Veil that Hides Fading Glory

Morning Meditations
Religious veils keep you looking good---even build you mega churches---but they decrease God's glory in you. Remember the Kingdom principle---God's ways mixed with man's ways cannot result to God's glory. More so, anything purely of man, even "born-again" man.

The more you hide your true self, the more you lose glory. This was Moses' predicament. Yes, the ministry he received had tremendous glory so that the Israelites could not look straight at his face, says 2 Corinthians 3. But the glory faded the more he tried to hide the fact with a man-made veil.

Churches today, too, hide their fading glory behind veils of good Sunday worship programs, good and expressive singing, non-stop worship, overnight prayer meeting, good preaching, titles, degrees, concerts, seminars and conferences, feeding programs, and so-called "church planting." Once upon a time, when their ministries were newly born, they had awesome glory. Most new churches are like that---they start out wonderful and glorious. Everyone's excited and active and loving and caring. But the glory fades as time passes because they use man's efforts and ways--denominationalism. They all turn out this way.

The passage in 2 Corinthians 3 says glory that fades bring death [verse 7]. Moses' ministry was glorious but due to its fading nature, it brought death. Many churches today are like that. No wonder their members rot in character as years pass by. And no wonder many pastors rot in character as they age. They become difficult stubborn people to deal with, becoming narrow-minded and self-centered. They try to cover all this up with recognitions, awards, accomplishments, titles, degrees, and good programs and activities.

Soon, sin and worldliness creep into the church and become uncontrollable. First, the rebelliousness and insubmissive (but active) in church begin to flourish and occupy top positions. Then, they control the pastor---or kick him out. Then the church splits. Often, there will be incidence of adultery or fornication, and the church will cover this up, like it never happened. I've seen church people or pastors caught in adultery or fornication still doing active ministry without true repentance. They're even arrogant.

In fact, all these are covered up or "veiled" with lots of good programs and activities and ministries. Why the cover up? They don't like people to see how their glory is fading fast. Instead of putting everything in the Light, they cover it up. Thus, the more they lose the glory. Jesus said if a man in church sins, you must confront him. If he does not repent, tell it to the elders. If he does not listen to them, tell it to the church. If he still does not listen, treat him as a non-believer.

The point in all this is that, there should be no cover up. Instead, sin should be exposed. But how many divorced people today in church re-marry with their pastor's approval, for instance?

To keep advancing in glory, the church should be transparent. It should let people see its weakness, failures, errors, and even sins and follies--and then repent pronto and surrender to the full control of the Holy Spirit, repenting from all man's ways. It should allow itself to be seen by the public in all its unattractive aspects---"hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecuted (or belittled), struck down, and always carrying the death of Jesus in our bodies" [2 Corinthians 4].

Paul goes even further with ministers. They should not cover up themselves in false glamor when they are in troubles, hardships, distresses, beatings, imprisonments, dishonor, bad report, accused of being impostors, treated as unknown, dying, beaten, sorrowful, poor, and having nothing [2 Corinthians 6].

Paul confronted Peter when he was acting improperly with Jews and gentiles. Paul had no attempt to cover it up. Judas was exposed as a traitor. All sins done by men of God in the bible were written down accurately for generations to see. There is absolutely nothing veiled or covered up. And God even showed how the old covenant was fading due to man's sins, and needed to be replaced with a new one.

However, whenever Moses is read, the veil remains covering the hearts of Israelites because they refuse to admit that the past glory is gone, and only in Christ is God's glory unveiled in ever-increasing glory.

What church today should realize and admit is that its glory is gone and what keeps its light flickering is man's artificial lights with bible verses on it. The problem is, what church today would admit that it has to dismantle to give way to Jesus' one glorious church? They will put a veil on all these truths to keep their people from seeing their real condition---and hide the fact that their past glory is gone.

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