2 Corinthians 3:7-11 

⁷Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? ⁹If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Answered Prayer

Have you practically proven that the Lord answers your prayer? Ask God for difficult things that you cannot do or accomplish by your own effort. When you pray for difficult things that you never imagine to happen, will your faith in the Lord will grow? Don’t force it. Pray that God blesses your children to cheerfully give if you want them to gladly return his tithes.

If you want your children to attend church punctually, pray that God blesses your children to wake up early and attend church. If it is difficult for you to find one job that pays higher than working on multiple jobs, pray that God sends a person who may refer the best job he prepared for you.

When God grants difficult things for you, you’ll realize his great love. Let’s reflect on Ephesians 3:16-19, ¹⁶Pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

When God grants our prayers, his Holy Spirit produces peace in us.

When my family and I prayed for God’s signal to come to Canada, we asked friends to pray with us. Someone mockingly suggested, “Maybe, you were called to Candaba, Pampanga, Philippines and not to Canada.”

Nonetheless, we prayed seriously, and we had joyful peace instead of negativity or doubts. Peace from God assured us with confidence that he granted our prayer, even if others doubted. We trusted that it’s God’s will for us to enter Canada. No mockery can prevent the will of God to materialize.

How should we interpret and explain to children John 16:13-14?

            ¹³When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 

The Spirit of Truth is the Spirit of Christ, the Truth. Joyful peace from the Holy Spirit assures us when God grants our prayer. May the Holy Spirit inspires us to pray for great things that God prepared to glorify Christ in us. Moses experienced transitory glory. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is more glorious than the temporal and evanescent glory that Moses experienced.

1. Evanescent Glory

                        ⁷Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, ⁸will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 

The ministry of the Spirit is to glorify Christ in and through us. Apostle Paul implied that he experienced the Holy Spirit as more glorious than the evanescent and transitory glory that Moses experienced. Moses spent time with the Lord, and his face became radiant. Radiance in the face of Moses did not stay for long. It was evanescent, temporal and transitory glory.

Reflect on what happened in Exodus 34:29-31, ²⁹Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. ³⁰When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. ³¹But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him.

The face of Moses was evanescently radiant after the Lord gave him the 10 Commandment tablets. The transitory glory that Moses experienced symbolized the temporal glory that the stone tablets bring. The ministry of the 10 Commandments brought death. How is that? The Law of the Lord exposes how anyone can sin before God. The Law dictates the punishment of sin, which is death. Together now. Let us reflect on Romans 4:15, ¹⁵The law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

And, what can be violated if there’s no restriction? If there’s no law on speed limit, anyone can drive however fast or slow they want. Scholars suggest that whenever Moses spoke with God the radiance on his face was a reflection of the Lord. His radiant face practically proved that Moses met God, and the Israelites were amazed and scared, so, they obeyed Moses.

Well, can we also have radiant face similar to what Moses had? Try it yourself. Take a selfie. After that spend, at least, 30 minutes praying and reading the word of God. Then take selfie after praying. Compare the after and before facial expression you took, if there’s any difference testify for it.

Glorious experience in this temporal world is evanescent or transitory. When the Holy Spirit inspires us to obey God, Christ is glorified, we sense glorious joy in us, and potential believers smell the aroma of Christ in us.

Surely, not all listeners will believe that Christ is Lord and Savior. Let us reflect on Mark 14:61-64, ⁶¹The high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” ⁶²“I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” ⁶³The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. ⁶⁴“You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.

Any declaration from Jesus cannot convert anyone to trust him, even if they are religious. Jesus admitted that he is the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One. The high priest audibly heard it but did not believe. Instead, they all condemned Christ as worthy of death. They obey the laws of God, but failed to recognize Christ as Lord. And, they were deprived of the more glorious and exceeding ministry of the Holy Spirit that brings righteousness.

2. Exceeding Glory

                        ⁹If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 

The 10 commandments brought condemnation, how? They expose violation and sin against God. Anyone who violates the law is condemned. In comparison, the Holy Spirit inspires us to obey the Lord gladly so that we  should experience exceeding glory in Christ. Can you easily obey the Lord?

Even Christians hesitate to obey the command of the Lord on giving the tithe of God. Tithe or 10% is the right portion of God from our income. The command to return his right portion is God’s way to bless without bias the obedient believer. By faith is Christ, we gladly return his right portion.

