Enter Into The Courts Of The King - 2

The Lord’s presence is a gift that he gives to his children, but it’s not without cost. The price is everything we own, all that we are, our dreams and all of the people we care about. How are we to pay such a price? We can’t, not on our own. Each time we worship God, we hand over a small part of ourselves to him and he in return replaces that part with his character. God’s gracious gift of himself is what allows us to walk deeper into his own presence. The more we give of ourselves to the Lord in worship, the more we are changed into his likeness. God’s presence inside of us is what gives us the ability to accomplish whatever he asks of us.

The Lord uses people that are willing to come before him. God never forces his will on anyone, but waits patiently until we are ready to give our all for him. I started thinking of different times in history when the Lord used people to help bring about his glory in their era. Each person was flawed, and with as much sin in their lives as anyone else. What made them different were the choices they made. All were worshipers and had a close relationship with God and Jesus. Each one made massive mistakes, but when they did they cried out to God, repented and went on with God’s original plans for them.

Here are a few examples of people that had an intimate relationship with God and because of it, changed history. In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, is Abraham. Abraham was used by God to help create the nation of Israel. Joseph , also in Genesis, saved his people, the Jews, from annihilation. King David’s story is in books of Chronicles and Kings in the Old Testament. David was known for his intimate worship and love of God. David sinned greatly, but when he was confronted he repented with his whole heart. David brought the nation of Israel into it’s glory days. Israel was the most powerful nation of its time.

The twelve disciples in the New Testament knew Jesus personally and spread the gospel to the Jews. Paul who wrote over 1/3 of the New Testament helped to spread the gospel to the gentiles. Martin Luther, the founder of the Lutheran Revival created a stir in the early 1500's. He stood against church heresy and helped to bring God’s saving grace to a whole continent. Charles Finney was a big evangelist in the 1800's. Finney always sent a man into the city Finney was getting ready to visit and the man prayed one week before his arrival. Revival broke out everywhere Finney went, and sometimes without his saying a word. Finney helped to bring the gospel to a whole nation. There are many more who have changed history with their love of God and their obedience.

We have always had worship and the presence of God, but why is it so intense right now. The answer lies in what’s going on around us. Whenever the Lord prepares to bring about a massive change for a nation and or the world, he pours out his presence on his people so that they can be empowered with grace, wisdom and authority. God’s empowerment allows us to see God’s vision of what he wants to accomplish and how are we are to help bring it into fruition.

We, as the church, have been enjoying God’s intimate presence for a while now. I believe he’s bringing us to a place where we are going to have to make a choice. Will we continue to play, or will we allow God to change and use us. This is the time for the church to shine when everything seems turned upside down and hopeless in the world. If we as God’s people can use God’s intimate presence as a stepping stone, we will radically change the world.

We must stop looking at ourselves and our own agendas. When we do we’ll see that the Lord has given us all of the tools we’ll ever need. Himself. If we come before and worship him, he will touch us with himself. His grace will give us the ability to get rid of the garbage in our lives and his mercy will show us the next step we need to take and to help produce his kingdom here on earth.