"God's Radiance"

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined." (Psalms 50:2) Although Zion is also known as Jerusalem, in this context I do not feel that it represents a place as much as it represents a concept or a particular perception; Zion was a special place for the Jewish people, especially for David, but Zion was only a place, God's presence is what made it special. I heard something yesterday that came to mind this morning as I was praying and reading this verse (if you can even imagine anyone needing to pray over 10 words, as if so little could say so much), and it had to do with "scars in heaven", and whether or not we would have them, or something like that; anyway, the question was not the point, the answer was; and the answer that Pastor Steve gave was brilliant. Steve said something that I have always believed, but I always had a hard time articulating to others, which was how Jesus can always manifest Himself in anyway that He needs to to express who He is or what He is to any particular person or people. There are some that believe Jesus was here in spirit form for this very reason; but it was not that He was a spirit or a ghost, He is God, and God is capable of doing just about anything that He wants to do. If He wants to show up in a fiery furnace, He can do that; if He wants to show up as a burning bush, He can do that also; He could even show up as a giant fish if He wanted to, or a Lamb that has been slain; whatever He needs to be, and for whatever reason, Jesus is always the Incarnation of God Almighty being manifested or expressed. Steve said something else that I found rather interesting, which was about the scars which Jesus bore, His nail pierced hands and feet, and His sword pierced side, the marking of ugliness and sufferings; but for the sake of our redemption, they are the marks of beauty and love. When you actually think about it, the Father was "pleased to bruise Him" because it was "the perfection of beauty"; not that His suffering was beautiful to look upon, because it was not; but the whole concept of what was taking place, based upon what would come of it, had a certain beauty that could never be duplicated, and it could never be accomplished any other way. So in a way, God is the Judge of "the perfection of beauty"; or, if you wish, God can decide what works for what, and He gets to decide what He will shine through; whether that be suffering and death, or resurrection and life, He is God, and ultimately, He is the judge of what is what... "For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shalt bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." (Isaiah 60:12-16)