Our Glory Is His

Our Glory Is His

Len Winneroski

This book is dedicated to my friends who have been told by the world that they are not good enough. Not smart enough, not attractive enough, not talented enough. I have Good News for you. The Lord loves you. He loves you so much that He wants to exhibit His Glory through broken ordinary weaklings like you and me. You were made to be a lamp for God’s Glory. It’s time to believe…

Copyright © 2012 by Len Winneroski

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, sharing or other electronic or mechanical methods, without written permission from the publisher.

Exceptions include inclusion in articles, references, or sermons. Exceptions also include brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission request please contact the publisher, addressed “Attention; Permission” at the address below.

Recycled Press

4244 Loubell Ln #4

Cincinnati, Ohio 45205

www.Recycledpress.com

Or contact the publisher by email at info@recycledpress.com

Ordering Information:

Quantity sales. Special Discounts are available on quantity purchases by corporations, associations, churches and bookstores. For details and order placing contact the Publisher at the above address or contact by Telephone (513) 407-0734

Winneroski, Len

Our Glory is His/Len Winneroski

Recycled Press

ISBN-13: 978-0615613406

ISBN-10: 0615613403

BISAC: Religion / Christianity / General

1.     Christian Living 2. Christian 3. Spirituality

First Edition

Available in print and digital print.

All Designs and Graphics are property of Recycled Press.

Cover Designed by Ricky Maye

All rights reserved.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com  The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Note from the Author

The book that you are holding is another step in an exciting journey that I have been on with the Creator of the Universe. This project began as a personal Bible study on the concept of  “glory.” As I worked my way through the hundred’s of Bible verses pertaining to glory, I began to realize that the Glory of God is like a key that unlocks the rest of Scripture. It is the glue that holds everything together.

One of the best ways to explain difficult concepts is through the use of similies. Jesus did this when He related deep spiritual truths to the familiar in His parables. For instance, Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree for birds to perch in (Luke 13:18-20). He also said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant who sold everything that he had to live on to buy a pearl of great worth (Matthew 13:45).

This book is a potpori of thoughts and analogies that have helped my finite mind understand the infinite Glory of God a little bit better. These thoughts and analogies have taken the form of the eight book chapters that follow. The first seven chapters end with a few key points and questions to encourage you to dig a little deeper and to spend a few moments in personal reflection. It is my sincere prayer is that this book will spark some good conversation and encourage you to search the Scriptures to discover the source of all Glory. Our Glory is His.

Len Winneroski

Table of Contents

Foreword by Ricky Maye

Introduction

Chapter 1: Sparks Restored

Chapter 2: Misplaced Glory

Chapter 3: Everlasting Gobstopper

Chapter 4: Shepherds, Lions and Bears

Chapter 5: Sink or Swim

Chapter 6: Paint Brushes and Statues

Chapter 7: Schadenfreude

Chapter 8: An Ordinary Weakling

Epilogue: Sparks and Flames

A Tribute of Thankfulness

Foreword by Ricky Maye

Peter hears a voice calling out.

Water shoving its way into his mouth; rain hitting his head so hard that he thinks he might not make it. Faintly his ears are overwhelmed by the sound of hope calling out his name from in the midst of the storm.

We've played this scenario over thousands of times in Christendom. The picture is carved onto Bibles and has been painted by some of the greatest artists. Some of the greatest sermons and literary works were carved into Christian history by men of God searching into the heart of this passage.

We are always caught in this moment with Peter as he fell into the water fearing for his life, calling out the name of Jesus.

I know what you’re thinking. This story seems oddly familiar. Yes, despite the over-publicized doubt of Peter I honestly believe that we all have faced this moment. A moment of uncertainty, a moment of doubt, a time when the storm was more powerful than you anticipated

I think it's important to note the whereabouts of Jesus during Peter’s life crisis. Jesus is with him. Jesus is in the midst of this storm. The Savior is on the water; a place of exposure and vulnerability. He is there in the middle of our mess, in our storm.  His Glory intercepting our humanity, writing on our heart, “Here lies Jesus.”

Peter in that moment, on the water, scared for his life, experienced a visitation with the Glory of God.  Some have disciplined themselves for years to get to a specific point of “perfection,” enlightenment” or “holiness” so that they could experience what Peter experienced that day.

Is there a better story?

This is incredible. It's life changing. It's mind-boggling. Jesus is standing with Peter despite the trouble. When all your friends run scared or when everyone has a bad word, He is there in the midst of the storm.

The word Glory in the Hebraic language is often translated Kavod or Kabod and is translated "weight.”

Theologians and writers often focus on how Kavod -- that weighty Glory -- is God's presence during occasions when He interacts with mankind.

Allow me to go deeper and broader as I did with a small group of young believers a few years ago.

Glory cannot be contained, nor can it be limited. This weighty Glory is not something we can only experience in prayer and worship. This weight, the weight of His Glory, is a result of a direct interaction between you and God.

Have you ever had a breathless feeling? You knew the words but couldn't get them out, or perhaps a moment of fear? Perhaps it is a moment of unspeakable joy?

That's Glory. At that moment God's Glory has rested upon you with such weight that you can’t even speak. Church isn't the only place where we can experience God or his Glory.

Listen to how people express themselves when they experience an extreme activity or a beautiful expression of Glory.

"I've never felt so alive.”

"I can't put what I experienced into words."

"It was so beautiful, I feel like God touched this event."

We can have these moments to experience God's Glory during these good, amazing times, but we can also experience God’s Glory on a boat in the middle of a storm. The beautiful revelation is that God is still in the midst with us.

Len expresses this throughout his debut work with humoring analogies and insightful teachings. This book will reveal the Glory of God in a new way to each of its readers.

As we have seen, one of the main words used for Glory is Kavod, which is often translated weight or weightiness. While we can often attribute this conversation to God and his majesty, I'd like to go in a new direction. Often weight in Eastern culture is paired with responsibility.

With an awareness of God's Glory comes great responsibility.

A responsibility to respond and a responsibility to react are essential when in the presence of God’s Glory.

In Our Glory Is His, Len will approach the throne of God with reverence and humility, and he will approach the Glory of God with boldness.

Whenever you experience that feeling of anxiety or happiness, fret not. God is near. His Glory is present.  In this book you will discover that our glory in every situation is His. Jesus said, “And I seek not mine own Glory: there is one that seeks and judges.” I think Len would paraphrase in his exceptional writing by saying, Our Glory Is His.

“We can have these moments to experience God's Glory during these good, amazing moments but we can also experience Gods Glory on a boat in the middle of a storm, the beautiful revelation is that God is still in the midst with us.”

Ricky Maye

Author of An Emerging Spirituality

Introduction

Our Glory Is His is a book about finding peace, purpose and joy in a hurting and broken world. It is a book of discovery that will challenge you to think harder, pray longer, and draw closer to the Creator of the Universe. Life was created out of, and for, God’s Glory. Jesus came to show us what Glory looks like. He died in our place to conquer sin and death so that we could experience Glory again. This book is an invitation to rediscover God’s best for you. God’s best is to experience His joy by becoming lamps that shine like a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14).

As you read through the pages ahead you will find an odd collection of stories and analogies that have helped me understand and explain the unexplainable. Glory is displayed when sparks reunite to make a greater light. It is lost when angels exchange Glory for the passion of the flesh. Discover wisdom in the words of Willy Wonka. Find Glory in the middle of a storm. Hear God’s call to chase down lions and bears that steal His lambs. Understand that God prefers to use worn out paintbrushes. It is impossible for flesh to truly understand God’s infinite Glory, but the Bible says that the Lord is pleased when we try.

Man has experienced the Glory of God in gardens, burning bushes, tents, and temples. He has also experienced Glory through blinding light on dirt roads and on mountaintops. The great mystery is that the Glory of God is very near to each one of us…very near. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within a man if he chooses to seek it (Luke 17:21). The apostle Paul said, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7, New International Version).

In Christian circles we talk, sing and pray about God’s Glory but have you ever really stopped to think about what Glory actually is? By definition, glory is “very great praise, honor, or distinction by common consent…resplendent beauty or magnificence…a state of great splendor, magnificence or prosperity.”1 Piper has defined “glory” as “the public display of the infinite beauty and worth of God.”2 As I have pondered the meaning of Glory, I have come to the realization that God’s Glory is a lot like light and love. It can’t be contained or adequately described. Like light and love, Glory commands and consumes your attention.

The journey to find Glory starts in our hearts and ends with an encounter with Jesus. The Bible says that the best way to understand what God’s Glory looks like is to study the life of Christ.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)

This book was written to start a conversation about Glory in today’s generation.  Many of the Scriptures that are referenced have been included in the body of the text for your convenience. However, don’t limit yourself to the verses that I have pointed out, as this is your journey too. Each chapter concludes with a summary of the main points and includes questions to facilitate individual or group study.

So how about it? If I have piqued your interest grab a cup of coffee, your Bible and a pen and let’s find a comfortable place to talk. I agree with Ricky Maye: a conversation is a journey…

If it is pleasing to you, Lord, we desire to see your Glory.

Chapter 1: Sparks Restored

God uses broken people. Man values perfection but God accepts imperfection, because He is a God of restoration. This point was brought home to me when I read the following old Jewish legend about Creation. Hear God’s call to you and see His Glory in Rabbi Wayne D. Dosick’s retelling of this beautiful story.

IN THE BEGINNING

An old Jewish legend:

In the beginning—before the beginning—God’s light filled the entire universe.

When God decided to create the world, He had to withdraw some of His light from the universe, so that there would be space for the land and the seas, the trees and the corn stalks, the butterflies and the lions, the ladybugs and the sea otters.

So God breathed in some of the Divine light, so that there would be room for all the things He wanted to create.

But what was God to do with the light—with the light of His Being that had filled the whole universe—now that He had breathed it in?

God put the light into jars, heavenly vessels that would hold His radiance.

And then God began to create: the sky and the earth, the dry lands and the waters, the fiery sun, the shimmering moon and the twinkling stars, the forests and the deserts, the creepy crawly things and the birds of the air, the fish of the seas and the animals roaming from here to there.

Everything was going so well.  Creation was shaping up just perfectly. God was having a wonderful time!

But in the heavens, there was trouble.

God’s light, which He had put into the vessels, could not be hidden away. For no vessel—not even a heavenly vessel—could contain the radiant light of God. The glory of God’s splendor was accustomed to filling the universe, not being hidden away in little jars.

So it wasn’t too long until—with a blazing flash—God’s light burst out of the heavenly vessels.

The force of the mighty impact caused the jars to shatter into millions of little pieces.

And the light itself splintered into billions of little sparks.

The broken pieces of the vessels fell to the newly formed earth and became the ills and the evils that beset the world—little pieces of anguish and travail that, one day, will have to be collected, repaired, and made whole again.

And what happened to the billions of little shards of light?

Each of the little shards of light, the sparks of God, became the soul of a human being.

That which makes the lump of clay that is a human body into a living, breathing, person—a person capable of thinking and knowing, reasoning, and remembering, a person capable of doing justly and feeling compassion—is the soul. And the human soul is a tiny piece of God, a tiny fragment of God’s light, a spark of the Divine that burst forth from the heavenly vessels and showered the universe.

God declared that the crowning works of creation were these human souls—man and woman, created in His image, created with a spark of His Divine Being. And to man and woman, God assigned a divine task and a sacred mission.

Each person, then and now, is to joyfully share the universe with God, to be His companion and helpmate, His resident caretaker and earthly steward.

And each person, then and now, is to be a partner with God in healing and transforming the universe: picking up the little pieces of the shattered vessels, repairing them, and making them—and the world—healthy and whole.3

The first time that I read Rabbi Dosick’s beautiful story of Creation I was touched. Although this story is just a legend, as I put it into context with the truth of Scripture, my heart began to burn and I saw a glimpse of Glory. I had never considered that a human soul could be a “a tiny piece of God… a spark of the Divine that burst forth from the heavenly vessels and showered the universe.”

This story is the same story that Jesus preached. Can you hear Jesus’ teaching in the phrase “each person, then and now, is to be a partner with God in healing and transforming the universe: picking up the little pieces of the shattered vessels, repairing them, and making them—and the world—healthy and whole?” When you stop and think about it, this story is a beautiful illustration of the origin and purpose of humanity.

