`T.J.I.F.A.
1.THANK JESUS IT'S FRIDAY AGAIN!
June 21, 2002
pass it on....&Onlll&ON

Subject: glory to shame  

Have you ever known in your heart that God has instructed you to stand in a certain position and everything comes against your stand?

Have you ever wondered why is standing so hard?

Then you've said to yourself...I don't care what people say, I'm going to stand anyway.  No matter if I look crazy or shameful.  God told me to do it and as far as I'm concerned it's done.  

When God gives you a promise there's always trials and shane with it.  The shame being the breakdown of your pride and the trials are to strengthen your walk.  
No NOTEWORTHY this week
`No In The Mirror This week.






Looking Forward
TER



GLORY T O  SHAME

Psalms 2: "O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?  How into  How long will ye love vanity and  seek after leasing?
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It is never usually the goal of any individual to be shameful, embarrassed, or to cause ridicule to come on himself or family members.   Having this thought in mind I'd like to take a look at "Glory."   Of course that is the Glory manifested by obedience and living the life ordained by Christ.  

Hopefully this Newsletter will challenge you to look at what we used to call shame in a different manner.  Especially when the carrier of the shame confesses Christ, Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  

Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote: "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for it is the power of my salvation.: We all know the story of Paul, who persecuted and killed Christians before his encounter with Jesus Christ on the Road  to Damascus.   After this encounter, Paul was imprisoned, stoned; chased; and finally executed for his belief.   While in jail, one time, Paul and Silas praised God until the shackles fell off and the doors were opened.   I suppose that the same Jailers who once thought that Paul and Silas were foolish and ignorant had to change their opinions.  In fact the Jailer was converted because of what he witnessed in that Prison.  

What did he witness ?  Was it shame or Glory?    In my humble opinion, I'd have to say that he witnessed shame turned to Glory.  

In the Church of my youth, there was a woman who had suffered Rheumatic Fever as a child, resulting in an elbow joint which was frozen straight and her face was a little crooked.  She sang in the choir and would always get a lead solo in the Cantalas .   Evidently she had taken vocal lessons in her life, because she sang with her mouth in an
O'  and there was no note that she didn't think she couldn't  hit.  We, as children, were never allowed to make fun of her openly, but at play we imitated her and shamefully made fun of her.  Not because of her disability but because of her voice.  When I was older, I  asked my Mother why didn't she take those parts that the woman always sang.  She said, "That's God's business."  Shame or Glory?

A family with six children; poor always wearing hand-me-downs; the father eventually leaves the Mother with the responsibility of raising the children.  She goes to Church with all of those children and praises God any how.   Sometimes they don't smell so good.  Some times they don't look so good.  Shame?  All of the children graduate from High School, and all of the children go to college.   The mother goes to a trade school and still Praises God.   Glory!

It's difficult, if not impossible to know what is the Glory of God.  God has said in His Word that Things done in the dark shall come to pass in the light.  God doesn't have to tell the world what He is doing in the hearts of his people.  Neither does He have to keep others informed as if by the 5:00 News.  

The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.   While others look on and wag their heads and proclaim that the situation is shameful...you must remember that God is always victorious.  

Blind  Bartimeas   on the side of the road, begging, but when he heard the commotion of Jesus passing by he yelled out to Him, and threw off his beggars cloak.  The people, who had seen him there for so long, told Bartameus to leave Jesus alone.  They said that He was too busy.   What they meant was "You are too shameful , with your mixed matched clothing and bumping into things and running the wrong way.   Be quiet.  He must heal my family members who can work and are a participating part of society."  (Ready writer's interpretation) Shame?  Maybe so but only until Jesus fulfills his faithful desire.  Jesus stops.  Blind Bartemeus receives his sight.  Glory!  

Job .  His very name causes most to shudder.  His predicament was horrible for a man of God.  He was an embarrassment, a shame.  We all know he was shameful, as did his friends. And his wife.  All felt that he was better off dead than alive, so his wife told him to curse God and die.  But he didn't In his shameful condition God spoke to him and he had to pray for his friends.  And we all know that Job's end was greater than his beginning.  Glory!  

The Text this week from Psalm two, asks the question: How long will they turn my glory into shame?  I believe that David wrote this scripture.  And if so we have yet another incidence of shame to glory.  David was anointed King of Israel, but he was hiding in caves from Saul, staying just far enough ahead of him so that he wouldn't be caught.  But you have to wonder about how he felt.  David went from his father's sheep yard to the king's court yard and then to the back yard of Israel.  Yet he still had the promise in his heart to be the King of Israel some day.  But at the time that many of the Psalms were written, he was considered a common outlaw and shameful.  

Yes David was shameful, but King David was Glorious.  Please look at the progression : It starts with a GLORIOUS promise.  Then come the trials to get to the promised end.  These trials are usually shameful and try the very fabric of your being.  When you've gone about as far as you think you should go...more problems are added to the "Messy Soup."
With trials come strength and with shame comes humility.  Both of these responses cause the subject of the Promise to LOOK UP and trust in the all sufficient reliable God, through Jesus Christ.  

No one likes shame or trials so some try to hurry the process by coming out via the hand of man.  When this happens this person never really receives the PROMISE.  Just as he fabricated his way out of the trials and the shame, he will also render a false fulfillment of the PROMISE.  And that's SHAMEFUL!    NO GLORY!

God's time table doesn't look like ours.  Before we close our eyes for the last time, we will suffer some shame, however small or large it may be, remember that if you are suffering doing what God has called you to do, your shame will eventually will be turned to Glory.  

This is an encouragement to mothers with wayward children who have embarrassed their  family .  Remember that prayer  can and will turn shame to glory.   And  men or women with Wandering spouses... Right now there is shame, but keep praying and turn your Fcircumstance to glory.
Keep Looking Forward

See Ya Next Time.

TER...........