Majesty, Glory, Holiness

Today we have another writer to introduce. Liz has been writing since January, 2011 and focuses most of her writing output around the seasons of Advent and Lent. (You could say that’s when she’s most devoted to her devotionals!) Her website is Prayer Points by Liz. Today we have two related articles for you. Click the headers for each and read these where they first appeared.

Glory and Majesty

Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! Psalm 111:3-4

A look at Creation surely reveals God’s majesty. It is easy to be in awe: the stars that fill the sky or the transformation of the butterfly. And there is the personal side of things: the provision of a Savior, the gift of love and sacrifice through Jesus, the daily gifts of grace and mercy.

The day gets so busy and sometimes seems to run away with me. But allowing a pause — better yet, creating the pause, allows us that time to remember His works in our world and His work in our lives and His work on our hearts.

As you start each day, may you create the space to reflect on God’s glory and majesty. Dig a little deeper into Psalm 111 today. Start listing the things God has done or is doing. He is always working to reveal is glory and majesty. When we stop for a bit, sometimes we can catch a glimpse. And, when we are face-to-face with Him in Heaven, I am sure we will be in absolute awe!

Glorious in Holiness

But you blew with your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

 “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord—
glorious in holiness,
awesome in splendor,
performing great wonders?
 You raised your right hand,
and the earth swallowed our enemies.

Exodus 15:10-12 NLT

I am sure my mind does not adequately understand the concept of holiness. I try to approach the word, and other words can assist, but I know my human mind falls short. But, one day, I will understand. For now, I am content in trusting and getting some glimpses here and there.

On a good day, when I wonder what it was like to live in the time of Moses or Jesus I am sure I would have clearly seen and understood God. I would have been thankful for the obvious signs of provision through manna. I wouldn’t have denied knowing Jesus. But really? In all honesty, I think I would have been like the others.

Close your eyes for a few moments and imagine being in the presence of our Holy God. Breathe in His life-giving breath. What might have it been to be at Creation?

Open your eyes.

We are so blessed to be in His presence every day. God is with us. It may not feel that way sometimes, but that doesn’t make it any less true. He is Immanuel. Let’s carve time out in our day to rest in His holiness and acknowledge His presence.

He knows and sees us. And He loves us!

Behold! He Comes with Clouds

Today another new author to introduce to you. Lisa Berg writes at Professing Christians. She goes in-depth on various topics, and in the last few months has been writing much about the Book of Revelation. Today’s devotional study first appeared in March. Clicking the title header below will take you to where we found her writing. [Note: Lisa uses the KJV. You can look these up on BibleHub.com or BibleGateway.com in a version that reads better for you.]

The Clouds of Heaven

When I was growing up, we were taught in science class that there are three types of clouds: cirrus (short, detached hair-like), cumulus (cauliflower shaped), and stratus (low-level layers). Somewhere along the line nimbus was added.

According to metoffice.gov.uk, “Nimbostratus clouds are dark, grey, featureless layers of cloud, thick enough to block out the sun. Producing persistent rain, these clouds are often associated with frontal systems provided by mid-latitude cyclones.”

These seem to be the clouds that are often associated with the clouds of heaven on the Day of the Lord. Look at Joel 2:1-2a –

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains…”

“a day of clouds and of thick darkness…” When you look at the Strong’s for “clouds” in this verse it is H6051 – “עָנָן ʻânân, aw-nawn’; from H6049; a cloud (as covering the sky), i.e. the nimbus or thunder–cloud:—cloud(-y).” It’s a THUNDER CLOUD.

The first use of this “thunder–cloud” is in Genesis 9:13 where the Lord set His rainbow in the cloud as a covenant after the flood. That would have been a storm cloud, right? That’s where rainbows come out after a storm is over.

In Exodus, this cloud was the cloud by day that led the Israelites through the desert. This is also the incense cloud that He appeared in above the mercy seat in the Most Holy Place. It also describes the clouds (with thick darkness) that was on the mount when He gave Moses the Law. And David says H6051 thunder–clouds surround Him at His throne (Psalm 97:2).

The prophets, however, take a different note on these thunder–cloud structures. They liken them to what Joel saw: storm clouds in the Day of the Lord:

• Jeremiah 4:13 – He comes as clouds with chariots as a whirlwind and horses as eagles;
• Ezekiel (various) – a whirlwind out of a great cloud with fire infolding itself; as the appearance of a rainbow in a rain cloud; with the brightness of the glory of the Lord; as the Day of the Lord is near; blotting out the sun…
• Nahum 1:3 – The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and the storm, clouds are the dust of His feet;
• Zephaniah 1:15 – The Day of His wrath is a day of darkness, gloominess, clouds, and thick darkness…

I think we get the picture. But (as usual) I think there is more to this than His coming in a mere thunderstorm.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:30 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

This is right after Jesus describes a scenario in which the sun is darkened, the moon does not give her light, and the stars fall from heaven. These things are described by the prophets as well in Joel ch. 2&3, Isaiah 13, Amos 8, Ezekiel 32, Mark 13, Acts 2, which all describe the 6th Seal in Revelation! That’s a lot of witnesses! In fact, is that part of the “Cloud of Witnesses”?? (Just another thought.)

Back to these nimbus thunder clouds… As we know, thunder clouds come in storms. God euphemistically uses storms to describe how He is going to wipe out the wicked in the Day of the Lord. I ran across these:

Isaiah 28:2 Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

Isaiah 29:6 Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.

Isaiah 30:30 And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

Ezekiel 38:9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.

