Jacob experienced the presence of God in the book of Genesis. It is found in Genesis 28:16-17. Jacob woke up from his slumber and realized that God was present! And he was afraid! Why? Because when God is present, you become aware of His holiness, His greatness, and His majesty. Not only are you aware of the greatness of God, you are aware of your own sinfulness, smallness, and tremendous need!
That’s what needs to happen in the church. We need to wake up and realize that God is here and we need to bow down and worship the Almighty God Who created the universe!

Why do we need the presence of God? Something about the presence of God charges you with spiritual power. Time is overcome by eternity. Eternity and time seem to merge and the presence of God is all that is important. An outpouring of love and the Holy Spirit of God is real. In the beginning, Adam walked with God in the cool of the evening. But Adam walked away from God and we have been walking away from God ever since. Sin has separated us from God. Then, the Bible says, "All men's thoughts were evil always.” (Genesis 6:5-6) The Lord was grieved that He had even made mankind. But a few people still loved God and God wanted to spend time with man. Enoch, Noah, and Abraham are among the few.

God still desires to have a relationship with us today and visit us in all His awesome power and glory. God desires to give an Outpouring of love and the Holy Spirit.
Notice that it was simply the presence of God and it made Jacob afraid!
Most people don't want to talk about spiritual things or go to church. But when the presence of God comes, they don't want to leave the place where God is. When God's presence is real everything changes!
But the wrong attitude can keep the presence of God away. The wrong attitude toward God or man will keep the presence of God from showing up.. People recognize how small they are compared to God! Our attitude has a lot to do with God’s presence or absence.

The Bible says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he will lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:5-6

Dennis Kenlaw said, “You don't walk casually into the presence of God.”
Some people waltz into the church building like they own the place and dare God to show up. I can hear them now if they sensed Gods presence, "How dare you show up in my church. I can’t believe You’re sitting in my seat!" Notice the emphasis, “I, me, my.” That's why churches are weak. The presence of almighty God is not wanted. Notice that the power of God is able to reach the world in our lifetime. I used to wonder how, in such a short time, the early church could have reached the whole world and grown the way they did. I don't wonder any more. When God shows up, anything is possible! If you had eleven men filled with the Holy Spirit, living in the presence of God, the church would experience such growth that you couldn’t imagine what would happen! People have a hunger to experience the presence of God!

The Bible says, “He has set eternity in the heart of man.” Ecc.3:11 In the Asbury revival of 1970, in less than a week word spread to all parts of this continent and people were begging for someone to come and share a testimony with them about the presence of God. Why? Because when someone shared a testimony, the Lord would manifest His presence and revival would break out there as well. That sounds like something out of the book of Acts! Now I’m not talking about something wild and crazy. But if the presence of God shows up it will be anything but normal. People become convicted of sin and they want to draw closer to God. They confess their sins and begin to praise God. The Puritans lived in expectation of this kind of awakening. That’s where the Great Awakening happened.

My parents go to a small church in the middle of nowhere. Over the past year God has done some amazing things in their church. The size of the church has doubled in less than a year. God sends seasons of blessing. If His presence were real to us, that's the way it could be here. Notice the price of having the presence of God. Prayer, confession of sin, and anticipation of God’s presence is key. Believing that God will actually show up in power takes commitment. Religious games will not get the attention of God. Self-righteous patting yourself on the back will not get the attention of God.

Prayer and confession of sin is what the church needs.

- Dr. Darryl Taylor -

Interest in small groups has inspired a study of this fascinating subject. Since Jesus promised to be present in small groups, “Where two or three are gathered in my name” (Matthew18:20) it seems like we may be missing out on the presence of Jesus if we are not involved in a small group.

The question arises, “What is a small group?” A small group consists of people who meet regularly to have authentic relationships. Basically, it’s the church living out our beliefs in a personal way. It is difficult to get to know other believers in a large group setting only. That’s why real Christianity requires the kind of fellowship offered in small groups.

