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                       The Testimony of an Open Face

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By David Wilkerson
ca. 1981
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          We know the Holy Spirit has come to "convict the world
          of sin, of righteousness and of judgment" (John 16:8).
          The Puritans interpreted the Greek correctly in
          rendering it, "When He, the Holy Ghost, shall come, He
          will give demonstration concerning sin, righteousness
          and judgment."

          How will the Holy Spirit produce this conviction in a
          Laodicean age? How will He convict a world growing more
          corrupt and chaotic by the hour? How will He convict
          our unconverted loved ones, especially when there is so
          little preaching that is anointed by the Spirit?

          The Holy Spirit is going to convict this generation of
          sin, righteousness and judgment just as He did in the
          wilderness among the children of Israel. He takes a
          servant of God, wholly surrendered to His will - draws
          him to a holy mountain top to speak to him face to face
          - brings him into intimate fellowship and union with
          Himself - lets him behold the glory and majesty and
          holiness of the Kings of Kings - puts a shine on that
          servant's face - then brings him back down to face the
          lukewarm children of God - and convicts them with His
          own reflected glory.

          In beholding the glory of God, Moses' face began to
          shine! "So he was there with the Lord forty days and
          forty nights; he did eat no bread or drink waterand it
          came about when Moses was coming down from Mount
          Sinaithat Moses did not know that the skin of his face
          shone because of his speaking with Him..." (Exodus
          34:28,29).

          Those children of God who had idols in their hearts
          became fearful and convicted in the presence of a
          servant of God who reflected the glory of the Lord. "So
          when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses,
          behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were
          afraid to come near him..." (Exodus 34:30). Not Aaron
          the priest nor any other Israelite could stand to look
          at his face. Paul said, "The sons of Israel could not
          look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory
          of his face..." (2 Corinthians 3:7). Notice, the
          Scripture says the glory of his face - not just on his
          face! It reflected from the heart.

          Moses had to put a veil over his face to hide the
          glory; it was too sobering, too convicting for the
          children of God. "When Moses had finished speaking with
          them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses
          went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would
          take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he
          came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had
          been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face
          of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone. So Moses
          would replace the veil over his face until he went in
          to speak with him..." (Exodus 34:33-35).

          Paul said the veil was needed because "their minds were
          hardened" (2 Corinthians 3:14). One man, coming forth
          from God's holy presence and reflecting in himself the
          glory of the Lord, condemned their sins. It was a
          testimony against their divided, stubborn hearts. It
          convicted them of their lack of holiness and of their
          loss of the fear of God. It reminded them how far from
          the Lord's presence they had strayed. And it showed
          them the coldness of their hearts.

          I doubt that Joshua and Caleb turned away from Moses'
          face of glory. How it must have rejoiced their hearts!
          How their hearts must have burned to experience that
          same glory. But for the multitudes of God's chosen
          people, the Holy Ghost had raised up a testimony - a
          testimony that told the church that a servant of God
          can reflect the glory of the Lord on earth; but also,
          that a single child of God, shut in with the King of
          Glory, can so reflect that glory as to convict the
          world and the church of sin, righteousness and
          judgment.

          The glory on the face of Moses faded after a while
          because it was only a type of the spiritual glory to
          come! What happened to Moses is not to be compared with
          what the Holy Spirit wants to do today! "For if the
          ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the
          ministry of righteousness abound in glory... For indeed
          what had glory, in this case has no glory on account of
          the glory that surpasses it... For if that which fades
          away was with glory, much more that which remains is in
          glory" (2 Corinthians 3:9-11). In other words, if the
          fading glory in the face of Moses had such convicting
          power - if it proved to be such a powerful, Holy Ghost
          testimony - how much more will the present glory of
          Christ in His servants be a testimony - by the Spirit -
          to convict and convince!

          Paul is telling us that the Holy Spirit is bringing a
          people into a great glory - a stronger, more powerful
          testimony to bring forth ever-increasing conviction of
          sin, righteousness and judgment. There is a glory
          available today to holy servants which will never fade
          and which will be called a ministry of righteousness! A
          testimony to the world and the church that will never
          die!

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                   The Holy Spirit is at work right now,
                  raising up a testimony of an open face!

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          "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the
          glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from
          glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2
          Corinthians 3:18).

          Paul begins by saying where the Spirit of the Lord is
          there is liberty. The Greek word here expresses
          "liberty" as access or the freedom to go as you please.
          Certainly this is not meant that the Spirit-filled
          person has access to the world. It is access to the
          Lord's presence. It is freedom to enter His courts, to
          appear before the Lord in Zion. It is freedom to come
          and behold Him - freedom to climb His holy hill and
          fellowship and commune with Him. The Spirit invites us
          to enter the closet, shut the door, behold His glory,
          and be rewarded with His reflected glory in us.

          While many rise up to play and dance around golden
          calves, the Holy Spirit is calling out a remnant people
          to go to the holy hill of God to spend much time in the
          Lord's majestic presence. How do you think the Holy
          Ghost will convict our dead churches? How will He
          convict your uncoverted family? How will the Spirit
          convict the wicked crowd of sin, righteousness and the
          coming judgment? Did you suppose He would strike them
          down with supernatural light, as with Paul? Did you
          think the Spirit does not need us to do His work? The
          truth is: The only testimony against the sin and
          wickedness of this age is a man or woman of God who is
          so in touch with Jesus that His very presence in and on
          them convicts and produces the Holy fear of the Lord!

          The Spirit of God will not let Christ's glory be
          veiled! The ministry of righteousness is a sanctified
          body of saints whose very lives are given to beholding
          Christ Jesus, who walk among Christians and sinners,
          shining with His presence - whose lives testify against
          sin - speaking forth righteousness - proclaiming His
          judgment of sin!

          An open face, full of the glory of Christ, is
          condemnation to the lukewarm. An open face, shining
          with the awesome presence of Jesus Christ, strikes fear
          in the hearts of adulterers, fornicators, and
          idolaters. The Holy Ghost is at work in that open face
          of glory, striking fear among the false prophets and
          backslidden shepherds.

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                       It is the presence of the Lord
                      which distinguishes God's people
                             from all others!

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          The world does not recognize Christians by that name
          alone. They ridicule those who have no power or
          presence of Christ in their lives. Moses prayed to God,
          "If Thy presence does not go with us, do not lead us up
          from here... For how can it be known that I have found
          favor in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not by Thy
          going with us, so that we, I and Thy people, may be
          distinguished from all the other people who are upon
          the face of the earth?" (Exodus 33:15,16).

          What a powerful statement Moses made! Without the
          abiding presence of the Lord, God's people are not one
          iota different than the worldly crowd. Moses knew that
          it was the presence of the Lord in the camp alone that
          caused dread to fall upon all their enemies. After
          crossing the Red Sea on dry ground, Moses sang this
          song: "In Thy lovingkindness Thou hast led the people
          whom Thou hast redeemed; in Thy strength Thou hast
          guided them to Thy holy habitation. The peoples have
          heard, they tremble; anguish has gripped the
          inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom were
          dismayed; the leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
          all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. Terror
          and dread fall upon them; by the greatness of Thine arm
          they are motionless as stone; until Thy people pass
          over, O Lord, until the people pass over whom Thou hast
          purchased" (Exodus 15:13-16 NAS).

          Moses told the Israelites, "If you are careful to keep
          all this commandment which I am commanding you, to do
          it, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways,
          and hold fast to Him.... There shall no man be able to
          stand before you: the Lord your God shall lay the dread
          of you and the fear of you on all the land of which you
          set your foot, as He has spoken to you" (Deuteronomy
          11:22, 25).

          Moses knew well what it took to be God's testimony in a
          wicked world. The principle is not complicated. God
          said: "Stand before Me - obey Me - hold fast to Me -
          put aside all idolatry - and My presence will go with
          you - and sinners will tremble - you will bring forth a
          dread upon paganism - not a man shall stand before you
          unconvicted!"

          Who are these open faced witnesses? They are those who
          were wooed into their Master's presence by the Holy
          Spirit because they turned their hearts wholly toward
          Him. They saw the swirling tides of wickedness and
          coldness; they heard the howling winds of deception and
          false doctrines; they saw the love of many wax cold,
          having a form of godliness with no convicting power;
          they saw the roaring lion devouring the weak and
          faithless! So they ran to the rock higher than
          themselves! They cried out, "You alone, Lord, have the
          words of eternal life!" They walked away from the hype,
          the fleeting pleasures, the arrogance and pride of men
          - and decided to cling to Christ alone! They have
          learned that it is not enough to be pure. It is not
          enough to be "opened up" in every area of the heart.
          There must be a coming apart from the world - a drawing
          nigh unto the Lord - a giving up on ones self to
          communion and closet prayer.

          These are they who weep between the porch and the
          altar! They spend hours in His holy presence, learning
          His Word and will. They keep coming to the light - to
          stand before Him to expose their hidden sins and
          motives; and they tremble at His Word and are changed -
          one glorious revelation after another - one glorious
          vision of Christ after another.

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                  The glory of the Lord is His presence!

