Creating An Opening For God's Presence

My prayer is that this message from Jim Goll will encourage you to press in and seek God's presence. You can find more from James Goll at http://www.encountersnetwork.com/

BLOWING THE ROOF OFF YOUR HOUSE

Making Jesus At Home In Your House

Read Mark 2:1- 5 slowly as a parable. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring personal applications to your life.

1. Mark 2:1 - Is Jesus at “Home” in your house - family - congregation- city? What would you need to do to have Him be more than the “honored guest” who occasionally shows up
2. Mark 2:2 - When Jesus is “in His temple” - people will gather and revelation will rest on the word of God. May God’s house be full to overflowing and may the crowds gather once again to hear the word of the Lord!
3. Mark 2:3 - Some became dissatisfied with the crowds as they were. Four men became desperate for a “break through” on another level. Through the heat of the day, they carried their paralytic friend on a stretcher to the house where Jesus was. They worked hard to carry this “dead weight” possibly at a distance. It cost them something to get him there, but they wanted more!
4. Mark 2:4 - They could not get near to Jesus due to the crowds. They could have given up, but instead - they moved from the natural into the supernatural to find their solution. Then hope came. We will tear the roof off the house. So they proceeded upon the roof to tear it open with their hands. Through great effort - they dug a big hole in the roof (opened heavens) and lowered their friend into the presence of the living Messiah.
5. Mark 2:5 - Jesus saw “their faith.” Whose faith? All their faith together! Then he spoke to the paralytic - “Your sins are forgiven.” This results in healing the body. May these words echo through our lives today and the sick Body of Christ be raised up to “wholeness.”

Examples of Opened Heavens in Scripture

1. Like in Genesis 28:16-17, we need the gates of heaven opened over our cities, churches and families. (For more on this subject see the lesson “Gatekeepers of His Presence” in my Revival Breakthrough Study Guide.)
2. Like in Mark 2:1-5, we need to “Blow the Roof Off” our thinking, concepts and believe the Lord for extraordinary works of grace. Desperate times take desperate measures. We need desperate laborers to arise who are not content with life as is to tear the roof off in order to lower another into the presence of Jesus!

THREE KEYS NEEDED

Prayer Opens The Way!

Testimony of the Hebrides Island Revival in 1952.

Two desperate women - Peggy & Christina Smith - 84 & 82 years old - were desperate for a revival on their island off of Scotland. They began praying from Isaiah 44:3,

“For I will pour out water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, and My blessing on your descendants.”

They reminded God of His word. Then they began to claim Isaiah 64:1

"O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Thy presence. . .”

The oldest sister was blind, but she received a vision and proclaimed, “He’s coming! He’s coming! He’s already here!”

The Spirit of God fell in a barn that night where seven young men were praying from Isaiah 62:6,7 where it tells us,

"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have appointed watchmen; All day and all night they will never keep silent. You who remind the Lord, take no rest for yourselves; And give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.”

Sure enough God came. This began the great Hebrides Revival under the preaching of Duncan Campbell. A spiritual radiation zone was created and many souls were saved!

Testimony of Evan Roberts and the Welsh Revival of 1904.

At the age of 13 young Evan began to seek the Lord. At the age of 26 Revival came to his home town. He taught the people to pray two simple prayers. “Send the Spirit now for Jesus Christ sake.” The second prayer was similar. “Send the Spirit now more powerfully for Jesus Christ sake.”

Indeed, God’s Spirit came down and 100,000 souls were swept up into God’s Kingdom. Today, a cry is arising - “More Lord!” Yes, there must be a youth revolution come as it was with Evan Roberts. We must have a “transgernerational anointing” as it was with Peggy & Christina Smith. It is time for prayer to arise and to blow the roof off the house!

The Key of the Prophetic

The prophetic becomes a powerful took to open closed minds, closed doors and closed situations. Seek God, get His word, put the key in the door & turn it! Read the following scriptures.

1. Deut. 8:3 - man lives by God’s Word.
2. Matt. 4:4 - by every Word that proceeds.
3. Eph. 6:17 - the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.
4. Luk. 11:52 - we must use the key and not hinder others.

The Key of His Presence

We need His presence more than anything in this life! The one outstanding distinguishing characteristic of God’s people is to be His presence among us!

1. Exodus 33:12-23 - God gave Moses his request and revealed His glorious Presence to Him.
2. Exodus 25:30 - the bread of His Presence (or shewbread) used by the priest in ministering to the Lord.

WHEN WE CARE FOR HIS PRESENCE

I want to tell you a dream that has recently gripped my soul. In January, 1999 while I was having some forced rest due to a hernia surgery - the Lord visited me with a piercing dream that is helping to set my course of direction right now and I believe is a clear word to His people.

In this dream, I was holding long loaves of bread each wrapped in their own individual napkin. I was holding these loaves of bread close to my chest right over my heart. Then I got our youngest child's (Rachel's) blanket she has had since birth. I now wrapped these loaves of bread in her dear baby blanket. I held the bread close to my heart and just kind of rocked the bread as you would a new born child. Then I heard the words,

"When My people will care for, cherish, nurture and love the "Bread of My Presence" like a parent does it's new born child - then revival will come."

I then found my self awakened out of the dream only to find my arms were held out as though holding and rocking something. I then heard myself prophesying out loud in the bedroom the same words I had just heard in the dream as the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit was lingering over my body. The Lord was emphasizing these words by having them be repeated twice!

This I know - He wants us to cherish and care for His Presence. Pray for His presence. Love His presence. Nurture His presence - after all - isn't this what you have longed for all your life? Isn't this what you were made laborers to arise who are not content with life as is to tear the roof off in order to lower another into the presence of Jesus!

Go for it in Jesus Name! You can have an open heaven over your heart and life and carry it with you wherever you go! Just love His presence!

BLESSINGS TO YOU!

James W. Goll www.enountersnetwork.com

I encourage you to set time aside to dwell in God's presence. There's no better place to be.