GRACE BLOGS COLLECTION
On his way to the Cross, Jesus took three of his closest followers with him onto a mountain where he was transfigured. (Metamorphosis comes from this word.) His glory was evident as he was clothed with unspeakable bright light. He was on his way to be treated as a criminal and a moral scourge. The disciples needed to know his true nature.
Moses and Elijah were also present. These heroes of the Law and Prophets made the event even more dramatic. Peter was moved to do something significant. He suggested they build a tent for each of those three great men, but his ignorance was exposed. Moses and Elijah were important but they were not on the same level as Jesus. He in fact was the fulfillment of both the Law and the Prophets. He alone stands at the center of God's universe.
His physical body was the tent he lived in while on earth, and now His people serve as his temple.
Until we see him for who he is, we, like Peter, will be trying to fit Jesus into our own stories of reality. Yes, he played with the little children, but he was not childish. He humbled himself, but he was not weak. He was crucified but no one took his life.
He stands uncontested as the Lord of life and death. We don't have to try to make him relevant, by reducing him to the level of other religious leaders. We don't have to make him acceptable by defining him as a social worker and avoiding talk of his blood. He is the Lord of creation and redemption. He is the judge of all men. He will sum up all things in heaven and earth in himself.
He brings all things together that sin separated. He takes sin upon himself and absorbs its wrath so that we can take his righteousness and enjoy God's eternal favor. He doesn't need a man-made tent for us to have a God we can be close to. His physical body was the tent he lived in while on earth, and now his people serve as his temple that is universally accessible to all people -- without distinction.
Later in the biblical story, we see his glory being revealed in even greater measure as he lays his life down for us. This is the mystery that baffles the secularists. It is the majesty that angels long to behold. It is the day of the Lord when righteousness is vindicated and wickedness is forever judged. It is the reason that Paul the apostle chose to make all his preaching revolve around the Cross of Christ.
The vision is available for you now! Look to him. Look at him. He is beyond the treasured Law of Moses. He is the fulfillment of the great promises of the prophets. The angels adore him. The demons run from him. Death and Hell lose their threat in his presence. A vision of him will tranquilize the mind, pacify the conscience, purify the heart and transform the character.
Seeing him in his glory will prepare us for the days of trial. Don't get so busy building him a place in your culture that you miss seeing him in his glory.
As I was laying in bed last night I began to meditate on the truth that Our God Reigns. I woke up again at 2:30 am this morning with the same phrase on my heart so I got up and began looking up scriptures.
Friends in Christ, I believe this is our time to shine like never before. We’re up to bat and together we need to hit a grand slam for the Kingdom of God. To accomplish this, it’s going to be critical that we keep our minds extremely focused on the Word of God instead of the news of the world.
We’re here, for such a time as this, to carry out the plan of God here on earth. We know it’s His will that we blanket the entire planet with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here’s how we know this.
2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
We are here for God’s purpose. It’s all about Him. It’s all for His glory.
Thankfully, because of His matchless grace, God has invited us in on this amazing adventure. It’s such an exciting time to be alive!
We have the privilege of maintaining a very close connection with our Heavenly Father, with our Savior Jesus Christ and with our awesome helper, the Holy Spirit.
We’re up to bat, but we will only be able to accomplish what we need to accomplish from a place of close communion with our triune God! As we do, the Holy Spirit will work in us and through us to carry out God’s plan. Our God Reigns!
I believe these powerful scriptures will bring you great hope, as they did me.
Psalm 47:8
God reigns over the nations
God sits on the throne
Exodus 15:18
“The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”
(NASB)
Daniel 4:34
“But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
(NASB)
Psalm 93:1
The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty;
The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.
(NASB)
Psalm 146:10
The Lord will reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!
(NASB)
1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. (NASB)
1 Peter 5:6-11
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.
In His kindness God called you to share in His eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power to Him forever! Amen. (NLT)
Revelation 12:10-11
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. (NASB)
If you have not yet made Jesus your Savior and received the wonderful joy that His finished work on the cross has provided for you to live in, please visit my page here titled Jesus In The Driver’s Seat. On this page I explain the good news of the gospel and you will have the opportunity to pray a prayer of salvation, making Jesus your Savior! Jesus loves you and His arms are wide open!
Sandra McCollom
