. Nearby enemies attacked and years of battle ensued. The settlers, however, were men and women of faith and courage. With time they sank their roots in the new land and began a new life.
The first generation of settlers were hearty people. Though the hardship were great, their faith was greater. God answered their prayers and established them in the new land.
With time the new land was divided into states, and leaders were assigned to each region. The population grew, and the boundary of the country expanded.
But with the growth of the land and the passage of the decades, two troubling trends began.
The first was the disappearance of values. Early settlers had a common conviction as to what was right and wrong. The family was the core of society. Religion was the source of faith. Education was the highest task.
But by the end of the first hundred years in the new land these virtues had begun to wane . . . the family was under attack; sophisticated thinkers mocked religion.
The second alarming trend was the inconsistency of moral leadership. Early leaders -- capable military and skillful politicians -- were also men of God. Men who listened to God and earnestly tried to follow his will.
Such leadership became rare, however. The nation we look at now lacks moral leadership. Leaders squabble and steal. Others are lazy and spoiled. There are even cases of national leaders accused of making sexual advances to women.
Though the nation has a glorious past, it is hidden in a cloudy present.
Sound familiar? Sound like any nation you know? Sound like us? It sounds like ours, could be ours, might be ours, but I didn't get the profile out of the newspaper. I read it in the Bible. In the book of Judges.
Judges chronicles the dark ages of Israel, the death of Israel. The death of the heart. A three hundred-year era in which "everyone did what seemed right" (Judges 21:25).
Not a pretty story. Not intended to be. It's intended to be a WARNING. A warning of what happens when God is ignored and passions are worshiped.
A warning for our times.
The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus; Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers
Hearing God on the Job TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2, by Os Hillman 04-22-2009
"But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Cor 1:26-27).
God is raising up a new kind of workplace believer who is experiencing the power of God in their daily work life. My friend, Emeka Nywankpa, was a barrister (lawyer) in Nigeria. Emeka spoke at a conference a few years ago on the subject of how the spiritual impacts the physical.
Emeka shared a story about arguing an important Supreme Court case in his country. There were five points to argue in the case. The morning the trial began, he prayed with his wife and junior lawyers in his chambers. During his prayer time, he sensed that the Holy Spirit was telling him, "Do not argue points one through four. Only argue point five." Imagine making such a change just before you are to argue a case before the Supreme Court!
In the courtroom, Emeka announced that he wished to drop points one through four and only wished to argue point five. The judge was shocked, but gave him permission to proceed. He argued point five and sat down. The other attorney got up, and then for twelve minutes stumbled around trying to defend his position, unable to get a coherent word out.
Finally, he approached the bench and said, "Your Lordship, it is unfortunate that my learned friend has dropped the first four points. I wish to yield the case." The other attorney had only prepared for the first four points. Emeka won the case. God had given him a strategy to win his case supernaturally. It made no sense to him, but he obeyed and God gave him victory in a very unusual way.
Isaiah 48:17 tells us "Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: 'I am the LORD your God, Who teaches you to profit, Who leads you by the way you should go.'"
When is the last time you allowed God to give you a strategy to be successful in your work life call and bring glory to His name? This is his desire for you.
Today's Prayer
God, People in this world are looking for real faith. Some of them place that faith in the wrong god, whether a false god or material things or a person. I pray for everyone in the world, for those in my own "Jerusalem," and my own family. I pray that you would use me and my life experiences as an instrument to demonstrate real faith to the unbelieving. Give me opportunities to share my faith experiences and give me the words to say to influence those who need it. Speak through me, work through me, your servant. I love you. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
"Come and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue."
(Psalm 66:16-17 )
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When Moses was 120 years old, he told the people of Israel that he would not be going into the promised land with them. Instead, Joshua would lead and they would cross over and posses the land just as God had originally promised. Even though Moses would not be leading the way, one thing remained the same: God still promised, “I will never leave or forsake you.” Even though the promise of God was about to be fulfilled, the method in which God had chosen was not quite what some had hoped. (Deuteronomy 31:1-6)
How many times in our lives have we prayed and God answered, but not quite like we had hoped? The good news is that God is faithful to his Word. The “not so good news” is that it may not look like we had originally hoped. Through it all, it’s good to know that He is always for us!
