The Glory of the Son of Man (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “The Glory of the Son of Man” – Christians must give constant thought to the fact that the day of God’s redemption is surely near. All creation bears witness to this upcoming glorious event. Jesus instructed the apostle Luke that “there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress [anguish, despair] of nations, with perplexity [confusion, indecision]; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts [their courage] failing them for fear [and panic], and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth [they await the troubles that will overtake the whole world]: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken [the forces in the sky shall be convulsed].” Then “shall they see the Son of Man [Jesus] coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” At that time, it will be too late for those who choose not to believe in our God Jesus, because He will come only to “display His full power and majesty” to the saints. We know this from Jesus’ conclusion on the subject. He said to His disciples (to us, the saints), “when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads [in joy]; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:25-28).

Precious Ones, would you not agree that God can receive His “glory” at any time now? Is it not understood with our 21st-century signs of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Ivan that wreaked havoc on the citizens of Florida and the eastern central borders? There are many other signs, including the events of September 11, 2001, and, most recently, the massacre of hundreds of child hostages in a Russian school. All of this teaches us that the “Glory of the Son of Man” can be manifested any day now.

Chosen Ones, this is why we need to ask and answer this question – can we really afford to make time for strife, envy, prejudice, bigotry and worldly honor at such a time as this? No – now is the time for God to be “glorified” in His saints so that we can help others. Let us watch and pray.

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

Pastor loves you more than I can express in words.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

The Glory of the Son of Man (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “The Glory of the Son of Man” – the Apostle Paul’s declaration that “the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now” (Romans 8:22) teaches us that the whole world has been in pain and sorrow as intense as that of a woman in labor. This has been the case ever since the first World War. I challenge those of you who doubt what I am saying to conduct some research in places (libraries, the Internet, etc.) that keep records of historical news articles. You will find that during that time, the secular press often used a scripture from the same chapter of the Book of Romans to console the torn and bleeding soldiers in the front lines and their broken-hearted loved ones back at home. That scripture was used to caption the famous painting that portrayed a wounded soldier being directed by an angel who said, “I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). How significant is this painting? Much remains unchanged today. The United States is at war in the Middle East as we speak. Hostages are still being taken, and we are still fighting battles that are not on our soil. This should be a sign to us Christians that if there was ever a time for “the Glory of God” to shine on His sons, that time is right now!

Chosen Ones, while the world is “groaning without” (because of what they see), we who do have the first fruits of Jesus’ Spirit should (as Paul taught) “groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our [bodies]” (Romans 8:23). In other words, we Christians should be expecting complete sonship so that we can have redemption through the new bodies that God has promised us.

Precious Ones, until that time comes, the next best option is to allow the “Glory of the Son of Man” to shine through our vessels of clay. The world needs us! Our God left this on record for us when He said to Abraham, “I will make of thee [My chosen vessels] a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou [the chosen ones] shalt be a blessing [the Glory of God shall shine through His people]” (Genesis 12:2).

I will write more on this subject next week. Until then, know this…

I feel so fortunate to know you all.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

The Glory of the Son of Man (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “The Glory of the Son of Man” – Conditions in our time have gone from bad to worse. Medical science has failed, in many instances, to cure some of the worst diseases faced by men and women today. The Christian world is beginning to realize that it is possible for health to be restored by the prayer of faith. I say “beginning to realize” because it was once taught that God healed based on moral merit, but today we understand that God has mercy on all of us – including the saints – despite the fact that we are not perfect! The word “mercy” is translated “eleos” in Greek, meaning sympathy (the willingness to feel what another person feels). That is why we are the “Glory of God” – because He feels what we feel. Even though we do not deserve that kind of attention from Him, He gives it to us anyway.

Precious Ones, certain nominal church persuasions have begun to host “weekly healing missions,” preaching healing by the prayer of faith in third world countries and other overlooked areas of the world. Beloved, now is the time for the “Glory of the Son of Man” to shine in this misguided era. How easy it is in this time for God to raise up His people in authority over this generation through a manifestation of His power in us. I am talking about spiritual authority – the kind of which Jesus spoke when He said, “as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him [us] authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man” (John 5:26-27). We, too, can say what Joseph said to His brothers – “I [am] in the place of God” (Genesis 50:19). Beloved, “now are we the sons of God” (I John 3:2) – the “Glory of the Son of Man.” That means we have the same authority!

I will write more later on this subject.

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

The Glory of the Son of Man (continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “The Glory of the Son of Man” – God receives no glory when nations war against each other. Wars have left many nations restless, suffering, and in desolation. When this happens, famine is widespread, and thousands die for lack of medical attention. In many instances, thousands die of preventable diseases and infections because wars have killed many of their physicians; this makes it impossible to deliver even the most basic life-saving treatments to the wounded and suffering. During this time, there is a great opportunity for the Glory of the Son of Man to shine in the lives of His children. The people of God are acquainted with the power of God to heal. King David said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities [weaknesses]; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:2-3).

Precious Ones, we must pray that our God would deploy (send more) troops that have a relationship with Jesus. What a mighty awakening it would be if only one company of Spirit-filled people were to march through afflicted, war-torn areas of the world and heal the people in the Name of Jesus! Instead of Christians sitting on their seats of judgment, debating whether or not it is wrong to join the United States military, we should remind ourselves that if there ever was a time for God to manifest His glory in His Sons to the world, that time is now!

Chosen Ones, we do not live in a perfect world. Therefore, we should not be blind to the concerns of the world that we inhabit. I will bring this lesson back next week, but I leave you with this thought – Mordecai and Esther were also children of God who lived during a time when Israel was in captivity as one of King Ahasuerus’ 127 provinces (see Esther 1:1-2). Remember, when Queen Esther was in a position to stop the annihilation of her people, Mordecai did not command and encourage her to turn a blind eye to what the devil (Haman – Esther 3:6) was doing. On the contrary, Mordecai encouraged Esther now was the time for the Glory of God to shine through her. Mordecai said, “thou art come to [be queen in] the kingdom [of Ahasuerus] for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

I love you all SO very much.
In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy