We may as Christians cheer the ending of Joseph and perhaps even accept the entire journey with all it’s trials because of the fact that he ended so well.  After all, we love a happy ending.  Yet, when we turn to look at the life of Stephen whose face was that of "an angel", who was full of faith and power we shudder at his being stoned.  We feel the same agony as we would feel as we watch a missionary who is tortured, a dear saint who is completely lost with Alzheimer’s, a dear patriach who slips away with advancing Parkinson’s, or the dear saint who dies agonizingly with cancer.  We struggle in our understanding.  We only want the happy ending.  We seek the miracle; yet, we do not understand how it is that God’s Glory and Grace may be fulfilled even in those sorrows that we cannot understand.  Still, we know that God is in control, His plan is one of good.  It is my hope that by looking at the displays of God’s grace and glory in the life and death of Stephen that you might be comforted as well.  First lets look at the Scripture recording this. 

Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people….

15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.

Acts 7: 54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 8: 8 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

Display #1; Stephen’s life was such that he was full of faith and power, doing great wonders and miracles.  God’s grace was displayed in the life of Stephen as God used Him and filled Him with the faith and grace needed every step of the way.  It was the Holy Spirit’s power within Stephen that gave him the grace so that he had the face of an angel, gentle yet strong, wise yet meek, and willing to face whatever came before him to follow after Christ.

Display #2:  The Holy Spirit was there.  The great comforter filled Stephen so that he was able to look into the heavens and see Christ standing on the right hand of God.  Christ had stood up from His throne to so that Stephen might see him clearly; knowing that the moments of torture which were to be his were nothing to compare with the Glory he was about to share with Christ in Heaven for eternity.  As though Christ stood up to cheer this dear saint as he reached the finish line.

Display#3:  As Stephen prayed that his murderers be forgiven, he displayed the grace that he understood because of the grace that God had given him by the finished work of Christ on the cross.  Stephen knew that his own salvation was not of works; but a gift of God.  If that was due to the gift of God by grace; then, he had no right to accuse those who did not know Christ.  Rather, it was his heart that bled because of their unbelief and he longed that they find Christ as well. 

Display #4:  One of the men in the crowd was Saul who would later become the Apostle Paul.  Saul the persecutor of the church would one day become one of God’s greatest writers of the New Testament.  God answered the prayer of Stephen when Saul was saved. 

Display #5:  Sometimes the tragedies of this life are for the good of the kingdom.  I am certain Paul never forgot the face of Stephen filled with glory and grace as he was stoned to death.  The seed planted that later lead to Saul’s conversion was planted by Stephen’s death.

So, when we don’t understand and we can’t see the plan we can trust the heart of God.  I am certain if you approached Stephen in heaven, he would tell you it was worth it all.  God displayed His Grace, His love, His mercy and His Glory to Stephen and through the life and death of Stephen.  Once more my question to you is do you know Him?  Do you love Him?  Are you willing to place your life, all of it into His hands?  Are you willing to lay aside all else to go where He asks you to go and do what He asks you to do?  If so, you will never regret a single moment of this journey.  Of this, I am certain; because I would walk every step of the way again, all of the pains, all of the sorrows, all of the moments when I couldn’t see my way—just for the chance to know Him as I know Him today.  I seek to know Him and to one day stand in His presence to know Him fully; for that reason, whatever path He lays before me—I will praise Him and I will trust Him.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8EDgciZZFc

