... for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 1 Peter 4:14 In unprecedented measures and in unusual ways God is about to pour out his glory on the earth. But before he does, let us consider what the `glory' is. The Hebrew word for `glory', kabod, carries the meaning of `heaviness' or `weight'. And throughout Scripture it usually signifies the revelation of God's … [Read more...]
The Dwelling of God
And the word was made flesh, and dwelt among us … John 1:14 God’s purpose has always been to dwell with men. From the beginning of time to its culmination, from Eden to the New Jerusalem, this has been his singular desire. In the Garden, it was God’s habit to come down and commune with the first human community, most probably at the close of each … [Read more...]
Scandalised by Extravagant Love
Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and rock of offense ... Romans 9:33 The school of the Spirit is pre-eminently a ‘school for scandal’. Whenever God visits the earth he does it contrary to our patterns and expectations. He does not fit our preconceived notions of who we think he is and of how he should do it. Even though he is the God that never changes, he … [Read more...]
Travailing in Birth: Christ in You
My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you Galatians 4:19 Christ being formed within us is the sine qua non of Christianity. It is the true apostolic burden and the essential ingredient of the spiritual life. Without it we are reduced to either merely a religious or rationalistic code—to "a form of godliness" (2 Tim 3:5). … [Read more...]
