THE INCOMPREHENSIBLE GLORY OF THE MOST HIGH GOD

   
     When we speak of the ways people worship the creature rather than the Creator they are looking at an object through which God’s glory was coming, and, instead of giving God the credit for it, they worshiped that animal or tree or man as if the beauty it possessed originated from within itself. This is the very heart of idolatry and is a very common occurrence. Everyone who has ever lived has committed this error at one time or another. We have all “exchanged” the glory of God in favor of the “glory of man. This is the mistake many people continue to make: trusting in earthly things, earthly relationships, their own powers or talents or beauty, or the goodness they see in others. But when these things fade and fail as they will inevitably do (being only temporary carriers of the greater glory) people despair. "What we all need to realize is that God’s glory is constant, and as we journey through life we will see it manifest here and there, in this person or that forest, or in a story of love or heroism, fiction or non-fiction, or our own personal lives. But it all goes back to God in the end. And the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will find the very source of all beauty in Him, in heaven, if we are in Christ. Nothing will be lost to us. All those things that faded in life we will find again in Him."-JP

       There are angels right now giving glory to God in the highest with veiled faces, the glory of God is supernaturally overwhelming to the degree that God granted them wings in order to obscure their faces from the radiant splendor of the most high. Now if the seraphim on high who have six wings, two of them for covering their faces from shining perfection, how much more are we to revere such a powerful Deity? When Isaiah who penned the most compelling prophesy regarding the coming of the savior found himself entering the presence of the most high, he was overwhelmed with his own inadequacy and shamefulness. Covered in sin from head to toe, it was like stumbling into the presence of a power altogether mind numbing in essence. But God encouraged the prophet by a symbolical action of the seraph. The live coals on the alter representing the atoning sacrifice of Christ was pressed on his lips assuring pardon for his unclean nature through the coming atonement of the messiah. Isaiah's unfitness for the office as well as his personal sin were removed. We're all getting a picture here for events detailing the coming of Jesus. According to ancient Jewish custom, the high priest was to enter the holy of holy's (the very presence of the most high God ) once a year; now he was to have a rope attached the ankle so as to drag him out in case he was struck dead by God. If the high priest did not observe the greatest degree of precautions. God would look on him with anger and strike him down immediately. God had to not look at the high priest himself but the perfect atonement of the blood of the lamb he was spilling in front of him so he could overlook the sin and picture the coming propitiation of his own dearly beloved son spilled for him.  Now many of us could wonder why? Doesn't this seem a bit harsh? But God does not take his own holiness or glory lightly, this is a big deal. "Yet even the archangel Micheal while disputing with the devil did not dare condemn him for slander but said 'the Lord rebuke you'. Yet people slander whatever they do not understand and the very things they do understand by instinct -as irrational animals- will destroy them" (Jude 1:9-10).

         Now Jesus took on the wrath of God fully for us; the depth of his suffering spiritually, physically and mentally is appalling, placing on himself the wrath of his beloved father in whom He had a fellowship and bond with to a closer degree than sexual union, which is in itself a picturesque representation on the closeness of the trinity. It is incomprehensible then as to the degree he had to suffer so that we may now go boldly before the throne and unlike the high priest fearful for his very life, in relief now of the sacrifice made for us. Now we can approach the throne covered in Jesus atoning  blood with him at this very moment interceding for us on our behalf. He is physically right now at the right hand of God wearing the garment of our humanity pleading before the father on our behalf "Don't hold him/her guilty for that, I paid for it!" What an amazing reassurance. The process of prayer is a 3 step process: we pray through the the spirit to the father through Jesus who is the inter-mediator fusing the aura of holy connection through his very blood-flow. 

