Christian Writers Circle

Crown of Glory
by Judy Hitson

Hebrews 2: 9 NASB
But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels,
namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor,
so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.

1 Peter 5:4 NASB
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Regard the crown of glory, first for Jesus and second for us. We can understand glory in Christ’s suffering and blessings for those who sacrifice worldly living for the sake of Christ. The world tells us to look out for #1, ourselves. The word of God tells us to know Jesus Christ as first love. Meditate and receive deeper understanding from Hebrews 2 and 1 Peter 5.

Consider the profound impact of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus was born of God to a virgin to die that we might live through Him. He became like us that we might become like Him by His Spirit who gives life.

Warren W. Wiersbe writes in The Bible Exposition Commentary* on Hebrews about the superiority of Jesus Christ over angels and His Deity. He writes, “His humanity enabled Him to regain man’s lost dominion,” Heb.2:5-9, quotation from Ps.8:4-6.

From The Bible Knowledge Commentary by Dallas Seminary Faculty, another confirmation, “Jesus became a man in order to die, Heb.2:9.” The Incarnation is key to understand the preeminence of Jesus Christ, crowned with glory because of His death.

Let us discern the reward of a crown of glory, choosing to fully follow Christ in Spirit, truth and His love. He is worthy of all our love, allegiance and worship.

The hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns” came to mind. It can be found on You Tube. The video with music and lyrics can revive our soul in Christ.

Revelation and understanding in the Spirit is available for us as we spend time with our Father in heaven through Jesus Christ in His presence, His word, in prayer and fellowship. He opens the eyes of our understanding as we relinquish our ways for His.

In 1 Peter 5, elders are exhorted to serve God voluntarily. Not by self righteousness and self effort as an exercise of religious activity, but sacrificially through an intimate love relationship with Jesus Christ, empowered by His Spirit.

Paul wrote in Phil.4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and my crown, so stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.  Like Paul, we can see the eternal reward of those we lead to Christ, those we disciple in Christ as our crown.

Do you cherish those you bring to Christ as your crown?

Will you say no to earthly desires for the sake of Christ Jesus?

Warren Wiersbe wrote*, “We lead by serving, and we serve by suffering. This is the way Jesus did it, and this is the only way that truly glorified Him.” (on I Peter 5:4)

Prayer: Lord, I ask deeper revelation and understanding on the crown of glory. Help me walk in light of it by Your Spirit. In Your name Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Who’s Hiding? Who’s Seeking?
by Brenda D. Flowers

One night, my two oldest grandsons, ages five and four, begged me to read to them under the sheet of my bed. They love to cuddle under our pretend tent.

I showed them the bag of library books and let each one choose a book. Tavis chose the book Five Little Monkeys Play Hide-and-Seek by Eileen Christelow.When I saw the book he chose, I felt a nudging by Holy Spirit, reminding me of a blog post I wrote earlier that day entitled “Hide and Seek.” I forgot I checked out a children’s book about this common game.

In the Bible, when do we read about the first Hide and Seek “game”?

Curious, I began reading at the beginning of Genesis. As I read each verse, word by word, I discovered many new truths. The most important was realizing how intimate the LORD God was with the first man, communicating daily with him.

God prepared a beautiful place for man and woman to live, work, create and grow in relationship. As long as man followed God’s will for his life, there was no shame or hiding.

When I arrived at Genesis 3:8-9, I found the words of the first “game” of Hide-and-Seek:

And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

Why did all-knowing God ask this question?

Could it have been because He wanted to see how the first man and woman would respond?

I realized God was giving them an opportunity to run to Him, to be honest about their wrong choices, and to seek His forgiveness. Instead, they responded to God by casting blame rather than accepting responsibility. (A temptation we all face daily.)

If God isn’t a loving God, as many people claim today, I believe He wouldn’t have looked for a response from Adam and Eve. He could have removed His presence from mankind for eternity but He didn’t. Or He could have destroyed mankind forever. Instead, God created a plan of restoration. The rest of the Bible is His redemption story.

