Climb the ladder of glory with the Lord

"Workers come before work, authors are more important than works, and sincerity is more important than anything else." This is the core value of the KRC team. So, how can we become a worker and author who is sincere and consistent with God, ourselves, and others? "Following the Lord to climb the ladder of glory" is the path that must be followed.

We all know that the entire chapter of John 17 is the prayer of the Lord Jesus on the eve of his crucifixion. It is extremely important in the entire New Testament, and the 34 words in the first verse - "When Jesus had said these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven. , saying: "Father, the time has come, may You glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You." This is the opening line of this powerful prayer. It reminds us how to climb the three-stage ladder of glory with the Lord, so that our life and service can be more in line with the Lord’s will.

The first level: Accumulating a "sense of trust" in God

"Lifting up your eyes to heaven" is an act of trust.

"Jesus said these words." What were those words? It is a long passage from John chapter 13 verse 31 to 16 chapter verse 33.

This parting message of the Lord Jesus to his disciples at the Last Supper begins with "Now the Son of Man has been glorified" and ends with "In the world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world." It can be said that It is a declaration of victory. However, immediately after this declaration of victory, the Lord Jesus still "lifted up his eyes to heaven," showing that His certainty of victory came from his complete trust in the Father.

The Lord Jesus "lifted up his eyes to heaven" at least twice in the Bible: one is before raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:41), and the other is before performing the miracle of five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:19 ). After a busy ministry, or when faced with important decisions, Jesus often retreated to a quiet place to pray - this is another way of "raising his eyes to heaven"! He sets an example for us to trust God at all times and in all things.

We can often see and hear many touching testimonies of trusting the Lord and winning in the face of physical illness, family changes, and economic downturns. We can also see many people conscientiously practicing their uninterrupted trust in the Lord in their daily lives and services, until Become a natural reaction. Regardless of the communication between husband and wife, the interaction between parents and children, the tacit understanding between co-workers, the avoidance of eye lust, concentration on driving, body maintenance and care, diet moderation, good work and rest and exercise persistence, etc., there is nothing different. We need to look up, to God!

Level 2: Cultivating “Intimacy” with Heavenly Father

Being able to call "Father" shows that we have a life relationship with God in love.

In Christ, we can all call God Father, because “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” (John 1:12)

God is not aloof, rewarding good and punishing evil, nor does He create the world and then just walk away and ignore it. He is willing to have individual and deep loving exchanges with people.

Psalm 131, verse 2, says: “My soul is calm and secure, like a weaned child in his mother’s arms.” A weaned child nestles in its mother’s arms, not seeking milk to survive, but Just for that sense of security and intimacy. Can we also be “weaned children” in our relationship with our Heavenly Father?

We are all accustomed to asking God for things, often for ourselves, for others, and for the ministry. However, Heavenly Father is definitely more happy for us to go from simply seeking Him to simply loving Him and longing for a personal and profound communication of love with Him! With this sense of intimacy, we are not forced to be holy and serve because of fear of punishment, but because we love the Lord and are willing to do what pleases Him.

Psalm 127 verses 1-2 says: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the work of the builders is in vain; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchmen and guards work in vain. Get up early and go to bed late, working all day long to make a living. It is in vain, because the Lord gives sleep to those he loves.” (Modern Chinese Translation) The so-called “getting up early and going to bed late, working all day long for life” is certainly not just for “life” for myself or KRC colleagues. ”, but also for “service”—wave after wave, high-intensity and high-density service.

However, our physical, mental and spiritual power are really limited! Taking myself as an example, sometimes I am really unable to do what I want, I accidentally make trouble with my words and words, I accidentally misjudge and overreact, sometimes I get exhausted, and I feel tired, irritable, and depressed for a long time. Easy to get bored, easy to forget, easy to make mistakes. Or, we may be fine, but a family member becomes ill.

However, “The Lord will give rest to those whom He loves”, “for the Lord gives sleep to those He loves”! What kind of picture is that? —A little boy went to a distant city with his father to do errands. On the way back, he had to get out of the car and walk a long way to get home. The little boy was too tired to walk. His father carried him on his shoulders, and he fell asleep from exhaustion. He fell asleep, but because of his father's love, he continued to move home.

