Shekinah Glory

AZUSA STREET AND THE SHEKINAH GLORY

EXODUS 40:34-38

WE DISCUSSED LAST WEEK HOW THAT PENTECOSTALISM CAME TO AMERICA AND THAT VIA THE AZUSA STREET REVIVAL. THESE SERVICES WENT 24/7 FOR 3.5 YEARS FROM APRIL 1906 TO END OF 1909. MIRACLES WERE HAPPENING DAILY DURING THIS REVIVAL. GOD’S PRESENCE WAS MANIFEST IN A WAY THAT HAD NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE THE FIRST CENTURY CHURCH AND THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

THE WORD OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING ON AZUSA STREET QUICKLY SPREAD ALL OVER THE WORLD. MISSIONARIES AND EVANGELISTS WERE MAKING THEIR WAY TO THE STATES TO WITNESS THESE MIRACLE SERVICES. IT WAS FROM THERE AND FROM THESE SERVICES THAT MANY TOOK WHAT THEY WITNESSED AND WHAT THEY LEARNED TO THE MIDWEST, INTO MISSOURI AND KANSAS FIRST AND THEN ULTIMATELY INTO OTHER MIDWEST STATES AND TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. PENTECOSTAL DENOMINATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS CAME OUT OF THIS REVIVAL. THE LARGEST PENTECOSTAL FELLOWSHIP IN THE WORLD IS THE AG AND IT FORMED AS A RESULT OF AZUSA STREET. YOU ALSO GOT THE UPC, FOURSQUARE, COGIC AND CHURCH OF GOD CLEVELAND….

IT IS HERE THAT ONE BEGIN TO COIN THE PHRASE THAT "HIS SHEKINAH GLORY" WAS SEEN.

WHAT IS SHEKINAH? WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IN RABBINICAL TEACHING IT SIMPLY MEANS THAT “GOD TENTS HERE”. IT’S NOT A BIBLICAL WORD BUT THIS GLORY IS FOUND IN SCRIPTURE.

AS ONE THEOLOGIAN STATED THAT “THE SHEKINAH GLORY IS GOD INVADING EARTH”.

THROUGHOUT EXODUS YOU SEE HIS SHEKINAH GLORY. IN 13:21 IT SAYS THAT THE LORD WENT BEFORE THEM BY DAY IN A PILLAR OF CLOUD TO LEAD THE WAY. THEN AGAIN IN 24:15-17 A CLOUD COVERED THE MOUNTAIN AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD SETTLED ON MOUNT SINAI.

THIS GLORY WAS ALSO SEEN AS THE PILLAR OF FIRE BY NIGHT. 24:17 YOU SEE THIS FIRE WAS HIS SHEKINAH GLORY AS THE SCRIPTURE STATES THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED THERE ON THE MOUNT LIKE A CONSUMING FIRE.

Whenever the invisible God becomes visible, and whenever the omnipresence of God is localized YOU HAVE HIS SHEKINAH GLORY.

Most often it is typically used within a worship setting where you SEE God’s presence SHOWING up in that service.

Shekinah Glory is not limited to an experience you seek in church settings. It goes far beyond that.

IT IS MUCH MORE THAN A FEELING, A VISITATION OR AN ENCOUNTER (modern day church has become content with a weekend visitation).

******THAT WEEKEND VISITATION ISN’T HIS GLORY IT’S HIS GRACE.

LOOK AT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AS THEY LEFT EGYPT. WE KNOW THAT GOD LEAD THEM BY A CLOUD AND FIRE….

*****UNDERSTAND THAT HIS GLORY WASN’T FELT IN EGYPT. (elab on Egypt being a type of the world)

THE FIRST PLACE THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL VISIT IN THEIR EXODUS FROM EGYPT WAS A PLACE CALLED “SUKKUTH”. SUKKUTH MEANS TENT OR TEMPORARY SHELTER.

****THERE HAS TO COME A DAY WHEN WE WANT MORE THAN A WEEKEND VISITATION.

THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BEGIN TO HEAD TOWARDS CANANN LAND AS THEY WERE BEING LED BY THE CLOUD AND BY THE FIRE.

*****HIS GLORY IS FOLLOWED NOT FELT.

THE SCRIPTURE STATES THEIR NEXT STOP IS IN ETHAM. ETHAM WAS ON THE EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS. IT WAS NEAR THE 7 WELLS. THIS PLACE IS A PLACE OF OATH OR A PLACE OF WELLS.

THE SHEKINAH GLORY IS ALWAYS USHERED IN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

YET THEY DOUBTED GOD AND HIS WORD AND FOUND THEMSELVES IN THE WILDERNESS OF SIN. THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE LOOK BACK AT WHAT HE WAS DOING OR WHAT HE ONCE DID INSTEAD OF LETTING HIM DO IT NOW.

THEY SPENT 40 YEARS THERE BEFORE GOD GOT THE WILDERNESS OUT OF THEM. THEY CHOSE THE WILDERNESS OVER HIS GLORY.

CANAAN- IT WAS THE PROMISED LAND. A PLACE OF PERMANENCE. IT LITERALLY MEANS IN HEBREW A PLACE OF SUBMISSIVENESS A PLACE OF PERMANENCE.

HOW DO WE LIVE WITH HIS GLORY AROUND US AND INVADING US?

1 – Worship

Worship is simply ascribing to God the worth of who he is. What is beautiful about worship is that it opens the door for God’s presence to be manifested in your life. While yes, the Holy Spirit dwells within you, worship helps bring this truth to the forefront. There is something about worshipping God that stirs your heart, that lifts your vision, that reminds you of how wonderful God is.

2 – Pray

Prayer is another way to tap into the power of Shekinah Glory in your life. In prayer, you are inviting all of heaven’s resources to address your earthly situation. Where God’s power and glory really show up is when you make prayer about his will and his glory. If you really want to see God’s power manifested, then make prayer about what God wants to do in the earth. In simple terms let his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. When you are aligning your prayers with God’s will you are setting yourself up for the power of Shekinah Glory to be displayed in your life.