Ministering in the Glory by Larry Ollison

Ministering in the Glory
(A Message to Ministers)


Chavod is the Hebrew word for glory and that means weightiness (which is substantial or heavy), glory, honor, splendor, power, wealth, authority, magnificence, fame, dignity, riches, and excellency. Chavod is God's glory. It is not only His honor, renown, and majesty, but also His visible splendor, which filled Solomon's temple and is filling the earth today.



As ministers of the gospel in these last days we must minister as God directs. We must be obedient and we must yield to the presence of God.



More than forty years ago I was licensed and ordained into the ministry by Rev. Joe C. Porter, pastor of Spring Valley Baptist Church in Raytown, Missouri. Over these years, I have seen freshness come into many churches. At the same time, I have seen some religious groups grow stale and what I have discovered is this. Sometimes the greatest opponents to the current move of God are the leaders of the previous move of God. We must flow with what God is doing now. Yesterday's manna is not edible today. (Exodus 16:15-20.)



Of course, we never want to throw out yesterday's revelation and the truths of God's Word. We build on them and strengthen our knowledge and revelation of His Word. But as the glory of God is manifested more and more in these last days, we cannot hide ourselves and do business as usual. This is a new time. The shofar is ready to sound in the sky and the return of Jesus is drawing close. (1 Cor. 15:52; Acts 1:11.)



More than ever we must take a stand on the Word of God. We must believe what we know and act on what we believe. But in this time of glory, we must be willing to yield to the presence of God.



Here are some things we need to remember about the glory.

1) The glory is the manifested presence of God.



In Luke 9, the glory manifested as a cloud that overshadowed Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. "And a voice came out of the cloud saying, 'This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!'" (vv. 34-35). Verse 32 tells us that Peter, who was there, was fully awake when he saw the glory.



In John 2, we are told that Jesus manifested His glory when He changed the water into wine. (vv. 9,11.)



When Jesus arrived at Lazarus' house after his death, He commanded that the stone be removed from the grave. Martha reminded Jesus that Lazarus had been dead for four days and that his body had already begun to decay. Jesus answered her and said that if she would believe, she would see the glory of God. The resurrection of Lazarus was the manifestation of the presence of God. (John 11:1-40.)


2) The glory amplifies God.



Three times in the Book of Acts we are told the story of Saul on the Road to Damascus and his encounter with the glory that converted him from a man of the world to a man of God and from Saul to Paul. In Acts 22:11, Paul said that the light was the glory and we know that out of the light God spoke.



It's interesting that Jesus said that we are the light of the world. (Matt. 5:14.) And He told us in Matthew 5:16 that our light is to shine in such a way that the world would see our good works and that it will bring glory to the Father.


3) We walk by faith and not by sight.



When Elijah and his servant were surrounded by the enemy, Elijah saw the powerful army of God, but the servant did not see God's army until his (spiritual) eyes were opened. (2 Kings 6:8-17.) Just because he couldn't see God's army did not mean God's army was not there. God's presence is not based on what you see. Seek God and His glory will be manifested. Seek Him and His presence will be there. Don't seek the manifestation. Seek Him.


4) The glory will bring abundance.



Of course there is no lack in the presence of God. We must understand that there can be lying signs and wonders. If we only are seeking the light, we need to understand that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14.) But if we seek the Father, and get into His presence, then the manifestation of the light will always be His and will never be an illusion.


5) Don't allow fear to hinder you.



Fear is a spiritual force that Satan uses to spiritually paralyze Christians. Sometimes a fear of what others will think or even a fear of inadequacy in the glory causes some to stand back and observe instead of participating. The problem with becoming a spiritual observer is that many times it opens the door for criticism and criticism blocks the receiving, which creates more criticism.


So rebuke the fear. Stretch out and allow your ministry to be saturated with the glory of God. We are no longer on the brink of the glory. We are no longer waiting for the glory. The glory, the manifested presence of God, is here! As a minister of God, flow in the anointing.