I have always loved music. When I was only three years old, I would stand on the stage with my parents, who were traveling evangelists, and sing my little songs about Jesus. Later, while in the youth group of our church, I began to sing with my dad in our praise group. I remember during nights of worship how we would seek the face of God and the His power would fill the room. The atmosphere was electric. We would see people healed and absolutely changed by His presence. I knew then that I wanted to be connected to worship for the rest of my life.
During my college years I had the privilege of being involved in various worship groups and even recording on other people’s projects. During those years I would still gather with my friends for nights of worship we called “Throneroom.” Every time we met, the Lord was there. It was during those years that I began to write. My songs came out of my journals and my time alone with God. Although I had offers to record a CD of my own, the Lord kept saying that I should wait. It’s in those waiting times that the Lord does so much inside of us. We know that He is faithful to His promises, but sometimes He has a different outcome in mind. Looking back, I can now say that the timing of the Lord was perfect.
After almost 10 years of waiting to record my first solo project, I recently released the CD with Gateway Create and Integrity Music. The CD is filled with songs from many hours alone with the Lord. The song “You Are For Me” was written at a time when I was discouraged and struggling with loneliness. My cries went up before the Father, then the words from my heart made their way onto the page and were set to music. I believe that it has a special anointing to touch the hearts of those who are crying out to God in similar situations.
Recently, on a trip to Honduras, my dad played the Spanish version of that same song for a room full of women at a maximum security prison. As the words of the song sank into their hearts, many of them began to weep. The presence of the Lord began to breathe hope into their hearts again. Some of them caught a glimpse of Jesus and His love for the first time. After the song, many of the ladies prayed to receive Jesus. We were told by those who minister to them week after week that the most hardened criminals were among those who were broken. I am so thankful that the Lord touched their hearts. It’s all about the presence of the Lord.
Be encouraged today. The Lord hears your cries. His promises to you are faithful. His timing may be different than yours and His method may not look like you thought it should, but He is still the God who hears and answers prayer. Above all remember, “He is for you.”
This Week Examine your expectations of God’s promises. Are you boxing Him in to fulfill them by your design and your timing?
Prayer Lord, I let go of my expectations and efforts to rush things and see Your promise fulfilled. You have the divine plan. I will trust Your timing and methods of fulfilling Your word because You are for me.
Kari Jobe joins James and Betty on LIFE Today this Thursday, April 2. For more information about her music and ministry, visit www.karijobe.com.
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they SEE the kingdom of God."
About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were AFRAID as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; LISTEN to him." When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen. "
( Luke 9:23-36 )
Your Love Oh Lord - Third Day Music video by Bondservant007
than every disappointment, bitterness, or ingrained mistrust,
and that power is Jesus Christ,
who brought forgiveness and reconciliation to the world."
John Paul II
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Is There Faith on Earth? Written by J.R.Hall
v There is a portion of Bible prophecy that is, for the most part, dangerously overlooked. Many times our efforts to sound the alarm and alert the masses that 'The End is Near', 'The Lord could Return at any Moment', or 'Watch and be Ready" overshadow the warnings that Christ himself gave about the Church. Christ indicates that the Church in the time of His return would become extremely sick indeed.
In Luke 18:8, we see Christ ask,"When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"
In light of reports from all over the globe as to the health and fortitude of Christianity, can we not all agree that the Church is indeed becoming contaminated with gospels of prosperity, works, and methods and means, and long ago forgotten is the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the only gospel that saves?
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." - Rom 1:16
And yet, have we not forgotten the gospel? We hear from our pulpits the words, "Ask Christ into your heart and be saved". And yet no where in the Word of God do we find those words preached or taught. Even attempts at the gospel such as "Believe in Christ and you will be saved", fall short of the true meaning and the true means unto salvation. Too many times, there is no mention of hell. There's no mention of consequence and there is no mention of judgment, which is precisely why the bible commands all to repent. (Acts 17:30-31)
What is the end result of the insufficient words in the delivering of the gospel message? The end result is a person who believes they are saved, and yet they truly have no idea what that really means. In the promise of a more satisfying life, they have believed on a salvation that is superficial, without heart, without sincerity and without the requirement of true repentance. It is a salvation based upon the words of men, and not the Words of God.