Dear brothers and sisters, let us come before the Lord together and say to Him: Lord! I hope that on my pilgrimage of service, I can also have this kind of rest that naturally arises from the intimacy with You, so that I will not be anxious, restless, and full of guilt due to temporary sleepiness of body, mind, and soul; on the contrary, I will I can firmly believe that with the support of Your love and the embrace of peace, I, and even our ministry, are still "straight toward the goal."

Speaking of "sleeping peacefully", when our children were young, they often had to follow us to parties at night. Our daughter, who was only three or four years old at the time, often fell asleep in the middle of the party. Over time, she developed a special function - at the end of the party, she would She could close her eyes tightly, holding her father in one hand and her mother in the other, without being held, walking out of the venue half asleep and half awake, walking through the crowds, walking through the parking lot, until she walked to the car, and climbed into the car by herself. seat, and then continue to sleep soundly! When I opened my eyes again, it was already the next morning!

One time, a naughty uncle wanted to do an experiment and secretly changed places with me and held one of her little hands. Unexpectedly, the little girl's eyes widened immediately, she waved her hand and shouted, "No!" Then her mouth tightened, and she looked like she was about to burst into tears! I quickly held her hand, but she didn't even waste a second. She immediately closed her eyes and continued to "sleepwalk" again!

It seems that at that stage of life, my daughter was so trusting and close to us that even in a semi-drowsy state, she knew that as long as she held the hands of her parents, she would be able to return home safely, and she subconsciously She can tell whether the person holding her is her parents from the "feel", because this "feel" is accumulated from the "sense of trust" and "sense of intimacy" day by day, month by month, and year by year!

How I long for my trust in the Heavenly Father to reach this restful state of "dare to close my eyes and let Him lead" amidst the turmoil of life and service; In the ten-mile fog that will appear every now and then, I can have such a keen and precise "feel" for the guidance of the Heavenly Father, and I will not be secretly "led away" by people and things other than Him!

In the first sentence of the Lord's Prayer, the Lord teaches us to pray like this: "Our Father in heaven..." Our Father in heaven is all our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and also all those who are relatives to us through marriage and blood. His Abba Father.

In families, churches, and institutions, this "vertical intimacy" that is determined to build at all costs because of a real sense of "one Father" is essential. With it, family members will not get into trouble over minor differences of opinion or living habits, and church or institutional colleagues will not often argue about legal issues, political issues in the home country, doctrinal issues, worship methods, or By criticizing each other with different acting styles, we can trust each other in everything, be kind to each other, and work together to promote the gospel.

Level 3: Establishing a “sense of glory” in God’s will

“The time has come, may You glorify Your Son, so that Your Son may glorify You!”

The sense of glory of the Lord Jesus includes the “Sense of Timing” and the “Sense of Confirmation”.

Let’s talk about the sense of timing first.

Many important moments have passed since the beginning of human history, but none are more important than the moment when redemption is about to be realized! Jesus Christ focused on this goal every day during his time on earth. Therefore, He was 100% clear and 100% keen on the timing of realizing the mission of the cross.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 says: "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck out; a time to keep, and a time to cast away..." John Chapter 2:4, at the wedding feast in Cana, Jesus said: "My time have not reach yet!"

Yes, God has His timetable. As the saying goes, "God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time!" (God is never in a hurry, but He always takes action in time!) Therefore, do not act rashly before the time comes. ;When the time comes, move forward bravely! All we have to do is maintain our trust and intimacy with Him, and then stretch out our hands in faith and wait for what the Lord will give us in His ordained timing!

There is a saying that goes like this: "Prayer is not to conquer God's unwillingness, but to recognize God's will." Spurgeon also said: "If the answer to prayer is delayed, it is not only a trial of faith, but also a test of our faith." An opportunity to honor God with faith.”

