1.16. Glory
Glory
We will not do a thorough word study of the various Hebrew and Greek words used to express what we in English call "glory." There are many studies on these words. These words center around concepts such as: weight, honor, valuable material things, divine presence, an opinion, estimate, high esteem, dignity, praise, worship, etc. We will not enter into a deeper study of "glory" than the above definitions.
Jesus Christ was said to be the express image of the invisible God.
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of Majesty in heaven" (Hebrews 1:1-3). The entire book of Hebrews is really a warning to Jews who were beginning to forsake the glorious latter day house by returning back to the former house consisting of outer appearances, rituals, and customs. In the above passage, the writer refers to his days as the "last days." The writer warned of severe consequences of going back to shadows of things to come. In 70 A.D. those shadowy things were completely destroyed by the Roman army. So the writer of Hebrews was telling us the very image of the shadow the Jews felt they were giving glory to had appeared. When Jesus began to focus on fully glorifying the True Father through His suffering on the tree, they began to abandon Him in droves. Even those closest to Him could not bear the weight of this "glory." From Gethsemane to the tree of crucifixion was a lonely walk indeed.
Why did the vast majority of the Jews forsake Jesus and return to the shadow? What was the shadow? The shadow was the "law." What is the "law"? When we look at the foundation of what came to be called the "Mosaic Law," it was really nothing more than a second hand word, an intermediary word. The Creator said He wanted to speak to them personally, but when they saw the mountain in thick black smoke they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die" (Exodus 20:18-19). When Jesus manifested as the word of the Creator, they again said, "We have Moses."
Moses speaks of written words, yesterday’s message, not living. Since he is dead, we can twist his words to say whatever we want them to say because he is not here to tell us the "spirit" behind the words. Religious man, whether he has just the Hebrew portion of the Bible or both the Greek and Hebrew portions never really wants the Creator around, who is a spirit. Religious man seeks revenge which he calls "justice." The true heart behind all of our Father’s words is love, mercy, grace. These things religious man, whether he is Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Moslem, Pentecostal, Kingdom, Charismatic, or whatever, really is not interested in except for himself. We want the Judge of all to judge us with mercy but give "an eye for an eye" to everyone else. When we look at the harsh strong words of rebuke which Jesus spoke, they were not directed to the same people to whom the religious leaders directed strong harsh words. Religious man, past or present, has directed the strong words of judgment towards those whom he deems a "sinner." This may mean breaking a set of laws, or not being in the right denomination, or being born on the wrong side of the tracks, or having the wrong color or lineage or such a simple thing as not having spoken the right set of words or being baptized a certain way. Religious man says we have "the law" and each sect has its own "law." Those who do not conform to these laws are sinners. When observing a religious person, one will observe they spend much of their time judging according to their laws which, of course, are also their God’s laws.
Now one would think that Jesus would be thankful and lavish much praise upon those who were the guardians of "God’s law," but made themselves the guardians of "yesterday’s word." "We have Moses!" was their reply to the Living Word. This is the very group to whom He spoke those harsh words. This is the very group that shut their ears and gnashed their teeth when they heard "the Father’s Words" coming through Jesus Christ. This group, according to Jesus, sat in Moses’ seat, a seat of judgment. He said this group was not willing to enter the kingdom and hindered others from entering into it. Religious man loves law and judgment which he equates to "justice." The heart of the Father is "love covers a multitude of sins." The law man asks, "how many times do I have to forgive before I can do away with him forever." The heart of the Father is "His mercy endures forever."
Jesus came to show how far the mercy of the Father goes. If ever there was a time for the Creator of the Universe to manifest "justice" which means "judgment" to the religious man, it was at the crucifixion of His Son. Jew and Gentile both were guilty of the greatest of sins, greater perhaps than all the sins of the world combined. If ever there was a moment in which no man would have found fault with the Creator if He blasted that entire group of people into eternal flames, this was the moment. Yet what were the words of the Almighty Himself through Jesus Christ who only spoke what He heard the father say? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Did the Father forgive them for the highest of sins in the entire universe? Many Christians still say no. Millions of Jews have been tortured, burned, maligned as Christ killers by the church.