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20
The Lord’s part is to reveal His presence as being available to us. Our part is to be sensitive and responsive to His seeking presence, in order to become available to Him as “a vessel” through whom His glory might be revealed.
“He who has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves Me: and he that loves Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” John 14:21
When we rightly respond to His knocking on the door of our spirit, Jesus will lift us into the higher realms of divine activity. This revelation of His manifested presence will gradually increase and we will be brought into a deeper understanding of His end-time purposes. As we “keep His commandments” (respond to His presence), we become an overcomer and will experience the coming greater visitation of His glory (the time of His Parouisa).
“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, which He has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, His flesh… Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.” Hebrews 10:19-20, 22
It is very important for each of us to recognize that our relationship to the Lord is based on His righteousness, and not our own. Once we understand this, we can draw near to the Lord and commune with Him no matter how we may feel. As a result of this on-going daily fellowship with Jesus, we become available for the manifestation of His glory through us.
We are living in the days during which there is to be a physical manifestation of the glory of God (Shekinah). This experience in His manifested glory is becoming available to all those who presently are being prepared (Parouisa), because they have been experiencing the presence of the Lord.
“When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.” II Thessalonians 1:10
This manifestation of glory is a part of the “Parousia” - the appearing of the Lord to prepare those who are overcomers for their part in the closing out of this Age, and the ushering in of the Kingdom Age.
“Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord (Parousia) is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:1-3
Moses prefigures the manifestation and outworking of this end-time glory. He spent so much time in the presence of the Lord that his countenance literally glowed with the glory of the presence of the Lord.
“But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.” II Corinthians 3:7-9 NKJV
The glory that was seen on the face of Moses so convicted Israel that when he spoke to them, they asked for a veil to be placed over his face. They could abide his words, but not the visible glory which they saw resting upon him, as they saw themselves in the reflection of this revealed Glory. Had Israel rightly responded, this manifested glory would have taken them into a deeper experience of their redemption from Egyptian bondage, and prepared them for a yet greater manifestation of His glory.
I Peter 1:5 tells us that there is a “salvation” that is reserved, or “ready to be revealed in the last time.” This salvation is the coming forth of the glory of God in a physical comprehensive way - a visible manifestation of the glory of the Lord upon our being (Parousia).
The word “manifest” means “to make visible” to one or more of our five natural senses, which are: hearing, smell, taste, sight, and touch. Paul said:
“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.” II Corinthians 3:2
It is what we have become, rather than what we say, that is the most effective witness. Thus, the manifested glory of the Lord resting upon us will be a powerful witness in that day.
“Who also has made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” II Corinthians 3:6
This is far more than our having the ability to preach an intellectually perceptive message. There have been orators who are successful through what they are able to say. Also, there are those who lack this ability, but are successful due to the anointing and manifestation of the Lord’s presence that rests upon them. If they had some great natural ability, it would be evident that their success was due to this ability, rather than the imparted presence and glory of the Lord.
In this day, the Lord is taking behind the veil those who may be lacking in ability, but who abide in His presence. These are seeking to better know Jesus and have made themselves available to Him for whatever purpose He may have. From these, the imparted “glory” will shine forth in manifest witness.
“Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord (Parousia) is risen upon you.” Isaiah 60:1
The Scripture tells us that this glory, which we have received through the New Covenant, is greater than the glory which Moses had. Yet no one is being told to put a veil over their face when they minister. Thus, there is something available that we have not yet appropriated.
The enemy would tell us that we are not worthy to come behind the veil to behold His glory. We must reject and push past this deception and come boldly into His presence to “abide” in His glory.
Only then will the world see that which they are searching for, but have not yet found.
(Read more articles at www.InChristInternational.com)
