“That they might be with Him; That He might send them out to Preach” Mark 3:13-14 (Training The Trainer's Series)



The Bible relates to us the occasion when our Lord Jesus Christ appointed the twelve to be with him and that He might send them out to preach: “And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach” (Mark 3:13-14).

It is important to note that the disciples were called by Jesus to be with Him so that they may be prepared to be sent out to do the work of preaching the gospel. They were not called so that they could be rich or for the satisfaction of their own needs. We must remember why we are called by Jesus (1 Cor 9:16; 15:58).

Being with Jesus was deemed an important prerequisite by Jesus prior to being sent out as preachers of the gospel of Christ. There’s something about having been with Jesus.

In Acts 4:13, the Bible recorded this for our learning: “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus”.  Having spent time with Jesus, they were transformed from “uneducated and untrained men” into “bold” preachers of the Word that caused others to “marvel” at their transformation.

A brief review of the account of Mark would reveal how Jesus prepared them for the work of preaching the gospel; their transformation into “fishers of men” (Mark 1:17) was gradual but clearly evident after they witnessed His resurrection from the dead.

  1. Jesus showed them the use of ‘parables’ to teach the gospel: “But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.” (Mark 4:34)
  2. Jesus showed them that He had power over nature when He calmed the storm: Mark 4:41: “And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
  3. Jesus showed them that He knew those who were seeking for His help when in the midst of the large throng of people around Him, He stopped to ask, “who touched Me?” and “His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ (Mark 5:31) He then healed the woman who had touched Him. She had suffered at the hands of all her physicians. He showed them that in spite of the multitude of people, He still cared for the individual who had been suffering all her life.
  4. Jesus showed them the importance of working as a team when He sent them out “two by two”: Mark 6:7: “And He called the twelve to Himself,and began to send them out two bytwo”. In this, He showed them the importance of working in teams, and not as a “lone ranger”. This was consistent with what was recorded in Ecc 4:9-10: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.”  The apostle Paul later wrote of the different roles in the team in preaching the gospel in 1 Cor 3:6: “ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.”
  5. Jesus showed them the importance of spending some time away from the multitude to have some rest after having been on their preaching circuit: “Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.” (Mark 6:30-32). He showed them that they ought not to neglect the body’s needs for rest and food.
  6. Jesus showed them that His power was real, not a “fluke” or “one off” (although He had just fed 5000 men with 5 loaves and 2 fish) when He demonstrated again His power over nature as He walked on the water towards their boat and calmed the storm: “Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. 52 For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.” (Mark 6:51-52).
  7. Jesus taught them that spiritual defilement has nothing to do with what one eats; it has to do with what enters one’s hearts: “His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thuspurifying all foods?” (Mark 7:17-19)
  8. Jesus taught them to watch out for spiritual maladies (eg. the bad influence of the Pharisees and of Herod) and not on the physical needs – seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you – Matt 6:33: “Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It isbecause we have no bread.” 17 But Jesus, being aware of it,said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up? They said to Him, “Twelve.”” (Mark 8:15-19)
  9. Jesus showed them what God the Father testified of Him when He was transfigured alongside Moses and Elijah: “And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” (Mark 9:7)
  10. Jesus revealed to them about His Death and His Resurrection on the third day: “For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” 32 But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.” (Mark 9:31-32)
  11. Jesus warned them about the threat of division in their midst due to leadership aspirations, sectarianism and acting without due consideration to others, thereby being stumbling-blocks to believers: “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” (Mark 9:50)
  12. Jesus taught them about the sanctity of marriage and that marriage is for life: “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter.11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
  13. Jesus taught them that children belong in the kingdom of the Lord: “Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:13-14)
  14. Jesus warned them that it would be difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven: “Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?”27 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:23-27)
  15. Jesus taught them about God answering their prayers when offered with faith and the necessity of forgiving others if we wish for God to forgive us our sins: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them,and you will have them. 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:24-26)
  16. Jesus revealed to them the up-coming destruction of the Temple for which the sign would be Jerusalem being surrounded by armies (Mark 13:14; Luke 21:20), and His coming at the end of the world – no one knows the day except the Father: “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things will be fulfilled?”…But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.” (Mark 13:3-4)

17 Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper for His disciples to remember Him and His sacrifice for the salvation of man (Mark 14:22-26

  1. Jesus exhorted His disciples to watch and pray so that they will not fall into temptation; yet Peter denied the Lord three times (Mark 14:38)
  2. Jesus rose from the dead on the third day as He had predicted: “You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” (Mark 16:6-7)
  3. Jesus announced to them that He has all power in heaven and on earth, and that the disciples were to go into all the world and preach the gospel of Jesus: “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16; Matt 28:18)

We need to spend time with Jesus through a careful consideration of the four accounts of His life and teachings (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) and prepare ourselves so that we can become “fishers of men” (Rom 6:17-18; 2 Tim 2:21-26) and do His will (1 Cor 15:58).  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:1-2)

The Glory And It's 3 Dimensions (The Glory Series)



There are many dimensions of the glory of God—so many that no definition can ever completely describe the fullness of His glory. 

The multifaceted glory of God must be experienced time and time again. Each definition is a dimension we can experience, and has levels upon levels of reality. Consequently, I don’t make the focus of this chapter on the different definitions of the word “glory”—rather, that would fill a book.


Many are accustomed to hearing about the dimension of the glory that the priest experienced when he couldn’t stand in Solomon’s temple because of how heavy the glory became (2 Chronicles 7). They conclude that if the glory of God is present, everyone will fall to the ground. I used to believe this as well, until one day I was reading about Jesus turning water into wine (John 2:1-12). After Jesus turned the water into wine, the Scripture tells us that it was a manifestation of His glory, yet no one fell. It’s not recorded that anyone who drank the wine could not stand up; therefore, we can ascertain that the people were just in awe of the taste. The governor of the feast stated that they had saved the best wine for last.

These are examples of how God’s glory can manifest in many ways. The glory in Solomon’s temple is a different facet of the glory from when Jesus turned water into wine. It would be a huge mistake for us to assume that the glory will always look the same.


Jesus was the glory in a human body. We see Him take several different forms in Scripture where He was not recognizable, even by people who were often with Jesus. Just think of when Jesus walked on the water and His disciples thought He was a ghost, or when Jesus rose from the dead and talked with two of His disciples who didn’t recognize Him (Luke 24). A truth we often miss is that Jesus is the glory.

The Bible says that the fullness of God dwells inside His human body. Jesus is the radiant glory of the Father. If we seek the presence of Jesus with all of our heart, we will always find ourselves in His glory. As you read on, I don’t want you to lose the heart of this chapter—experiencing Jesus is experiencing glory.

Three Dimensions

We don’t have to seek signs and wonders. We don’t have to see glory clouds and pray for gold dust to appear. We simply have to seek Jesus; and as we do, we remain sensitive and alert to notice the signs and wonders of His glory following us. Glory is commonly described using three primary words that seem best to describe all the fullness of the supernatural glory, which reveal three dimensions of glory: 

1) Kobod,

2) Shekinah, and 

3) Doxa. 

Now let’s look closely at each of the three.

Kobod

Kobod is weighty or heavy glory. We see this glory demonstrated when people could not stand under the weight of His glory (Numbers 20:6; Ezekiel 1:28; 3:23; 44:4). When John the beloved fell as dead when he saw Jesus like the sun shining in its strength in Revelation chapter 1. Another example is when Abraham fell down and worshipped God in Genesis 24:48. Kobod was and is weighty glory.

One of the greatest examples of this is when Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord. God responded by releasing a heavy glory that knocked the priests down and seemed to pin them on the floor. They couldn’t stand to minister.

This glory will not instantly knock us down, but I believe these are great examples of this particular dimension. When we experience the Kobod glory, it comes in measures. Think of it as God adding weight to the atmosphere and upon us progressively as we minister to Him.

Shekinah

The Shekinah glory of God is not actually a word found in the Bible. It was the Jewish rabbi who used this word to describe aspects of the glory of God, which means the dwelling place of glory. It seems to be used in the context of visible glory. In Scripture, a great example is the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites during the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 13:21-22).