In our hiding places today, we are asked the same question Adam and Eve heard so long ago, “Where are you?”

The challenge question is, “Are we wanting to be found?”

I love the promise in God’s Word that He loves us so much and still wants to provide for our every need, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6: 33, NKJV)

We read these important words in John 7:18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He (Jesus) who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

When we play the daily game of Hide-and-Seek, we can choose to seek Jesus and His righteousness. As we trust Jesus, the fulfillment of our Heavenly Father’s redemption plan, we receive His glorious presence, no longer having to remain alone in a life of sin and shame.

Jesus’ righteousness covers us and we can joyfully cuddle within our Heavenly Father’s sweet presence. We find Him when we realize we were always found.

Glory in His Presence
by Judy Hitson

Jude 1:24 NASB Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

Isaiah 3:8 NASB For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen,
Because their speech and their actions are against the LORD,
To rebel against His glorious presence.

A stark contrast is apparent in these verses regarding glory in God’s presence, to stand in it or rebel against it. When I found these Scripture passages and read them together, it shook me to the core. As a fresh revelation from the Lord, it stunned me to see the contrast and choice for mankind. May it be so to your heart as well.

Consider the greatness of God. He is able to keep us from stumbling and make us stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy. Think about that.

Now ask:

Do I know God and experience the glory of His presence in my life?
Do I practice His presence?
Am I filled with joy and strength to follow Him?

When we come to know the Lord and experience His presence, we discover fullness of joy, promised in His word, Ps. 16:11. We learn our need to rely on Him, not ourselves. Like Moses, we may pray for the presence of God and to see His glory, Ex.33:13-22.

Otherwise, like Jerusalem and Judah, we might rebel against God’s glorious presence by stumbling or fall because our speech and our actions are against the LORD.

This brings to mind the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. God is in control. He gives us a choice. We can rely on Him and be blessed in His glorious presence or rebel against it by speaking and acting against Him.

In my understanding, glory, in relation to the presence of God, is  to honor and respect Him, give Him credit for all He has done for us. May we be captured by glory in His presence and not lured by earthly attractions. He is worthy of our attention and our affection. He is God. He is love. Let us bask in the glory of His presence.

Prayer: Come Holy Spirit, renew and revive us to experience glory in the presence of God and give glory to Jesus Christ with our lives. Amen.

Glory in His Temple
by Judy Hitson

Psalm 29:9 NASB The voice of the LORD makes the deer to calve And strips the forests bare; And in His temple everything says, “Glory!”

What does that mean, “in His temple everything says, “Glory?”

This Psalm and these passages had me wondering: 2 Chronicles 5:11-14 NASB The subtitle, The Glory of God Fills the Temple; Ezekiel 43:1-12 NASB Vision of the Glory of God Filling the Temple.

As I sought the Lord to understand His temple from Old Testament verses, a New Testament passage kept coming to mind:
I Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

     Do you sense the glory to which God is referring?

No longer do I think of a building when reading about God’s temple in the Old Testament. Rather, I believe the Spirit reveals a parallel for us to understand the meaning of glory in His temple, in reference to our body.

Victory in areas of our lives give glory to God and encourage us. Yet in our humanness, we perceive areas of needed change. As Christians may we experience God’s glory in our body as a temple of the Holy Spirit.

In my life, I want to have good physical and spiritual health, eat foods needful for my body, soul and spirit. Feeding on God’s word is a delight to my soul and spirit. Yet lust for unhealthy foods can be a struggle for me. While praying about this matter, God spoke a word to me that pierced my heart with conviction and a longing for transformation. I heard, “You are to eat what is needful for your body, not what you want. You are to eat healthy whole food rather than processed junk food. It is better for your body as a temple of My Holy Spirit. Go do this in remembrance of Me.”

Only by the Spirit of God can I obey and honor Him according to His word to me. May I surrender all and yield to His will for my life.

Prayer: Lord transform us to glorify God in our body as a temple of Your Holy Spirit that everything says, “Glory.” Amen.