As I have desired to follow Christ the past twenty-two years I have learned that God is the author of life and light. The Scriptures teach us that God’s Glory brings forth a holy light that cuts through the darkness and reveals truth. Man chose darkness over light in the Garden of Eden, but praise be to God that He did not leave us lost, cold and lonely apart from Him. Like a lion looking for his lost cubs, God’s voice roars through the darkness. His Glorious, unapproachable light flashes like lightning as He goes forth to swallow up the darkness to reclaim what rightfully belongs to Him. Light calls forth to light. Truth calls forth to truth. Life calls forth to life. Glory calls forth to glory.

God was so passionate about reclaiming the “sparks” of His Glory that He became a man and lived a sinless life to show us what true Glory looks like in the flesh. Jesus came to pay the ultimate price for our disobedience. He came to gather the “sparks” of God’s Glory through His obedience on the Cross. The “sparks of glory” that Jesus came to reclaim are human souls. Jesus calls us to follow Him back home to the Father to return the deposit of glory to the rightful Owner of all Glory and to bring all of Creation back to the original state of perfection. Our Glory is His.

The Bottom Line

1)    God is light and the Creator of all things.

2)    Man was created in the image of God and contains a tiny “spark” of His Divine Being.

3)    God has assigned a divine task and sacred mission to every man and woman.

4)    The Bible is a story of stewardship and restoration.

Questions for Digging Deeper

What thoughts and Bible verses entered your mind as you read Rabbi Dosick’s recounting of the old Jewish legend of Creation?

Do you see any relevance of this Jewish legend to the Biblical story of Creation and redemption? Why or why not?

What are mankind’s responsibilities as an “earthly steward,” and what is his or her role in bringing about the healing, restoration, and transformation of the universe?

Where did light come from? (See Genesis 1:3, Psalm 104:2, Ezekiel 1:26-28, Revelation 21:22-24 and 22:5)

What is the purpose of light? (See Psalm 119:130)

Why is Jesus referred to as a light? (See Matthew 4:16, John 1:1-5, 3:19-21, 9:5, 12:46, Acts 22:6-11, 1 John 1:5-7)

How is light related to our walk with God? (See Proverbs 13:9, Matthew 5:14-16, Luke 11:33-36, John 12:36, Romans 13:12)

Describe the spiritual struggle between light and darkness. Why is sin associated with darkness? (See Matthew 6:22-23, 2 Corinthians 4:4-10, Ephesians 5:8-13, 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11)

How would you say that light relates to the Glory of God?

Making it Personal

How bright is the light of Christ glowing through you right now?

Are there people in your life at this moment that are trying to find their way in the dark and need the light of Christ? Stop and pray for them and then make a point to bless them in some tangible way this week.

Chapter 2: Misplaced Glory

The end of the creation is that the creation might glorify [God]. Now what is glorifying God, but a rejoicing at that glory he has displayed? - Jonathan Edwards^4

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. – C. S. Lewis^5

The further up you go in the revealed thoughts of God, the clearer you see that God's aim in creating the world was to display the value of his own glory, and that this aim is no other than the endless, ever-increasing joy of his people in that glory. – John Piper^6

Angels and men were created to reflect and share in God’s Glory. They were not created to wallow in self-worship and the passion of the flesh. This point recently became clear to me in an unexpected way from the study of a mysterious and often ignored section of Scripture. Have you ever heard of the Nephilim? As you will see, understanding the Nephilim was a key step in a journey of study that ultimately has led me to a greater understanding of God’s Glory. It has also helped me better understand humans’ and angels’ roles in it.

When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of reknown. (Genesis 6:1-4)

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.”And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living it it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. (Numbers 13:30-33)

So who were the Nephilim and why does it matter? According to the Scriptures, the Nephilim were superhuman giants. We know that they were giants because some of the Israelite spies who explored the Promised Land were deathly afraid of them (Numbers 13). Genesis tells us that the Nephilim were child products of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men” who were “heroes of old, men of reknown” (Genesis 6).

Biblical scholars have developed several theories to explain these curious verses of Scripture. In an attempt at rationalization, some theologians have suggested that the “sons of God” were godly sons of Seth (one of Noah’s sons) and the “daughters of men” were from the ungodly line of Cain. The problem with this explanation is that the Sethites are not called “sons of God” anywhere else in Scripture. Other theologians believe that the “sons of God” were “polygamous kings, nobles, or tyrants who viewed themselves as gods…and “took wives” from among the common people, forcing them to join their harems.”7

The problem with both of these explanations, however, is that the Hebrew words bene [ha] ‘elohim, translated as “sons of God” in English, refers to heavenly beings. For other uses of these Hebrew terms see Job 1:6, 2:1 and 38:7. In addition, these explanations also do not address the fact that the Nephilim were giants.

The most natural reading of these Scriptures reveals an amazing and unsettling truth. The “sons of God” were most likely fallen angels who noticed the beauty and glory of women and left the Glory of Heaven to engage in sexual relations with them. These unholy sexual relations produced a superhuman race of giants called the Nephilim. You may be thinking that I have completely lost my mind, but don’t take my word for it, read the Bible for yourself.

I am a rational thinker and this thought initially made no sense to me at all.  But let’s get serious, neither does the virgin birth of a male, Y-chromosome-containing Savior, turning water into wine, or raising men from the dead. These truths we accept by faith in the Word of God as revealed and confirmed by the Holy Spirit who abides within us.

So if the Nephilim are the children of fallen angels and women, this raises a lot of questions. Let’s explore a few of them.

Can angels take on flesh and are they sexual beings?

To answer this question, let’s explore two very interesting chapters of Scripture, Genesis 18 and 19. In Genesis 18, we discover that Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day when three “men” appeared to him near the great trees of Mamre. The Bible tells us plainly that one of the men that spoke to Abraham was the Lord. The appearance of God to man is called a theophany, and some theologians have argued that one of these men that spoke to Abraham was none other than Jesus Himself.

The Bible tells us that Christ has co-existed with God, the Father, from the beginning of time. We should not be surprised that Jesus may have taken the form of a man and visited Abraham. Such an appearance was prior to Jesus entering the world as a baby to become the “Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” (John 1:29)  Consider these words of Scripture:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)

“I and the Father are one.” (John 10:30)

“And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:5)

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers 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. (Colossians 1:15-17)

According to the Bible, Abraham treated the three visitors as men. He washed their feet and had them rest in the shade under a tree while his wife Sarah baked them some fresh bread. Abraham also slaughtered one of his choice tender calves and gave it to one of his servants to prepare for them. Abraham presented the bread, milk, curds and meat to these three men and they ate it under the tree in Abraham’s presence just like “normal” men (Genesis 18:3-8).

After dinner the three men began walking to the town of Sodom. Sodom and Gomorrah were located near the Dead Sea in the Jordan River plain. These cities were well watered and lush, which made them a perfect place to raise livestock. Abraham walked with them along the way (Genesis 18:16-19). As they walked, the Lord told Abraham that they were going to Sodom and Gomorrah because man’s sin had reached “grievous” proportions and that “the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah” was great (Genesis 18:20-21). The Bible does not tell us about the source for the outcry, but only that the Lord had heard it and had come in person with two other travelers to check into it.

The Scriptures then tell us that the two other men who were with the Lord went ahead to Sodom while the Lord stopped and talked with Abraham (Genesis 18:22). When Abraham realized that the men had come to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, he pleaded with the Lord to spare the cities if there were 50…then 45…40…30…20…10 righteous people living in the two cities. The Lord humored Abraham and said, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it” (Genesis 18:23-33).

In Genesis 19 we are introduced to Abraham’s nephew, Lot. We also come to understand why Abraham was so concerned about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He had family living in those sinful cities! Genesis 19:1 says that the two men who had dined with the Lord and Abraham were angels.  The Hebrew word used here to describe the two men is mal-awk’ which means angel, messenger, or envoy.  This word is used throughout the Old Testament to refer to angels and is the same word used to describe the “angel of the Lord” who spoke to Moses through the burning bush in Exodus 3:2-22. For a few other examples of the use of this Hebrew word see Genesis16:7-11, Numbers 22:21-41 and 2 Samuel 24:15-17.

Like Abraham, Lot was a righteous man. When the angels arrived at the city gates of Sodom Lot was there. The Bible tells us that Lot, “got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground” (Genesis19:1-2). Lot invited the “angel-men” to come to his home to wash their feet and spend the night with his family. Even today, hospitality is held in extremely high regard in Jewish culture. Abraham and Lot were being faithful to their heritage and beliefs by entertaining these strangers. Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels” without knowing it. The Scriptures say that the angels initially rejected Lot’s offer of hospitality, but that Lot “insisted so strongly” that they went home with Lot and he prepared them a meal that included unleavened bread (Genesis 19:3).

In one of the saddest stories in the Bible, we are told that “all the men from every part of the city of Sodom-both young and old” gathered around Lot’s home and demanded that Lot give them the two men “so that we can have sex with them” (Genesis 19:4-5). The fact that the men of Sodom wanted to have (unholy) sexual relations with these “men” indicates that they must have been attractive, and that they may have been capable of having sexual relations (or at least the men of Sodom wanted to find out if they could).

Lot rejected the men’s request to produce the strangers to these depraved Sodomites. Instead, Lot offered to give his virgin daughters to the men to rape (Genesis 19:6-8). Being a father of two beautiful daughters myself, it is unimaginable for me to think that a godly father would even consider this indecent proposal. Lot’s offer makes absolutely no sense to those with a Western worldview. This story, however, speaks again to the high regard for hospitality within Jewish culture. Offering up your guests to an angry mob of perverts for gang rape is certainly not red carpet treatment of your guests, even if they are strangers.

The Bible tells us that the men of Sodom rejected Lot’s offer and started to break the door down to obtain the objects of their lust. In an act of supernatural power the two angels “reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door” and then “struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door” (Genesis 19:9-11). The men (notice that the strangers were sometimes called “angels” and sometimes “men” in Genesis 19) then spoke for the first time that was recorded in the Bible. They asked Lot if he had other relatives in the city of Sodom and announced that, “we are going to destroy this place” (Genesis 19:12-13).

Genesis 18 and 19 clearly indicate that angels can take on flesh and that they are male. Apparently they can eat just like humans and they can walk and get dirty feet just like us. The angels that stayed in Sodom must have been very attractive since all of the men in that wicked city attempted to have sexual relations with them.

Why would angels be tempted to leave God’s Glory in Heaven?

Interestingly, the ancient apocryphal Book of Enoch, which is referenced once in the New Testament (Jude 1:14-15), mentions the fall of angels (1 Enoch 6-7). According to this apocryphal text, two hundred angels noticed the beauty of women and lusted after them. These evil angels banded together and each angel took one human wife and produced a race of giants. These fallen angels encouraged men to sin and there was much violence on the earth (1 Enoch 7-8). This book goes on to say that God bound the fallen angels and that they are being held for destruction at the great judgment (1 Enoch 10). Noah’s flood was sent to cleanse the earth of this wickedness.

The apocryphal Book of Enoch is not the only book that talks about the fall of angels. The Bible also says that angels from the past sinned and are being held for judgment. However, the Scriptures do not tell us why they chose sin over the Glory of God.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. (2 Peter 2:4-10)

And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (Jude 1:6-7)

I wonder if any of these thoughts were on the Apostle Paul’s mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 11. The Apostle Paul said, “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God” (1 Corinthians 11:3). Paul goes on to say that men should pray with uncovered heads because “he is the image and glory of God” (1 Corinthians 11:7). Interestingly he also says that women should cover their heads because, “woman is the glory of man” and “because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head” (1 Corinthians 11:7, 10).

I am certainly not going to claim that I know what Paul was thinking when he wrote these verse. I do know, however, that these verses have probably sparked some very interesting discussions in mixed gender Bible studies! I am bringing them up because I think that these verses may have more to say about modesty than they do about prayer etiquette. Maybe Paul is simply saying that it’s hard for men and women to Glorify God through prayer when they are distracted by the glory of an attractive man or woman in the chair or pew next to them. I also wonder if Paul’s comment that women should cover their heads when praying, “because of the angels,” is to remind angels that woman was created for man and for God’s Glory, not for the glory of angels (1 Corinthians 11:10).

