The Glory of the Lord
Sylvester/Union Grove UMC has service every Sunday. 1st and 3rd are at Sylvester and 2nd and 4th are at Union Grove. Sunday School at each church on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Bible Class each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Daytime Bible Study is offered on Wednesday also at 1:00 p.m. For more information please contact me. Wellness Classes are offered on Mondays and Thursday at 6:00 p.m.
Our Pastor EJ Shepard constantly encourages us to praise GOD in the good and bad times. It’s so easy to praise God when things are going well and our way but the real test is to praise him when things aren’t going so good — praise him when things aren’t going our way. The below email message received from Pastor Mann is further confirmation of the encouragement.
Jesus asked His disciples to tell Him what people were saying about Him — who did they say He was? Then He asked His disciples the same question — who do you say that I am? Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus praised Peter for his answer, told him how blessed he was, told him the Spirit had revealed it to him and at that point called his name Peter. What a revelation Peter had and what recognition Jesus gave him.
Yet only six verses later we see just the opposite. Jesus began telling the disciples of His upcoming death and Peter rebuked Him. Jesus at that point, called him a “devil” — “Get thee behind me satan.” How amazing to have a great spiritual revelation at one moment and totally not recognize another great revelation the next.
Have you ever had the Lord show you something one minute, then miss what He’s saying the next? Have you been on the mountain one moment but in the valley the next? Have you had a glorious encounter with the Lord then a few minutes later wonder if He is even there? It happens to all of us from time to time. Look at the characters in the Bible. Elijah had a glorious/miraculous victory at Mt. Carmel, then the next picture is one of him hiding in a cave.
Don’t let your “down” moments dictate your life — your spirituality, your relationship with the Lord, fulfilling your purpose. Don’t let them cause you to give up in frustration- thinking that you can’t ever get it “right”. Don’t let the “flesh” times keep you out of the “spirit” times. Don’t let one moment of “defeat” keep you from the next moment of “victory.” If you’ll read on in Matthew just six days later Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration seeing the glory of God. He went from receiving one revelation- to missing another revelation — to seeing and experiencing the glory of the Lord.
