2 Kings 2:9 ..."Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit"....
The first requirement to move in greater power and authority in God is to hunger for it. Yet even this hunger is born from God. Elisha hungered after God. Elisha saw many miracles as Elijah's servant. But he wanted more. He wanted a double portion of Elijah's spirit. When he asked Elijah for this, the prophet responded, "You have asked a difficult thing." It wasn't because it couldn't be granted. Elijah knew that with great anointing came a great weight of responsibility and difficulty.
Second, humility comes before honor. Elisha was known as the "servant of Elijah." How would you like to be known as "the servant of John"? Your name is not even mentioned. This was the preparation of Elisha. It has been the preparation of many men of God. Consider Joseph, the servant of Pharaoh. Consider David, the servant of Saul.
Third, Elisha committed himself totally to his calling. The Scripture says when Elisha was called to join Elijah, the younger man left his farm business completely. He slaughtered his oxen and had a great feast for the community. It was all or nothing. He could not fall back on his farm trade if his new venture didn't work. This demonstrates Elisha's pioneer spirit in stepping out, not knowing what was ahead.
Do you want greater anointing in God? "You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you" (Jer. 29:13-14a). Begin thirsting for God's anointing in your heart today. This is the starting place.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Creating a Positive Attitude to Achieve Positive Results by Mark Victor Hansen
Your attitude determines the state of world you live in. It is the foundation for every success and every failure you have had and will have. Your attitude will make you or break you.
Attitude creates the way you feel about people and situations. Your actions are a result of your attitude, which, in turn, creates a reaction from others. So, basically, what you think ... you get. It is your attitude towards God and others that determines the resultant attitude toward you. Incorporate a positive, joyful attitude and you'll have positive, joyful results. Put out a bad, negative attitude and you've failed before you begin.
I know it sounds simple, but the truth is….it IS simple!
WHERE DO NEGATIVE ATTITUDES COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Negative attitudes come from thinking negative thoughts over and over until they have become a part of your subconscious – they've become habitual, a part of your personality. You may not even realize you have a negative attitude because it's been with you for so long. Once you have a bad attitude, you expect failure and disaster. This expectation turns you into a strong magnet for failure and disaster. Then it becomes a vicious circle. You expect the worst - you get the worst - your negative beliefs are reinforced – you expect the worst – you get …
. . . Got the picture?
SO, HOW DO WE SHIFT OUR THOUGHTS AND CREATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE?
It takes work, but creating anything of value takes work. In order to have a new attitude we have to change our subconscious thinking. How do we do this? By analyzing every thought we have until positive thinking becomes habit. You're merely replacing an old habit with a healthy habit, much like replacing exercise for smoking.
You can't just stop being negative – you have to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones.
Some people would say, "But negative situations are a reality. They just show up in every day life."
This is absolutely not true. Situations are a reality, yes. They do show up. It is your ATTITUDE that makes a situation positive or negative. It's time for you to realize that YOU are in control of how you think and feel – no one else on earth has this power unless you give it away. Take control of your attitude, and you take control of your results.
"Your state of mind creates the state of your results."
Attitude creates the way you feel about people and situations. Your actions are a result of your attitude, which, in turn, creates a reaction from others. So, basically, what you think ... you get. It is your attitude towards God and others that determines the resultant attitude toward you. Incorporate a positive, joyful attitude and you'll have positive, joyful results. Put out a bad, negative attitude and you've failed before you begin.
I know it sounds simple, but the truth is….it IS simple!
WHERE DO NEGATIVE ATTITUDES COME FROM IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Negative attitudes come from thinking negative thoughts over and over until they have become a part of your subconscious – they've become habitual, a part of your personality. You may not even realize you have a negative attitude because it's been with you for so long. Once you have a bad attitude, you expect failure and disaster. This expectation turns you into a strong magnet for failure and disaster. Then it becomes a vicious circle. You expect the worst - you get the worst - your negative beliefs are reinforced – you expect the worst – you get …
. . . Got the picture?
SO, HOW DO WE SHIFT OUR THOUGHTS AND CREATE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE?
It takes work, but creating anything of value takes work. In order to have a new attitude we have to change our subconscious thinking. How do we do this? By analyzing every thought we have until positive thinking becomes habit. You're merely replacing an old habit with a healthy habit, much like replacing exercise for smoking.
You can't just stop being negative – you have to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones.
