The Blessing of His Presence
Keith Miller
Part One
In this revelatory two-part series learn why it's important to hunger and thirst after and contend for and pursue breakthrough for God's presence-for encounters with God that will release abundant favor and fruit in your life for His glory. Keith examines exciting biblical truths and blueprints through the lives and testimony of King David in his Psalm 63 prayer, Moses, Aaron, and the study of the Old Testament tabernacle and tent of meeting. Learn how to go from the tent of meeting to testimony to becoming a witness of the testimony of His presence. It's an exciting place where you can believe for the impossible and where anything can happen!
O God, You Are My God!
I am so excited about what the Lord's doing right now. It's a time where the Lord is putting the same cry of David found in Psalm 63 into His people's hearts: "O God, You are my God!" The Lord wants to release that cry in us daily, not just on Sundays! It's saying everyday, "I can't help but worship the One whom I am extremely, overwhelmingly in love with!" How awesome to awaken every morning with, "O God, You are my God!"
Friends, this is a time to PRESS IN to the Lord for this anointing-the anointing of a worshipful God-seeking heart. How would you like to awaken every morning with an attentive ear that eagerly anticipates the Word He has waiting to release for you? Aren't you glad He's your God?
What a privilege to get out of bed every morning with, "O God, You are my God!" Why do you think God included this passage in the Bible? There's good reason why the Holy Spirit inspired David to start Psalm 63 off this way, because not only is it a privilege to worship God, but also because we have the privilege of unlimited access to Father God through Jesus, our redeemer. And as a result of unlimited access, we can go before the throne any time, and we don't have to bow back, we won't have to draw away, but we can go before God Almighty and say, "O God, You're my God!" Why don't you just praise Him for that privilege right now and tell Him aloud "O God, You're my God!"
Early Will I Seek You
In the next breath, David prays, "Early will I seek You." The implication here is that God is David's first love. He seeks God early or first thing in his day. I tell you, I believe one of the things that the Lord is releasing to the Church right now is a fresh fire of His passion and love. Do you want to His love to consume you afresh? Of course you do! We need the primary motivation for everything we do to be His love. God wants us to press in to God by faith to receive the imprint of a greater depth of His love in our inner man so that His love flows like a river out of our lives and touches people around us. We're not going to have to "pump the pump" in worship, but we can just BE worshippers. Tell yourself right now, "I'm a worshipper." Do you know why you're about to break through into this? It is because He's about to break through for you! You can't help but be overwhelmed because of His lovingkindness!
My Soul Thirsts for You
How desperate are you for God? Do you thirst or hunger for Him, for His presence? David cried out, "My soul THIRSTS for you, my flesh LONGS for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water." How desperate is that? His flesh longed for God. Listen, when your flesh longs for Him, you're living out Galatians 2:20, ... "it's no longer I who live..." It's saying, "But the flesh crucified and I want Him to live His life through me." The flesh doesn't like to be denied. It likes to eat and it likes its comfort. The flesh is used to getting certain things, and it doesn't like to let up.
When a group of people denies their flesh to cry out to God...something big is up! I believe the Church has stepped into a new season of hunger. We're beginning to put a demand on the presence of the Lord and we don't care what it costs, we just have to have more of HIM! We have all had wonderful blessings of the Lord in our lives and we're truly grateful for that but God is stirring up an ache inside of us for more of His presence!
So I have looked for You...
Hunger is something we must respond to, just as David did. He fed his hunger by feeding himself with revelations and remembrances of God. He'd lie on his bed at night and ponder about Him, and think about God and His goodness. He'd remember things that God had done, or reflect on His character. Have you ever had little bits of flashbacks of God's promises in your life? Have you ever been stirred to say, "Oh, I remember the days Lord, when You promised me.. I want to see those days God!" God stirs our hunger. When He stirs yours, how will you respond? Like David? "O God, You're my God!"
A revelation is coming to the Body of believers whereby we are going to understand deeper still the vastness of God! It will awe us and we'll marvel that we have access to One so great; that He is OUR God, who spoke everything we see into existence with a word! He knows the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning, and His counsel stands forever. From "ancient times," He knows things that are not yet done and says, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do My pleasure!" (Is. 46:10).
It's just so awesome that this One who speaks is our God and I marvel that we have total access to Him!
While in Dallas for some incredible meetings, one night I awoke out of a dead sleep startling my wife Janet, and she says that I was saying, "Oh God You love me, You love me!" I recall also saying, "I want those things that You have prepared for me! Holy Spirit, search the deep, deep, deep things of God and give them to me!"
Are you ready to dive into the bottomless treasure chest of God for your life? Listen, when you awake hungry the Lord is up to something in your life because He initiates the hunger.
In the Sanctuary.....
King David tells God that he has searched Him in the sanctuary: "So I have looked for You in the sanctuary..." Where's the sanctuary of God? The Bible says that we are the temple "where the Holy Spirit dwells" (1 Cor. 3:16; see also 1 Cor. 6:19.). There's more though! We as a Body of believers also are His sanctuary! Ephesians 2:21, 22 tells us that we are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, "Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
Can you imagine a group of people together telling God, "O God, You are our God! We hunger and thirst, we say "No!" to the flesh, and say "Yes" to You!" It will be a whole lot more than a board meeting, praise God! Nothing boring about encountering the Living One! We will meet with God because of our hunger. When we gather in one accord and cry out to Him because we're hungry, we WILL GET BREAKTHROUGH in the "sanctuary," the corporate church body!
Now think for a moment what would happen if your family gathered in the house to say, "O God, You're our God!" Expect a Jacob's ladder anointing where your home will become a gate to heaven. Imagine a fresh hunger coming to your household where when people walk into your house, they'll encounter the Living God!
Do you know that my wife and I cannot get our grown kids to leave our home because they say that it's so peaceful there? Of course, the Prince of Peace lives at our house! When we hunger for Him, His presence stays! When I awaken and say, "O God, I hunger!" I hunger for Him and I hunger for Him to blow the lid off anything I've ever seen or done before! How about you? How hungry are you? Are you ready to see Him lift limitations? Gather with others and agree that where two or more gather in His name, to tell Him, "You are our God, we say "NO!" to the flesh and "YES" to you," that anything is possible! Hey, it only took 120 people hungering after the promise of the presence of the Holy Spirit to receive the mighty outpouring of God's Spirit and incredible breakthrough for spreading the Gospel.
To See Your Power and Your Glory...
What did David say after he told God that he looked for Him in the sanctuary? He said that he looked for Him there to "See Your power and Your glory." We need His power and His glory in our lives! It's an awesome thing to see the power of the Lord at work! Nothing is impossible for Him. Even more overwhelming is His glory. Contend to see His glory. Moses said, God, show me Your glory! Are you asking that of God? Remember that YOU are His dwelling place! Think for a moment what will happen when He shows you His glory and power in His dwelling place. Imagine God's glory and power exploding in the sanctuary. We need an encounter with God that fills us afresh with His power and His glory. Do you know what happens after a fresh breakthrough and revelation of His power and glory? Of course! Praise! "Oh God, I'm so glad You're my God! We're so glad You are our God!" King David said, "Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You!" Our lips shall praise Him! Once you get a taste of His power and glory, all you'll want is more. You'll become desperate! Hungry! Thirsty! Your soul and your flesh will cry out to Him!
Ah, glory in the tabernacle, that's what I want! Gather your family, gather your church, and cry out to Him for His glory cloud to cover the tabernacle of meeting! When it covers that sanctuary, God fills it with His glory! "Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. 40:34). The cloud of His presence covers the tabernacle of your life" everywhere you go and on every journey, it covers you. Check out how the cloud of glory affected the children of Israel:
...and Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle meeting because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Whenever the cloud was taken from above the tabernacle, the children of Israel would go onward in all their journeys. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not journey till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the Lord was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys" (Ex. 40:34-38).
Arise, shine!
The glory makes you shine! "Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you" (Isaiah 60:1). Have you ever been around someone who has just experienced the glory of God? The glory glows so brightly in the inner person that we see its brilliancy! The Book of Hebrews makes the point that our covenant in Christ Jesus is far better than the Old Covenant of the Law through Moses (see Hebrews 8:6), and if Moses came down from that mountain glowing after leaving God's presence, how much more we shine with Emmanuel, God With Us! Oh my gosh! We serve Emmanuel God With Us, His glory constantly an overshadowing cloud of His presence. Are you ready to step into that realm of open heavens? We can live daily with a fresh infusion of dunamis dynamite power to live as an overcomer, not overcome. What's the difference? An overcomer says, "I can leap over walls! I don't see any giants, I see the promises of God and they are "Yes" and "Amen" in the anointing!"
Friends, we are about to see families, churches, and business filled with the cloud of His presence and His power where anyone who encounters us, visits us, or does business with us will encounter God and His presence, and experience true freedom. The anointing sets captives free! We must have an overcomer's lifestyle of ruling and reigning in this life. Life shouldn't rule us! Our walk should be that of living to glorify the Master who said, "Be of good cheer, for I have won!" He wins!
