powernglory

The Power and the Glory

Priscilla Van Sutphin

8-15-00

www.upstreamca.org

In 1989 I attended the Holiness Conference at the Vineyard Anaheim, then on Cerritos, and Leonard Ravenhill and Rick Joyner were among the speakers. I remember vividly the power of God's conviction falling on the mass of people gathered when Leonard Ravenhill spoke. There I met a man from New Zealand, who was a pastor there, and suddenly the conversation in a waiting line had turned to talking about the glory and Ananias and Sapphira, to which he explained how his church for one full year had prayed for the glory to come down. Then one Sunday it did.and 8 people dropped dead instantly. just like Ananias and Sapphira ! I'll never forget this man's admonition to be careful what you pray for ! There is a deception we have in taking too lightly God's presence, and His standard of holiness.

At a conference during worship, the Lord told me to get on my face I was in the back of the church, another friend was on his knees huddled over as the power of the Lord was in our midst and I remember the Lord saying to me almost like a quip" My people know how to sing about my glory, but they do not know how to dwell in it !"

I sat down to go over scriptures on the Glory , something I've been wanting to do for some time. So I'm going through them, and in the old testament in scriptures about the rebellion of Israel some things stood out, and I felt the Lord about to show me something. There is one that caught my eye.

Numbers 16:48"And he stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was stayed !"

I began to think about what I had just read the Holy Spirit prompting me, of course, and I thought about all the prophetic warnings, and hissing and bickering that has gone on...all the accusations against false prophets and true. Did ANY of God's major prophets give a word of judgment without laying down before the Lord and praying through till the end.? Love never fails...it does not give up. Jeremiah for example lamented and pleaded for the daughter of his people and continued till the end for them. Isaiah need not be said even. Look at all his scriptures....... judgement and hope, judgement and hope, judgement and hope.

But long before these was MOSES a man called the MOST HUMBLE by God Himself ! Now that is something I would want to be remembered as, however I fall way too short for that, but I see over and over and over, where Moses, and Aaron later,.fell on their faces in the presence of the glory , when judgement has been spoken by God. "Oh no, God.what shall they say, that you brought us out to slay us? " (paraphrasing) First there is the 40 days up on Mt Moriah before he came down with the stone tablets...fasting and just being with the Lord. And the Lord informs him they have corrupted themselves and He's going to bring swift judgement.

Exodus 32: 10 NKJV Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation . "

{ at this point the idea would probably be appealing to most of us today"yeah God , that sounds like a good plan "but was God testing the heart of Moses ? Or does He really listen to the prayers of His people? Remember how the sons of thunder wanted to call down fire from heaven? Remember what Jesus said to them? "You know not which spirit you are of !" ? }

Exodus 32:11- 14 Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: "Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

12)"Why should the Egyptians speak and say, 'he brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.

13)Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, " I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"

14)SO THE LORD RELENTED FROM THE HARM WHICH HE SAID HE WOULD DO TO HIS PEOPLE.

So then Moses goes down and sees them for himself and HE gets angry and makes them drink the burned up gold, having scattered it on the water. When he found out what happened and that the people were unrestrained he had given them a chance to choose sides but 3000 were slain that day, as they chose to stay in rebellion !

Then Moses goes up the mountain hoping to persuade the Lord again to forgive their idolatry. Ex 33:32 says "Yet now if You will forgive their sin but if not, I pray blot me out of Your book which You have written."

How many of us are willing to lay down our lives for our brethren? I'm not asking because I don't know . I know. I am as weak as any. I would not have had his strength and conviction. I don't love my brothers and sisters enough as I want to. But Moses was a HUMBLE man. He put the good of others before himself . Moses goes back down and has amazing grace with the Lord and experience with Him, then goes up again for another 40 days. Ex. 35:28 says...So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water, and He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Many of God's people have been praying and fasting. I've never seen so many doing 40 day fasts to plead with the Lord for this nation. So does God hear ? Does God relent from some of His wrath ? Do not the scriptures reflect that there is a time coming of great glory ? ( Isaiah 60 for example and Isaiah 66 ) .

