sharing love and truth I need His Presence
I’m going to try to paint this picture correctly. I am pondering the words of two evangelists that I was privileged to hear this past weekend. Amy Lambert spoke about her life transformation when she accepted Jesus at 19 years of age and began a life of freedom from addiction. In the throes of drug abuse, she said she rarely prayed, but when she did, it was that God would let her die.
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda preached a compelling message about presence and said , “Give me God’s Presence or let me die!”
Do you see the contradiction? Drugs made Amy crave death. The Holy Spirit makes Daniel know life, and to be apart from Him would be death!
Interestingly, Ephesians 5:18 prescribes the way by which we avoid substances that have an addictive nature. You see, substances that produce a high are Satan’s counterfeit to God’s substance of life. But to “be filled with the Spirit” is to have connection with God the Father, His joy, passion, purpose, and most importantly, His Presence.
Photo source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Flame
Jesus said, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see Me anymore, but you will see Me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day [the day they would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit] you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you” (John 14:18-20).
Today I am praying for the Church in the earth to be alive in His Presence!
Think about this: if a father tells his child that he loves him but voluntarily spends every day and night apart from the child, will the child believe in his father’s love after years of absenteeism? If the child never experienced his dad’s presence at mealtime or bedtime, birthday parties, school programs or sport events, would he truly believe in the father’s love fifteen or twenty years down the road?
Our Creator and Father in heaven knows our basic need for love, and He satisfies it with Himself. He is not an absentee Father. He is very present and His indwelling Spirit is evidence of His love and promise to always be with us.
What does His Holy Presence look like in your life? Can you and I say the same as the evangelist, “Give me His Presence or let me die?” Are we just as desperate for true life in Jesus?
Renee Beamer Harbor + Home
So thankful for my Father’s Presence. May I be desperate for life in Jesus. Thank you for this insightful post. May God bless you and continue to bless others through you.
Amen! Desperate for His Presence!