Breakthrough for His Presence
So, how do we get or see this breakthrough of His presence in our lives? Second Chronicles Chapter Five describes a scene from Solomon's temple whereby the priests placed an offering on the mercy seat of the altar and the fire of God came down and consumed it. Afterward, the glory of God filled the temple. For believers, the blood of Jesus is our finished and completed offering. This means that we can ask for the glory of the Lord to fill the temple (us).
When you gather with others, or when you spend time alone with God, do you ask that the cloud of His glory would fall upon you? Do you go for breakthrough? Maria Woodworth-Etter had this revelation. She understood that she could establish the realm of the kingdom wherever she put up her ministry tent by accessing the tabernacle of His presence and asking for the glory to come. And when His presence would break through, people in their homes within a twenty-five mile radius from the tent would be overwhelmed by His presence. How desperate are you for that kind of glory to fill the temple? Think of the possibilities for your city to be touched and awakened to His presence. I'm going to go for breakthrough! At a recent meeting in Cedar Rapids, a healing wave came in and God healed many, though not all. I went for breakthrough and said, "Now Lord, You healed many the first time, You'll heal the rest also!" Then another wave came in and when I asked how many had any pain whatsoever, only three raised their hands.
Go for breakthrough! Believe God for breakthrough! You can have breakthrough in every area, including finances and harvest. The enemy loves to attack finances to cripple God's people, but GOD wants to give us breakthrough so that we can give out of abundance, not lack!
I'm pressing in for Ezekiel Chapter One to be a reality in the Church. I want to see the wheels in the wheels touch the earth. I want to see all the activity of the throne come and overshadow us. Imagine gathering with other believers and standing in agreement for God to set up His throne over an entire stadium of lost people? Listen, Ezekiel in his vision stood under the throne and looked up and saw lightnings, thunders, and flashes, and "in the appearance of His glory was the rainbow" (V. 28). What did it signify? I believe it is the display of the manifold glory of God, which Ephesians 3:10 says will be made "known by the Church." We will display the glory of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms; to spiritual beings both angelic and demonic.
"Manifold" also has the idea of beauty, multicolored having different hues and tints. How would you like to radiate the multi-faceted brilliance of His glory that causes even the principalities of the air to watch your life and go, "Oh my gosh!"
Part Two
From Meeting, to Testimony, to Witness
God has a great calling for everyone and to each one He has given gifts and anointings, for He has marked you for that purpose of displaying His glory and these things are testimony that you have met with the King of Glory! In Numbers 17, the Lord instructs Moses to take all the almond rods of the twelve tribes of Israel and place them in the Tabernacle of Meeting. Aaron's rod went in for the Levite tribe (the tribe of the priests) and all the rods were placed in the tabernacle "before the testimony where I meet with you" (Num. 17:4). Testimony is established when we meet with the Lord.
Your meeting or encounter with God establishes testimony that you just met the glorious One! What a testimony your life becomes! Aaron was a priest, just as you and I are priests, a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), according to the New Covenant by the blood of Jesus our Great High Priest. We have access to His throne. We don't have to draw away from it because the blood of Jesus washes us (there's no condemnation or shame) "that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."
Aaron's rod is symbolic of authority. Recall that it blossomed! He used it to demonstrate to the Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews was the Lord. This same rod struck the rocks at Horeb and Kadesh to bring forth water (Ex. 17:1-7; Num. 20:7-11).
We move out and minister in our gifts and callings, we need to move in authority. The authority of God Himself is our platform for anything He's called us to do, be it over our community or over a nation. When the Lord gives you authority to move, you have a platform. We all need the Lord to give us increasing authority, that He would touch us, as He did Aaron's rod with favor.
Shortly after Moses entered into the tabernacle of meeting he went to the area of testimony, and then into the tabernacle of witness (Numbers 17:. The Lord's glory makes you a witness not in word only, but in demonstration of the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus!
When God commanded Moses to take the children of Israel out of Sinai and head to the land of milk and honey (Ex. 33) Moses took his tent, pitched it outside the camp, and called it the "tabernacle of meeting." Everyone who sought the Lord went out to that tent. When Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended (God's presence) and the Lord talked with Moses. Every person who watched from their tent could see the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door and they rose and worshiped! Moses asked of the Lord, "Now, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people" (vv. 13).
Grace for a nation! How would you like to be a part of a history-making generation used to release a mighty move of God, whereby tens of thousands of people all over the U.S. came to the Lord! How hungry are you for such harvest? Are you willing to deny the flesh, enter into the tent of meeting, to the tabernacle of testimony, and into the tabernacle of witness to see the impossible? Are you ready to say, "Lord, here am I, fill me afresh with Your presence!"