Shekinah glory is often used to describe gold dust as well. I remember the first time I experienced this phenomenon. Gold dust came out of my pores during my prayer time. The following day, my prayer room was covered in gold dust. The Lord spoke to me, “This is a sign of new realms of glory.” I don’t believe this is what it means every time, though. Signs are a form of the voice of God speaking to us.

After this initial experience, we have consistently seen this sign in our ministry. Sometimes it pours out of my wife and I, and we are covered with it after services. People in our gathering can often see the glory on their hands. We even experienced gold dust raining down in my office. We have also on a few occasions witnessed a visible glory cloud form. The strongest I have seen it was actually during a deliverance service. As the cloud came into the atmosphere, many demons were cast out and I even saw the cloud on social media recordings.

Doxa

The word “Doxa” speaks of the judgment and the view we have of another person. In the context of spiritual glory, it is a glory that reveals who God is. In other words, Doxa is revelatory glory; glory that comes to reveal the character of God. For example, God is loving, merciful, holy, good, just, omniscient, faithful…. Many Scriptures throughout the Bible verify these, as well as many other righteous character traits of our heavenly Father. I encourage you to search the Bible and take note of all you find.

We have been called to move in the glory; however, we must distinguish the glory of God from several other dimensions of God. We must first distinguish presence versus power. Then we must differentiate between faith, the anointing of God, and then the glory of God. The Bible says that Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power—because there is a difference between the presence and power of God. When Jesus breathed on the disciples and they received the Holy Spirit, they instantly received His presence. However, they had to wait to receive power in the upper room (I explain this more in my book, Supernatural Upgrade).

Many believers today are people of the presence of God, but they are yet to know His power. You can attend ministries and enjoy the beautiful presence of God in worship, but not see any demonstration of His power. It’s not that they are wrong. They have just settled for presence and haven’t sought the power. Imagine if the one hundred and twenty disciples never went to the upper room because they thought it was enough that they had already received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them. How tragic that would have been!

Some even make claims that all we need is character. This is erroneous thinking. Jesus was a Man of both character and the power of God. People with this mindset assume that because they experience the sweet presence of God that they need nothing else. What they fail to understand is that God’s power is not His Person.

Please understand this truth clearly. A believer who no longer knows the presence of Jesus, can continue to move in His power on some level. Really? you may wonder. Well, consider this Bible passage when Jesus says:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV).

Jesus was talking about people who lost the presence of God, but power remained operating in their lives. This further validates that presence and power are two different dimensions of the glory.

With that understanding as a foundation, it is easier to now understand that the gifts can be in operation, but it doesn’t mean we are in the glory. We need to make these distinctions to gain individual understanding of each. We must also know that all of these dimensions work together and are meant to connect as one to bring us into the fullness of God. I believe that to enter into the glory, we must begin with faith, enter the anointing, and then we will see manifested glory.

What is the glory of God? (The GLORY series)

 



What is the glory of God?


The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. The glory of man—human dignity and honor—fades (1 Peter 1:24). But the glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes together, never passes away. It is eternal.

Moses requested of God, “Now show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18). In His response, God equates His glory with “all my goodness” (verse 19). “But,” God said, “you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (verse 20). So, God hid Moses in “a cleft in the rock” to protect him from the fulness of God’s glory as it passed by (verses 21–23). No mortal can view God’s excelling splendor without being utterly overwhelmed. The glory of God puts the pride of man to shame: “Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the Lord And the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:10–11, NKJV).

Often, in the Old Testament, the manifestation of God’s glory was accompanied by supernatural fire, thick clouds, and a great quaking of the earth. We see these phenomena when God gave the law to Moses: “Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently” (Exodus 19:18; see also Deuteronomy 5:24–25; 1 Kings 8:10–11; and Isaiah 6:1–4). The prophet Ezekiel’s vision of the glory of God was full of fire and lightning and tumultuous sounds, after which he saw “what looked like a throne of lapis lazuli, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 1:26–28).