The Ring Leader

So what is Satan’s role in this mess? In yet another claim of His Deity, Jesus said that He was present before the Creation of the world and that He saw “Satan fall like lightening from heaven” (Luke 10:18).  The Greek word that Jesus used to name Satan was Satanas, which means “Satan” or “hostile opponent.” This Greek word is found throughout the New Testament.  For instance, when the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons through the power of Satan He replied sternly as follows:

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.  All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David? ”But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.  If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.  But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. “Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:22-32)

Jesus said that Satan has his own kingdom on earth and that whoever is not for Him is against Him. He said that whoever does not gather the “lost” with Him scatters them. Jesus did not leave room for sitting on fences. You are either part of the Kingdom of God or you are part of Satan’s kingdom. There is no other kingdom to which you can belong.

Who is Satan and where did he come from? Over the years theologians such as Tertullian (c. 160 – c. 225 AD) and Origen (c. 185– c. 254 AD) have applied Scriptures such as Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-17 to explain the fall of Satan.  It must be noted, however, that these verses also refer to the kings of Tyre and Babylon respectively.

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, take up a lament concerning the king of Tyre and say to him: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says “‘You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone adorned you: carnelian, chrysolite and emerald, topaz, onyx and jasper, lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl. Your settings and mountings were made of gold; on the day you were created they were prepared.  You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for so I ordained you. You were on the holy mount of God; you walked among the fiery stones. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you. Through your widespread trade you were filled with violence, and you sinned. So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.  Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made a spectacle of you before kings. By your many sins and dishonest trade you have desecrated your sanctuaries. So I made a fire come out from you, and it consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes on the ground in the sight of all who were watching. All the nations who knew you are appalled at you; you have come to a horrible end and will be no more.’” (Ezekiel 28:11-19)

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?” (Isaiah 14:12-17)

The Bible tells us that Satan is an angel and that he is very real. He is our angry adversary.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” “Does Job fear God for nothing?” Satan replied. “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.” The LORD said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:6-12)

Why is Satan so angry and why does he want to devour us? I don’t think that anyone really knows except God and Satan, but I suspect that it is all about the Glory. Something went very wrong between the time that God looked over His Creation and said “it was very good” (Genesis 2:31) to the time of the Nephilim and God’s comment that, He “was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain” (Genesis 6:6).

We know that Satan was present in the Garden of Eden and that he “was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1). The Bible says that “the serpent” had a conversation with Eve in the Garden of Eden and that Adam was standing nearby listening. He didn’t say a word (Gen. 3:1-7). Satan asked Eve if it was true that God told them not to eat any of the fruit in the garden. Eve told Satan that they could eat any of the fruit in the garden except the “fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden” because if they even touched it they would die (Genesis 3:1-3).

In a revealing verse into Satan’s psyche, Satan told Eve that God told them that because He was trying to hold Adam and Eve back from becoming gods. To be specific, Satan told Eve, “You will not surely die...For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:4-5).

It makes you wonder if Satan had already disobeyed God and eaten some of the forbidden fruit. How else would he have known that Eve’s eyes would be “opened” when she ate fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden? Was he trying to justify his own sin by coaxing others to join him? Jesus said that the devil is a murderer and a liar and that he is the father of all who do not belong to God (John 8:44-47). When men try to justify their sin by lying and encouraging others to join them in their sin they are acting just like the devil. When we think I’m bad, but not as bad as “Fred” or “Sally” we are acting just like Satan. Satan is “the accuser of our brothers” who accuses us “before God day and night” (Revelations 12:10).

I am ashamed to admit that I have done some of these evil things. I suspect that you have, too. Blaming others, failing to take responsibility for our disobedience, and encouraging others toward failure are all hallmarks of sin.

Mankind and angels were created out of God’s desire to share His love and Glory. God’s Glory is so magnificent that He wanted to allow others to experience it too. Creation is a reflection of Glory. Plants, trees, oceans, mountains and flowers all exclaim God’s Glory but only men and angels were created with the ability to recognize and acknowledge it’s Source. If the Universe is God's canvas, and God’s Glory is the Paint, then the Bible is God’s autograph.

The Creator has put a deposit of His Glory into each man, woman and angel. The minute that we put our own glory, or the glory of men, women or angels ahead of God’s Glory, we sin and alienate ourselves from God. However, the second we recognize and ascribe our glory to the Source of all Glory, God draws near. As He draws near, we start to understand our true purpose and we begin to truly live.

The Bottom Line

1)    Angels and men were created by God to experience God’s Glory.

2)    Some Biblical Scholars believe that the Nephilim were a race of super-human giants who were the children of fallen angels and human women. This “unnatural” union may be one of the reasons that God sent the flood.

3)    Angels have the ability to sin. Satan claimed the Glory of God as his own and rejected God.

4)    Satan is a created being and is a fallen angel.  He is our angry adversary.

5)    Blaming others and failing to take responsibility is a hallmark of sin.

6)    All of creation is a reflection of God’s Glory but only men and angels were created with the ability to recognize it and give the Glory back to its Source.

Questions for Digging Deeper

Who do you think that the Nephilim were? What new questions did this chapter raise in your mind?

Why was Satan cast out of Heaven and why do you think that he is our angry adversary?

Compare and contrast the fall of angels and the fall of man.

Do you think that the fall of man and angels has anything to do with God’s Glory? Why or why not?

What does the Bible say about Jesus and the Glory of God? (See Matthew 16:27 and 24:30, Mark 8:38, Luke 24:26, John 1:14, 2:11, 8:54, 17:1-5, and 17:20-24, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 1:3)

How are Glory and praise related? (See 1 Chronicles 16:24, 29:11, Exodus 15:11, Psalm 29:2, 86:9, 105:3, 138:5, Isaiah 42:8, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Revelations 4:11, 5:13)

What does the Bible say about man’s glory? (See Psalm 3:3, 8:5, Isaiah 43:7, John 5:44, 7:18, and 15:8, Romans 3:23, 8:18-19 and 9:21-23, 1 Corinthians 11:7-12, 2 Corinthians 4:6-15, Colossians 1:25-27, 3:4, 1 Peter 1:23-25, 4:13-14 and 5:4)

Making it Personal

Who is receiving the glory in your life right now?  Would those closest to you agree with your answer?

How can a better understanding of the fall of man and angels as it relates to God’s Glory help you move forward in your spiritual journey?

Chapter 3: Everlasting Gobstopper

So shines a good deed in a weary world. - Willy Wonka

Have you ever wondered if Heaven is anything like the magical candy land in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory? My family loves the original version of this movie classic, which starred Gene Wilder and was released on June 30, 1971.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a musical film adaptation of the 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, written by Roald Dahl. This film is about an eccentric man named Willie Wonka who owns a very successful chocolate factory nestled in a small English village. Willie Wonka’s factory is shrouded in mystery. It’s gated off from the rest of the world to protect Wonka’s efforts to develop revolutionary new candy, such as the Everlasting Gobstopper, from rival confectioner Arthur Slugworth.

The story begins with an announcement of a contest. Five Golden Tickets would be randomly hidden in Wonka bars. The lucky recipients would win a tour of the mysterious Wonka Chocolate factory and receive a lifetime supply of chocolate. The contest is world news and sparks a worldwide frenzied search for the five Golden Tickets.

A poor humble boy named Charlie Bucket is introduced against the backdrop of this mystery and excitement. Charlie lives with his mother and four bed-ridden grandparents in a loving broken-down shack. When Charlie learns about the contest he dreams about winning one of the Golden Tickets and the lifetime supply of chocolate. Charlie’s family is so poor that he has to take on a paper route to help his family buy food.  Charlie’s family lives on cabbage soup, so adding a loaf of bread or even a single chocolate bar for dessert is a big deal to his family.

Charlie’s life is presented in stark contrast to four other children who are featured in this movie. Augustus Gloop is a sausage-eating chubby German boy. Veruca Salt is an extremely spoiled and rich English daddy’s girl. Violet Beauregarde is an American self-centered “gumaholic.” And Mike Teevee is a rude American cowboy who watches television every waking hour.

It is world news when Augustus, Veruca, Violet and Mike discover the first four Golden Tickets. Charlie’s dream of winning wanes with each new announcement. He is frustrated because all of the other children in the world are buying Wonka bars by the box or crate while he only is able to open two candy bars. One of the candy bars is Charlie’s only birthday gift. The other candy bar is a surprise gift from his Grandpa Joe.

When the last winner is announced, Charlie is crushed and his dreams are dashed.  He cries himself to sleep that night. The next day Charlie discovers a silver coin in a street drain. Possibly as a measure of consolation, he decides to spend the coin on a Scrumdiddlyumptious bar from Bill’s Candy Shop. Charlie eats the candy bar so fast that he nearly chokes.  Feeling guilty, Charlie decides to buy another Wonka bar with the leftover change to share with his family. As he walks out of the candy store the town square is alive with news that the fifth Golden Ticket was a forgery.

As Charlie processes the news, he decides to open what he thought was an ordinary Wonka chocolate bar. As he slowly pulls the wrapper back he discovers that his dreams have come true and that he is the owner of the final authentic Golden Ticket! When the townspeople notice Charlie’s find they mob him in excitement. Somebody pulls him out of the crowd and tells him to run home as fast as he can.

As he is running home he meets the scar-faced Arthur Slugworth. Slugworth offers to pay Charlie handsomely if he will bring him an Everlasting Gobstopper from Wonka’s factory. Earlier in the movie Slugworth was shown whispering in the ears of the four other child winners. Slugworth tells Charlie that the launch of the Everlasting Gobstopper would ruin him because these candies can be sucked forever. Later in the movie we are told that Willy Wonka created them for children like Charlie with very little pocket change.

As Charlie bursts into his house to share the good news, his family doesn’t believe it initially. The boy’s enthusiasm, and his explanation that the fifth Golden Ticket had been a forgery, eventually convinces them though. When Charlie’s family reads the fifth Golden Ticket they learn that the recipient is allowed to bring one additional person to tour Wonka’s factory. Charlie decides to bring Grandpa Joe, who has not left his bed in years. The excitement of the moment proves to be good physical therapy for his grandfather. The old man gets out of the bed slowly but begins to walk around the house in a joyous scene of realized dreams.

When the five children show up at the Wonka factory for the big day, the news cameras are rolling and there is a carnival-like atmosphere. We are finally introduced to Willie Wonka at this point in the movie and the rest of the film is about the children’s tour of the chocolate factory. Before the tour can begin the children are told that they must sign a barely legible waiver form that is painted on the wall. Violet Beauregard’s father’s (a used car salesman) says, “don't talk to me about contracts, Wonka, I use them myself. They're strictly for suckers.”8 Ignoring her father, Violet and the other children quickly sign the waiver wall with a large feather ink pen and the fun begins.

I won’t describe the chocolate factory because it is better viewed (or re-viewed) in the movie. Suffice it to say, there is a surprise and laugh around every corner in Wonka’s amazing factory. As the children journey through the factory we are introduced to the Oompa-Loompas. The Oompa-Loompas are short bronze-colored, cocoa bean-loving, creatures with green hair. We are told that Wonka imported these delightful creatures to work in his chocolate factory because Loopaland is a terrible country that is filled with:

Nothing but desolate wastes and fierce beasts. And the poor little Oompa Loompas were so small and helpless they would get gobbled up right and left. A Wangdoodle would eat ten of them for breakfast and think nothing of it. And so, I said, "Come and live with me in peace and safety, away from all the Wangdoodles, and Hornswogglers, and Snozzwangers, and rotten, Vermicious Knids.”8

As the movie proceeds, one by one the rotten children ignore Willy Wonka’s half-hearted warnings, and they pay the price for their disobedience. The chubby Augustus Gloop ends up falling into a river of chocolate. Veruca Salt falls into a garbage shoot trying to steal a golden egg. Violet Beauregarde turns into a human blueberry by chewing three-course meal gum that is “not quite right yet.”8 Mike Teevee becomes the first person to be transmitted through space through Wonkavision.  Unfortunately for Mike, he is reduced to a three-inch boy in the process. Wonka comforts his mother by saying, “well, fortunately, small boys are extremely springy and elastic. So I think we'll put him in my special taffy-pulling machine. That should do the trick.” 8

By the end of the tour Charlie and his grandfather are the only ones left. Willy Wonka dismisses them curtly and tells them that he has a lot do. He goes into his office leaving them standing alone. Grandpa Joe and Charlie don’t understand so they pursue Wonka into his office.

