We Want to See Your Glory!

“On the day the Tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered it.  But from evening until morning the cloud over the Tabernacle looked like a pillar of fire.  This was the regular pattern—at night the cloud that covered the Tabernacle had the appearance of fire.  Whenever the cloud lifted from the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it.  And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go.  Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle.” (Numbers 9:15-18)

 

Moses had cried out to the Lord that unless the presence of the Lord was with them, they would not go.  He was not willing to go and just enter a new land that was given to them by the Lord.  He wanted the Lords presence very much known and among them.   

 

And the Lord came with them as this cloud that contained a pillar of fire as it hovered over them.  This cloud represented the glory of the Lord.  We see this from the cloud residing on the top of the mountain as Moses received the 10 commandments. 

 

Also, in Exodus 40:34-35 it speaks of this cloud filling the Tabernacle with glory.  It says, “Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.  Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle because the cloud had settled down over it, and the glory of the Lord Filled the Tabernacle.”  

 

In Ezekiel 1:4, we also see this glory cloud.  It says, “As I looked, I saw a great storm coming from the north, driving before it a huge cloud that flashed with lightning and shone with brilliant light.  There was fire inside the cloud, and in the middle of the fire glowed something like gleaming amber.” 

 

Other examples include 1 Kings 8:10-11 when Solomon built the temple and the priests brought the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place.  Its says, “When the priest came out of the Holy Place, a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord.  The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of the Lord.”

 

Solomon prayed, “O Lord, you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness” (2 Chronicles 6:1).  And God showed Himself to David at a time he needed rescue in a cloud of glory. In 2 Samuel 22 David proclaims, “He shrouded himself in darkness, veiling his approach with dense rain clouds. A great brightness shone around him, and burning coals blazed forth.

 

 A cloud is also portrayed in the return of Christ.  In Revelation 14 it says, “Then I saw a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was someone like the Son of Man.  He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle in His hand” (Revelation 14:14).  And Luke 21:27 says that in the last days, “Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory.”

 

Once the cloud of glory resided among them filled with the presence and power of the Lord, it was a matter of retaining it.   We see that Moses and the people of Israel ordered their entire lives around it.  They left everything they knew behind and wondered around wherever God would take them. 

 

Notice it was not a specific plan they followed with a direct point A and point B.  Rather than following a plan, they were following God and whatever He had for them at the time.  Often they seemed to be going in circles and just wondering around aimlessly.   They remained wherever God put them as long as His glory was with them.  When God moved, so did they.

 

When they sinned by craving meat, complaining about what they had, or challenging the leadership that God provided them with, there were consequences but the Lord did not leave them.  Plagues, leprosy, trembling, and even sudden death occurred in this environment of glory when the Lord’s presence would break out against them.  

 

With Aaron, we see a tragic story of two of his boys dying the same day.  And because of his role as priest, he could not leave his post to grieve.  He still needed to perform his duties.  How incredibly hard!  But he continued to obey and follow despite the sacrifice and personal pain to keep the movement moving forward.

 

We see this in the New Testament as well with Ananias and Sephora who fell over dead when they lied to the Holy Spirit during an outpouring of glory.  They were getting in the way of the holy work that the Lord was dong by trying to manipulate the people and were confronted and died as a result.  

 

All this to say that while the power of the Lord was healing, delivering, setting people free and prospering His people, there was also this side of conviction and judgement that was just as powerful as the revival among them. 

 

In my own experience of His glory, I remember a time that God was pouring out His Spirit at my first church that I attended.  There were times as I was serving in the sound booth that I would begin trembling and couldn’t seem to stop.  There was such a sense of God’s presence and power that it impacted me physically.  At the same time, I experienced heightened conviction. 

 

What caused this glory to leave was a combination of things.   There was extended worship services that were stopped as a few people were uncomfortable with them going on and couldn’t seem to enter into them.  So they switched it up to a shortened timed schedule with announcements instead and the presence that was hovering began to lift.  

 

It was still very present for events.  But when my pastor had cancer and also this tension and conflict arose between her and the lead pastor of the church.  This division and difficult circumstances caused this overflowing power of the Lord to dissipate in that as well.   When it dissipated, while the church was growing rapidly by almost doubling, it then shrunk down to smaller than ever. 

