From Meeting, to Testimony, to Witness
In this revelatory article, we'll study why it's important to hunger and thirst after, contend for and pursue--breakthrough for God's presence! We all want encounters with God that will release abundant favor and fruit in our lives for His glory. We'll examine exciting Biblical truths and blueprints through the lives and testimonies of Moses, Aaron and the study of the Old Testament tabernacle and tent of meeting. We'll study how to go from the tent of meeting to testimony, to becoming a witness of the testimony of His presence. It's an exciting place where we can believe for the impossible and where anything can happen!
God has a great calling for everyone and to each one He has given giftings and anointings, for He has marked you for that purpose of displaying His glory and these things are testimony that you have met with the King of Glory! In Numbers 17, the Lord instructs Moses to take all the almond rods of the twelve tribes of Israel and place them in the Tabernacle of Meeting. Aaron's rod went in for the Levite tribe (the tribe of the priests), and all the rods were placed in the tabernacle "before the testimony where I meet with you" (Numbers 17:4). Testimony is established when we meet with the Lord.
Your meeting or encounter with God establishes testimony that you just met the glorious One! What a testimony your life becomes! Aaron was a priest just as you and I are priests--a royal priesthood according to the New Covenant by the Blood of Jesus, our Great High Priest. We have access to His Throne. We don't have to draw away from it because the Blood of Jesus washes us (there's no condemnation or shame) "that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
Aaron's rod is symbolic of authority. Recall that it blossomed! He used it to demonstrate to Pharaoh that the God of the Hebrews was the Lord. This same rod struck the rocks at Horeb and Kadesh to bring forth water (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:7-11).
When we move out and minister in our giftings and callings, we need to move in authority. The authority of God Himself is our platform for anything He's called us to do--be it over our community or over a nation. When the Lord gives you authority to move, you have a platform. We all need the Lord to give us increasing authority, that He would touch us as He did Aaron's rod with favor.
Shortly after Moses entered into the tabernacle of meeting, he went to the area of testimony and then into the tabernacle of witness (Numbers 17:8). The Lord's glory makes you a witness, not in word only, but in demonstration of the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus!
When God commanded Moses to take the children of Israel out of Sinai and head to the land of milk and honey (Exodus 33), Moses took his tent, pitched it outside the camp, and called it the "tabernacle of meeting." Everyone who sought the Lord went out to that tent. When Moses entered the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended (God's presence) and the Lord talked with Moses. Every person who watched from their tent could see the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door and they arose and worshiped! Moses asked of the Lord, "Now, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people" (verse 13).
Grace for a nation! How would you like to be a part of a history-making generation used to release a mighty move of God, whereby tens of thousands of people all over the U.S. came to the Lord! How hungry are you for such harvest? Are you willing to deny the flesh, enter into the tent of meeting to the tabernacle of testimony and into the tabernacle of witness to see the impossible? Are you ready to say, "Lord, here am I, fill me afresh with Your presence!"
I heard about a prophetic minister from the 1950's, whereby everything he prophesied came to pass except for one thing. He once had a vision of a tent like the tent of meeting. It looked like a revival tent. Inside this tent was another little room filled with glory and power, so brilliant, that it permeated the tent fabric and people lined up as far as one could see for healing the blind, the deaf and the cripple. Everyone wanted to get into this room in the tent because as soon as they entered in, they'd exit healed, just like that!
I believe the tent this person saw was a tent of meeting. This is where the Church begins to live in the glory. Don't just contend for an encounter with God, rather, contend for a habitation of the glory--the glory of the Spirit of the Lord to rest upon us! (Isaiah 11:2).
New Beginnings
"Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds" (Numbers 17:8).
BEHOLD the rod sprouted, budded, blossomed and bore fruit! Almonds and the blossoms represent new beginnings and resurrection life. When we behold Him, see Him, encounter Him, we're transformed too, from glory to glory! Remember, the rod represented the whole Levi tribe, so His presence brought life and authority not only to Aaron, but also to the extended Levite family. Notice that God didn't say, "Just listen to what I'm going to say," instead, He said, "Behold," in other words, "Watch and see what I do for the House of Levi!" His presence will bring fresh ripe fruit into your household--this is that time! Now let me unpack this phenomenon of God's presence because it is truly exciting!