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          It is impossible for a believer to fully reflect
          Christ's glory but by spending much time shut up with
          Him! There is much said about new revelations, new
          forms of praise and worship, new ways to build and
          grow, new out-reaches to the lost! But the Holy Spirit
          is in very little of it. In fact, much of it is an
          abomination to the Lord, and little conviction of sin
          is produced through it all. We have wasted enough time
          inventing ways to save the lost and purify the church.
          We need more open faced testimonies, more believers
          among us who truly reflect the glory of the presence of
          Jesus in them!

          Show me one who shines with the presence of His glory
          and I will show you one who becomes "a manifestation of
          the truth." By their renouncing everything hidden and
          dishonest and by refusing to walk in craftiness or
          handle the Word of God deceitfully - they touch and
          convict the consciences of all men. Christ has shone
          forth in their hearts, and their very lives give forth
          the light of the knowledge of His glory. "For God, who
          commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath
          shined in our hearts, to give the light of the
          knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
          Christ..." (2 Corinthians 4:6). This means the open
          faced believer, whose heart and face reflects Christ in
          fullness, causes all others to face up to the light of
          His glory. The result will be either conviction or
          rejection. The light of Christ's presence shines out of
          the open face - to expose, so as to save!

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                   The veil is a ministry of good works!
                    It speaks of man's self-sufficiency!
                     It is a ministry of fading glory!

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          Much of what is done for the Lord today to advance His
          kingdom is done behind this veil of unbelief. The
          church can't bring itself to accept the fact that God
          won't accept the flesh or anything that flesh touches.
          We find it so hard to believe that most of our
          religious activities are in vain.

          We are not yet in the testimony of righteousness. We
          have not yet been convinced God doesn't use ambitious
          men - but holy, Christ-like men. We chase after causes;
          we spend time, money and so much effort trying to wake
          up the church and change sinners through plans and
          programs. We are blind! We can't see that the Spirit
          convicts the world through Christians who live in the
          throne room and who come from God. They have and want
          nothing but Christ. They do nothing except what they
          see and hear Him do. "But whenever a man turns to the
          Lord, the veil is taken away..." (2 Corinthians 3:16).
          Another way to say it is: Whenever one turns to the
          Lord, spending time with Him, changing with each
          session with Him - he too will be an open faced
          testimony to the world!

          This is the danger of those who hold to idols and
          secret sin - they are veiling Christ to the world.
          Their lives do not touch the world; they are "spiritual
          duds." If you are not changing from glory to glory,
          becoming more and more like Jesus, then you are
          changing daily into the image of the wicked one! We are
          all changing - one way or another!

          Every mountain, every hill is brought low by the
          presence of Jesus Christ! Those who spend much time
          with Him will see their hills of sin melt like wax,
          every high place of flesh brought down, every crooked
          thing made straight. "The hills melted like wax at the
          presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of
          the whole earth" (Psalm 97:5). Paul speaks of "casting
          down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
          itself against the knowledge of God" (2 Corinthians
          10:5). These high things are idols, habits, ambitions,
          motives - which become high and exalted hills and
          mountains in us. They must come down!

          John the Baptist came to fulfill the words of Isaiah:
          "As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias
          the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the
          wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his
          paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every
          mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked
          shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be
          made smooth" (Luke 3:4, 5 KJV). This is exactly what
          happens in the life of one who is shut in with the
          Lord, beholding His holiness. The mountains begin to
          crumble and the high and lofty hills of pride and self
          melt like wax before His fiery eyes. "...and the
          mountain shall be molten under Him, and valleys shall
          be cleft, as wax before fire..." (Micah 1:3,4 KJV).
          "The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and
          the earth is burned at His presence, yea, the world,
          and all that dwell therein..." (Nahum 1:5).

          All that is earthly, sensual, fleshly and carnal is
          exposed for what it is - all is burned up! None of it
          can survive His constant presence. Those who behold the
          glory of His holiness cannot stand before His eyes of
          fire They are brought low!

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                Christ's presence is devastating to flesh!

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          Isaiah was a good man who prophesied against the sins
          of God's people. He spoke much of the Holy One of
          Israel. But one day he beheld the Lord in the glory of
          His holiness and he cringed at the sight of his own
          sins! He cried: "Woe is me!" In the year that king
          Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne,
          high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.
          Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings;
          with [two] he covered his face, and with [two] he
          covered his feet, and with [two] he did fly. And one
          cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the
          Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
          And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him
          that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then
          said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man
          of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people
          of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the
          Lord of hosts." (Isaiah 6:1-5). When your eyes see the
          King in His glory - sin is exposed! There will be true
          heart repentance. The message here is: "See God and
          die!" Die to self and sin. Die to the corruption of the
          heart.

