Transformative Encounters: Experiencing Christ's Presence Today

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Here is a picture of what the Christian Life is meant to be, what the Christian Life can be. Here is a woman whose entire life is changed, changed from following her tasks and living in the way which she did. She suddenly now finds herself controlled entirely by this person whom she has met. [00:01:19]

Let us never forget that it was he himself who said it is expedient for you that I go away. Something bigger, greater was to happen to them after his departure, and of course, we have this abundant evidence in the case of the Apostles themselves that that proved to be the case. [00:03:24]

These scriptures are given to us in order that we may realize what is possible for us. Otherwise, I say the Christian message is more or less a mockery. So we've got to start with this great realization, and to that end, I've been giving you the scriptures to show you how these things are promised. [00:04:36]

The tongues of men and angels want proper words to express the sweetness and the glory with which the Son of God visits the soul that cannot rest without him. Now that last phrase is one that I shall have to open out later on. It is to the people who cannot rest without him that he does manifest himself. [00:09:09]

The glory of Heaven is such that our language at its best and at its highest is inevitably bound to detract from it. It's bound to do so. Take the word love, however nobly you may conceive of love, it falls almost infinitely short of what love really is, for God is love. [00:11:17]

The hidden manner, which means that there's an element of mystery about it, and there is. It is something strange, it is something unusual. Our Lord, as we have seen in this connection with the woman of Samaria, he tells the disciples that he has food to eat of that they know not of. [00:14:24]

The world has always tended to regard people who know something about these experiences as being almost insane, and of course, it's a very good test to us who are members of the Christian Church. Men in the church who have known this experience have generally been regarded as oddities by the bulk of church members. [00:15:56]

There is a great variety and variation in these spiritual manifestations. Sometimes it is something that comes instantaneously, you know, without a man seeking it, without his knowing much about it. He just finds himself having such an experience. In the case of others, it may be very gradual. [00:21:30]

Most generally, these experiences come to us through the scriptures, through the medium of the scriptures. Most generally, I say, but I must be careful to point out that it's not confined to it, that though they normally and generally come to us in this immediate manner, they may come immediately. [00:28:34]

Generally speaking, these intimations and manifestations are given to the internal senses. What do I mean by this? Well, let me give you some illustrations. The spiritual eye may be opened, and he may manifest himself to us in that way. I mean this kind of thing, the practical outworking of what Paul was praying there for those Ephesians. [00:32:00]

You can have a sense of his presence and of his glory. You don't see him, you don't see him with your physical external eye, but you know he's there. No, I don't think I will, but there's nothing more wonderful than that, just to feel the glory with you in the room, the glory of God, the glory of the Son. [00:40:31]

Heaven is round and about us. The Supernatural is ever with us. There are myriads of angels. Do you believe in angels? The spiritual realm is round and about as if we but realized it. And so I say these are some of the ways in which the Son of God may manifest himself to his children. [00:48:33]

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