Made for Glory

Tags

glory, Image, shame, worship

Psalm 8:3-5 “When I consider the heavens, the works of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have made, what is man, that you are mindful of him? And the son of man that you care for him? For you have made him a little lower than angels and have covered him with glory and honor.”

During worship last night, I was invited to come into the place where the glory of the Lord dwells. It is a place where the only thing that matters is God Himself and as I came into that place, I heard the Lord say to me, “You were made for glory!” As I listened to the Lord speak these words over me, I knew it was not just about me, it was about humanity, people. God made us as people for glory. But almost instantly during this time in worship, I also heard Romans 1:23 “And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like man, and to birds and four footed beasts, and creeping things.”

It was as though everything stopped in my head other than these two phrases, we were made for glory, but we have exchanged that glory for an image.

It is no secret that Christianity does not carry the influence it has in the past; it is known to most that we have fallen short of who we were created to be; so the problem is not the issue we need to discuss, rather what we need to know is what is the solution. I believe part of the answer is that we need to recognize that we were made for glory. For too many years in church we have been taught that God does not share His glory with anyone, but He says in Psalm 8 and Genesis 1 that we were made for glory. So, we can no longer use this as an excuse as to why we are not living in glory.

The truth is, we are not clear what glory is. Glory means high renown or honor; magnificence, great beauty; take great pride or pleasure in. This sounds like we give our kids glory and so why can’t God give us His children glory. We are reminded constantly that God loves us, He is for us, nothing can separate us from Him, so why are we so afraid to live in glory? God Himself is so big that if you live in the glory He made you for, you will not detract from His glory, but actually add to it.

We were made for glory, it is time we stop exchanging our glory for shame. The only way to live out who you were made to be is to take off your animal skins that you have made to hide yourself; stop making excuses as to why you can’t; and start believing that God is not a man that He should lie, but rather He is truth, He does not say things He does not mean. We were made for glory and the world needs to see us living out our glory. The only way to know what that looks like for you, is to spend time alone with Him. He made you for glory, so you can come near Him in glory. You are made of the same material as He is.

The way for us as Christians to begin influencing societal transformation is to live like we were made, made for glory!

Divorce Should Not Be An Option

Tags

arise, church, divorce, shame

Luke 16:18 “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”

There is an epidemic that is prevalent in the world’s system, but has invaded the church and it is the issue of divorce. In America and rapidly spreading around the world, people are making it easier and easier to get divorced. We claim irreconcilable differences, we declare marital unfaithfulness and we even shout abuse, as some of the many reasons, why we have given ourselves permission to get divorced. Today’s culture has created a movement of divorce, not seeing the after effects that are in its wake. Children are left hurting, lost and confused; husbands and wives are living with incredible pain, anger and disillusionment; and society is eroding because our families are breaking down.

As Christians we are notorious for saying, well that was the Old Testament, so that does not apply to us, we are New Testament people, but this passage about divorce is not noted just once but many times in the New Testament. Jesus was very clear on His stance as it pertained to divorce, yet we are being swept up in a cultural revolution that has made divorce common place.

Culture is a powerful force in people’s lives, it affects the way we think, the way we process information and the way we read our bibles. Living in Malaysia for 9 years, I realized that their attitude about divorce is very different than it is in America. They do not broadcast divorce as something they want others to know about. It is a shameful thing to be divorced in Malaysia and other countries around the world. So, people stay married, because they made a covenant agreement before God and others to do it. No, it is not always romance and fun, it is not always easy, nor is it without pain. However, whoever told you being married was going to be easy.

Many people are choosing not to get married nowadays, because they are children of divorce and they do not want to go through what they saw their parents go through. And this is true in other countries as well. As American media of romance and glee fill the airwaves in other countries, young adults are wanting a love that is very hard to find. So, many are deciding to stay single rather than live unhappy all the days of their lives.

So with the negative effects of  divorce as one of the many reasons why Jesus would command us not to get divorced, there are many other reasons why He was against divorce. One being, how marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. The Lord has made a covenant with us as His church to never leave us or forsake us and marriage is the earthly picture of the biblical understanding of covenant, commitment and perseverance. The Lord will never leave us or forsake us and we are to have the same attitude toward each other.

Divorce was and is to be a shameful thing, not to shame the people who are getting divorced, but to detour others from doing the same thing. When divorce is acceptable, many people do it because they see no consequences from society for their actions. But as the church, divorce is to be a shameful thing, so we make it our last resort, not one of many options. As the church we should have the healthiest, happiest, most loving relationships the world has ever seen. As husbands we are called to lay down our lives for our wives; as wives we are called to submit to our husbands, if we as men and women would be who God has commanded us to be as husbands and wives, we would show the world why Christianity the only way, the only truth and the only life. When we look just like the world, there is really nothing for them to look up to.

If you have been divorced or come from a divorced family, I know this is a painful topic. However, it is not about where you have been, but about where you are going and I want to see marriages going in the direction of biblical standards and mandates. It is time we as the church grow up and obey the word of God. Divorce is not something Jesus would endorse, and I do not think we should either. We throw this word around very flippantly, when we are mad, hurt, or tired. It is time for the church to take back what a biblical marriage is, one that does what it says it will do. Through sickness and health, riches and poverty, good times and bad times. We need a little less talk and lot more action. Come on church, God’s grace empowers us to succeed in this area. Let us arise and shine, so God gets the glory.