Grosey's Messages

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

A young woman was engaged to Mozart before he rose to fame.   She became disenchanted with him because he was so short.  So she gave him up for someone taller and more attractive.  When the world began to praise Mozart for his outstanding musical accomplishments, she regretted her decision.  “I know nothing of the greatness of his genesis,” she said.  “I only saw him as a little man.”

Seeing and Perceiving are two different things.

The problem of sight and perception is that they are not the same thing.

When I thought was waving at someone I knew.. and wasn’t..and found out I needed glasses.

Seeing is not as important as understanding and knowing what we are seeing.

Perception means both sight and understanding.

Seeing something means we perceive it for what it is.

Seeing Jesus means we see the glory of God

Glory = splendour. The thing that brings it admiration and praise.

Glory of London is its age, Sydney its harbour and Melbourne its weather.

The glory of the Lord.

Exodus 19:16-19 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Then Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him.

1 Kings 8: 10 And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11 So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

Isaiah 6: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

Luke 2:8-12   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

The glorious perfect Son of God is seen in… His Transfiguration - Luke 9:28-36

Jesus takes His inner circle of Peter, James and John up to a mountain to pray.

Jesus was transfigured (transformed) – He unrobed his glory He had with the Father before time began.

His face radiated and His clothes were as bright as a flash of lightning.  The Greek speaks of it as a dazzling white.  He was shinning, radiating His glory.

2 Peter 1: 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

John 17:5  And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.

Matthew recorded, “His face shone like the sun”. For a moment, He allowed His brilliant glory to be seen – His “Shekinah” glory.

J. B. Phillips said it like this: “We must never allow anything to blind us to the true significance of what happened at Bethlehem. Nothing can alter the fact that we live on a visited planet.”

1. You May See Jesus And Reject His Glory

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

In recent years, I heard a story about a woman who was out Christmas shopping with her two children.  After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and after hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on the many shelves, she finally made it to the

elevator with her two kids.   She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year -overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don't forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.   Finally, the elevator doors opened, and there was already a crowd in the elevator. She pushed her way into the elevator and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff.  When the doors closed, she couldn't take it anymore and stated, "Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up, and shot."    From the back of the elevator, everyone heard a quiet, calm voice respond, "Don't worry. We already crucified him." For the rest of the trip down the elevator, it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.  

Some saw Him only as a man .John 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

You May Be Too Interested In Other Things.

You may not see Jesus for who He is because other things are more important to you right now.  And if they are, you may miss the brightest and best thing that could ever come into your life.

A Tamworth boy was walking in downtown Sydney alongside a friend who was a resident of the city. Right in the centre of Sydney, the Tamworth boy seized his friend's arm and whispered, "Wait!  I hear a cricket." His friend said, "Come on!  A cricket?  Man, this is downtown New York."

He persisted, "No, seriously, I really do." "It's impossible!" was the response. "You can't hear a cricket! Taxis going by.  Horns honkin'. People screamin' at each other.  Brakes screeching.   Both sides of the street filled with people. Cash registers clanging away.  Subways roaring beneath us. You can't possibly hear a cricket!"

The Tamworth boy insisted, "Wait a minute!" He led his friend along, slowly. They stopped, and the Tamworth boy walked down to the end of the block, went across the street, looked around, cocked his head to one side, but couldn't find it. He went across another street, and there in a large cement planter where a tree was growing, he dug into the mulch and found the cricket.

"See!" he yelled, as he held the insect high above his head.  His friend walked across the street, marvelling, "How in the world could it be that you heard a cricket in the middle of  downtown busy Sydney?" The Tamworth boy said, "Well, my ears are different from yours.   It simply depends on what you're listening to.  Here, let me show you." And he reached in his pocket and pulled out a handful of change. Then he said, "Now watch."    He held the coins waist high and dropped them to the footpath. Every head within a block turned around and looked in the direction of the Tamworth boy.  It all depends on what you're listening for.   

The reason you may not see the wonder of Jesus this Christmas is, you are too fascinated with the wonder of Christmas and miss Jesus.

You May Be Too Busy About Other Things.

