ON GOD’S PRESENCE..... May 25, 2012
You may or may not
believe this, but I have a very vivid memory of my early childhood. I vividly remember the time when there was a
great move of God’s Spirit in our little church in Friendship, Maine. People were so touched by God’s presence that
Sunday night after Sunday night people were receiving the Holy Ghost and people
were regularly being baptised in Jesus’ Name.
It was a season of revival as I recall.
During that time there was a young teenage girl who began coming to
church and she would be dropped off by her dad for each service and at the end
of the service her dad would be there to pick her up. He usually stayed in the car and to my
recollection, he had never been inside the church but was faithful in bringing
his daughter to church and picking her up afterward. I remember he was a very big man, much bigger
than my dad. In those days my dad was
like a “bean pole”. What stood out to me was that this very big man drove a
little tiny Volkswagen Beetle. One Sunday night the Spirit of God was so strong
in the meeting. People were weeping in the
presence of the Lord, and some were even “slain out” in the Spirit. That night
Debbie received the baptism of the Holy Ghost! After the church service I
remember going to the trailer and dad saying, “I wonder what Debbie’s father
thinks when he picks up his daughter as she goes to the car crying each
night? I hope it doesn’t cause a problem
for her.” Well, it was the very next
Sunday night that the Spirit was moving once again and like the night’s before,
Debbie goes to her father’s car weeping because of the sweet presence of
God. This night, however, her father was
visibly disturbed! He got out of his car, walked into the church and pointed
his finger at dad and simply beckoned for him to come outside. I’m not exactly sure what went through my
dad’s head at that moment but it appeared that his heart went into his throat
as I saw him try to swallow and then it was as though dad went white as a
sheet! Without any hesitation dad walked directly over to ME and grabbed my arm
and ushered me outside with him. Then MY heart went into MY throat and I began
wondering, “What have I done and where are we going!?” I’m quite sure that was
the day I peed my pants! Now that I look back at that time, I guess dad
realized that he was about to get a “first class throttlin’” and probably would
have peed HIS pants! I realize now that he was just wanting his 7 year old son
to protect him! HA! The father simply said to dad, “Get in!”. Dad pulled me
over to the car, shoved me into the back seat with Debbie and dad got into the
passenger’s seat beside the father. It kinda looked funny because the man was
so big and dad was so skinny. For a moment the four of us just sat there in
silence.....He started the car and we drove away from the church. We didn’t go very far when the father pulled
the car over to the side of the street, turned the car off and then the father
turned to dad and began to speak. I
remember looking up at him and seeing tears run down his cheeks as he began to
say to dad, “I don’t know what’s been happening to my daughter but it’s so
beautiful and I want what she’s got!” Suddenly there was an unexplainable
relief that came into that little Volkswagen!
Then my dad put his hand on his shoulder and began to share the Love of
God with this man and dad said, “Would you let me pray with you?” He literally shook the whole car as dad
prayed for him! He bawled like a
baby! I shall never forget it! Folks....That’s what happens when God’s people
invite His presence into their midst!
Lives are transformed!!
Hey....Let’s have REVIVAL!!!!
SRR
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