So why are we so eager to condemn and judge one another ? Is it not for all the sibling rivalry and bitterness in our hearts ? We are insecure in His love and that is why the glory needs to come to sanctify His temples to pour out His love, so that we WILL walk in all that He wants us to, but he has taken us to the point of desperation that we would cry out like MOSES. GOD save this rebellious nation! Give us another chance ! It is certainly a test of our hearts in these times. Many people have said "get out of California!" and I know the day will come for that. Terrible earthquakes have been seen by friends of mine for LA. One friend had an open vision on the overpass of a freeway while driving through LA. Angels had to be driving. The earthquake was so devastating...probably 8.0 or higher

Are you praying for their salvation ? For God is NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH . If you are not praying, then you do not walk according to the Spirit of God whose heart is broken for them. He has been seeking for those who would stand in the gap for our nations and the nations of the world. He also said through Paul in Romans. "How will they know without a preacher ?" We preach whether we open our mouths or not through what we do and how we live.

In Numbers it says

Numbers 16:19-22 AMP says Then Korah assembled all the congregation against Moses and Aaron before the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the congregation. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment . " AND THEY FELL ON THEIR FACES, and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin and will You be angry with all the congregation?"

All the time you see Moses and Aaron falling on their faces in supplication to the Lord at the sound of impending judgement. Our vision gets distorted often because of issues of unforgiveness in our own lives. God is love, the scriptures say, so let's look at Old Testament and New Testament glory and what it is, what it does, and what were people's reactions to it ?

Psalm 19:1a The heavens declare the glory of God.

Glory here is kabowd Strongs 3519 from 3513 properly : weight but only figuratively in a good sense; splendor, or copiousness (which means from Webster) presenting in large quantity, profuse, abounding, plenty, richness, fullness) glorious (-ly), glory, honor (able).

Psalm 24:7-10 NIV Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is He, this King of glory ? The LORD Almighty He is the King of glory . [Selah] Again this is kabowd (3519)

Exodus 24:17 NIV To the Israelites the glory of God looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.

Exodus 29:43 AMP There I will meet with the Israelites, and the Tent of Meeting shall be sanctified by My glory. [the Shekinah, God's visible presence].

Both of these two examples are also the kabowd 3519 Strongs.

At Azusa street people thought the building was on fire as they saw flames emerging from the ceiling but when the firemen came it was not consuming the building. It was the fire of GOD!

Now if we are God's temples made of flesh, not of stone, are we not also sanctified by His glory? Every time we spend time in His presence we are receiving more... as we give to Him praise, honor and glory, seeking His face, not just His hand....He pours out His glory. The more our hearts are united in worship and praise, the more it seems He comes. The Bible teaches us that the Spirit was given to Jesus WITHOUT measure but to us in measure. There is a measure of faith spoken of , and going from glory to glory. God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Unity seems to be key.

Psalm 133 Amp Behold how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity !

It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments

[ consecrating the whole body ]. [Ex 30:25,30)

So if we worship in spirit and in truth, in unity....WOW what a picture ! He consecrates the whole body there ! There are 5 words for consecrate in the Old Testament:

4390 (phonetically maw-law) to fill or to be full of, lit. & fig.: - accomplish, confirm,

+consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfill, become fully, overflow,

fullness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take

a handful & have wholly.

3027 (yawd) prim. Word: a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc]

in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used in a variety of applications, both fig.

And lit., a few being, + consecrate, + creditor, custody, debt, dominion, + fellowship,

force from hand, ministry, order, power, service, wait on, + yield, power.

2763 ( khaw-ram); a prim root; to seclude; spec.(by a ban) to devote to religious uses

(esp. destruction); physical and reflex. To be blunt as to the nose; - make accursed,

consecrate, (utterly ) destroy, devote, forfeit, have a flat nose, utterly (slay, make

away)

5144 (nazar)- a prim root; to hold aloof; abstain (from food, drink, from impurity, and

even from divine worship * [ ie: apostasize ] ) spec. to set apart (to sacred purposes),

ie; devote: - consecrate, separate (-ing, self).