One day you may not be too busy to respond to His glory, but that day may come too soon for you.

2Thess 1: 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

John tells it this way in the book of Revelation.  Rev. 19:11-16

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, (you and me) riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:  king of kings and lord of lords.

Matthew 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

Matthew 24:29-30  "Immediately after the distress of those days" 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.

2. You May See Jesus And Respond To His Glory

A wise teacher once gave a group of eager young students the following assignment. They were to find a small, unnoticed flower and study it for a long time. “Get a magnifying glass,” the teacher instructed, “and study the delicate veins in the leaves, and notice the nuances and shades of color. Turn the leaves slowly and look at their symmetry.”

When the students returned, they seemed to be bouncing with excitement. Each marveled at what he or she had seen and could not wait to tell the teacher. Finally after the students were seated, the deeper reason behind the assignment was unveiled. The teacher explained,

I want you to consider that your flower might have gone unnoticed and unappreciated if you had not found and admired it

At Christmas we are used to the text found in Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Its all about the Lord Jesus Christ:

He is Wonderful. Jesus is given at least two hundred and twelve names in the Bible and each name expresses something in His character. He is called the Lamb, the Lion, the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, the One Altogether Lovely. But Isaiah sums it all up when he tells us that Jesus is "wonderful."

I. HIS BIRTH WAS WONDERFUL In Genesis we are told that He would come forth as "the seed of a woman." The nature of His birth was most wonderful of all. Isaiah said that He would be born of a virgin.

His birth was so wonderful that it affected three worlds. The angels came down from heaven and sang at His birth. "Glory to God in the highest."

II. HIS LIFE WAS WONDERFUL You may pick out some very fine person whom you admire greatly, then you say, "He lives a most wonderful life." But when you come closer to this person, you will find that he is not perfect— there are flaws in his character. But call Jesus here. Look at Him from every standpoint. You can find no fault in Him.

III. HIS LOVE IS WONDERFUL The love of Christ is so wonderful that we can never measure it. Paul tried to measure it as he told of the breadth and length and depth and height of that love. 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." Isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful, wonderful isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful it is to me.

IV. HIS DEATH WAS WONDERFUL The world has never looked upon such a scene as was presented that day on Calvary. The Son of God is dying for sinners. The most wonderful thing about Christ*s death was what it accomplished. Because He died, because He tasted death for every man, we can come to Him and have eternal life.

V. HIS RESURRECTION WAS WONDERFUL Yes, how wonderful that a man could live and die and be buried and then could burst the bonds of death and the grave and come back to life. And how wonderful He can communicate His life to us!

VI.  HIS MINIISTRY NOW IS WONDERFUL Jesus is one who "knew what was in men". The New Testament tells us on several occasions that Jesus knew what people were thinking. A good counselor in our day is one who understands us and can help us sort through issues in our lives.

Jesus understood and understands our human nature and our predicament better than anyone. He understands the needs of our heart and He knows how to answer and meet those needs. Jesus is the one who eliminates confusion in our lives. He gives us insight into eternal issues. If we could spend fifteen minutes with the Messiah we would learn more about ourselves than in years of counseling.

This is why the Word of God is so relevant. As you read the Bible you will be amazed at how often the Bible speaks to the issues that matter most to you. You will find that the Bible cuts through all the fog and helps us to see clearly. This is especially true in the New Testament. The reason is clear: Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor.

VII. HIS POWER IS WONDERFUL MIGHTY GOD. The Bible does not teach us that Jesus would be LIKE God or be THOUGHT OF as God. It is clear ... He IS God. He has supernatural power. He is the Sovereign of Sovereigns. He is in control ... there is no reason for concern. With Jesus at the helm there is no room for chaos. The promises He makes will be fulfilled. The Kingdom He establishes will be upheld. John MacArthur writes, [God With Us p. 19, 20]

Christ the King loves to step into a life of chaos and not only provide wonderful counsel,

but also display His divine power by bringing order to the chaos. In other words, He not only

tells His subjects what to do as a Wonderful Counselor but He can also energizes them to do

it --because He is the mighty God ... He is God and because He is God, He can forgive sin,

defeat Satan, liberate people from the power of evil, redeem them, answer their prayers,

restore their broken souls, and reign over a rebuilt life, bringing order to our chaos.