How quick the church is to parrot the famous words of John and James who wanted to command fire to come upon the heads of the Samaritans because they refused to acknowledge Jesus Christ. We, Christians, are so quick to consign to flames those who have refused to yield to our disgraceful counterfeits we call the gospel.
Imagine this situation. Imagine the greatest evangelists of all time converging on your town, evangelists who personally knew Jesus Christ himself. Imagine these evangelists holding a revival at the local Baptist church. The advertising would read, "The world’s greatest evangelists." It would bring the entire town. They would preach their hearts out and then give the usual Roman Road close with the usual invitation to raise their hands while no one is looking. Those who secretly raised their hands would then be told they must now come up front. But no one comes forward. How often I have heard Christians consigning those who refuse their version of the gospel to everlasting punishment. They feel justified in consigning them there. They heard "the Gospel" and refused it. They had their chance. If they go to "hell" now, they deserve it! Have you ever seen this kind of response? I have seen it more times than I care to remember. But listen to the words of Him of Whom the Gospel is all about. Listen to His words dealing with this exact situation which occurred in the first century A.D. in Samaria. Jesus said to His disciples who wanted to destroy these men who refused their gospel, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s life but to save them" (Luke 9:55-56). Not much has changed in the last 2000 years. Jesus’ disciples did not know what manner of spirit they were of then, and neither do they know what manner of spirit they are of today. They still would rather bring down real coals of fire than use the coals of fire Jesus would have us use.
"Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14-21). The above passage reveals our Father’s vengeance and His Glory. One can justify their hatefulness, self-righteousness, religious pride all they want. The touchstone (test of their faith) is right here. Those who lack the patience of the Saints will always quickly turn the true coals of fire of overcoming evil with good into natural coals of fire meant to hurt and destroy men’s lives. How well we have rehearsed, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us." Do we really understand the magnitude of that statement? No, of all the denominations I have been a part of, none of them have seen the depth of that verse. We often take a measure of that verse for our personal sins, but most of us cannot or will not extend the depth of that verse to our enemies. The glory of the Creator will be seen when He will manifest what He has said a thousand times in the scriptures and yet we refuse to believe Him. His mercy will triumph over judgment. He will overcome all evil with good. His mercy will not end when your heart stops beating, nor will it end in the ages to come. It will not end at the supposed Great Judgment when all our enemies are expected to get what we think they should have coming to them, nor will it end if one ultimately "decides" not to "choose" Jesus. Salvation never was a choice, which requires effort, forethought, will, etc. We are born of the will of God, not of our own will (John 1:13). Salvation is a gift that will come upon all, even upon those too ignorant to know what it is or is not .. NO, His glory will be seen when we see that His love, even though we didn’t believe Him, will conquer all enemies. They will submit to Him not because He bent their necks into submission with vindictiveness and human wrath, but that He indeed had all time, power, and authority to bring about the circumstances to finally draw mankind unto Himself. He, Jesus Christ, glorified His Father by loving all His enemies enough to bring them all to the Father through His love manifested on the tree of crucifixion. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all mankind unto myself. This He said, signifying by what manner of death He would die." Did the Father not give into His hands all things (John 13:3; John 16:15)? Did Jesus not have all power and authority (John 17:2)? Was it not the Father’s desire or will to save all mankind (1 Timothy 2:3-4)? Was this not Jesus’ mission? To seek and find that which was lost (Luke 19:10)? Do you dare say that Divine Love will not accomplish that which He was sent forth to do?
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.
"I have manifested Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest me out of the world: Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given me are of Thee. For I have given unto them the words which Thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which Thou hast given Me; for they are Thine. And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine; and I am glorified in them" (John 17:1-10).
