By Tony Ciaramello

Being still before God is the Greatest Privilege that a Christian can have, besides being Born Again. 

I would like to try and show you and most likely bearly scratch the surface on how to have this abundant life of being in the presence of God.  Because it is what brings us into the heart of God.  You know if my son hangs around me he starts to act like me.  And the same goes for us, when we are with God, we start to become more and more like him.  This is something that most Christians lack, being still before the Throne of God. 

We dedicate most of our time getting our heads full of knowledge and have no quality time with our Father.  An unsaved person can learn doctrine but that doesn't make him a good Christian.  The same with us we can learn doctrine until we are blue in the face and it can actually hinder us from KNOWING Jesus, like apostle Paul said "Knowledge puffs up but Love edifies."   When we get a head full of knowledge an a heart not full of LOVE we just become judgmental and full of SELF and not being led by the Holy Spirit and will show no LOVE or Compassion for anyone.  It becomes what we know that's important than love for the brethren.

Paul said after 15 years of being saved he said "That I may know him."  That's what I'm talking about to know him!!   I know you probably know Jesus.  But practicing your Priesthood will bring you into a closer relationship with JESUS and you will be more productive for the Gospel sakes and you will have more of the fruits of the Spirit in your life and people will see the fruits!  You will learn to have a heart of compassion.  Which means to suffer along with. 

Instead of hitting people with a load of scriptures you can hit them with compassion and Love which will help them more.  The Love of God leads us to repentance!

It's being connected to the Vine.   Because if your not connected to the vine we can do nothing!  It's abiding in JESUS, in his finished work.

I would like you to read this scripture:  

Isaiah 40:31

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

This is a powerful scripture when practiced.   Most Christians know this scripture and say oh yes I know that.  But when you know it and practice it, it's a whole world of difference.  If we come boldly before his throne (only by his Mercy can we do this) and Worship and praise him and wait on him, just be with him, I call this Ministering unto the LORD which I have learned from a Brother and Minister in the Lord, Wayne Monbleau.  Once you come into his beautiful presence you won't come out the same.  You will taste and see that the Lord is Good!

The key is to get there.  Come into his presence no matter what your mind says.  JUST DO IT!

I would like to read this Scripture in Luke 10:38-42

   Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.    And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.   And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:  But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

We have 2 kind of Christians here one is Martha who was so busy running around and doing things for the Lord and the other is Mary who was seated at the feet of Jesus.  Jesus said Martha, Martha (he repeated it twice)  you are so careful and troubled about so many things.  But only ONE THING is needful: and Mary has chosen that better part.  What part was that?  It was the better part of just sitting at the feet of Jesus and soaking in his words and Presence.  You can call me the Martha kinda person.  Because that's where I get my strength and wisdom to walk this walk.  Col 2:3 says all wisdom and knowledge is Hid in JESUS!  It's hid in him.   When you get alone with him it becomes revealed to you.  Psalm 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most HIGH shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles;

Why is it a better part? Because... they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; and fly high up in heavenly places like Paul talks about.  When we are still and know he is God, he brings us up into heavenly places where we can look at our problems etc.. from a heavenly prospective. We are seated with Christ in Heavenly Places.

And they that wait on the Lord shall ...shall run, and not be weary; We will be able to run this race like Paul talked about and not get weary.  Paul said let us run with patience the race that is set before us.   We get this by waiting on him!

And they that wait on the Lord shall ...walk, and not faint." When we wait in his presence and soak in the beauty of the Lord our walk will be a walk that counts and thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil...

So as you can see this scripture is not just words, oh yes they are words to many people but when you practice the presence of the Lord they will become life to you.   Just reading scriptures and not coming to the Lord and being in his presence, can cause a upright uptight individual.  There is a balance and this is the better part.

Now you may ask, how do you start this or do it?  Some say when I come into his presence my mind wanders all over and I just quit. Some feel condemnation.   It's like if you were walking in the woods and you walked the same way everyday you would start wearing a path and the next time it would get easier to follow the path.  The same with Ministering unto the Lord.  The more you come into his presence and practice your spiritual priesthood it gets easier and easier and better and better.  

God becomes so real that sometimes when I'm in his presence for hours at a time it's so hard to put into words but it's like I'm just enveloped in him.  Just soaked up in his LOVE and Grace and his presence is so thick that you can almost cut it with a knife.  I wish I could show every Christian what I'm talking about.  But you know what?  I can't you have to taste and see that the Lord is good yourself.  And when you do I promise you that there will be no where else to turn.  You'll be coming into the presence of the LORD more and more.

Prov 18:10 says

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe...

This is a great privilege of the LORD.  To run into this Tower!

Psalm 69:30

   I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.  This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.   The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.

The Lord is more pleased when we come into his presence and worship him and just Minister unto him than sacrifices.  Or running around like Martha was doing.  You know Jesus said to learn of him for he is meek and humble and you know only the humble can see what I'm talking about here in Psalm 69....The proud will want to be a Martha and will say you can't just do this you have to obey the law etc...But out of this comes more obedience than obeying some laws which the Lord doesn't want us to follow anyway.  If you don't continue in everything that is written in the law you are cursed...