In 1922 archaeologist Howard Carter was completing nearly fifteen years of digging in the famous Valley of the Kings in Egypt. He was hoping to find the royal tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen. Having found nothing, his days of digging were coming to an end. Money was running out.

Then workers discovered sixteen stairs leading into the earth. Thousands of baskets filled with rocks and sand had to be carried away, but eventually a door was found at the end of a long passageway.

Carter drilled a small hole in the door and stuck an iron-testing rod into a dark, blank space.

He then inserted a candle into the hole and peered in. As his eyes grew accustomed to the light, details emerged into his view. He saw strange animals, statues, and everywhere the glint of gold.

He wrote, "For the moment, I was struck dumb with amazement."

A partner asked, "Can you see anything?"

And Carter replied, "Yes, wonderful things."

Perhaps today signals the end of a long search for you. You have tried all sorts of things bt haven’t found them to work.

You have sort for reality in religion, but still its not there yet.

Come to Jesus. He invites you to come to Him now.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

3. You May See Jesus and Revel in His Glory

When Czar Nicholas I reigned in Russia, a good friend asked the Czar to provide a job for his son. The czar appointed his friend’s son as the paymaster for a section of the Russian Army. But the young man gambled away all the money entrusted to him. The word came that auditors were going to examine his accounts and he was terrified. He calculated the amount he owed and realized it was a far greater debt than he could ever pay. He decided to take his weapon and commit suicide at midnight.

Before going to bed, he wrote out a full confession, listing all he had stolen, with these words underneath: “A great debt. Who can pay?”

But, because he was exhausted, he fell asleep. Late that night, the czar made a surprise visit to the barracks of this young man. He found him asleep, and the letter of confession next to him. He instantly understood what had happened. He paused for just a moment, and then wrote one word on the suicide note of the young man, and left. Eventually, the young man woke up and realized it was past midnight. He took the gun in his hand and prepared to kill himself when he noticed that someone had written on his suicide note. Under the words, “A great debt. Who can pay?” he saw just one word: “Nicholas.” Only Nicholas could pay, and only Nicholas did pay.

My friend, only Jesus could pay my debt to God. That alone explains why the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. He pitched His tent with us for 33 years so He might pay the debt every one of us owes God.

I grew up in a difficult circumstance. My mother was schizophrenic and would often attempt suicide. It would mean about 6 weeks in a mental hospital each year for her. And countless weeks of distress for me.

By the age of nine, I was convinced that no one could ever love me or even like me. And then I entered the third grade, and Miss Armstrong’s class. She was a young lady and she and her mum attended the church Gymea Baptist church where is went to Sunday school and Boys Brigade. She was tall slim and fragrant, with shining brown hair and warm blueeyes that smiled even on the rare occasions when her mouth didn’t. Everyone adored her. But no one came to love her more than I did. And for a special reason. The time came for the annual “hearing tests” given at our school. I didn’t want to be different. And so I cheated. I had learned to watch other children and do and say whatever they said. The “whisper test” however, required me to join a line. Each child would go to the desk of the teacher, turn sideways, close one ear with a finger, and the teacher would whisper something from her desk, which the child would repeat. Then the same thing was done for the other ear. I wondered what Miss Armstrong might say to me. The teacher sitting at her desk would whisper something, like what colour is the sky? And we would whisper back "The sky is blue" or "Do you have new shoes?" My turn came up. I waited and then the words that God had surely put into her mouth, those seven words that changed my life forever. Miss Armstrong the pretty, fragrant teacher that I adored, said, in her whisper, "I wish you were my child." God says to every person deformed by sin, "I wish you were my son" or "I wish you were my daughter." I was so stunned I think I answered “Green”. But it was the first time I had heard anyone reliable say to me that they loved me. The very thought overwhelmed me.

John 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name,

You can discover that God loves you today. He invites you to be His child today. Will you do that? Will you receive Him? Then you will hear Him whisper your name “you are my child!”

You c an become His child today.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 4:43 PM