A Glimpse of Glory
Hebrews 6:4-6:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.”
I became a Christ follower at the age of 33. I had been trying to break all 10 commandments and more, and I was at the point where I believed my life was no longer worth living.
When Christ came into my life, I experienced a radical change. Several things changed immediately: I had purpose, a reason to live; I no longer wanted to drive way over the speed limit; and I was no longer angry. I was saved by grace.
I didn’t go to church right away, because I knew my husband would not approve. I spent the next year studying the scriptures and listening to Christian music. I understood that I had no concept of what Christianity was about, and I was so steeped into the world’s ways, I knew I had to divorce myself from worldliness in order to allow godliness to enter my life. I was hungry for new knowledge and couldn’t get enough.
After about a year and a half, through a frightening experience where Al fell 12 feet out of a tree right in front of me, I decided church was where I needed to be. I will address that story another time.
At Christmas time, as we were singing, “Oh come let us Adore Him”, I was contemplating the wonder that society must have experienced since there had been no word from God for 400 years. At last, the Messiah was here. I imagined walking up to His little cradle, a feed trough for animals, and seeing with my own eyes, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.
As I was straining to see what was in my mind, it was as if the sky opened up and the most glorious brightness came down upon me and knocked me to the ground. I couldn’t move for a few moments. As I was laying there, I wondered, if this is what a glimpse of glory is like, I can’t begin to fathom the magnitude and brightness of His full glory. I had a taste of Glory. I had tasted the heavenly gift. I had tasted the goodness of the Word of God. I was completely enveloped in the glory of God. I would never be the same. There is no falling away. There is only glory.
A few years later Al and I went to England for a visit. We were in the British Museum, and Al was pushing me in a wheelchair as my legs were not very strong on that trip. He rolled me around with great delight. Then I saw it. I saw a painting of the Stoning of Stephen.
I found one online called Stoning of Saint Stephen, a watercolor by Jacobus Buys Dutch 1795. It is not the one I saw, but this is similar. The painting I saw depicted exactly what I experienced. I was in awe. I remained stunned as Al rolled me around the British Museum for hours. I thought, someone else has seen it, the Glory of God and they wanted to bring it to life through a painting. I continue to be in awe.
You see, once I tasted and had seen, there was no going back. It has been 33 years since I saw that vision and painting, but I will never forget. I will never turn away.
I am convinced “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Romans 8: 38 -39:)
Hebrews 6:4-6:
“It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.”
I became a Christ follower at the age of 33. I had been trying to break all 10 commandments and more, and I was at the point where I believed my life was no longer worth living.
When Christ came into my life, I experienced a radical change. Several things changed immediately: I had purpose, a reason to live; I no longer wanted to drive way over the speed limit; and I was no longer angry. I was saved by grace.
I didn’t go to church right away, because I knew my husband would not approve. I spent the next year studying the scriptures and listening to Christian music. I understood that I had no concept of what Christianity was about, and I was so steeped into the world’s ways, I knew I had to divorce myself from worldliness in order to allow godliness to enter my life. I was hungry for new knowledge and couldn’t get enough.
After about a year and a half, through a frightening experience where Al fell 12 feet out of a tree right in front of me, I decided church was where I needed to be. I will address that story another time.
At Christmas time, as we were singing, “Oh come let us Adore Him”, I was contemplating the wonder that society must have experienced since there had been no word from God for 400 years. At last, the Messiah was here. I imagined walking up to His little cradle, a feed trough for animals, and seeing with my own eyes, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords.
As I was straining to see what was in my mind, it was as if the sky opened up and the most glorious brightness came down upon me and knocked me to the ground. I couldn’t move for a few moments. As I was laying there, I wondered, if this is what a glimpse of glory is like, I can’t begin to fathom the magnitude and brightness of His full glory. I had a taste of Glory. I had tasted the heavenly gift. I had tasted the goodness of the Word of God. I was completely enveloped in the glory of God. I would never be the same. There is no falling away. There is only glory.
A few years later Al and I went to England for a visit. We were in the British Museum, and Al was pushing me in a wheelchair as my legs were not very strong on that trip. He rolled me around with great delight. Then I saw it. I saw a painting of the Stoning of Stephen.
I found one online called Stoning of Saint Stephen, a watercolor by Jacobus Buys Dutch 1795. It is not the one I saw, but this is similar. The painting I saw depicted exactly what I experienced. I was in awe. I remained stunned as Al rolled me around the British Museum for hours. I thought, someone else has seen it, the Glory of God and they wanted to bring it to life through a painting. I continue to be in awe.
You see, once I tasted and had seen, there was no going back. It has been 33 years since I saw that vision and painting, but I will never forget. I will never turn away.
I am convinced “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Romans 8: 38 -39:)
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