A Continual Thirst for God: Are You Seeking His Presence or a Manifestation?
There is a question William N'GOM asked the members of ICC Montreal during the Teach & Pray session of April 17, 2026, and it is a question worth pausing on yourself: "Do you want the presence or the manifestation? Do you want the miracles, or do you want the God who does miracles?"
In the wilderness, Israel had the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. The people had organized their entire life around the Presence: when the cloud moved, they moved; when it stopped, they pitched their tents. But very quickly, that same people started demanding quail instead of being content with manna. They wanted the manifestation, not the Presence.
Today, the temptation is exactly the same. We want what God can do for us more than we want God himself. This message calls you back to a continual thirst, the kind that will not be satisfied by anything other than God.
Article Outline
- The Presence is worth more than the manifestation (Exodus 33)
- Cultivating a passionate and exclusive love for God
- Continually seeking his face
- Keeping the fire burning on the altar: koinonia
1. The Presence Is Worth More Than the Manifestation
In Exodus 33, the people bow down at the entrance of their tents when the cloud descends on Moses's tent. All of Israel sees the manifestation. But only one man goes into the tent and speaks with the LORD "face to face, as a man speaks to his friend" (Exodus 33:10-11).
Moses is not satisfied with just seeing the cloud. He pushes further: "Please show me your glory." He is willing to die for that vision. And God, moved by that man's thirst, makes a way: he places him in the cleft of the rock and covers him with his hand (Exodus 33:18-23).
That rock is a picture of Christ. It is only in Christ that we can behold the full glory of God. And since the cross, that Presence has, in a sense, become available to everyone: you have free access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The question is no longer "is God available?" but "do I really want to come in?"
2. Cultivating a Passionate and Exclusive Love for God
At the start of the year, Pastor Celestin had reminded the congregation of the first commandment according to Matthew 22:37: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Three dimensions: heart, soul, mind. Two requirements that follow: fullness ("all") and exclusivity.
You cannot share God with the things of life. Genesis 1:1 says it: "In the beginning, God." At the beginning of your work, God. At the beginning of your family, God. At the beginning of your ministry, God. He is the Alpha and the Omega, not one box among others on your schedule.
The apostle Ivan put it in a sentence that William N'GOM repeated: "Sin is not too strong. Your desire for God is too weak." Where love for God dominates, temptation loses its power. Where love is lukewarm, everything becomes competition.
3. Continually Seeking His Face
The word "continually" comes up everywhere in Scripture. Amos 5:4: "Seek me and live." Psalm 105:4: "Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually."
Whoever does not seek God is already spiritually dead. David was a king: a ministry-sized schedule, a war leader, father of a large family. He could have had a thousand excuses. But he sought God continually. Are you busier than the premier of Quebec? We have no excuses.
And here is the law of thirst: the more you know God, the more you love him. The more you love him, the more you desire him. The more you desire him, the more you seek him. The more you seek him, the more you know him. It is an upward spiral, but it only starts once you begin to seek.
William N'GOM shared a personal memory that stings. Converted very young in a Muslim family, he used to hide his Bibles and church t-shirts inside his clothes. One Sunday, his father sat down on purpose in the family courtyard to stop him from crossing over with his big Bible. He could not go to church. The following Sunday, he went out at 4 a.m., before his father's morning prayer, and wandered the streets of his city for three hours, alone with his Bible, waiting for the service to open at 7 a.m. "I could have gotten attacked, but I had a thirst not to miss the presence of God."
His conclusion stings too: "You take it for granted. Coming to church is a grace. There are countries where people gather in basements."
He also used the image of modern-day enthusiasts. The cycling-obsessed colleague who checks out every model online. The Montreal Canadiens fans who buy "season tickets" so they never miss a game. The real question becomes: "Have you gotten your season tickets for church in 2026?"
4. Keeping the Fire Burning on the Altar: Koinonia
Leviticus 6:12: "The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it; it shall not go out. The priest shall arrange wood on it every morning." A fire that has been lit is not the end of the work, it is the beginning. It has to be fed, or it dies.
Koinonia is the Greek word for that deep fellowship, that close relationship with God. It is what sustains the dunamis, the power. Cut off koinonia, and you cut off the source. Samson experienced this: the day koinonia ends, they can tie you up.
And here is a sentence shared the previous Wednesday, which William N'GOM passed along: "If you know how to manage without God, then you are not in koinonia." You can become so satisfied by comfort (the small job, the small car, the house, the marriage finally obtained) that you lose your hunger for God without even noticing. That is when the lamp goes out.
Key Takeaways
- The Presence is worth infinitely more than the manifestation. Do not settle for what God does: seek out who he is.
- Love for God must be passionate (heart, soul, mind) and exclusive (God, at the beginning).
- Seeking God "continually" is not a spiritual bonus, it is the sign that you are alive.
- Your thirst for God matters more than the strength of your temptations.
- Without koinonia, power fades out. Feed the fire every morning.
Personal Application
- When you pray, are you seeking what God can do for you, or are you seeking God himself?
- Is there an area of your life (work, marriage, ministry, leisure) that you have not yet opened up to God "at the beginning"?
- What would your "season tickets" for the house of God look like, concretely, in 2026?
- What daily habit will you use to light the fire on your altar every morning?
- Are there areas where you "know how to manage without God"? Is that really good news?
Verses Cited
- Exodus 33:10-11
- Exodus 33:18-23
- Matthew 6:6 and 6:34
- Luke 10:38-42 (Martha and Mary)
- John 6:68
- Matthew 22:37
- Amos 5:4
- Psalm 105:1-4
- Leviticus 6:12
- Genesis 1:1
FAQ
What does "koinonia" mean?
The Greek word koinonia refers to fellowship, a deep and shared relationship. In this message, it refers to continual fellowship with God that sustains spiritual power (the dunamis). Without koinonia, the lamp goes out.
Why say that the Presence is worth more than the manifestation?
Because you can love a father's gifts without loving the father. Israel wanted the quail, the manna, the miracles. Moses wanted God himself. The manifestation passes, the Presence remains.
How do I start, concretely, cultivating a continual thirst?
Three simple steps: put God at the beginning of every day (a prayer, a time of reading), remove whatever is satisfying you in his place (idols of comfort or success), and come back to the house of God as someone passionate, not as a consumer.
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