Thus far, in this series;  we have looked at the fact that our hope is anchored upon the Glory of God as displayed in the face of Christ.  We are born with that great desire to seek after beauty, love, justice, and righteousness; yet, our search leads toward heartbreak until we realize that our longing is for God Himself who is the perfection of all these as well as perfect grace and mercy.  For those of us who have accepted God’s gracious gift of salvation, we are but pilgrims upon this earth preparing for our final destination.  Step by step, glory by glory God is preparing us to be able to see Him one day in all His Glory; wrapped in His Arms of love. This journey is to guide us into that place where we might fully comprehend and enjoy Him; though, dimly here on earth.  Like a blind person who has been given sight, the eyes must first be covered with dark glasses so the light won’t hurt.  So it is that God’s Glory is so bright that the eyes of our heart could not withstand the magnitude or relish in His Beauty and love were we not prepared to do so.  All of our life as a Christian is preparing us for eternity.   Our entire life is but a second compared to eternity with Him.  Ephesians 3: "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."  We began then in this series to look at various attributes of God that display His beauty as one to be desired.  We explored the beauty of His creation, His righteousness, His justice, His Power, His Love, His grace, His joy, and His wisdom.  When we begin to see Him as desirous, seek after Him with all our hearts and souls, accept Christ as our Savior (our only means of a relationship with Him); then, He begins the work within us to prepare our hearts and minds for an eternity in His presence.  There are moments within this journey that may seem painful or we may not understand; yet, it is God Himself who is orchestrating every tiny detail of our lives. Only He knows our heart and what it will take to prepare us for the maximum joy in His presence.  I want to step aside and show you in the life of Joseph and then later in the life of Stephen what that meant.

I told you in late July that events in my life caused me to feel much like Abraham when God had laid Isaac in His arms.  Then more recently, events in my own life caused me to remember Joseph’s life.  Joseph is an example of how God orchestrated every detail so as to place Joseph in the place where God needed Him to display all the attributes above mentioned of God, including grace.  Joseph was one of the son’s of Jacob who would be matriarch for the 12 tribes of Israel. As a young lad, he believed strongly in right and wrong; thus, he would report to his father anything bad his brothers were doing.  He was favored by His father above his other brothers and that lead to a lot of jealousy against him.  There came a time when he would have dreams that were glimpses of what God had in store for him; yet, those dreams showed his brothers bowing down before him and that made his brothers even more angry.  There came a moment when they saw their opportunity to rid themselves of him.  They considered killing him; yet, when they hesitated they threw him into a pit.  As they pondered what they would do a caravan of merchants (who by the way had been traveling months to arrive at that place at that moment) were passing by. The brothers then sold their brother to these merchants who then sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt.  Stop for a second and note, God had guided this band of heathen merchants so that they would arrive at that exact moment.  God is in control over even those who do not know Him and works out His will in the lives of His children through His use of even those who would do evil. Joseph was carried into Egypt and sold to Potiphar where God blessed all that he did and he rose to a high position.  Then, Potiphar’s wife found him handsome and wanted an affair with him.  When he refused, she accused him of trying to rape her and he was thrown into jail.  There he remained for years. There God showed him favor and he became the humble servant to the chief guard who trusted him.  Two men from the Pharaoh’s palace were put into jail and Joseph was able to interpret their dreams accurately.  He asked the butcher to remember him, Genesis 40 "14 But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house:

15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."   The butcher was released and forgot about Joseph until one day the Pharoah had a dream that no one could interpret.  Joseph was brought before the Pharoah, interpreted the dream, and placed in a position of prominence second only to Pharoah.   There he was, having prepared Egypt for the famine that entered the land when his brothers had to come to Egypt to seek food.  At first they did not recognize him and he did not reveal to them who he was; yet, he spoke harshly enough that they revered him.  The time finally came where he would reveal himself to them and this was his response.  Genesis 45: "3 And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for they were troubled at his presence. 4 And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt." and Genesis 50: "19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?

20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

21 Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them."

Within Joseph’s life God displayed all of His attributes of beauty that we already listed.  Also, He had step by step, glory by glory had guided Joseph’s life to that point where he was able to understand that God had orchestrated every detail and that even what his brother’s had meant for evil, God was using for good.  That is an understanding that goes beyond human understanding.  I use to look at Joseph’s life and say, "Wow, I wish I were a Joseph who seemed to always get it right."  Yet, if we really look, I am certain there were moments in the depth of his heart that Joseph had felt anger, loneliness, sorrow, confusion as we all do at times.  It had been a step by step process that ultimately enlightened Joseph’s heart to who God was and the fact that every detail had been lead by God.  When we know that, it is easy to forgive even those who would attempt to do us harm.  Nothing happens in the life of a believer but that God is working out His plan for our good.  So why have I ever fretted or even at moments do still when evil would press in around me?  Why would I ever fear or doubt what God is doing?  Just this week God had asked I do something which felt like I was jumping off the bridge with nothing to catch me; yet, I remembered it is God who is catching me.  That simple act of blind faith changed everything and allowed me to see the Mighty Hand of God at work in every aspect of my life.  Suddenly, I understood with greater depth, Joseph and the transforming work God had done in the heart of Joseph–step by step, glory by glory. 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Lu5udXEZI

