Face to Face With God: Get Ready for a Life-Changing Encounter with God

by Bill Johnson

It is nearly impossible to hunger for something that does not exist.

I crave sweets only because sweet things exist.

God turns His face of favor toward those who will demonstrate character when no one is looking.

When a lion and a bear attacked his father’s sheep, he put his own life at risk to save them. Remember, he did this when no one was looking; it was not done so others would recognize him as a brave young man. It came out of his identity with God. He killed them both, and such courage and integrity set him up for the moment God allowed him to kill Goliath when everyone was looking. A private victory leads to a public victory and a corporate blessing, because God turns His face of favor toward those who will demonstrate character when no one is looking.

The word rest used in this verse means one of two things, depending on the context. One is “to be still.” That would be consistent with our use of the word in the English language. The other definition is rather fascinating, though. It means “to take a leisure walk.” I think automatically of God and Adam walking in the Garden of Eden together in the cool of the day.

They become so exhausted working for Him that there’s little strength left to work with Him when He opens the doors for significant service.

Mary sought to please Him by being with Him while Martha tried to please Him through service.

Doing more for God is the method servants use to get God’s attention that they might increase in favor. A friend has a different focus entirely: they enjoy the favor they have and use it to spend time with their master.

I serve from Him, not merely for Him. This simple progression really is the key to ministry.

To say we need both Marys and Marthas is to miss the point entirely. And it simply isn’t true. Perhaps you’ve heard it said that nothing would ever get done if we didn’t have any Marthas. That too is a lie. That teaching comes mostly from Marthas who are intimidated by the lifestyle of Marys. Mary wasn’t a nonworker. Rather she was beginning to be like her Master, who only did what He saw the Father do. Jesus was talking, so Mary set aside other distractions and sat down to listen. She didn’t get caught up in making the sandwiches that Jesus didn’t order. She was learning that working from His presence is much more effective than working for His presence.

This Hebrew word patiently is in the Bible fifty-three times. Four times it is defined as “waiting patiently,” “to wait,” “waiting,” or “waited.” Forty-nine times it is defined as “writhing in pain, as in childbirth” or “whirling in the air in dance.” The characteristics involved in childbirth and the dance give us the needed insight on how to practice waiting patiently on God. We could never watch someone involved in giving birth to a child or dancing skillfully to music and think that they were passive about what they were doing. Passion is the nature of both expressions. And passion leads the way in waiting patiently on God.

David uses another word to expand his portrait of our waiting on God. “But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:9, emphasis added). Here the word wait means, “to lie in wait,” as in setting up an ambush.

God is looking for someone who will get out of his or her routine and set up an ambush.

I guess that when you realize you survived looking at the face of God, surviving an angry brother seems easy.

“No, I pray you, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my gift from my hand.

When you encounter God and become His Love, you treat people as valuable and with respect as though you can see God in them.

Just being able to follow, without distraction, our hearts’ desire to know God—that’s what causes more transformation than any list of rules found in religion.

This lesson is huge. Gifts of the Spirit rest best on the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:6 is energeo, from which we get our word energy. In other words, faith is energized through love.

Gifts are energized by character. And without the energy of character flowing through our lives, we won’t be able to exercise the gifts consistently and with excellence. The anointing of the Spirit from which these gifts flow is given to bless and release the reality of heaven to Earth. But it is weighty.

The chariot didn’t take Elijah to heaven, as some have surmised.

This is the “rest that pursues.”

David said, “My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You” (Psalm 63:1).

Set your face, and you’ll see His face.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD. —PSALM 27:14

May my life be defined by my passionate yes to You, not by a passion for saying no to the wrong things.

Strengthen me to set my face to see You and fulfill the purpose for which You created me.

The ideas that end up lasting the longest have usually been rejected first. Then they were tolerated, and eventually they are accepted.

But I could now see and understand what was meant by the passage, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

With the flood gates of his soul pouring out a stream of tears, and with uncontrollable sobbing he had to get out or die; and a man who knew God as few do was left alone immersed in an atmosphere that few men could breathe in.14

First, read the Word of God. Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you. Third, believe the Word of God. Fourth, act on the Word of God.17

Then the Spirit of the LORD will come upon you mightily, and you shall . . . be changed into another man. —1 SAMUEL 10:6

“I bring you good news of great joy!”1 Apparently there is normal joy and then there is great joy.

The fear of man is the heart and soul of religion—form without power.

I’ve come to realize that He is not all that concerned about us feeling comfortable. That’s why He gave us the Comforter—He planned to make us uncomfortable first.

Much of the present Christian culture has unintentionally fostered ways of life and thought patterns that allow for people to be heavily burdened and discouraged as the norm. That habit often takes us into the stronghold of unbelief. In this mode we are much better at applauding tears over laughter, poverty over wealth, and the endurance of affliction over receiving quick answers and getting breakthroughs.

For ignorance creates tolerance. And what we tolerate dominates.

When we allow sickness, torment, and poverty to be thought of as the God-ordained tools He uses to make us more like Jesus, we have participated in a very shameful act.

There is no doubt He can use them, as He is also known to be able to use the devil himself for His purposes. (He can win with a pair of twos.) But to think these things are released into our lives through His design, or that He approved such things, is to undermine the work at Calvary. To do so ...

None of us would say that He died for my sins but still intends that I should be bound by sin habits. Neither did He pay for my healing and deliverance so I could continue in torment and disease. His pro...

In the wrong atmosphere, complaining and criticism masquerades as information needed for our prayer lives.

We just can’t afford to be impressed by the one who is restricted in power when we serve an all-powerful God. I try to live in such a way that nothing ever gets bigger than my awareness of God’s presence. When I lose that perspective, I find that I need to repent, change my focus, and come into the awe of God again.

“At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit” (Luke 10:21). Here the word rejoiced suggests shouting and leaping—not quite the picture of Jesus given to us in movies or sermons.

“Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2).

There is a price to pay for following Christ. And there is also a reward for following Christ.

The church is crippled in most of its Christian life because people view God as the One who longs to punish instead of save, the One who reminds them of sin instead of forgiving.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! —PHILIPPIANS 4:4

Jesus Christ is perfect theology.

The Bible celebrates the man healed by the pool of Bethesda.4 If that were done today, the Christian periodicals would interview the people by the pool who were not healed. Theologians would then use the absence of a miracle for the others as a proof text, saying, “It’s not always God’s will to heal.” In the absence of experience bad theology is formed.

“As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21). The mandate is clear and strong and there are no options.