6942 (Kaw-dash); a prim. root; to be clean (cause. To make, pronounce, or observe as

clean, ceremonially or morally:-appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be,

keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (ied one, self),

x wholly.

In Exodus 33 NIV Moses asks to see the glory of the Lord & in verse 22 the Lord says,

"When My glory passes by, I will put you in the cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by."

A couple years ago, a younger woman prophesied this scripture over me as a group at my church ministered to me and she said " I see the Lord taking you and hiding you in the cleft of the rock and as He passes by, He stops, just for a moment and gazes at you !" As she spoke it out in the natural the supernatural happened and I felt such a touch of His glory, that for just a few moments caused me to feel His pleasure in me and I involuntarily began what is recognized in renewal churches as a manifestation of worship, with my arms reaching up to Him in worship and I was saying " You're so beautiful! You're so beautiful !" over and over out of my spirit man, and weeping at the magnificent taste of the expression of His love, which since has created a deep hunger in my soul for more of the same. I long for that taste of heaven It's like the greatest high....more than anything. The LOVE you feel is so overpowering !

I read an article in Mike Bickles' newsletter years ago about Jonathon Edwards' wife experiencing a visitation of the LORD for a week's time. The Lord kept coming sporadically pouring out His love on her whenever in His presence and prayer in church or at home and she would swoon, or faint, or her knees would buckle, and she would have to be carried to bed, or a place of rest. In her description, she describes how His love so encompassed her all she could think of was HIM and all criticism or fault finding was laid waste in His presence. All she felt for others was His love. Not a thought was given to what was wrong with them.

I remember praying. Oh Lord, THAT is what I want! I was raised with such criticism and judgementalism, and perfectionism, that it has been difficult to get free from. Since, a frequent prayer has been for the outpouring of His River of Honey, which He has spoken of in prophecies, for the church, for me, for the lost. He has spoken that it will consume all jealousy, competition, insecurity, discouragement and defeatism and fear. I have become SO hungry for this and, and other times overcome by the cares of this world , or defeatism. Then at a moment some prophet would speak encouragement to the body, and again my heart would leap at the hope of His coming again.

When I'd read about the experiences of others with My Lord, I would long and weep for more, yet seem incapable of doing anything more to draw near, and I would feel frustrated with myself as if all grace had departed and I have felt like the solomoness in Songs "Have you seen my Lover? I can't find Him." My heart at times has been so tormented by thoughts of rejection or worthlessness it has taken all I have in me to resist the devil. And again it would abate, as I'd cling to His promises. I'm sharing this because I know if others are honest, many have experienced the same.

I found encouragement in reading of other saints like David Brainard who endured TB and much mental depression/suffering while ministering among Native Americans back east during revival. He had to ride horseback to different camps suffering from these things. Off and on he would have bouts of depression. But then again he prayed so much, he sweat like drops of blood, like our Lord and had miraculous conversions among the Natives despite the weakness.

I have had to remind myself among the many prophecies filled with religion that say you have to be perfect to "make it", or to get to be among the privileged few, ...that God doesn't choose perfect vessels. He makes them perfect through His blood. He IS our righteousness ! I totally agree with holiness. But I also know I can do nothing in my flesh to make myself holy. IF we could make ourselves holy, we wouldn't need a Saviour. We would be our own saviours. The key to holiness, is a contrite heart that knows to run into the presence of God in worship and praise. Getting into His glory is key to sanctification.

The Israelites saw the glory in the cloud of His presence and as a consuming fire.

Exodus 40:34-35 Amp

34) then the cloud [ the Shekinah,God's visible presence ] covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle . [Rev 15:8] 35) Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud remained upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

I Kings 8:11 NIV And the priests could not perform their service because of the

Cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

2 Chronicles 5:14 And the priests could not perform their service because of the

cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.

2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NIV When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from

heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory

of the Lord filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the

Lord because the glory of the Lord filled it. When all the Israelites saw

the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they

knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped

and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, He is good; his love endures forever.

