AN UNSTOPPABLE GLORY
IAN JOHNSON
Sep 07, 2005
1 Cor 2: 9-10 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."* 10 But we know these things because God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, and his Spirit searches out everything and shows us even God’s deep secrets.
God wants us to have an eternal view ~ A vision of Heaven
Satan on the other hand wants us to remain blind and uninformed! Because he knows that if we get a vision of Heaven we will be unstoppable in our quest to get our friends and family into heaven.
Today I had lunch with a man who is what we call a Maori Kaumatua, or leader. He is in His late 50’s, when he was 10 he and His family had no knowledge of Jesus or his claims on their lives. In fact they were deeply into the other side, having open visions of their tribal guardian and other spirits. His young sister got cancer and was dying; He loved his little sister and wanted to see her well again. One morning while he was milking the cow He saw Jesus appear to him on the cross, Jesus spoke to him and said Ï loved you so much that I suffered this for you. Then Jesus appeared to him in all His Glory and said then I became like this in order to set you free. Remembering that this was a 10 year old. He ran to His mum and told her what had happened; she struggled with it and suggested they call a local minister to see what he thought. He came and was amazed at the vision the boy had received, then suggested that he lay his hand on his little sister and pray for her. As he prayed she began to convulse and vomit a black substance, They rushed her to the doctor who examined her and proclaimed, this girl is healed, the only thing wrong with her now is a lack of food, give her a feed. That was nearly 50 years ago, she is still well today!
This vision of the king of Glory changed this family forever, The man is on fire to this day, because heaven came down and changed his world view.
Satan has deceived people into believing that Heaven is a boring place, One long Church service, where disembodied spirits float around playing the harp!
But Heaven is a place full of glory, where the atmosphere is glory and as you breathe all your senses are filled with glory. When you catch a glimpse of heaven, you see things in an eternal perspective.
When Satan was forcibly removed from heaven, he became bitter against God, and against man, and against heaven. Because he is no longer welcome there. It reminds him of the time that he used to be not only in heaven but in the very throne room of the most high God. (Isaiah 14:12-15)
So when God’s people start to seek an eternal view, indeed a view of heaven, Satan goes into a rage. He can’t stand it. He knows that the moment someone sees heaven and tastes it atmosphere, he has lost souls, because that person will be transformed by glory. This is the key reason people oppose the move of glory. The opposition is not inspired out of heaven but out of the realms of darkness.
In the Garden of Eden man walked in pure fellowship with God, The atmosphere of Eden was indeed an atmosphere of Glory because God came to fellowship, and His glory was manifest there. But when man sinned he was cast outside the realms of glory, then his vision of eternity began to fade with each generation. Throughout the Bible times of revival come when the Glory of God is revealed, and individuals or cities or even nations catch a glimpse of the eternal realm of glory.
So it is with us, many fall away or never start because we have no concept of the wonders of heaven. Or of the realms of glory set aside for those that seek Him! Satan has robbed our vision ~He keeps us occupied with programs and methods with little relevance to a dying world ~He keeps our attention firmly fixed on the atmosphere of earth.
That’s why it is important to recount testimonies of experiences in the glory of God. One can inspire two, and two can inspire four, and pretty soon satan has lost control.
Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to our God; but the things revealed belong to us and to our Children forever!
Colossians 3:1 since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. 2 Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth
The term "set your sights" uses the Greek word "Zetro" the same word is used: A shepherd looking for his sheep Matt 18:12 Son of man seeks the lost Luke 19:10 Woman searching for lost coins Luke 15:18 Merchant seeking pearl of great price Matt 13:45
So there is an intensity in the seeking after heaven and the Glory of the kingdom where our King is enthroned, that is more than singing a couple of songs, taking an offering, reading the word, the activity we call Church!
The other thing about the word "Zetro" is that it is present tense! In other words keep on seeking Heaven in the now!
Many fear that we become too heavenly minded, and are of no earthly good" but in fact the opposite is true. Those in history who changed things the most had a heavenly perspective. The Apostles Those who abolished slavery Most modern inventions have come from heavenly minded people.
The testimony of the man who saw Jesus in all His glory and who still runs after this glory 50 years later should inspire us afresh to seek the Glory of God. To shake off a religion that traps us in form and not in life.
Kathryn Kulman used to say "There is more, much much more! She was never satisfied with the ordinary, because she had seen the glory.
My prayer is "Lord ruin us for the ordinary, show us your Glory"
Ian Johnson www.papelim.org.nz
