From Glory to Glory
Introduction:
After years of being a musician, teacher, writer, farmer, and every avocation imaginable, life pushed me into a career choice where I could actually make money. So for the past four and a half years I have been traversing America as an over-the-road truck driver. I am pleased to be paying off bills and preparing for retirement, but it is an extremely boring job. At first I joked about getting paid to listen to the radio, but fourteen-hour days, seven days a week only getting home once every four to six weeks can be grueling; it also affords an abundance of time to listen to audio books, think, meditate, and pray. I began to sing in earnest the worship songs on my CDs: “Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, I want to see you;” (Michael W. Smith) “More love, more power, more of You in my life. And I will worship You, with all of my heart; I will worship You, with all of my mind, I will worship You with all of my strength, For You are my Lord;” (Michael W. Smith) “In the secret, in the quiet place, In the stillness you are there; In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait only for you, Cause I want to know you more. I want to know you, I want to hear your voice, I want to know you more. I want to touch you, I want to see your face, I want to know you more.” (Darlene Zschech, Hillsong) I believe the Lord heard the calling of my heart and answered.
Have you ever had a “glory” experience, one where a light bulb came on? Maybe it was an encounter with God or a sudden realization of some great truth. There are many more such “glory” experiences just waiting for you! Along the road God has opened my heart and mind to deep spiritual truths that I had never been taught but once seen make perfect sense. I’ve spent about a year just getting comfortable with them and trying to organize the onslaught of new and powerful ideas. Throughout history new revelations have been added to the old as we strive to obtain a fuller understanding of God and spirituality. As stated in 2 Corinthians 3:18, And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV) The King James Version uses the phrase “being transformed from glory to glory”. I fully understand this passage. God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) regardless of their religious affiliation or lack thereof, and He is continuing to show us new truths as we are open to receive them. As my spirit and mind have been quickened with fresh comprehension, I have truly been lifted from glory to glory and feel the urgent need to share, as best I can, what I have experienced and incorporated into my understanding of the universe.
From the beginning I wish to make clear that I have not cornered the market on all knowledge. I do not claim to have the answer to every question nor the sole source of all truth. Anyone who thinks he/she knows it all, is either a liar or a fool. And for one known as a wordsmith, I am experiencing unprecedented difficulties expressing the insights that have manifested themselves to me. Some of the conclusions I have reached may seem a bridge too far for many. But perhaps at least one concept in this volume will speak to you, and if I can bless one person in any way through this effort, it is not in vain.
Who is God?
Jesus says: “The one who seeks should not cease seeking until he finds. And when he finds, he will be troubled. And when he is troubled, he will marvel. And he will reign over all.” The Gospel of Thomas, 2:1-4
I remember the moment, what was said and how I felt as if it just happened, although I’m a bit fuzzy on many of the details such as the date or year. As I recall, I was in Grade 8 or 9 walking through the fellowship hall of First Baptist Church with a group of my friends going from one youth activity to another. I was - and still am - a nerd who always tried to surround myself with the smartest people I could find. Therefore, it was completely natural that in the course of our conversation a scientific discovery would come up. One of my friends said, “Hey, did you hear about this quantum energy field? They aren’t sure if it is made up of waves or particles, but they say it’s everywhere connecting everything, and that it is what holds the atoms together. Scientists don’t know what it is and can’t even agree on what to call it, but isn’t that far out?”
Casually, without missing a beat, I shrugged. “I know what that is.” This caused the group to stop in their tracks and stare at me. It was truly not my intention to be an insufferable know-it-all, although I can see how that may have appeared to be the case. I just knew, as if I had somehow always known without anyone telling me, and it seemed as obvious as a flashing neon sign. “It’s God. Scientists have just discovered God.”
It was a metamorphic revelation, tremendous beyond comparison, and yet it felt like someone proclaiming that the sky was blue. Being a young teen with so many other things to do and think about, I tucked that truly astounding revelation away and didn’t give it a second thought–for over forty years. Then I came across scientist turned author and lecturer Gregg Braden and his book “The Divine Matrix,” and suddenly it all clicked.