Some people would say, "But negative situations are a reality. They just show up in every day life."
This is absolutely not true. Situations are a reality, yes. They do show up. It is your ATTITUDE that makes a situation positive or negative. It's time for you to realize that YOU are in control of how you think and feel – no one else on earth has this power unless you give it away. Take control of your attitude, and you take control of your results.
"Your state of mind creates the state of your results."
Monday, October 15, 2007
Obedience-Based Decisions Versus Skill and Ability by Os Hillman
1 Chronicles 14:15 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move out to battle.
The Philistines were attacking. David wanted to know how to respond. His first inquiry of God revealed that he was to attack the Philistines straightaway and God would give him victory. David followed God's instruction and gained victory. Shortly after, the Philistines mounted another attack. "So David inquired of God again, and God answered him, 'Do not go straight up, but circle around them and attack them in front of the balsam trees' " (1 Chron. 14:14).
David was a well-trained warrior, a strategist. Yet, we find that David's dependence on God to direct his efforts was very great. In fact, after he won the first battle, he went right back to inquire again. This is the most important lesson we can learn from this story. God told David to attack, but only after he heard the marching in the balsam trees.
How many times have you or I operated in the marketplace based only on our skill and ability, without seeking to know the details of God's will in the matter? David could have simply assumed that since he had won the last battle, surely God would give him victory the same way. No. David had learned that communicating with the living God is the only sure way of victory. His skill was not enough. He had to have God's blessing.
How many times have we worked in our business life the same way each time only because it was the way we did it last time? What if God has a better way? What if God has a different plan than ours? "So David inquired of God..." These are the important words that we are to learn from. We must be in such relationship with God that we are constantly inquiring of His mind on every matter. When we do this, we can expect the same results that David achieved-success in our endeavor and recognition by God.
"So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear him" (1 Chron. 14:17). This is the reward of obedience to God. We don't have to build a name for ourselves. God will see to it that we are honored for our obedience. He wants to make known those servants who are willing to obey Him at all costs.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Getting Money Right – What You Deserve by Jeffery Combs
Isn't it about time that you got right with money? When I say "right" what I am talking about is getting money right emotionally. Money is a very controversial subject in our society. Mention money to almost anyone and it will bring out a certain level of discomfort because almost everyone lacks money. Statistics say that 97% of our population works for 3% of society. Only around 4% to 5 % achieve a six figure income and one-twentieth of 1% of society achieve a seven figure income. "Why is it," I ask, "that so many people struggle when we are living in a world with so many opportunities to create wealth?" In this information I will be presenting what I believe to be the reasons that hold so many people from receiving the money they deserve.
I have personally coached hundreds of great people in the last six years whose struggles with money issues have caused them to sabotage themselves over and over. One of the first questions to ask when it comes to money is, "Who was my role model when it comes to money, prosperity, finance, and abundance?" For most of us it was our parents and for them it was their parents. Let's also state that this information is not about blaming anyone. You are now a grownup and your perception of money is now up to you.
The next question to ask is, "What did I learn in my education about money?" Typical high school curriculum includes courses about economics and government but nothing about how to attract money or how to have a healthy relationship with money. Traditional education teaches how to acquire job skills, and prepares students to get paid what a particular job is worth, not what the individual is worth. Making more money requires education about free enterprise and how to get paid what the free market bears; getting paid on your terms and your time frame, and learning about service and value. The more valuable you become through the service you provide, the more you make. This is not about working hard because if that were the case, then all of the world laborers would be millionaires.
Over the centuries money has gotten a bad rap by being associated with corruption, greed, pain, and the misuse of power. A perception grew that somehow the rich deprived the poor and that wealthy people were bad people, were not loveable, were disconnected from love, and were greedy. The sad fact is that most people just don't believe they deserve to have money freedom or peace of mind. I believe that you can be rich, spiritual, and prosperous, and that with your abundance you can create love and compassion using your wealth to assist others strengthen their skills so that they too have the opportunity to be prosperous in life's ways.
Most of us have been taught that "Money is the root of all evil," but the actual quotation from the Bible is, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is neutral – not good or bad. It is paper and metal that symbolizes an exchange of goods and services. Money is an energy that you either attract or repel. It is the negative emotions around money such as greed, obsession, and power that can bring negative experiences, and that keep most people from it.