Not to toot my horn or anything and all praise goes to HIM, but I was in a diner once with a brother in the Lord and the waitress came up to me and said "are you a minister or something," I said why do you ask, she said "something about you seems so HOLY!"  That just blew me away.  I don't see what she was seeing but people will see it.  It becomes your natural life, you don't force spirituality, the fruits just show!  Glory to HIM!  This is what happens when we wait in his presence and rest!

So why does God like us to worship him and praise his name more than sacrifices?  Because this is where our strength comes from.  It's not in Service. It's they that wait on the Lord.  Out of this comes your service without even working, it's a natural response.  When you leave the presence of the Lord you are changed and it's something that you can't put your finger on because God changes you from the inside.   It's nothing you do at all.  It's just resting in him. 

Hebrews tells us to Labor to enter into this rest!!  What a contradiction so it seems.  But we live so much doing for the Lord that it actually becomes work to enter his rest!!  It's work to stop everything and be still and know he is GOD!

The bible says:

"He Went up into a mountain apart to pray"

You know if Jesus had to come apart and pray to the Father.  I ask you, How much more do we need to come apart????  It should be an everyday visit!

A lot of people say "I don't have the time" "I'm to busy".  You know  we do what we feel is important in our lives.  If you only knew the importance of waiting on God, you would be there everyday!!  The benefits out weigh anything your mind can fathom up.  Actually if your not Ministering unto the Lord you are missing out on the greatest blessing God has to offer his children this side of heaven, besides being Born Again!

We need first to have a true knowledge of God.  First of all we need to know that God Loves us.  You need a revelation of that Love.  You know God isn't up in heaven waiting for you to mess up and then WACK he hits you with the Baseball bat!!  Some ministers paint that kind of picture of God.  But he is not like that.  When we fall he wants to pick us up again and wants us to stay connected to his vine.  His Love is everlasting and his Mercy endures forever.  When we slip and fall God is there with his Loving Arms to pick us up.  Proverbs says a Righteous man falls 7 times.....and gets up!!!  Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than a Brother.  God's Goal is to present our bodies Holy and Blameless until the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   Faithful is he who calls you and who will do it!  He will keep you.  Stay connected to the Vine, because if your not you can do nothing.  John says we can do nothing if we are not connected to the Vine.  Just rest in him!

So once we know the True LOVE of the Father.  You'll love to come into his Presence because that's where he want's us to be.  You will get to a point that you will want to just find a place to be alone with him.  If you drive you can be alone with him as your driving!!  (but be careful you are driving..LOL)  

Do you think God has a inflated EGO and wants to just be Worshipped?  No, I believe he want's us to worship him not because he wants to be worshipped but because it strengthens us.  It Builds us up.   You see it's for us again.  He want's us to be more like JESUS.  Which is his Job not ours.  Ours is to rest in the finished work of JESUS. 

You know if you don't understand the finished work or Jesus or the Love of the Father you probably wouldn't want to come into his presence.  Because you will feel guilty because you sinned somewhere during the day.  You know Sin isn't even the issue.  Sin is "A" issue but it's not "THE" issue.   You know what "THE" issue is?   The issue is what are you doing with JESUS?   Are you resting in him.   Are you laboring to enter that rest.  Sounds silly, labor to enter rest.  That's because we are so use to working for things (thinking like the world) that we think we have to work to please God.  So it actually becomes work to enter his REST!

Just think of the HOLINESS of God!   How awesome he is and how Holy he is.  Do you think there is anything that you can do to match up to that?  DEFINITELY NOT!  But most ministers want you to TRY HARDER, sounds like a  AVIS commercial.  But we are not to try harder to please God.  But just draw close to him and lay aside each sin and get filled with his Spirit.  Come into his presence, get built up!!  And you will be changed into his image and it will be him doing the changing!

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.   The more you are in his presence you will be hearing his voice and his word in the light of the scriptures and the more your faith will build.    We need to practice our spiritual senses which Hebrews talks about. 

Hebrews says in 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

What is milk?  Milk is food that is predigested.  The cow eats, then we milk the cow and we drink it.  Well a babe in the Lord is one who gets his food from a minister or pastor etc...  The Minister gets it from God then he gives it to you.  He goes directly to the cow.  And we get it from him.  As we grow in the Lord we need to start getting our food directly from God.  NO more milk, Predigested food.  God speaks to them then they pass it on to us.   Well when you start practicing the presence of God which I'm talking about you will be eating right from the hand of God.  And you will be getting fed from him.  Then you will be getting your own meat.   It's beautiful when God can feed you directly!

Do you know how you can tell if you are a babe or not?  Well when you have to go to church to get a lift then you are a babe in the LORD.  There is a time for this kind of growth when you first get saved.  But then there is a time in your walk when you need to get fed directly from God so you don't' come to church to get fed.  But you need to be fed from God day by day.  We need daily manna.  Just like the Israelites, they needed new manna each day, which God fed them.  We to need new manna each day.   And God will give us this Bread from heaven.  He said the bread I have you shall never hunger again.

Am I saying don't go to church?  Of course not.  But when we come to church to get fed that should be a sign that we are babes and need to practice our spiritual senses and come into his presence so you can learn to hear his voice.   Jesus said my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  The more you practice the presence of God and Minister unto the LORD the more you will understand his voice.  And he is saying I LOVE YOU!  Once you are eating meat (directly from the hand of God) then you go to church to enjoy Worship more than ever and you can fellowship with other believers and be a caring and Loving brother or sister to them and listen to the Message and be blessed and bless those around you. 

I would like to explain the actual Art of Being Still.  What does it mean to you?  First of all you need to find a quiet place a closet (Just joking, hey it could be a closet).  Jesus went up to the mountain to pray a lot.  I love doing that I feel like I'm closer to the nature of things and not surrounded by man made things.  But however we can't all head up to the mountain.  So pick a place that's quiet and you can be alone.  Just you and God.  Just start talking to God.  Talking to him is prayer. If you feel you have sinned then ask for forgiveness and he will cleanse you.  If you have a shopping list then let him have it (cast your cares on him).  Then just get on your knees or sit or lay flat or stand whatever position it doesn't matter.  I do just about all of them when I'm ministering unto him.  Sometimes I'll just be quiet and think on him, his Love his Goodness, His Mercy, His Grace and don't say a word.  Just close my eyes and lift my hands and just soak in his LOVE and do what Paul said and think on these things, things above not things down here, work,money, etc...  Then I worship him, sing a song, praise,  then quiet again then read the word A little then pray for things as they pop up in my head.   Then just quiet again Etc...  and before you know it Hours go by!   And when you leave his presence you are different inside which affects the outside.   This is how the outside gets washed.  It happens and you don't even know it!!   It's God doing the work. 

But it all starts with taking that first step and doing it.  The first obstacles you will find are your thoughts.  You'll be just sitting there thinking on HIM and all of a sudden your thinking about something way out in left field.  This is a major stumbling block for most Christians.   BUT IT'S NOTHING TO BE ALARMED ABOUT.  What I do is I just ignore the thought and fix my eyes on him again.  As you practice this it becomes easier and easier.  It will be a well worn path.    But when your mind starts to wonder don't feel condemned.  It's only natural.  We are living in the Flesh and this flesh can't please God.  Thoughts will pop up, hey maybe even sinful thoughts.  So then what do you do?  Most people will feel condemned and they will quit and say "I'm no good."  Do what Hebrew says to do.  Lay it aside and fix your eyes on Jesus again.  There is now no condemnation for those that are in Christ JESUS!

The Second obstacle once you start minister unto the Lord regularly you will try to force something to happen.  This is only a nature HUMAN response.  BUT DON'T TRY TO FORCE ANYTHING TO HAPPEN, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!  God causes the increase.  God causes the Growth.  You just wait on him.  If you try to force something to happen you'll miss out on the blessings he has for you.  He just LOVES for us to come into his presence.  Kind David said: Psal 27:4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. David knew what it was like to be in his presence.  He said he will SEEK after that he will DWELL in the house of the LORD and behold the BEAUTY of the LORD.    So again don't try to force anything to happen.  You'll miss the whole meaning your in his presence.  Just think on him and Love him.  He will create in you a new spirit.  He will strengthen you.

When you leave his presence after ministering unto him.  You become changed.  You can't put your finger on it but something has changed in your heart!  He starts making us more like him!   Waiting on him is being Connected to the VINE!!  I believe the Lord gave me a one liner, "Stay connected to the vine and we will ripe in his time"  This is SO TRUE!!!

Again we must Exercise our spiritual senses.  This takes practice.  And the more you practice the more you will become aware of him.  I can't explain that part.  It's like me telling you what a orange smells like.  Can't do it!

My brother and sisters this is for us today.  We can sense what David talked about.  We can come boldly before his Throne.  Because of what he did not because we have achieved a level of success in our spiritual walk.

This is practicing you spiritual senses.   This is where your true life will come from.  Oh yes when you became born again you have his life in you.  But this is how you nurture it!  God loves us so much and has given us this blessed privilege to be Ministers unto him.  1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, an holy PRIESTHOOD, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ!  2:9 We are a chosen generation a Royal Priesthood!  We are priest unto the Lord.   A Royal PRIESTHOOD offering up Spiritual sacrifices...

I have tried with the best of my limited ability to bring to you what I feel God has given us as one of our greatest blessings in this Christian life aside from being Born Again and brought into the family of God!   This is for everyone but not everyone will take this road less traveled!

I Pray you will just try and taste and see that the Lord is Good.  If you try Ministering unto the Lord it can't hurt you.   You will be made the better for doing it! 

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am GOD."

If you have questions or comments on Ministering unto the LORD feel free to email me.