Does God still invade people’s lives with the supernatural today? What happens when God gets ahold of a person? How is a person’s life changed by God encounters?
It only takes one touch from the living God, and you are never the same.
God Encounters Change Lives!
Certainly, as Scripture shows from these powerful examples, nothing is ever the same again once God has invaded your life.
— Jacob’s encounter with the living God—in a dream in the wilderness at Bethel—changed him from a deceiving schemer and trickster into Israel, “prince of God” and father of a nation of the people of God.
— Moses’ encounter with the living God—in a burning bush—changed him from a stuttering backcountry shepherd into a bold leader and deliverer of a nation who could confront the Pharaoh of Egypt, the world’s most powerful ruler.
— Deborah’s encounter with the fierceness of God changed a respectable judge into the deliverer of a nation who rendered courageous counsel to those in authority and vanquished the enemy’s army.
— Saul’s encounter with the risen Christ—in a vision on the road to Damascus—transformed him from a fire-breathing persecutor of the church into Paul, a fire-igniting apostle and evangelist who carried the gospel of Christ throughout the Roman Empire.
The annals of history also demonstrate that one God encounter can forever transform the course of a person’s life.
— Augustine’s encounter with God—through a voice that said, “Take and read, take and read”—led him to Romans 13:11-14. That passage changed him instantly from a doubting skeptic into a confirmed believer in Christ, and bequeathed to the church one of its greatest theologians and thinkers.
— Joan of Arc’s encounters of visionary guidance from the Lord changed the life of an uneducated peasant girl into that of a renowned counselor, strategist, military leader and consecrated martyr for the purposes of God and France in her generation.
— Bertha Smith’s encounter with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and the healing presence of God, catapulted an obscure Baptist missionary into a preacher of historic revival in China.
— Dwight L. Moody’s encounter with the calling God—during a prayer meeting in a hay field—changed him from a poorly educated, unconfident shoe salesman into one of the greatest evangelists of modern times. He preached revivals across England and the United States where tens of thousands came to know Christ as Savior.
— Kathryn Kuhlman’s encounter with the relentless love of God changed an ordinary, red-headed country girl into a world-impacting, miracle-working minister—all for the glory of God.
— Billy Graham had an encounter with the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence—over 50 years ago, in a hotel room in Los Angeles, California—and was thus transformed into one of the church’s all-time great evangelists who ushered hundreds of thousands of souls into the kingdom of God.
Does God still invade people’s lives with the supernatural today? From these examples alone, obviously it is a resounding yes! But what about you?
Are You Hungry for More?
Do you long for a genuine “God encounter” in your life? Do you wonder whether or not such experiences still happen today? Do you wonder whether it could happen to you?
Then take heart! God encounters do happen, and not just to “super Christians.” They happen to ordinary people just like you.
How do I know? Because God encounters have happened to me and to my husband, Jim, and we are ordinary folks raised in the rural U.S.A. Believe me, if God encounters can happen to us, then they can happen to you.
Cry out to Him and make yourself available to Him; He will not ignore you.
One word of caution, however: a God encounter changes everyone it touches. Once you receive the fire of God’s visitation in your life, then you too will be forever changed. Let the presence of the Holy Spirit flood your being just as He has graciously impacted the Goll household.
God Encounters Are for You
We are all “living stones” precious in God’s sight (see 1 Pet. 2:5-6). As we stir up the gifts and callings within us and let the Lord’s boldness come out, we will begin glowing like uncut gems in sunlight. We will become miracles visible to all.
This is a good day to do business with God and decide to not let the enemy of intimidation strangle us anymore. It’s time for every noose to come off and for us to bring out the gemstones to see the miracles that God wishes to do through us.
God wants to woo and draw you into His presence. When He does, you will walk down that aisle to your bridegroom with no shame on your face. You will be captivated by His love when He says, “Oh, how I’ve waited for you to come. How I’ve longed to embrace you and be in union with you.”
When you come into that place, all your fear just melts away. No matter how much the enemy tries to intimidate you, he can’t stand before God’s perfect love. Oh, how I love His presence and the embrace of my bridegroom, lover and King. His presence is so great that it will change each one of us.
We need to have confidence that our Father God truly loves us. As a result, we will hear what the Lord will speak in days and nights ahead. We need to release the Holy Spirit’s creative flow over everyone in our families and local church bodies. We need to be who God has made us to be. We need to let Him saturate us with the “water” of His presence so that we can blossom, bloom and release our unique fragrances. This will only happen as we look neither to the left nor to the right but keep our eyes fixed on Him.
We need to let Him set the standards of what we speak, how we act, how we dress and how we live our lives. God has ordained that we live under His incredible banner of love, and beside that lies the fruit of His kingdom presence. The word is here: no more fear!
So, Lord, we ask that You release God encounters to each one who reads this article, so that they can also become changed by Your presence. Bless the Lord! He whom the Lord sets free is free indeed! I agree with the psalmist who stated, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4).Thank You, Lord, for deliverance from fear. Amen and amen!
A Prayer for Freedom
Father, in the name of Jesus, we present ourselves to You. We choose for the God of encounters to visit and transform us—just as water transforms a dry, barren land into a green, fertile garden. This day, we choose to take the noose of intimidation off our necks, and, in the name of Jesus, we reject intimidation.
In the name of Jesus, we renounce the spirit of intimidation—whether it’s in us or coming against us. By the blood of the Lamb, we break the power of intimidation and the fear of man, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. In His great name, we pray. Amen and Amen! {eoa}
This article is adapted from Chapter 1: “Changed by His Presence” in God Encounters Today by James and Michal Ann Goll. It also appeared at godencounters.com.
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