"TELL OF HIS GLORY

The Cup and the Glory is the first of at least three “glory books” and study guides. Two other books have been written and are in the process of being released. We will keep you posted as God unfolds things.

When I first started writing, I thought I was studying suffering, especially based on my own circumstances. I did not know I was actually studying the Glory of God. (You can read about how God led me in this in “The Writing of The Cup and the Glory”). The Glory of God is an on-going and lifetime study for me. I am sure I will run out of lifetime long before I run out of glory truths to pursue.

The second book, entitled The Darkness and the Glory, is the sequel to The Cup and the Glory and has the subtitle “His Cup and the Glory, From Gethsemane to the Ascension,” is now available. In The Cup and the Glory we study how James and John—and we—must drink of the cup that Jesus drank. In The Darkness and the Glory we study about the cup that Jesus had to drink, which is seen, among other places, from the content of His prayers in Gethsemane that the Father would remove from Him, if possible, the cup that He was to drink. As we study we marvel that even “seeing in a mirror dimly,” how beyond comparison different was the cup that He drank from ours. In fact, without any exaggeration whatsoever, the cup that Jesus drank was larger than all our cups combined. In places where I have taught on this, many people never look at the cross the same way after this. It should make you very proud and thankful for what Jesus endured so that fallen children of Adam can be transformed into children of God (1 John 1:1).

As you have probably seen from this website or else, the first two chapters of The Darkness and the Glory is posted and available for a free download.  I have submitted the final draft of the study guide, and it should be made available in early 2009.  When that is ready, we will likewise post a couple of preview chapters for those of you who are interested.

The third book, The Stone and the Glory, is likewise already written, in the final editing process, but not yet released. The two most quoted Psalms in the New Testament are Psalm 110 (“The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand . . .”; this psalm also contains the reference to Christ being a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek) and other one is Psalm 118. Scholars debate about which is quoted more, alluded to more without a direct quote and such matters. So whether one has a few more references or inferences that the others, we’ll let them fight it out. That being said, since the Holy Spirit saw fit to direct the attention of the New Testament reader back to these two psalms which repeatedly show up throughout the New Testament. It reasons that the diligent studier of the Word should pay careful attention to these.

The Stone and the Glory does not deal with Psalm 110 very much (perhaps there will be future work that does so) but instead deals with matters related to Psalm 118. The title comes from Ps. 118:22-26a: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, do save, we beseech Thee; O Lord, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” This book walks through prophecies directly related to both the first—and especially—the second advent of Messiah. And of course with the second advent comes the Glory of God. Of special importance is the Temple Presence of God and how this relates to the unfolding plan of God’s great works that ends with the New Heavens and the New Earth. Come soon Lord Jesus!

As before, this book is not yet released, but in due time, we’ll release the first two chapters. This book relates to The Darkness and the Glory, so it will be after that one is released.