Last week, we addressed the transforming effect of being in God’s manifest presence, His parousia. It was the apostles’ inquiry about His parousia that provoked Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24. We may think that we should just wait for this to come and not worry about working so hard at evangelism, the unity of His people, or the basic Christian disciplines that help transform us, but this is not so. The Lord gave many exhortations, such as keeping our vessels filled with oil, staying awake, and waiting expectantly for His return. Above all things, as the time gets closer, we should be even more devoted to His work in us and through us.

      As His presence and His coming draw near, we should be even more devoted to all of the disciplines of a godly life. Our devotion to these disciplines in such a dark, hard world is not just a great honor with the Lord and His angels but is also a witness to principalities and powers that God’s truth, righteousness, and justice will prevail. His parousia will be His last and greatest move upon the world before the capstone of this age, His appearing. His parousia will be a message to all that just being in His presence is more wonderful than anything man can create for himself.

      When I think back on the visitations of the Lord I have experienced, I cannot help but feel a renewed spiritual charge that’s hard to explain but infinitely wonderful. It helps me understand why some people are prone to living in the memory of the great things God has done. But we must not spend our time looking back or we might miss the greatest opportunity that His parousia will bring: to do the work we’re called to do. We must keep going, live in the present, and prepare for what He’s going to do in the future. As Amos 5:5-6 declares: "But do not resort to Bethel. And do not come to Gilgal, nor cross over to Beersheba; for Gilgal will certainly go into captivity and Bethel will come to trouble. Seek the Lord that you may live.”

       The Israelites experienced God at Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba. Those locations represented wonderful spiritual experiences. However, people can tend to try to park in the same place spiritually instead of moving where God wants them to go. We must keep moving. If we try to stay in the past, we will go into bondage, just as many people have done despite having experienced great moves of God. We’re here to seek God, not experiences. Our goal—the reason He created man--is to live in His presence. Nothing else will ever truly fill our souls.

      We must live in the present to be prepared for what the Lord is going to do. His name is “I Am,” not “I Was,” or “I Will Be.” It is good to remember the great things He has done, and many Scriptures exhort us to do that. It is good to have a vision for the future and to study the prophecies He has given concerning it. But more important than these is seeing Him and growing closer to Him today, as we are exhorted in Hebrews 3: “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts … but encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called ‘Today,’ so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”

       Certainly, with the Lord’s parousia, all of the spiritual disciplines will be easier, but doing easy things does not make us stronger. Those who have to live and fight for their spiritual lives in these dark or spiritually dry times are building their capacities for eternity. The angels know well that in His manifest presence you cannot help but worship Him, but it really means something to them and the Lord when we can still worship as we go through great trials and difficulties. The angels consider us worthy to be their judges when they see us keep our faith and worship with a thankful heart despite the hardships we endure on earth.

      We may be living in the darkest of times, but we are headed to a most wonderful time when His glory is manifest, and then He comes with His kingdom. But we must not waste the trials until then, as they are determining our eternal positions with Him in His kingdom. Rejoice when you experience His presence, but as you enjoy it, keep doing what you’re called to do.

© 2024 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.