Weekly message: unconscious glory abides as a mirror By Rev.Katherine Liu Bruce

 Weekly message: unconscious glory abides as a mirror                          Date 2/4/2023

By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce

Christian Arts Ministries; Biblical precepts & Gospel music; Pastoral ministry & Counseling

 

Have you been constantly criticized other’s ministry, their attitude and behavior? Stop and listen what Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me; you are stumble rock to me…” and Jesus argues with the Pharisees on their own grounds as follows,

 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices-mint, dill and cumin, But you have neglected the more important matters of the law-justice, mercy and faithfulness.” (Matt.23:23).

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.” (Matt.23:25-26).

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matt.23:27-28).

Have you been persecuting Jesus by a zealous determination to serve Him in your own way? If you feel you have done your duty and yet have hurt Him in doing it, you may be sure it was not your duty, because it has not fostered the meek and quiet spirit, but the spirit of self-satisfaction. Is that anything like the spirit of our Lord- “I delight to do Thy will, O My God”.

 Has the voice of God come to you directly? If it has, you cannot mistake the intimate insistence with which it has spoken to you in the language you know best, not through your ears, but through your circumstances. God has to destroy our determined confidence in our own convictions. “I know this is what I should do” and suddenly the voice of God speaks in a way that overwhelms us by revealing the depths of our ignorance. We have shown our ignorance of Him in the very way we determined to serve Him. We serve Jesus in a spirit that is not His, we hurt Him by our advocacy for Him, and we push His claims in the spirit of the devil. Our words sound all right, but our spirit is that of an enemy. “He rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.” The spirit of our Lord in an advocate of His is described in 1 Corinthians 13.

A Christian minister (or disciple) is one who perpetually looks in the face of God and then goes forth to talk to people. The Characteristic of the ministry of Christ is that of unconscious glory that abides. Allow nothing to keep you from looking God sternly in the face about yourself and about you doctrine, and every time you preach see that you look God in the face about things first, then, the glory will remain all through.

 Look at a mirror, and see yourself, are you sure that you are with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as from the Lord, the Spirit ?A mirror will not lie about you, it reflects of your cheerful smiling face when you are joy. A mirror reflects your anger, wrath, rude, crude, ill-mannered behavior, and your judgmental critique lip, hostile, hateful attitude, opposed toward someone, and mirror also reflects of your sadness and tears.

If you keep criticizing about other’s attitude and behavior, it most likely you are the same type of person who acted (or performed) the same behavior and attitude. What kind of people are surrounding in your environment? So often, their personality and characteristics reflect who you are. If you are a kind and friendly person, the people surround you, most likely they are kind and friendly. In contrary, if you constantly blame other’s attitude rude, crude, ill-mannered behavior you need to exam yourself, whether you act the same and need to change your attitude and behavior.

            God, so often, uses such person to mold you into His likeness, and transform you into His glory image. Let God do His part to transform the person you criticize about. And you do your part, stop to criticize others, and change yourself.  The secret of the Christians’ life is that he or she keeps in tune with God all the time. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “ and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians.3:18). When you start to judge others, remind yourself, let your face reflects God’s glory as a mirror, and set your mind in Spirit, remains in peace. Let peace rules in your heart, and trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding… in all your ways acknowledge Him; He will direct your path. Do your best to live peace with one another, and produce the fruits of lip to build up each other instead of criticizing or putting a stumble rock to others.       

 

Bibliography,

Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie study Bible (NIV). Chicago, IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986. 

            Chambers, Oswald. My Utmost for His Highest. NY: Dodd, Mead & Company, Inc, 1935.