Glory???

The word "glory" has captured my attention. As soon as I thought I had a grasp on what it means another sentence shows up with it used differently. So today I did a little research starting with the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. When glory is used as a noun it means: praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent: RENOWN, 2: honor and praise rendered in worship 3: something that secures praise or renown 4: distinguishing quality or asset 5: great beauty and splendor 6: heavenly bliss 7: a height of prosperity or achievement

As a verb it means: to rejoice proudly: EXULT, be extremely joyful.

Wow, with all those meanings no wonder I am having a hard time getting a clear picture of what glory is.

Next I dug into "Vines Complete Expository Dictionary" many more word pictures to help me get a clearer understanding. The Greek word is doxa which is from dokeo "to seem"' primarily signifies an opinion, estimate and hence, the honor resulting from a good opinion.

As I read on I learned that God's glory has ever shone forth and ever will do. We can see that in the Old Testament, the shekinah glory that brightness and splendor emanating from God in the pillar cloud and in the Holy of Holies, is one way to see His glory. Yet the nature and acts of God in self-manifestation or what He essentially does and is as shown in what He reveals Himself is even harder to grasp. If we focus particularly in the person of Christ, especially in the days of His flesh we can more easily see His glory. The Bible clearly shows
God's glory when Lazarus and Jesus were resurrected, at the Mount of Transfiguration, Christ's ascension and exaltation. It is also clearly revealed through the power God displayed at creation, in His everlasting power and Divinity. God's perfection of character especially His righteousness, of which all men fall short of, signifies the might which is characteristic of His glory.

God the Father of glory is the source from whom all divine splendor and perfection proceed in their manifestation and to whom they belong. We are to give praise and acknowledge God's glory and attributes and allow Him to bring us into the likeness of Christ to exhibit the body of His glory. This state of blessedness comes when we honor, give praise and worship God hence reflecting glory back to Him.

We look forward to "the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" when He returns to fulfill our blessed hope. See Titus 2:13.

How do you picture "glory"?

The Wonders of His Person

"This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What next Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. we know who he is and we know who we are. Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us an unbelievable inheritance! We go through the hard times with him and then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!" Romans 8:15-17 (the Message)

As we adventurously expect our Papa to help us, let's look at a few words that help clarify some of His identity, He is our; shield, stronghold, light, strength, sustainer, rescuer, fortress...

Let us exalt Him for He is; Creator, Love, Healer, Redeemer, Shepherd, Savior, Lord, Father, Judge, Comforter, Teacher, I AM, Mighty One...

As we adore, respect, honor, love and exalt Him let's look at some of His names; YHWH=Jehovah, El aloam= everlasting faithful, El Eloyn=most High God, El Shaddai= The Almighty One, Adonai=Lord Master, HaTsur=Rock...

Some attributes of God to focus on; Jehovah Jireh= Provider, Jehovah Raah= Shepherd, Jehovah Saboath=Lord of hosts, Jehovah Rapha= my healer, Jehovah Shalom= peace, Jehovah Shammah= The Lord is there, Jehovah Elohim= The Lord God, Jehovah Nissi= my banner, Jehovah Tsidkenu= righteousness...

Since God, Jesus and the Holy spirit are " the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) we know they are just, unchangeable,
gracious, holy, merciful, long-suffering, impartial, perfect, in control....

As we continue to progressively, deeply and more intimately become acquainted with Him we will be able to perceive and understand in ways that will continually transform us to be more like Him.

Pleasing God

Today I am veering a bit from my prayer study, with something that I believe will enhance our prayer time. I recently read an article on the importance of yielding to God's echoes in our life. An echo that keeps showing up in my life is " I want to please the Lord". While studying the Psalms I saw that it is possible to please God. Psalm 147:11 really fascinated me, "The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His Mercy!. Pleasure is delight and joy, wow I can bring joy to God, the one who created this whole universe. Trying to grasp this I searched for how this happens. I looked up the word "fear" thinking it would mean that feeling that God's fist is hanging over my head ready to come down, so I better get things right. Well I was wrong, it means to show respect, awe and reverence. So it is more about what I think about God not just what I am doing. Next I dug into the word hope, which translates confident expectation with solid certainty. That means that having the faith to pray and believing God can hear me pleases God. When I believe that He is loving kindness, tender, unfailing in his love and faithful it puts a smile on His face and joy in His heart. This morning I was listening to a televangelist and he was speaking about his main focus in life is to "please God". He continued saying how important it is for us to constantly ask the Lord to help us please Him. As this thought permeates our being it should help us to make good choices, not because we don't want God to punish us, but because we want to please Him. While reading the first chapter of Ephesians I heard another echo, verse 5 "For He foreordained us to be adopted as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it PLEASED Him and was His kind intent]." and if that is not enough Paul continues in verse 9 and 10 "Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). And this is it, in accordance with His good PLEASURE (His merciful intention) which He has previously purposed and set forth in Him. [He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ,[both] things on heaven and things on earth." It pleases God when we believe that He has everything under control and will bring everything to justice at the right time. Now as we continue to study about having a deeper prayer life does it put a smile on your face knowing you are making God happy by your desire to want to know Him more?