In the last several centuries there has been radical change in opportunity, philosophy, and ways to create wealth. Many courageous forerunners paved the way for new thoughts and ideas about prosperity, abundance, self sufficiency, and enlightenment. Just in the last hundred years brilliant writers and speakers have emerged like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Earnest Holmes, Katherine Ponder, Florence Scovel Schinn, Earl Nightingale, Louise Hay, Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins, to name a few of my favorites that have assisted me with my enlightenment. A whole consciousness of self-help and personal development has become available to the masses. Bookstores and coffee bars are now as popular as some of the old traditional night spots, and we now have access to coaches and mentors to be emotionally, financially, and spiritually fit.
People now realize that they are responsible for their own empowerment. They see that assuming responsibility can bring them prosperity and allow them to become more and to do more. For this to happen, people have to have belief in themselves and grasp the idea that they can control their lives. In our me-too, microwave, lottery-mentality society very few people ever put the proper thoughts and proper actions together at the same time to provoke the results they deserve. Plain and simple, most people don't believe they deserve prosperity and abundance. They want, wish, like to, if only, pray for a miracle, and most of all want for change to happen. Sorry, it doesn't operate that way. Too many people tiptoe quietly to their graves looking back only to say – "I wish I would have!"
Still, don't lose heart for it can officially become "Now O'clock" at any minute. There are 86,400 seconds in every single day; 1,440 minutes, 24 hours, one day, one week, one month, one year, one lifetime. We can change at any moment. Is it hard or is it easy? You are one thought away from success or one thought away from failure. It is a choice we have the opportunity to make every single day.
I believe God wants us to be rich, prosperous, and free. God did not create fear, it is manmade. Fear overrides most people's dreams and objectives. Most people aren't even able to identify what they are afraid of. All they know is they are struggling just to keep up with the other sheep in the pasture. You have to get past the thoughts that money is bad and will somehow taint you. Abundance is natural and spiritual. Money will not deprive you but could actually enlighten you. Many of the great teachers have given credence to the idea that abundance is spiritual and that it is the power of your thoughts that creates abundance for you.
If you are wealthy more often than not you will be dispersing your money commercially and charitably, supporting many people around you and adding to the velocity of overall wealth. There are literally trillions of dollars passing about electronically on any given day, and those signals are literally passing by you at all times. If you stop and think about it, there are millions of dollars flowing through your body at the moment. Imagine making a slight flick of the wrist in order to stop some of that money in transit so it sticks with you. A flick of the mind is a flick of the wrist. Money can be good – greed is not good. There are no reasons why you can't be very rich, very rich in fact, and still be a very valuable generous spiritual person with a huge heart and compassion for everyone.
I have personally coached hundreds of great people in the last six years whose struggles with money issues have caused them to sabotage themselves over and over. One of the first questions to ask when it comes to money is, "Who was my role model when it comes to money, prosperity, finance, and abundance?" For most of us it was our parents and for them it was their parents. Let's also state that this information is not about blaming anyone. You are now a grownup and your perception of money is now up to you.
The next question to ask is, "What did I learn in my education about money?" Typical high school curriculum includes courses about economics and government but nothing about how to attract money or how to have a healthy relationship with money. Traditional education teaches how to acquire job skills, and prepares students to get paid what a particular job is worth, not what the individual is worth. Making more money requires education about free enterprise and how to get paid what the free market bears; getting paid on your terms and your time frame, and learning about service and value. The more valuable you become through the service you provide, the more you make. This is not about working hard because if that were the case, then all of the world laborers would be millionaires.
Over the centuries money has gotten a bad rap by being associated with corruption, greed, pain, and the misuse of power. A perception grew that somehow the rich deprived the poor and that wealthy people were bad people, were not loveable, were disconnected from love, and were greedy. The sad fact is that most people just don't believe they deserve to have money freedom or peace of mind. I believe that you can be rich, spiritual, and prosperous, and that with your abundance you can create love and compassion using your wealth to assist others strengthen their skills so that they too have the opportunity to be prosperous in life's ways.
Most of us have been taught that "Money is the root of all evil," but the actual quotation from the Bible is, "The love of money is the root of all evil." Money itself is neutral – not good or bad. It is paper and metal that symbolizes an exchange of goods and services. Money is an energy that you either attract or repel. It is the negative emotions around money such as greed, obsession, and power that can bring negative experiences, and that keep most people from it.
