Shining the light of God’s glory.
Posted by appolus on March 8, 2019
11 Cor 4:6For it is the God who commanded light to shine into darkness who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Can we know the glory of God? Can we even walk as Christians if we have never experienced the glory of God? We cannot be victorious Christians outside of this “knowledge.’ Those who have experienced the glory of God walk in victory. It is this victory that allows for joy even in the midst of suffering. For those who walk in the presence of God cannot help but radiate His glory. It is not something that is achieved by effort. If I radiate joy it’s because I am like the moon. The moon is a dead object, yet the light of the sun reflects off the moon and lights up a dark world. And just as the moon, by virtue of its position to the sun and the earth, radiates the light down into the darkness, then so to do those Christians who come before the throne and kneel before the King radiate the light from this glorious place into the darkness of the world.
Paul says in 2 Cor 2:14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place, for we are to God, the fragrance of Christ.
Do you walk in triumph? Do you diffuse the fragrance of His Knowledge in every place? If you have not experienced the knowledge of His glory then how can you radiate and reflect and diffuse the beauty of His presence and the manifest glory of who He is? If you have not stood in the manifest presence of God and glow from that encounter then how can you effectively share the reality of Jesus in your life? His life is life to us. Those whose hearts are veiled to this knowledge of His glory, who have not yet stepped behind the veil and experienced the glorious majesty of His presence cannot walk in the life of Christ that flows from that place.
Has God the Father shone this light in your heart? Have you knelt or fallen prostrate in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus? Do you radiate? Do you diffuse the fragrance of God? Do you walk in the light of the knowledge of the glory of God? When we speak of knowledge we are not speaking about information? The knowledge of the glory of God is an encounter. It is not information it is an experience. Only by experiencing the knowledge of the glory of God can we be transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord ( 2 Cor 3:18)
This is the heart cry of our age. To stand in ”the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Let us lay aside everything else until we have stood in that light and been transformed from glory to glory. Let us not run the rat race but rather let us run the race that brings us into His presence. Only then share that with the passion that inevitably comes from such an encounter. People will be drawn to Christ by the light of the knowledge of glory that is in you, that is seared upon your heart, that makes you alive to the Spirit and dead to the world. Dear Lord in heaven pour out your glory into the hearts of men.
A Call To The Remnant 
Robert Taylor said
Brother Frank…….”It is not information, it is an encounter” That is a powerful quote in your excellent article that sums it all up. I know Christians that can quote a large part of the entire bible from memory. But their Christian walk is not much different than the rest of the world. They know the book, but it is all information to them. They have not had an encounter with Jesus Christ. I would dare say that the one thing that has brought the church world wide to the lukewarm condition that it is in now is the simple fact that they have spent years on the pew, and learned the bible by heart, but have never had an “encounter” with Jesus Christ.
appolus said
I agree Robert. There are whole swaths of Christendom who have absolutely no desire to have any kind of encounter with God at all. The religion of Christianity is quite enough. You cannot see Jesus when the world is right in front of you……………….bro Frank
Dick said
Brother Frank—
You say this “ encounter is not something achieved by effort,” yet later say “ to run the race that brings us into His Presence.” Please help us searching ones to connect the dots between these two statements. Many remain in a wilderness, perhaps journeying for years knowing full well unless they come to know Him in Reality they are sunk! They have come out of religion and it’s forms and have also seen that information will only take one so far, yet they are stuck on the Emmaus Road or remain like Bartimaus, blind. I know there is a desperate cry for Him in Reality and that cry is shared by me and many others. I believe I know your heart, and your ministry to me and others has been significant and encouraging, but the flip side is often deep conviction and a deeper sense of despair over ones anemic condition. Refering back to the original two statements I addressed—how does one live on the Emmaus Road until He comes, and isn’t this encounter His gift in His timing? Please trust me I am not trying to be argumentative because I truly believe the only thing needful is Christ in Reality.
appolus said
First of all Dick I want you to know that you do not have to apologize to me for asking a question or even challenging a point. Who am I? Just another brother on the road just like yourself. I think, to answer your question, that the key and fundamental aspect of running a race that brings us into His presence is “desire.” Now, I do not count desire as a work. Its a condition of the heart, its a reflection of who we are in the Lord. It is also a significant indicator of the level of our surrender. Surrender is another aspect of our walk that I do not count as a work. So, to diligently seek the Lord comes from our surrender to Him, living our lives with our whole hearts dedicated to Him, and the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Another aspect of this would be that without faith it is impossible to please Him. Now, I do not count faith as a work. Trust is trust, we either surrender to Him or we do not. So, I have no idea how often we can expect to encounter the manifest presence of God just as I do ot know which way the wind will blow in the next five minutes, but I do understand that their are elements of placing ourselves in a proper position before Him to hear from Him and experience His manifest presence. Hope that helps a wee bit, if not please ask a follow up question Dick………………..bro Frank
Dick said
Appreciative of your reflections and heart for the Body of Christ especially for the weaker brothers and sisters on this journey. I suppose to be succinct, I cannot “run this race” of which the Scriptures and you speak! Fifty years of experiential failure has convinced me unless I taste, or see or experience His Reality any idea of race running is a death march. Whether it is called the Baptism, the anointing, His manifest Presence or living encounter it must precede my living or my going out. If your original post is such a running to Him in this context then I would describe my running as “waiting,” because I can do no more than pray and ask like the Disciples before Pentecost. “Without Him I can do nothing.” My desire and hunger has been birthed by Him, and He is the Author of my faith, and He must make effective my surrender through His power. Many like myself know their profound need, are anemic as Christians, and many are in the Upper Room or on their own Emmaus Road but still He does not come. Ultimately I believe your original post was the need for a solitary focus on Christ as the supreme object in view and if so I wholeheartedly agree. The rest as to His timing and any running I must leave it to Him. Rambled a little but hopefully you heard my heart. Believe many out there can relate to this journey I described. Blessings to you and your family.
appolus said
I suppose I took for granted in the piece that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an absolute pre-requisite. If anyone is a saint, they are running the race whether they think they are or not. Running the race is the totality of who we are in Him and our very lives in Christ. Can running the race be a death march? Yes indeed, overarchingly that is exactly what it is, a death march to the flesh. Can we know joy in the midst of this death march, yes indeed and there are millions of testimony to that very fact. Examples would be Paul and Silas in the dungeon, the apostles celebrating the fact they were found worthy to suffer for Him. A modern day example would be people like Joni Erikson Tata, a parapalegic who , despite her dire circumstances still rejoices in the Lord. Even after we have been born again we still have a free will and how we exercise that free will especially in the realms of obedience is going to make a huge difference in our walk/run. Be blessed Dick in the name of our Lord Jesus…………….bro Frank