| Isaiah 6:1, "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Often, it seems we don't really have an encounter with God until we experience something abrupt in our personal life that causes us to come face to face with God! In Isaiah's case, it was the death of the king. For us, it may be the death of a dream, the loss of a loved one, a job change or any number of situations. God, in His loving wisdom, knows how to work through circumstances to bring us to our knees in total dependence upon Him. When Isaiah saw the Lord, he received a revelation of his heart in the light of a Holy God, "Woe is me! for I am undone..." The holiness of God will always expose the condition of our hearts and give us an opportunity to repent and be cleansed. After Isaiah had acknowledged his 'unclean lips', one of the seraphims brought a live coal from the altar and touched his lips saying, "Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." It was then that Isaiah was able to answer the call of God to go and bring the Word of God to the people of Israel. I recently went through a rather difficult experience in my own life, which brought me to the place of total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and His will for my life whatever that may be. The desperate longing of my heart, more than anything else, is to truly see God! David Wilkerson, in his message "The Redeemer Is Returning To Zion"*, talks about seeing God and experiencing His awesome presence! I've had just a wee taste of that, and it makes me long for more! God has so very much that He desires to reveal to His people, but He desires that we seek Him to know Him! I don't want to be like the children of Israel, who only saw His acts, while Moses knew His ways and spoke with Him face to face! In these last days, it isn't enough to merely know ABOUT Him, we must KNOW Him! In Leonard Ravenhill's stirring message, "Weeping Between The Porch & The Altar"*, he says this about those who feel they are called to preach. "The question is not whether they know the Word of God. The question is this: DO THEY KNOW THE GOD OF THE WORD?" I am to the point in my life where nothing else matters but knowing Him! I don't want anything to crowd or choke out my hunger and desire for Him! I want to be able to say with the hymn writer, Mary D. James: |
| To See The Lord! |
| Since mine eyes were fixed on Jesus, I've lost sight of all beside, So enchainned my spirit's vision, Looking at the Crucified! ** |
| Time is running out! The reports on the nightly news, confirm that we are living in the last of the last days. Prophecy is being fulfilled. His coming is near! We must have a visitation of God!! Please join your voice with mine and echo the prayer of the people of Scotland, who back in the days of Duncan Campbell cried, "Oh, that Thou wouldst rend the heaven and come down!!" WE NEED TO SEE GOD!! |
| * this message is available for downloading through Sermon Index. * this message is available in text format on my Messages page. ** from the hymn "All For Jesus". |
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| January 10, 2004 |