In the early 90’s, I worked for an environmental engineering firm in south Louisiana. Occasionally, I would go into a chemical plant or refinery to draw water samples. In the lab, we analyzed the samples for the presence of various chemicals.After a worship service, I often hear people say “God was here today.” How can we know for certain? How can we “test” for the presence of God in our church fellowship?

Things happen. People change. God’s presence accomplishes something in our lives. For example:

• You will have a sense of awe (Revelation 1:17). John fell on his face in the presence of God.
• You will have a sense of His love (Ephesians 3:17-19). His love is not only a fact; it is also experiential and defies verbal description.
• You will have a crushing awareness of your own sinfulness (Isaiah 6:1-5). Like raising the lights in a darkened room, God’s holiness will highlight all the impurities in our lives.
• You will have a deep desire to confess your sin and make things right with others (Luke 3:8-14). Under John the Baptist’s anointed message of repentance, the people, tax collectors and the soldiers all asked, “What shall we do then?”
• You will begin to share His heart for a broken and lost world (Luke 9:36-38). If His heart is moved with compassion, how can ours beat in any other way?