God blesses obedience. He decreed punishment for disobedience.

God blesses us when by faith we return his right portion from income, and we also avoid the punishment for disobedience that God had decreed.

John Davidson Rockefeller

Someone published that John Davidson Rockefeller was the richest person on earth in his time. He was the first billionaire in history at the age of 50. His fortune could equal $340 billion today. At the age of 53, his body began to fail. Doctors told him plainly: “You have less than a year to live.”

One day, Rockefeller gathered his lawyers and accountants and said: “Reorganize my wealth. Use it for hospitals, research, and charity.”

Then something happened. The more Rockefeller gave, his health became better. Rockefeller lived 44 more years until the age of 97. At the end of his life, Rockefeller said: “God taught me that everything belongs to him, and I am only a channel for his will.” John Rockefeller was a devout Christian.

The church is designated as charitable institution. Church members are encouraged to return the tithes of God to his church. Offering outside God’s tithes is what you give if you want to give to other charity institutions.

Jesus Christ warns that wealth can cause foolishness. A wealthy man said to himself in Luke 12:19-21, ¹⁹“You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ ²⁰“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ ²¹“This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

The wealthy man did not plan for afterlife, and God called him fool.

God designed his laws to impartially bless obedient believers. Church members who faithfully return the portion of God can testify that they are blessed practically so that they give not just his tithes but also offerings.

Many ordinary church attendees have difficulty returning the portion of God. It’s the Holy Spirit who inspires to cheerfully give the tithes of God.

When the grace of God is active in us, we sense exceedingly glorious joy and peace to obey him without reluctance. Why is returning the portion that rightfully belongs to God is crucial step of following Christ as Lord? Money is significant for us to live decently. Financial sacrifice for the Lord is practical manifestation that the Holy Spirit is actively performing in our life.

Truly, it’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit to inspire us to cheerfully obey him. We obey God to store up treasures in heaven for ourselves. Earthly treasures can buy temporal glory but treasure in heaven is eternal glory.

3. Eternal Glory

                        ¹⁰For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. ¹¹And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Moses had transitory glorious experience when God gave him the 10 commandments tablets, and it was temporal. It’s glory ended also when Moses died. In comparison, the gospel of Christ brings surpassing glory that continues into eternity. We can sense glorious gladness until eternity.

When we obey the commandments of God, we sense temporal glory.

It is similar to glorious feeling when we gladly obey our parents. Have you ever cheerfully obeyed, when parents told you to do household chores? If you gladly obeyed, they commend you, “Good job!” There’s glorious feeling of temporal, fleeting and short-lived gratification. We can also momentarily experience glorious feeling when we get involve gladly in the ministry.

We appreciate when you sing, clean, cook or wash used utensils. We use your decoration as background for selfie, and you may sense flattery. The glorious feeling of flattery is fleeting and temporal. It will fade away.

Instead, to perform gladly for Christ seek inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Moses

In the wilderness, Israel grumbled against Moses. Moses was angry. He disobeyed the Lord as narrated in Numbers 20:8-12: ⁸“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”

         ⁹So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. ¹⁰He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” ¹¹Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. ¹²But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

The Lord told Moses, “Speak to the rock,” but he struck the rock. That was second time that water came out of the rock. The first time water came out of the rock was when the Lord told Moses to strike the rock. He obeyed. He struck the rock with his staff and water came out of the rock at Mt. Sinai.

In Exodus 17:6, ⁶Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.

Simple instruction, the same result. Moses obeyed when he was told to strike the rock. He disobeyed when he was told him to speak to the rock because he was angry, and he was forbidden to enter the Promised Land.

Most often, we perform instinctively and expect good results. And if we  cheerfully follow the Lord, God blesses us practically. What command of the Lord have you often heard and you sense resistance to obey?

God commands us to love neighbor as we love ourselves. We will enter heaven and we want our neighbors to enter heaven also. Pray that God gives you confidence to tell your testimony to your neighbors.

We sense glorious peace when we prioritize the Lord. When we obey the Lord, it’s the ministry of the Holy Spirit to glorify Christ in us. May the Holy Spirit inspires us all to testify for Christ, love our neighbors, punctually attend church services and prayer meeting and return his tithes cheerfully.

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