Open Heavens and Meeting God

I had a thought last night that has continued to grow through today. I still have questions but am hoping it comes together sometime in my lifetime.

Last night at church Pastor Mark mentioned that there are locations of "open heavens," like Jacob had when he saw angels ascending and descending at Bethel. There he met God. (Gen 28:10).

Jesus also says later to Nethaniel, "...You shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." (John 1:51).

So here is my thought, why dont we as His disciples see that? We need to see that. If He said we will see that by following Him then we should have that. I could site all kinds of scripture to back up that we are to be like Him and that we have the authority to open heaven and all that.

But the reason I been thinking about this is unto people meeting and encountering Jesus. I been praying for some friends of mine to have a God encounter. Today as I walked in to a health food store, I had the revelation that some places have open heavens and some don't. Bethel was a place that had an open heaven.

New agers believe there are places where there is great spiritual power. I believe these are open to the spiritual realm. Some places are open heavens and some places could be open hell. Why some locations are this way I don't know. That is governed by the rules of the spiritual realm. But according to scripture it is in these places that we encounter God, or the devil (Matt. 4).

The goal is to encounter God. Wherever Jesus was there were healings and miraculous things going on. I believe He caused Heaven to come to earth. His Spirit lives in me and He said that whatever He did we would do even more. So as Christians we should have open heaven experiences wherever we go. Not by our strength, or might, but by His Spirit and power.

And definately not for our glory but His total glory. And especially for the eternal life of those who have yet to claim their inheritance. This transaction comes with encountering Him and receiving it directly. Ask to encounter Him personally and you will meet a Jesus very different than the exausted Jesus forever hanging on a cross.

I think this way because I met Jesus through an encounter. I was in bed one night and just had turned off the lights. Through the window over my bed, I felt a presence come in over me. I started to cry heavily and say, "You can have my life, you can have my life!" I didn't know what I was saying or to whom I was speaking.

It kinda scared me at first, then I felt a peace come over me and agreed with what I was saying. I then knew I had given my life to God. I still didn't know much of this Jesus, but I knew it was God I had given myself and my life to.

The next day I desperately wanted to be baptised but I didn't know if people still did that today. I thought they only did that in the Bible. I was afraid to ask anyone at the church I occasionally atteneded, becuase I was afraid they would think I was crazy. (I didnt attend church enough to know they held baptisms.)

I've had people try to get me to renounce my experience and my commitment to the Lord. But I know it changed my life and it was the Holy Spirit who came in my room that night. Prior to that night, I had experienced that same presence but didn't know anything about the Holy Spirit or who Jesus was. It was all a gradual process. But a powerful one indeed.

I think everyone should know their God in this way. Whoever worships what he/she does not know is not a true relationship. Jesus desires relationship and intimacy with us and the only way to have that is to truely know Him and meet Him. We need open heaven experiences for this to happen.