Focus: Where Is The Glory? (Pt.1)

Text. Eph.3:21

"Unto him be GLORY IN THE CHURCH by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."

Have you noticed that something is missing in the church of Jesus Christ all over the world? Or, perhaps, you know something is missing in the church, but can't tell exactly what it is. Well, let me tell you what it is that is missing in Christ's church: it is God's Glory. Paul's doxology here is about glory ascending to God from the Christ and His church. That means that the church is the residence of God's glory. Glory is located in us as God's temple, and from us it reaches up to God.

Isaiah encounters the glory of God, and testifies of it, "I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple," and again he says, "For mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." He sees the glory of the transcendent God.

God's glory is God being God. It is the being-ness of God. It is God branching outside of Himself and reaching out to His creatures.

Let us listen to Ezekiel, the man who saw the glory of God. First, he tells us of the Lord's glory in the house, "Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory" (Ezk.10:4). The whole house is full of the glory of God. But then, Ezekiel watched as the glory departs. "And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the EAST side of the city" (Ezk.11:23). From the east side of the city the glory departs from Israel. And much later, Ezekiel sees the glory return to Israel from where it left, the east side of the city. "And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the EAST: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: AND THE EARTH SHINED WITH HIS GLORY."

Ezekiel continues, "And the glory of the LORD came INTO THE HOUSE by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the EAST." Again, "So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD FILLED the house." Again, "Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD FILLED the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face" (Ezk.43:2,4,5; 44:4). From every side Ezekiel looks, he sees the Lord's house filled with glory. Ezekiel says,"I fell upon my face." He couldn't stand the glory. From the east the glory departed, and from the same it came back. 

We will only get the glory back from where we lost it. The lost glory can be found.

Remember Jesus' parables of lost things? The lost sheep was found. The lost coin was found, and the lost son returned home to his father. I am certain that we will rediscover and recover the lost glory. The glory of the Lord is coming back to the Lord's house.

Let me ask us: why is it that whenever we lose divine things, instead of seeking God for the restoration of those things, we look for human things to replace them? Why? Paul wondered why the Galatian Christians were trying to finish in the flesh what they had started in the Spirit. That is where we are now. The flesh is trying to finish off what it did not start. Why do we do this all the time?

Let us heed the words of Solomon: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; THEN will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2Chron.7:14). What's lost can be found. Let's sincerely, honestly and humbly seek God! Amen!

by Bishop Moses E. Peter