BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Nothing thrills me more than experiencing the glory of God. I love being in meetings where He moves in His magnificent power and works miracles, signs and wonders. I love it when His presence manifests to such a degree that people get healed and delivered. Increasingly, such things are happening in our meetings these days, but I’m hungry to experience them even more. I’m looking for the day when the glory of God manifests like a cloud. When it rolls in over entire congregations, like a fog so thick people can’t see each other through it. In times past, that used to happen. Back in the early 1900s, during the Azusa Street Revival for instance, the glory often manifested visibly during the meetings. It hasn’t done that as much in our generation though, and I want that to change. I don’t want to just hear about the glory cloud or read about it. I want us to see it firsthand. Do you know who else wants that? God! He desires for us to walk in His glory even more than we do. He desires to fellowship with us so fully that the results of His presence become clearly visible not only to us, but to the whole world. That’s always been God’s dream. It’s what He had in mind in the beginning with Adam before the Fall, when He walked with him and talked with him in the cool of the day. It’s what He wanted for the Israelites thousands of years ago. He told them if they’d listen to His voice and obey Him, they could be His own possession and treasure above all peoples. They could be a holy nation, consecrated, set apart for fellowship with Him. After He delivered them out of Egypt, God even told the Israelites He would come down and meet with them in person. He told Moses, “Behold, I come to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak.… Go and sanctify the people, [set them apart for God] today and tomorrow, and let them…be ready by the third day, for the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai [in the cloud] in the sight of all the people” (Exodus 19:9-11, "Amplified Bible, Classic Edition"). Sadly, on that occasion the Israelites didn’t really want God to come down to them in a cloud. They were too afraid of Him. “You meet with God,” they told Moses. “If we hear His voice ourselves, we might die.” * * * * * continues on p. 26 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POINTS TO GET YOU THERE: : God desires to pour out manifestations of His glory among us that will astound the world. 1) Even in the Old Testament, after the Israelites came out of Egypt, God wanted them to see the cloud of His glory. Ex. 19:11 2) When Solomon’s Temple was dedicated, God filled the whole place with His glory cloud. 2 Chr. 5:13-14 3) God began the Church with a glorious outpouring of His Spirit, and His plan is for the Church to finish with even greater manifestations of that glory. Acts 2:2-3 4) Sin and the glory don’t mix, so for God’s glory to be seen among us we must sanctify ourselves in holiness. 2 Cor. 7:1 5) We don’t use our own natural willpower to walk in holiness, we do it by faith in Jesus. 1 Cor. 1:30-31 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * BVOV : 25

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