Jesus came but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 15:24). "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel". His body indwelled with the Holy Spirit is sent to the rest of the whole world. The scriptures declare, "He shall see the travail of his soul and be satisfied." Anyone, who has ever been touched by His love knows He will never be satisfied until He finds every single sheep that was ever lost in the world of religion, superstition, sin, selfishness, vanity, pride . . . no, He will only be satisfied when Perfect Love is complete.
I am reminded of a story J. Preston Eby tells in his book God is Love. It was a story of an incident which occurred in mid-nineteenth century Russia. A Russian nobleman accompanied by his faithful servant of many years was making his way home across the frozen steppes of Russia in a dogsled. They had traveled many, many miles across the barren wastes and were now but twenty miles or so from home, when the servant spied something which, indeed, brought great terror to their hearts. About a mile or two behind them they could make out the form of a huge pack of wolves that had scented them and was now descending upon them. They gave the reins to the dogs, cracked their whips, and shouted whatever the Russian equivalent of "mush" is. The dogs strained their muscles and tried to go faster. Yet, irresistibly, the wolf pack closed the gap until finally there were only a hundred or so yards behind them ... then only fifty ... then only ten ... then only five. Their eyes glowed like coals out of hell and their large yellow fangs were visible. The growling deep within their throats and the panting noises of their breathing, could be heard as they drew closer and closer. There was no hope; there was no place of escape. Suddenly, the servant threw himself off backward from the dogsled, with predictable results. The onrushing pack converged and stopped, tearing the servant to pieces while his master escaped. I thought to myself, "What a wonderful illustration of love!" but upon more mature reflection, I realized that it only vaguely glimpsed the real meaning of love. It hardly touched the fringe of its garment. Ah, it would have come closer if the nobleman had thrown himself off for the servant! "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4:10). In both the doctrine of eternal torment and the doctrine of annihilation is an element quite foreign to our Father’s plan of redemption, that of man’s choice. We forget so quickly that when our Father Abraham cut his covenant with the Maker of us all, he, Abraham, fell asleep. It has always been a one sided covenant. In the garden of Gethsemane, again, the faithful fell asleep. The arm of salvation is the Lord’s and none other. It is all of Him, including and especially the decision. He subjected creation to futility and He will restore it. And the glory of the latter house shall be greater than the glory of the former house.
It is time to put our pride away and give Him true worship and honor. "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it" (Psalms 127:1). We are His workmanship. How quickly we forget. He finds the lost sheep, and He loses none. Believe it, little lost sheep. Another love story taken from Eby’s God is Love will illustrate the point.
While reflecting upon the parental love of God, a story came to mind that I read some months ago. In this story a man who was entirely careless of spiritual things died and went to hell. And he was much missed on earth by his old friends. His business manager went down to the gates of hell to see if there were any chance of bringing him back. But, though he pleaded for the gates to be opened, the iron bars never yielded. His cricket captain went also and besought Satan to let him out for just the remainder of the season. But there was no response. His minister went also and argued, saying, "He was not altogether bad. Let him have another chance. Let him out just this once." Many other friends of his went also and pleaded with Satan saying, "Let him out, let him out, let him out." But when his mother came, she spoke no word of his release. Quietly, and with a strange catch in her voice, she said to Satan, "Let me in." And immediately the great doors swung open upon their hinges. For love goes down through the gates of hell and there redeems the damned! Our Father and God, incarnate in the Person of Jesus Christ, holds in His nail-pierced hand the keys to death and hell. O grave, where is thy victory? O gates of hell, thou shalt not prevail, for the Redeemer of Israel and the Savior of the world, the God who is LOVE, holds in His triumphant hand thy key! This is how the doctrine of eternal torment and the doctrine of annihilation will come to an end. There is no true victory in either teaching, not for The God Who is Love. In fact, it has already ended. Have you not heard, "It is finished!"
I ask you to prayerfully humble yourself and meditate with all earnestness on the following scripture. Pride will keep one out of this realm, so I encourage you to ask our Father to "destroy" your pride before you read this scripture.
"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:9-16).