The Heavens Declare God’s Glory
By Brenda D. Flowers

A few weeks ago, my husband of thirty-eight years and I had the road trip of a lifetime, driving over two thousand miles across the United States. We began our journey in our home state of Tennessee and ended our trip on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, near Los Angeles, California.

We took a full week, purposing to visit key sites along the way. Our daughter, Catherine, who is moving from New York to California, joined us for the last four days of our drive, flying to meet us in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

One of the highlights of our trip together was visiting The Petrified Forest National Park in northeastern Arizona. We arrived at this national park close to dusk, but we were determined not to miss it after driving all day through barren semi-desert countryside.

Our goal was to see the large deposits of petrified wood and the highly eroded colorful badlands of the Painted Desert. The subtle colors of the sedimentary rocks and the shiny patterns of the fossilized trees were intriguing, but what captured our attention that evening was the sky as the sun was setting…

Words and photos cannot capture the magnificence of the beauty of the horizon we viewed for almost an hour that night! The colors of the sky were captivating. There was obviously rain in the distance and it literally appeared that God was taking his fingers and painting the sky, or using a mighty brush to add depth of hues. We all were in awe of bright reds, oranges, yellows and designs we saw in that ever changing sky.

When I meditate on the splendor of that sunset, I cannot help but agree with David when he said, “The heavens declare the glory of God.”  It was like God wanted to show us, but especially our artistic daughter, what a creative God He is. It would be difficult to doubt God as creator when viewing such a magnificent site.

The Bible is full of messages regarding God’s creative work. Starting in Genesis, we see these words, And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1: 3-4 (NIV)

David, who spent many days and evenings outside alone with God, viewed  the changes of the sky and the light of the sun. Under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit, David wrote the first six verses of Psalm 19 to announce that God’s creation shows His glory:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

     In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Psalm 19: 1-6 (NIV)

Why is it people are drawn to take pictures of sunrises and sunsets? Go to any Facebook feed, and scroll down. It won’t be long before you’ll see a post of one of these glorious scenes. What is meaningful to us humans about looking up and out at the horizon?

I know over my lifetime, I have loved to watch sunsets over the hills of Tennessee, in the Great Smoky Mountains and at the shores of the Gulf or the Pacific Ocean. But never have I observed a sunset where I could see color of endless skyway for 360 degrees like the sunset we saw in the magnificent western sky of America only a few weeks ago. I am still trying to embrace the full message of what God was telling me that night.

Prayer:  Thank you, God, for your deep love for us that you allow us to see a glimmer of your creativity in sunrises and sunsets. Thank you for touching the hearts of skeptics through the beauty of nature’s skies. Please may they be led to You and the truth of Your love by the beauty and intricacies of Your creation.

Share:  Let’s have some fun. Please comment regarding special sunrises or sunsets you have seen in your lifetime. Together, let’s join our praise by giving God the glory for all of His magnificent creation. God is good!

You may go to my author website to see some photos of my trip:  http://www.brendaflowers.com

Glory of God’s Kingdom
by Judy Hitson

Psalm 145:13 NASB Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Thy dominion endures throughout all generations.

Be comforted with this word and think on the following aspects of God’s kingdom from  Ps.145:11-13 the glory, God’s power, God’s mighty acts, majesty, everlasting, endures all generations.

God’s kingdom never ends. He has supreme authority in every generation. While kingdoms on earth rise and fall, God’s kingdom lasts forever. May He reveal the glory of His kingdom with personal significance for our lives.

Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well, Matt.6:33 NCV. That verse was one of the first promptings of the Spirit in my life after I was born again. Unless we are born again, we cannot see the kingdom of God, John 3:3. But when we have new life in Christ by the Spirit, we see what God wants for us. He impressed me to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. At that time I was seeking earthly things. God pursues us with His love, grace and mercy. Then we see His divine purity in holy array, knowing it is worth our time to pursue Him and understand His Kingdom.

