ReflectingGod'sGlory
by Theodore Epp
Exodus 34:1-4,26-35
Moses was changed when he came down from the mountain. Earlier, he had asked to see the glory of the Lord, but when he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of stone, he did not know "that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him" (Ex. 34:29).
Moses did not realize that his face reflected the glory of God. This was proof of the closeness between Moses and God, and it revealed to those who saw him that he had truly been in the presence of God's glory.
"When Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him" (v. 30).
Moses still did not realize the extent to which his face reflected the glory of God. He was not glorious in his own eyes, but he was in the eyes of others.
Every day before you go out to meet the world, spend some time with God by reading His Word and talking to Him in prayer. Spending time in His presence will bring the sunshine of heaven to your face, and others will observe this in you throughout the day.
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor. 3:18).
A Secret Believer
by Theodore Epp
1 Kings 18:1-7
As Elijah, in obedience to God's command, set out to meet Ahab, he saw that the famine was very severe in Samaria, one of the areas ruled by Ahab and inhabited by the Israelite people.
Apparently it extended beyond Ahab's kingdom, but Samaria seemed to be getting the brunt of it. This, of course, was in line with God's judgment--He was disciplining His people.
The Prophet Isaiah wrote: "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it" (Isa. 1:19,20).
This principle was literally fulfilled before Elijah's eyes. The people had rebelled, and they were not eating of the good of the land.
Obedience to God is the key to His blessings upon us. The Israelites had suffered for three and a half years because of their disobedience, but because of the obedience of a man of God, the Lord's judgment would be lifted.
The first man Elijah met, however, was not Ahab but Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's household. Obadiah held a position of prestige and influence in overseeing Ahab's household and possessions.
But instead of Obadiah's lifting up Ahab, apparently Ahab tended to drag Obadiah down so that he was more concerned about herds and possessions than about the will of God.
Does this speak to our hearts? Perhaps God allowed this man's life to be included in the Scriptures to teach us this lesson.
"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him [Christ]" (Eph. 3:12).
Theodore Epp:
1904-1985
Theodore H. Epp, The founder director of Back to the Bible Radio Broadcasts was an American Christian clergyman, writer, and a radio evangelist.
He started his ministry as an Evangelist and radio preacher in Goltry, Oklahoma and then relocated to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he established the Back to the Bible radio program. It was first broadcast May 1, 1939, on a local station and was eventually syndicated as a daily, 30-minute program to more than 800 radio stations worldwide by the time of his retirement in 1985. Epp wrote 70 books and numerous magazine articles. To know more about Epp and his beginning ministry click here
Source:
Confident Living Magazine, A Back to the Bible Publication.
Confident Living Magazine, A Back to the Bible Publication.
No comments:
Post a Comment