In the last several centuries there has been radical change in opportunity, philosophy, and ways to create wealth. Many courageous forerunners paved the way for new thoughts and ideas about prosperity, abundance, self sufficiency, and enlightenment. Just in the last hundred years brilliant writers and speakers have emerged like Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie, Earnest Holmes, Katherine Ponder, Florence Scovel Schinn, Earl Nightingale, Louise Hay, Jim Rohn and Tony Robbins, to name a few of my favorites that have assisted me with my enlightenment. A whole consciousness of self-help and personal development has become available to the masses. Bookstores and coffee bars are now as popular as some of the old traditional night spots, and we now have access to coaches and mentors to be emotionally, financially, and spiritually fit.
People now realize that they are responsible for their own empowerment. They see that assuming responsibility can bring them prosperity and allow them to become more and to do more. For this to happen, people have to have belief in themselves and grasp the idea that they can control their lives. In our me-too, microwave, lottery-mentality society very few people ever put the proper thoughts and proper actions together at the same time to provoke the results they deserve. Plain and simple, most people don't believe they deserve prosperity and abundance. They want, wish, like to, if only, pray for a miracle, and most of all want for change to happen. Sorry, it doesn't operate that way. Too many people tiptoe quietly to their graves looking back only to say – "I wish I would have!"
Still, don't lose heart for it can officially become "Now O'clock" at any minute. There are 86,400 seconds in every single day; 1,440 minutes, 24 hours, one day, one week, one month, one year, one lifetime. We can change at any moment. Is it hard or is it easy? You are one thought away from success or one thought away from failure. It is a choice we have the opportunity to make every single day.
I believe God wants us to be rich, prosperous, and free. God did not create fear, it is manmade. Fear overrides most people's dreams and objectives. Most people aren't even able to identify what they are afraid of. All they know is they are struggling just to keep up with the other sheep in the pasture. You have to get past the thoughts that money is bad and will somehow taint you. Abundance is natural and spiritual. Money will not deprive you but could actually enlighten you. Many of the great teachers have given credence to the idea that abundance is spiritual and that it is the power of your thoughts that creates abundance for you.
If you are wealthy more often than not you will be dispersing your money commercially and charitably, supporting many people around you and adding to the velocity of overall wealth. There are literally trillions of dollars passing about electronically on any given day, and those signals are literally passing by you at all times. If you stop and think about it, there are millions of dollars flowing through your body at the moment. Imagine making a slight flick of the wrist in order to stop some of that money in transit so it sticks with you. A flick of the mind is a flick of the wrist. Money can be good – greed is not good. There are no reasons why you can't be very rich, very rich in fact, and still be a very valuable generous spiritual person with a huge heart and compassion for everyone.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Our Distinct Advantage by Joe Stowell
“The LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
Have you ever felt that if God were to show up today as often as He did in the lives of the people in Bible times, you too could be a spiritual hero? It’s easy to think that people like Abraham, Moses, Paul, and others had a distinct edge because God showed up in spectacular ways to talk with and tell them exactly what to do. We think that if Jesus would just appear and give us the lowdown on life face-to-face, we could all be the smashing success for Him that we always wanted to be.
But it’s not just the people of the Bible who leave us thinking that we must be second-rate Christians. All you have to do is go to a prayer meeting where someone gives a glowing report on the way in which God dramatically answered their prayer, while your prayer list remains full of unanswered prayers. Let’s face it. It’s easy to grow discouraged and sometimes even disillusioned with our less-than-spectacular Christianity. And when that happens, our walk with Christ becomes ritualistic and unenthusiastic.
But before you get depressed, it’s possible that your expectations and perspectives are out of whack. When we think that all Bible people had it good, we should note that God “showed up” in Abraham’s life only about once every 15 years! Abraham had no Bible, no small-group fellowship, and no exhilarating worship experiences, yet his steadfast faith is celebrated in Hebrews 11:8-19. And even though Joseph was unrelentingly faithful to God against great odds, for many years God didn’t “show up” to rescue him from his plight. Yet he hung in there because he knew that “the Lord was with him” (Genesis 39:21). Paul had only two direct encounters with Jesus. You can count on it, the rest of their lives were pretty ordinary, a lot like yours and mine.
It’s easy to think that Joshua and God’s people in the Old Testament were unusually blessed because God promised to be with them (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:9). But we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the same promise is given to us in the New Testament (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus Himself promised that He would not leave us as “orphans” but would send the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us (John 14:16-18). In fact, if anybody has an edge, we do! God dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit to convict, comfort, guide, and encourage. His 24/7 presence is waiting to be tapped and used no matter where we are or what we are facing. We have the full revelation of Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses to teach and direct our lives. No Bible hero had the privilege of having a Book that could be carried, read, memorized, and used in transforming ways to tell them everything they needed to know about God and themselves—but you and I do!
You may still be saying, “Yeah, but God hasn’t done anything for me lately!” If so, remember that if He does nothing more than save us from sin, cancel hell, and guarantee heaven, He has already done far more than we deserve and enough to keep us happily praising Him for the rest of our lives!
Now’s a good time to start rejoicing. You’ve been blessed with all you need for growth and glory! Tap the resource.
Have you ever felt that if God were to show up today as often as He did in the lives of the people in Bible times, you too could be a spiritual hero? It’s easy to think that people like Abraham, Moses, Paul, and others had a distinct edge because God showed up in spectacular ways to talk with and tell them exactly what to do. We think that if Jesus would just appear and give us the lowdown on life face-to-face, we could all be the smashing success for Him that we always wanted to be.
But it’s not just the people of the Bible who leave us thinking that we must be second-rate Christians. All you have to do is go to a prayer meeting where someone gives a glowing report on the way in which God dramatically answered their prayer, while your prayer list remains full of unanswered prayers. Let’s face it. It’s easy to grow discouraged and sometimes even disillusioned with our less-than-spectacular Christianity. And when that happens, our walk with Christ becomes ritualistic and unenthusiastic.
But before you get depressed, it’s possible that your expectations and perspectives are out of whack. When we think that all Bible people had it good, we should note that God “showed up” in Abraham’s life only about once every 15 years! Abraham had no Bible, no small-group fellowship, and no exhilarating worship experiences, yet his steadfast faith is celebrated in Hebrews 11:8-19. And even though Joseph was unrelentingly faithful to God against great odds, for many years God didn’t “show up” to rescue him from his plight. Yet he hung in there because he knew that “the Lord was with him” (Genesis 39:21). Paul had only two direct encounters with Jesus. You can count on it, the rest of their lives were pretty ordinary, a lot like yours and mine.
It’s easy to think that Joshua and God’s people in the Old Testament were unusually blessed because God promised to be with them (Deuteronomy 31:6-8; Joshua 1:9). But we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that the same promise is given to us in the New Testament (Hebrews 13:5). Jesus Himself promised that He would not leave us as “orphans” but would send the Holy Spirit to be in us and with us (John 14:16-18). In fact, if anybody has an edge, we do! God dwells within us in the person of the Holy Spirit to convict, comfort, guide, and encourage. His 24/7 presence is waiting to be tapped and used no matter where we are or what we are facing. We have the full revelation of Scripture that the Holy Spirit uses to teach and direct our lives. No Bible hero had the privilege of having a Book that could be carried, read, memorized, and used in transforming ways to tell them everything they needed to know about God and themselves—but you and I do!
You may still be saying, “Yeah, but God hasn’t done anything for me lately!” If so, remember that if He does nothing more than save us from sin, cancel hell, and guarantee heaven, He has already done far more than we deserve and enough to keep us happily praising Him for the rest of our lives!
Now’s a good time to start rejoicing. You’ve been blessed with all you need for growth and glory! Tap the resource.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Failure That Leads to Godliness by Os Hillman
1 Samuel 22:2 All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their leader....
God uses broken things to accomplish His greatest work. When David was anointed to be the next king, he was just a boy, the youngest among all his brothers. Little did he know that the next several years would be years of fleeing from Saul whose successes turned into obsessions as a leader who had fallen from God's anointing. Perhaps David thought, Why am I living a life as a fugitive? I am the next king of Israel. Yet, his life was filled with adversity after adversity before he ever fulfilled the ultimate calling God had for him. Others began to hear of David's successes and identify with his plight. But, it wasn't the successful and polished who came to join him. It was "those who were in distress or in debt or discontented" who would be part of his army-and an army it was! His army would become known throughout the world as the greatest ever assembled, not because of their skill, but because of the God behind the army. God turned David's men into "mighty men of valor" (see 1 Chron. 11:10).
