GOODNESS AND GLORY
Monday – August 26, 2019, Av 25, 5779
Greetings my dear partners and friends of this Ministry and this blog and welcome back to our Bible Study of the Book of John. If you are reading this on Facebook, please take a moment to hit the “love” and “share” buttons to provide feedback to us and to further the spread of the Truth. God is so good, and He is nothing but good. The carnage we see in our own lives and in the world around us is the result of our choices. God is continually presenting us with the blessing and the devil with the curse and we choose. I keep hearing that God is in control. One has to ask what is He controlling? When we humble ourselves and give God control, He will take control. We always have a part and God stands by until we have done our part. Many times, our part is the proper alignment of our thoughts and words with Him. Another part of that is that we have to be diligent in our studies developing the right thoughts, speaking the right words, and taking the right actions. We must know how the Kingdom works and do that, any admixture brings stealing, killing, and destroying into our lives.
As we look around at own lives, the lives of those around us, and the world, whose thoughts, words, and actions do you suppose each of us are using? There is a certain mercy and grace for the newly born again just as with natural children, but we cannot stay in the crib, in diapers, and our thumb in our mouths indefinitely. A phrase you may have heard me use before is that God is herding cats, thus the featured picture today. I have brought this admonition forward because I see people blaming God or saying that whatever stealing, killing, and destroying that is going on in their lives is their cross to bear, God in His wisdom has laid it upon them. Really! God has already done His part and stands ready to fulfill every dot and tittle of the Word when we do our part. When will we develop faith, walk in love, and be led of the Holy Spirit? When will we learn and do our part?
This lead into todays’ study is what some might call a rant. It is heart wrenching to look around at family and friends and see them reeling from the devils lies with poverty of all kinds and for most it seems to be a mystery as to why it is occurring. It commonly seems that the carnage is placed in the category of being part of some master plan that God has and only He can understand, and we will understand it better in the bye and bye. That is all wickedness. I will let you marinate on that for awhile as I turn my attention to the primary Bible text for today reading it aloud.
John 12:23-26 (KJV)
23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Now, I will shift gears altogether. As you will recall “certain Greeks” have come and want to see Jesus. Andrew and Philip tell Jesus of the presence of these Greeks and their request. That brings us to Jesus’ response that His hour, His time is at hand. The time for Him to go to the Cross is but a few days away. Notice that as Jesus speaks, He is identifying with mankind, mortal man, even His own mortality by the use of the phrase “Son of man”. Let me say again, Jesus operated as an Anointed man in the earth not as God. He laid all that made Him God aside (Philippians 2:7) upon coming into the womb of Mary and at the resurrection is restored as God (Hebrews 1:8 +).
Philippians 2:7 (TLB)
7 but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men.
Hebrews 1:8 (KJV)
8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Today Jesus is wholly man and wholly God. Before the womb of Mary, He was not called Jesus but the Word among many other names and He was wholly God. The Word was the second person of the co-equal Triune God. From the womb of Mary to the Resurrection He was wholly man just like us, an Anointed man. Because the Word was made flesh, His name is Jesus (Jehovah saved), God now dwells with us, the name of God with us is Holy Spirit the third person of the co-equal Triune God.
Jesus says He is about to be glorified, so let’s take a moment to reflect upon what is being said. The glory of God is the manifested goodness of God that can be seen by man and even measured and recorded. This same word is commonly used to refer to a magnificence about a person and their great wealth. In this particular case Jesus is referring to a goodness of God about to be manifested for all to see. As awful as it was at first glance in the natural the sacrifice of Jesus is the ultimate in the manifested goodness of God. This sacrifice paid for our sins forever and purchased eternal life for all who will receive the sacrifice, Jesus the risen Savior. The ultimate glory of God, the goodness of God (manifested) is Christ Jesus. Look at this conversation between Moses and God and see Jesus, see the goodness of God.
Exodus 33:18-23 (KJV)
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Not only do you and I stand upon the Rock Christ Jesus, but we are hidden in Him and covered with the Holy Spirit, the Hand of God. O how good is the Scripture.
Until our next publication, as a Bible Teacher and Prophetic Voice I speak this blessing over each and every one of you, receive it by faith in Jesus name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (AMP)
24 The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you;
26 The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually).
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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