Apple of His Eye

Do you really believe that God - Big G, the holy one who created the universe, really wants to listen to you?
I am constantly amazed how people will spend money and time to learn more details about the life's of the rich and famous. Many do whatever it takes to get the latest gossip about people who do not even know that the person learning about them even exists. Yet God our Father, the richest most famous one in all the world, who freely sent His son to die for us and Jesus the one who gave His all are ignored. Most have no time for Them.

Do we really believe that the veil was ripped in half, making a way for us to walk right into the presence of God and talk with Him?

Here is a way to picture the Lord so you can learn more deeply that you are "the apple of His eye". Have you ever attended an event such as a concert or sporting event in which someone you love, say a child, niece, nephew, grand child are a participant? Did that child scan the crowd of spectators over and over until their eyes met yours. That moment of eye contact their eyes lit up and you smiled back as you communicated to them "I am here for you". That my friend is what Jesus is doing, looking at you patiently waiting for the two of you to connect. He is watching and ready for you to make contact so He can lovingly say let's talk.

When we really grasp how our Father the creator of the universe wants us to stop and give Him some of our time so He can love us and show us how much He cares for us, it makes our prayer time one of the best times of our day.

I recently learned a new song that asks the Lord to "remind me one more time, who I am to you". He reminds us that we are the Lord's beloved.

Pray today that you can get a deeper understanding of who you are to the Lord!

His Kingdom Come

"What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" My niece recently posted this on her Facebook as did I. It really is a good way to check our heart. What are you thankful for? "Thy Kingdom come". When we pray this what things are being said? According to Gordon it should make us aware that there is another kingdom and the will of it's king is being done. It is God's will that the "other will" be undone. We must be aware of this so we can carefully choose which kingdom we are working for and which battles we are to engage in. David Wilkerson has shared with his readers, "His (Satan) strategy is to turn your gaze onto 'how bad things are going to get,' rather than onto God's promises to see you through every crisis." The battle and struggles are real, even unbelievers can sense the cosmic turmoil going on in the world today. Andrew Murray reminds us that as Jesus taught us to pray "Thy kingdom come" he taught us to acknowledge our Father as our King. Jesus's greatest ambition is to show others the glory of our Father's kingdom. This kingdom is not fully manifested, and we His children are living in the enemies territory. The people, creatures and earth groan and depend on the great event of God's kingdom being fully manifested. Meanwhile as His children we can allow God's kingdom to enter into our hearts, by living a life of adoring submission and ready obedience. Murray puts it this way, "The surrender to, and the prayer for a life of heaven-like obedience, is the spirit of childlike prayer." This week let's continually invite God's kingdom onto this earth, into our lives, neighborhoods, churches, and each person we cross paths with. Little by little we can be more Christ like, by allowing God's will to change us.

Your Will Be Done

So how is the quiet time going? Is you view of God's love expanding? What adjustments to your daily routine have you made, or need to make. Are you finding that you have more of an awareness of God throughout your day?

As we learn to surrender more of ourself and listen to the Lord here are a few things Matthew Henry suggests we pray for; humility and meekness, contentment and patience, fear of God, rooted in faith and love, unrooted from the world, a tender conscience, a life of repentance, charity and self denial. He continues to instruct that we ask for the Grace to be perfected, sustain new life, do as we should, sanctified nature, escape temptation, make wise choices, govern our tongue, bring truth to memory, instruction in the things of God, with intelligence and wisdom.

Both Murray and Gorden go into great detail using the inspiration for all prayer the words Jesus taught. Starting with "Our Father", acknowledging His loving readiness to hear and help. Meditating on the relationship we have because Jesus made God our father too. Thinking about our personal relation to the living God all open our heart to more deeply commune with the Lord.

Gorden claims that the "greatest" prayer is to echo the words of Jesus, "thy will be done". When we utter those words we are saying that God is strong and powerful, good, wise, pure and holy. We acknowledge that we are unable to even grasp what those word really mean. "God's will is His desires, His purposes, that which He wishes to occur, and that to which He gives His strength that it may occur." Which is infinitely more than we can think or imagine.

Spend the next few days dwelling on the thoughts of, My Daddy, my Father reveal who you are to me. Help me understand a little more what you want done here on earth and then give me the strength, courage and ability to do my part.

Leave a comment on what you are hearing.

Right standing

How is it going? Have you found a secret place? Well I must confess that my quiet and study time has been usurped by many things. I am not going to make a list of excuses just let you know I am human and struggle too. I was very happy to be reminded by Paul in his letter to the Galations 3:2 "Let me ask you one question: Did you receive the Spirit as the result of obeying the Law and doing it's works...?"

And in(3:11) "Now it is evident that no person is justified (declared righteous and brought into right standing with God) through the Law, for the Scripture says, The man in right standing with God shall live by and out of faith and he who through and by faith declared righteous and in right standing with God shall live".

I know that what Christ has done for me is what places me in right standing with God, nothing that I can do myself. Yet, I sometimes deal with guilt that I am not praying enough. When I bring this "feeling" to the Lord, I am reminded not only to not allow emotions to rule me but that I am doing more things "right" and need not dwell on any failures.

I have noticed many more quick "I love you" and " Lord, your creation is so awesome, thank you for loving me" prayers ascending upward.

I encourage you to keep going forward, asking for guidance each step of the way. Onward as we dig deeper into prayer.