God often uses failure to make us useful. When Jesus called the disciples, He did not go out and find the most qualified and successful people. He found the most willing, and He found them in the marketplace. He found a fisherman, a tax collector, a farmer, and a doctor.
The Hebrews knew that failure was a part of maturing in God. The Greeks used failure as a reason for disqualification. Sadly, in the Church, we often treat one another in this way. This is not God's way. We need to understand that failing does not make us failures. It makes us experienced. It makes us more prepared to be useful in God's Kingdom-if we have learned from it. And that is the most important ingredient for what God wants in His children.
God uses broken things to accomplish His greatest work. When David was anointed to be the next king, he was just a boy, the youngest among all his brothers. Little did he know that the next several years would be years of fleeing from Saul whose successes turned into obsessions as a leader who had fallen from God's anointing. Perhaps David thought, Why am I living a life as a fugitive? I am the next king of Israel. Yet, his life was filled with adversity after adversity before he ever fulfilled the ultimate calling God had for him. Others began to hear of David's successes and identify with his plight. But, it wasn't the successful and polished who came to join him. It was "those who were in distress or in debt or discontented" who would be part of his army-and an army it was! His army would become known throughout the world as the greatest ever assembled, not because of their skill, but because of the God behind the army. God turned David's men into "mighty men of valor" (see 1 Chron. 11:10).
God often uses failure to make us useful. When Jesus called the disciples, He did not go out and find the most qualified and successful people. He found the most willing, and He found them in the marketplace. He found a fisherman, a tax collector, a farmer, and a doctor.
The Hebrews knew that failure was a part of maturing in God. The Greeks used failure as a reason for disqualification. Sadly, in the Church, we often treat one another in this way. This is not God's way. We need to understand that failing does not make us failures. It makes us experienced. It makes us more prepared to be useful in God's Kingdom-if we have learned from it. And that is the most important ingredient for what God wants in His children.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
On The Road Again by Joe Stowell
“For God… made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6
I hate being lost. I’ve always had a good sense of direction and can usually find my way around without much trouble. But on the rare occasions when I lose my way, I hate not knowing where I’m going (and, being male, it’s unthinkable to stop and ask for directions!).
It used to be that we could rely on a good map to help us get around, but now with tools like MapQuest and GPS systems, we have no excuse for being lost. And in some situations we really can’t afford to be lost. A bride on her way to the church where her groom is waiting doesn’t want to end up on a dead-end street! And the man driving his pregnant wife to the hospital had better know how to get there—and fast! But more importantly, if you are a follower of Jesus you can’t afford to be lost!
Following Jesus means that we stay on the road with Him. And, if you ask me what road Jesus travels, I would answer that His road is the “Glory Road.” Throughout His entire life and ministry, one dynamic was always in play. He lived to demonstrate the glory of His father. When John summarized the life of Jesus (as though someone had asked him to describe Jesus in 25 words or less), he pointed out that Jesus “made His dwelling among us” and noted that the disciples had “seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only . . . full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Simply put, Jesus came to glorify God by showing us what God was really like. He traveled that glory road all the way to the cross where the love, mercy, grace, justice, and holiness of God were demonstrated in a dramatic moment of servanthood and sacrifice.
But it wasn’t just at the cross. In all of His relationships and encounters, He showed us what God, His Father, was like. The glory of God’s compassion touched the blind and they could see. The glory of God’s intolerance with religious pride and hypocrisy was clearly seen in Christ’s dealing with the Pharisees. God’s justice and advocacy for the poor and oppressed became evident when Jesus turned over the tables in the temple and chased out the thieves who were overcharging poor pilgrims who simply came to worship God. God’s faithfulness and loyal love was consistently demonstrated in Christ’s patient tolerance of the often misguided thoughts and attitudes of His disciples.
So, to be a follower of Jesus means that we must be on the road with Him—the glory road. That’s where He travels. And, you’ll know you are on the right road when your life looks more and more like Jesus in attitude and action, because He is “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). You’ll know that you’re getting up to speed with Him when you see all your relationships and encounters as opportunities to make the qualities and characteristics of our glorious God clearly seen and experienced.
It’s easy to get lost. Satan has lots of off-ramps, side roads, and detours. In fact, he loves it when you are lost. But all of his off-ramps eventually lead to living for our own tainted glory and the fallen glory of Satan himself. And believe me, that’s never a pretty picture.
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