CLOTHED IN HIS GLORY – Terry Thompson
The New Testament church was birthed on the day of Pentecost in the capital city of Israel. The name of that city is called Jerusalem which means City of peace. The place where the disciples gathered that day was not in a giant stadium, or in an ornate Temple. It was in an upper room. The atmosphere was not charged with mountain-moving faith but rather fear. They had locked the doors, but then all of the sudden the room was filled with a sound! What was that sound?
ACTS 2:2.
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled (furnished) all the house where they were sitting.”
God the Holy Ghost came and filled the room, not with a gentle breeze but with a mighty rushing wind like a tornado. God was blowing out all the doubt in the room and clothing everyone with His Glory.
IN THE VERY BEGINNING
The clothing that Adam and Eve lost in the garden was the Glory of God, but praise God it was restored to mankind on the day of Pentecost. Yes, there was nothing ordinary about that day, and that was only the beginning! Just listen to what Jesus said to Phillip.
John 14:12
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
Before they could enter into the greater works ministry they had to tarry in Jerusalem for something that would revolutionize the world.
Luke 24:49
“49. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued (in the sense of sinking into a garment) with power from on high.”
It was imperative that the disciples waited for this garment of power. They were about to have their world turned upside down and extend the Kingdom of God not just to the land of Israel, but to the whole world.
ACTS 2:3,4.
“3. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled (furnished) with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
THE FIRE OF GOD
Have you ever wondered what this kind of fire is? Let us take a look.
Exodus 24:17
“ And the sight of the glory (splendor) of the LORD was like devouring fire (supernatural fire) on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.”
The first half of this verse gives a description of the glory of God.
“And the sight of the glory (splendor) of the LORD was like devouring fire (supernatural fire)”.
Deuteronomy repeats what Moses just said.
Deuteronomy 4:2
“For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire (supernatural fire), even a jealous (zealous) God.”
God is a God of Glory and whatever His Glory touches it is affected and is changed. On the day of Pentecost in that upper room, God’s fire came down and put the super into their natural.
After that event, the doors were unlocked and the glory and power of God were demonstrated for all to see. Thousands of Jews were inquiring and saying, “What must we do to be saved?” 3000 became Messianic Jews that day. A world that had been turned the wrong side up by the devil at the beginning of creation was challenged. How? A supernatural power activated the people in the upper room and gave them power! Yes, it was the Glory of God that clothed them with power.
THE GALILEANS
Galilee is a rural area in Israel, and the job skills that came out of Galilee were, fishermen, shepherds, and carpenters, not scholars that could speak multiple languages.
ACTS 2:7.
“And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?”
God seems to delight in taking the foolish and weak things of this world to confound the wise and mighty.
I Corinthians 1:27
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;”
Jerusalem was full of visiting Jews that had traveled from foreign lands to celebrate the festival of Passover. When they heard the disciples speak the gospel in their own language they were amazed and marveled, saying, are not all these from Galilee.
The Holy Ghost did a supernatural thing that day giving all the disciples the ability to communicate in fourteen different languages thus fulfilling the prophetic word spoken by Isaiah over 700 years ago.
Isaiah 28:11
For with stammering lips and another tongue (language) will he speak to this people.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE GLORY OF GOD
When the glory of God falls it is like an overload of power and it will have an effect upon you.
Act 2: 13.
“ 13. Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.”
The onlookers that day said they were full of new wine. No doubt the disciples’ eyes were glassy and their speech slurred but it was not wine it was the Shekinah Glory of God.
SOLOMON
When Solomon dedicated the temple the glory of God filled the temple and the priests could not stand.
2 Chronicles 5:14
“2. So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”
JOHN WESLEY
John Wesley’s journal records that one day John and Charles, his brother, went to a love fest ( a gathering in the Methodist Church). The glory of God was so strong they had to pick themselves up off the floor at 3 am the following morning.
GOD’S GLORY PROTECTS US
I have heard many people teach about the armor of God and finished with a statement like this.
God has given us armor for our front but nothing for our back, but take a look at Isaiah.
Isaiah 58:8b NKJV
8b. The glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.
Webster’s Dictionary
REARGUARD” refers to the soldiers that are stationed at the rear of a body to protect it from attack, especially during retreat. (The troops at the front are called the vanguard.) A rearguard action, then, is the defensive or delaying fight waged as resistance against the encroaching enemy.
What is Isaiah the prophet saying?
God has your back!
CONCLUSION
I believe God is changing us into His likeness and image by His Glorious power. Are you ready to slip into your supernatural ministry?
Get ready, get ready, get ready!!!
Love y’all!
Don’t forget!
Keep under the spout where the Glory runs out!!!