The Exceeding Beauty of the Glory of Christ was magnified when He died on the cross in our place.  His love shone forth His Glory as He willingly took upon Himself the sin and guilt of mankind.  He, who was God, left His throne to suffer and bare the full wrath that justice demanded for my sin.  The law, as given to Moses, was proof that there was none righteous.  Every one of us stumble at the first commandment to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and minds and souls.  Every one of us is so caught up in our own self comforts, desires, and self exalting behaviors so that we are incapable of loving God even 1/10th of what we should.  We seek after treasures that can never fill our hearts with joy everlasting.  Ohh, perhaps for a fleeting moment we think we have joy; then we shutter and cry as that treasure disintegrates into dust before us and we feel our heart break.  All that we believed was our hope is gone and we search to find true joy.  It is there where all else is stripped away that we are able to see, to seek after, to hunger for, and to savor the beauty of Christ’s face.  We are suddenly able to see the beauty of His willingness to suffer such pain for us.  While content with our little life of selfish desires we may have noted some of God’s Glory because of His righteousness as we consider the law; but, I daresay sorrow is what unveils the truth that all other joy except a relationship with God is merely fleeting, counterfeit joy.  A part of God’s glory was shown forth in the giving of the law.  His righteousness and His justice were displayed so that His Glory shone forth; yet, there was a veil, a curtain that must separate man from seeing God’s face. That veil was necessary because of our sin.  Without the veil, man could not look upon perfect righteousness without immediate judgment and death.  There was a sacrificial system in which the priest would go in and place the atoning blood of a lamb without blemish for the sins of the people.  Though this was a picture pointing toward Christ, it was never complete in itself until Christ came to bare the sins of mankind once and for all on the cross.  What great sorrow, pain, and agony He had to endure when His own very soul and spirit were ripped from Him as the Father and Holy Spirit turned and poured out the wrath that justice demanded.  He could not feel their love and comfort as His flesh suffered the shame, the guilt, and the agony of the cross where our sins laid upon His shoulders.

Matthew 27: 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

At the moment of Christ’s death the veil was torn from top to bottom.  Only now could mankind look upon a Holy God and seek the face of Christ.  The greatest travesty that ever occurred on this earth occurred so that the veil which hid God’s Glory was rent in two so that now with my sins covered by the blood of Christ and being cloaked in His righteousness; I might gaze upon the face of Christ where step by step, glory by glory I am transformed into His image so that I might share in His love, His joy, and His glory.  Not because of anything that I have done to deserve such grace; but because of Christ’s willingness to suffer His greatest sorrow for me.  So, there is a place where sorrow and joy do meet.  That place is at the foot of the cross of our Great Savior.  Then, why do I ever moan here on this earth; except, to mourn my inadequacy to see Him clearer?  If it has been pain and sorrow that has drawn me to Him, then I would gladly walk every step again so that I might seek His face.  Gazing upon His Face, falling in love with He who loved me in all my ugliness, and realizing that true, eternal Joy is found only in Him; I am able to continue on this journey toward home through whatever trials it may bring with faith, hope and love. 

Avalon sang a song "Where Joy and Sorrow" meet.  Thank you, Sarah for sending me this link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzHfDeUFdgY (Preview)