I would like to point out an interesting observation regarding the teaching of the doctrine of "annihilation." The two leading denominations of the teaching, (Jehovah’s Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists) had their origins in the latter half of the nineteenth century. It was at this time evolution destroyed many people’s faith. Many denominations lost thousands of members. One of the principles of evolution is the possibility of matter being created apart from God. That everything came out of nothing. This principle made it easier for people to accept the doctrine of annihilation, which is a return to nothing, total destruction.
However, the scriptures are very clear that there is no thing that is not:
"out of Him, and through Him, and unto Him" (Romans 11:36). And again, "For by Him were created all that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist . . . For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross" (Colossians 1:16-20). And again, for a triple confirmation, "for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live" (1 Corinthians 8:6).
No, things do not come out of nothing, as evolutionists conclude, all things come out of God. Will He take a part of Himself and utterly destroy it or will all things return unto Him through Jesus Christ? Consider this very carefully as you read through the rest of this article.
Another point I would like you to consider is this: When we have a pet that becomes so ill that we feel it would be better to end it’s life, we say things like, "It would be best for the cat if we put it to sleep." While this may sound very humane, the fact is, we are killing the cat. Many who embrace the utter destruction of millions of human beings, use terms such as "Conditional Mortality" and "Eternal Death." They get uncomfortable when someone uses plain speech like, "God is going to annihilate, utterly destroy, ’nuke’ or disintegrate them." Why do they feel uncomfortable inside? Could it be their conscience telling them their doctrine is wrong? Could it be that dozens of scriptures pass through their minds like "love your enemies," and "love never fails," etc. And they find themselves repulsed by their own beliefs? You see, if annihilation is a true doctrine, then all the butchers of the world like Hitler begin to become justified by God’s actions. If God can burn to death His enemies, and we are made in His image, then Hitler was just conforming to the image of God. After all, the Jews were Hitler’s "enemies." When bloody Mary killed thousands of Protestants, it has been said her comment was something to the effect of, "I only do here on earth what my God will do to them in Heaven." Our concept of God will be acted out in our daily actions here on earth. Be very careful in formulating a concept (image) of God. You may become just like it. Now if your image of the Creator is One Who wants to, can, and will win all of His enemies through His love, then we will begin to conform to that image. Which image will make this world a better place to live in? I think the answer is obvious.
We must ask our Father to destroy "pride" in us because it is religious pride which makes us think we are receiving from the Holy Spirit when in fact we are receiving from the mind of man. Think the highest thought of the Creator, and that thought will fall short of His glory. Surely, annihilation and eternal torment fall very short of the glory of the All Powerful and Loving Father which He is. These teachings line up very nicely with the history of man ruling over man, don’t you think? That is truly the source of these monstrous doctrines, the carnal, vain, mind of man. It is full of all manner of unclean thoughts which will one day be consumed in the lake of fire.
Now read and study the following scriptures and allow your spirit to soar to heavenly heights as the Spirit of Truth guides you into the riches of His kingdom and His love for you, your family, your friends, and the enemies in your mind.
1. 1 Timothy 2:4 God will have all to be saved (KJV). Can His will be thwarted?
2. 1 Timothy 2:4 God desires all to come to the knowledge of truth. Will His desire come to pass?
3. 1 Timothy 2:6 Salvation of all is testified in due time. Are we judging God before due time?
4. John 12:47 Jesus came to save all. Will He succeed?
5. Ephesians 1:11 God works all after the counsel of His will. Can your will overcome His?
6. John 4:42 Jesus is Savior of the world. Can He be Savior of all without saving all?
7. 1 John 4:14 Jesus is Savior of the world. Why don’t we believe it?
8. John 12:32 Jesus will draw all mankind unto Himself. To roast or to love?
9. Colossians 1:16 By Him all were created. Will He lose a part of His creation?
10. Romans 5:15-21 In Adam all condemned, in Christ all live. The same all?
11. 1 Corinthians 15:22 In Adam all die, in Christ all live. Again, the same all?
