In the Bible it talks about the way in which God manifests his presence and it describes this in a number of different ways. In the desert with His people the Israelites His manifest presence was expressed by a cloud in the day time and a fire at night. At other times the Bible talks about the cloud of God coming on the mountain. It also talks about a rushing wind, and about rain from Heaven. All of these things are simply illustrations of nature that God uses when His presence comes.

I have such a tangible sense of His presence with us this morning and I don’t know about you but I want more of the presence of God this morning. I want Him to come in His cloud, I want Him to fall on us like rain. I want His wind to blow through and His fire to burn up everything that’s not of Him.

Can I encourage you, if you are open to it, to stand and to lift your hands before the living God almighty, the creator of heaven and earth, the one who threw stars into space and knitted you together in your mothers womb. The one who loves you and shows you, by paying the ultimate price for you, His beloved son, our older brother, Christ, who gave up everything for us that we might be join heirs and image bearers of Christ.

As the band continue to play, can I encourage you to open your mouth and let your praise out, your hearts desire for him, the lover of our souls to meet with us in a new way, to know Him deeper. For him to take you, to move you forward, to break the chains, to heal you, to set you free, that you may know life in all it’s fulness and know him in a deeper, more intimate, more loving way?

The band continued to play for a while and then Adam led us out in a song which with a simple refrain by way of response: “Let the rain come, let the wind blow, let your fire fall on us”