November 8, 2010

2 Kings 21
Moving from Oklahoma to Portland, Oregon, during the winter time, we decided to take the southern route—I-40 to California, and then up I-5 to Oregon. As we crossed Mt. Shasta in northern California, near the Oregon border, the view was spectacular! Descending down into southern Oregon, we could see what looked like clouds in the valleys below us. As we approached Medford, Oregon, we entered the clouds, or more aptly put, the fog. Visibility dropped to almost zero. I was becoming a nervous wreck because I could see neither in front of me nor behind me. Since it was late afternoon, early evening when we entered Medford. We decided to find a motel and spend the night in hopes that the new day would bring better visibility. After checking in, we went to eat at a restaurant (within walking distance). I noted the local newspaper headlines in the newspaper box as we entered the restaurant, “5 STRAIGHT DAYS OF FOG!” The front page had a picture of a school bus driver exiting her bus in tears as she finished her route. The stress of the responsibility of driving the children in dense fog had taken its toll upon her. The story said that the weather man did not see any let up in the fog. I suddenly felt like I had made a poor decision. We spent the night, waited until almost noon the next day and decided to inch our way to Portland. After about an hour of driving, the fog began to slowly lift, and we could begin to drive normally again. But those were some hours of white knuckle driving constantly scanning and looking for what might or might not be in front of me. I have never since experienced such poor visibility.
The Glory of the Lord was wonderfully visible during the reign of Hezekiah. The visibility of the glory of the Lord reached an all-time low in Judah under Manasseh. He “seduced them (the people of Israel) to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.” Now that is quite a statement. Can you imagine that? They did more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before them. As a result God said that He would wipe Jerusalem like one wipes a dish. O LORD, let me be a channel of your glory. Let me not be one who hides your glory with my pride. Let it shine through and beyond me. Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!
--Pastor john

Hebrews 5

One of the great glories of Christ is that He did not glorify Himself. In our age it is natural for a leader to glorify Himself. In a democracy where people vote for their leader, glorifying oneself is the natural demand of the political machine. If you do not glorify yourself, your opponent will glorify himself and the people will vote for the one who does the best job of glorifying himself. After all, you are not going to vote for someone in whom you have no confidence. If you have no confidence in yourself, no one else is going to have confidence in you. In a dictatorship the dictator rules by the absolute authority He wields over the people. Part of that absolute authority is obtained by the image the people have of you. Therefore many dictators are given to excessive boasting as part of their way of producing the image that keeps that sense of absolute power over their subjects. In general, Jesus did not glorify Himself. When necessary or pushed, He declared who He was. But most of the time He let His works (done in the power of the Holy Spirit) or His Father glorify Him. And glorify Him He did! The Father has called Him His Son. The Father has made Him the High Priest.

Another of His glories is that He learned obedience by suffering. Imagine that! The Eternal Son of God learned obedience as a Man. As a man, He suffered in order to obey the Father. The suffering was greater that any that you or I will ever experience. Beginning in the Garden of Gethsemane until the resurrection morning He endured unimaginable agonies. He did it partially out of obedience to the Father. There are times when you and I are suffering innocently. Remember He suffered innocently to a much greater extent. His glory is our shining example of how to endure suffering when undeserved. He succeeded and offers His life and glory to you, so that you may share in His glories! But part of the glory is learning obedience when suffering innocently. Indeed we serve a glorious King! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John