God’s kingdom is now and in future fulfillment. For example:
Luke 17:21 NASB nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’ For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”  Matt.25:34 NASB “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

We read in Scripture about the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven. Observe in the following verses that these phrases are synonymous:  Matt.5:3 NASB “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Luke 6:20 NASB And turning His gaze on His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

There is much to learn about the glory of God’s kingdom. Pray we gain understanding by the Spirit to know and do our part in advancing it.

 “Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
‘Give us this day our daily bread.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is
the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]   Matthew 6:9-13 NASB

Hidden Glory
by Brenda D. Flowers

“Do I truly hallow my Father in Heaven and His name?”

I know the importance of praying the words of “The Lord’s Prayer.” I have said this prayer since I was a young child, but do I really understand what treasures may be hidden in these words?

Jesus taught His disciples a pattern of how to pray. The order of the words has meaning. I believe Jesus’ followers were sincere in wanting to know how to pray with intent; and Jesus, according to the will of His Father, gave them these words:

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. . .
(Matthew 6: 8-10, KJV)

First, we notice how Jesus tells His disciples and us to focus on our Father in heaven. Jesus uses a special word to say what God’s name is. I don’t want to continue rotely speaking this next line of the prayer without being cognizant of its depth. “Hallowed be Thy name,” I repeat these words and meditate on their meaning. Hallowed. Hallowed isn’t a word we use in today’s vernacular. Yet, I know it means showing respect.

In researching the meaning of this word, I discover it can mean Holy, sanctified, blessed, sacred, highly respected and consecrated. Jesus, in following His Father’s will, is modeling the importance of showing honor and respect to Father God, recognizing the awesome reality of who God is and how He is the One to be glorified.

Matthew recorded these words, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and based upon his experiences with Jesus and the other disciples. He knew that Jesus taught His followers to pray this way. Matthew was with Jesus for three years in ministry. Matthew watched Jesus honor His heavenly Father in all of His actions and daily choices. He realized Jesus was the embodiment of the fulfillment of this prayer, living a sinless, righteous life.

When we pray these words as Christ’s followers, we are proclaiming to the world the magnificence of who God is. We are exclaiming His worthiness to be praised. We show we know whose name is above all names. We announce who we trust as being holy.

God, our Father in heaven, gave His authority to His Son, Jesus, and in turn by His great love, God pours out His kingdom life to us who believe in Him. When we start our prayers, giving honor to whom honor is due, then we have the right to approach God’s throne with our requests. We are not worthy, but God has made a way for us to be worthy. God wants us to experience His heavenly kingdom life on earth; otherwise He would not have guided Jesus to speak these words.

When I reverence God in my heart, loving Him above anything else in my life I am recognizing His holiness and creative power. It is with His creative loving words that dark changes to light and life. Jesus, the embodiment of His Word, voices deeper truths than I am able to comprehend. This is where my mustard seed faith comes in to play. I believe Holy God loves me and I give him honor and glory as I pray how He taught me to pray through His Son. Then, by His Holy Spirit, I am able to walk it out in this earth, following the model of Jesus.

Let’s reflect on how we can show our love and respect to Abba, our Father in heaven. He is a tender, loving God to have planned a way for us to come to Him. He is worthy to be praised!

Glory to His Name
“King of Glory”
by Judy Hitson

Psalm 24:10 NASB Who is the King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.

We are exhorted in Scripture to give glory to His name. As in I Chronicles 16:29,NASB, Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him; Worship the LORD in holy array.

Note David’s example of this in Psalm 8:1 NASB O LORD, our LORD, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! David expounds on giving glory to God’s name in this Psalm through creation in heaven and on earth.

His name, King of glory, occurs only in Psalm 24. Yet, it is powerful to consider the name, King of glory, with the LORD of hosts which varies in name according to the translation. Think slowly on the following translations of LORD of hosts in Psalm 24:10:

NASB – The LORD of hosts is with us.
TLB – The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us.
NIV – The LORD Almighty is with us.
NLV – The LORD of All is with us.
CEV – The LORD ALL-Powerful is with us.

