THE GLORY OF THE LORD REVEALED

THE GLORY OF THE LORD HAS BEEN REVEALED

One day, after seeking the Lord for a period of three years for restored joy, and after much pressing into God and seeking him for all he had for me, he touched me in a way I'll never forget!  The God that was already inside of me, filled me with a great joy and with a glory I had never experienced before. He rewarded my hunger and he rewarded me by filling me with the joy of the Lord!  I will never forget that moment his glory was revealed in ways I had never seen before.  He touched me with glory and no man can take that from me!  I continue to press in and have since grown in the glory of the Lord.  I don't have the time or space to go into that testimony now which is for another time - but I just want to say that when God touched me in that moment, he lifted my pain and sorrow  & he made me laugh again.

He filled me with his presence in a way I had never experienced before; he filled me with such glory I had no more questions (at that moment,) and he left me hungering for even more!

Since then I haven't stopped hungering to know him more and to experience him from glory to glory!  I hunger and thirst for his Word and I hunger and thirst for his presence. I want to know him more!

For born again Christians, the Glory of the Lord HAS BEEN revealed and abides in us.  No matter what season you find yourself in, you can still live and breathe and move in him.  You still have the glory of God abiding in you and resting upon you. You still can truly say you are blessed with all spiritual blessings, and because of him, you live a life of no limits where you are in him and seated with him in heavenly places.  No matter the season, you are seated with him & the glory of God is seen in you and is released through you when you allow him to use you!  Amen!

Ephesians 2:6  and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied that through the first advent of the coming of the Messiah (Jesus,)  the glory of the Lord would be revealed.

Isaiah 40:5 The glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” 

The word glory in the Old Testament means "heaviness," and describes one's honor, majesty, abundance, splendor and heart. 

The heavy, weighty, splendous heart of the living God! 

The heavy, weighty honor, majesty and splendor of God is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Truly the heart of God is revealed in Jesus Christ.

The glory of a person or a thing is the thing about it that makes it what it is.  The glory is not only the presence of the glorified one but the manifestation and realization of all the glorified on is.

All of that is found in Jesus Christ!

Jesus outweighs them all!

If placed on a scale with any other, Jesus Christ outweighs them all.  Anytime I think of glory, I see a balance/scale with Jesus on one side and any other on the other and Jesus tips the scale every time!

WE'VE OBTAINED GLORY

2 Thessolonians 2:14  to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

To obtain means to preserve and possess.  Through the glory of God we are preserved and through the glory of God we possess all that he is.

I'd so rather be possessed by the glory of God and I'd rather possess the glory of God than to possess or be possessed by another!

Because of Jesus, we have been given the indwelling, Spirit of God, the presence of God, the treasure of God in earthen vessels, the very glory of God, inside of us!

We have his likeness, his image, his glory living right inside of us.

THE KNOWLEDGE OF GLORY

2 Corinthians 4:6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Because of Christ we can know God! Because of Christ the glory is revealed just as was prophesied in Isaiah 40.  In the face of Christ, through the indwelling of the precious Holy Spirit, the glory of God is known. 

WHAT IS GLORY

What is glory?  It's all that is God. It's his manifested presence.  It's all he is that can not be shared. He says he won't share his glory with another. It means weighty in Hebrew and in comparison with another, there is none like him; there is none that carries more weight and when present the glory will rest upon you like a weighty blanket.   It's the manifested, tangible, presence of the living God that is seen, revealed, made clear and known.  One day the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God.  Today it is reserved for the hungry and thirsty.  If you want to experience more of God and if you want to experience the glory of God you must press into his presence with a sincere desire to know him.  You must abandon yourself and all of your selfish motives and agendas and press into him.  You must cast aside anything that will stand in the way of you pressing in to know him!  You must be willing to have him revealed even if it means you have to change!  You may very well be hanging onto a belief that you have to let go of, a sin you have to let go of, a desire you have to let go of.  You must turn to him with ALL of your heart and hunger and thirst for him like your very life depends upon it.  You must be willing to change in his presence if you are to experience the true glory of the living God because it is through his glory we are changed!

2 Corinthians 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

You may have experienced the glory of the Lord at one level or another but according to the above scripture, we are transformed from glory to glory.  There is no stopping to experiencing and being changed by the glory of the Lord.  There is always more of God and there is always greater glory.  About the time we think we've seen or felt it all, God will reveal himself in a whole new way. We must remember God is God and we are not.  It is his glory and we are the ones needing the transformation.  How bad do you want to know him?  How much to you want to grow in relationship with him?  Do you want to know him more intimately than you ever have before?  You must hunger and thirst and press in to your relationship with him. 