Wonka’s office is filled with things that are not complete. There is literally half of a ticking clock on the wall, half of a picture, half of a sink, half of a safe, etc. When Grandpa Joe asks about the chocolate-for-life prize, Wonka seems perturbed and looks up from his desk with frazzled hair. In an increasingly angry voice he informs Charlie that he will not receive any chocolate because he broke section 37B of the contract that he signed by “stealing fizzy lifting drinks.”8

Earlier in the movie, Grandpa Joe and Charlie had strayed from the rest of the group and drank fizzy lifting drinks in a moment of wonder.  The fizzy lifting drinks had enabled them to fly in a room filled with bubbles. They had been enjoying weightlessness so much that they were nearly chopped to pieces by a large fan at the top of the room.  They were saved at the last minute when Grandpa Joe burped and realized that they could counteract their weightlessness by belching. Overjoyed, they had burped their way back down to the ground and rejoined the group hoping that nobody had noticed.

Wonka’s outburst ignites Grandpa Joe who calls Wonka an “inhuman monster” for crushing a little boy’s dreams. He vows to Charlie that, “I’ll get even with him if it’s the last thing I do! If Slugworth wants a gobstopper, he’ll get one.”8 The next scene is the most important scenes of the entire movie. Charlie, who has been silent up until that point, walks slowly over to the “monster’s” desk as the clock ticks in the background. Charlie simply calls out Mr. Wonka’s name and places the Everlasting Gobstopper on the corner of Wonka’s desk. Charlie’s actions cause Wonka to stop working and he slowly clutches the Everlasting Gobstopper as Charlie turns to leave.

As Wonka clutches the Everlasting Gobstopper he says softly to himself, “So shines a good deed in a weary world.”8 In a complete change of personality, Wonka calls for Charlie and picks him up and gives him a spinning hug. As he spins he exclaims, “Charlie! My boy…you’ve won! You did it! You did it! I knew you would! I just knew you would! Oh Charlie, forgive me for putting you through this. Please forgive me.”8

In the next scene we are introduced to Mr. Wilkinson. Mr. Wilkinson had pretended to be the evil competitor Mr. Slugworth. We are told that he had pretended to be Slugworth to “test” the children. They had all promised that they would not give the Everlasting Gobstoppers to anyone. Despite his grandfather’s vow to break the promise, Charlie recognized that the Everlasting Gobstopper was a precious gift and sacred trust.  Whether out of disillusionment with Wonka, or as an act of good will to prevent his grandfather from doing the wrong thing, Charlie was the only one that gave the candy back to its inventor.

Glory, Wisdom and Everlasting Gobstoppers

Every time that I think about the scenes from this film I can’t help but chuckle. I think that Willy Wonka is just as wise as he is funny. Find a comfortable place to smile and lets reflect on the following words of wisdom from Gene Wilder in the movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory:

“The suspense is terrible... I hope it'll last.”

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.”

“We are the music makers... and we are the dreamers of dreams.”

“If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.”

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.”

“In springtime, the only pretty ring time, birds sing hey ding... a-ding, a-ding, sweet lovers love... the spring.”

“Is it my soul that calls upon my name?”

“Rainbow drops. Suck them and you can spit in seven different colors!”

“If the good Lord had intended us to walk, he wouldn't have invented roller skates.”

“I take very good care of my guests.”

“Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.”

“Old ginger ale, ginger pop, ginger beer, beer bubbles, bubbleade, bubblecola, double cola, double-bubble-burple-cola, and all the crazy carbonated stuff that tickles your nose. Few people realize what tremendous power there is in one of those things.”

“There's no earthly way of knowing which direction they are going. There's no knowing where they're rowing. Or which way the river's flowing. Is it raining, is it snowing? Is a hurricane a-blowing? Not a speck of light is showing. So the danger must be growing. Are the fires of Hell a-glowing? Is the grisly Reaper mowing? Yes! The danger must be growing 'cause the rowers keep on rowing. And they're certainly not showing any sign that they are slowing!”

“The Egg-dicator can tell the difference between a good egg and a bad egg. If it's a good egg, it's shined up and shipped out all over the world. But if it's a bad egg down the chute.”

“She was a bad egg.”

“There's going to be a lot of garbage today.”

“My dear boy, I promise you they'll be quite all right. When they leave here, they'll be completely restored to their normal, terrible old selves. But maybe they'll be a little bit wiser for the wear. Anyway, don't worry about them.”

“So much time and so little to do….Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.”

“Time is a precious thing. Never waste it.”

“But Charlie, don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he always wanted… He lived happily ever after.”8

I hope that you enjoyed reading and reflecting on Wonka’s words of wisdom. By now you may be wondering what in the world Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory has to do with God’s Glory.  I mention this movie because I think that it contains a really good illustration of God’s Glory and man’s role in it.

To me, this story is a perfect analogy of how God’s Glory is supposed to work with the Creation. Wonka entrusted five children with a one-of-a-kind Everlasting Gobstopper to test them.  Likewise, the Inventor of all inventors has entrusted each man, woman and angel with a sacred “deposit” of His Glory to see what we will do with it. When the selfish children sold their sweet gift to Slugworth, Wonka was grieved. He knew that these children could not be trusted to take care of the Oompa-Loompas and run his factory. Similarly, God grieves when men and angels use His Glory for wicked and selfish purposes. Wonka was looking for a good soul to run his factory and God is looking for good souls to take care of His Creation.

Our Heavenly Father loves us. He loves us so much that He wants to share His very best with us. His very best is His Glory. God's Glory is kind of like cotton candy, it has form and substance, but the minute we try to ascribe it to ourselves it quickly melts away. The minute that we recognize the Source and purpose of Glory, our Father is pleased. When He knows that He can trust us to be good stewards of His Glory He stands ready to give us even more.

Adam, Eve, and Satan squandered God’s Glory and so do we. To our shame we often treat the sacred Gift like it is something common and natural.  Jesus came to show us how to correctly handle Glory and what we should do with it. He came to show us that the Glory of God is to be used to care for and love others. When we do this and give the Glory back to our Heavenly Father, the process of restoration begins…one person, one angel, one soul at a time.

The Bottom Line

1)    A good deed shines brightly in a weary world.

2)    Sometimes hope becomes reality.

3)    Miracles still happen.

4)    God has entrusted each man, woman and angel with a sacred “deposit” of His Glory as an act of love.

5)    When we forget the source of Glory God is grieved. When we remember its origin our Father is pleased and stands ready to give us even more of His Glory.

6)    Jesus came to show us what to do with God’s Glory.

Questions for Digging Deeper

Do you think that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a good analogy to explain God’s Glory? Why or why not?

Can you think of any other movies that could be used to explain a spiritual truth?

How would you explain God’s Glory to someone who has never experienced it before?

Making it Personal

Can God trust you right now to correctly handle His Glory? Do your actions confirm that answer?

How would you explain God’s Glory to someone who doesn’t understand it?

Chapter 4: Shepherds, Lions and Bears

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet water, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23)

I love Psalm 23. When I read this psalm, my mind is flooded with thoughts of my grandparents, my brother, and a few good friends who have left this world. This psalm has become associated with funerals for some reason, just like 1 Corinthians 13 has become associated with marriage ceremonies.

The other day I was meditating on Psalm 23 and came to the realization that this psalm is really not about death. I think that it’s about sheep, shepherds and life. David, the inspired author of these verses, was a shepherd before he was a king. He learned a lot by taking care of his father’s sheep. Remember what this shepherd boy said to King Saul before he killed Goliath, the giant who had held the Israelite army paralyzed with fear for 40 days? Sometimes shepherds have to teach kings how to lead.

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” (1 Samuel 17:32-37)

Sheep are mentioned in the Bible more than any other animal. The Hebrew patriarchs were nomadic and understood that they were stewards of God’s provision. They understood that sheep need shepherds and that shepherds need sheep. Sheep need direction and protection and shepherds need clothing and food. Abel (Genesis 4:2), Abraham (Genesis 13), Jacob (Genesis 30), Joseph (Genesis 37), Moses (Exodus 3) and David (1 Samuel 16) all understood this symbiotic relationship very well. All of these great men of the Bible were shepherds during their lifetimes.

These shepherds paved the way for the Good Shepherd, Jesus, who came to this world to lead, teach and protect his sheep. Jesus loves His sheep so much that he became one of us. He became flesh and blood and lived a sinless life to become a spotless sacrificial lamb. Jesus was sacrificed in our place so that we could be made right with our Father again and spend eternity with Him.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:7-15)

I have never tended sheep before. My family loves animals but we are not a 4-H kind of home. I have, however, taken care of four kids, four dogs, one Guinea pig and a few fish so far (listed in order of challenge and lifespan). And although I may not be the perfect one to speak on this subject, I did do a little research on sheep and shepherds.  I believe that if we examine our lives, using Psalm 23 as our guide, we will learn a little bit about sheep and shepherds and discover God’s Glory (again).

Rods, Staffs and Wool

Man has been herding and producing sheep for a long time. In fact, wool was the first commodity to be traded internationally.9 Man has been spinning wool since 3,500 B.C. and Spanish wool sales funded Columbus’ voyage to the New World. The American Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson raised sheep during their lives and were inaugurated in wool suits.

Sheep are not stupid. They are gentle and quiet grazers that are easily led. They have the ability to recognize and remember the faces and voices of the people who love or abuse them. Sheep have strong flocking and following instincts and like to stay close to one another for protection. They get extremely stressed and agitated if they become separated from the rest of the flock.

Sheep have very good eyesight and have a field of vision up to 306 degrees when their faces are free of wool. This helps them watch for predators. Sheep also have very good hearing. They become nervous and skittish by loud noises. They respond best when spoken to in quiet and calm voices. Sheep don’t feel too much because they are covered with a thick coat of wool. They are always hungry and will keep eating until their food is removed. Sheep chew their cud.

Lambs sleep for eight to twelve hours a day. Lambs are very playful animals and like to climb and explore their surroundings. As they grow they gradually start spending more time with their peers than with their mother.  Adult sheep sleep three to four hours a day and like to take naps. Healthy sheep start each day by stretching and going to the bathroom. Sick animals stop eating, sleep more, and grind their teeth since they are not able to relax.

Sheep are docile animals except for the rams. You should never turn your back to a ram and children should not be around rams during rutting season. Rams butt heads with other rams. They do this to establish dominance and social hierarchy with the other rams and ewes.

Isn’t it amazing how similar sheep are to humans? If you want to have some fun and have a little time to waste, go back and reread the last two paragraphs and replace the word “lamb” with “baby” and “sheep” with “man.” Think about it. Have you ever had a supervisor that made you feel like your only purpose in life is to produce wool for them? Have you ever been rammed in the back by a territorial ram? Have you ever been stressed and agitated when you were separated from the flock? Have you ever worked for a good “shepherd” that protected you and cared for you? I know that I would walk over broken glass to be sheared by a few of the supervisors that I’ve been blessed with during my years of employment. There also has been a few “shepherds” that have caused me to chew my cud.

The shepherd that David had in mind in Psalm 23 was a good shepherd. The good shepherd leads his sheep to peaceful places where they can eat, rest and find restoration for their souls. He is a gentle shepherd who talks softly to his sheep and loves and cares for them. When one of the sheep is anxious or sick, and can’t sleep, the shepherd speaks words of comfort and healing to them so they can rest. This shepherd never abuses his sheep like many “leaders” of men.

The shepherd that David had in mind when he wrote Psalm 23 leads his sheep with truth and righteousness. He carries a rod to beat the crap out of lions and bears that try to carry away his little lambs. He carries a staff to gently hook sheep that wander away into dangerous places. He leads his sheep from the front of the herd so that he can head off danger. When the sheep look at his rod and staff it comforts them.

Bad shepherds drive their sheep from the rear. They yell at their sheep and they use their rod and staff to beat them. Bad shepherds see their sheep as meat and only care about the wool.  Bad shepherds only focus on the ninety-nine and don’t care if they lose a sheep along the way to predators (Matthew 18:12).