12. Ephesians 1:10 All come into Him at the fullness of times. Are you getting tired of seeing the word "all"?
13. Php 2:9-11 Every tongue shall confess Jesus is Lord. Will the Holy Spirit be given to everyone?
14. 1 Corinthians 12:3 Cannot confess except by Holy Spirit. See what I mean?
15. Romans 11:26 All Israel will be saved. But most Jews don’t believe yet!
16. Acts 3:20-21 Restitution of all. How plain can you get?
17. Luke 2:10 Jesus will be joy to all people. Is there joy in "hell"?
18. Hebrews 8:11-12 All will know God. How long, O Lord?
19. Ephesians 2:7 His grace shown in the ages to come. Have we judged Him before the time?
20. Titus 2:11 Grace has appeared to all. Experientially to prophetically?
21. Romans 8:19-21 Creation set at liberty. How much of creation?
22. Colossians 1:20 All reconciled unto God. There’s that word "all" again.
23. 1 Corinthians 4:5 All will have praise of God. What for?
24. James 5:11 End of the Lord is full of mercy. Is "hell" mercy?
25. Revelation 15:4 All nations worship when God’s judgments are seen. Could His judgment be mercy?
26. Romans 11:32 All subject to unbelief, mercy on all. All?
27. Romans 11:36 All out of, through, and into Him. All into Him?
28. Ephesians 4:10 Jesus will fill all things. Including "hell"?
29. Revelation 5:13 All creation seen praising God. Including Satan?
30. 1 Corinthians 15:28 God will be all in all. What does that mean, preacher?
31. Revelation 21:4-5 No more tears, all things made new. "All" made new?
32. John 5:25 All dead who hear will live. How many will hear?
33. John 5:28 All in the grave will hear and come forth. How will the "righteous" judge, judge?
34. 1 Corinthians 3:15 All saved, so as by fire. How can fire save you?
35. Mark 9:49 Everyone shall be salted with fire. Including you?
36. Romans 11:15 Reconciliation of the world. Will fire save the world instead of destroy it?
37. 2 Corinthians 5:15 Jesus died for all. Did He die in vain?
38. John 8:29 Jesus always does what pleases His Father. What pleases the Father? (1 Timothy 2:4).
39. Hebrews 1:2 Jesus is Heir of all things. Does "things" include people?
40. John 3:35 All has been given into Jesus’ hands. Can you accept this?
41. John 17:2 Jesus gives eternal life to all that His Father gave Him. How many did the Father give Him?
42. John 3:35 The Father gave Him all things. Study the word "things" in the Greek.
43. 1 Timothy 4:9-11 Jesus is Savior of all! Can’t seem to get away from that word "all."
44. Hebrews 7:25 Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. How far is "uttermost"?
45. 1 Corinthians 15:26 Last enemy, death, will be destroyed. Including "lake of fire" which is "second death"?