In the New Testament, the glory of God is revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Jesus came as “a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of [God’s] people Israel” (Luke 2:32). The miracles that Jesus did were “signs through which he revealed his glory” (John 2:11). In Christ, the glory of God is meekly veiled, approachable, and knowable. He promises to return some day “on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

Isaiah 43:7 says that God saved Israel for His glory—in the redeemed will be seen the distillation of God’s grace and power and faithfulness. The natural world also exhibits God’s glory, revealed to all men, no matter their race, heritage, or location. As Psalm 19:1–4 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Psalm 73:24 calls heaven itself “glory.” Sometimes Christians speak of death as being “received unto glory,” a phrase borrowed from this psalm. When the Christian dies, he or she will be taken into God’s presence and surrounded by God’s glory and majesty. In that place, His glory will be seen clearly: “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Corinthians 13:12). In the future New Jerusalem, the glory of God will be manifest: “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp” (Revelation 21:23).

God will not give His glory to another (Isaiah 42:8; cf. Exodus 34:14). Yet this is the very thing that people try to steal. Scripture indicts all idolaters: “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles” (Romans 1:22–23). Only God is eternal, and His perfect and eternal attributes of holiness, majesty, goodness, love, etc., are not to be exchanged for the imperfections and corruption of anything in this world.


THE GLORY AND THE SUPERNATURAL

 

Date: 
Friday, July 4, 2024
 Bible Meditation: 
2 Corinthians 3: 1-18

“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the GLORY of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from GLORY to GLORY, just as by the Spirit of the Lord – 2 Corinthians 3:18

GLORY is the ultimate dimension of the SUPERNATURAL. The Greek word for Glory – “doxa” – means: the full expression of the true essence of someone or something. This portrays the notion of reputation, honour, praise, dignity, splendour, and brilliance. Doxa speaks of the majesty of God as the Supreme Governor – the absolute perfection of His deity. The Hebrew word for glory “kavod” means: “heavy,” “weighty,” “fullness” or “full weight of something.” God’s Glory is the full expression of His nature – “all that God is and has” – the manifestation of His Personality and divinity; the weightiness of His Person. In the Presence of His Glory, healings and miracles are released and received without physical touch or human intervention.


Glory is the intrinsic essence of God’s Presence, and the atmosphere and environment of that presence. Glory is God’s Presence and Power manifested in visible form. This reflects in creation in diverse ways: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge” (Psa.19:1-2). Paul wrote about the glory of celestial and terrestrial bodies: “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another” (1Cor.15:40). Glory is God doing His works sovereignly. However, He will not visit with Glory beyond our revelation of it (2Cor.3:18). Therefore, the Lord would have His children understand how His Glory operates and how it can manifest on the earth through revelation.

Everything that has God’s Glory has life; whereas, death indicates an absence of glory. Humanity lost the breath of God and the environment of His Glory through sin at the beginning, and ‘died’ spiritually (Gen.2:7, 3:8-24; Rom.5:12). However, God determined to restore us to His Presence, and continued to reveal His Glory to His people over time. His Glory appeared to Abraham and transformed him into a nation (Acts 7:2). He manifested His Glory to the nation of Israel in the form of a pillar of cloud and of fire (Exo.13:21). Under the protective covering of the Shekinah, many supernatural events took place. Ultimately, God’s Glory has been revealed though Jesus Christ: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jh.1:14).

The Son of God came to reveal the fullness of the Father’s Glory. Through His death and resurrection, He led humanity back to that dimension of glory prior to the Fall. A key part of His mandate is “brining many sons to glory” (Heb.2:10). Just before His arrest, Jesus prayed to the Father, asking Him to return the glory that humanity had lost so that each believer could live in its manifestation: “And the GLORY which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one…” (Jh.17:22a). Through Christ’s finished work of redemption, God’s Glory is now available on earth: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Hab.2:14). The earth is full of the Glory of God, and He is revealing it to our generations in order to bring great supernatural manifestations.

Standing on the foundation of FAITH, we can seamlessly ascend beyond the ANOINTING into the GLORY. Operating in the anointing, one feels the fatigue, but in the Glory, there is a replenishing because God does all the work! In the Glory, God does not need our human effort. God is quickening generations of those who are willing to run and be carriers of His Glory. We must individually experience the revelation of His Glory by the Holy Spirit, not by research or reasoning (Eph.1:17). God is leading us beyond faith and the anointing, to enter into the fullness of the river of God’s Glory: “water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed” (Ezek.47:5b).