Isaiah 4:2-5 Amplified

In that day the Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be excellent and lovely to those of Israel who have escaped. [Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zech.3:8;6:12] And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem and for eternal life, [Joel 3:17; Phil. 4:3] After the Lord has washed away the [moral] filth of the daughters of Zion [ pride, vanity,

haughtiness ] and has purged the bloodstrains of Jerusalem from the midst of it by the spirit and blast of judgement and by the spirit and blast of burning and sifting. And the Lord will create over the whole site, over every dwelling place of Mount Zion and over her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a canopy ( a defense of divine love and protection ).

This scripture of Isaiah is yet unfulfilled, but I think will be soon.

In Leviticus 9:6 Moses tells Aaron what is required in order for consecration and it

involves the sacrifice of animals. Hebrews 10 tells us in verses 9-14 Amplified

9) He went on to say, Behold, [here] I am, coming to do Your will. Thus He does away with and annuls the first (former) order [as a means of expiating sin] so that He might inaugurate and establish the second (latter) order. [Psalm 40:6-8]

10) And in accordance with this will [of God], we have been made holy (consecrated and sanctified) through the offering made once for all of the body of Jesus Christ (the Anointed One).

11) Furthermore, every [human] priest stands [at his altar of service] ministering daily, offering the same sacrifices over and over again, which never are able to strip [from every side of us] the sins [that envelop us] and take them away

12) Whereas this One [Christ], after He had offered a single sacrifice for our sins [ that shall avail ] for all time, sat down at the right hand of God,

13) Then to wait until His enemies should be made a stool beneath His feet. [Psalm 110:1]

14) For by a single offering He has forever completely cleansed and perfected those who are consecrated and made holy.

And then in verses 18-26:

18)Now there is absolute remission ( forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty ) of these

[ sins and lawbreaking ], there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin.

19)Therefore, brethren , since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of ] Holies [ by the power and virtue ] in the blood of Jesus,

20)By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh,

21)And since we have [such] a great and wonderful and noble Priest [Who rules] over the house of God,

22)Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction engendered by faith ( by that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness), having our hearts sprinkled and purified from a guilty (evil) conscience and our bodies cleansed with pure water.

23)So let us seize and hold fast and retain without wavering the hope we cherish and confess and our acknowledgement of it, for He Who promised is reliable (sure) and faithful to His word.

24)And let us consider and give attentive, continuous car to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities.

25)Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

26)For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for (our) sins [ no further offering to which to look forward ].

27)[ There is nothing left for us then ] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]. [ Isaiah 26:11]

Notice that it says, "Once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth" Truth is a person, the Lord Jesus, but also truth of His word. His Word is Truth. Truth must be acquired. We don't instantly, when even reading the word attain to truth or Him Who is Truth. We have blindness in areas where we have strongholds. And we are not instantly sanctified completely. We go from glory to glory scripture teaches us, through His grace, mercy, and through diligently seeking Him.

This is why we go from glory to glory, as truth is gradually revealed through the washing of the Word, and through intimacy with Him, then we grow. That is why the word is so important to renewing our minds. The mind is the place of the battlefield with the enemy. In order to renew our minds ( and hearts) we must be in the Word, studying and MEDITATING on it. This is why the enemy makes himself busy trying to get us to DOUBT the Word or discredit it with our thinking.

Remember the words to Eve in Genesis? "Did God say?" the serpent said to her. If he can lure you with deception into believing his lies, then a stronghold against God's truth is established and sin prevails in our lives. The more we are consumed by strongholds like this, the further away from God and our destiny in Him we will stray. That is why we are to take every thought captive to the Lord Jesus Christ ! Once the Holy Spirit reveals TRUTH opening our eyes to things in the word, and ways in which we fall short of His glory, we can change. But in order to change we also need His glory (kawbawd),... His love to heal us. Once you discover Truth, then asking Him to change you with His glory is next. Grace in the new testament is also His power to make you do and be what He wants you to do and be. So we are changed by beholding Him, in comparison to ourselves, changed by His manifest love. This sometimes all happens at once, like in revival and under anointed preaching. Eyes are opened, hearts are convicted, and a touch from Him transforms us giving us grace to obey. His glory heals us and brings whatever we need at the time.