The shepherd that David had in mind when he wrote Psalm 23 prepares a banquet for his “sheep” in the presence of the “lions” and “bears.” He does this to teach the lions and the bears that sheep are special…they’re not food. He washes the dirty, smelly sheep and anoints their heads with oil to prepare them for the great banquet. He makes sure that the wine glasses are overflowing with wine from Heaven. There is only goodness and love in the shepherd’s house. The sheep are overjoyed with the knowledge that they will spend eternity with the Good Shepherd who is the Lord.

The Shepherd King

So what do shepherds and sheep have to do with the Glory of God? Everything… David and Jesus both brought glory to their fathers and learned how to be kings by taking care of sheep. The difference, however, is that when God poured His Glory into David’s life, and he became the king of Israel, he forgot how to take care of the sheep that had been entrusted to him. God had to use the prophet Nathan to remind David that good shepherds don’t consume their sheep (see the story of Bathsheba and David in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12 if you have no idea what I’m talking about).

When God poured His Glory into Jesus, however, Jesus showed us what to do with it. Shepherd kings understand that God’s Glory is magnified when they love and care for their sheep. They find great joy in their Father’s Glory and understand that Glory must always be returned to its Source.  Shepherd kings love their sheep and are even willing to die for them so that they might have life.  Jesus said:

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 8:37-40)

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

God’s Glory always produces life…abundant life. God finds great joy in pouring His Glory into broken vessels that shine forth His light in a dark and dying world.  In one of the last conversations that our resurrected Lord had with Peter, He told us that those who truly love him feed His sheep.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

So what are you doing with God’s Glory today? Are you using it to feed God’s sheep or are you using it to glorify yourself? Glory cannot be contained. Just as rain falls from the heavens only to evaporate back to the sky, so it is with God’s Glory. There is no greater joy than to experience Glory flowing through your life when you are totally yielded to Him. Jesus understood this and He came to die for our sins so that we can experience this inexpressible joy again.

The Bottom Line

1) Psalm 23 is a about sheep, shepherds and life, not about death.

2) Sheep are mentioned in the Bible more than any other animal.

3) Tending sheep can be good preparation for leadership.

4) Sheep are not stupid.

5) Humans are a lot like sheep.

6) Good shepherds don’t abuse their sheep. They use their rod and staff to protect the sheep, not to drive and beat them.

7) King David and Jesus both brought glory to their fathers by taking care of sheep.

8) Good shepherds love their sheep and are even willing to die for them.

Questions for Digging Deeper

Has this chapter changed the way that you look at Psalm 23? Why or why not?

Can you think of any other popular Psalms that may have meaning that is different than their common use?

How similar are humans to sheep? What other animals have attributes similar to humans?

How can tending sheep prepare us for leadership?

Why did Jesus ask Peter three times if he loved Him?

What did He tell Peter to do?

Making it Personal

How are you feeding Christ’s sheep right now in your life?

What kind of shepherd are you? What would your sheep say about you?  Ask them and see what they say.

Chapter 5: Sink or Swim

Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them. – Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. first lady

Have you ever noticed that a child’s reaction to falling down is often guided by their parent’s response? When my chubby toddlers tripped over a toy or a blade of grass their initial response, after gathering their senses, was usually to look around to find my eyes to “see” if they were OK. Unless there was blood running down their knees or elbows, they would judge the severity of their injuries by the expression on my face and the tone of my voice.  If I responded with a cheerful voice when I picked them up and brushed them off tears would usually be minimal. Their fear would quickly fade and be replaced with wonder again. This is learned parent behavior. When I was a rookie parent, my overreaction to my first child’s trips and falls usually caused my daughter to cry. A parent’s response to difficult or scary situations matters to children.

I think this thought is applicable to Jesus and His disciples. Jesus’ response to difficult and scary situations mattered to His ragtag band of slow learners. In this chapter we are going to examine two situations that Jesus and His followers experienced together. We will compare a nighttime boat ride in a storm and a stress-filled night in a garden.

The first story is found in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark. Jesus and his disciples had been ministering to a hungry and lost crowd all day and were exhausted. Jesus knew that they needed to get away to rest and recharge. Since Jesus had seasoned fisherman in his fold, He took advantage of their skill and found a few boats to take them out onto the Sea of Galilee. He wanted to cross over the Sea of Galilee to find rest. It’s hard for people to make demands on you when you are in the middle a lake…right?

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (Mark 4:35-41)

In Sparkling Gems From the Greek, Rick Renner points out that the Greek words mega, ginomaia and lalaipsi are used in Mark 4:37. These words describe this storm as a “furious squall,” which tells us that this was a wind storm that came up “suddenly and unexpectedly - as if it came from out of nowhere.”10 According to the Gospel of Mark, the windstorm was so violent and destructive that the waves were breaking over the boat and filling it with water. To the disciples’ amazement and angst, Jesus was curled up in the back of the boat sleeping on a cushion, seemingly oblivious to it all.

Have you ever been so exhausted that you fell asleep during “inappropriate” times? I’m sure that every parent or grandparent could conjure up a smile and a memory of their children or grandchildren sleeping with their face planted in a bowl of spaghetti, or sleeping on the potty. Children play and dream hard. When they crash, they don’t care where there are or what they are doing. When it’s time to sleep it is time to sleep. This is the vision that I have of Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat. While the boat was tossed around and filling with water, while His disciples were shouting and arguing in the dark. Jesus slept through it all.

Mark tells us that the men woke Jesus up when they realized that the situation was out of their control and that the boats were going to sink. I wonder how long the disciples battled the storm before they woke Him…Was Jesus soaked with water as He slept soundly on the cold, water-logged cushion? Did the disciples have to shout and step over their sleeping Savior as they battled the storm?

The Bible tells us that when the defeated disciples finally woke Jesus they did not ask Him to do anything. They just wanted to know if he cared if they drowned. I think that the disciples were ticked off that Jesus was sleeping while they were battling the storm. Isn’t it annoying when you are in a “tempest” and somebody in the group seems to be carefree and doesn’t seem to appreciate the severity of the situation? When the world is crashing in around us don’t we expect everyone to drink from the cup of misery with us?

When Jesus was roused from his deep sleep Mark tells us that he got up and yelled at the wind and the waves. He yelled at them like they were unruly children and told them to “settle down!” The Scriptures say that the wind and the waves obeyed Jesus, and that He then turned his sleepy gaze to His disciples. Jesus asked them why they were filled with fear instead of faith. Can you imagine how the disciples felt? How would you feel if in the midst of struggling through your “storm” God was “sleeping?” How would you feel if when He finally “noticed” your dire situation, He looked into your bloodshot eyes and asked you, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

You would think that the disciples would have been overjoyed at being saved from drowning. Mark tells us, however, that they were even more terrified. The men looked at each other and said, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”(Mark 4:41). The fact that they said this indicates that when they woke Jesus up they really didn’t expect Him to do anything about the storm. I’m guessing that they just wanted Jesus to help them battle the storm in the flesh. They didn’t even consider Jesus’ ability to battle the storm in the Spirit. Sometimes it takes a good storm to scare the doubt out of us.

Why does Jesus still seem to “sleep” sometimes in the storms of our lives? I believe He wants us to understand that the Spirit is much more powerful than the flesh. When we look to the flesh for comfort amidst the storms of life we bring glory to human ability. However, when we look to the Spirit of the living God for comfort in the middle of our storms, God is glorified. God certainly uses men of flesh and blood and natural laws to accomplish His purposes in this world. But we must never forget that God is not bound by flesh or natural laws.

Do you believe this? I am a research scientist who depends on human reason and natural laws to conduct my research to develop new medicines. I have learned, however, that there is more to understand, so much more…

Heavy Eyes and Broken Hearts

The story of Jesus and the disciples in the storm has interesting parallels to another story about storms, sleep and faith. The night before Jesus’ execution by crucifixion He couldn’t sleep.  Jesus knew that He was about to be tortured, humiliated and brutally killed. He was a little stressed. According to Luke 22:44, Jesus was in “anguish” that night, and as He “earnestly” prayed, “his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Have you ever wondered how you would react to being given the death penalty for a crime that you did not commit? How would you react the night before the execution day? Would you appreciate having your family members and your pastor spend the night praying with you? How would you feel if some of your closest friends and family doubted you? What if they didn’t come to visit you the day before your execution out of fear of being incriminated too? What would you feel as you looked into the accusing eyes of the family and friends of the victim as you were led into the execution chamber? How would it feel to watch strangers on the other side of the glass exchange hugs as they looked on as “justice” was served? Would you tell everyone one more time that you didn’t do it? Or would you be silent because of weeks of sleeplessness? Would you curse God for your bad luck or would you pray that God would have mercy on your accusers?

The night before Jesus’ wrongful execution he spent the night praying in one of His favorite places with his closest friends. He asked his friends for a simple thing. He asked them to stay up with him to watch and pray.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” (Mark 14:32-42)

Have you ever let your friends down by assuring them that they could count on you for something and then you just didn’t follow through? Good intentions are not love, actions are. When you tell someone that you really meant to do this or that for them, what you are really saying is that at one time your needs were a priority to me. But something else came up that is more important than your needs and I forgot about you.

I believe that Jesus’ disciples wanted to support Him during His toughest night on earth, in the Garden of Gethsemane. The problem is that their bodies were totally exhausted. They were tired from traveling and they were stuffed with New Covenant bread and wine from their last Passover meal with their Rabbi. I don’t know how many times that I have agreed to pray for someone and then just didn’t do it. I just got distracted with life. Now when someone asks me to pray for them, I usually overcome good intentions by praying for them immediately. Jesus summed it up this way, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23).

The Gospel of Mark tells us that when Jesus took Peter, James and John aside from the others, He revealed his heart to them. Peter, James and John had also been taken aside to witness Jesus bring Jairus’ daughter back from the dead (Mark 5:21-23).  These three men had also witnessed His metamorphoo (Transfiguration) on a mountainside (Mark 9:2-10).  If anyone should have been aware of who Jesus was, it should have been Peter, James and John.

In a moment of humanity Jesus told these men that his soul was “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:34). He needed their prayers to help him get through the night. Jesus was stressed and was looking for support from his closest friends. Jesus was also still teaching, so in their presence He cried out Abba.

Abba is a title that Jewish children used when addressing their father. This word is Aramaic in origin and has multiple meanings. It is used three times in the New Testament (Mark 14:36, Romans 8:5 and Galatians 4:6) and does not have a direct English counterpart. Abba is a name that denotes both intimacy and reverence, familial and awe. Jesus was calling to both his daddy and His eternal all-powerful Heavenly Father when He asked if drinking from the cup of suffering was the only way to bring redemption to a sinful world.  He was looking for comfort from His heavenly Father while acknowledging that His Father’s plan was always best. His plan is best even when it hurts. The book of Hebrews tell us:

In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:10)

Peter, James and John slept when they should have prayed. They relaxed when they should have prepared. They were silent when they should have spoken. Jesus loved these frail and confused men. When they were embarrassed and could not speak, Jesus spoke for them. He reminded them that strength comes from the Spirit not from the flesh. He taught them that sometimes suffering has to come before Glory.

Life and Death

The fear of death has a way of waking people up. When the disciples thought that they were going to die on the Sea of Galilee they had no problem staying awake through the night. But when Jesus was facing death they had no problem sleeping. Jesus slept when His disciples panicked and Jesus panicked when His disciples slept. God does not panic but the Word was made flesh and flesh panics sometimes. Jesus brought Glory to His Father by sleeping in a storm. Jesus also brought His Father Glory by suffering in a garden. He always obeyed His Father’s will.

Are there times that you panic when you should be sleeping and sleeping when you should be praying? What would have happened if instead of panicking, the disciples looked at Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat and thought, “I guess if Jesus isn’t worried about this storm I shouldn’t be either.” Do you really think that Jesus would have let his beloved friends drown? I’m sure that He would have eventually woken up when he plunged into the waves. I’m also sure that He still would have calmed the storm.

Can you imagine Jesus and His disciples floating in the water laughing and rejoicing instead of looking at their Rabbi in the boat with fear? What would have happened if they just had faith? Maybe Jesus would have repeated what he said to the Gentile centurion, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” as you knuckleheads (Matthew 8:10).