      Now Moses desired to look upon the glory of God's face on the mountain, but God could not fully reveal himself to him. The reason is that He was a being so incomprehensibly powerful and majestic the mere sight of Him would kill Moses on the spot. Thus Moses merely saw the entrails of the aura left over after the passing of God, which was still glorious enough to set his face aglow baffling the idol worshipers as he came down. Witness to the idolatry before him he was emotionally torn asunder and crushed the tablet of the ten commandments. You see an encounter with God changes you. When you are witness to his glory even the tail end of his hind-trails it baffles a man with inescapable awe. "We were eyewitnesses of his majesty" The apostle John writes

     Jesus by being indwelt with the holy spirit and conceived through the holy spirit had no sin, thus Satans tactics toward him could not be from the inside (internalized thoughts, impulses) only on the outside, though he could place idea's in his apostles heads: (eg.) Peter, who proclaimed his Lord would never die suffer such a barbarous death as crucifixion "Get behind me Satan" was his rebuke. Judas also was diabolically manipulated during the Passover. Jesus said "Have I not chosen the 12 and yet one of you is the devil?" You see Satan kept trying to make attempts at God but he could only use the tools available to him by the fallibleness of our own sinful inclinations. We by our nature, being born into this world through the seed of Adam do have sin which the holy spirit inside us is continually convicting us and changing us therein from the inside.

      Now one day we will all come before his throne. We are either going to be repulsed or enthralled, if we are covered with God's goodness we will be enthralled with his glory, without the reborn nature of the spirit, we cannot be enthralled.  I'm telling you this. Please do not be unprepared accept "JESUS" He truly is the only way and his love is unfathomable deep and wide and far reaching. Throughout the old testament there are countless metaphors involving the sacrificing of one's "firstborn" and only son. He who sacrificed his only son and rendered him to death for us: How much more will God the father graciously grant us who ask with a right spirit not for worldly gain put for contentment right now and new spiritual eyes to see the truth. 

    Now in reference to a miracle of the synagogue demonic, I wanted to touch on another subject "there is a question regarding the presence of a demonic in the synagogue. How did he get there? Evidently, although possessed of an unclean spirit he was not excluded from the public worship of God. Possibly it was not well known he was demon-possessed until the resident demon became conscious he was in the presence of one stronger than the evil kingdom to which he belonged" -HL  and with this instinct consciousness cried out in revulsion over the presence he had just entered. Christ often encountered demoniacs in the outside world but that they should intrude into the very presence of God was extraordinary. The demon was considered "unclean". Now history repeats itself and all sorts of unclean doctrine has gone out into the world today lending for demonic intervention. "When, in buildings erected for the preaching of the inspired, infallible scriptures, preachers discredit the reliability of the bible, repudiate the miracles, flout the virgin birth, the atoning blood and even the physical resurrection of Christ, what are they with all their education and polish but demons in the synagogues" -HL Remember that all demons were seeds of the fallen angels who worshiped in the presence of Christ in the dateless past. They could not be silent on this, they knew who this was, while the thronging crowds gathered around him in wonder, the demons were repulsed by the splendor of his glory, "what have we with you Jesus of Nazareth" they would cry, for what fellowship has light with darkness? Between Christ and the devil there can be no affinity but rather the deepest moral antagonism.

      "The heavens are telling the glory of God" (Psalm 19:1) , What does that mean? It means he is shouting at us. He shouts with clouds. He shouts with blue expanse. He shouts with gold on the horizons. He shouts with galaxies and stars. He is shouting. I am glorious. Open your eyes. It is like this only better if you know me.

        He himself stooped lower than the angels, taking on our humanity as a bondservant with no rights so we might be lifted up and be glorified with him to even above the angels for his great glory and our greatest joy

    "Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?” (1 Cor 6:2-3)

ALL ABOUT GOD THROUGH JESUS

       "Jesus was the mind of God thinking out to man. The heart of God throbbing love out to mans heart, The face of God looking into mans face, The voice of God speaking into mans ears. The hand of God strong and tender, reaching down to take mans hand." -S.D. Gordon

