If you have a lit room and you open the door to the dark outside light billows out, darkness doesn't come in.
With the way open and the destination acceptable - we are the acceptable destination - the presence of God - GLORY - billowed out.
It cannot be otherwise - how can God be contained when the way is open? We might hesitate at an open door but Light does not, it just billows out and darkness flees away!
(Now, I am certain that man hastily repaired the torn veil for it satisfied his pride (that old problem that first reared its head in the garden of Eden) to be the means of gaining favour with God, and Pharisees and scribes were very proud of their law keeping, and so the actions of the veil repairer meant that even though grace had come in the finished work of Jesus - "It is finished" - mankind determined that for 40 or so years an interim period prevailed where law and grace co-existed. This was ended when the perilous times of Matthew 24 was unleashed and the Romans tore the temple down and burnt it in 70 AD. As the temple burnt the old covenant ceased and the new covenant dawned in all its glory.)
I believe it is true that as glory billowed out heaven - where God dwells- and earth - where man is - became one. New heaven and new earth. Revelation 21.
Now, it is not my intention to dramatically and drastically challenge your belief. I do not ask you to believe me, just consider the glory. That's all. Please receive that.
But I have to say this, because my thoughts and meditations sit around this today; I cannot believe that glory that billowed out as the veil was destroyed now must wait 2000+ years for the Lord to come to impact lives, and my life in particular.
I see the glory of the Lord (God is Love) as the essential, underlying bedrock that enables us to be all we are called to be. It is the only way, in fact. If we try to apply our effort to this task it is just law - it can only be that a face to face meeting with the Lord will bring the transformation that answers the John 17: 22 - 26 prayer of Jesus. Face to face.
2 Corinthians 3 : 14 says this - '...for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted.' Moses' face radiated glory as he came down from meeting with God, such was the glory he encountered, and he only saw God's back. But his glory filled face was a fading glory, and the writer asks, 'how shall the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? For if the ministry of condemnation (the law - 'letters engraved on stones' [2 Corinthians 3: 7]) has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of the glory that surpasses it.' [2 Corinthians 3: 8 - 10] The glory of the new covenant is of such glory that the glory of the old has no glory at all! And receive this - as the veil was torn and then removed, in Christ glory could emerge because the new dwelling place was acceptable, and more glorious, because the glory was more glorious. And the emerging glory met us, not to see His back, but face to face. Understand?
What am I saying? The temple fell and God moved into His new dwelling place as He met with us, He met us face to face. Jacob met with God face to face in Genesis 32 and emerged with a new name, and a new walk!
And then we go on in 2 Corinthians 3: 15 - 18 and read this, '...to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man 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 liberty.' But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.' (Now don't misunderstand - this was being written to the Corinthians before the temple was destroyed and we must apply that. Moses was still being read - and that veil was lifted when the temple fell. But also today that veil remains when we seek our own effort rather than resting in grace.)
A lifted veil equals an obsolete covenant of law, and face to face is receiving the new, face to face. A face to face with God will certainly transform you, how can it not? Moses radiated glory, and the glory that billowed out through the removed veil transcends the glory of Moses to such an extent that it makes his glory nothing.
Now this is my thought and the challenge to me. The disciples observed the ascension of Jesus, and two men in white asked them why they were looking into the sky, saying, 'this Jesus will come as you have seen Him go.' My thought is that today many are looking into the sky, seeking the glory of His coming as the moment of transformation when He has already come for a face to face, but to see Him we need to take our eyes from the sky and look into His face.
You know, forgive me, but I see little point in debating the future, the truth is our future is set and certain for we are in Christ - our boat will not sink with Jesus in our boat so we may as well just rest our head down on the cushion with Jesus [Mark 4: 35 - 41] - just rest in His glory for we have been caught up to the air - the heavenly places - and are already seated with Him [Ephesians 2: 6], the problem is many of us are too busy looking at the sky to take our seat in our rightful place.
The clouds have cleared as the altar of incense was destroyed and He has emerged in all His glory and we need to look into His face, unveiled (law gone), as we would look into a mirror - face to face - and the transformation to glory will be now. We can be transfigured, as He was, now by a face to face with billowing glory. A meeting with the come Messiah.
Our transformation will be from an obsolete glory to an infinitely more glorious glory, as we look into the 'radiance of His glory' [Hebrews 1: 3] and looking there it will not be possible for us to not radiate His glory, and radiating glory will have an impact that will transform this world.
I'm not waiting any longer for glory from the sky, I want His glory now, and billowing glory in me (my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; Christ is in me, the hope of glory) will mean all that the Lord has shown me will be. It cannot be otherwise. In His glory, to His glory, by His glory, for His glory.
It is only by His glory that WTL will have a ministry van; it is only by His glory that we will have our land and build the grace gospel launching pad - the WTL Grace House. It is only by His glory that we will take this world with the gospel of Grace; it is only by His glory that we will 'stand up, and go our way, made whole' [Luke 17: 19]; it is only by His glory that we will see 'more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women,...constantly added to (our) number' [Acts 5: 14]; it is only by His glory that we will preach His glory - 'For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...' [John 3: 16] I don't want to debate comings, all I want is to preach the love of God, His glory, because that is the only thing that will transform this world, a face to face with the billowing glory - the love of God.
That's all.
He has billowed out to you. Turn from sky looking and believe He has come already - 'where the Spirit is there is LIBERTY' - and have a face to face - renew your mind by right believing which brings right living, and be transformed by a face to face with a come Messiah - 'He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high' [Hebrews 1: 3] - and He sat you right there with Him. [Ephesians 2: 6].
Blessings to you.
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