What would have happened if the disciples had stayed awake and supported Jesus during His final hours in the Garden of Gethsemane? What would Jesus have said to the disciples if they had urged each other to stay awake through the night to pray for Him instead of sleeping? Would the other disciples have been able to overcome their fear of the flesh and found strength from the Spirit to join John, Mary and the other women to support Jesus at the foot of the cross when He was crucified (John 19:25)?

These are interesting questions to consider. The Good News is that there is great hope for weaklings. God used a thorn in the flesh to teach the Apostle Paul that God is glorified through our weakness. Paul was eventually able to write:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Sink or swim, peace or panic, strength or weakness, shame or Glory…it’s your choice.

The Bottom Line

1) A parent’s response to difficult or scary situations matters to children.

2) Sometimes Jesus sleeps in storms because He is not afraid of them.

3) The Spirit is much more powerful than the flesh.

4) Jesus experienced suffering too.

5) Good intentions are not love, actions are.

6) Sometimes suffering has to come before Glory.

7) The fear of death has a way of waking people up.

8) The Good News is that there is great hope for weaklings.

Questions for Digging Deeper

Do you agree that the way that we respond to situations matters? Why or why not?

What do you think would have happened if the disciples had not bothered to wake Jesus up?

Are you currently traveling through any “storms?” Is Jesus sleeping or awake in your life right now?

Is there anything that you have been trying to do in the flesh that you should be doing in the Spirit?

Put into your own words what Jesus might have been thinking and feeling the night before He was crucified?

Have you ever been let down by your friends or family? Have you ever let them down?

What do you think that Jesus was trying to teach Peter, James and John when he pulled them aside the three times mentioned in the Scriptures?

Has a close call with death ever wakened you, or someone you know?

Can you think of some times that you were panicking when you should have been sleeping and sleeping when you should have been praying?

How has God been glorified through your weakness?

Making it Personal

Identify someone this week in your life that needs a friend to stay awake and pray with them. Make arrangements to get together this week.

What storm are you fighting right now in your life by yourself? Tell the Lord that you know that He has the power to calm your storm and decide that you are going to trust and rest in Him.

Chapter 6: Paint Brushes and Statues

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. - Michelangelo

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to paint or sculpt a masterpiece? Did you know that Cezanne’s 1890’s painting, The Card Players, recently sold for over 250 million U.S. dollars to the country of Qatar?11 Interestingly, the French Post-Impressionist Cezanne rarely signed his paintings. He worked on his art for years and never considered them to be finished products. They were always a work in progress.12

The same is true of Michelangelo. The only work that Michelangelo ever signed was his marble Pieta (1498-1499). He inscribed the words MICHAELA[N]GELUS BONAROTUS FLORENTIN[US] FACIEBA[T] (Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine, made this) on this incredible marble sculpture. He inscribed the Pieta after overhearing an admirer credit his work to rival sculptor Christoforo Solari. Apparently Michelangelo was so conscious stricken from inscribing his name on his statue that he never signed his art again.13

It is unfathomable to most of us to think that someone could work on a piece of art for years and then not even bother to sign it. I mean who would write a novel and not claim it? Apparently New York journalist and columnist Joe Klein would. On January 1996, the novel Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics was published anonymously and spent nine weeks on the New York Times Best selling list. Klein didn’t admit that he wrote it until seven months later.14

Have you ever thought about the fact that all of Jesus’ teachings were written through the hands of others? It is probably a good thing that He didn’t record His teachings in His own handwriting. I’m sure that we would be tempted to worship the paper and ink instead of its Author. I mean if a painting from Cezanne sold for over $250 million how much would an original hand-written document from Jesus Christ command at Christie’s?

According to the Bible, God did write one thing in His own handwriting. He wrote the Ten Commandments. The book of Exodus tells us that Moses spent forty days and forty nights alone with God. During this time God gave Moses “two tablets of the testimony. The tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18 and 32:15-16). God had to inscribe a second set of stones because Moses smashed the first set in a fit of anger. While Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments, the Israelites were busy breaking the first two of them (Exodus 20).  Let’s check it out.

On the three-month anniversary of Israelite freedom from Egyptian bondage, God led the Israelites to the Sinai Desert at the base of Mount Sinai (Exodus 19). God told the people through Moses that if they kept their covenant with Him they would become his “treasured possession.” He told them that they would become “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6). After three days of camping God displayed His Glory in a new way.

Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him. The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinai and called Moses to the top of the mountain. (Exodus 19:18-20)

To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.  Then Moses entered the cloud and he went on up the mountain.  And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. (Exodus 24:17-18)

The Glory of God descended to His Creation and Moses went up into it. Moses went up a mountain into the thunder and lightning and billowing smoke. The people were terrified, the mountain trembled and the Heavenly trumpets announced the very presence of God. And still Moses went up. The Israelites learned that God’s Glory is a cleansing and consuming fire. They learned that the Glory of God is awesome and cannot be contained. They learned that God yearns to find a people who would purpose to become His treasured possession and a kingdom of priests.

While Moses spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain in the presence of God, the people became restless. While Moses was away they convinced Moses’ brother Aaron to make them some gods that they could see and touch. Apparently being led and protected by the angel of God, witnessing God’s Glory in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, witnessing the parting of the Red Sea, eating manna and quail from Heaven, drinking water from a rock in the middle of the desert, walking in shoes that did not wear out, and standing by a mountain that was covered with God’s consuming fire was not tangible enough for these people (Exodus 13-14, 16-17 and Deuteronomy 29:5).

Aaron eventually relented to their demands and cast an idol in the shape of a golden calf. He made the calf from some of the golden earrings that the people had brought out of Egypt. After Aaron finished making the calf he built an altar to it. The Scriptures say that the people were eating, drinking and dancing in sahaq (translated as “revelry” in the NIV) when Moses finally came down from the mountainside to see what the commotion was all about (Exodus 32).

The book of Exodus tells us that Moses was so angry when he realized what was going on that he smashed the first set of holy tablets at the base of the mountain. He didn’t stop there either. He broke up the party, melted the golden calf in the fire and then “ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it” (Exodus 32:20).

Why would Moses make the people ingest the gold dust from the idol? Based on my quick survey of the literature, ingesting gold dust will not kill you. Unlike other heavy metals, gold is non-toxic (except for gold salts), and is even used in some gourmet sweets and drinks as a decorative ingredient. If you eat enough of it, however, it can make you nauseous and give you a good case of diarrhea. Truth be told, we really don’t know why Moses made them eat the gold dust from the idol. Maybe he was just REALLY mad. Or maybe he wanted to associate sin with “poop.” Regardless, the Bible says that Lord was not pleased either. God “stuck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf Aaron had made” (Exodus 32:35).

Man says show me, God says know me. The Israelites wanted tangible gods to worship that they could see with their eyes and hold in their hands. God wanted the people to come to know and revere Him through the presence of His Glory. The Israelites experienced the presence of God every day in very real and tangible ways. But apparently that was not good enough for them. They exchanged a God of Glory for a god of gold. Unfortunately nothing has really changed in the past ~3500 years…

Face to Face

Moses talked to God. Up to this point he had experienced the Lord’s presence through a burning bush, pillars of clouds and fire and through fire on a mountain (Exodus 3 and 33). But after the golden calf incident, the Lord told Moses that He was not going to let the people enter the Promised Land, “because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way” (Exodus 33:3). The Israelites repented and promised to change but ~1500 years later Steven the martyr said something very similar before being stoned to death by the Sanhedrin for taking a stand for Christ.

You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it. (Acts 7:51-53)

As things were settling down Moses asked the Lord to “teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you.” The Lord responded to Moses by saying “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name” (Exodus 33:13,17). Moses was on a first name basis with the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings and the Prince of Peace. Whether out of familiarity, or out of a consuming passion to know the Lord even more intimately, the Bible says that Moses asked to see the Lord’s Glory and the Lord said yes (Exodus 33:18).

And the LORD said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” Then the LORD said, “There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen.” (Exodus 33:19-23)

Moses heard the Lord proclaim His name and he saw the Lord’s back and lived to talk about it. The name that Moses heard was YHWH, which appears 6,823 times in the Tanakh (Jewish Bible). This word is referred to as the tetragrammaton (four-letter word). Since Biblical Hebrew only contains consonants, the exact pronunciation of YHWH that Moses heard was lost forever when the Romans destroyed the second Temple in 70 C.E. This name was so sacred to the Jews that it was restricted to use by Temple priests on special occasions in Jerusalem. The English translation of this name is “I Am Who I Am” or “I Am that I Am.” Modern Jews replace the word YHWH with the more generic name Adonai when reading Scripture in synagogue today. When Jesus called Himself YHWH the punishment for this blasphemy was death by stoning (John 8:58, 10:33-36).

God’s Glory is so awesome that the flesh can only experience a sampling of it and survive. The Apostle Paul understood this because he was blinded on a road by the Lord’s Glory (Acts 9). The Glory of God leaves a residue on the flesh. Many theologians believe that Paul had problems with his eyesight the rest of his life because of being blinded by the Lord’s Glory. Moses also was physically changed because of spending time with the Glory of God on Mount Sinai.

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai. When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD. (Exodus 34:29-35)

The Bible says that the Israelites were afraid to come near Moses because of the residue of God’s Glory on his face. He covered his face in the presence of men but he unveiled it in the presence of God. Can you imagine that? Moses was just a common man with an uncommon task. He was spokesman to the Israelites. The New Testament tells us that there was another reason that Moses wore the veil. The Glory on his face did not last…it faded away over time when he left the presence of God.

Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:7-18)

The Bible says that the Glory that Moses experienced pales in comparison with the “surpassing glory” that we can experience when we turn to Christ! Faces were not meant to be veiled and hearts were made to be free. God doesn’t change. The same Lord who spoke His name to Moses in the burning bush and on Mount Sinai is calling to you and me today to enter into His Holy presence. When you behold the Glory of God you are never the same. Just ask Paul, Moses and the men and women who have experienced it and transformed the world with their testimony. Are you ready? God created you to make waves for His Glory.

Another Mountain Top Experience

Moses was not the only one who was transformed on a mountaintop. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all describe a supernatural event that followed a peculiar comment from Jesus. Jesus said, “Some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Kingdom of God come with power” (Mark 9:1, italics mine). Jesus said this in response to Peter’s confession that He was “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20). Jesus “strictly warned” His disciples not to reveal that He was the Christ to anyone because the He was on a mission that could not be circumvented. He was on mission to suffer, experience rejection, and then be killed so that he could be “raised to life” on the third day to conquer death (Luke 9:21-22).

Jesus didn’t stop there. He told his disciples that he wasn’t the only one who was going to suffer before He “comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). Jesus told His disciples that they had to deny the flesh, take up crosses, that that they had to lose their life to find it. Jesus said that there are no shortcuts to Glory. Suffering comes before Glory.

Moses met God on a mountain to receive the law and to be confirmed as God’s spokesman to the Israelites. Jesus went up onto a mountain to usher in the Kingdom of God.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. (Matthew 17:1-8)

God’s Glory is radiant and causes faces to shine. The Father glorified His Son on a mountain and the result was light, brilliant light. All three gospels mention that when Jesus was transfigured in light, Moses and Elijah, the lawgiver and the prophet, talked face to face with Him. Before experiencing the Glory of God, Moses, Elijah and Jesus all prepared forty days and forty nights. They also all ascended a mountain to meet with God (Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19:8 and Matthew 4:2). We have already discussed Moses’ experience with the Lord’s Glory. Here is what the Bible says about Elijah’s experience with the Glory of God.

The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. (1Kings 19:11-13)

The first time that Moses and Elijah experienced Glory it was in a gentle whisper, a Name and a Back. These men were not permitted to see the face of God or they would die. The second time that they experienced Glory on a mountain they talked with Glory, face to face (Hebrews 1:3).

So was God’s Glory only meant for Moses, Elijah and Jesus?  The Bible says that God delights in sharing His Glory with all of His Creation but the Creation has to receive it (John 1:10-13). Sin and Glory do not mix, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Glory is not experienced through human effort or human desire. It is only experienced through the Grace of God. Men and angels were made for Glory, but it is only found through a narrow gate. Jesus said that He is the narrow gate to life and Glory.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)

The road to Glory has nothing to do with basketball…The road to Glory started on a mountain top and became a narrow path that leads its travelers to Jesus.

