November 29, 2010

1 Chronicles 26-27
So what is there of the glory of Christ in the description of David’s administration? Have you ever looked around at the tremendous detail and order of the creation which God has made? The more that I look at creation, the greater becomes my awe of my Creator’s work. Day to day his glory pours out of His creation. Night to night it streams forth. When we organize ourselves, we are in a way mimicking His glory. It is right to organize ourselves, but that organization should never be of greater focus than Him. When we organize, in a small way we increase His glory. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

2 Peter 1
The glory of Jesus is a brilliant thing! Do I have eyes to see it? Peter, James and John saw part of it physically on the Mount of Transfiguration. Just a moment in that glory and it forever etched His great power in their minds and spirits. His majesty was partially and briefly shown there. The Father's command was to listen to Him. For John it gave him the ability to pursue Jesus even when he did not understand what Jesus was doing. He is the one who helped let Peter in the door at the trial of Jesus. He, alone among the disciples, accompanies the women at the cross. He believed upon seeing the empty tomb. Then he understood the Lord’s warnings about the cross. Peter saw the glory of Christ and was ready to lay down his life for the glory. He only became weak hearted when he did not listen to the Lord's instruction about the cross. He held to his own ideas about the work of the Messiah. There was too much of his own thinking about the glory in his mind. There was not enough thinking about the Lord's instruction concerning the cross and the glory. But even then the vision of His glory at the Mount sustained him to the end of his life. For James the glory led him to fearlessly proclaim the glory of Jesus. James found his head on a chopping block as a result.
Such divine power leads us to cooperate with changing our character. Because of the glory, we pursue knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. James and John were previously known in the community as 'the sons of thunder.' One hardly gets the impression that knowledge and self-control were foremost virtues in their lives prior to Jesus coming to them. These virtues lead us into great usefulness in spreading the kingdom of God. Is it not amazing that His glory is so powerful that by focusing upon it, we are changed. These virtues are added to our lives as we gaze upon Him. As we gaze upon His glory, we realize that every thing that we need pertaining to life and godliness is found in His glory. The glory of Jesus is a brilliant thing! Do I have eyes to see it? If I am focusing on His glory, His virtue is increasing in my life. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor John