Presence People

So I thought I'd just share a quick tidbit about church today because it ties in with my previous two posts. Yesterday I decided to post one of my past journal entries and the subject was Ex. 33 and this morning my pastor preaches on Ex. 33, fancy that. I love it when God highlights an area of scripture and continues to repeat it over and over in various ways. Ex 33 speaks alot about God's Presence and that is something I could see myself studying the rest of my days.

Since the invitation is truly open to come into God's Presence I want to learn all there is about that! I've experienced just glimpses of the goodness of God but it's enough to have already ruined me for nominal Christian living. When Moses asked to see God's glory, God said He would make all His goodness pass before him, wow. It has been said that God is good but really what does that mean? How good is God? Is He good enough to waste our lives on? Is He so good that we would sacrifice all just to be with Him? How far will we go in our pursuit of Him?

Israel was led by the Presence of God and Moses said that he would not go anywhere unless God went with him. What a great way to lead people. He didn't say we will take the next step once we have all our finances in place. No, he didn't say we will move on once camp is in order and all the people are happy. No, he didn't even say we will go because God's promise lies ahead of us. God even said I will send my angel before you (33:2) but Moses was not satisfied with anything less then God's Presence. What happens when God's people return to this type of Presence driven lifestyle? Where will the church be led if we start to be Presence focused and not man focused? The possibilities are endless.

I daydream of a being part of a people who are so accustomed and sensitive to His Presence that if it leaves everyone mourns and stops everything to get it back. They stop the music, the programs, the agenda, the message and they cry out to the Lord in tears until He returns. Imagine that, join in my daydream for this type of Christian community because I believe it's coming. A people who know there God and seek His face. A people who wont be fooled by the deceitfulness of man or impressed by the wisdom of men but choose to live a different life. Does it make sense that God would be with the people in the OT in a more real and tangible way then today? No, that is crazy, He is still the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph. He never changes. He was a cloud by day and a fire by night. His ways are eternal and everlasting. The God who answered Elijah by fire is the same God we pursue today. The God who led the people out of Egypt is the same God who will lead us out of our religious nonsense today. I'm looking forward to where God is taking His church, I want to be a student of His Presence, how bout you?