There is an anointing of God on this book to help believer evolve from stagnated Christians into a royal priesthood. This will encourage people at this present time and for generations to come move into the sanctuary of God and the process depends on each individual. The process of a disciple is a renewed spirit and mind for the glory of God moving the believers "from glory to glory." The things they see in others Christian's life often distract believers and the people around them that make them believe the process of spiritual growth is over. The process is not over until they are in the Witness Protection Program, their brothers' keepers and bringing many souls along with them. The process is continuous and cannot be ignored or overlooked because of the inconvenience that it may and will cause to the individual. The fifth chapter of Matthew, in The Beatitudes, Jesus gives the believers a promise throughout each level of the process with the end is "great is your reward in Heaven." This book serves as a reminder to believers that have Falling Short of the Glory that they can renew their hope and find rest for their souls. Once the believers balance their lives with the Word and enhance it in His presence they can live and love again. The promises of God are true and can be obtained in each believer's life if they follow the growth process.
Falling Short of The Glory
By Salome W. ThompsonAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Salome W. Thompson
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4567-2866-3 Contents
Foreword.....................................................................ixFallen Short.................................................................ixIntroduction.................................................................xiFalling Short................................................................1Lord, Make Me a Sanctuary....................................................8A Shadow of the Tabernacle...................................................14The Flesh....................................................................16The Soul of Man..............................................................17The Spirit...................................................................19Temple of God................................................................21Temple: The Body of Jesus....................................................24The Growth Process: No Skipping Grades, and No Shortcuts.....................28Understanding the Law of Progression.........................................31Rest.........................................................................62The Water....................................................................65Living in the Office of a Priest.............................................68Outer Courts.................................................................73Hidden Destruction...........................................................77The Holy Place...............................................................81Two Great Men................................................................84Holy of Holies...............................................................86Your Calling Is Your Life....................................................88Witness Protection Program...................................................90References...................................................................93
Chapter One
Falling Short
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb.10:31).
Wouldn't it be a dreadful thing to fall short of the glory of God, when the promise has already been given to you in the word of God? What happens if you don't know how to obtain the glory or the promises that belong to you? The promises of God are true and can be obtained in the life of all who believe in Him. The promises of God have gone forth from His mouth and it will not change. God will not change His promises to you for they are sure and Amen. In the book of Hebrews we are given the guidelines to obtain the promises. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise (Heb.11: 36).
Faith is the founding principle in the life of a believer, or Christian. Man was given a measure of faith, and that measure is enough to exercise faith and put away unbelief. There are three levels of faith ascribed by Jesus in the Bible. That I will discuss briefly: no faith, little faith, and great faith. Those with no faith believe only when they see the results. The disciples displayed no faith when they were on the stormy sea with Jesus on board. They became so concerned about the ship sinking that they awoke Him and asked if He cared if they perished. Those with little faith believe as an emotional response and not as if it is the founding principle. Peter was one of them who had little faith. He saw Jesus walking on water and wanted to go to Him. He started walking on water; he saw the wind, became afraid and started to sink. However, those with great faith stand on the word when emotion, circumstance, appearance, and even their own minds contradict the word. The Roman centurion was one of the people who had great faith. The only thing he needed from Jesus was for him to speak the word. He was assured that his servant would be well. Faith works for us to the degree that we are willing to activate it. Activation is the only way to achieve the third level of faith in pursuit of holiness, and this can only happen through the love of Jesus. But faith which worketh by love (Gal. 5:6b).
The seed of faith that lies within you is like a grain of mustard. You have to bury it within you and no man can boast of it. As long as your faith is something to boast about, then it serves others little use. After the burial of a seed, that is when it takes root and grows into a tree. It is not until it is a tree that others may come and rest on it. The faith that you possess is for you to "bear the infirmities of the weak" and restore those who are overtaken in fault. When others rest in your faith and see your faith at work, then they too can live by faith. Bury it in the area of your life in which you want to see growth and maturity. Plant your faith in the word of God so that you will be able to help someone else. Do not plant your faith any longer in the stock trade, or in any other forms of gambling. Your faith may not look like much, but plant it anyway. Put your faith in the word of God, not in your own wisdom and strength, not in who you know or the position you hold. You can't go on to pursue holiness without being a disciple and knowing the power of the word.