        The eternal son of God before time began did not just join himself to some human being, but through an inception by the work of the holy spirit, he could be born without a sin nature, thus becoming the God-man, fully fused Godly nature visible in human form, with its fleshly limitations, thus He was the only human ever to walk this planet having the ability to take away sin. If he was born of Josephs seed He would have inherited a sin nature, but he was miraculously conceived by the holy spirit giving vindication to his duality of being God and man. It must be noted Jesus did not lay aside the 'essence' of God but merely the 'form'."Whoever met Him in the days of his flesh met God's son in human dress" -Herbert Lockyer. What form God the father, the holy spirit or even that of the son of God (before the incarnation) eternally possessed is one of the unanswered questions that only our entrance into their very presence will reveal. True faith recognizes Him as the only begotten son coming from God the Father.  C.S. Lewis has an enlightening interpretation on the word "We don't use the words begetting or begotten much in modern English, but everyone still knows what they mean. To beget is to become the father of: to create is to make. And the difference is this. When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. A man begets human babies, a beaver begets little beavers and a bird begets eggs which turn into little birds. But when you make, you make something of a different kind from yourself. A bird makes a nest, a beaver builds a dam, a man makes a wireless set—or he may make something more like himself than a wireless set: say, a statue. If he is a clever enough carver he may make a statue which is very like a man indeed. But, of course, it is not a real man; it only looks like one. It cannot breathe or think. It is not alive. Now that is the first thing to get clear. What God begets is God; just as what man begets is man. What God creates is not God, just as what man creates is not man." 

     God's will toward men was indeed goodwill and fully revealed when the son of the highest left the heavens and divesting himself of his garment of light, clothed himself in human form. He inspired the angels to render the skies with their song of praise. The marvel is-----our humanity is the very robe our redeemer still wears in heaven, with nail scarred hands and pierced side rending his battle scars of victory on full everlasting display. Through his grace and selfless sacrifice all who now believe in him take in essence part of his very nature and partakers of his divine nature. His work in saving sinners, defeating the devil and abolishing sin gives rise to a new revenue of glory for God. Thus by praising God be like those celestial hosts who leaving their station before the throne of God and speeding downwards from star to star hovered over the stable in fixed adoration of their king of glory, who dwells in everlasting light, now divinely abiding within helpless babe. The host was in anticipation of the triumphs he was about to win, men saved, death destroyed, the devil vanquished, creation redeemed gave vent to an overflowing effluent praise "Glory to God in the highest" on earth peace on earth, goodwill toward men. Notice here the angels sing "in the highest" as opposed to "in the heavens" The highest place is where God stooped down in order to save mans helpless race. Many of today's events can be described of as "ill-will towards men". Among the teeming millions few have any desire to re-echo the first line of the angels song. Lands like Russia and China heir teeming thousands of million of souls have all but put God out with their implantation of atheistic communism and its brutal mechanisms of mass destruction and violence, all in the pursuit of one goal, 'power'. "Throughout the rest of the world, particularly in so-called  'Christian' nations, there is a practical assumption, that if there is a God, He is far removed from our human life; that one may live without reference to him, for the needs of life, that actually He is not required. Such pagan secularism contends that 'Christianity' . with its pre-eminent basic concept of glorifying God in the highest, is one fore monks and nuns to adopt in their monastic life" -HL. The angels who sang the message from heaven of "goodwill" toward men" must sob as they look down on wreckage of godless human society which is primarily comprised of "ill-will towards men".

   Satan seethed at God himself "My loving king, if you judge me for my crimes, my insubordination how then do you allow mankind to get away with this gross act of highest treason?, they all like me have turned away and despised you" No general act of amnesty would pardon the guilty, but only in God punishing their acts on himself. The angels had sinned not, punishing a pure angel would not display the full depth of God's love as an angel was not a representation of God who by definition is "Love". The very position of one Satan avowed to have would have to take the sword, the one who had none no wrong, would have to be the propitiation for all wrongs. If God did not plunge the sword into his dearly beloved son then God's nature of deep compassion could never be fully understood. 

    Satans first tempation to Jesus came in the way of turning stones to bread "If thou art The christ, turn these rocks to bread" Yet Jesus never performed miracles for his own need but strictly for the needs of others, by trusting God's care and not the pangs of hunger from his humanity Satan was rebuffed. Lucifer had the whole world duped under the power of his deceptive guises, but yet He never cared about them, only that the power and praise they brought him was not enough, as with monetary gain, it's never enough, Satan only knew that the son of god was not worshiping him. That vehement antagonist of old knew Jesus incarnate was no old foe. The offer made by the tempter rested upon the apparent evidence of the worlds history. The rulers, the Herods, and its caesars seemed to have obtained their eminence by trampling the laws of God underfoot and accepting 'evil' in the Lord and current master of the world, this temptation was to the love of power, the same one Satan fell the hardest for. Under the guise of a transformed beautiful creature of light and displaying the power under his name, Satan was crushed when Jesus denied him his offer of it all if only He would worship him. You see the second temptation came with a pitch to fall down from the temple, trough this testing Jesus had to be persuaded 10,000 angels would inhibit him from harm. Thus outward displays would surely shock and marvel the Jewish people into worship of him. But these 'outward' acts  through supernatural means alluding to selfish gain were yet again weapons of the devil. 