Brushes and Chisels

If we were made to share in God’s Glory what does that look like in our lives? I think that it looks like a worn out paintbrush. Amongst Michelangelo’s greatest artistic achievements are nine ceiling paintings that depict scenes from the Book of Genesis. He painted them over a four-year period from 1508 to 1512. These paintings can be viewed in Vatican City’s Sistine Chapel. The most famous of these ceiling paintings is arguably The Creation of Adam.

Wouldn’t it be neat if you could go back in time to watch Michelangelo paint this incredible fresco image in the Sistine Chapel? Close your eyes and daydream with me…

Imagine that you are standing in the center of the Sistine Chapel watching Michelangelo paint atop his homemade wooden scaffolding. Image that after a while he notices you admiring his work and stops painting. He looks down at you and shouts, “Do you want to help me?”

Feel your heart start pounding in your chest and feel the tingling sensation at even being noticed by this master artist. Part of you is jumping at the chance to meet and work with Michelangelo, but reality makes you shout back that you don’t want to ruin such a beautiful painting. You tell him that you are just fine admiring his work from the ground.

Now imagine that Michelangelo chuckles and begins to descend the scaffolding. You realize that he wants to talk to you face-to-face. He doesn’t want to shout. As he walks over to you and stretches out his hand to greet you, your own trembling hand automatically reaches for his out of instinct. Michelangelo looks tired. He is covered with plaster and paint blotches. He has a knowing smile on his face and he looks directly into your eyes and says, “I just need somebody to hold the brush…I’ll do the rest.”

Despite your polite objections, the next thing you know you are following the artist back up the scaffolding and are holding a brush.  As you turn the paint-caked brush over in your hands you are surprised to see that it is old and very worn. You wonder why he is still even using it. His hand touches yours and he tells you to hold the brush gently. To only use enough pressure to keep the brush from falling out of your hand. He guides the frayed brush and dips it into some paint and then he reminds you again to just “relax.”

You stand there feeling his breath on the back of your neck. You listen to his humming as he moves your hand slowly, filling in the sketched images with the freshly mixed colors. After about thirty minutes you are almost in a trance as you watch your hand being guided between the paint and the image. You start to see the shape of a hand forming on the freshly laid plaster. “Wow!” you exclaim as you realize that you are participating in the creation of something amazing…

Now imagine that your neck is starting to ache from looking up at the ceiling. Your wonder is starting to mix with the reality of the pain in your neck. You ask Michelangelo if you can rest a bit and he whispers, “certainly.” He gently takes the brush from your hand and continues to paint where you left off. You sit there for a moment admiring his work and wonder why he isn’t tired, too. After a while you ask if you can “help” him again and he says, “Absolutely!”

This time you are a little more confident, and despite his reminder to just relax and let him guide your hand, you use a little more force. You decide that you have learned enough and you start painting on your own. As you paint with more confidence you feel Michelangelo’s hand slip off of yours. You hear him backing away from you to watch. Now you realize what you have done and you stop painting and look back at your mentor. He doesn’t say anything so you look back at the painting and realize that it is not nearly as good as the section next to it. The section that you had painted together.

This is just a story, but I believe that it is a powerful illustration of how God works His Glory through our lives. The Lord is looking for men and women who want to be used by Him. He is looking for people who would rather be a well-read paperback book than a shiny new hard-covered book that is placed on a shelf to be admired. Those that are willing to be a book that has been read so many times that the cover is falling off and the tear-stained pages are starting to fall out of the bindings. He is looking for people who understand that they exist to bring God Glory through their lives. He is looking for people who would rather paint with the Master than paint alone. He is looking for people who would rather be a well-worn brush in the Master’s hand than a statue to be admired by men.

The Bottom Line

1) The Ten Commandments were the only thing that God ever signed in His own handwriting (which He signed twice).

2) God’s Glory is a cleansing and consuming fire that cannot be contained.

3) Man says show me, God says know me.

4) The flesh cannot handle all of God’s Glory.

5) Sin and Glory do not mix.

6) Glory is only found through Jesus.

7) The Lord is looking for men and women who want to be used by Him who will give Him the Glory that He deserves.

Questions for Digging Deeper

How has this chapter challenged you to think about man’s glory as it compares to God’s Glory?

Can you think of other examples in the Bible where people had a personal encounter with the Glory of God?

What does a relationship with Christ have to do with God’s Glory?

Can you think of another analogy besides a well-worn paintbrush to explain how man can experience and display the Glory of God?

Describe what the Glory of God looks like. (See Exodus 24:17, Ezekiel 1:28, 10:4, and 43:2, 1 Samuel 15:29)

Making it Personal

Are you “painting” alone or with God at this moment in your life?

How has infatuation with your own glory held you back from becoming a lamp to display God’s Glory?

Chapter 7: Schadenfreude

Happiness calls out responsive gladness in others. There is enough sadness in the world without yours... never doubt the excellence and permanence of what is yet to be. Join the great company of those who make the barren places of life fruitful with kindness. — Helen Keller

I think I began learning long ago that those who are happiest are those who do the most for others. — Booker T. Washington

It’s time to get really honest. Have you ever noticed that when somebody shares good news about a major accomplishment you start to compare yourself to them in your mind? If we like the individual that is sharing the good news with us it’s easy to be truly happy for them. If we don’t like or respect the person that is sharing the good news with us it’s hard to be excited for them, isn’t it?

Now think about the reverse situation. How do you feel when something bad happens to the people that you don’t respect or are envious of? If we are honest before God, don’t we feel a tint of satisfaction at their misfortune? Did you know that there are spiritual and physiological reasons why we derive malicious pleasure when others fail? This sinful tendency has been studied extensively and it has a name. It’s called schadenfreude. The word Schadenfreude is derived from the German words Schaden (harm) and Freude (joy). It means “satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune.”15

Researchers have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study schadenfreude. Researchers analyzed the brain patterns of men and women who watched “good” and “bad” test subjects get jolted with an electric shock. Interestingly, the women in the study had empathy for both test groups who were shocked and the men only had empathy for the “good” subjects.16 I guess the men felt that the “bad” test subjects had it coming. Other sudies have shown that the lower our self-esteem is, the more likely that we are to harbor feelings of schadenfreude.17 The bottom line is not pretty. When we don’t feel successful or fulfilled in life we don’t want others to be either.

The Bible says that we should not compare ourselves with others. We also should not rejoice over the misfortune of others, even our enemies.

Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him. (Proverbs 24:17-18)

Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else. (Galatians 6:4-5)

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)

Why am I bringing up such a negative subject up in a book about Glory?  Because when you decide to make yourself available to the Lord, to become a well-worn brush in the Master’s hand, you can expect to face a whole lot of schadenfreude.  When you take a stand for Christ, and the joy of His Glory starts to flow through your life, you will start to smell. Some will detect the pleasant aroma of Christ in your life. Others will think that you smell like death and they won’t appreciate you very much (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).

One of the books that has influenced me greatly is Charles Swindoll’s Living Above the Level of Mediocrity. Swindoll says that the world is full of rule makers and nay-sayers.  He says we live in a world of “don’ts, won’ts, can’ts and quits.”18 He says that occasionally there are creative individuals who, like eagles, aim really high and fly above the world of skepticism. They see mediocrity as something to be confronted. They believe that they can actually make a difference in the world.

What about you? What about me? Are we eagles or are we eagle hunters who like to shoot eagles down? God made us to soar for Him, not to feast in troughs of gossip and tabloid filth. You are not a pig. You’re an eagle.

The Encourager

One of my favorite personalities in the Bible is Barnabas. Barnabas was one of the first apostles to accept Saul (who is called Paul, Acts 13:9) after his conversion on the Damascus Road. He was also the one who took Paul to meet the other apostles (Acts 9:26-28). He was one of the “go to guys” in the early church. The early church fathers called on Barnabas to encourage new church plants (Acts 11:19-26). He was an encourager. He was not a wimp though.

When Paul wanted to leave a young man named John Mark behind on a new mission trip, Barnabus stood up to Paul (Acts 15:36-41). John Mark had abandoned them during an earlier mission trip and Paul had lost faith in this young man. Barnabus decided to give John Mark a second chance. He believed in John Mark so much that he decided to split from Paul’s missionary trip. He took the young missionary to Cyprus while Paul and Silas went to Syria and Cilicia. Time would show that Barnabus was a good judge of character (2 Timothy 4:11). Barnabus saw the potential in everyone. He put his own rear end on the line to stick up for eagles that are still learning how to fly.

God calls all of His children to be encouragers. God is glorified when we love one another. Remember Jesus’ parting words to Peter? If we truly love the Lord we will feed His sheep (John 21:15-17). Encouragement tastes sweet in a world that is full of criticism and eagle hunters. Is there a young (or older) eagle in your life right now who is still learning to fly? They need your encouragement today. Is there a friend who still believes that they were made for pig slop that needs your prayers, patience and support? They need your encouragement today.

If you don’t think that you can encourage anyone else right now because you are drowning in a pool of discouragement, I have a challenge for you. Instead of struggling with doubt, anger and envy, try sharing some encouragement with someone else today. See what happens.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25)

Have you ever really stopped to think about all of the people that God has used in your life to encourage you? Think about how many people that God has used to help you become the person that you are today. Has God even used some hurt and disappointments in your life to “encourage” you towards Him?  Sometimes encouragement looks like kind words and hugs. Sometimes encouragement looks like discipline and a sharp pair of pruning shears.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:4-12)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:1-8)

The purpose of encouragement (in all its forms) is to bring the Father Glory. We were created to fly. But we were also created to bear fruit. God is glorified when our lives bear fruit for Him. If you really love the Lord you will feed His sheep and bear fruit for His Kingdom. It is better to be a bent and weary branch full of the fruit of faithfulness than a wild and overgrown branch without purpose in a thirsty world.

The Bottom Line

1) Man is self-centered and is often guilty of schadenfreude.

2) Men were created to be like eagles, not pigs.

3) God uses encouragers like the Apostle Barnabas to expand His Kingdom and bring Him Glory.

4) Sometimes encouragement looks like kind words and hugs but sometimes encouragement looks like discipline and a sharp pair of pruning shears.

5) Sometimes the best cure for discouragement is to become an encourager.

6) Remember to thank those who have encouraged you over the years.  God is glorified when you do.

Questions for Digging Deeper

Can you think of any times in your life that you have been guilty of schadenfreude?

If a bear ate you would you taste more like pork or chicken (I’m assuming that eagle tastes like chicken)?

Can you think of any other Bible personalities that had the gift of encouragement?

How have you been encouraged this past week and who have you encouraged?

How has God disciplined you in the past and how has His discipline led to the development of greater fruit in your life?

Making it Personal

Take time this week to think about all of the people who have encouraged you during your life and make a point to thank God for them and consider putting together an “encouragement timeline.” Give them a call or drop them a note. They will appreciate it.

Try to think and act more for others than for yourself this week.  Record what you learn.

Chapter 8: An Ordinary Weakling

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall. – Confucius

In this final chapter I am going to share a story about an ordinary weakling who believes that the Glory of God is very real. This man is a research scientist who has been trained to ask really hard questions that can only be tested and validated with data. He has never seen God’s Glory on a mountaintop or heard God speak from a burning bush. But he has come to believe that God’s Glory is real. It is more real than the flesh that sustains him.

This man understands that the distance between the head and the heart is immense. He has been trained to trust his mind more than his feelings. However, he has also learned through experience that the truly meaningful things in life require the engagement of the mind and the heart. This foolish man reads the Bible in the morning and the scientific literature during the day. He doesn’t even see contradictions anymore. He has come to trust God more than he trusts himself. He feels compelled to tell the world about the Glory of his Savior, Jesus Christ.

I know this man’s story because it is my story. I was very sick at birth and not expected to live, let alone walk or live a “normal” healthy life. By the grace of God I overcame the odds and was raised by parents who have always loved and supported me. They helped me survive a childhood full of bullies who often made me feel small and less than desirable.

When I became a teenager I found solace and friendship through alcohol, which led to a life of dependence. Alcohol transformed me into the man that I wanted to be: brave, bold and outgoing. At least that is what I told myself. Drinking would cause me to hurt those closest to me because when I was drunk I really didn’t care about anyone else except myself. I was on a mission to prove to the world that I was significant and desirable.