Faith is manifested in our lives when we believe the word of God with our hearts or minds. The heart is the inner self that thinks, feels and decides. The heart is that which is central to a person. One's heart often reveals their true character or personality. This intellectual activity corresponds to what is called the "mind" in English. The mind is the part of a person that thinks and reasons. Both of these definitions are from the New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. We can only confess with our mouth when the heart or mind believes. The issues of life flow from the heart, so the mouth will say what the heart believes. Perhaps it is hard for you to believe the word because of the way you understand the power of the word. Once you fall in love with a person it is easier to believe what he or she says. Even if you know your spouse or child is lying, you will still believe them in spite of this knowledge. In the case of the spiritual, once we fall in love with Jesus and His word then believing in Him is easy. Jesus and His word are inseparable. Jesus is the word and the word is Jesus, who became flesh for us. Therefore, when I speak the word, I actually speak Jesus and everything that He represents. The word is the resurrected power of Jesus, which has spirit and life. When you have faith in His word, you will say what the word says about you, and not what the world say. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak. (2Cor. 4:13) Therefore the promises of God are real. Love alone will ultimately allow us to wait, in the hope that the righteousness of Christ in faith will manifest itself in our lives. That's the faith that will make you strong and give you perfect soundness (i.e., nothing missing and nothing broken). And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all (Acts 3:16). Choose which level of faith you will activate in your life. God has given you an offer and the choice is yours. Who will you choose?
The greatest loser is one that doesn't believe the word of God. We fall short when we do not have faith in the word. There is only one thing to do to keep from falling short—be like David and Paul. These great men desired only one thing in their hearts and minds. Let's take a brief look at their desires.
David's desire was communion with God. He understood that in seeking God, he had to do it wholeheartedly. Sometime in life you can have a passion for something and don't know how to pursue it. There are also cases whereby you do not discern the spirit that is speaking to you. Then that same passion can be driven in the wrong direction, which only bring you harm, hurt, despair and distress. David realized the passion that was within him and did not turn that affection to the things of the world to fulfill that passion. He understood the need and made his pursuit of the Lord his top priority. He wanted to worship God in the house for the rest of his life, not just on days that he felt good. David knew that as he worshiped God, he would gain wisdom and knowledge. He would look to see the joy and pleasure that His beauty brought.
Paul's desire, on the other hand, was to fulfill his heavenly calling in Christ Jesus. Each believer must believe, as Paul did, that if they finish the race they would get a prize. As Paul did, we should focus all our attention on the pursuit of the one fundamental principle: building upon and allowing everything to be centered on Christ Jesus. Paul accomplished this by letting Christ direct their ongoing relationship by His skillful hand. Once a relationship begins with God, it has to be a continuous process, because the believers have not reached the level of obedience unto death, as Christ did. The falling short of the glory occurs because the believers failed to continue the process of becoming the image of God.
You don't have to be a loser! You can walk into the holy profession as an ambassador. Webster's defines "ambassador" as a special, accredited representative who is on a diplomatic mission. Each country sends an ambassador to foreign nations to represent their native country, for the purpose of making peace. A nation's leader would never knowingly send criminals or scoundrels to conduct the affairs of the nation; they send those who share their beliefs and values. It is the same in the spiritual world. Our purpose as representatives is to bring forth the message from the Most High God and show Him as Christ. We were sent by God to bring forth the message of love, joy, and peace to a dying, lost world. To do so we must live lives that represent the one who sent us. Then, when the world sees Christ in us, they too will want to become His representative. The author of Proverbs tells us, A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health (Prov.13: 17).
We fall short when we allow the power of God to work in and through us and then think we have done something of our own power. Once we do that we have withheld the glory of God for ourselves. He has given unto us all the power we need to live a godly life and have dominion over our environment. The glory of God is His presence, His greatest and His authority. The glory of God also relates to power and honor. Let me explain. God's glory has been revealed to us through nature, and everything that we see was created out of nothing. The glory of it is God. The very characteristic of God is His glory. Jesus said if we believe we shall see this same glory. We as a body of believers always think that God is going to take something away from us when in fact He only wants to give you an abundant, eternal life. Eve was deceived because she thought that God was trying to keep something away from her, when in fact He had already given it to her. God has already given us glory, because Jesus prayed that He would in John 17:22. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: The glory of God comes to us when we are obedient to Him in whatever task He has assigned to us. We bring Him glory when we have finished the course and have done it with joy. Then, God gives us the glory and honor we have given to Him day by day. If we withhold the glory for ourselves, here on earth, then we will have our reward now.