   "The Incarnation then and all that was accomplished by it became the foundation for the church Jesus said he would build and build in such a way that the gates of hell or powers of darkness would never be able to prevail against it. We distinguish between the visible organization and the invisible organism. One can be a member of a church--a building or a group known as such--yet not be a member of the unseen church which is his body. The gates of hell have certainly prevailed against the church as a visible and in many cases a human developed organization, hence so many branches of the church, contrary in belief and practice. Even today 'churchianity' is by 'schisms' rent asunder. But against 'THE church' He would build, no subtle Satanic force could prevail." -Herbert Lockyer

   It is important to notice that when Jesus said he would build his church on peter himself but the words he confessed, Jesus asked his opinion on what the apostle thought of his life and claims after much diversity of opinion regarding his identity, some say he was Elijah come back to life, still others that he was the devil of hell himself, regardless of the mass of swirling controversy and opinions his mighty works of power and supernatural acts were undeniable. Jesus said he would build His church on the grounds of faith into a living breathing organism that is moving to this day through souls confessing by faith the word of God is true and pure so that he might bring a church into being. the church is nearly finished. Peters initials can be found near the bottom of the masses of compiled souls attached to the Rock that is Jesus. Based on the current world events the roof is nearly put on and soon it will be completed, the souls that are leading others astray, those wolfs in sheep's clothing will be pried off the spiritual edifice and removed. When the roof is finished Jesus will return presenting himself as to his glorious bride."There is presently a groundswell across America--as in many other parts of the world--in which people are meeting in small groups, in homes during the week rediscovering the bible and enjoying a more intimate fellowship than they find in Sunday church. This is especially true of many young people to whom 'Sunday Church' is a spectacular sport and who seek more personal participation and accountability. After all this is where it all began: 12 guys along the seashore with their Teacher. All the remarkable episodes of the early church in the book of Acts occurred in homes. It wasn't until the fourth century that edifices began to be erected." -Thomas Horn

    In summary religion cannot save you, as God came to abolish it's ordinance and broke down the wall of hostility based on our inability or desire to follow it by the stripes of punishment directed at his own son. The great news is the gift is now a free one if only for those who will be so willing to accept it. As  Paul once realized it was painful to 'kick the goads' to fight against God's compelling power was a profit venture indeed and the once zealous Paul was changed; after gazing upon Stephens peaceful face must have had a profound affect upon him, for the grace and humility one could accept death in the face of such ardent hatred. "the lighting of Damascus struck no empty void but found plenty of inflammable material in Paul's soul. Thus with reasonable certainty it must be affirmed that the tremendous radical transformation he experienced and which came to be described as God pleased to reveal his Son to him was not without considerable preparation on the part of heaven" -HL

       '"The whisperings of that pleading voice he had heard in the past now rolls through the hollow chamber of his inmost being and demands a reason for his persistent animosity"

Jeus in the tempest

    The first step is always realizing you have a problem, spiritually, emotionally, physically or physiologically. Once you're aware of your weakness you can make it the focal point in order to improve your condition and eventually find a possible solution. The reason Jesus was able to help the sick, maimed and the poor was due directly to the fact they were all aware they had a problem! And that was the first step in the process. They that are sick will pursue a physician. Knowledge, money and power puffs up, enabling us to grow immune to the real problem, which is buried under many layers of lies, self-entitlement and transparent refusal. The spiritual is always at the root. We like to blame God for the problems in the world, for allowing the sickness, pain and heartache to exist without realizing the primary cause of all of these hostile rebel forces, that they are all controlled by a very powerful source who has origins rooted in selfishness and greed. The very nature of sin is to blame God without looking inward and seeing your own actions which in our our own lives and throughout history produce a self perpetuating series of negative and harmful results.