          Daniel said, "I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek
          by prayer and fasting and supplications..." (Daniel
          9:3). Three full weeks he mourned and set his face
          toward the Lord. The Man dressed in linen, whose eyes
          were as lamps of fire, appeared to him in glory. "Then
          I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain
          man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine
          gold of Uphas: His body also was like the beryl, and
          his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes
          as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in
          color to polished brass, and the voice of his words
          like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw
          the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the
          vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that
          they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left
          alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no
          strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into
          corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the
          voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his
          words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my
          face toward the ground" (Daniel 10:5-9 KJV).

          Talk of conviction! When the Lord was moving on Daniel
          by His holy presence, "quaking fell upon the men who
          were with him, so that they fled to hide themselves."
          We live in a day of an unveiled Christ - how much more
          should the Lord's presence in us cause a quaking among
          all around who are living in sin.

          John, on the Isle of Patmos, could not stand before the
          presence of Christ when He appeared in holiness to
          judge the seven churches. The one who laid his head on
          the breast of Jesus now beholds Him in the glory and
          power of His holiness - and he falls to his face. "And
          I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being
          turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; and in the
          midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son
          of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and
          girt about the [breasts] with a golden girdle. His head
          and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow;
          and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet like
          unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and
          his voice as the sound of many waters. And he had in
          his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a
          sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the
          sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell
          at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon
          me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the
          last" (Revelation 1:12-17 KJV).

          In His presence, Isaiah crumbled, Daniel melted, John
          fell as dead! And those who stood nearby were convicted
          and fled!

          In these last days, multitudes are hiding from the
          presence of the Lord! Their sins have veiled His face
          from them and they are afraid to be much in His
          presence. Like Jonah, their disobedience causes them to
          "run from the presence of the Lord." They can't stand
          the fire in His eyes. So from a distance, they follow
          Him - claiming security and rights in His name. They
          will not bring down their high place of idolatry.

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                         Many are moving on without
                      the Lord's presence with them!

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          God gave Moses a most frightening directive. "Depart,
          go up from here, you and the people whom you have
          brought up from the land of Egypt - to the land of
          which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, "To
          your descendants I will give it... and I will send an
          angel before you... for I will not go up in your
          midst... because you are an obstinate people, lest I
          destroy you on the way" (Exodus 33:1-3).

          The people of God had spun completely "out of control"
          because of lust and idolatry (Exodus 32:25). Gold had
          become their god. They wanted to dance, to play, to
          fornicate, and to follow their lustful appetites. Only
          the sons of Levi stood up for the holiness of God.

          Then followed the dread revelation that the Lord had
          removed Himself from them - He had departed lest He
          slay them. But still they were commanded to move on to
          claim their inheritance. God said, "I will give you
          what I promised." They could claim all their rights;
          they could move on with an angel to go before them; but
          because of sin and stubbornness - they had no more
          claim on the Lord's holy presence. They could have
          their rights and His protection - but not His presence.

          Is that not what we are seeing today? It is the sad
          spectacle of multitudes of God's people, moving on in
          their religious quest for promised rights, boasting of
          angelic help against enemies - but no holy, awesome,
          convicting presence of Christ in them!

          What could be worse than hearing this kind of
          commandment from the Lord, "Go up to a land flowing
          with milk and honeyfor I will not go up in your
          midst..." (Exodus 33:3)? God said to them, "You are an
          obstinate people, should I go up in your midst for one
          moment, I would destroy you. Now therefore, put off
          your ornaments from you, that I may know what to do
          with you..." (Exodus 33:5).

          There are Christians today who are even more stubborn
          than the Israelites, who refuse to put away their
          idolatrous toys, gimmicks and man-centered programs.
          But they are moving on! Without the Lord's presence,
          the heart gets only harder, the enemy bolder, and the
          Lord's interests on this earth are forgotten and self
          is enthroned!

          Moses wanted something greater than a land flowing with
          milk and honey. He wanted to know and experience the
          Lord's presence. He prayed, "Thou hast said, I have
          known you by name, and you have found favor in my
          sightNow therefore, I pray thee, if I have found favor
          in Thy sight, let me know Thy ways, that I may know
          Thee, so that I may find favor in Thy sight" (Exodus
          33:12,13).

          No wonder this precious servant of God convicted his
          generation! No wonder there was so much glory in his
          face. He wanted only to know the lord. The only favor
          he wanted was the abiding presence of his Lord. So it
          was with Paul, whose heart cried out, "Oh that I might
          know him!"

          The testimony of an open face is backed by this one
          glorious promise from the Lord: "My presence shall go
          with you; I will give you rest..." (Exodus 33:14). And
          because of His presence reflected in us, we shall
          become a demonstration to the world - convicting it of
          sin, righteousness and judgment.

          ---
          Used with permission granted by World Challenge, P. O.
          Box 260, Lindale, TX 75771, USA.

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