Autumn 2010
A letter from the Pastor: Autumn 2010
I recently had the privilege of leading a small group of fellow Christians in an evening of song and prayer. We had been worshipping for about twenty minutes, when towards the end of the hymn, ‘Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me’, I sensed a real difference in the air; a subtle, yet tangible atmosphere of peace. The kind of peace that is not just felt within, but without too; like it was gently enfolding you, but weighty enough to feel like you could lean right back on your chair and it would support you. A peace that brings calm to your mind, comfort and relief to your body and waves of joy to your soul. A peace that I have come to recognise, through my recently learned daily discipline of pouring my heart out to the LORD, as the very presence of the LORD Himself; His Holy Spirit, because of my coming and seeking, causing Himself to be discerned and experienced, not just spiritually, but physically and mentally too, within and without. A ‘closer than usual’ interaction between Heavenly Father and child that somehow makes it possible for the Father to have His voice heard, and His son to be manifested to His beloved.
“He is here!”, I excitedly shared with the group. “I can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.” I did not want to move. I didn’t really want to do anything except sit and enjoy His presence. It may sound daft, but I didn’t want to say or do anything that might cause Him to leave. I had my eyes closed, and pictured those around me basking in the loving presence of God too. After a while we sang to the Holy Spirit again, and then prayed some more, and continued to sing our Lord’s praises.
When we eventually opened our eyes and began to chat, I asked the others if they too had felt the Lord’s presence with us. I was surprised and quite disappointed when people responded with blank expressions and shook their heads (apart from one who said, “maybe?”). This caused me to doubt myself. As I was in the minority of 1, perhaps I had been deceived of my own wishful thinking. The next day, as I poured my heart out in my journal, I found myself writing this question:
“I’m pretty sure I felt Your presence with us last night as we sung and prayed - but others didn’t seem to sense the same. Was it your presence? Perhaps just inside me, or were You around us, but others were not sensitive to You - or just didn’t recognise Your peace?”
Habitually, once I have poured out my heart, I then take out the ‘Word for Today’ from my desk draw and read what it has to say. I was astounded to read the LORD, so directly and quickly responding to my question, as the very first sentence in the booklet started: ‘Moses alone knew what God’s presence felt like…’!!!!. WOW!. The Scripture for that day was Exodus 20:21, where the people told Moses that he alone should go up Mt Sinai and speak with God.
I believe God was reassuring me that I hadn’t missed it, and that it was indeed Him I had sensed the previous evening. And, furthermore, from this, the LORD is saying to you and I: ‘In the old Covenant, chosen few, like Moses, knew what God’s presence felt like. But, as was foretold through the prophets Jeremiah and Joel, “The time is coming declares the LORD, when I will make a new Covenant…no longer will a person need to teach his neighbour about the LORD, because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest…I will pour out my Spirit upon all people, young and old.” (Jer 31 & Joel 2) Through Jesus Christ, this is the LORD’s very best gift to all peoples. However, Scripture also reminds us that earnest seeking of God’s face (His presence), in order to enjoy it’. This is all part of what Jesus expectantly announced he would do for all believers though the baptising (pickling) of His Spirit, when he promised that He, by His Spirit would return to be ‘with them and in them’ and ’will make myself manifest to them’ (John 14). It is also no coincidence that the day before our evening meeting, the Scripture of the day spoke of Pastors being ministers of the New Covenant of the Spirit (2 Cor 3:3-6). This is why I have chosen to use the ‘Pastor’s Page’ for this subject. I am certainly not the only one who has and will be basking in the tangible companionship of the Spirit of Lord Jesus; And part of my calling as your Pastor is to encourage the saved to mature in their embrace of the Holy Spirit. And so, even though I have written about my own experience, the focus of this letter is for everyone’s encouragement, yours and mine; to deepen our embrace of God’s Spirit. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives.” (Jesus: John 14:27)