And the glory which Thou hast given Me, I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one. I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity...   John 17:22-23

   And the glory............  the glory............ Jesus says, I gave them so that they could be one.  It is His glory, He is saying, which is going to bring about this "being perfected in unity"; being made full or mature in unity.

   To really grasp the awe of this statement, and to lay hold of the practical application of what Jesus is saying begins with knowing the scripture in 1st Chronicles 16:27 which tells us that the glory of God is in His presence.  When His manifest presence is released in our lives, His glory that is in that presence, is released as well.  So, it is in that glorious manifest presence of our God that transformation begins its work in us; the work that can and will bring us into unity. We can all liberated when we realize  that it is no man or woman that can bring us into unity. No minister, no church, no movement. But, only the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit of God when His presence is released in our midst and He pours out His glory upon us! 

   This brings to mind several other verses which all go into operation too. The Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 3:17 that the Lord is the Spirit.  Jesus, our Lord is manifest in the earth today by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God resident in the natural realm.  Then, in Mark 16:20, the scripture tells us that when the disciples went out and preached, the the Lord (i.e. the Holy Spirit), worked with and confirmed the "word" with signs following.

     So, we see that when we, the disciples of Jesus, preach or proclaim, confess or do the word of God, that this pours forth the power of the Lord through the Holy Spirit  (God resident in the natural realm), to release His glorious presence to confirm and manifest the fulfillment of His word!  Now, since His glory is in His presence, then when His presence is poured out (i.e. the presence of His Spirit), to confirm the word with signs following, then His glory is poured out, when we do the word! 

    What about what the word of God says regarding praise and worship?  Does the Holy Spirit manifest Himself to confirm that?  Oh, yes. Psalm 22:3 says that God, the Holy God, Who is the King of Israel, is enrhroned upon the praises of Israel.  That means when we praise Him, the Holy Spirit, Who is God resident in the natural realm, comes to confirm the word with signs following and to manifest what Psalm 22:3 says.  God manifests Himself in a tangible way that can be perceived by His people as they praise Him and He inhabits that praise. So, as the Holy Spirit confirms the word by inhabiting our praise, then as we experience the presence of His Spirit we know we are in His glory which is in His presence.

     But, how does this unify us and make us one?  Second Corinthians 3:18 -- "We all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory!" Only the glory of His presence, when we worship Him, can transform us and make us like Him; can transform us into the same image of His glory!  And there in the midst of His glorious loving presence ............ don't you know?  Yes, you can love anybody!  You can embrace anybody!  You can receive anyone!  You are open and loving like Him! His influence, His presence, His glory can make us one.  The body of Christ needs to be one. We invite you to worship Him daily, to praise Him and pursue Him and appropriate His presence.  And may the transforming power of His love touch your heart and cause you to be drawn into unity with all those whom the Lord places in your sphere of influence, with all of those with whom you are called to serve Him. Amen.

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