Yesterday, I began to tell you about the some of the attributes of God’s beauty.  We began with the beauty of His creation, the beauty of His Righteousness, and the beauty of His justice.  So let us look at a few more of those attributes. 

Beauty of His Power—1 Chronicles 29: "11 Thine, O Lord is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all."  God is on His throne and He reigns supreme over the just and the unjust. Matthew 5: "45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."  He has power over every aspect of nature and all of mankind.  Luke 8: "23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him."  Stop and think about the fact that God spoke this very world into being. 

Beauty of His Love–God’s love is so great that it is unfathomable.  The love of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is so great Father for Son, Son for Father, Holy Spirit for the Father, the Son for the Holy Spirit and so forth.  This love is beyond measure and pours forth like a spring overflowing with love.  God created man so that the abundance of that overflowing love might be showered upon us.  Yet, man from the very first, chose the creation rather than the creator to adore–thinking himself of greater importance than God who wanted to love him.  Still, God did not just walk away; indeed, He provided the way for man’s relationship with Him to be restored.  Christ paid the price for man’s rebellion upon the cross.  On His way to Gethsemane, Christ prayed as recorded in John 17–"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."   What greater love can be displayed than this? 

Beauty of His Grace  Isaiah 43: "25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."  2 Corinthians 5: "20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  John 3: "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  Psalm 103: "11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."  His grace still amazes me.  Romans 5: "7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Beauty of His Joy—-Did you know that God is a joyous God.  He is full of Joy and desires that His children are joyous. Jude 1: "24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen."  Zephaniah 3: "17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."  I can imagine God with all His might and power, reaching down because of His love for me–cradling me in His arms while singing to me a song of joy.  I am certain those mornings when at two am I awaken with a song playing in the recesses of my mind and I feel as though I am being held gently while all alone in my bed–that is God’s presence.  Then, with hope and joy in my heart, I go back to sleep.

Beauty of His Wisdom:  Daniel 2: "19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:

21 And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:

22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee:"

1 Corinthians 1: "19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

God is wise and we can trust Him with our lives; knowing that He has the perfect plan of love, even when we don’t understand.

James 1: "5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."

When we next meet, I want to demonstrate how these attributes all fit together and are revealed in the life of man.  Particularly I want to tell you about Joseph’s life and how God orchestrated every minute detail so that He might bring the perfect plan into fruition.  Perhaps, I am thinking so much of Joseph’s story; because I just witnessed in my life the same where God moved heaven and earth to ascertain that I might hear His voice and follow.  I am still uncertain of the details of where or what we are doing; but, I trust Him and rejoice each day as I watch Him unfold my future one moment at a time.  That is exciting. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzOgA2RV6Hs

We have thus far in this series reviewed the facts that our hope, if we are to have hope must be anchored upon God.  There is no anchor which can hold through the storms of this life, except Him.  These vessels of human flesh could be so easily tossed about on the sea of life here on earth, if we were not anchored by such a strong anchor firmly attached to Christ seated at the right hand of the Father.  That anchor held by the power and might of omnipotent God.  Neither are we the ones holding fast by our own gripping might to the other end of that anchor; rather, the securing chains are tightly bound about our bodies sealed by the Holy Spirit within each believer maintaining our hold. 

We have also looked at the fact that as we seek after beauty, goodness, love, righteousness, glory, and justice; we can only have these God given desires fulfilled wholly in God who is the very essence of all that we seek.  If we remember that our journey on this earth; however long it may be, is merely a pilgrimage to our final home in His presence, then we are to focus upon Christ’s Glory revealed to us ever so dimly at first drawing us out of darkness and into His light.  As we gaze upon Him then we are transformed glory by glory into whom and whose we will be.  This journey is preparing us to be able to fully comprehend and experience the magnitude of the Glory and Beauty that is God.  Without this journey, we might feel some of the joy, love, and glory which will be ours; but, God’s desire is that we are able to feel all of it’s beauty and might one day  see His full Majesty.That experience will be greater than anything that we could imagine. 