These are verses that sound like He is coming WITH these storm clouds. Oh wait:

Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

So here’s my last thought on this: Jesus comes back in and with “clouds”. Out of the throne comes lightnings, thunderings, and voices (Rev. 4:5). Only the elders and the beasts (living creatures from Ezekiel 1) are allowed at the throne. This is when, in Revelation 5, the Lamb (Jesus) is handed the scroll with the seven seals.

When Jesus opened the first seal, what do we hear? The noise of thunder and one of the four beasts (living creatures with four faces) saying, “come and see.” (Okay, was THAT his voice that sounded like thunder?)

Now in Revelation 6:12 we see what all those prophets were talking about – the sun darkened, the moon blood red, the stars falling, and an earthquake. Then we have the last seal in Revelation 8… and what happens at the throne? Voices, thunderings, lightnings, and another earthquake.

We know that when God speaks all these things happen. But He is a God that includes His sons (and daughters) in what He purposes in the earth. These are written about in His Word and include judgment and ruling and reigning with Him. I believe when God has had enough (which I think is in this generation) and enough of His people are ready to go to war with Him (He IS the Lord of “hosts”, this doesn’t mean stars), He will take His army with Him and they will descend with a great shout as in the days of Jericho.

I think the enemy doesn’t even know what is about to come upon them. I think they have greatly underestimated God’s army and the power of His tempest, storm, whirlwind, thunder, and lightning of us, His outstretched arm. But that’s just me.

The Earth Tells of His Name

Psalm 8 is a beautiful reminder of the general revelation of God in nature, often used by Christian apologists in association with the argument from intelligent design. It also relates to the many scriptures that speak to the honor of God’s name. By contrast it also speaks to the finiteness of man. It is also prophetic where it points to the coming Christ.

Some verses of Psalm 8 are referenced in the New Testament:

• Verse 2 is quoted by Jesus in Matthew 21:16 in reference to children praising him in the temple.
  “Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked him.“Yes,” replied Jesus, “have you never read,“‘From the lips of children and infants
  you, Lord, have called forth your praise’ ?”

• Verses 4-6 are quoted in Hebrews 2:6-8 in reference to Jesus’ incarnation.
  But there is a place where someone has testified:“What is mankind that you are mindful of them,
  a son of man that you care for him?
  You made them a little lower than the angels;
  you crowned them with glory and honor
  and put everything under their feet.”
  In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them.  Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them.

• Verse 6 is quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:27;
   For he “has put everything under his feet.”  Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.
  and Ephesians 6:22
  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church

Matthew Henry notes that Psalm 8 “begins and ends with the same acknowledgment of the transcendent excellency of God’s name.”

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Worship slides and paraphrase of Psalm 8 by Ruth Wilkinson.

Finding Your Worship Moment

Psalm 19: 1

The heavens keep telling
    the wonders of God,
    and the skies declare
    what he has done. (CEV)

God’s glory is on tour in the skies,
    God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. (Message)

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
    The skies display his craftsmanship. (NLT)

The verse above is fairly typical of what we think of when we think of God creative gifts expressed in the natural world. I often tell people to take time during the week to find their ‘worship moment;’ worship prompted not by the singing of a choir or a worship team, but by the majesty of creation. I’ll mention walks in the forest or looking at the sky on days when multiple layers of clouds are struck by an early morning or late day sun.

But God’s handiwork is evident — I would say more evident — in the micro as well as the macro. In the intricate fine tuning of the design elements in creation we see things we would otherwise miss. Some of the ones that apply to humans are more important to us…

^{NIV Psalm 139 : 3} For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

…but there are intricacies in the plant and animal world we could never imagine unless someone pointed them out to us. 

Which brings us to this video. This is not a Christian video clip per se, but was intended for people who are interested in mathematics. Starting with the Fibonacci sequence, the numbers are translated into shapes that you should recognize.

I hope for some of you who know the Creator personally, this brief clip becomes a worship moment.

To continue your worship moment with the song Creation Calls by Brian Doerksen, click back to this post from one year ago.

Go deeper with Indescribable with Louis Giglio. The total run time is 27 minutes, this link takes you to part one.

Indescribable King

This is post number 500 here at Christianity 201, and it seems fitting that it includes a video clip which is so familiar to so many people through its widespread use as a church video a few years ago, but may be new to many others as well.  It’s S. M. Lockridge’s sermon excerpt, That’s My King.  (If you’ve seen it before, maybe it’s time to view it again!)

Usually, if there’s a video clip here, it’s a worship song.  I am convinced that if you are involved in worship planning, there are three worship themes with which you can’t ever go wrong:

• communion, Lord’s supper, Christ’s death, Christ’s sacrifice, atonement
• personal surrender to God
• God’s attributes, particularly his greatness and majesty

The last category is where we land today.  All the most popular worship songs in the last decade — Majesty, Shout to the Lord, How Great is our God — are songs which speak to the indescribable greatness of God.

S. M. Lockridge (born Shadrach Meshach Lockridge!) pastored in Texas and California and was active in the civil rights movement.   You can read more about him at Wikipedia.

His words are most fitting for a blog which has as its aim being Christ-centered, and so well-suit being the 500th post here.

Here is the full text (click the ‘more’ button if it’s all not visible):

My King was born King.
The Bible says He’s a Seven Way King.
He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King.
He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King.
He’s the King of righteousness.
He’s the King of the ages.
He’s the King of Heaven.
He’s the King of glory.
He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords.
Now that’s my King.