I heard once about a prophetic minister from the 1950s whereby everything he prophesied came to pass except for one thing. He once had a vision of a tent like the tent of meeting. It looked like a revival tent. Inside this tent was another little room filled with glory and power, so brilliant that it permeated the tent fabric and people lined up as far as one could see for healing: the blind, the deaf, and the cripple. Everyone wanted to get into this room in the tent because as soon as they entered in, they'd exit healed, just like that! I believe the tent this person saw was a tent of meeting. This is where the Church begins to live in the glory. Don't just contend for an encounter with God, though. Rather, contend for a habitation of the glory, the glory of the Spirit of the Lord upon (Is. 11:2).
New Beginnings
Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds (Numbers 17:.
BEHOLD the rod sprouted, budded, blossomed, and bore fruit! Almonds and the blossoms represent new beginnings and resurrected life. When we behold Him, see Him, encounter Him, we're transformed too, from glory to glory! Remember, the rod represented the whole Levi tribe, so His presence brought life and authority not only to Aaron, but also to the extended Levite family. Notice that God didn't say "Just listen to what I'm going to say," no, He said, "Behold," in other words, "Watch and see what I do for the House of Levi!" His presence will bring fresh ripe fruit into your household-this is that time!
Now let me unpack this phenomenon of God's presence producing fruit a little more, because it is truly exciting!
My beloved spoke, and said to me: "rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away! (Song 2:10-13).
The prophets have been speaking much about this season of new beginnings. Bob Jones refers to it as the season of the dove, as in Isaiah 11:2, the Spirit of the Lord resting upon us. The "dove company" comprises a people not satisfied with just a little touch from God. They contend for the tangible resting of His presence remaining on them. I know that you want the Lord to come and rest afresh upon you! Did you read that reference from the Song of Solomon? Do you see what happens when the dove's voice is heard "in our land?" Fruit! Fragrant, tender, fresh fruit! Can you awaken every day with that song in your heart, "It's spring a new beginning!"
Joy and Favor in the Latter Rain
Ask the Lord for a fresh cloud of His presence that releases the latter rain for your life! "And the light of the king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of latter rain (Pr. 16:15). His favor releases the buds and blossoms in your life, and it keeps the foxes (thieves) from going after the tender little vines, so that you will produce much such fruit! The presence of the Lord is a fruitful place! The light of God's face is life! Its pure joy, man! We as God's people should be HAPPY people! Are you happy or do you go around with a "woe is me" countenance? I tell you, time in His presence beholding His face will cause yours to light up like the nighttime skyline of a great city. In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11). Pleasures forever more! His presence is JOY! Would you like a fresh anointing of His joy? It's contagious! The oil of this joyful anointing will get on people! Trust me, with the oil of joy upon you, people will laugh and celebrate as they encounter you. Ha! You'll receive tons of invitations to visit because so many are miserable and need that oil that you have! The joy of the Lord is our strength!
That cloud of His presence releases joy and harvest! That's why the prophet says,
Be glad then you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the former rain faithfully. And He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first months. The threshing floor shall be full of wheat and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23, 24).
Harvest in the Latter Rain
If you're born again, you're a child of Zion, so this applies to you, and you can do what Joel says and rejoice in the Lord! We see that the rain releases the harvest. The threshing floors full of wheat symbolize souls and kingdom harvest.
You get to possess the Kingdom! This latter rain will also release overflow because "the vats shall overflow." Ask the Lord to enlarge your vat, and as He pours in, you can pour out blessings to the world. Out of your belly shall flow RIVERS, not streams, but rivers of living water. We don't want dry riverbeds. We want constant, continuous, bank-to-bank overflow that overflows with new wine and new oil! Wine to make your heart glad and oil to make your face shine (Ps. 104:15, 16). We're not talking alcohol here; we're talking partaking of the new wine in the new wineskins, supernatural wine that gets you drunk in the spiritual. Because you are a king in Christ Jesus, you're invited to drink deeply of the new wine He has for you. Spend time in His presence, drinking in of the new wine, and getting drenched with the fresh oil (not yesterday's oil)!
Restoration and Favor
Are there things in your life that need restoration? Not only is this the year of God's favor, but a year of His justice. He will restore to you everything the cankerworm has robbed (Joel 2:26, 27). So not only does the cloud of His presence release that fresh anointing of favor, the fresh flow of His latter rain that brings through the vat an enlargement of the overflow for kingdom harvest, but also, restoration of everything the enemy has stolen!