"My beloved spoke, and said to me: 'rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grapes give a good smell. Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away!'" (Song of Solomon 2:10-13).
The prophets have been speaking much about this season of new beginnings. Bob Jones refers to it as "the season of the dove," as in Isaiah 11:2, the Spirit of the Lord resting upon us. The "dove company" comprises a people not satisfied with just a little touch from God. They contend for the tangible resting of His presence remaining on them. I know that you want the Lord to come and rest afresh upon you! Did you read that reference from the Song of Solomon? Do you see what happens when the dove's voice is heard "in our land?" Fruit! Fragrant, tender, fresh fruit!
Joy and Favor in the Latter Rain
Ask the Lord for a fresh cloud of His presence that releases the latter rain for your life! "And the light of the king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of latter rain" (Proverbs 16:15). His favor releases the buds and blossoms in your life, and it keeps the foxes (thieves) from going after the tender little vines, so that you will produce such fruit! The presence of the Lord is a fruitful place! The light of God's face is life! It's pure joy, man! We as God's people should be HAPPY people! Are you happy or do you go around with a "woe is me" countenance?
I tell you, time in His presence, beholding His face, will cause yours to light up like the nighttime skyline of a great city. "In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11). Pleasures forever more! His presence is JOY! Would you like a fresh anointing of His joy? It's contagious! The oil of this joyful anointing will get on people! Trust me, with the oil of joy upon you, people will laugh and celebrate as they encounter you. Ha! You'll receive tons of invitations to visit because so many are miserable and need that oil that you have! The joy of the Lord is our strength!
That cloud of His presence releases joy and harvest! That's why the prophet says, "Be glad then you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given you the former rain faithfully. And He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain in the first months. The threshing floor shall be full of wheat and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil" (Joel 2:23-24).
Harvest in the Latter Rain
If you're born again, you're a child of Zion; so this applies to you, and you can do what Joel says and rejoice in the Lord! We see that the rain releases the harvest. The threshing floors full of wheat symbolize souls and Kingdom harvest.
You get to possess the Kingdom! This latter rain will also release overflow because "the vats shall overflow." Ask the Lord to enlarge your vat, and as He pours in, you can pour out blessings to the world. Out of your belly shall flow RIVERS, not streams, but rivers of living water. We don't want dry riverbeds. We want constant, continuous, bank-to-bank overflow that overflows with new wine and new oil! Wine to make your heart glad and oil to make your face shine (Psalm 104:15-16). We're not talking alcohol here; we're talking partaking of the new wine in the new wineskins--supernatural wine that gets you drunk in the spiritual. Because you are a king in Christ Jesus, you're invited to drink deeply of the new wine He has for you. Spend time in His presence, drinking in of the new wine, and being drenched with the fresh oil (not yesterday's oil)!
Restoration and Favor
Are there things in your life that need restoration? Not only is this the year of God's favor, but a year of His justice. He will restore to you everything the cankerworm has robbed (Joel 2:26-27). So not only does the cloud of His presence release that fresh anointing of favor--the fresh flow of His latter rain that brings through the vat an enlargement of the overflow for Kingdom harvest--but also restoration of everything the enemy has stolen!
You see, you become the tabernacle of His presence, His latter rain and thus, you can release restoration in your life because of that abiding presence. With the glory of the Lord shining so brightly in you, you can go about the ruined cities and see the desolation of heritages and generations restored (Isaiah 61). Wow!
A few weeks ago while in Cedar Rapids, I met up with a group of young people from Davenport, Indiana. I walked right over to them and said, "Yeah! I love to praise the Lord in the Wal-Marts!" They responded with an equally enthusiastic, "Yeah!" and at that moment, the power of God hit every one of them and then boom, down on the floor they went! Their group tripled in number the following evening, and I learned that my word about praising the Lord in Wal-marts was confirmation to them--because that's exactly what they'd been out doing, praising the Lord in Wal-Mart! The Lord touched them mightily again the next night too!
