Ezekiel 44:4 (Originally written 12-6-10)

Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. And I fell on my face.

Awesome. Wonderful. Scary. Glorious.

What is the presence of God like?

If we think purely in terms of pleasure, we’re missing it. In the Bible, begin in God’s presence was as much scary as enjoyable.

Even in our churches, when God is present in a real way, it’s not all about joy. It also should be about repentance and awe, which can be a scary emotion. If I’m preaching in a way that inhibits God’s ability to bring repentance, or brings God down to our level, I’m preaching wrong.

[Father, use my preaching to show people as complete a picture of yourself as is possible. Bring joy, awe, and repentance.]