Is There Anything Else you Would Rather Do?

 Is There Anything Else you Would Rather Do?


The best gauge of one's self, is desire or love.  The "heart" of all true religion is the heart, and what it most-earnestly wants (or desires).  All of this will be governed by love--which is the principal "director" of the heart.

 

So, the question I would like to pose today, is, "Is there anything we would rather do, than be in the presence of The Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--via the mediation of the God/Man Jesus Christ?"  If the honest answer to this query is, "No"--then this is very good.  If the honest answer, is, "Yes," then we need to talk about that.

 

There are two basic dimensions of being "in the presence of God"; and they are both not only absolutely necessary--they are also the clear gospel directives of God Himself.  The first of these "places" where God is met, is in the convocated covenant Sabbath worship services of The Holy Trinity in and as the church of Christ on the Lord's Days (Sundays).  God does not meet with His (true/regenerated) people--in this holy convocation--on any other day of the week.  (He only does this on His Son's Resurrection Day.)  The second, and related "place" where the true saints meet with God is in their personal and private "prayer closets" [Matt. 6:6] on every day of the week.  The "prayer closet" is worthless without Sunday observance; and the Lord's Day worship is hollow without a daily Spirit-led devotional life.

 

But here is the amazing thing about all of this. . . . Those who, by grace alone, have "seen" the "face" of Jesus Christ by faith, are so-enrapt by this visage that they earnestly and sincerely *want* to meet with their God every day.  In fact, this fellowship with The Holy Trinity becomes *so* special to them, that nothing else can replace it/replicate it/or (even) compete with it.

 

. . . But someone might be saying, "But, Pastor Mark, how do I get to this point? What do I have to do? Why is my Christian life so unfulfilling; and how may I experience what you are talking about?"  These are good questions.  My answer is, "Ask yourself what you really want in life (and in your religion). Do you sincerely want to know, love, and serve God in and through a living faith in Jesus Christ?"  If you do, then simply ask God to give you this divine love for Him.  (Do you think God would reject a prayer like that?  Certainly, not!)

 

What is truly incredible, for those Christians who, by grace, have learned the wonder, value, beauty, and glory of being in the presence of God, is that it can be said without dishonesty or hyperbole--that they would rather be communing with God than doing anything else (no matter how pleasurable or lawful).

 

Still, I do not wish to be misunderstood. . . . The Christian life that enjoys and relishes this communion with God in praise and prayer--on the Lord's Days (first), and throughout the week (next)--is not always anointed with the sensation of glory and awe.  Sometimes, it can seem sort of "ordinary."  But this is not a bad thing.  If our heart's main thrust is a desire to be in God's presence, based in a life-changing experience of having beheld The Son of God by faith--then that desire, that passion will continue to bring us back to Him, Sunday to Sunday, and throughout the week.

 

Those who experience this glory, however, would not trade it for anything.  They would rather sit with their Father in wondrous communion, than to be the first person to walk on the moon (for instance).  Virtually nothing can compare with this joy, this contentment, this pleasure, this freedom.  And all of it is found in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

It is no wonder that our Messiah would "get away" to be with His Father in prayer, (sometimes even covering the span of a whole night [Lk. 6:12]).  Jesus delighted in being in His Father's presence.  For Him, it was "heaven on earth"--and for us who love Jesus, it is, too.

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #110

22 June 2026

 

https://theologicaltreatisesinretirement.blogspot.com

https://henningerdevotions.blogspot.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Movie Review: "A Great Awakening"

  Movie Review: "A Great Awakening" Lesley and I just returned home from seeing the premier showing of the movie, "A Great Awakening."  It was really good--one of the best movies she or I have ever seen.  The casting is outstanding; the acting is fantastic; and the plot line is wonderful.  I do not know who produced this movie--but they should be congratulated on doing excellent work; and; more than that, for being unashamed of the gospel of grace.   The way the producers weave the themes of the American Constitutional Convention (held years after the end of the American Revolution), with savory effects of The Great Awakening, is masterful.  The man who plays Benjamin Franklin is so well-cast, that you could almost imagine this being the original Benjamin Franklin.   George Whitefield is the main character in the movie; and he is also spectacularly-cast.  His voice, his demeanor, and his ways are completely convincing; and...
Read more

How Do we Know we Are Right?

  How Do we Know we Are Right? Have you ever asked yourself this question?  What gives  us --and, for sake of clarity, I will mean by  "us"  (particularly) those convinced and convicted members of the Reformed expression of the Christian religion-- both  the  "right"  and the  "confidence"  to boldly state that we  are,  with regard to religious debate,  "in the right"?   This is actually a very good, and important question.  I would like to forthrightly  answer  the query; and then seek to work out some of the details (that I am quite certain may be on many people's minds). . . .   The  true regenerated  saints of Christ's church--and in this case, we will include those who are members of any number of orthodox Christian communions (denominations)--know that they are "in the right" because of the  internal witness of the Holy Spirit within them,  (cf. for now Rom...
Read more

What Is Preaching?

  What Is Preaching? Dedicated to all truly-called church ministers of the gospel When I ask the question, "What is preaching?", the context I have in mind is mostly, (but not exclusively), the church's Sunday worship services.  I also hope to address the issue of the goal (or end) of preaching.   Paul's 10th chapter of Romans is probably the most comprehensive treatment of this sublime subject; and his (Paul's) Holy Spirit-inspired injunction of 2 Tim. 4:2a: "Preach the Word!", says it very succinctly.   I believe that preaching is the authoritative verbal presentation of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ in the message of His gospel of grace and mercy.  I also believe that anything short of this, is not preaching at all.  It is also my conviction that every text of Holy Scripture not only  lends  itself to this grand enterprise; but  exists  so as to facilitate it.   Therefore, when a true gospel preacher approach...
Read more