Good morning Friend. I trust you had a great weekend. In our last post, we learned about how we ought to magnify Jesus in all we do; in words, deeds and thoughts. We took our cue from the transfiguration experience in Matthew 17. Where Peter James and John lifted up their eyes, and saw no man save Jesus only. I remember touching on the significance of bringing those 3 disciples to the mount of transfiguration, as their names represented the allegorical symbolism of the transfer of dispensations which was soon to happen. We also enumerated a number of the things that happen when we do not magnify and lift up Jesus. When we people see men and not Jesus, we learned that wrong tendencies like Pride, Performance, Pretense and People Pleasing will be prevalent. Today however, we would be considering the glorious result of magnifying and lifting up Jesus in all we do. He is the only super star of the Church, the one man audience we must seek to please at ALL times. Anyone who attempts to “take” His glory never lives long enough to relish it. Herod momentarily tasted of that forbidden fruit and was suddenly eaten up by gaping worms. Now this is not to say God does not share His glory with His children, I can assure you that He does. In fact, it gives Him pleasure to share His glory with you. Unlike the popular song has made us believe; “You are the Lord that is your name, you will NEVER share your glory with any one, you will NEVER share your glory with anybody, ALMIGHTY GOD that is your name…” Well, that might be His name, but definitely not His nature. He lavishly shares His glory with His children. Listen and listen well, THERE IS NOTHING GOD HAS THAT HE HAS NOT SHARED. Absolutely NOTHING!!! When God made the statement about not sharing His glory with another, He was referring to graven images and idols, not we His children.
Isaiah 42:8 I am the Lord; that is My name. And My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images
Are you a graven image? Are you an idol? NO! So God was not referring to Us when He said this like the song has made us believe. However there is a part of scriptures that refers to you and I.
2 Pet 1:2 KJV) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath CALLED US TO GLORY AND VIRTUE:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be PARTAKERS OF THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Romans 8:30 (KJV) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, THEM HE ALSO GLORIFIED.
God has indeed called us to share in His glory and virtue, He has called us to be partakers of His divine nature. If He did not want us to have His glory, then He would not put Christ in us, who is the hope of Glory. The difference with us however is that we don’t jostle for the glory, we don’t seek this glory, we don’t see it as something to be grasped. It is an honour for us, for God to call us to share in His pristine glory. Nothing in us deserves it, His immaculate glory belongs to Him and Him alone, but being who He is, He ALWAYS shares, so He shares His glory with us. Not with graven images, but with His own Sons and Daughters. We give it all to Him, and then He shares some with us. That is the order. We don’t even dare to take the shine off Jesus, He must be glorified in ALL our services, meetings and especially our personal lives.
2 Thess 1:11 (KJV) Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
12 THAT THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST MAY BE GLORIFIED IN YOU, AND YE IN HIM, ACCORDING TO THE GRACE OF OUR GOD AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.
God wants to glorify Jesus in you, and wants you glorified in Him. What a God we serve! He wants us to share in His glory, but we must glorify Jesus first. The following happens when we seek to lift Jesus up in every area of our lives and glorify Him above all else;
1. Power is Released: Nothing releases the power of God more than magnifying the person, the name and the authority of Jesus Christ. When the apostles were accosted by the religious fanatics of their day and warned not to preach in the name of Jesus anymore, they defied the council and went back to their company, they prayed that God would stretch His hands to heal and cause that signs and wonders be done by the name of His holy Son Jesus. This were the apostles, magnifying Jesus and bringing Him to the fore of the situation. Power is always released when Jesus is magnified. Acts 4:29-33
2. People are Edified: When Jesus is preached and magnified, it doesn’t puff people up, it builds people up. I am sure we all know what “Puff-Puff” means. *smiles*. If you grew up where I did, you definitely can relate with what I’m saying. It looks so big on the outside but when you handle it in your hands and squeeze, it’s all but an oily over bloated piece of flour filled with dough. It has a counterpart known as “Buns” however, this is a bit more modest in its appeal, less shiny and not so high on reputation. What you see is what you get, it doesn’t tell you it’s this much when it’s only so little. *What got us off this trail?* Anyway, what I am saying is this, when we lift Jesus up, people see Him and are edified. A partial knowledge of Him puffs up, but a well-rounded knowledge of Jesus will build you up and give you an inheritance amongst the saints. Acts 20:32
I’ll stop here today again for time and text sake, but I hope you picked out a few lessons from this piece. If you have not read the last one, please do. Our lives are much more beautiful when we seek to glorify Him and make His name glorious. He is the only factor that makes us valuable, He is the glory of God, and whenever He is glorified, Heaven releases its Power and People are supernaturally edified. Glorify Him in all you do and experience change and transformation. I love you. Please remember to share with friends. Have a remarkable week ahead.
