And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us,and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Dearly Beloved in Christ,
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all! 2 Corinthians 13:14. It is time for our December meeting and it falls just five days before the great day of Christmas! Our meeting is on Zoom and I am praying that you will all join in for the praise of His Glory! Let us exalt His Name together and sing with joy as we enthrone Him on our praises and fill our meeting with His glory!
Here is the Zoom link for our Sunday, December 20, 2020, meeting from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Hawaii time:
http:// https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86018041940?pwd=KzVxQkpHVXJLa3pFemRoOWNURXlHdz09
Meeting ID: 860 1804 1940
Passcode: 767191
Moses asked God to show him His glory. Moses knew that if he could see God’s glory, he would know who God is, the very One who told Moses, “I AM.” The LORD, the One who is, who was and who is to come, יהוה, and Moses wanted to see Him. Philip, the disciple of Jesus, at the Last Supper said the same, “Show us the Father and that will be enough for us!” And what was Jesus’ answer? “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.” John 14:9-11. Yes, Jesus is the answer to Moses’ prayer, to Philip’s prayer, and to your prayer. “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6. “No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.” John 1:18.
Do you know what the glory of God is? God defined it to Moses and to us throughout the Bible: God’s Glory is His goodness (which is His character and nature), His power (which is His ability to perform His promises), and His presence (which shows His concern and care for you). “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” Acts 10:38. Do you see the manifestation of God’s glory? Character: He went about doing good. Ability: anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Care and concern: healing all who were oppressed by the devil. In Jesus you see God’s character, God’s ability, and God’s concern for you in every way, spiritual, physical, emotional, and relational.
Faith depends on your knowledge of the character, ability, and concern and care the one has for you in whom you are to believe. I can sum these up for you in two words that proves all three to you about God: His Glory. And all three are revealed to you in Jesus. That is why Jesus is called the author and perfector of your faith. Look to Jesus to have the knowledge of God’s Glory in your life. Christ in you, your hope of glory. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” 2 Peter 1:2-3.
At Christmas we consider and ponder, like Mary, the greatness of God’s gift to us of His Son as our savior, redeemer, and Lord. Look at Jesus and what do you see? A humble, gentle, compassionate, strong, wise, pure, sinless, and loving man who rejected no one who came to Him, forgave those who rejected and hurt Him, had compassion for the lost, the sinner, the sick, the lame, the possessed, and healed them all, was tireless in seeking out and saving the lost, embraced the children, and took your sins, your sentence of eternal death, pains, ills, and sorrows on Himself to redeem you and set you free. He came to serve you and not to be served. Look at Him healing, providing, guiding, teaching, preaching, exhorting, edifying, giving his life for you, praying, and doing justice; acting in honor and integrity, always filled with love and goodness, and you see God’s glory and you know the three things that you have to have knowledge of to have faith. In Him you see the glory incarnate—goodness, power, and presence, which is character, ability, and care and concern.
And who is Jesus? He is God’s Word made flesh dwelling among you and now in you by God’s Spirit. It is the Word of God that gives you faith, but in particular it is His Word concerning Christ. It is written, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17. The hearts of the disciples on the way to Emmaus went from cold, unbelieving hearts to hearts on fire with faith when Jesus explained Himself in the Scriptures to them.
“And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14.
Jesus tells you that if you keep His Words, He will reveal Himself to you. John 14:21. And what does He reveal? God’s glory in one like you (according to His humanity), but who also is one with God the Father (according to His divinity). Son of God and Son of Man. God and Man are perfectly reconciled and united as one in the Son. He reveals the Father to you in a way you can understand. And He wants to share that glory with you, we have an insight into this in the awesome prayer of Jesus to the Father at the Last Supper, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:22-24
When Thomas saw Jesus, he believed. In the death and resurrection of Jesus, he saw the goodness, power, and presence of God. In scars of Jesus’ wounds, He saw the character, ability and care and concern that God had for him. And you too, when you see Jesus in the Gospels, in the Old Testament shadows and types, and in the New Testament revealed in all His glory, you believe. Believe in what? You know and believe in the love that God has for you. He gave His eternal life for the eternal life you lost so you could live with Him in glory forever. And in Him, God forgave all your sins and made you holy and blameless in His sight. He made peace through the blood of the Cross, cancelled the debt you owed divine justice, and gave you His own righteousness. Jesus emptied Himself for you. Of His fullness you have all received, grace upon grace.
When the woman with the hemorrhage of twelve years HEARD ABOUT JESUS, faith came, for she heard of His goodness, His power to heal, and His presence and concern among the people. And My Son told her that her faith had made her whole. Faith came by hearing and hearing the Word concerning Christ.
Do you need more faith? What you really need is more glory manifesting in your life. And how does that happen? The LORD is enthroned on the praises of His people. Psalm 22:3. You enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with songs of praise. Psalm 100:4. You come before Him with joyful singing. Psalm 100:2; Psalm 95:2. Wonders follow the voice of thanksgiving. Psalm 26:7. Put on the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of fainting. Isaiah 61:3. And you will find the LORD will give you His strength. Isaiah 40:31. With joy you will draw life giving water at the springs of Yeshuah (Jesus, Salvation)! Isaiah 12:1-6; John 4:13-14; John 7:37-39.
And the more faith you have, the more of God’s glory you will see. Glory gives faith and faith brings glory. Jesus told Martha, “did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” John 11:40. You who believe will do the works Jesus did and greater for the praise of God’s glory. John 14:12-13. That the Son may be glorified in you and you in Him. God has called you into His own Kingdom and glory. 1 Thessalonians 2:12. “To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will count you worthy of your calling and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. And again, “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” Ephesians 1:15-19.
So join us on December 20, 2020 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Hawaii time on Zoom and sing to the praise of His glory and learn more treasures from His Word of why God created mankind and just why he created you.
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. Colossians 1:13-16.
And just in case I don’t see you before, let me wish you a joyful Christmas and new year of 2021 filled with His glory. And now you know what that is and just what to expect to see manifest in your life—His goodness, His power, and His presence. And remember: nothing is too wonderful for God, nothing is impossible for God, and all things are possible for those that believe that.
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men of good will.” Luke 2:8-14.
Be watchful and alert, seek the LORD, for those who seek the LORD want for no good thing. Psalm 34:10.
Love and shalom, שלום
Bonnie
(808) 228-4402
https://maranathaministrieshawaii.org/
https://www.21stlot.com/