That's why in renewal we see a variety of responses in people. Some are in desperate need of deliverance. Some are in need of emotional healing of all sorts, some physical healing. Some receive the power of the Spirit of might to give them more boldness, and so they roar. Some receive peace to calm anxieties within, so are comforted and faint. God knows what each person needs. He also knows how much of His glory we can stand. He knows every hair on our head, every thought of our mind.

And He loves us beyond anything we can comprehend. He loves us if we are fat or thin, short or tall, comely or beautiful, rich or poor, Black or White, Oriental or Hispanic, Native American or native to Germany. He is not a respecter of persons. There is no longer any differences between male or female, Scythian or slave, Jew or Greek in His eyes according to Galatians. All are children of God and if children of God, then heirs with Christ as per

Ephesians 1. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, and earth is no longer our home any longer.

Psalm 89: 5 says Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, that His glory may dwell in the land . The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous RUN into it, and they are saved.

Romans 3:23 Amplified says. Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.

Romans 8:17-18 Amplified And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

Why should a man complain it says in Lamentations 3.

2 Corinthians 3:18 Amplified ********

And all of us, as with unbeiled face; [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [ for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

Note here it says constantly being transfigured in ever increasing splendor from one degree of glory to another. We are constantly being sanctified by His glory

Exodus 29:43 AMP again to compare ...There I will meet with the Israelites, and the Tent of Meeting shall be sanctified by My glory. [the Shekinah, God's visible presence].

In John 11:40 Jesus says to Martha just before raising Lazarus from the dead. "Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on ME, you would see the glory of God ?

We cannot always see or feel the glory, we must in faith believe, that if we seek fellowship with Him, we will receive. Habakkuk 2:14 speaks of a time.

But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge

Of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. [ Isaiah 11:9]

This is not yet happened, but is soon upon us.

I think that we can extrapolate from scriptures the effects of the glory of the Lord when it is seen by looking at how people reacted then. And if we are to experience this as well, we had also better be walking in the fear of the Lord like the pastor at Azuza Street Revival.

Ezekial 1:28 Amp

Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance or the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face and I heard a voice of One speaking. [Rev. 4:3]

Ezekial 10:4 Amp

Then the glory of the Lord mounted up from the cherubim to stand over the threshold of the [Lord's] house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord's glory [1 Kings 8:10-11; Ezekial 43:5 ]

Ezekial 39:21 Amp

And I will manifest my honor and glory among the nations, and all the nations shall see My judgment and justice [in the punishment] which I have executed and my hand which I have laid on them.

Here is a scripture for the hour......

Haggai 2:7-9 Amp

And I will shake all nations and the desire and the precious things of all nations shall come in and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of Hosts. [ Isaiah 60:5, Matt 2:1-12]***

The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house

[ with its successor, to which Jesus came ] shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace and prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 2:5-13 Amp

For I, says the Lord, will be to her a wall of fire round about and I will be the glory in the midst of her. (speaking of Jerusalemwhich speaks of the church) Ho! Ho! [ Hear and ] flee from the land of the north, says the Lord, and from the four winds of the heavens, for to them have I scattered you, says the Lord. Ho! Escape to Zion, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon !

For thus said the Lord of hosts, after [His] glory had sent me [His messenger] to the nations who plundered you for he who touches you, touches the apple or pupil of His eye:

Behold, I will swing my hand over them and they shall become plunder for those who served them. Then you shall know [recognize and understand] that the Lord of hosts has sent me [His messenger] to you. [ Isaiah 2:3; Micah 4:2 ] and the Lord shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land and shall again choose Jerusalem. Be still, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused and risen from His Holy habitation. [ Hab. 2:20; Zeph 1:7]

Hallelujah ! Glory to the Lord of Hosts for He will come as He has promised, though nations perish and the wicked fall, those who love Him will be saved. Be filled with the glory of the Lord. Take communion often as it says, when we see the day approaching....communion with Him and through the sacrament !