Saturday, September 27, 2014

Who Is This King of Glory?.

The King of Glory and His Kingdoms
Psalm 24:7 - Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? I read again the account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego the three young men thrown into the fiery furnace because they would not bow down and worship the earthly king because their allegiance was to God. I had read an excerpt from a book where the author posed the question of some as to why God would allow these strong followers of His to be put through such an ordeal.

It was so that God's glory and grace would be revealed. Of course it would. These men walked out untouched by flame and with not even a hint of smoky odor. That's what He does. He may put believers to the test in everyday life circumstances. We go through our own fiery trials of life sometimes. It might seem to outsiders as if our God isn't so great to allow circumstances that cause turmoil. But they don't realize these pressures are what allow God's glory to shine in the end. Sometimes it's even the very end...of life...after we have encountered disease that will not pass...but in the end the believer can still praise God for His faithfulness.

The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters. (‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭1-2‬) Amen. If the earth is His He has the authority to do what He does and we are to have the attitude of gratefulness for His faithfulness in our lives.

Faithfulness for what?? For His saving grace that leads to everlasting life to those who seek and receive Him.

We are beginning to see fiery furnaces emerge throughout the world. We can turn off the news, bury our heads in the sand and ignore all these things. We can keep proclaiming that we have always bounced back from disastrous situations, even declare that we are a great nation and will succeed in all we do and what we see will be no different. Or...we can turn to God...to seek His forgiveness for dispelling Him, for salvation if we have not received it, and then wisdom of the truth and strength for the days ahead.

It is said that in the last days there will be a great revival. I don't know how it will happen. It starts in each of us, though, when we see a need for God and choose to profess His name. Some say it will be in the Church. With all the junk in the world people might just start running to them for sanctuary. He is the Church, after all, and He is our tower of strength and mighty fortress that we called to run to for protection. And He wishes that none perish... So as I posted yesterday, that Church needs to be spotless and filled with pure people. He is at work...

The road we are to travel is a narrow one. The Church as a whole is in the minority. There are 7.2 billion people in the world. Thirty-two percent of the world's population profess to be Christians.  Less than half. Of these professing Christians there may be some who are not serious Christians but in name only which narrows it down more. I believe God is going to shake this 32%. He will open the eyes of some to the point where they take God seriously and others will turn away completely. Could this be the revival...in the shaking? In the fiery furnace of life? The world might see people flocking to churches, like after 9/11.

I think I had to look up the word glory in my Bible which took me to Haggai 2. My Bible titled this section The Coming Glory of God's House. How appropriate! His house is the Church. The LORD of hosts is God.
“For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the LORD of hosts.” (‭Haggai‬ ‭2‬:‭6-9‬)

The revival. He will shake the heavens and His glory will be seen. We will see His glory. We will be thrilled or frightened depending on which side of the fence we are on. The word that tells us that someday every knee will fall and tongue confess will also take place. This might be the time for that. The three men in the fire would not bow down to an earthly king but all people will bow down to the King of glory. To those unafraid, there will be peace.

Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah (‭Psalms‬ ‭24‬:‭8-10‬)



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