A re-post on the near Presence of G_d….
Hence that dread and amazement with which as Scripture uniformly relates holy men were struck and overwhelmed whenever they beheld the presence of God men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance until they have.
~ John Calvin
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption… For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us;
~ From Hebrews 9
And beloved. The Bible is clear that believers are one with Him, this One who appears in the presence of God for us. He is in us. We are in Him. We can dwell in His presence in profound simplicity daily.
Sometimes, however, He overwhelms us. The sense of presence in the holiest of places pours out into moments in the natural.
And beloved. The Bible is clear that believers are one with Him, this One who appears in the presence of God for us. He is in us. We are in Him. We can dwell in His presence in profound simplicity daily.
Sometimes, however, He overwhelms us. The sense of presence in the holiest of places pours out into moments in the natural.
The team rolled into the compound of Jerusalem!. This is a place where Jamaicans put those who simply won’t fit anywhere else. It is home to 150 kids with challenges ranging from schizophrenia, and other mental illnesses to autism, hydrocephalus, cerebral palsy, and HIV/AIDS.
Some people in the world would call people like this trash. Oh, they would not use the words out loud, but the subtle shaking of the head and clucking of the tongue reveal the spirit behind any politically correct speech that proceeds from their mouths.
This writer has a different opinion. A place like Jerusalem! is a locus of the near presence of our Creator. It is a place of constant visitation of a special manifestation of G_d. It is a place upon which HE has placed extra value. It is actually given an enormous portion of extra value, because it is inhabited by those most valuable in the kingdom of G_d. This is a place where the “rock stars” in the kingdom live. The sign out front gives weight to this description.
The sign says simply: He is here.
And beloved. He is.
We were about to party with real rock stars.
Upon entering the outer courts of this temple complex, one is struck with the sense of light, and order and cleanliness. Jamaica, in general, feels a bit like a slowly developing ground-zero after a multi-decade economic and social bomb has exploded. But, this place has straight lines, mowed grass, bright paint and some pervasive sense of purpose.
Even the screams of the mentally disturbed do not disturb the peace of this place. It is as if this place is designed to be a safe place for someone to scream if that is what they need to do. He is here. There is sorrow, but all is well.
We began to tour the grounds. Cameras were not allowed for this VIP event. One of the best parts was a visit to the chapel. It was old, but inordinately worn. Even the bricks in the walls were being worn smooth.
See, each worker in this place must spend at least 2.4 hours per day (a tithe) in prayer. The epic strength required for such daily service to those in such need is only found in an attitude of pervasive and desperate dependence on the only Source of strength able to meet the need. These staffers (mostly noble gentlewomen) call out, hour upon hour, for G_d’s grace in time of need. And He answers those prayers by not only giving strength, but even an extra portion of Himself.
He is here.
We worked our way through rooms, hugged kids, smiled at workers and started to get a feel for where we would be working later. But first, we stopped into a small adoration room off of the main flow of traffic in the complex.
Words fail here, but we were suddenly in this place. It was so very incredibly quiet. Calm. Simple. Now. This was holy ground. It was Spartan but far from incomplete and the smell of the room was subtly marked by the absence of any contaminants. We felt a most-comforting coolness; like walking in under the shade of a huge tree on a bright early summer’s day. And while the lights were dimmed, we could see with uncanny clarity.
Words fail here, but we were suddenly in this place. It was so very incredibly quiet. Calm. Simple. Now. This was holy ground. It was Spartan but far from incomplete and the smell of the room was subtly marked by the absence of any contaminants. We felt a most-comforting coolness; like walking in under the shade of a huge tree on a bright early summer’s day. And while the lights were dimmed, we could see with uncanny clarity.
And, in that room twenty of us waited silently along with one beautiful boy whose body trapped and blocked his interaction with the world. And as we waited, the quiet began to almost scream.
It tore through my thoughts. It tore through my consciousness.
It tore through my thoughts. It tore through my consciousness.
The beautiful twisted boy began to moan and grunt and rock. At first, it seemed that something was wrong. Then i watched my hand reach out and touch this boy. And upon the touch some connection occurred. Was it the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through me onto this boy? Or was the flow moving the other direction? Or was it both? All i do know G_d was in that place, and that His great Love was abounding among us. And upon reflection, i think the boy may have actually been moved to worship in the only way that his body allowed him to worship. The grunting may have been, in fact, one of the most beautiful of beautiful noises made to G_d that day in all the world.
And then everything went quiet again. Time disappeared. Stillness rocked the room. He was there. In that moment, if you had asked me if i believed in G_d, i would have given a slightly odd answer. i would have answered: No. i would have answered, No, because i had no need for belief in that moment.
This, and other moments, have proven to me that i no longer need to believe there is a G_d. i KNOW G_d is.
And then an oracle in the room spoke, saying, “He is here. And the kingdom of God is righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.”
And the moment passed. It did not fade. It attached itself to my, and many other’s, souls in that room. We took it with us out into the work of the coming hours.
Quite a moment. So joyful. So real. Not sure we’ll ever be the same. Not sure any of us would want it any other way.
Makala, I love your stuff. I'll just leave it at that. This is really good.
Tejas. Glory to God! My middle name is Barnabas (son of encouragement). I am simply glad God is using it to encourage you and others around the world.