The video Version is here.
God is always present; the earth is really already full of His Glory. We just don’t always feel or see Him. Most people believe that you can’t really experience God’s presence in this life… that is until they actually experience it. Then their minds are immediately changed and their hearts are forever longing for more. For example, to get the best results communicating with people in a business conference, we always make room for God’s presence and we try to talk to hearts instead of minds. We talk about plans and cash flow and avoid sounding too spiritual, yet we make every effort to invite the Holy Spirit and allow Him to speak. It makes a huge difference. One approach is teaching; the other is an experience. People remember and use what they experience, especially if it’s God. If we run into God’s presence at a business conference, we not only remember, we change! Moses understood it as a principle of leadership.
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15 Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?” 17 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Ex 33:14-17 NIV
I’m especially grateful for the presence of God in four areas:
Favor – When God is present, doors and hearts open… especially mine. We are stewards of our own gifts and talents, and it is our responsibility to use them wisely and with diligence and initiative. After having done all, it’s never enough. It’s the favor of God that pushes us to the next level. We can all look back on our history and see His resurrection in our defeats and His protection in our walk. He really does send his angels before us. When all is said and done, our history fits a pattern for good.
“See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Ex 23:20-21 NIV
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. Ps 91:11-12 NIV
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Rom 8:28-29 NASU
Co-Laboring – There is something about working together with others in the presence and purpose of God that is absolutely holy. The revelation is that it can happen in our business. I help a good friend occasionally with his “cow business.” I ride a horse in beautiful country to gather his cattle. Some might see it as dirty work in adverse weather with unpredictable animals. For me, it’s a symphony of everything good in life. I believe Steve Jobs felt that way about his computer products. Doing something well with God is worship. You can feel the blessing of God on the work of your hands. We were each created to enjoy doing something great while working with the Father. It’s a sweet experience to find that space in life and in our vocation. That is the message of finding your mountain.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10 NIV
Impact – One of the great privileges of experiencing the presence of God is that it becomes very easy to help others experience the same. Our beliefs and ideas and theology are all in the realm of the mind. Intellect is the realm of logic, debate, controversy and dissension. But an experience with God at the level of our heart leaves us bathed in love and at a loss for words. Knowing the Spirit of Truth (wisdom) in a Biblical sense is really an encounter with a person (Jesus)! Sound doctrine has one use: a correct belief about the nature of God helps us enter His presence and operate out of our hearts.
When we learn to see people at a heart level, we can prophetically see past the outer cover of their minds and catch a glimpse of their gifts and purpose in the Kingdom. It suddenly becomes easy to love and appreciate God’s people – even before they get saved. And it becomes easy to release them into their personal dream and their Kingdom destiny. This experience of His presence is a jailbreak of delight; it’s a path of life filled with eternal pleasure.
You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Ps 16:11 NIV
Worship – At each victory there is a very real sense in which our names are made great because of diligent preparation, hard work, tangible progress, quality products and meaningful results. When something great happens during our day, there is no greater delight than to take those accomplishments and lay them at the feet of Jesus and thank Him for His presence. Our sleep is filled with tears of gratitude and the thrill of even greater works tomorrow. We are not afraid to ask for “more Lord.”
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. John 14:12-14 NIV
PS: Pray with us – There are signs of revival in Europe. As we go to the Netherlands and Poland, I am reminded of every exciting story from past trips… flowing in the middle of meetings with business men and women surprised and disarmed by the presence of God. This all came in the middle of an amazing revelation that dreams do come true, businesses do flourish, and God really does lead us through the desires of our hearts. Now, in humility, we are faced with the reality that God will take us higher! He will exceed our expectations in ways we cannot yet imagine, for the sake of His precious people and His desire to bless the nations.
Here is the specific prayer request and a couple of the responses: What would a reformation look like if we got a revival (like Toronto) out of the meeting box and touched a nation? What would the goals be in those seven mountains? What would a revival look like in a business or political or education or entertainment mountain? How do we do that? …lead it?
