Face to Face with God

1. God's Face: The Ultimate Quest for Intimacy

The bottom line is that we give all of ourselves to obtain all of Him.

Heart's Desire: The desire to seek God is not something we conjure up ourselves; it's a gift from God, a seed planted within us that grows as we experience His goodness. This longing isn't about performing for God, but about communing with Him, beholding His glory, and being transformed into His image. This quest is not for the faint of heart, as it requires a willingness to die to our own desires and agendas.

Beyond Curiosity: This journey is not a casual pursuit; it's a sacred, all-consuming quest that demands our everything. It's a journey that few respond to, as many are numbed by secular reasoning or religious disappointments. Yet, it's a journey that is within reach of all, regardless of age or background. It's a quest that adds meaning and definition to all other pursuits in life.

Ministry to the Lord: The author's personal journey began with a call to ministry, not to accomplish great feats, but to minister directly to the Lord in thanksgiving, praise, and worship. This call was not about music or performance, but about ministering directly to the Lord in His actual presence. This pursuit led to a lifestyle of abandonment to His presence, where encounters with God became not just possible, but probable.

2. Favor: God's Measurable, Stewarded Gift

While God loves everyone the same, not everyone has the same measure of favor.

Two Dimensions: The quest for God's face has two central dimensions: seeking His presence and seeking His favor. Seeking His presence is not about getting God to do something, but about aligning our lives with His kingdom. This alignment is achieved through a burning conviction that God is good, an awareness of His presence in all things, and a commitment to gathering with other believers in His name.

Grace and Power: Favor, or grace (charis), is a gift from God that includes both access to His presence and the power to become like Christ. This favor is given to all believers, but it's not a static gift; it's something that must be stewarded. The failure to understand and pursue the journey of stewarding God's favor has led many to die with unfulfilled dreams.

Faithfulness is Key: God gives us only what we can handle by His grace, and the key to growth at every stage is faithfulness. God is looking for faithfulness in those who say they love Him. The parable of the talents illustrates that God gives different measures of favor, but He rewards those who use what they've been given to gain increase. Unfaithfulness, on the other hand, is judged.

3. Worship: The Battle for God's Presence

The issue of worship is the defining issue of human history.

Worship's Purpose: From the beginning, humanity was created to worship God, and the salvation purchased by Christ is not only salvation from death but also salvation unto a life of communion with God in worship. The enemy's agenda has always been to rob our destinies by getting us to worship anything but God. This is why the issue of worship is the defining issue of human history.

Pharaoh's Tactics: The Exodus story reveals the devil's tactics to keep people from entering complete freedom. Pharaoh's attempts to compromise Israel's worship—keeping it "in the land," not going "very far away," only letting the men go, and keeping their possessions—are all strategies to control God's people and prevent them from fully surrendering to Him.

Extreme Worship: True worship is extreme worship, and only extreme worship brings extreme results—transformation. It involves the dedication of our entire lives to God, including our families and our financial resources. It's a worship that terrifies the devil because nothing is withheld from those who worship with reckless abandon.

4. The Spirit: Manifesting God's Face

God’s face is revealed in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit!

Outpouring's Purpose: The outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not just about personal experiences; it's about empowering the church to fulfill its assignment to disciple nations. This outpouring is the key to the disciples' success and is the key for every believer in the last days. It's about being filled with the fullness of God so that He can overflow through us to the world.

More Than Indwelling: The outpouring of the Spirit is different from the indwelling presence of the Spirit. Every believer receives the Spirit at conversion, but the outpouring is a baptism of power that enables us to demonstrate the life of Jesus. This baptism is not just a one-time event; it's a continuous filling that empowers us to be witnesses.

Power and Purpose: The kingdom of God is power, and the outpouring of the Spirit is given to us so that we might be filled with His power and be enabled to authentically demonstrate the life of Jesus before this world. This power enables us to present Jesus to others in a way that meets every human need. The purpose of this power is to bring transformation to the world around us.

5. Jesus: The Perfect Revelation of God

Jesus, the face of God, wasn’t noticed until the Spirit of God came upon Him.

John's Preparation: John the Baptist's assignment was to prepare the way for the face of God to be revealed in Jesus Christ. John's ministry was not just about making declarations; it was about preparing the way for an actual manifestation of the face of God. John's statement, "I did not recognize Him," highlights that Jesus wasn't noticed until the Holy Spirit came upon Him.

God is Good: The nature of God revealed in Christ is that He is good, always. This is a controversial subject, as many struggle with the idea that God is always good in light of the difficulties in the world. However, Jesus's life demonstrates that God is not an angry Father, but a merciful and compassionate one.

Jesus's Model: Jesus modeled a life of dependence on God, and He showed us that the ultimate quest is for the face of God. He grew in favor with God and man, and He demonstrated that the way to becoming a faithful servant of God is by learning to be His friend. Jesus is the perfect model for every believer.

6. Ambush: Pursuing God with Passion

God is looking for someone who will get out of his or her routine and set up an ambush.

Hunger for More: Hunger for God is a sign of life, revealing an inner awareness of a greater destiny. This desire is a testimony that there is more, and it should encourage us to pursue encounters with God. Jesus promised that He would manifest Himself to those who love Him.

Waiting with Passion: Waiting on God is not a passive activity; it's an active pursuit characterized by intense focus, disciplined resolve, and a conviction that nothing else will satisfy. It's like setting up an ambush, positioning ourselves in places where God frequents, eagerly anticipating His every move.

Examples of Pursuit: Jacob wrestled with God until he received a blessing, Elisha refused to be distracted from his assignment, and Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem, knowing He was about to die. These examples illustrate the kind of passionate focus that is required to encounter God.

7. Joy: The Reward of His Presence

The joy of the Lord is your strength.

Joy's Offense: One of the greatest offenses in this present move of God is the manifestation of joy. It's a manifestation that often causes offense because it violates our comfort zones and challenges our religious traditions. Yet, joy is a normal expression of being with God.

Beyond Tears: While tears are a natural response to repentance, joy is the reward of a right relationship with God. It's a sign that we are acceptable to Him and that He delights in us. It's a powerful force that strengthens us and enables us to overcome the challenges of life.

Joy's Power: Joy is not just a feeling; it's a source of strength. It's the atmosphere of heaven, and it's the power that enables us to live in the kingdom of God. It's a gift from God that we are to embrace and celebrate.

8. Reflection: Becoming a Portrait of God

We are to become a portrait of God.

Re-Presenting Jesus: Every believer is assigned the privilege of re-presenting Jesus to the world. This means that we are to become a portrait of God, reflecting His love, power, character, and wisdom. It's not just about preaching the Word; it's about living a life that demonstrates His nature.

Love, Power, Character, Wisdom: These are the expressions of God's nature that must be seen all at once in our lives. Love is sacrificial and seeks nothing in return, power is the ability to demonstrate the miraculous, character is the fruit of the Spirit, and wisdom is the creative expression of God.

Renewed Mind: The renewed mind is the key to displaying the kingdom of God. It's about thinking from heaven toward Earth, embracing the truth that God is good, that nothing is impossible, that we fight from victory, and that we are significant.

9. Glory: A People Transformed by His Presence

We were born to live in the glory of God.

New Creation: True believers are a new creation, a new race of people that has never existed before. We are being positioned to display the wonders of God to the world around us. The "greater works" of John 14:12 are yet to come upon an entire generation.

Transformed by Glory: The Mount of Transfiguration was a prophetic example of the glory that is available to believers. Jesus's face shone with God's glory, and His clothing radiated the same glory. This is the destiny of every believer—to be transformed by His presence and to reflect His glory to the world.

Living in Glory: We were born to live in the glory of God, and it's time for the people of God to rise as one and display His power and glory. This is not a future hope; it's a present reality that we are to embrace. We are to live in the atmosphere of heaven, where there is no darkness, discouragement, or depression, but only the light and joy of His face.

Last updated: January 21, 2025