Now let us stop for a moment and look upon some of the displays of His Beauty which is a part of His Glory that we may desire to seek His Face.

Beauty of His Creation—Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"  Have you ever thought about the incredible intricacies of the Universe in which we live?   Gaze into the heavens and recognize that God spoke and from His very mouth all of the stars, the sun, the planets were immediately formed and aligned into place in a balance that is hardly imaginable.  Not to speak of the intricacies that are on this earth or even in each of our bodies.  Science is still attempting to discover the magic of how each and every cell functions.  The very intricacy of how an infant forms within a mother’s womb in which two cells join and from that union of cells eyes, lungs, feet, hair, and heart are formed–each unique and each with their own set of DNA as well as unique fingerprints.  Take a second to look around you; then, imagine how much greater is the beauty of God who created it all in all of it’s delicate intricacy.

Beauty of His Righteousness–Psalm 48: "10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness."  God is perfect righteousness and Christ being God came to earth to live out before man that perfect righteousness.  We search after what is right and what is true.  Yet, so often, what one day appears to be true is tomorrow found to be merely a lie here on earth.  Truth and righteousness can be found in God who is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.  Only He can look beyond the outward appearances and see the heart of man; knowing the motivation, the desires and the secrets hidden deep within.  He is the measure by which all righteousness is measured  Isaiah 64:^{6 “}But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. ⁷ And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities”

Beauty of His Justice–God could not be perfect righteousness if He ignored sin and were not also the great Just Judge.  Psalm 50: 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.   Jeremiah 10: 10 “But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”  Justice demands a penalty be paid for our sin and rebellion.  Yet, not only is His Justice a source of comfort and hope it became a part of the beauty of His Grace as He was willing to pay the price Himself that He might bring mankind into His presence to pour out His love and His mercy.  Isaiah 53:

3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Think of how wonderful and magnificent is His beauty.  This is just a beginning of the attributes of His beauty and we will continue in the next session to reveal more; although no description can fully display His Glory and His Beauty.  I urge you to seek after Him.  He is waiting for you to just ask and He will shine His light into your heart to display who He is and you can begin the journey toward Him.  Day by day He will reveal Himself glimpse by glimpse, glory by glory until one day you stand before Him in all His beauty, all His majesty and all His Glory. 

I hope you find solace in this song by True Worshippers called "Captivated"    My question to you "Are You Captivated By His Beauty, Glory, and His Love?"

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

Have you ever noticed that we humans seek after beauty and glory?  There is a deep longing within us to see beauty, to feel exhilarated by Beauty.  We gaze at a sunset or a sunrise and awe at it’s beauty with the colors lifting our hearts with a sense of magnificence.  Some will climb to the top of a cliff to gaze across the earth feeling very small; yet, very awed by the wonder of it all.  We are overwhelmed with joy at the miracle of how two tiny cells become a living, breathing baby.  We seek after beauty and that which is glorious.  Built within our nature is that desire to see beauty; yet, few stop to realize that what we seek is the greatest display of beauty, love, joy, righteousness, justice, and Glory–which is found only in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The creator of all that is gloriously beautiful, the Father of glory is the fulfillment of all that our heart seeks and desires.

Ephesians 1: 17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

David wrote:

Psalm 27:  4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.

That beauty and glory He gives us glimpses of from all of nature that surrounds us.  Although those glimpses are minute in comparison to Him.  Have you ever looked at a rainbow, a baby, or a sunset and felt a unexplained sense of majesty within your heart?