   To 'rebuke' was Jesus favorite formula for curing all ails. When the Lord spoke to the angry elements that night in a raging sea He used the same words He used to heal chronic illness and  exorcise demonic forces it was "be muzzled" or in other words to "be still" or gagged as translated in the Greek. It would thus appear he spoke not to a mere force of nature but to a figure in and behind the force. As though to a maniac to be gagged. I would be willing to bet there was a sinister personality engineering that storm, alluding to Satan the author of all disorders alike in the physical and spiritual realms. More studies on the waters of the earth holding deposed evil spirits when Satan rebelled could be found, but that leads to a whole new rabbit trail of speculation. If we accept this interpretation then it is not difficult to associate the raging tempest with the Devil, whose avowed hatred for Jesus was behind his every attempt to kill him. Basically the point I am getting at is Satan and forces of darkness as well as our own sin nature are the primary reasons for all ailments in the world, we want to be our own "gods" and by that very effect we are reaping the results of that decision. Some believe the devils biggest lie was convincing the world he didn't exist but I say the devils biggest lie was making us believe are free while forcing us to put the shackles of enslavement on. Jesus spoke more on hell than heaven. Jesus merely said "abide in me" I am the vine. He left no doubt, speaking entirely in absolutes. It wasn't a matter of opinion or injustice on God's part or ours, It was as simple as stating the laws of physics, an objective reality. If only we could have the spiritual insight to see it.  Like planting a 'kapok' tree in the sahara and expecting it to flourish, would be a crude yet understandable model of us not attached to the vine in whose roots provide everlasting and refreshing nourishment for us. The result of planting that tree in the dessert is it will die, and not only will it die it will not even begin to germinate. God is not unjust, human nature  as a whole refuses to be rooted to the source of all knowledge and joy and instead embrace the curse and its subsequent pangs and heartache.

   In reference to the Miracle of the stilling of the tempest I would like to make another comparison. After preaching to the crowd all day Jesus was exhausted, his disciples made hast to get him away for a season. "Never did a ship carry a more precious burden than that one. What a wonderful mingling of deity and humanity we have in this exhibition of supernatural power! Because of the limitations of his humanity he who now neither slumbers nor sleeps had need of rest". Due to his need his disciples never disturbed him. yet for the fishermen the danger was very real and they were afraid for themselves and their divine passenger. However he could sleep easily due to his perfect trust in his Fathers care. Yet we have his awakening with the cry of his distraught disciple "Master save us! We persish" His only instrument of power was his word however. "Is this miracle not related to the disorder, disharmony and confusion of nature in which Christ alone is the queller?" After silencing the chaos and mugging the discord of their naturalistic afflictions he turns and chastises the followers for their lack of faith, yet they were not entirely without faith they knew of  his supernatural powers, yet they failed to believe that sleeping or waking made no difference to him, they should have known no storm tossed ship could possibly sink with him on board. The Titanic was deemed unsinkable by many before it set sail and met it's tragic fate through an iceberg, here nature did destroy a vessel much larger than the one Jesus was occupying, however "pride cometh before a fall" and human arrogance as been germ behind all the tragedy and ailments of our current lives now, regenerating time and again now and throughout history. The raging sea is ever an illustration of the restlessness of sin within our own hearts, never satisfied unless quenched by the voice of he who made all things. The word itself when read speaks order into our chaos, spiritual substance into the madness, and never ending disorder of our lives. The wind is the blast of persecution. The blast of wind only allows the roots to burrow deeper. The tempest driven boat is the church of christ as it sails across the ocean of the worlds history to the "other side" of life beyond the grave. As Noah and his family the kernel of the whole of humanity once contained in the ark tossed on the waters of the deluge, so the kernel of the new humanity, the new creation,  christ and his apostles in this little ship, the waves of the world rage against it, yet never prevail in it, because christ is in it..

   Is Jesus in your boat? Without it you may well be in the Titanic right now, crossing the Atlantic full of pompous self assertion, surrounded by wealth and materialistic possessions, yet how many of those wealthy people could be saved by their wealth when the ship began to sink beneath the watery depths? There is one name alone who can bring order to the chaos and through that name alone He speaks order to our tempestuous waves of physical, mental and emotional instability.