The darkness of the hour was approaching, as Christ walked toward the Garden of Gethsemane where he would in His heart and soul confront the reality of what was about to take place.  He had come to earth for this very moment; yet, the agonizing thought still lay before Him of the moment when the sin of the world would be laid upon His shoulders and He must endure the full wrath of sin’s penalty being poured out upon Him from His Father.  He knew that He was about to endure the cruel mockings of all who would accuse Him.  He knew that He would be beaten to nearly beyond recognition with the agonizing physical pain. He would be rejected and denied by those He had come to save with a brokenness of heart-the sorrow of that rejection mingled with the sorrowful compassion desiring to save them.  Then, He must have the nails driven through His hands and feet as He was hung upon the cross. He, who was seated on His throne at His Father’s right hand, co-creator of the Universe now naked, shunned by those whom He came to save.  He could have called down legions of angels and said, "I am done…Forget this plan and cast them all into eternal damnation."  Yet, His love for you and me held Him to that cross.  He knew that greatest agony that would come would be when He would feel His very heart ripped to shreds as the Father’s love was torn from Him.  When mankind’s sin would be laid upon Christ, the Father’s perfect righteousness would force His immediate separation from Christ as He turned His back upon His son for perfect righteousness cannot look upon sin.  The price that perfect Justice demanded so that God’s Holiness and Righteousness were not compromised poured forth upon His Beloved Son.  Christ had never before been separated from the love of His Father; yet, even in that horrific moment–Christ cried out to the Father to forgive them.  As Christ Jesus approached the Garden, He was praying and we see that prayer in John 17 (which I encourage you to read that whole chapter).  Within that prayer He has demonstrated His heart as He asks the protection of all of us who are chosen to be adopted into His family.  He asks that we be protected from evil, that our joy be fulfilled, that we experience the depth of the love imparted to us from the overflowing fountain of God’s love for Christ, and that we might become partakers of the Glory of God.  What greater display of the Glory, the Beauty, the magnificence of Christ could be presented than this demonstrated in His sacrificial love for me and for you? 

John 17: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.….13 that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves….

15  thou shouldest keep them from the evil….

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth….

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me.

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

Is there any greater beauty or Glory displayed in the face of Christ than that demonstrated on the cross?  Yet, the power of salvation became reality as He came forth from the grave victorious to be seated once more on His throne at the Father’s right hand to make intercession for you and me.  Do you seek His face?  Do you desire to have Him as your greatest treasure? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZuIyrwSqHY&list=TLihc44QtgkhxuuuOZxCBOdDeLwna5OFFa

Christ is gloriously beautiful and to be desired, the only hope of our hungering soul to be satisfied and filled with fullness of joy and love.  All the desires for counterfeit joys crumble below our desire for Him.  Recently, my life has taken a sudden and sharp turn in direction.  Since July I have known that God’s plan was for me to move to Missouri and foolish me, I thought we had two years to calmly plan that move.  God had a different plan and has been orchestrating everything in the background for the past 1.8 years to establish the exact timing of that move.  Now the plan is December.  I say all that as I look around me preparing to move, realizing that all this stuff is so unimportant compared to what is real and true in my life.  What do I need besides Him?  As a Speaker, I desire more time to spread the Gospel of Christ.  My passion is to do just that.  I am downsizing my life for that purpose.  One of my sons is already there in Missouri and the other will be moving as well within two years, so my family will be near and my life will align as it should God first and family second.  Still my great desire remains to tell the world of the good news of Christ by my life and by proclaiming His Marvelous Grace to crowds of thousands and to audiences of one; because, as Paul proclaimed so do I.

Romans 1: (AMP)

"16 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel (good news) of Christ, for it is God’s power working unto salvation [for deliverance from eternal death] to everyone who believes with a personal trust and a confident surrender and firm reliance, to the Jew first and also to the Greek,

17 For in the Gospel a righteousness which God ascribes is revealed, both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]. As it is written, The man who through faith is just and upright shall live and shall live by faith."

Romans 3: (AMP)"21 But now the righteousness of God has been revealed independently and altogether apart from the Law, although actually it is attested by the Law and the Prophets,

22 Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah). [And it is meant] for all who believe. For there is no distinction,

23 Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory[b]which God bestows and receives.

24 [All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

25 Whom God put forward [[c]before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment.

26 It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time ([d]in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus."

What are the beauties of the Gospel of Christ that would cause me to lay aside everything to follow Him wherever and whenever He says Go?

Beauty # 1:  The power of God unto Salvation.  Christ is our only way of being redeemed and restored to a right relationship with God. 

Beauty #2:  Faith.  It is by faith that we accept Christ as our Savior; yet, even that faith He provides as we seek Him.  Then that faith is multiplied. " both springing from faith and leading to faith [disclosed through the way of faith that arouses to more faith]."