In fact, I received an email just a while ago from one of the members of this group of youth. He said that the Sunday following the Saturday meeting, during the service, the pastor asked, "What's going on with you young people?" He called for one of the youth to come forward and explain, and a boy said, "Oh, we've been in the glory man, the glory of His presence!" At that precise moment, gold dust fell upon the youth, and then the congregation! Suddenly, one of the young people said, "Pastor, we've got a few words of knowledge." The pastor told them to go ahead and the church received twenty different words for healing and everyone who responded received healing! Praise the Lord!
God will fill your river! "You visit the earth and water it. You greatly enrich it. The river of God is full of water." Tell yourself that your river is full! "The river of God is full of water. It provides their grain. The Lord has prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly. You settle its furrows. You make it soft with showers. You bless its growth" (Psalm 65:9-10).
When His rain comes, it's a soaking rain as we become drenched by His presence. Lift your hands and cry out, "Lord, soak me!" When He soaks you with His rain, you'll see Him do things for you that you could never do for yourself. His rain brings you that favor which is His presence, and you'll never forget where that outflow comes from because His presence is so mighty and beautiful, strikingly wonderful! His presence is His Person; it's not His Throne, but Him sitting upon it--upon the throne of your heart, sits the King.
Your paths will drip with abundance, and His rain will drop on the pastures of the wildernesses in your life (verse 11-12). The anointing will soak your wilderness so that it becomes like a buttery path that you glide on because of His favor. He the Rock pours out rivers of oil (Job 29:6) in your desert, in your wilderness, in your family and in your life, and you become a witness to the goodness of God. Check out His Word, you'll see that throughout all the ages of time, He always tells us that He wants to display His grace and His goodness for His glory, forever.
What happens when the rain drops in the pastures of your wilderness? His Word says, that the little hills rejoice on every side! "The green pastures are white with flock and grain fills the valleys, such that the hills and valleys shout for joy and sing" (Psalm 65:13). It's full circle! We're going to shout for joy and sing because of His presence upon us--soaking, softening, healing and bringing favor, His glory, power and beauty manifested in every area! As we meet with Him and encounter Him, we sing of His presence, and we become a witness with the transferable oil of joy upon us.
Conclusion
By now, I'm certain that you want the Lord to take you from meeting to testimony, to becoming a witness of the testimony of His presence! It's a different place to live--exciting! This place is a realm where you believe the impossible to be possible, a place where you believe anything can happen, and it will be because of the authority and favor He's given you. Faith is about courage. He told Joshua (in 1:9) to be strong and of good courage, not to afraid, fearful, or dismayed because God was with him for life!
Just as all of the great men and women of the Bible, God will give you authority that will release confidence, not in your ability, but in the strength of our Creator in and through us. As you go from strength-to-strength tell yourself, "That's where I'm going "strength-to-strength!"
There's no better way I can think of to conclude this message then by praying the way David did to God in Psalm 63 when David was in the wilderness of Judah. He found much joy in the fellowship and presence of His King.
Let's pray this prayer: O God, YOU ARE MY GOD! Oh God, I hunger and thirst after You! Fill this sanctuary (me) with Your glory and Your power, and I will speak of Your lovingkindness which is better than life! My lips will praise You! I will be a witness of the testimony of Your presence upon my life. I am being saturated with the abundance of Your house. And even when I lay down at night, Your presence is there with me. Thank You Lord for the privilege of Your awesome presence, and may Your presence rest upon me all the days of my life.
And now I pray for you: Lord, let a mighty outpouring of Your presence and power be released upon all who read this and their households. Let it be, God, to see hundreds of thousands of lives powerfully impacted through the Body of Christ Jesus as carriers of Your glory and presence. May they spring forth, bud, blossom and bring forth much fruit for the glory of the Kingdom.
Stand Firm World Ministries
Email: info@sfwm.org
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