As a person who trusts and is close to the Lord, we must not only have a “Sense of Time” but also a “Sense of Timing”. What is the difference between "sense of time" and "sense of timing"? ─The "sense of time" will only make us anxious and crazy because we are faced with the overwhelming "When and What" (there are many things to do within a certain time limit); the "sense of timing" will make us have a clear grasp of the "Why" and How” (Why fight? How to fight?) Only in this way can we be busy but not in a hurry, and find rest in the labor and heavy burdens.

In life, you should not be busy and busy, nor should you be lazy. The most important thing is to seek the Lord’s will in everything at all times. Whether the church is planning to build a church, hiring a pastor, formulating gospel strategies, growth goals, or looking for marriage partners for children, making family career decisions, or taking actions to lead people to the Lord, we should learn from the example of the Lord Jesus and recognize clearly what the Heavenly Father wants. The perfect time ordained, and surrender with all your heart in total trust.

Thank the Lord, during my participation in the ministry of True Love Family Association and KRC, I have been privileged to witness and experience with my own eyes: when the co-workers in charge focus on seeking and grasping the "sense of timing" from heaven, they will always achieve results in the end. Produce wonderful fruit beyond all you ask for or imagine. For example: in a situation where manpower is clearly extremely scarce, you still calmly wait for the most suitable co-worker candidate; when everyone is silent, you still accept orders in the face of danger, and resolutely take on difficult tasks in the clear call of the Lord; overcoming all difficulties, you will be limited. I focus my time and energy on uniting co-workers and improving their morale... I admire that precise and strong "sense of timing" from the bottom of my heart, and it also keeps me learning.

▲Don’t act rashly before the time comes; when the time comes, move forward bravely!

Let’s talk about the sense of certainty.

"May You glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You." - By trusting the Lord, being intimate with the Lord, and seizing the Lord's timing, you will be able to accept the Lord's entrustment and have a sense of certainty in your love for the Lord. What is affirmation? It means affirming one’s glorious identity as a child of God and a witness of God. The sense of certainty comes from a transcendent perspective.

Not only did the apostle Paul never complain about the injustice, humiliation, beatings, imprisonment, betrayal, etc. he encountered in his ministry, but he said in 2 Corinthians 4:17: “This temporary and light suffering is for the sake of fulfillment. The weight of eternal glory.”

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph said to his brothers who betrayed him and tortured him: "In the past you meant to harm me, but God meant it for good..."

There are many more witnesses whom we are familiar with, even those who are around you and me, who are examples of having a sense of affirmation due to transcendent vision.

When the Lord Jesus said: "May You glorify Your Son," this glory definitely did not refer to fame, status, wealth, or power in the world. His vision transcended the bloody and cruel torture of the cross, transcended the cold and dark tomb, and saw the Heavenly Father. The completion of the plan of eternal redemption sees the world freed from the bondage of sin and reconciled to Him! Therefore, the Lord declares this: "I have glorified You on earth, and I have completed the work You have entrusted me to do. Father! Now please let me enjoy the glory with You!"

Make us more like the Lord

As we climb the ladder to heaven with the Lord, are we filled with a sense of affirmation or a sense of shame and guilt? When we serve Him in the workplaces prepared by God, such as our families, workplaces, and churches, are we filled with a sense of affirmation or a sense of frustration and powerlessness?

We must never develop a sense of certainty based on ideals and ambitions alone, because a sense of certainty can only be cultivated and matured by being humble and obedient before God, feeling grateful, and heading straight for the goal. This sense of affirmation will change our vision, temperament, and mind, making us witnesses of God’s glory and building families and service teams that are in line with His heart.

May we make a resolution to the Lord with one heart and say: "Heavenly Father, please enable us to encourage each other at all times, hold each other accountable, pursue together, and follow the Lord to climb the ladder of glory until we grow up and mature, becoming more and more like You!"

Su Wen'an, currently the vice president of the International True Love Family Association and the chief editor of "True Love Family Magazine" and "God's Kingdom Magazine". Kingdom Resources is a literature pastor and literature camp lecturer for the Christian Association.