 

At my second church, I also saw the glory come and break out in a powerful way among us.  It was like God had split the sea and all these people were crossing over into healing – both physical and emotional.  Suddenly, the church could not contain all the folks flooding in to participate in worship.  

 

But then there was a significant conflict and tension that was growing and led to a leader leaving.  As they did, there seemed to arise a division as people took sides and the revival sizzled out.  Again, suddenly the church shrunk down to smaller than ever.

 

In both cases, what caused the dissipation of the glory was growing tension and conflict.  Also, in both situations, challenging health issues arose for key leaders in the midst of it. 

 

What caused the Lord’s powerful presence to leave we see in Ezekiel is that the people stopped being sensitive to the Spirit and following His voice.  They became satisfied with the land they were provided and they indulged in sin. They felt entitled to the land and were going through the motions of serving Him while their hearts were far from Him.  In their doing their own thing, the Lord’s presence lifted and left.

 

All that to say that when the glory comes to reside among us, there is a tending of the fire to maintain it.  There is an arranging of one’s life around the glory in such a way that it becomes central.  For the Israelites, the tent of glory resided centrally among the people.   The Israelites also had festivals and solemn assemblies that took people out of all other activities. 

 

As we live in a ‘fit it all in’ while not missing a beat of work environment, it is much harder to experience any ongoing revival. We want the revival but then we want to go back to work and do our own things and come back when we want it again.   If it is not cared for and maintained as a priority, it fizzles out.   Our walk and relationship with the Lord needs to be above all things.  

 

And, as it is being tended and lives are being changed and the kingdom of God established, there is also an enemy at work sowing discord and difficulty.   While we have been promised to be victorious in our battles against the enemy, we know that we have one.  The Kingdom of God does not come forth without violence and the violent take it by force.  Wherever the Kingdom comes in a great measure, so does opposition.

 

Paul would bring this work of the Kingdom that was transformational to all the people in the area.  So much so that rioting sometimes even began as some of the business people protested the changes being made by the preaching of the gospel.  It came with power and had significant opposition at points that resulted in Paul being stoned to death.  But he would just get back up and begin preaching again.  As the church became established in the area, he would stay for a while and then move on to the next. 

 

At the same time that the church was being established, many people were changing drastically the way they lived.  They would sell all their assets and share them with others in need.  They were establishing a whole new structure for the way things were done and the way they lived.  Many were giving up home, jobs and land to establish and advance the Kingdom of God.

 

What was being established in all of it was this powerful divine connection with God.  As God was placed as central and people tasted of His glory, everything else became secondary or fell off completely.  As people were healed, delivered, set free and made whole, this new life was being celebrated and more room was being made for it.  

 

I see this with Bethel in their longstanding revival.  They have a team of leaders that tend and maintain the revival with their whole hearts.  Others come and experience it, are transformed and take this with them to other places in the nation.  It is their constant sacrifices and commitment of this group of leaders that maintain the fire that keeps it burning.  As a result, others that come can experience this transformational power.  

 

Just recently, I brought my two youngest boys to Bethel for a generational leadership conference and they experienced the presence of God in powerful and undeniable ways.  Their lives were touched by the power of God in a way that was transformational for them.  I was grateful for the power and presence of the Lord that made God real to them.  

 

At the same time that a touch from the Lord can be powerful in giving someone a reset, so can regular practices of following the Lord.   Reading the Word of God regularly, talking with the Lord, and seeking to follow Him in one’s daily life is the way that we tend the fire in our own lives.

 

If we only seek where God is moving powerfully, we miss the whole point. We need to make room right where we are for God among us.  In our homes, family, work and all our activities we want to create space.  Regular practices of seeking Him daily, praying, reading the Word, giving, and tending our own fire have the greatest impact over time. 

 

Lord Jesus, revival starts in our hearts.  Make us hungry for it.  Help us to tend well to our own hearts and tend with care every where we go to make as much room as possible for You.  As it sings in the background, “Heaven is breaking out all around,”  we desire Your manifest presence among us.