During those turbulent years I fell in love with an angel. She was much too good for me then and she still is now. We were married and my first childhood prayer was answered. God sent me my soul mate to love and support me despite my many, many faults.

Fortunately, I never let my dependence on alcohol affect my studies or work ethic. I was able to secure a job that has allowed me to fulfill a second childhood dream. I always wondered what it would feel like to be one of the scientists in the textbooks who live on the cutting edge of discovery. Now I know. It is just as exciting as I hoped it would be, but the problem is that it is never enough. Just like with alcohol, and everything else in life apart from God, the high that you experience with each new discovery is exhilarating but fleeting.

During the first twenty-three years of my life I prayed to a God who I believed was closer to people who were much more holy than me. The God that I knew was defined by the opinions, traditions and teaching of others, not by my own investigation. I knew that there must be more to faith than going to church a few times a year and praying when I needed a little help. I believed in God, but I was too busy building an empire to think about Him.

Life seemed perfect on the outside. But when I slowed down enough to listen to my heart I still felt empty inside. Living in a new city with no friends prompted us to look for friends in the bars and even a few churches. When we visited one church because we noticed it on the way to the mall, an energetic man with white hair named Max noticed us right away. Before we knew what hit us we were connected to a small group of young people in that church. Later in the week we were being treated to waffles and sausage at a local restaurant.  During our dinner conversation that night Max’s eyes seemed to burn right through me and I felt naked and vulnerable. Most of me wanted to get up and leave but the other part of me wanted to stay. I knew that this white, curly-haired man had the answers that could address the emptiness that I was feeling inside. As Max talked, I felt like my heart was going to explode out of my chest. I now know that the Holy Spirit was speaking through one sinner to another, convicting me of my sin, and calling me towards a greater life in Christ.

I made it through the dinner without choking and left the Waffle House with some literature to read. I read the material that Max gave us before my dinner had even digested. Within hours my wife and I were talking about areas of our lives that we had never shared with each other before. We ended the evening by kneeling together at our bedside and giving our hearts and lives to the Lord. I can’t prove to you that God exists. All that I know is that something miraculous happened that night that has transformed the past twenty-two years of our lives.

I felt “lighter” and everything immediately took on new meaning in my life. Building an empire and drinking just didn’t seem that important to me anymore. I was hungry to read and study the Bible for myself because I wanted to figure out what was happening to me. Fortunately Max didn’t stop with a waffle dinner. He took us under his wing and poured his experience and wisdom into our lives along with many other young men and women at that church.

Through a long and painful process I have begun to understand that the only opinion that really matters in life is God’s. This knowledge has helped me to become fearless for Him. I still feel the call for a life of significance, and I occasionally care more about what people think about me than I should. But now I see that the best legacy that I could leave is to live my life for God’s Glory. I’m just an ordinary weakling and that is just fine with me.

The Lord has blessed us with four incredible children who have all entrusted their lives to Christ as well. I pray that they will not have to make as many mistakes as their dad has in their journey of becoming more like our Savior.

That takes us to the book that you are reading. I know that I am not the most gifted writer, but I have always dreamed of writing books that would engage the mind and the heart. I hope that God has used this well-worn brush to write something that was worth reading. I figure that if God can speak through an ass he can speak through anybody (Numbers 22:28). I have learned a lot while writing Our Glory Is His and I hope that you learned a few new things too.

I would love to hear your story and your thoughts about the infinite Glory of the Living God. If you are an ordinary weakling like me and would like to share your thoughts and stories with me I’d be honored to read them at www.lenwinneroski.com or www.recycledpress.com.

May the Lord richly bless you and may He reveal His Glory to you in a powerful and very real way today. God is inviting you to share in His joy and His Glory, but you will have to use your mind and your heart to find it. All that God asks of us is that we admit that we need His love and forgiveness and that our glory does not belong to us. Our Glory is His.

1 Corinthians 1:27

Epilogue: Sparks and Flames

How do you end a book about God’s Glory? I guess the same way that you start such a book: with prayer, wonder and thankfulness. I hope that you have enjoyed walking with me through a few thoughts about Glory that I have gained from my first twenty-two years of trying to live out my faith.  I’m sure that if it is God’s will, and I write on this subject twenty-two years from now, I may have something different to say about Glory.  God’s Glory is incomprehensibly vast.

This book used stories about sparks, angels, Nephilim, Everlasting Gobstoppers, sleeping in boats, sleeping in gardens, shepherds, paintbrushes, statues and the German word schadenfreude to try to explain the unexplainable. Don’t depend on my story and thoughts about Glory though. Look into it yourself. You will be glad that you did!

When you discover the Glory of God it is just the beginning of life, not the end. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). Do you believe that? The Lord put a little bit of His Glory into each one of us so that we could experience His joy. When you come to understand that God’s Glory does not belong to you the Kingdom of God starts to materialize.

When you understand that the only thing that you will bring back to your Creator when you leave this world is His Glory, the Kingdom of God draws near.  When you realize that your time on earth is a sacred gift, and that we are called to feed God’s sheep, the Kingdom of God draws near. When you understand that broken lamps can still shine forth the Glory of God to bring Him Praise in a dark and hurting world, the Kingdom of God draws near. When you understand that you were created to bear fruit of faithfulness for Him, the Kingdom of God draws near.

As a good friend of mine used to say, “God doesn’t make junk.” You were created to be a living vessel for the Glory of the Living God! Don’t settle for less. When sparks gather together it creates a flame. When flames gather together it creates a fire. God is calling forth sparks to set this world on fire for His Glory. Are you ready? Your Glory is His.

A Tribute of Thankfulness

I have much to be thankful for. Most importantly, I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit who leads me.

I am thankful for my wife and best friend, Ann, who has loved me when I have not been very lovable for the past twenty-three years. She has been a constant encourager to me. I thank God for bringing such a Godly and loving wife and mother into my life. Ann, you are the answer to my childhood prayers and I’m still sorry about your butt…

I am thankful for my parents, Larry and Toni, who taught me how to love God and how to love others. Mom and dad, you showed me what humility looks like in the flesh. You have always been there for me. Thank you for all of the wisdom that you both instilled into my life. You were right, Dad, the truth is always in the middle.

I am thankful for four wonderful children who love the Lord and are growing into amazing young adults. God has great plans for your lives Lindsey, Aaron, Andrew and Paige. Always look to God in prayer and to the Bible for wisdom and strength. Never give up on your dreams.

I am thankful for my little brother, Mike, who supported and looked up to me, even when he shouldn’t have. He went home to be with Jesus before he had the chance to read this book. I’m going to miss you, Mike, but I rejoice in the fact that we will be together again in Glory.

I am thankful for all of the people who have prayed for me and planted spiritual seeds in my life over the years. I’m thankful for the priests, the pastors and my fellow Jesus Freaks. I am especially thankful for my co-worker at Burger King who asked me how I could possibly be happy when I was wasting my life apart from Jesus. You were right… I was.

I am thankful for Max and Ellen Eveland. God placed you guys in my life at a critical time when I was searching for something more. I was looking for the Kingdom of God that was within me and you guys took the time to explain it to me. Max you didn’t stop there, you took this “young lion” under your wing and showed me how to feed God’s sheep.

I am thankful for the discouragement and disappointments that I have experienced over the course of my life. They all hurt deeply, but I can look back on most of them now and see why God allowed them to happen. Without these challenges I may have been tempted to look to myself for strength instead of to God.

I am thankful for the shepherd leaders in my life. You guys believed in me more than I believed in myself and have been great mentors to me over the years. I have grown by studying the leadership literature, but I have grown much more by being led and learning from good shepherds.

I am thankful to all of my good friends who have made this journey enjoyable: Rob, Scott, Darryl, John, Lisa, Dan, Brady, Nancy, Scott, Shalon, Cris, Lori, Bill, Jackie, Alan, Carla, Gary, Mickey, Tim, Diane, Mark, Melanie, Sherry, Brian, Frank, Karen, Jeff, Cathi, Tony, Jose, Tina, Mark, Amy, Eric, Bruce, Kelly, Jerry, Lori, Gregg, Sue, Paris, Ron, Eric, Jimmy, Don, Chris, Matt, Karen and so, so many others!

I am thankful for those who have supported me in my writing ministry: my parents, my wife, my brother, my mother-in-law and fellow dreamer Susan Hoffelder, my father-in-law Don O’Rourke, Ricky Maye, Mickey, my cousin Billy, Liz, Hayley, Jose, Tina, Erik, Jeff, Christine, Steve, Bob, Mark, Dibble, Tara, Becky, Priscilla, Christi, Aaron, Carly, “XXX,” Emily, Liz, Michele, Kristen, Justin, John, Tauquir, Ryker, Casey and all of the writers and friends of www.mannaandcoffee.com. I wrote this book to give God the Glory that only He deserves, but I would have never attempted to write this book without your prayers and encouragement.

I am thankful for everyone who took the time to read and provide critical edits of this book like Dr. Angie Ward, Lori McFall, Susan Hoffelder, Mark Wortinger, Mickey Richeson and Ricky Maye. I know that your time is precious and I am honored that you spent some of it helping me.

I pray that this book has been an encouragement to you and that you will think just a little more about God’s Glory than you did before you read it. We are in this together. I love each one of you because Christ first loved me. Go in peace and produce fruit for His Glory and don’t forget to feed some sheep today. They will appreciate it and so will God. Our Glory Is His.

(1) Dictionary.com, retrieved on April 1, 2012 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/glory?s=t

(2) Piper, J. What is God’s glory. Retrieved April 1, 2012 from http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/ask-pastor-john/what-is-gods-glory

(3) Dosick, W.D. Living Judaism: The Complete Guide to Jewish Belief, Tradition, and Practice (New York: Harper Collins e-books, 2007) p.2.

(4) Edwards, J. ed. by Thomas Schafer, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 13 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1994), p. 199.

(5) Lewis, C.S. The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007), p. 577.

(6) Piper, P. God's Passion for His Glory: Living the Vision of Jonathan Edwards  (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1998).

(7) Chaffey, T. (Jan.-Mar. 2012), Battle over the Nephilim. Answers, 7(1), pp. 64-66.

(8) Wolper, D.L., Margulies, S. (Producers), & Stuart M. (Director). (1971). Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Bros. Pictures.

(9) www.sheep101.info, retrieved February 19, 2012.

(10) Renner, R. Sparkling Gems from the Greek, Teach All Nations, 2003, pp. 86-88.

(11) Esman, A.R. (2012, February 6). The $250 Million Cezanne: What Does It Mean To You? Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/abigailesman/2012/02/06/the-250-million-dollar-cezanne-what-does-it-mean-to-you/

(12) Pioch, N. (2002, September 19). Cezanne, Paul: Lanscapes. Retrieved from http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/cezanne/land/6

(13) The Divine Michelangelo – overview of Michelangelo’s major artworks. BBC Press Office.  Retrieved on March 22, 2012 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/02_february/05/divine_michelangelo_overview.shtml

(14) Carvajal, D. (1996, July 18). Columnist’s Mea Culpa: I’m Anonymous. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1996/07/18/us/columnist-s-mea-culpa-i-m-anonymous.html

(15) Dictionary.com, Retrieved on March 22, 2012 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/schadenfreude

(16) Singer, T. Seymour, B. O’Doherty, J.P., Stephan, K.E., Dolan, R.J., Frith, C.D., (January 2006) Empathic Neural Responses are Modulated by the Perceived Fairness of Others. Nature, 439, pp. 466-469.

(17) http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/the-science-of-schadenfreude, retrieved March 2, 2012.

(18) Swindoll, C. R., Living Above the Level of Mediocrity (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), p. 19.

Our Glory Is His

Table of Contents

Foreword by Ricky Maye

Introduction

Chapter 1: Sparks Restored

Chapter 2: Misplaced Glory

Chapter 3: Everlasting Gobstopper

Chapter 4: Shepherds, Lions and Bears

Chapter 5: Sink or Swim

Chapter 6: Paint Brushes and Statues

Chapter 7: Schadenfreude

Chapter 8: An Ordinary Weakling

Epilogue: Sparks and Flames

A Tribute of Thankfulness