The glory is tangibly felt because God is real and God's presence can be felt.  Believe me, when God's presence is manifested in fullness, you will know he is there.  God is forever omnipresent but there are times he makes his presence known and felt.  The glory is revealed in the moment.  Just imagine Ezekiel- one moment sitting by a river and the next moment he looks up and sees the glory of the Lord.  Imagine the moment Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the Mt. of Transfiguration and one moment they are in the presence of Jesus in the way they have known him and the next moment he is shining in brightness in all of his glory.  Imagine Moses, walking around a mountain and the next moment a bush is burning and the voice of God thunders from the bush.  Imagine the children of Israel, at one moment standing in the wilderness and the next moment there is a cloud hovering over millions of people or a huge cloud of fire coming between them and their enemies.  One moment he is ever present but not felt and the next moment, everything changes as he makes his presence known in power!  Glory is felt and when felt, leaves no questions as to who is felt because his presence can't be duplicated.  When released from inside of the born again Christian,  it is weighty and when present demons tremble and flee.  Your flesh may even tremble in  his presence as the atmosphere around him changes and no flesh can glory in his presence.  Yes, when the presence of God fills a temple, whether you or a church, the atmosphere changes!  The glory is the manifested, real, tangible presence of God.  The glory comes with power, presence and revelation. The glory comes with  revelation and manifestation of holiness and goodness.  The glory will cause the humble heart to repent of sin if in sin.  God is real.  God is not an imagination.  God is tangible.  God has substance and can be seen in his glory. The children of Israel saw the glory. Ezekiel saw the glory in an enfolding fire, a whirlwind and a powerful vision.  Moses saw the goodness of God pass before him. The disciples on the Mt. of Transfiguration have seen glory and even at times modern day Christians have had their eyes opened to SEE and have their senses sensitized to FEEL the manifested glory of God.  God is real and not an imagination and God IS ABLE to manifest his presence and make his glory KNOWN! The glory of God is the manifested presence of God that can be felt, sometimes seen, and can not be compared with another.  That's why it's so hard to explain.  You can't say it's like this or like that. There is no comparison.  How do you compare God to anyone or anything?  You don't!  That's why it's glory! It can't be compared and it carries genuine, manifested weight and presence!  The glory of God is the glory of God and when present, there are no questions in the heart of those who are filled or those who are genuinely seeking.

WE HAVE HIS GLORY

John 17: 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

The glory is a treasure we have been given to possess.  We hold the excellency of his power inside of us. What an honor and a privilege to be a born again Christian.  Before Christ, man was not able to have the excellency of God on the inside of them.  This is truly a treasure we should be hungry and thirsty to both experience and share.

Because of this treasure, the power inside of us is not our own.  It's his and only he gets glory for anything done through and by him.  Even the new life that we are able to live is all due to his strength and power working in us.  There is nothing in ourselves alone that we should deserve him but because of his great love, he has saved us and changed us and given us his Spirit!

LIFE BY GLORY

Our old life is passed away and in the same way the glory of God raised Christ from the dead, so the glory of God causes us to walk in newness. It's not according to our own strength but according to his glory we are able to live for him!

Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

STRENGTH BY GLORY

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.

Because of the glory of God, we are made rich in him. Because of his glory we are strengthened daily by the might of God.

JESUS IS THE GLORY OF GOD

To know Jesus is to know God. To understand Jesus is to understand God.  To see Jesus is to see God.  To see Jesus in his fullness and his glory is to see the express image of God!

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:

TO BE FILLED WITH GLORY IS TO BE FILLED WITH JOY

JOY AND GLORY GO TOGETHER

If you don't like joy and if you don't like the voice of joy you will not like glory. The two go together.  If you reject the joy of the Lord you are rejecting the Lord himself and if you reject the joy of the Lord, you are rejecting glory. To reject the joy of the Lord is to say, "Lord, I don't want your glory. I want your salvation and a little dab will do you Christianity but I don't want your joy which is full of glory!"

The joy that comes from God is unspeakable. The joy that comes from God is full of glory. When a vessel is full, it spills over to others.  Every time you see great joy in the bible it comes with a sound!  In fact, in Nehemiah 8:10b where the famous scripture, "The joy of the Lord is your strength," was first written there was great noise heard because of the joy of the Lord.  It says they made great mirth that day and mirth is a word meaning great joy usually with a loud voice!  The joy that comes from God may be manifest in a shout, or laughter, or overwhelming expressions of praise but when the glory of the Lord is present with exceeding joy, there will be a joy that goes beyond earthly joy.  It is joy unspeakable.  It is joy beyond and joy above.  It is joy that is also full of glory.  It is joy with great noise and voice!  It truly is exceeding joy!

