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Passion for His Presence
by: Brian Campbell; highwayman
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Hosea the Prophet said: “Come let us know let us follow on to know the Lord…” In the times we live in this is now our desire too. But something is lost in the language as it comes into English – the fervor, the passion, the strong desire implanted in these words. What if – What if we could share the passion of Hosea in these words?
We would cry out…
"Lord, You have captivated my heart. My mind is consumed with you. I’m intoxicated by being near you and experiencing your love. I will not be satisfied until I have more of You. I thirst, I pant in thirst until we are together. Knowing You, drawing near You, being close to you is the only thing that fills up this desire and longing; I will not go away until I have you! "
I’m told that in the days of the Kings of Judah one of the great feats was the building of the underground utilities that drew water into the city. Yet I wonder about the days before when God provided water out of the Rock for His people. Hezekiah may have known great feats of engineering to develop such water courses and it was a marvel of ordinary man in its day. The water was pumped into the city to satiate the people’s needs. This is a picture of the church today where great lengths are endured of praise and worship, pumping up the church until the water flows. We have pumped and pumped and pumped until our services are polished with the excellence of great music and bands and order-of-service until we think GOD is satisfied that He might visit us with His presence. Often in His mercy He will; but not always.
I read in Ezekiel how he watched as the Glory of the Lord departed from the temple in his vision. I ask, if the glory of the Lord departed from our churches as it did to Ezekiel’s Temple – how many of our services would continue unaltered?
The glory has lifted; He has departed; but we continued on building great edifices for His name and filling it with our own glory of pride – the praise we receive from one another. This is the era of the ‘ Mega Church ” and woe be to the Pastor’s pride that cannot build one! Drive the edges of a city and you will see one in all of its shining glory, a testament to the strength of belief and leadership. But God will bring these down; their pride goeth before their fall. For in their walls the people are plundered – robbed of time and treasure. They Eat their fat and clothe themselves with the wool, receiving praise one from another. The Glory has departed and they continue on.
But today the Spirit of the Lord is moving – calling – a quiet still voice in the hearts of His people. He is calling His people away – out from the contemporary churches and to himself. There is a people that are no longer satisfied with the pumping of water (signifying His Spirit) but are thirsting for His presence. Disillusioned, alone, and at times somewhat frightened they draw away feeling a higher calling, a purpose, a reason but they do not know… This is the voice of God – this is the Good Shepherd who calls and He calls them away. Where do they go? Be assured; the Lord leads and He gathers.
Many have been led to meet in homes; many meet alone at home. They love God and love His presence but the thirst for ‘what is real’ calls louder than the aloneness. They are often misjudged, ostracized as backsliders from the faith; but this is not true – the Spirit of the Lord leads them. They desire God. They desire to KNOW Him. They desire more of Him. They have passion for His Presence.
“Come let us know” the prophet cries “let us follow on to know the Lord!” And “As the deer pants for the water so our soul longs after you” Let me assure you that “times of refreshing” come now from the presence of the Lord. Hosea says: “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.”
As certain as the morning He comes to us “as the rain” – the pouring forth of His Spirit – the Latter Rain – the heavy rain upon the earth. Dear ‘called out ones’, the latter rain is the pouring forth of His Spirit. You stand in the midst of the greatest out-pouring of the Holy Spirit since Acts. Draw into Him. Draw close to Jesus today. Hear His heart. You know it is so.
This website is only a link – a place to network with others like you – the Called Out Ones. A place to post news of the outpouring of His Spirit. A place to gather in the most up-to-date technology we have today. Come, and together, let us follow on to know the Lord!
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