The Glory of His Presence!!

By Helen Jesze, 29^th September 2023

“It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.”

2 Chronicles 5:13+14 KJV

“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.”

Matthew 17:1+2 KJV

When I was 19 years old, we got to know Missionary-Evangelists Tony and Marge Abram. At that time Tony was a co-evangelist for the South of England, with the T.L.Osborn Evangelistic Assn. They came to minister, tell about Bro. Osborn’s work and show the missionary films at my father’s church. A few days before that, the Lord had spoken to me that He would open the way for me to go to work at Osborns’. I had no idea how this would come about as the head office was in Tulsa, Okla., USA. However, they told us a new office had been opened in Birmingham, UK, and gave me the contact details. Within three weeks I had been for an interview and was already working there, in the German Dept. and often met Tony and Marge after that.

Tony used to preach and Marge would sing in her attractive alto voice. They were a perfect team, and I often think of one song she used to sing, which went like this:

I have walked alone with Jesus in a fellowship divine Never more can Earth allure me, I am His and He is mine. I have seen Him, I have known Him, for He deigns to walk with me And the glory of His presence will be mine eternally. Oh the glory of His presence, Oh the beauty of His face, I am His and His forever, He has won me by His grace.

Every person has a ‘presence’, an atmosphere they carry with them, some negative, some positive. But the greatest, most marvellous presence is the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. In easy and difficult days, we can experience His Presence guiding, comforting, breaking chains, making a way for us.

Moses had been on the mountain talking with God, and he did not know that his face was shining with God’s glory. Aaron the priest, and the Israelites were terrified of him, so much so that he had to wear a veil over his face, until he went up the mount again. Although unusual, if that should happen under the Old Covenant, how much more could it happen under the New Covenant, where the Holy Spirit actually lives in us?! The ark of God carried the Presence of God in the Old Testament, but after Calvary, every person can be born-again and carry that Presence within their heart, in a lesser or greater degree.

Peter, James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration saw Jesus’ face and garments become filled with glorious light and glory. When I was working in Birmingham and going to Hockley Pentecostal Church where the Holy Spirit was working mightily, I had an unusual experience. Some friends and I were going home after the Saturday night meeting. When we got on the bus, we noticed people began to look at us strangely, even fearfully, and back away from us. We had no answer except that perhaps some of God’s glory was shining out from us.

Sometimes God will show His Presence in the form of a cloud. In the church I attend, many years ago at a week-night meeting, everybody saw a cloud come through the door and into the room where they were having a prayer-meeting. The cloud stayed all the time they were there. The glory of the Holy Spirit and His Presence!

Many times I have felt the presence and the glory of God, but only one time have I actually seen it come in a ‘cloud’. That was at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, when Pastor John Osteen was the pastor. They had invited us there to attend their missionary conference. One evening, I saw a mist, a cloud come down and hover over the platform. I knew it was the glory of God and went to give a prophetic word.

In the verses above from Chronicles, it describes that the presence of God filled the Temple and the priests could no longer stand to minister because of the cloud which descended. Holy Spirit anointed praise and worship will bring down the glory of God and His manifest presence. That is what happened here. The singers and musicians gave themselves over to worship in such a degree that the glory fell like a cloud. The priests could no longer stand to do their service.

Very often in our meetings people would fall down under the power of the Lord. Years ago, this used to be called being “slain in the Spirit”. I remember one meeting in Holland where God was moving mightily and before we could even touch or pray for the people, they were falling down. One of the deacons was running around saying, “This shouldn’t be happening! This shouldn’t be happening!” We said, “Dear Brother, we have nothing to do with this! Jesus is the Head of the Church and He is the One deciding what is happening! Let Him have His way!”

This was a Pentecostal church, where many were baptised in the Holy Spirit, but they had never seen God moving in this way. We had to leave to go to another meeting, and left their team to deal with all the people who were being healed, delivered and whom God was working upon. Much could be said about this, but perhaps another time.

God does not always work in this way but as we often had this in our meetings, we would see that someone was standing behind, in case they fell down when we prayed for them. We knew a Church of England vicar who had recently been filled with the Spirit, and was 5 hours under the power of the Lord laying in front of the altar in his church. Everyone else went home and left him! God was doing a deep work in His servant!!

Another song about the glory , which I love and often sing is:

“Oh, the glory of your Presence. We, your children give you reverence So arise to your rest and be blessed by our praise, As we glory in your embrace As your Presence now fills this place!”

As children of God, are we losing our ‘reverence’ for our Lord? Yes, He is Abba Father – Daddy, and wants to take us up on His spiritual lap to embrace us, wrapping us round with His love like a warm blanket on a cold night, but let’s never forget He is also the God above all gods – the Great Creator. As the glory of His Presence falls and we yield to it, a great reverence will fill our heart and the room, as we humble ourselves before Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, come and fill us with the glory of your Presence, we pray today. Let us have a fresh glimpse and realisation of how wonderful you are. We give you permission to manifest yourself in any way you want to in our lives. We take the limits off of you! In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen!