The Effects of Seeing the Glory of God by David Wilkerson

I sent this email to our Philnavstaff:

If I am not mistaken, I remember Tsip Wency saying that God-focused prayer is nothing but disciplemaking. It is helping someone love Jesus deeper, as he intentionally spends time with Him with other like-hearted and like-minded believers. So then we can safely say that Disciplemaking is nothing but bringing someone to the express image of the Father, who is Jesus our Lord. As the author said, " God wrapped up everything of his nature and character in Jesus. And any revelation of his glory to us now is meant to change us into an expression of Christ!"

In the light of the fact that we are facing perilous days ahead, growing in our intimacy with Jesus will prepare us.

As we intentionally spend time with God, say 30minutes of solitude and silence with God, (I am not referrring only to reading the Bible and doing our devotional journaling) but entering into His Presence in the morning and in the evening, and increasing the time spent regularly, as the Lord allows it, He will, in his own way reveal Himself in Jesus.

Then He is able to build us up, equipped for the perilous days ahead.

This is a MUST read as well.

Kim
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The Effects of Seeing The Glory of God!

By David Wilkerson
June 21, 1999
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Scripture makes clear that it's possible for every true follower of Jesus to see and understand the glory of God. Indeed, our Lord reveals his glory to all who ask and seek for it diligently. Moreover, I believe the revelation of God's glory will equip his people for the perilous days ahead. Paul states that this revelation "...is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).

Contrary to some Christians' thinking, the glory of God is not a physical manifestation of some kind. It's not an ecstatic feeling that overcomes you. Nor is it a kind of supernatural aura or angelic light that bursts forth. Simply put, God's glory is a revelation of his nature and attributes!

The Lord himself defines his glory this way in scripture. Therefore, when we pray, "Lord, show me your glory," we're actually praying, "Father, reveal to me who you are." And if the Lord does give us a revelation of his glory, it's a revelation of how he wants to be known by us.

Moses' experience with the glory of God demonstrates this truth. The Lord sent Moses to deliver Israel without giving him a full revelation of who the God of Israel was. The Lord merely told him, "Go, and say I AM sent you." But he gave no explanation of who "I AM" was.

I believe this is why Moses cried, "[Lord]...I beseech thee, shew me thy glory" (Exodus 33:18). Moses had a gnawing hunger and thirst to know who the great I AM was -- to know what his nature and character were all about.

And the Lord answered Moses' prayer. First, he instructed Moses to hide himself in the cleft of a rock. Yet, as Moses waited for the glory of God to appear, he saw no thunder, no lightning, no shaking of the earth. Rather, God's glory came to him in a simple revelation:

"The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." (Exodus 34:6-7).

Now, God only reveals his power or glory with a purpose in mind. So, what was his purpose here? It certainly wasn't to give Moses a moment of ecstasy. And it wasn't to give him a legacy, something he could tell his children and grandchildren about.

No -- God allowed Moses to see his glory so that he might be changed by the sight of it! And the same is true for us today. God reveals his glory to us so that, by seeing it, we might be changed into his very own image!

Today, Jesus Christ is the express image of who God is. When our Lord became flesh, it was as a full revelation of the heavenly father's mercy, grace, goodness and readiness to forgive. God wrapped up everything of his nature and character in Jesus. And any revelation of his glory to us now is meant to change us into an expression of Christ!

The apostle Paul understood well the purpose and effect of seeing the glory of God. He saw it as power to change the beholder -- to revolutionize the life of every follower of Christ. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass [mirror] the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Paul is telling us, "Once you get this revelation of God's glory -- of his love, mercy, grace, long-suffering and readiness to forgive -- the Holy Spirit will continually open your eyes to more of these aspects of his nature and character. You'll have an ever-increasing revelation of God, in the way he wants to be known to you!"

Paul then says in an even stronger tone: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints" (Ephesians 1:17-18).

Beloved, God wants to tell us, "Moses understood my glory, and now I want you to understand it. I want to open your eyes by my Spirit to show you who I am. I'm not just a God of wrath and judgment. My nature is love!"

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God" (3:17-19).

Paul is telling us, "Let this revelation of God's glory become so real to you that you become rooted and grounded in it. Keep seeking it, studying it, claiming it, appropriating it in your life -- until the vision of Christ's glory bursts forth in you! As you remain in the word, seeking the revelation of his glory, you'll be changed. And you'll keep changing, from glory to glory!"
"Unto him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ..." (verse 21).