When was a situation in which you sensed the presence of God? How did
it make you feel? As I was reading about John’s vision of the second coming
of Christ, it came to mind that depending upon our relationship with the
Lord, each person is affected differently by Jesus presence…
Revelation 1:7
“Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they
also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because
of him. Even so, Amen.”
Yes, Christ’s coming is foretold, yet the exact timing of His arrival
is withheld. However, the Bible says above that Jesus cometh with clouds…
Ladies, life itself involves quite a few cloudy days and moments, does
it not? As believers, we speak of our longing for Christ’s coming. I wonder
though, is it because of our love for the Lord or just because we want
relief from the clouds??
You see, the presence of God carries such an overwhelming intensity that
our cloudy circumstances need not block our view of the Lord or subdue
our faith in Him! Even those who have pierced Christ, puncturing deeply
His heart with their sin, can still have a close relationship with the
Lord by receiving forgiveness for their transgressions through repentance.
Hence, they are filled with humility and a greater understanding of their
need for a Savior. May this verse remind us of the nearness of Christ’s
return so that we may deal with our sins in a humble and timely fashion!
As John further stated, all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of
Christ… Jesus coming will be a distressing day for many people who know
not the Lord, as well as for the believer who has chosen to live a life
of willful disobedience to God. Will you be one of the wailers, dear lady?
It is natural for humanity to want to comfort one who is unmistakably
upset, but this is not the appropriate time for coddling! Did you notice
the Bible said, “Even so, Amen?” In other words, let it be done! We must
allow the presence of God to perform it’s perfect work upon us all. Ladies,
please be careful that in ministering to others, you do not pamper those
who wail because of Christ! It is due to their own disregard that stressful
conditions have come to pass, for wailing is caused by sin! Such individuals
have failed to respect God’s authority over their life, resulting in rebellious,
independent spirits. If He catches them unaware, it is their own fault.
For you to come alongside such a one is to interfere with God’s work,
not help! I’ve seen far too many women hop from one unhappy person to
the next trying to be the hero and patch things up yet failing to understand
the root problem behind the bawling that goes on. We tend to treat people’s
symptoms where the Great Physician would bring genuine spiritual healing.
Let people sense God’s presence (not yours!) and let it change them before
it is too late…
2 Thes. 1:7-8, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord
Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, [8] In flaming
fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:”
Christians should not treat God’s presence as a burden when it is a blessing!
Whenever man’s personality is met by God’s we will be greatly disturbed
by the difference in our nature as compared to His. Hence, God would fit
us for heaven with the very pressures that are placed upon us. May God
help you if all you seek to do is relieve pressure and undermine the presence
of God! Suffering and glory cannot be divided… Stop running around your
church with a Kleenex box trying to wipe all tears away; some tears are
meant to flow! God will wipe all tears away at a later date. Ask the Lord
for the sense to know how to get involved with people!
Mark 14:72, “And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind
the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt
deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept.”
A perfect illustration of the need for people to fully sense the presence
of God is found in the life of Peter. Here was a man who greatly avoided
the pressure God was placing on his life as a disciple and soon vehemently
denied even knowing Christ at all! Certainly Peter’s behavior pierced
the heart of the One who was ready to die for him…What Peter needed was
time alone to allow his thoughts to return to God and His Word. Once this
took place, he wept bitterly for rejecting the Lord. In God’s presence,
Peter became sorry for his sins and dealt with them. Supposing you had
come alongside Peter at that moment to comfort him in his bawling…Is man’s
presence what Peter really needed? Would that have been what God would
have approved of? Would the results have been the same? Let us learn from
Peter’s account not to be so quick to react to the symptoms of sin…
James 1:4a, “But let patience have her perfect work…”
Ladies, God can’t build character into anyone without their cooperation,
including you! When we resist, He chastens. When we submit to God then
He is free to finish His work within us. For the work’s sake, it is imperative
that you understand precisely when to get involved in the life of other
people. Are you easily distracted by wailing? What if a sister in the
Lord is sobbing at the altar, are you more inclined to run and comfort
her or grant her that time to cry over her sin at the feet of Jesus? If
God has not been allowed to work freely in your life, it is highly unlikely
that you will recognize the timing of your involvement with others! Therein
lies the danger of your influence… Many obstinate, prideful believers
have interfered with the ministry of the shepherd as he tends his flock,
undermining the pastor’s counsel to his sheep by throwing in the band-aid
of their own self-absorbed advice with the same. Ladies, if you aren’t
cooperating with God, how can you possibly cooperate with God’s man??
It is best to keep your homemade remedies to yourself until the day you
settle on swallowing the remedy God has for your behavior! Only then can
you be a true help to your church family. As a matter of fact, that is
what John did as we read a bit further into Revelation 1:17…
“And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right
hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last.”
Notice that when John met with God’s character he didn’t wail – he simply
fell at God’s feet as dead! Had John not taken this position of humility
before the Lord he would never have experienced the hand of God on his
life! When is the last time you fell at God’s feet as dead, dear lady?
That is when the special touch of Christ comes; that is when the strength
and security of God fills your life as He speaks away fear in your heart
and floods your soul with the reassurance of His loving presence! What
does it mean to you that Christ, in all His splendor and majesty, made
the effort to calm John when he encountered the pressure of the Lord’s
outstanding personhood? You see, humility affords us God’s comforting
presence – this is when God coddles us! It is not when we are filled with
our own ways but rather dead to them. Behold, He cometh; how you are affected
by Christ’s arrival depends on you!
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