Each group will be as unique as the individuals involved in it and participants may be brought together by various reasons. Some groups may focus on specific needs, while others are more general in purpose. The purpose may include any number of the functions of the church: evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, worship, prayer, and ministry.
Emphases may vary from group to group and even meeting to meeting. Some may live in close proximity, while others may have life similar situations. Some may desire to study the Bible in depth, while some may be called to a prayer ministry together. Whatever the emphasis is, people who have experienced the small group dynamic are highly complementary of small groups.

Epic sword fights capture the imagination. Movies have recreated sword fight scenes that have left us amazed. Some interesting “Top 10 Movie Swordfights” can be found on the internet. Some are scary, others are humorous, and others are just too graphic. We may have our favorite movie sword fights, but in reality, a sword fight in ancient times was a life or death struggle. The winner was the one who was still alive at the end. The coliseum fights of the Roman Empire became a blood thirsty sport that escalated until the fall of Rome. The gladiators understood that their life was on the line. Spiritually speaking, it’s the same way today. 

Pardon my sanctified imagination, but I have often thought of the temptation of Jesus as a sword fight, because of the analogy the Bible as a sword in Hebrews 4:12. Satan attacks with a sudden thrust. Jesus defends with appropriate Scripture. Then the devil attacks with a verse from the Bible (of all the nerve)! Jesus again defends with Scripture. Satan appeals to Jesus for His worship in response to being promised all the kingdoms of the earth. Jesus triumphantly parries Satan with Scripture again and Satan had to flee. Wow! Talk about an epic sword fight! That was it! The souls of all humanity were in the balance. He was tempted to forego His opportunity to pay for our sins. If Christ had lost that spiritual sword fight, you and I would be without hope. He would have lost the same way Adam did in Genesis chapter three. However, Christ was more than a match for the devil. Jesus won a decisive victory. He rejected all the temptations that were pointed at Him, even though He was “tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin.” 

The Bible indicates that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and that it can cut so clean, fine, and accurately that it can divide the thoughts of man from the intentions of man. It can help us to be discerning about what people are doing and what they really want. 
Not only does the Word of God act as a defensive weapon, it is also used by God as a scalpel. With it He does divine surgery on those of us who know Him. That’s how He brings conviction to the saved and the lost, and that’s why we should continue to read the Bible. He does tremendous work in our lives when we read His Word. 

- Dr. Darryl -

John's Gospel begins where the Bible begins: before creation. He places Jesus in eternity with God the Father as an active agent in the Creation account. It is referred to as the preexistence of Jesus. He has always existed, because He is God.
He is very careful to place Jesus in the creation account in order to contradict certain heresies that were infiltrating the church.

There were those who believed that Jesus was just a man. That falsehood would have negated His deity. Others believed that He was just a Spirit. That would have negated His humanity. John tells us that Jesus is both God and Man.

It is important that we understand that Jesus is both God and Man. He set aside His glory in order to experience all the difficulties of mankind, yet He was still God and so able to carry all the sins of the world to the cross. On the cross Jesus paid the ultimate price for sin. The thrice Holy God died in our place! What a Savior!

- Dr. Darryl -

Israel was a nation with unimaginable promise, unlimited potential, and the ultimate blessings of God. God had actually bound Himself with a covenant to care for them, provided they held up their end of the covenant. It was a straight forward agreement that made God your friend. But the blessing became a curse. If the conditions are not upheld, God actually becomes your enemy. Freedom has the effect of a double edged sword. Does that remind you of the United States?


The majority of people throughout history have lived under some type of tyranny. Our own country began under tyranny, but with the help of God we were able to gain freedom. Most nations could not even entertain thoughts of living in freedom because of historical circumstances. Few peoples have ever aspired to establish a free country; fewer still have ever achieved it. Judges 2:10 gives a condemning review of one generation in Israel. After Joshua, a generation arose that did not know God. It didn’t take long for them to forget God and then began the inevitable descent into slavery.
The Bible says, "where the Spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom". (2 Cor.3:17)


The United States was founded on principles derived from Scripture. It seems to be a Scriptural principle that freedom is linked to a nation's love for God. As long as we honor God, I believe that we have the promise of freedom. Conversely, to the extent that we reject God, we will experience more tyranny either from outside threats or from our own government.


Based on our willingness to obey God rather than man, we will either continue to experience freedom or descend into the atrocities of tyranny. The latter option was the path chosen by Israel. After the strong leadership of Joshua, the Israelites became enamored with the false religions of Canaan and abandoned worship of the one true God. They declined so much that God accused them of being worse than the pagan nations. What a sad epitaph over a once great nation.


We find ourselves at a similar crossroad. Will we trust in God or continue to pursue the idolatry that so easily entices us? A correlating question is, will we continue to be free or become enslaved as a result of idolatry?


What is the answer to this dilemma? Humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and seek His Face, throwing ourselves upon His mercy and grace. Those who know God are the only ones who have access to the throne of God therefore it is our responsibility to make sure this country remains free by calling on Him. He may yet extend His mercy to us. It is incumbent on the church to take the lead in this repentance, because the world has little understanding of the concept of true prayer. Are we willing to use it to seek His Face?

- Dr. Darryl -

Nearly all the commandments are stated in negative terms, "thou shalt not." Of the two that are not stated in negative terms, one is later restated in negative terms: "On [the Sabbath] you shall do no work." The other positive command intrigues me: "honor your father and your mother." It alone is left as a positive command. Why? It could easily have been stated negatively: "Do not dishonor your parents." It alone is left in the positive mode. The other commandments can be obeyed by not doing something, but apparently this one can only be obeyed by doing something proactive to honor your parents.


One reason for the negativity is that God is dealing with sinful human beings. We know how to do wrong! We were born with the knowledge of good and evil, as promised by the devil to Adam and Eve. One of my favorite illustrations of original sin is when a child becomes a toddler. If you have any doubts about the reality of sin, just find a two-year-old and spend some time reacquainting yourself with the 'terrible twos.' Human beings need correction throughout life, especially during the early years.


The law was intended to keep us from doing wrong, similar to a parent dealing with a two-year-old. Our propensity to sin is a reflection of our sinfulness and God's holiness. But behind each of the commandments is a positive principle, grounded in the person of Christ. For instance, "You shall not murder," is based on the principle of the sanctity of human life. He takes no delight in the destruction of a soul. His grace goes even further, "God is not willing that any should perish..."
Behind the principle stands the person of Jesus Christ, Who is Life. So the commandment is based on the principle and the principle is based on the person of Christ, which makes the law holy. The law is holy because it reflects the character of a holy God and our holiness only comes through a relationship with Him.


The law cannot change your heart or offer you salvation. If the law had been able to offer life, then it would have produced righteousness. (Galatians 3:21) The law was not able to offer righteousness, but it can lead to the One Who does offer righteousness; Jesus the Messiah. Once a person is saved, he has no need of an external law. The law is written on his heart and the Spirit of God governs his actions from within his heart.

- Dr. Darryl -

Forgiveness is the most difficult requirement of the Christian faith. Joseph had been betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, and abandoned in Egypt. Through a series of events orchestrated by God, he became the Prime Minister of Egypt. When a famine ravished the land the same brothers who had betrayed him over a decade before, came to purchase food from him. He had matured enough that he recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.


Joseph spoke harshly to them through an interpreter, so as not to betray the fact that he knew Hebrew fluently. Then he turned up the heat on them, accusing them of being spies, and threatened to imprison them. Joseph played a cat and mouse game with them, now that he had the upper hand.


Now he had the opportunity to ask some questions and find out who was responsible for his trip to Egypt. Perhaps these questions had been gnawing at him for years. He put them in some tense and delicate situations to make them squirm. Under those circumstances, they spilled the whole story in Genesis 42:21-23. Joseph questioned them closely then arranged for his little brother, whom he had never met, to be held in Egypt. Joseph discovered that his brothers had suffered for years living in guilt, since they had mistreated him those many years before. They berated themselves for being so callous to Joseph. Apparently they had relived that incident many times and replayed his distress in their minds until their tortured memories exhausted them.


He discovered that Reubin had actually tried to rescue Joseph from the pit. Joseph heard the entire account from his brothers, perhaps for the first time. Simeon was singled out to remain in prison, while his brothers went home. When the brothers returned, Judah offered to give himself to protect his little brother. What a change in their attitude! They had learned to have love for each other. God wants us to love each other as well.


What will it take for you and I to learn to love our brothers and sisters in Christ? If we don’t love them enough to forgive them, then we will suffer the same kind of tortured mind as Joseph’s brothers. As a matter of fact, God has linked our ability to accomplish the Great Commission with our willingness to love each other (John 13:34-35).


Jesus even said that the priority over worship and offerings is reconciliation with our fellow believers. (Matt.5:24) So what are we waiting for? Life is too short too spend it in bitterness toward our fellow Christians. God can use even those things that have hurt us for our good! (Rom.8:28) Forgive and let God heal your hurts.

- Dr. Darryl -

How quickly paradise disappeared!

When God began His creative work, He did it all in seven short days. Then there was an apparently brief time when the first couple enjoyed the presence of God face-to-face. I say ‘apparently’ because there is little mention of anything happening at that time. The biblical account moves directly from Adam rejoicing over the creation of Eve at the end of chapter two, to the temptation and consequent fall of man in chapter three.

The only indication that there may have been more happening in the interim is found after the couple sins and God searches for them. The Bible says "He walked with them in the cool of the day." That appears to have been a daily occurrence. Can you imagine actually walking with God every day in the cool of the day --in paradise? God still calls to us to walk with Him. The problem is “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) We have to agree with God’s terms in order to walk with Him. Those terms include salvation by grace, through faith, unto good works. (Ephesians 2:8) Only as we walk with Him, on His terms, can we experience the presence of God.
But when someone is given everything early in life, too often it spoils them. Perhaps you have seen children who have been given every opportunity in life and they squander everything they have. So, it still happens today. Adam and Eve were given everything, but they must have felt that it wasn’t enough. That one thing that they could not have (the forbidden fruit) was the one thing that they had to have.

Their daily routine of walking with God was interrupted by sin . . . . Does that sound familiar to you? It should because sin interrupts our fellowship with God on a regular basis. How much like our ancient ancestors we are! How quickly our daily 'walk with God' is cancelled by our propensity to sin! It is the story of every human being on the face of the planet.

I must admit that too often my daily walk with God has been upended by sin. Well, I might as well own it . . . my sin. I hate to admit it, but I cannot blame my lack of fellowship with God on Adam and Eve. It is MY sin that keeps me from having fellowship with God. How difficult it is for us to admit that sin, our own sin, is the culprit and how quick we are to blame someone else for our failures!
"He walked with them in the cool of the day." That sounds so inviting. Please excuse me for a moment. I think I'll go for a walk.
Someone is calling me . . . .


- Dr. Darryl -

There is a snake in the grass of human history. He is hidden from the eyes of man. For the most part, the less he is noticed, the better he likes it. His job description requires that he lie in wait for an opportunity “to kill, to steal, and to destroy.” (John 10:10) Operating behind the scenes allows him to make trouble with people, especially in the church.


The conundrum is that in his pride he desires to take the place of God and be worshipped, which brings him out of hiding and into the spotlight. Occasionally we get a glimpse of that in the Scriptures. (Isaiah 14:12-15, Ezekiel 28:17, Mtt.4:9)


Because he is hideous, he must disguise himself. So he disguises himself as an angel of light in order to deceive mankind. The result is that there are numerous cults, perversions, and false religions. His evil nature cannot hide for long, however, and when he over reaches, as he always does, God deals with him. Sooner or later, perhaps too late, people realize that they have been deceived by his schemes. But by then it may be eternally too late! If a person does not realize their sin and repent before they die, they will be condemned forever.


God is so different from that. He offers love, forgiveness of sins, and acceptance into His kingdom. He has done everything possible to save us from sin, and the eternal consequences of sin, by paying the ultimate price. Jesus came to this earth from heaven, became the ultimate God/Man, and died the most horrific death to pay for our sins. Then Jesus rose from the grave, victorious over sin, death, and the grave. He is the only way of salvation. He did all that so that you may have the choice to be saved, or not to be saved. Won’t you trust this loving God today?

- Dr. Darryl -