It was time for the early morning service. But this was to be like no other Sunday. Instead of the usually sleepy, early morning congregation, there was an electricity of God's presence in the atmosphere. As the service progressed, the atmosphere only got more charged with the presence of the Lord. Musicians were struggling at their instruments. Breathing came in short gasps. People began to openly weep in repentance. Finally the wife of the visiting speaker got up and led a few simple choruses and tried to facilitate the worship.
The pastor eventually worked his way to the large thick plexiglas lectern on the platform of the large church. He read this familiar passage of scripture from 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." He closed the book, gripped the edges of the pulpit with trembling hands, and said, "The word of the Lord to us is to stop seeking His benefits and seek Him. We are not to seek His hands any longer, but seek His face." In that instant, what sounded like a thunderclap echoed through the building, and the pastor was literally picked up and thrown backward about ten feet. The pulpit then split into two pieces almost as if lightning had hit it! The tangible terror of the presence of God filled the room.
People began to weep and wail. The pastor was carried to his study, where it was two hours before he moved. The visiting preacher got to a microphone and said, "If you are not where you need to be, this is a good time to get right with God." No one had ever seen such an altar call. People wouldn't wait for the aisles to clear. They climbed over pews, and they were stacked on top of each other, joining in the chorus of repentance. When the time came for the second morning service to start, no one had left the building. People arriving in the parking lot for the second service felt the tangible presence of God before they got out of their vehicles. In the parking lot cars were strewn every which way. People who had repented and had gotten right with God started asking to be baptized. They baptized for hours and hours. The service lasted until Monday at 1:00 a.m. On Monday evening the entire church showed up for more. Everyone wanted to get in on the glorious presence of God that was moving in that place.
Do you think I am reading this from a piece of contemporary Christian fiction literature, like the popular "Left Behind" series? NO. This event really happened not long ago at a church in Houston, Texas. This is happening IN OUR TIMES in America.
What is happening? What on earth is God doing, for heaven's sake? God is calling His people to repentance in preparation for the greatest move of God in the history of the world. He is preparing His people for the great harvest of souls at the end of this age. He is calling Christians to stop seeking God for what He can do for them, but to seek His face. What is the face of God? It is the manifest presence of His glory. It is seeing Him for who He really is!
OK, I have your attention. Now, how does one seek the face of God?! We begin by repenting of the trivial little ways we have chosen to live our self-willed lives. We repent that we have not become passionate lovers of God, but lovers of self, lovers of pleasure, lovers of gain, lovers of the approval of men but not the approval of God. We become passionate hearers and doers of the Word of God, passionate in our prayer and devotion to God.
And finally, (and this is where we have missed it most), we become passionate lovers of the Body of Christ. We become passionately committed to the Church. For as God has spoken even to me: I WILL NOT REVEAL MY GLORY TO AN INDIVIDUAL, BUT TO THE CORPORATE BODY IN WORSHIP AND IN UNITY.
@ copyright 2000 by Scott H. Northrup. All rights reserved.