During my lunch break yesterday, my mom called me up to let me know that my dad had been experiencing some sharp headaches over the last week, but told me not to worry. I advised her to take him to the hospital quickly for analysis and then began calling my circle of friends for prayer.
More than any other feeling, a sense of peace came to my heart. The peace that goes beyond all human understanding. One picture I still can not get out of my head is the time I saw the glory of the Lord on my dad's face. I have witnessed several manifestations of the Holy Spirit in my parents' ministry, but this experience with my dad stuck out the most. In my time of waiting to hear any news of my dad's condition, this memory brought peace because it reminded me how close my dad is to the Lord. No matter how bad my dad's condition could be, I knew that the Lord's servant was just fine.
Most people have only read about the radiant face of Moses in Exodus 34:29-35, but words can not begin to tell what it looks like in person.
It happened in the Summer of 2000, I had just finished reading a powerful book about the search for the mountain of God. I had also been fasting, praying, and seeking the face of God like never before and intensely studying His written word. I came to 1 Corinthians Chapters 12-14 and to the part where Paul said "But eagerly desire the greater gifts" (1 Corinthians 13:1a). It seemed like I got hung there for a week or two as I eagerly sought after the gift of prophecy.
Little did I know, but the Lord had come strongly upon my dad for over a week. For a solid week, my dad was in the presence of the Lord. He could not speak in English, but instead only spoke in foreign languages giving praises to God. In order to communicate with my mom, he would write notes to her on pieces of paper. The presence of the Lord was so strong upon him that he did not want to eat nor could he as he was being supplied all that he needed in the Lord's presence. He was full of the Holy Spirit.
Two hours away, and unknown to my parents, I was "eagerly desiring the greater gifts," and then something happened on a Wednesday night. It was if my eyes were opened to Paul's words "and now I will show you the most excellent way." I began reading the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians in a whole new way. I had read through this chapter over and over again and it had spoken to me in so many different and meaningful ways before. But this time the Lord began to tell me over and over again "don't seek the gift, seek love."
Now I thought I had sought the love of God before. I had done so many times before I ever studied the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians. But this was a different kind of love. It was a passion. I began to cry out to God, "God give me love for lost souls. May I share in your grief for people that do not know you. May my heart explode for them. Please give me your heart of love!"
The next day, my mom called me up around lunch time and said "Danny, the presence of the Lord has been upon your dad for the last week." She began to tell me how strong His presence had been in their house and how my dad could not speak or eat, but instead could only pray. Then she told me these words "Danny, the Lord has given him a message and he wrote it down on a piece of paper and it says 'tell Danny to come down because I have a message for him and Martha.'"
I told my mom that we would be on our way to the house after class that afternoon. I told my wife about the phone call and she began to quickly ready Danny Boy and our luggage for the trip down to Douglas. After class, I picked them up and set out on the road. Martha had to drive, because already I began to experience the presence of the Lord and began to shake.
The closer we got to Douglas, the stronger I began to experience the Lord's presence. It reached a crescendo when we reached my parent's driveway. So strong was the sensation that my mouth began to tingle (I experience this from time to time when I lead worship, which almost prevents me from ministering). We quickly got off the car and ran to the door. My mom had tears in her eyes and said "mijo, God's moving on your Daddy."
I walked into the dining room and saw him come out of the door. My dad's face was glowing! I looked in his eyes and his eyes were on fire. I had never seen anything like it before. His eyes were not the eyes of a mad man, in his eyes were power and love. Waves of the Lord's presence were emanating all around him. I threw my arms around and immediately I began to feel the fire of God all over me. Out of my mouth gushed a spontaneous song of praise to God first in English and then in a foreign language. It was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had with the Lord and I shared it with my father.
A few people from our church began streaming into our house as the Lord had instructed my dad to call them via my mom in similar manner for His message to them. We all sat down in my parent's living room and one by one my dad gave them startling words from the Lord. Amazingly, the Lord had already spoken to these people and was using my dad as a powerful confirmation.
My wife and I were the last people, he spoke to. Looking at us with those same eyes of power and love, he said "Danny, the Lord knows that you have been seeking the gift of prophecy, but he tells you 'do not seek the gift.'" He paused and then continued "'seek love.'" He then turned to my wife and said that she had been given the gift of discernment.
Then for the next hour or so all of heaven opened up on top of us. It was as if liquid fire was falling on us. I could only describe it as taking an adrenaline rush, adding to it a generous amount of warm soda, multiplying it times a million, shaking it up and then pouring it on top of someone. The Lord had given us a Mount Sinai and Tabernacle experience in the middle of my parent's living room.
Our experience demonstrated that the God of the Universe still takes the time to visit individual people in powerful ways. He still takes the time to speak through them and leave memories that will never fade. Indeed, memories of a radiant face go a long way. In the midst of my uncertainty, I knew that my face was glowing underneath just thinking about this. Just think of the radiant memories God wants to shine through your face.
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