HOSTING THE GLORY!

In the attempt of the disciple, and faithful follower to capture or grasp the essence of the LORD, the words and concepts of Glory, majesty, goodness, and weight usually come to mind. Yet even these words seem to fall short as inadequate in expressing the superlative substance of who the Creator of the universe is. Glory, majesty, goodness, and weight are like Royal robes that He wears, clothing Himself in the Majesty of Spiritual Light. Approaching His Light inspires the devotee, creating a great thirst for more in pursuit of greater depths and understanding of His eternal being.

“My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.” Psalm 63:1-2

What does God require of those called to be Carriers of His Glory? To host the Glory of God is to become a sign and a wonder to the world! It means choosing to make the difficult move to step away from the organization of the church to embrace a Kingdom dynamic and the rule of the King. It means to be willing to pay the cost of being a sign and wonder to the world and to principalities and powers—to be a living demonstration of the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all! The one that lives in pursuit of the Glory of God will be required to surrender to a far deeper level of consecration to His will, His Word, and His precepts, than that of compromised Christianity.

Many confuse their understanding of God’s Word by relating it to their personal experiences in the processes of God—without understanding that God’s endgame for our lives is that we become one that is seated in the heavens in Christ in authority and Glory. I believe this is where the error of cheap grace came into the Church. This mistake is easily made as God is so very gracious and lenient with those in the early stages of their Christian walk. We see this revealed in the love and graciousness given to a child learning to move from crawling to walking to maturity and the fear of the Lord that is wisdom. At every stage of the process, God holds us to account according to the lessons taught and learned, while drawing us on to greater heights in Christ in the process to becoming the mature sons of God the earth is longing to see come forth!

There is a higher and deeper life in God to which Has been wooing all His people, that is bound to a deep level of consecration and the fear of the Lord. In agreement with Him, as we press forward in obedience, the Lord draws the hungry soul deeper into the death experience of Galatians 2:20—ground zero for the greater and mightier things of His Glory, He has waiting for us.

Many have had the heart to see God take hold of our nations in revival, great awakening, and Glory! Yet God has not been in a hurry about this. He has been far more concerned with maturity, holiness, and purity of heart, as without holiness no one will see the Lord and it is the pure in heart who see God.

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled…” Hebrew 12:14-15

There is a new breed that has come forth, that has made the decision to leave the pack mentality seen in frivolous, compromised Christianity. They have drawn aside to God outside the camp—in ways that may seem unusual, strange, or even radical to some in their pursuit of God. These ones have pressed through the process, and in the steps of their Master have learned obedience by the things they have suffered. Hebrews 5:7-9 tells us that Jesus was heard because of His godly fear and:

“…though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” Hebrews 5:7-9

The Finishing

The Lord is the Author and the Finisher of our faith; God now has a prepared people who have crossed over the finishing line into an ordained season of Glory. A new breed of people is now marching in sync with the King of Glory; they carry an authority born of obedience, fortitude, and intimacy with the Lord. In a previous word the Lord recently brought to my attention, I wrote:

There is a clear pattern in scripture showing that when the work is finished, the Glory comes. Once Moses had finished the work of constructing the Tabernacle, the Glory of God filled it:

“So Moses finished the work. Then the cloud covered the meeting and the glory of God filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:33-34

It is quite astonishing and hard to grasp, that the unlimited, omniscient, transcendent, and eternal God, would possibly choose to take up residence within an earthly structure. However, God chose to place His Glory in the restricted space of the Tabernacle and the Temple of God, where His Presence was apparent and palpable. The Presence of the Lord was so thick that Moses himself was unable to enter.

“Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.” Exodus 40:35

This same pattern is seen in the building of Solomon’s Temple. Solomon followed every detail of the blueprint his father David received from the Lord. The scriptures record that God gave David specifications of the blueprint in writing, revealing that every detail of the work had to be according to the Lord. When it was finished, the priests brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Holy place… then the Glory came.

“When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.” 1 Kings 8:10-11

The Shekinah Glory of God filled Solomon’s Temple once the work had been completed, just as it had in the wilderness when the Tabernacle was completed. The Glory comes upon the finished work! This pattern is also seen in Ezekiel’s temple. After eight chapters of specifications for the building of the temple, the very last verse of this book declares over the Temple and the City: YAHWEH SHAMAH, “THE LORD IS THERE.” God crowns the finished work with His Glory and His Presence.

As born-again believers, we have become the Temple of God, and the pattern remains! Through the sanctification process, the Holy Spirit works to bring the Lord’s people to this place of maturity and completion. God’s plan has always been to complete us in His Glory as He has promised in His Word to take us from Glory to Glory.

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:22 NIV

The last phase of the work is the firing and the polishing of His saints as a Potter would a crafted vessel. The clay is fired in the kiln at 1728F, and the design and colors of the glaze are then brushed on bringing it forth, shining in the Light of God’s Glory as vessels indwelt in the fullness of His manifest Presence. There is a glorious army of many colors receiving their glaze and polishing, now moving out to fulfill their assignments. They are led by the Commander of the Armies of the LORD, poised to conquer and take the land of Promise with the SHOUT of the King among them.