Fall 1995
Gateways to Growth
Penny Smith

Jesus, His mother, and the disciples were invited to a wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11). Mary, concerned because the wine had run out, approached Jesus with the problem, then went to the servants and told them to do whatever was required of them.

Afterwards, Jesus instructed the servants to fill six stone water pots with water. Then He told them to draw some out and take it to the headwaiter. When tasted, it had become wine, better than that which had been served at the beginning of the feast.

At the conclusion of this account it is said,

"This, the first of His miraculous signs, Jesus
performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed
His glory, and His disciples put their faith
in Him" John 2:11 NIV.

Jesus manifested His glory; that is, He revealed the beauty and the power of His Presence at Cana of Galilee. This is the second reference to the word "glory" in the gospel of John. You will recall John's first reference to "glory,"

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of
the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth" John 1:14 KJV.

This is the first recorded miracle that Jesus performed as He commenced His public ministry; His first demonstration of glory, grace, and truth in action.

After the birth of the Church at Pentecost, one of the first events recorded is the healing of the lame beggar at the Gate Beautiful. This healing in chapter three of Acts is apparently one of the first miracles after Pentecost. It is a manifestation, a showing forth of the glory of God radiating through Peter and John to the lame man at the gate.

The presence of God had swept over those who were gathered in the upper room and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with tongues which were foreign to them, but recognizable to others.

According to Acts 2:12, the onlookers were amazed, and even though they heard these speaking the wonderful works of God in their own languages, they doubted. They asked each other, "What is the meaning of this?" and attributed what they witnessed to drunkenness.

"Onlookers" always have the need to analyze because it keeps them safely outside the perimeters of the absurd. However, they again may find themselves "outside" when the glory, the grace of His presence, meets "the man at the gate" - the one in need, begging for a splash from God's showers.

There is presently a wave of joy sweeping through the Church; and, the opinions regarding it are diversified. We say we desire to see His glory, but are we prepared to receive it as it comes?

How should we respond to what He is doing today? Our third reference to the word "glory" in John's gospel gives us the answer. In this instance, Jesus had sent the disciples ahead to the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:6). When Jesus finally did go, it was as it were in secret (John 7:10).

During the days of the feast, Jesus went into the temple and taught, speaking boldly and creating a stir; but the best was yet to come. Finally, He put the finishing touches to the feast:

"In the last day, that great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst,
let him come unto Me, and drink. He that believeth
on Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water" John 7:37-38.

Now, consider the question before us. If there are no rivers flowing from our lives to meet the needs of others; if we are experiencing little or no miracle-working power of Jesus, then it would seem the reason is clear. Something is wrong with our response to Him.

Jesus still comes into the "temple" to teach. He even attends our feasts. He asks us to draw water, and when needed, He turns this water into wine. He may come into our midst incognito, simply because we are not prepared to receive His tailor-made blessing. Some may be ready for wine, some for water, but are we ready for something more?

If you have not gotten your feet wet yet, then start here, and plunge in. If He has turned your water into wine, then drink deeply. It would be shameful, even spiritually dangerous, to water-down the wine. "Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water" Isaiah 1:22.

This present wave of the Spirit has been referred to by some as being "superficial" because of the physical manifestations accompanying it. When Peter received the vision on the roof, He rejected what God presented in the sheet that dropped down from heaven. God said in effect, "do not call common that which I show you."

Michal, David's wife, rebuked him for his so-called shameless behavior when he stripped and danced with all his might in public (2 Samuel 6) because the Ark was returning. When we receive a glimpse of the Divine Presence of God manifesting His glory in our midst, we too will become either an analytical and critical Michal, or a responding, rejoicing David.

The Lord longs to lead us through "gateways to glory" right here on earth. He desires to use us and to bring fulfillment into our lives. But there are two essential ingredients which are needed to experience spiritual growth and glory; (1) a thirst for more of Him, and (2) a hearing ear. These form the basis for our response to Him.

The best way to develop this spiritual thirst for the Lord is to begin drinking. "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink" John 7:37. This is one of the many paradoxes of our walk in the Lord. The more we have of Him, the more we will want; and the more we want, the more He will give, and on it goes.

As our spiritual thirst increases, we experience a quickening of our spiritual senses, especially our spiritual ear, the inner mechanism in our spirit which "hears" His voice above all others. But the spiritual ear, to be activated, must be listening. This requires time spent in the Word, in prayer, and in waiting quietly in His presence, even when we feel nothing. The Lord cried through the prophet, Isaiah,

"Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and
your soul shall live" Isaiah 55:3.

We need to learn from whence our strength really comes. Our spiritual growth will be stunted unless we redefine our attitudes and make ourselves available to Him for whatever; then it is that we become candidates for the manifestation of His Presence.

Just suppose that the time of His appearing has come. It is far better that He find us filling the water pots rather than standing apart, analyzing them.

We cannot rightly deal with the one who is in need, unless we first learn to rightly respond to the Lord in the way He is presently working in us. Whether it is to fill water pots or to pour out wine, we can only give that which we have first received.

Then Peter said, "silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee" Acts 3:6. And the man at the gate knew that the Lord of Glory had come on the scene.