We could plunge deeper just in this one verse and through Psalm 24 alone. His name deserves our time and attention to give Him all the glory forever. He is with us.

Psalm 24:9 NASB Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!

Do you lift your head for the King of glory to come in you, in your life, into your situation?

When we do, others see the glory of the LORD upon us. Then we can be ready to share the hope that is within us to whoever asks. I think of Daniel 11:32b NASB…the people who know their God will display strength and take action.

His name is His character. Discover His many facets. He is glorious, like stars in the sky on a dark night or multi facets of a flawless diamond under a microscope. Let us know our God and give glory to His name. As for the King of glory, the LORD of hosts, Commander of the armies of heaven, I draw our attention to Revelation 19:11-16 NASB, see Him as “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Fear not the deception and chaos among the nations of the world, God is with us, who are His people. He is merciful. He is just. He is coming again.

Prayer: Father draw us to Jesus (John 6:44), to know You, our God, and give glory to Your name, King of glory, in praise, honor and thanksgiving, in living Christ to the glory of God. Thank You that we carry Your name as Christians, Christ the hope of glory. Amen.

And the Glory Forever
by Brenda D. Flowers

Distractions! Distractions all around
Taking my eyes away from what is true.

Distractions! Distractions all around
Numbing my ears so I can’t hear You.

Oh, God! Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You, the three in One;

You are the Trinity I trust,
Not a false version.

As a Christian, am I awake
To what is going on?

The enemy’s tactics to tempt me
And all from God’s Son.

“Angel of light” glitters, shines;
Deceitfully entices.

A form of godliness, a form
of truth. ..evil tactics

Blinding men and women with
Intoxicating “enlightenment”.

What’s my part? Your Word says
We are being sent.

Jesus, long ago You taught the words
We are now to pray.

By example, You gave us the model
You showed the true way.

In intimacy, honoring Abba, seeking His
Will, forgiveness for sin.

Knowing His is the kingdom, the power
And the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6: 9-15 (NKJV)
In this manner, therefore, pray:
   Our Father in heaven,
   Hallowed be Your name.
   Your kingdom come.
   Your will be done
   On earth as it is in heaven.
   Give us this day our daily bread.
   And forgive us our debts,
   As we forgive our debtors.
   And do not lead us into temptation,
   But deliver us from the evil one.
   For Yours is the kingdom and the power and
        the glory forever. Amen.

Christ Returns in Glory
by Judy Hitson

Matthew 16:27 NKJV For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

This is what life is all about, Christ is our life, Col.3:4. This is the culmination of the ages. Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man tells of His coming death, resurrection and return, but His disciples did not understand. Today, we have the privilege to understand what the Lord says by His Spirit. He is the only begotten of the Father. He is coming again in glory.

Are you looking for His return? Are you preparing?

He is worth it all, the disciplines, sacrifices, suffering, surrender of our lives to follow Him. So keep on keeping on. Christ laid down His life for us that we might live through Him. He calls us who desire to come after Him to deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow Him. See Matt.16:24; Luke 9:23 and determine your desire toward Jesus Christ.

Will you give yourself wholly to Christ?

As I considered this question for my own life, I was reading “The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren W. Wiersbe” Serving Faith – Following Christ (Matt. 16:21-28). The following Bible passages he mentions are worth taking time with the Lord in prayer, Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:7-10 (I would include verse 11). You may be familiar with these verses. However, as we revisit words the Lord spoke to us in seasons of life, deep calls to deep, motivating us to mature to the full measure of Christ.

Why does this matter in relation to Christ’s return in glory?

Note our key verse, Matt.16:27b then He will reward each according to his works. That is a very important reason as followers of Christ. The way we live our lives on earth, for His glory  or not, will matter for all eternity. When we are at the judgment seat of Christ for rewards and loss of rewards, we will fully understand. Until then, prayerfully consider I Cor.3:8-15. God bless you to think about eternal rewards. Read the suggested Scripture passages and receive revelation and understanding for your life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus help us remember You are the hope of glory in us, Col.1:27 and to live in light of it by Your Spirit. Amen.