46. Isaiah 46:10 God will do all His pleasure. Does Old Testament agree with the New?
47. Genesis 18:18 All families of the earth will be blessed. Here comes that word "all" again.
48. Daniel 4:35 God’s will done in heaven and earth. What can defeat His will?
49. Psalms 66:3-4 Enemies will submit to God. Can any stay rebellious in "hell"?
50. Psalms 90:3 God turns man to destruction, then says return. How can one return from "destruction"?
51. Isaiah 25:7 Will destroy veil spread over all nations. All nations?
52. Deuteronomy 32:39 He kills and makes alive. Kills to bring life?
53. Psalms 33:15 God fashions all hearts. "All" hearts, including men like "Hitler"?
54. Proverbs 16:9 Man devises, God directs his steps. What about "free will"?
55. Proverbs 19:21 Man devises, but God’s counsel stands. So much for "free will."
56. Lamentations 3:31-32 God will not cast off forever. Why does He cast off in the first place? (I Cor 11).
57. Isaiah 2:2 All nations shall flow to the Lord’s house. "All" nations?
58. Psalms 86:9 All nations will worship Him. "All" nations!
59. Isaiah 45:23 All descendants of Israel justified. Including the wicked ones?
60. Psalms 138:4 All kings will praise God. Are you catching on?
61. Psalms 65:2-4 All flesh will come to God. That sounds wondrous.
62. Psalms 72:18 God only does wondrous things. I wish we would believe that.
63. Isaiah 19:21-23 Egypt and Assyria will be restored. Really?
64. Ezekiel 16:55 Sodom will be restored to former estate. Sounds impossible.
65. Jeremiah 32:17 Nothing is too difficult for Him. Nothing? No, nothing!
66. Psalms 22:27 All ends of the earth will turn to Him. For what purpose?
67. Psalms 22:27 All families will worship before Him. Praise His name!
68. Psalms 145:9 He is good to all. Including your worst enemies.
69. Psalms 145:9 His mercies are over all his works. Let’s start believing that.
70. Psalms 145:14 He raises all who fall. Who hasn’t fallen in sin?
71. Psalms 145:10 All His works will praise Him. For "eternal torment"?
72. Isaiah 25:6 Lord makes a feast for all people. And you are invited.
73. Jeremiah 32:35 Never entered His mind to torture his children with fire. This came from the carnal mind.
74. John 6:44 No one can come to Him unless He draws them. You can’t "choose" to follow Him.
75. John 12:32 I will draw all mankind unto Myself. Amen!!!
76. Psalms 135:6 God does what pleases Him. If it pleases Him to save all that He might be in all, are you upset? The death of living for sin, error, missing the mark, is the second death, the death of deathly living which was inherited from Adam. The glory of our lives living in Adam, in our sinful nature, falls far short of the Glory of living in a sinless life, no error, hitting the mark. The Glory of the Latter House will be far greater than the glory of the former house, not only in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality. The covering that Adam had was far from the Glory that Jesus has. Jesus’ covering is our True covering. "In Him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).
If we do not put off the flesh, the Sword in His mouth will cut us in half and as with the animals Abram offered, the fire of the Almighty will consume it. The law of death in our members will be utterly destroyed, but we live, as a result of the second death, the death to death. The fiery Word of God will eventually find us out and we will finally live to bring true glory to our Wonderful, Awesome, and Loving Father through our Life in Jesus Christ, His Son.
"Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as you have given Him" (John 17:1-2).
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true god, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth, I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.
"And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was" (John 17:3-5).
"The Father loves the Son and has put everything in His Hands" (John 3:35, NIV). The Father and the Son have Glorified One another. Can we give them more glory than "eternal torture" and "eternal death"? Jesus came to destroy death. His last enemy is death. To be carnally minded is death. Pray for the death of your death, that you might see and live in the glorious liberty of the sons of God. This is your inheritance. We may partake of our aionian life today. Believe, and watch the grave stone roll off the mind of death . . . the carnal mind which prevents one from truly bringing glory to our Father.
"As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctified Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me" (John 17:18-23).
"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:4-6). Are we abiding in Him, or in our works? What is death? Death is anything that we do that does not come from abiding in Him. We were created unto good works prepared for us in Him. If we draw from that well and manifest it in the world, we are alive to Christ and dead to the flesh (self works). But if we are building religious kingdoms, no matter how small, we are drawing our glory from the earthy which is death. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Righteousness, Peace, and Joy, in the Holy Spirit. Gifts, fruit of the Spirit, good works that do not produce pride and self-righteousness. A servant’s heart that does not grumble. Do you know these things? Rivers of living waters flowing out of our bellies. If this all sounds foreign to you, then come to the fire. He will cleanse you of all death, dead works which are so wearisome. Take His yoke upon you, for His burden is light and His yoke is easy and enter into His labors that you may find rest for your soul. Let His Word divide your heart into soul and spirit. Then let the All-consuming Fire of the Father and Son, the smoking furnace and the burning lamp consume all that is not of Them, that you might live in the realm of true Glory.
Tentmaker
118 Walnut Hermann, MO 65041 www.tentmaker.org