You see, you become the tabernacle of His presence, His latter rain, and thus, you can release restoration in your life because of that abiding presence. With the glory of the Lord shining so brightly in you, you can go about the ruined cities and see the desolation of heritages and generations restored (see Is. 61). Wow!
A few weeks ago again while in Cedar Rapids I met up with a group of young people from Davenport, Indiana. I walked right over to them and said, "Yeah! I love to praise the Lord in the Wal-Marts!" They responded with an equally enthusiastic, "Yeah!" and at that moment, the power of God hit every one of them and boom, on the floor! Their group tripled in number the following evening and I learned that my words to them of the previous night had been confirmation from the Lord for them, because that's exactly what they'd been out doing, praising the Lord in Wal-Mart! Of course, the Lord touched them mightily on the second night too! In fact, I received an email just a while ago from one of the members of this group of youth. He said that the Sunday following the Saturday meeting, during the service, the pastor asked, "What's going on with you young people?" He called for one of the youth to come forward and explain, and the boy said, "Oh, we've been in the glory man, the glory of His presence! At that precise moment, gold dust fell upon the youth, and then the congregation! Suddenly, one of the young people said, "Pastor, we've got a few words of knowledge." The pastor told them to go ahead, the church received twenty different words for healing, and everyone who responded received healing! Praise the Lord!
God will fill your river! "You visit the earth and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water" Tell yourself that your river is full! "The river of God is full of water. It provides their grain. The Lord has prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly. You settle its furrows. You make it soft with showers. You bless its growth" (see Ps. 65:9-10).
When His rain comes, it's a soaking rain, not one that causes clots just to wash away. It softens and dissolves the clots as they literally become drenched by His presence. Lift your hands and cry out, "Lord, soak me!" When He soaks you with His rain, you'll see Him do things for you that you could never do for yourself. His rain brings you that favor which is His presence and you'll never forget where that outflow comes from because His presence is so mighty and beautiful, strikingly wonderful! His presence is His Person; it's not His throne but Him sitting upon it- upon the throne of your heart sits the King.
Your paths will drip with abundance and His rain will drop on the pastures of the wildernesses in your life (v. 11). The anointing will soak your wilderness so that it becomes like a buttery path that you glide on because of His favor. He the Rock pours out rivers of oil (Job 29:6) in your desert, in your wilderness, in your family and in your life and you become a witness to the goodness of God. Check out His Word, you'll see that throughout all the ages of time He always tells us that He wants to display His grace and His goodness for His glory, forever.
What happens when the rain drops in the pastures of your wilderness? His Word says, that the little hills rejoice on every side! The green pastures are white with flock and grain fills the valleys, such that the hills and valleys shout for joy and sing (v. 13)! It's full circle! We're going to shout for joy and sing because of His presence upon, soaking, softening, healing, bringing favor, His glory, power, and beauty manifested in every area! As we meet with Him and encounter Him we sing of His presence and we become a witness, with the transferable oil of joy upon us.
Conclusion
By now I'm certain that you want the Lord to take you from meeting to testimony to becoming a witness of the testimony of His presence! It's a different place to live-exciting! This place is a realm where you believe the impossible to be possible, a place where you believe anything can happen, and it will because of the authority and favor He's given you. Faith is 90% courage. He told Joshua (1:9) to be strong and of good courage, not to afraid, fearful, or dismayed because God was with him for life!
Just as all of the great men and women of the Bible, God will give you authority that will release confidence, not in your ability, but in the strength of our Creator in and through us. As you go from strength-to-strength, tell yourself, "That's where I'm going "strength-to-strength!"
There's no better way I can think of to conclude this message than by praying the way David did to God in Psalm 63, as we've studied, when David was in the wilderness of Judah. He found much joy in the fellowship and presence of His King:
O God, YOU ARE MY GOD! Oh God, I hunger and thirst after You! Fill this sanctuary (me) with Your glory and Your power, and I will speak of Your lovingkindness which is better than life! My lips will praise You! I will be a witness of the testimony of Your presence upon my life. I am being saturated with the abundance of Your house. And even when I lay down at night, Your presence is there with me. Thank You Lord for the privilege of Your awesome presence, and may Your presence rest upon me all the days of my life.
And now, I pray for you:
Lord, let a mighty outpouring of Your presence and power be released upon all who read this, and their households. Let it be, God, to see hundreds of thousands of lives powerfully impacted through the Body of Christ Jesus, as carriers of Your glory and presence. May they spring forth, bud, blossom and bring forth much fruit for the glory of the kingdom.