The children of Israel had just had the Word of the Lord read to them and they had gained understanding of the Lord in a way that had been lost during their captivity.  The Word of the Lord, revealed in glory, always brings great joy.  Even Jesus said he had spoken words that joy might be full and that his joy might remain in us!  The revealing of the truths of God bring great joy! That's the way it is with us- before Christ we are in captivity and then the light bulb comes on and we see the glory of the Lord revealed.  With the revealing of the glory of the Lord, great joy comes!  You can't separate the revealing of the Lord from the joy of the Lord because when the Lord is revealed there is great joy!

One Christian should never criticize another for how they express their joy!  I just say, "Try rejoicing! You may like it!"  That reminds me of a cheer from my school days,

"Try it, you'll like it! Take a tip from me! I tried it. I liked it- a Jesus victory!"

When Jesus is revealed in all of his glory, there is great joy and it is full of glory inside of you!

1 Peter 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

GLORY AND EXCEEDING JOY GO TOGETHER

Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy

Exceeding joy is extreme joy with exaltation.  Exaltation is extreme elation in raising of another and comes with rapturous excitement.  When you are filled with exceeding joy, you may praise, shout, spin, dance, jump, laugh or display great emotion.  This exceeding joy is not a quiet joy.  The true bible scholar, genuinely seeking truth, who searches this out will find in the most joyous moments, there was always a great noise. This is truly one of the deepest treasures in the bible and is a treasure available to the hungry and thirsty.

God will truly fill your innermost being with joy and laughter and that's good news for those that are or were hurting!!!!!

• I tell you the truth, the joy of the Lord is the answer to all depression and sorrow! 

• The joy of the Lord will turn sorrow into joy.

• The joy of the Lord will completely heal a broken heart. 

• The joy of the Lord will cause you to want to sing, dance, shout, laugh and celebrate the goodness of God!

• The joy of the Lord will cause you to laugh like you've never laughed before!

• The joy of the Lord is far better than anything any drug or drink could ever offer! The joy of the Lord truly is your strength!

Just in case you still don't believe me about noise and celebration take a look at the following scriptures (and there are many more:)

Psalm 126:2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

Psalm 30:5-12 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.....11-You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, 12- To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

There is never silence with great joy.  The joy of the Lord will cause you to laugh, sing, dance, shout- it will cause you to do anything but be silent about God!

Praise God! I thank God that he will fill my mouth with laughter-that he cares enough about me that if I will seek him and press into his presence, desiring his glory, he truly will turn my sorrow to joy and fill my mouth with laughter. That's so much better than depression. 

If you are hurting and if you are depressed, don't let anyone hold you back from believing this!

If you are hurting and depressed, the joy of the Lord is what you need and with glory comes joy because when the glory of the Lord is revealed there is great joy!  This truly is the cure for sorrow and depression and I don't have the time or space right here to share my full testimony but God filled me with his joy and it's too late for anyone to try to tell me God won't make you laugh again!  He'll make you laugh and he'll do it beyond your wildest imagination!

HIS GLORY RESTS UPON YOU

As a born again Christian, his glory rests upon you and can be seen upon you when you allow him to shine through you.  Your stand for Christ and his glory in a public fashion may bring criticism or persecution but don't worry- happy are you because of the glory!

1 Peter 4:14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 15- On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.

You see, because of the glory, criticism doesn't matter.  The glory is far better than the approval of man! 

The glory is far better than acceptance in circles. 

I'd rather have God's glory and joy than anything this life can offer. 

That's what it's all about.  When you are willing to abandon all and abandon the approval of all to find him, you will find not only the knowledge of him but you will find glory and you will find great joy!

CALLED TO GLORY

2 Peter 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.

God's glory is virtuous because he is virtuous. God's glory will never lead us into ungodliness or un-holiness. There may be many that are claiming they walk in glory but if they're living and ungodly life full of deceit, selfishness, wickedness and all kinds of ungodly acts and fruits outcropping from their life, they are not walking in glory.  God's glory will call you to holiness and purity.  God's glory is good.  God's glory is the answer to everything.  Like the Psalmist, I say, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"  We are called to glory! Amen!