Beauty #3:  Righteousness imparted.  I exchange my rags of unrighteousness for a princely robe of unrighteousness as Christ wraps His cloak around me–declaring me a righteous Saint because of all He did for me and though I so undeserving. 

Beauty #4:  God’s Unmerited Love Toward Me.  God reached down from heaven and chose me; not because of anything I did to deserve it, not because He saw anything special within me.  He chose me, He wooed me, He called me, and He adopted me as His child–joint heir with Christ.  The child in the corner who thought them self unlovable.  The one who struggled with disbelief and constantly needed to be reminded that I belong.  The one who would daily look into heaven and say, "Do you really love me?"

Do you know the Beauties of Christ?  Has the eyes of your heart ever been opened to recognize the treasure that is found only in Christ?  Do you seek Him with all your heart or are you still searching for fool’s gold? Are you tired of chasing after joys that leave you brokenhearted and hopeless?  Have you reached that point of grace where you lay aside everything to seek, savor and follow after Christ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u-DNSIL1lw&list=PL28AF40FE2C72B7BF

"Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified^® Bible,

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

We have in this series looked at the Glory and beauty of Christ being the ultimate beauty that we so long for.  We have seen that His beauty so excels any other beauty as displayed by His love, His sacrifice for us, His Glory, His wisdom, His strength, His humility, His obedience to the Father, His righteousness, and His justice.  Let’s take a moment to read 2 Corinthians 3-18.

2 Corinthians: 3: (AMP) 10 Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor [[c]the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it [[d]the glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ].

11 For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!

12 Since we have such [glorious] hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly.

13 Nor [do we act] like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing [splendor which had been upon it].

14 In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused [they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies [on their hearts], not being lifted [to reveal] that in Christ it is made void and done away.

15 Yes, down to this [very] day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts.

16 But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).

18 And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

"Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified^® Bible,

Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

When Moses came down from the Mount having seen only a glimpse of the Glory of God his face reflected that Glory with such brilliance so that Moses placed a veil over it as he presented the tables of stone to the people.  That was the Glory demonstrated by God’s perfect righteousness, holiness, and justice.  That brilliance has been superseded in the face of Jesus Christ who by taking on our penalty then magnified the beauty of perfect love, perfect grace and perfect mercy.  God’s perfect righteousness, holiness and justice cannot be viewed by us because we are unrighteous, self exalting, and covetous by nature.  When Christ took our place and paid the penalty for our sin, the veil can be removed that we might look upon the full glory of God only because we are declared righteous through the blood of Christ.  Still, while on this earth we are only able to see the reflection as through a glass (sometimes dimly).  Each step of this journey on earth for those who know Christ is a journey preparing us to see, rejoice in, and experience the fullness of His Glory one day when we stand before Him.  We are merely pilgrims in journey to our final home in His presence.  We are incapable of knowing the magnitude of that fact; yet, we hope in it.  Step by step, glory by glory we are transformed into the image of Christ.  Though I have not fully been transformed, I must by virtue of His transforming work become a mirror reflecting His Glory more today than last year.  This is done by the work of the Holy Spirit in my life and as I continue to seek and savor Jesus Christ as my most precious treasure.    This is also my prayer for each and everyone of you.  As Paul prayed for the Church at Ephesus, this is my prayer for you.

Ephesians 3: 14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

I hope you enjoy this song written and sung by  Keith Green (October 21, 1953 – July 28, 1982)

http://www.lastdaysministries.com/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=1000039767&file_id=1000043553