One day a friend and I were visiting the patients at the local hospital. On this particular day, we were led by the spirit to go into each room and offer prayer to the sick. Our goal was to be a blessing to those who were sick and also to their family. To our surprise, there was an elderly, frail, white-headed gentleman in the bed. He welcomed us into his room and gladly accepted the prayer. At the end of the prayer he started worshipping God. In return this elderly man was a blessing to us. The one thing that this man said to God was, God, I don't want your glory. Years later and neither one of us have forgotten this statement. This taught us early in ministry not to want or take the glory that belong to God. I will give God all the glory and not hold any back for myself. In John 13:31-32, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Another way of saying this is, if I glorify the Father and the Father is glorified in me, then the Father will glorify me himself. The responsibility of receiving glory should not be a priority of ours but will be granted as we do what we are ordained to do. The heart of the believer is not to receive the glory, but his heart is to please his heavenly Father. For these reasons we should give God all the glory and honor that belong solely unto Him. (For additional reference, see John 17:1–5; 24.)
The power of Jesus manifests itself through people. The power comes through us, but it is from God. The power is not ours to do with as we please. Humble yourself, as a child to his parent, believing and trusting every word that was written. After we have humbled ourselves, we need to know how to apply the power of the word and to activate the Holy Spirit into our life in order to see Jesus manifested. We must learn how to operate effectively in the dominion in which we live. Without knowledge or understanding of this dominion, we will continue to repeat history, just like Eve.
In the Christian journey we will fall short! Not only does the Bible say it, but also I can provide examples of men who have fallen short since the race was started. However, during this continuous process we experience growth, which leads to the development of the characteristics that God wishes to see in each one of us. We develop not only so we can change into the glorious image of God but also so we have the wisdom and knowledge to be our brother's keeper. Being my brother's keeper happens not in word only but also in deeds.
In order to be my brother's keeper, I first have to abandon my own sensual desires. Without the change, I can't see the value in my brother, because I haven't been able to see the value within myself. In all the ways we change, and in all that we become, it is for the glory of God and for us to be as Christ in all things—that is, to accept and walk into a holy and reverent fear of the most-High God. Follow the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Lord, Make Me a Sanctuary
The earliest sanctuary was known as the tabernacle, also called the temple, which served as a place of worship. The Lord said to Moses, And let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell among them (Ex. 25:8). God gave specific instructions for the design and furnishing of the tabernacle that would house His presence. The tent, which was the first structure for worship for the Israelites, was a moveable building. God later allowed Solomon to build a permanent structure, called a "temple," which would replace the tabernacle.
And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month Zif, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD. And the house which king Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits. And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house. And for the house he made windows of narrow lights. And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle: and he made chambers round about: The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad: for without in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house. And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building. The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house: and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third. So he built the house, and finished it; and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar. And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar. And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying, Concerning this house which thou art in building, if thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments to walk in them; then will I perform my word with thee, which I spake unto David thy father: And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel. So Solomon built the house, and finished it. (1Kings 6:1–14)
As you can see, God provided full details for the design of every area of the temple. Yet we still say to God, "Make me a sanctuary," as if the words of the Old Testament were somehow outdated. The sanctuary that we are constructing today is the character of our lives, which must reflect Jesus. Just as it is with the tabernacle, so it must be with our physical body. Our body is the tabernacle, or sanctuary of God, which is a moveable tent. The earth is not our home, yet we must still go to all nations and make disciples of all men. He does not want man to construct the sanctuary without direction. In the Old Testament, he gave commandments and laws to live by. In the New Testament, He sent the Holy Spirit to construct the inner man as we yield to His direction. Most of the details from the Bible and the beautification of the temple were given for the holy place and the holy of holies that resides inside. The beauty of man is not the outer shell but the "inner man," which shows Christ.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Falling Short of The Gloryby Salome W. Thompson Copyright © 2012 by Salome W. Thompson. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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