In this section of Contending for the Miraculous, we have been exploring an experimental subject I’ve entitled; ‘The Supernatural Body’. These posts are an attempt to flesh out some of these ideas and to get feedback. So far we’ve explored; training our spiritual senses and using our spiritual hands and spiritual feet. We now come to what I will refer to as glory faces!
Glory Faces
‘When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterwards all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai.When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever he entered the LORD’s presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.’ -Exodus 34:29-35
Moses went up the mountain to spend time in the presence of God. When he came back down from Mount Sinai, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.
Why was his face radiant? Because he had spoken with the LORD!
Do you long to be in His presence?
Do you regularly climb the mountain to be with God?
One way we can do that is by Rising Early in the morning to seek His face. I’ve written about that HERE!
After spending extended periods in God’s presence, perhaps your face will be radiant without you realizing it!
Transfiguration
‘About eight days after Jesus said this (take up your cross), he took Peter, John and James with him and went up on a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him, As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters –one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. This disciples kept this to themselves, and told no-one at the time what they had seen.’ -Matthew 17:1-13/Luke 9:28-36
Notice the similarities with the story of Moses? Jesus also went up a mountain to pray. ‘As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed…’
The difference with this episode is that, not only did Jesus’ face shine, but his clothes also became as bright as a flash of lightning!
But in both accounts, their face shone as they were praying.
Unveiled Faces
When Moses went up to the mountain to pray, his face was radiant!
When Jesus went up the mountain to pray, the appearance of his face changed!
Do you believe your countenance can change as you pray earnestly?
‘We are to listen to those Gods glory rests on, those who have been in his presence and talked with God face to face!’‘Now 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, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison to the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! Therefore since we have such a hope we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.’ -2 Corinthians 3:7-18
Unlike Moses, we don’t need no veil! We who have unveiled face all reflect the Lord’s glory and are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Wow, the glory that we reflect, is much more powerful now, than that which Mose’ generation experienced. They saw dimly through a veil but we see face to face!
Your Face Reflects Your Heart!
How’s your face?
‘A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.’ -Proverbs 15:13
Our face is the reflection of our heart!
‘As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man.’ –Proverbs 27:19
Did you know that wisdom softens and lightens up your face?
In contrast, it’s also possible to have a shame face! ‘Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.’ -Psalm 34:5
Out of the two options; a glory face or a shame face, I know which one I’d rather have!
‘Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.’ -Ecclesiastes 8:1
Learn to get wisdom and live by her, and your face will brighten up!
‘Then the wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever.’ -Daniel 12:3
I share more on shining like the brightness of the heavens HERE!
The Face of an Angel
You may have heard the phrase; ‘He has the face of an angel!’
Well, Stephen, the evangelist, literally did!
‘All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.’ -Acts 6:15
As a person’s face reflects the the person’s heart, we can see this in effect with Stephen who was described as a disciple who was full of wisdom, full of the Spirit, full of faith, full of grace and full of the Spirit’s power.
Watch What You Watch
We have to watch what we watch!
Jesus let’s us into a kingdom secret…
‘“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!”‘ -Matthew 6:22-23
How healthy or good is your eye?
What do you focus on?
Where do you fix your gaze?
What things do you watch online, on TV, on social media?
How much light is filling your body right now?
‘Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.’ -Hebrews 12:1-3
Let’s throw off the shame face, and pursue the face of Christ – fixing our eyes on Jesus!
All who look to Him are radiant! (Psalm 34:5)
