The most notable of all Heaven to Earth occurrences took place over 2,000 years ago in a little manger, in a little stable, in a little town called Bethlehem. To this very day, this miracle and world-changing birth of our Savior is still being celebrated all over the world every December. While this forever calendar-changing event will never be replicated by human experiences, there are many Heaven to Earth happenings in the lives of God’s people recorded in Scripture and many still taking place today. Each of these have a common thread – the Presence of the Lord God of Heaven.
In a recent column, we considered the story from Exodus 34 where Moses was on Mt. Sinai, “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.” There he received the Ten Commandments and detailed instructions for building the tabernacle. When he returned to the camp of the Israelites, “the skin of his face shown” from being in the presence of the Lord. It was so overwhelming, the people were afraid to come near him, Therefore, Moses covered his face with a veil when he was in the presence of the people.
Another Heaven to Earth event is described in Acts 6 and 7. There we find Stephen, one of the first deacons of the church in Jerusalem, performing miracles and responding to those of the Jewish religion who disputed his preaching. He was arrested and in Ch. 6, Verse 15, we read, “And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him (Stephen), saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.” As they proceeded to stone him to death, he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man (Jesus) standing on the right hand of God,” and in Ch.7 Verse 60, “He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, ‘Lord, lay not this sin to their charge’…and he fell asleep (died).”
God is still in the business of Heaven to Earth encounters. A church in Batesville, Ark. was in search of a music director and would be considering a candidate who was scheduled to visit the church on Sunday. The gentleman had been described as not “unusually impressive,” but a dedicated Christian and a talented musician. Some, upon meeting their prospective music director on Saturday, were almost startled by the Presence of the Lord he unconsciously but so powerfully exhibited. They found him “unusually impressive” and “took knowledge of ” him that he had been “with Jesus,” (Acts 4:13). He became the new music director and blessed the church with his spirit and ministry for many years.
A few decades back, a group of young people traveled to a secluded camp about fifteen miles from Cape Girardeau, MO, to attend a retreat sponsored by the Baptist Student Fellowship, an organization on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. The testimony of that group was that, when they arrived at the camp and opened the car door, unexpectedly the Spirit and Presence of the Lord just seemed to flood the car before they could exit it. Much prayerful preparation had gone into that retreat and all weekend long that Presence lingered over the camp in an unusual move of God’s Spirit.
On another occasion, Bro. Ray traveled from Kentucky to Sikeston, Mo. to preach on Sunday in a church that was seeking a missionary to start a new church in a neighboring town. On a Friday evening, the church treasurer, on an errand, stopped by the parsonage where Bro. Ray was spending the weekend with the pastor and his family. When the church member entered the home, the pastor introduced Bro. Ray who stepped forward to shake hands with the treasurer. Such a Presence of the Lord accompanied that handshake that it seemed to fill the entire room. Bro. Ray started that new church and pastored it for several years. When he left there, he continued his mission work and started a new church in another nearby Missouri town.
God continues to speak mightily to mankind through His servants by the power of His Holy Spirit just as He has throughout history. My prayer is, “Lord, do it again, and again, and again.”
— Randy Zinn is pastor of Russell Missionary Baptist Church, Russell, Ark.; formerly of Okmulgee.
