pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: glory


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God’s Flashlight

Prior to the story of healing the blind man that we find in John 9, Jesus had been in the temple.  There He claimed the connection to God and stated his purpose on earth was to bring glory to the Father.  This claim angered those in the temple.  But Jesus stuck to his guns and stated gain that he was here to bring glory to God and to do His work.  Just as they were picking up stones to stone Jesus, he slipped away from them.

In today’s story Jesus returns sight to a blind man.  But the man did not ask to be healed.  Jesus and the disciples were walking along the road and they saw the blind man.  Being raised Jewish, the disciples asked a question based on their upbringing.  They wanted to know if the man was blind because of his own sins or because of the sins of his parents.  This was the common view of why someone would be born blind.  But Jesus never answers their question.

Instead Jesus returns to what he was talking about earlier.  The healing of the blind man will occur not to bring Jesus glory but to bring glory to the work of the Father.  Healing will come to display the work of God in this man’s life.  While on earth Jesus was the light of the world.  He was here to shine light on God.  His purpose was always to glorify God.  We are called to continue to be that light.  We are called to be the word, hands, feet, eyes, … of Jesus  not to bring glory to ourselves but to shine it upon God.

In Hebrews 13: 5-6 we hear these words: “God has said, ‘Never will I leve you; never will I forsake you.’  So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.”  This day and each forward, may we remember these words and go forth to boldly shine the light of God on all we meet.


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His Mystery and Power

How does God see our hearts today?  Does He see us like the Israelites who saw the mighty miracles of their exodus story yet chose to test God almost as soon as they were across the Red Sea? (Psalm 95: 7b-11)

In our lives we see the beauty of creation, witness the miracle of a birth, experience healing from a rare disease, … We give thanks yet so often in the same breath say, “but could You also…?”

Instead we should take the time to rest in the creation and mystery of God.  Maybe even sing a song of praise to Him!  But most importantly, acknowledge Him as the creator and ruler of it all.  Bow or kneel before His awesomeness and take notice of the Lord almighty.  Draw in a deep breath, focus in on His presence, and lift up a long, slow thanks.


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Blessed by His Glory

In the account of Jesus’ transfiguration we find an obvious example of the revelation of Chirst’s glory.  At other times in the New Testament we see His glory revealed as the lame walk, the deaf hear, the mute speak, the dead live, and as thousands are fed.  We also see His glory as we see Jesus hanging on the cross for you and me and as Stephen prays for those who are stoning him.  As we spend time in the Word, we see these examples and come to better know where, how, and to whom we are being called.

In our daily lives we can see the glory too.  We witness it in the sunrise and in the thunderstorm, in the majestic waterfall and in the beautiful flower.  We see it as God takes away our breath as the newborn baby draws its first breath of life.  We can see so much of God’s glory in the created world around us – if we simply slowdown long enough to seek Him out.

We can also catch a glimpse of the glory in the unexpected.  It can be in something said in a conversation with a friend or a neighbor.  It can be in an encounter with a stranger.  God’s glory can be found in so many little acts of kindness and devotion that we witness each day.  Acts that we can be a part of.  Conversations and encounters that we can enter into.  As we seek to live out our call to be clothed in Him, may we both be blessed and bless others by His glory in us.