So I’ve been in Africa for nearly a month now… and there has pretty much been one thing on my mind. The presence of God.
Let me tell you where it started. Our contact this month is a man named Bishop Maurice Busuru. He is a 46 year old Kenyan who knows God more than anyone I have ever met. His big hands and even bigger smile automatically make you feel at home. And that is even before he pulls you in for a hug and deems you his American son. Quickly I found that his love for others was just a reflection of his love for God.
Here in Mpeketoni we have a fellowship every night with Bishop and most of the other church leaders. We sing a few American worship songs and then they will sing us some in Swahili. Let me tell you, if you want your soul to sing even if your mouth can’t…come to Africa and enjoy some of their worship. But above everyone else, the Bishop stood out. Seeing this man worship God unlike anyone I have ever seen, stirred something in my heart. It was as if he was in the very presence of God. I watched him with his hands stretched out, his eyes closed but face pointed to the heavens, and heard the deep cries of his soul for his Lord and God. It was as if we had all disappeared and he was standing in the very presence of God. I saw why the only response to being in the presence of God is whole hearted worship.
Desire gripped my heart. The only way you could worship God in such a way is to be in His very presence. And the Bishop worshipped like this everyday. It was as if he lived in the presence of God. He didn’t need a super anointed worship band, he didn’t need a Spirit-filled speaker, he didn’t need a big Christian conference to experience the presence of God…No, he walked every second of everyday in the presence of God.
My mouth watered. My stomach hungered. My heart longed to experience the deepness of that intimacy with the Lord of Creation. How might I experience that closeness? How could I ever get to that point? I felt like God showed me with my arms wrapped around my life. Even though I’m on this Race around the world, serving God, there were still many things in my life I don’t quite trust Him with.
So I did the only thing I knew how to do. I cried out to God. I prayed and I asked for Him to reveal His presence to me. And really for the first time in my life I think I genuinely wanted the presence of God more than anything else in the world. Maybe it was only for a moment. But in that moment I truly desired nothing more than just the very presence of God.
And this is what He said…
Check back later for the details.
*P.S. Like I said the Bishop is an incredible man of God (I know of at least 3 other blogs about him! Pretty sure that’s a record) and he has my complete trust. He also has some incredible ideas as how to help the community here in this impoverished and orphan stricken area. If God uses these blogs to move in your heart as to how you might be able to help out, please contact me. If God wills I might be partnering with Him to establish the first orphanage in the community. But that’s just one of his ideas. Hope to hear from some of you!*