Throughout this series we have pointed toward the exceeding beauty of the Glory as displayed in the Face of Christ; so that it is desired, sought after and pursued with such diligence that exceeds all other desires for that which is counterfeit with vain promises of love, joy, and glory.  It was by grace and grace alone that God had poured out all His Righteous judgement upon Christ so that Justice might be satisfied; thus, magnifying the Glory of Christ to beyond our comprehension.  We by seeking after and gazing upon that Glory as can only be demonstrated in the face of Christ are being transformed into His image, day by day; step by step; sometimes through great trials we journey on our road to comprehension of that magnificent Glory with all the Love and Joy that God desires to pour upon us.  So, if God truly created mankind to pour out upon him love, joy, and glory; then, why being omnipotent did God ever even allow evil to exist?  Such a question has been pondered and written about by much greater minds than I; yet, I feel any discussion of God’s Glory must include this chapter.  Yet, if we go back to the Garden of Eden before Adam chose to disobey God and we are told that God walked with Adam in the Garden with God every evening; then, if Adam truly understood that the Privilege, the Joy and the love which he had with God–then Adam would never have taken that bite.  He would never have chosen the creation over the creator were he able to comprehend the magnitude of the beauty of the Glory of God.   Let me try to explain with an example.  We all know that darkness is the absence of light.  In actuality, darkness itself does not exist except in the absence of light.  If you were always in light and never experienced darkness would you appreciate the beauty and the clarity which light brings.  Evil is the absence of Righteousness and since God is perfect Righteousness, evil is the absence of God.  Yet, can we see the beauty of righteousness, if we have never known or experienced the absence of it in our lives?  Jonathan Edwards once wrote:

"It is a proper and excellent thing for infinite glory to shine forth; and for the same reason, it is proper that the shining forth of God’s glory should be complete; that is, that all parts of his glory should shine forth, that every beauty should be proportionably effulgent [=radiant], that the beholder may have a proper notion of God. It is not proper that one glory should be exceedingly manifested, and another not at all. . .

Thus it is necessary, that God’s awful majesty, his authority and dreadful greatness, justice, and holiness, should be manifested. But this could not be, unless sin and punishment had been decreed; so that the shining forth of God’s glory would be very imperfect, both because these parts of divine glory would not shine forth as the others do, and also the glory of his goodness, love, and holiness would be faint without them; nay, they could scarcely shine forth at all.

If it were not right that God should decree and permit and punish sin, there could be no manifestation of God’s holiness in hatred of sin, or in showing any preference, in his providence, of godliness before it. There would be no manifestation of God’s grace or true goodness, if there was no sin to be pardoned, no misery to be saved from. How much happiness soever he bestowed, his goodness would not be so much prized and admired, and the sense of it not so great . . .

So evil is necessary, in order to the highest happiness of the creature, and the completeness of that communication of God, for which he made the world; because the creature’s happiness consists in the knowledge of God, and the sense of his love. And if the knowledge of him be imperfect, the happiness of the creature must be proportionably imperfect. (Jonathan Edwards, "Concerning the Divine Decrees," in The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1974), p. 528)

Paul in Romans

Could it be that our understanding and our ability to fully comprehend the Magnificent Glory of God and to be bathed in His Joy and Love to our greatest happiness; it was necessary that evil exist?  Would I know what grace was were I to have never known sin?  Could I really seek after, hunger for and Savor Christ with such devotion had I not known the magnificent beauty of His Glory displayed by His sacrificial Grace? But as Paul we must ask  Romans 3: 5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance?  Never, because it was still a choice made by each and every man who chose darkness over light and who chose unrighteousness over righteousness.  Were someone to go out and murder an innocent child and the justice system found them guilty–the justice system would be commended for their just act of righteousness and we would never say that because they are commended then they would be wrong in their carrying out the sentence.   Mankind, from Adam through now have had a choice to choose to worship the creation or the creator.  God had not created evil; rather, evil was a choice of rejecting the only source of true righteousness.  Look at Paul’s explanation in Romans 1:  16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Indeed, it is God’s Love, Grace, and desire to pour out His love upon mankind that He tarries in His final destruction of all that is evil.  Deuteronomy 32:"35 To me belongeth vengeance and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste."  So if God tarry in judgement it is His mercy and His pleasure to wait one more second.  Perhaps He is waiting that you fall before Him and repent of your sins, that you might receive His gift of salvation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTJUIYTtLv4