When God Came Near

It was on a Sunday night in 1999 that I stood singing in a choir much like I had done countless other times. We began to sing a song very familiar to us called "Jesus, We Crown You With Praise" and we had sang this song many times over. It was a beautiful song sang by a beautiful choir just like always but this night, there was something different about the singing. I can't begin to describe to you how deep the presence of God was and the more we sang, the more we felt God's presence like you could literally reach out and touch Him.

All across the building, people began to pray and God was changing many, many hearts.

I can't tell you how it started or how it ended but all of a sudden, I was in a place where I was totally unaware of who or what was around me and I became aware of a presence that I knew was Jesus Christ. I looked up and I saw Jesus leaning over looking down from Heaven and even though I could not see His face, I knew there was a look on His face that said He was extremely pleased with the worship and praise that was being offered up in that sanctuary. It lasted only seconds but it felt like an eternity where it was just me and God.

That night when the service had ended, our visiting preacher sat down with the pastor and told him what he saw. He said that when the choir was invited to the platform, he saw people from all over the congregation get up to sing, but there was something strange about some of them in that a lot of them were dressed in pure white clothing and it wasn't until the choir began to sing that he realized he had seen angels get up to sing with the choir that night. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.

I am very fortunate to have been able to be raised in a good home by godly parents. The testimony of my life is more about how God kept me from a lot of destructive things rather than bringing me out of them. God knows I have been far from perfect and no matter how big or small the sin, I was in need of Him just as much as anybody else.

I have experienced a lot of great things in my life including the one I just related to you but the one of the greatest experiences I've had was receiving the Holy Ghost at the young age of 9 in my parents living room and to know that the experience of receiving God's Spirit was just the beginning of many to come gave me all the more inspiration and faith to follow what the Bible asks of me.

I could relate to you other things that I have seen but the greatest part of my relationship with God is, everyday, He comes near. He comes near when I am happy, He comes near when I am sad, He comes near when I'm pleasing to Him and he also comes near when I don't deserve it.

God is ready and willing to come near to anyone that would ask and if you would allow Him to fill you with His Spirit, you can't get any nearer than Him living inside of you.

Whether you can sing well or you can't carry a tune in a bucket, I dare you to find a place alone with God and begin to "crown Him with praise" and who knows but that angels just might come along and help you come near to Him.