Romans 1:

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

Then Christ came to earth to both display the magnificent Glory of God both in His Righteousness and Justice,  while displaying the beauty of perfect grace and mercy to all who would accept His gift of salvation.  Within Christ we saw the perfection of dichotomy that many psychologists have written as being the most desirable and beautiful of features harmoniously fit into one.  " He was a man of sorrow (Isaiah 53:3; Luke 19:41); yet, He is the fullness of joy (Philippians 4:4, John 15:11, John 17:13, Hebrew 12:12, Matthew 25: 21, Hebrews 1:8). He is the lamb like lion: the Conquering Lion of Tribe of Judah who became the sacrificial lamb that was slain. (Revelations 5) He is perfect justice fulfilled who provides perfect grace and mercy. He is Supreme Sovereignty (Mark 4:41, Luke 13:31-32, John 10:17-18; Luke 22: 31-32; Luke 22: 52-53; Mark 14:61-62) who became submissive to pain, suffering, and death that He might pay the price for you and me. “* There is no greater beauty or Glory that can fill the crevices of our heart than that of Christ.  If a sunset inspires you to awe, gaze for a moment at Christ.  *(excerpt from my book Ultimate Inspiration-God’s Plan of Love)

2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

So, what does this mean for us?  Lay aside your search and desire for counterfeit joy and counterfeit beauty to seek after the only joy and beauty that can fulfill your heart. 

Jonathan Edwards wrote The Christian Pilgrim in September 1733 (which I urge you to obtain a copy of the full writings of this).  In it he better defines what I have been saying. 

"Heaven is that place alone where our highest end and highest good is to be

obtained. God hath made us for himself. “Of him, and through him, and to him are all

things.” Therefore, then do we attain to our highest end, when we are brought to God: but

that is by being brought to heaven, for that is God’s throne, the place of his special presence.

There is but a very imperfect union with God to be had in this world, a very imperfect

knowledge of him in the midst of much darkness: a very imperfect conformity to God,

mingled with abundance of estrangement. Here we can serve and glorify God, but in a very

imperfect manner: our service being mingled with sin, which dishonors God. — But when we

get to heaven (if ever that be), we shall be brought to a perfect union with God and have

more clear views of him. There we shall be fully conformed to God, without any remaining

sin: for “we shall see him as he is.” There we shall serve God perfectly and glorify him in an

exalted manner, even to the utmost of the powers and capacity of our nature. Then we shall

perfectly give up ourselves to God: our hearts will be pure and holy offerings, presented in a

flame of divine love.

God is the highest good of the reasonable creature, and the enjoyment of him is the

only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. — To go to heaven fully to enjoy God, is

infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Fathers and mothers,

husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the

enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun.

These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean. —

Therefore it becomes us to spend this life only as a journey towards heaven, as it becomes

us to make the seeking of our highest end and proper good, the whole work of our lives, to

which we should subordinate all other concerns of life. Why should we labor for, or set our

hearts on anything else, but that which is our proper end, and true happiness?

4. Our present state, and all that belongs to it, is designed by him that made all things,

to be wholly in order to another world. — This world was made for a place of preparation for

another. Man’s mortal life was given him, that he might be prepared for his fixed state. And

all that God has here given us, is given to this purpose. The sun shines, the rain falls upon

us, and the earth yields her increase to us for this end. Civil, ecclesiastical, and family

affairs, and all our personal concerns, are designed and ordered in subordination to a future

world, by the maker and disposer of all things. To this therefore they ought to be

subordinated by us."

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) | September 1733 | Works, Vol 2 of 2. 243-246 MANNA CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP | PRINCETON UNIVERSITY | December 2010 | www.princeton.edu/manna

2 Corinthians 3: 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When we begin to see the Glory of Christ and that becomes our focus; we too become transformed into His image–step by step, glory by glory, tiny glimpses at first.  The more we seek Him, see His Glory, and revel in His love the more discontent with our own inability to love Him as we should.  We may at times become more frustrated with our own frailties and failures along this path; yet, remember this.  My whole life, even if I live to 100, is but a blink of my eye compared to the eternity that I will spend with Him.  This entire journey is preparing me to see the fullness of His magnificent Glory, His unconditional love for me, and His everlasting joy.  So, however, dim the glass image may seem at times, no matter my own frailties; my heart will be ever "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH8bV7rUVaU (Preview)