EXPERIENCING
THE ABIDING PRESENCE OF GOD
One thing have I
desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of
the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to
enquire in his temple” Psalms 27:4 KJV
“Here’s the one thing
I crave from God, the one thing I seek above all else: I want the privilege of
living with him every moment in his house, finding the sweet loveliness of his
face, filled with awe, delighting in his glory and grace. I want to live my life
so close to him that he takes pleasure in my every prayer” Psalms 27:4
TPT
Men are seeking so
many things in order to be happy and enjoy this life but wise men are seeking
to abide where the Presence of God is so that they can behold the goodness of the
Lord and enjoy the blessings that flows from His Presence; furthermore in verse
5, the writer said … “For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his
pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up
upon a rock” [Psalms 27:5 KJV. See Psalms 31:20].
In time of challenges,
crisis and troubles, it is best to be hidden in God’s Presence where God will
keep you from the troubles that men causes. You must create an expectation when
you live in His Presence where all the evil is driven away by the wind of the
Spirit. Situation of life may be like the valley of dry bones but the Presence
of God come in and changes things … The Presence of God is the four winds that
causes what is dead to come alive again … It is the quickening Spirit who
reveals the Presence of God unto us!
“Then said he unto me,
Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith
the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain,
that they may live” Ezekiel 37:9
When we dwell in the
place of God’s Presence, goodness and blessings are our portion but evil and
curses ensues when we sin or get away from the place of the abiding presence of
God. Adam and Eve would have kept the abiding presence of God if they obeyed
the command of God not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil,
but they ate and were driven away from the place of God’s Presence. Obedience
helps in maintaining the Presence of God but disobedience and sin drove Adam
and Eve away from the earthly Paradise of God called the Garden of Eden.
In the beginning of
human history, God enjoyed a close relationship with Adam and Eve in the Garden
of Eden [Genesis 3:8]. After their sin, they became separated from the place of
His presence. Those who flee from the Presence of God like Jonah goes down from
the mountain top or Mount Zion and goes down to the valley where nothing good
is happening.
"But Jonah rose
up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and WENT DOWN to Joppa;
and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so, he paid the fare thereof, and WENT DOWN
into it, to go with them unto Tarshish FROM THE PRESENCE of the LORD. "
Jonah 1:3
The Presence of God
can be categorized into three forms.
First: The
Omnipresence of God:
It means God is present
in all places and at all times or God is everywhere at all times. King David
explained this in Psalms 139:6-12, that he cannot flee from God’s presence;
that if he hides himself in heaven or hell, or even darkness, God will still be
there. God’s presence is felt everywhere, nothing is hidden from God and He
knows all that we are doing.
Second: The
Manifest Presence of God.
It is called the
‟Shekinah Glory.” It connotes God dwelling in a tabernacle or the physical
manifestation of God’s presence momentarily or temporarily. In Exodus 3:1-5,
God made a dramatic appearance to Moses in a burning bush that was not
consumed. That is the manifest presence of God. In Daniel 3:24-25,
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon declared that he put 3 men inside fire but
there is a fourth man there who look like a son of the gods. Even a heathen
king was able to discern the manifest Presence of Christ. In season of revival,
the Presence of God that shows up as we worship and we see different miracles,
signs and wonders and all manner of prophetic manifestations is the manifest
Presence of God.
It is also called the
experiential Presence as seen in the upper room in Acts 1-2 as the disciples
prayed and God’s Presence came as tongues of fire to input the indwelling
Presence on the disciples.
Moses was a man well
acquainted with the visiting Presence of God, on one occasion, Moses face shone
like that of an angel after being in the presence of the Presence of God for a
tangible time. It is this manifest Presence that operates in redemption but it
takes the abiding Presence to teach and mature us in the things of the Spirit
as the “live in” teacher, counsellor, healer, or comforter.
Third: The Abiding Presence
of God.
The veil that covers
the Most Holy place in the Tabernacle has been torn into two when Jesus gave up
the ghost on the cross and we all are privileged now to enter and dwell perpetually
in the place of the presence of God. Now we can say God in us and we are in
God.
That is why Hebrews
4:16 says now we can come boldly before that Throne Room of Grace where we can
obtain mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. [Heb. 10:19-22]. God
comes to revive the spirit of the lowly and the heart of the contrite [Isa.
57:15], God restores our broken relationship so we can relate again through the
cohabitating of our spirit man and the Spirit of God
“To whom God would
make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;
which is CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of glory” Coll. 1:27
This realm is when we
live with the awareness of the Presence of God and allow His Spirit to control
our lives and we push into perpetual dwelling in the place of the Presence of
God. The kingdom or the Presence of God is within us [Luke 17:21]. The Spirit
of Truth or the Presence of God dwell in us and shall be in us [John 14:17]. The
different between this and the manifest Presence is that the manifest Presence
comes and goes and not perpetually dwelling unlike the abiding Presence that
has taken absolute permanent Presence or residence in us. In John 1:14 we hear
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling amongst us…” That is the
indwelling or abiding Presence of God.
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled;
and they took knowledge of them, that they HAD BEEN WITH Jesus” Act
4:13 KJV
The council members, Pharisees
and Sadducees saw that the Apostles were ordinary men who were not educated and
considered ignorant men BUT they were bold and courageous and this was because
they had spent quality time with Jesus. The Presence of God in the life of
Jesus rubbed upon them. They were different from ordinary men because God was
evidently with them and God supernatural operated in their lives. It is likened
to a man that exposed himself to the sun at the beach on sunny days, soon the
golden glow of the sun will begin to reflect on his body.
In the Old Testament, God
dwell in the Most Holy place in the Tabernacle of God that Moses erected in the
wilderness but now the contents found in the outer court, inner court and Most
Holy place of that former tabernacle are inside believers today and are
altogether known as the treasure of God in earthen places [2 Cor. 4:7] or the
tabernacle of God that is with men.
“And I heard a great
voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God” Rev. 21:3
This is best explained
in the Old Testament by the pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of
fire during the night that protected the Israelites from the heat of the day
and the cold at night. It was the glory of God abiding upon the Israelites that
their clothes and shoes did not wear out nor grow old for 40 years. That is the
supernatural of God abiding in the place where His Presence dwells.
For the full content
of the Presence of God to be in man, we must have been purged and cleansed and
offer our body as a living sacrifice, have a renewed mind by the word of God
[Romans 12:1-2], partake of the show bread [Word of God], beamed upon by the
candle light []entrance of His word giveth light Psalms 119:105], offer incense
in prayers , sit with God on the mercy seat [Eph. 2:6], believe in and partake
of the resurrection power as seen in the rod of Aaron that budded, muse and
ponder in the book of God’s commandment and fellowship with atmosphere of God and
worshipping Him where His PRESENCE resides in the Holy of Holies.
For better
understanding, in the Old Testament, those who serve God goes in the Tabernacle
to worship Him but in the New Testament, we are the carriers of this Tabernacle
otherwise known as the abiding PRESENCE of Jehovah God. This Presence of God is
the greater One that is in us than he that is in the world [1 John 4:4]. The
abiding Presence of God is not geographically limited, wherever you the carrier
of that Presence is, that is where He is; either in bed, at work, travelling,
in the Church or even in the market. God is in us and He is doing the works of
the Kingdom of God through us.
“… and, lo, I AM WITH YOU always, even unto
the end of the world. Amen” Matt. 28:20
Here our Lord gives
his apostles, believers and all the ministers of his gospel, truly sent and
called by Him, an assurance of his spiritual presence with them in the
execution of this commission unto the end of time; and this exceeding great and
precious promise he ushers in with, “Lo! or behold!” stating need to
stand in amazement, strengthen their faith and engage their faith in the manifestation
of what God promised. This is to assure ourselves of and rely upon the fact
that “He is with us and will never leave nor forsake us”.
“…for he hath said, I
will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The
Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” Heb. 13:5-6
God is saying
something like …
“I am with you; I, the
everlasting Son of God;
I, who have the angels
at my command, I AM with you.
I, who has all the
power and the glory, I AM with you.
I, who says it and
what I say come to pass, I AM with you.
I, who causes poverty,
lack and want to cease, and releases wealth and riches, I AM with you.
I, that speaks and my
words “make the devils tremble and they are subjected under my commands”, I AM
with you.
I, who in your sight
have caused the storms to cease, the blind to see, the sick to be healed, the
lame to walk, the dead to rise up, only with the word of my mouth, I AM with
you.
I, who have all power
in heaven and earth committed into my hands… I AM WITH YOU;
I am not saying, I
will be with you, but I AM with you WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES.
I say, I AM in you
making all things to work together for your good!
“So, David would not
remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried
it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD
continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD
blessed Obededom, and all his household” 2 Sam. 6:11
The Ark of God which
represents the Presence of God was carried into the house of Obededom just like
the Presence of God came to indwell believers in the New Testament and in three
months, Obededom was blessed beyond measure so much so that king David had to
quickly come and carry the Ark into a prepared place in Jerusalem so that he
too can partake of the blessings of the Lord.
Can I say as
Christians filled with the Presence of God; we do not know the potency of the
Presence of God that cohabitate with our spirit in our inner man? There is
power and presence of God in us that makes the rulers of the dark world to
tremble. The Presence of God is He that is called “Greater is He that lives in
us than He that lives in the world” [1 John 4:4]. He is greater and there is no
controversy about that.
People are tired of
stories and dead Churches like a mortuary or cemetery where we just talk and
tell tales of what used to happen like Job did in Job 22. Today, Christians
want to have genuine encounter with the Presence of God and see their
situations of life turn around for good. Even Jesus Christ said except Church
goers see miracles, signs and wonder many will not believe. It takes the
potency of God’s Presence in us to show forth the awesomeness of God’s
Presence, Power and Glory!
“And the apostles went
out announcing the good news everywhere, as the Lord himself consistently
worked with them, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs that
accompanied them!” Mark 16:20 TPT
The messages preached
in our Churches today must be validated as God performs miracles, signs and
wonders in our midst. God is at work healing all that were oppressed, harasses,
repressed and depressed by the devil. We cannot afford not to live according to
the consciousness of the divine life of God we see in Jesus Christ. For your
information, you and Jesus are co-heirs of all that is God the Father’s
properties and inheritance. So as God the Father lives in the Son, so does the
Son live in Him.
Jesus has come as the
Presence of God to reside in us and will continue to do all the works He was
doing while living on earth in us and through us. He even said we will come up
to the knowledge of who we are and what we carry will enable us to do greater
works than what He does. The question is “Do you believe” that you carry the
divine Presence? He is at work in you making the powers of darkness to bow at
your feet!
Even Elijah in the Old
Testament knows who he was though he was a man of like passion like us but he
understood God in him and commanded rain not to fall for three and half years
and rain stayed and obeyed. I will question your relationship with God and His
Presence in you if powers of darkness are able to exert their evil powers over
your life, health or finances. It tells me that you do not know what you carry
or you are ignorant of the personality of the Presence of God that you dwell in
you!
WE MUST ABIDE IN GOD
“Now you are clean
through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more
can you, except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He that
abide in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me
you can do nothing” John 15:3-5 [Read also John 17:22-23]
To abide in God is to
dwell, to remain continually, to take up permanent residence in God, to
continue in God; it means to be in a fixed state and to take residence in a
place. God want us to abide in Him and He want to dwell in us [2 Cor. 4:7]. The
era of visiting God once a week at the Sunday Church Services is over with.
Christ is the Bridegroom and the Body of Christ or all believers are the bride
and we all know that husband and wife live together forever until death
separates them.
God is seeking a
steadfast, unchanging, continuous, staying people who desire to be in His abiding
presence as much as He longs to be in their presence. Such believers believe
and trust that Jesus is everything they need. Such remain steadfast as they
walk in Him, depend on Him, and are intentional with their acts of faith in God
and believe in God’s ability to do all things [Coll. 2:6-7].
In order to become
like Jesus Christ, we must allow His word to lead us as light or lamp in the
midst of darkness [Psalms 119:105]; such depend solely on every word thar come
from the mouth of the Lord [Matt. 4:4] and they do everything in the name of
the Lord [Coll. 3:17]. We must put on His image and likeness and that involves
bearing His image and likeness [2 Cor. 3:16-18] as we put on His character and
nature that is otherwise called the fruit of the Spirit [Gall. 5:22-24]. It is
in this perpetual abiding together that we can bear such fruit of the Spirit
and become like Him. We do not only bear fruit but we bear more and much fruit
[John 15:2, 5].
God want us perfect,
lacking nothing necessary for completeness as a Christ-like believer and it is
only by dwelling in and with God that we can be perfected and complete, lacking
nothing. This is the invitation that God is sending our way today. No more
visitation but habituating with God 24 hours a day and seven days a week
forever. In Him we will find peace when we dwell, pray, or sometimes just sit
quietly in His Presence and bask in His glory. We must continually seek His face
and let Him have the very special place in our heart.
“Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled” Matt. 5:6
Remember that those
who thirst or pant after righteousness, holiness or purity of heart shall be
filled. Filled with what? The Presence of God! Those who live with the
consciousness of the need to be pure and holy must always frown at the things
that God detests like sexual immoralities, lies, covetousness, unforgiveness or
impure thoughts! If we watch how we behave when our Pastors are around, how
much more should we with the consciousness that God lives in us and see all
that we do.
God who stays in
heaven decided to live with man in the earth realm. He is called ‟Emmanuel,”
which means “God with us”. Here, God is no longer an occasional guest or
visitor, but an abiding guest. God is living in me, helping me to live right,
do right and give me the grace to contact with wisdom for witty inventions. The
life of God in me give me competence and advantage over those who are not
filled or have not become carriers of grace by reasons of the “GOD IN US”. You
carry divine life by reasons of the Holy Spirit and you also have the grace to
use the divine life to help others contact the grace and the goodness of God,
and you are capacitated to transfer the divine life to others also.
“And it shall come to
pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder,
and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the
anointing” Isa. 10:27
You have now become
the carrier of the ARK of God and it is impossible for your life to remain the
same. If you are carried into the place where Dagon gods dwell [1 Sam.5:1-7],
by morning time the Dagon gods will fall to the ground, if they continue, their
hands and legs will be cut off the next morning. The Presence of God make you a
carrier of the ANOINTING which destroys yokes and lift of burdens.
‟By this we know that
we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John
4:13
Anyone who has
accepted Christ as his personal Savior carries the presence of God with him.
The consciousness of His presence will enable you to live a holy life. And this
presence is the Holy Spirit.
“If you love me, keep
my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER; Even the Spirit of truth;
whom the world cannot receive, because it see him not, neither know him: but you know him; for HE WILL DWELL WITH YOU, and shall be IN you. I will not leave you
comfortless: I will COME to you … At that day you shall know that I am in my
Father, and you in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keep
them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my
Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John
14:15-18, 20-21
We shall be
enlightened by the Holy Spirit, filled with the Spirit of wisdom, knowledge,
understanding, might, counsel, fear of the Lord and quick understanding or
discernment [Isa. 11:1-3]. The Spirit of God releases to us the love of God
[Romans 5:5], awakens the love of God in us and teaches us all things until we
will begin to reflect the perfect man, having the measure of the stature of the
fulness of Christ.
Till we all come in
the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect
man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” Eph. 4:13
All those who abide in
the Presence of God must walk in the Spirit and do not fulfill the lust of the flesh
and must not yield to the drawing or falling away through the flesh. That is
why we must flee away from lust, demonic desires and illicit passions that will
lead to the falling away from the path of godliness.
We must continue to converse with God in our heart by bringing to His attention prayers without ceasing [1 Thess. 5:17], praise, thanksgiving, dialoguing with God just like two lovers does, showering love upon God who by the way is ready to reciprocate with agape love… That is why we set God on our right hand so that we shall not be moved [Psalms 16:8]
Now let us look at our
main bible text…
“And when Asa heard
these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and PUT AWAY
the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the
cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and RENEWED the altar of the
LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD. And he GATHERED all Judah and
Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of
Simeon: for they FELL TO HIM out of Israel in abundance, when they SAW that the
LORD HIS GOD WAS WITH HIM. So, they gathered themselves together at
Jerusalem in the THIRD month, in the FIFTEEN year of the reign of Asa” 2
Chronicles 15:8-10 [See also Gen. 39:3; 1 Sam. 18:28; 1 Kings 3:28; Zech. 8:21-23;
Acts 7:9-10]
Asa simply mean a doctor or
healer. I see in this gathering of saints, God is raising up a lettered doctor like
Luke, and a healer of the perturbed or disturbed heart of men so that by the
teaching of the Word and by the impartation of the Spirit we can confidently or
boldly say the Lord God is with us, we will not be afraid.
“Fear thou not; FOR I
AM WITH YOU: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I
will HELP thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness”
Isa. 41:10
Our season of getting
HELP from the Lord has come!!! Your helper has come, no more fear! The
divine helper is set to help us
“God is our refuge and
strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, will not we fear,
though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst
of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the
mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah. There is a river, the streams
whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of
the Most-High. God IS IN THE MIDST of her; she shall not be moved: God SHALL
HELP HER, and that right early” Psalms 46:1-5 READ ALL VERSES]
When you see one that
is fearful, it means they are unconscious of the greatness and power of God who
said, He is with them and promised to strengthen and help them. We should have
the confidence always that no matter what we pass through either water or fire,
God got our back and we will not drown nor be burnt by fire. [Isa. 43: 2]
“So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my
helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” Heb. 13:6
Prophetically
speaking, let us look at the story of Asa the king over the tribes of Judah and
Benjamin. We saw that God’s blessing was upon him and his country Judah while
the other country Israel, was cursed and doomed and nothing good was happening
there.
Very significant, God
is ingathering believers as He did to Judah; God’s grace and blessings came upon
Judah in the THIRD month of the FIFTEEN year of Asa’s reign just like we are
celebrating the fifteenth year of this local assembly in this third month of
March and we are due to get the same kind of blessings that God gave to king Asa
and the land of Judah.
“And the LORD was with
Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the
Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD WAS WITH HIM, and that the LORD
made all that he did TO PROSPER in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his
sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and ALL THAT
HE HAD HE PUT INTO HIS HAND. And it came to pass from the time that he had
made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed
the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the BLESSING OF THE LORD WAS UPON
ALL that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he
had IN Joseph's HAND; and he knew not all that he had, save the bread which he
did eat. And Joseph was a GOODLY person, and WELL FAVORED” Gen. 39:2-6
The Lord was with
Joseph in Gen. 39:2; for me this is the key to the blessedness of God in the
life of Joseph and even his master. All the goodness, prosperity and favor of
God found in his life is tied to the Presence of Jehovah God in his life.
Joseph was a goodly man and well FAVORED because of the Presence of God in his
life.
Those demonically
inclined people that meant evil for our lives, bad mouthing us, speaking evil
of us or even trying to bewitch us cannot deprive us of the glorious Presence
of our God and its corresponding blessings when we dwell in the secret place of
the Most-High, we will become untouchable [Psalms 91:1].
“He that dwelleth in
the secret place of the Most-High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I
trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from
the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his
wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou
shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that fly by
day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the
destruction that waste at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and
ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee” Psalms
91:1-7
There is nothing that
guarantees maximum protection like God’s Presence! God will hide you inside His
pavilion, no one can pluck you from His hands and His protection includes
immunity from demonization, sickness, noisome pestilence, satanic arrows,
accidents and evil occurrences. Is it possible for a fox or hyena to grab the
cub (baby) of a lion while the mother lioness is seated right in front of the cub?
Impossible!!! God watches over you day and Night!!!
When Joseph was all
alone in a foreign land and had none of his relations with him, he had his God
with him, even in the house of the Egyptian. Joseph was banished from his
father’s house, forcefully taken away and sold into slavery, into the hand of
the Ishmaelites who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar but the Lord was
with him.
It is God’s Presence
with him and even us that makes all we do to prosper. Those that would prosper
must therefore make God their friend and walk according to His statutes; and
those that do prosper must therefore give God praise for His goodness and mercy.
Joseph was in the house of his master the Egyptian and he did not endeavor to
shine as might have been expected, neither to run away and escape to his father’s
land, but he humbled himself patiently and faithfully in the house into which
God’s wisdom had brought him. And the Lord lifted him up and cause all that he
laid his hands to do to prosper. God is set to prosper and lift you up in this
house in Jesus Mighty Name.
The prosperity that
attended all Joseph’s doings was so striking as to show that the Lord was with
him. Until his master “Set him over”, that is made him overseer of all
that was in his house and all that belong to Potiphar was tremendously blessed.
“The Lord blessed the Master’s house.” Because of Joseph. God blesses
those who bless his people. You are a Child of God… in your family, on your job
and in your business… God is set to set you above and not beneath… All that you
lay your hand upon shall prosper in the Mighty Name of the Lord Jesus!!!
“And I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curses you: and in you shall all families
of the earth be blessed” Gen. 12:3
As a matter of fact,
we saw the same indwelling and Presence of God in the life of our Lord Jesus
Christ and the correspondent blessings for God was with Him.
“How God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing
good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God WAS WITH HIM” Act
10:38
The Body of Christ
that has God’s presence in her midst will live, move and worship with a quiet
confidence in the Lord at all times, and will be filled with joy and peace. They
will experience good and will be distributors of good of God to those who needs
the goodness of the Lord. The same is true for every Christian. If you have
Jesus’ Presence in your life, you will experience divine order and the goodness
of the Lord. You will have inexplicable peace and calmness, with no fussing or
anxiety, knowing God has everything under control! God with you is set to take
you to the top and never beneath. I see the glory of God upon you.
“God is our refuge and
strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore, will we not fear, though
the earth do change, And though the mountains be shaken into the heart of the
seas; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, Though the mountains
tremble with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the streams whereof make
glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most-High. God IS IN THE MIDST OF HER; She shall not be
moved: God will help her, and that right early. The nations raged, the kingdoms
were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. Jehovah of hosts IS WITH US;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Come, behold the works of the LORD, what
desolations he hath made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end
of the earth; he breaks the bow, and cut the spear in sunder; he burns the
chariot in the fire. BE STILL, and KNOW that I am God: I will be exalted
among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts IS
WITH US; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah” Psalms 46:1-11.
Desire God’s presence
in your life, because no matter what enemies or trials you face, you will
always find peace and quiet rest in Him and God will defend and fight for you.
God destroys all the weapon of war that the enemy is using… He makes war to
cease, breaks the bow, cut the spears asunder.
Scriptures on God
being with us
Gen. 39:21-22; Gen.
21:22; Gen. 26:24; Gen. 26:28; Gen. 28:15; 1 Sam. 3:19; 1 Sam. 16:18; 1 Sam.
18:14; 1 Sam.18:28; Psa. 1:3; Psalms 46:4-7; Psa. 46:11; Psa. 91:15; Isa.
8:9-10; Isa. 41:10; Isa. 43:2; Jer. 15:20; Matt. 1:23; Acts 7:9-10; Acts 8:31;
Joshua 1:5, 9; Psalms 23:4.
WE FOREVER NEED HIS
PRESENCE
In the Bible, we have
boundless examples of how the Presence of God empowers His children to live for
Him. As for Moses, he was convinced that without God’s presence in his life, it
was useless for him to attempt to lead God’s people into the Promised Land.
He said, “…If thy
presence goes not with me, carry us up not hence” Exodus 33:15.
He was saying, “Lord,
if your presence is not with me, then I am not going anywhere. I won’t take a
single step, unless I have the assurance you are with me!”
Moses knew it was
God’s Presence in Israel that set the people apart from all other nations. And
the same is true of the Church of Jesus Christ today. One of the things that
set us apart from unbelievers is God’s being “with us” – leading us, guiding
us, directing us, blessing us, and working His will in and through us. When the
Lord’s presence is in our midst, no one can harm us. But without Him, we are
helpless, reduced to nothing. That is why we must crave for and trust in the
manifestations of God’s Presence. The blessings that God’s presence brought to
the lives of His followers are many, unique and uncountable.
“My Presence will go
with you and I will display my awesome power for you” Exodus 33:14
“I will perform
miracles that HAVE NEVER BEEN PERFORMED anywhere in all the earth or in any
nation, And all the people around you will see the power of the LORD-the
awesome POWER I WILL DISPLAY for you” Exodus 34:10 NLT
Rest here meant God
will bring us into our Promised Land. Better still all His precious promises
shall come to pass, none of it shall fail! God said He is set to do unto us
what has never been performed before now anywhere in the earth. He will do as
promised. God is not a man that lies!
Joshua the son of Nun
was a firsthand witness of the abiding Presence of God with Moses, how Moses
face shone with the glory of God and awesome miracles were ignited like abundant
flow of water coming out of the rock and bitter water becoming sweet, that was why
God was bold enough to say to Joshua …
“There shall NOT ANY
MAN be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I WAS WITH Moses,
so I WILL BE WITH YOU: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” Joshua
1:5
When the Lord’s
presence is in our midst, no one can harm us. With him, we have help, and our
enemies are reduced to nothing. Let the people of this world trust in their
money and might but we will trust in the Lord.
“Some trust in their
war chariots and others in their horses, but we trust in the power of the LORD
our God” Psalms 20:7 GNB
We will trust in the abiding
presence of our God. God’s Presence is our companion, guide, confidence,
counselor, healer, helper and comforter.
God’s presence was so
evident in Abraham’s life, even the heathen around him recognized the
difference between their lives and his.
“…Abimelech…spoke unto
Abraham, saying, God is with you in all that you do” Genesis 21:22.
This heathen king noticed something special
about Abraham all because God guides him, preserves him and blesses him,
wherever Abraham went. All of these are in the package of dwelling in God’s
presence.
The Angel of the Lord
told Gideon. “…The Lord IS WITH YOU, thou mighty man of valor…Go in this thy
might, and thou shalt save Israel…” (Judges 6:12, 14).
The phrase “thy might”
in this verse refers to the previous verse – which “the Lord is with thee.”
Do you see what God is saying? “Gideon, there is a might in you that’s so
powerful, it can save Israel. And that might is My Presence!” Scripture
reveals Gideon to be a coward – so, why did God call him a “mighty man of
valor”? It was because he wanted to prove to Gideon what any person could
do, when the Lord’s presence is with him!
When it seems like
things are not working for you, lots of unanswered prayers, delayed blessings,
poverty, sickness and diseases, and curses showing up here and there and you
are just stagnant not moving from one position, then you need to check if you
still carry the Presence of Jehovah. Remember when the Presence of God left
Eli, Hophni and Phinehas [1 Sam. Chapter 3]; they cried “Ichabod” for the glory
of God is gone, and they all perished, both sons died at battle.
When the Presence of
God left the Israelites in the time of Elijah when they turn to worship Baal,
they experienced famine for three and half years. When Jonah left the place of
God’s Presence, the big fish swallowed him and he was imprisoned for three
days.
Thank God for the Lord
Jesus Christ who came to set the captives free and input back the Holy Spirit
into our lives. Now the Holy Spirit is the Power and the Presence of God that
co-dwell in our hearts with our spirit man. The Holy Spirit is the God in us,
the hope of glory or restorer of the abiding Presence of Jehovah in us.
“Have you forgotten
that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in
you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit,
lives inside your sanctuary” 1 Cor. 6:19 TPT
You must do all it
takes to keep the Presence of God just like David repented and make sure that
you must never cry “Ichabod” which means the God in you is gone or the glory is
gone! We must stay away from sin, transgressions and iniquity… They are the
little foxes that spoils the vine.
“Cast me not away from
thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” Psalms 51:11
Holiness and
righteousness go along with abiding in the Presence of God and you stay away
from what will negatively affect your relationship with God. The works of the
flesh will negatively affect the presence of God in your life so make sure that
you mortify or put them off so that you do not wallow in the lust, passions and
evil cravings of the flesh
“Now the works of the
flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,
strife, seditions, heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and
such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God”
Gall. 5:19-21
Three things that will
show you that you are abiding in the Presence of God is that you will depend on
God whole heartedly for everything, your perspective of time and eternity
changes, and your view of sin changes as you see him as an enemy that is bent on
negatively affecting your relationship with God
“But your iniquities
have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from
you, that he will not hear” Isa. 59:2
We are face to face
with God when we are abiding in His Presence just like Adam and Eve were in His
Presence until they sinned and hid away from the Presence of God which is the
revelation of God Himself, You are not in His Presence until something
belonging to Him is revealed to you like Jehovah Jireh providing for you or
Jehovah our righteousness revealing His righteousness to you
BLESSINGS OF GOD’S
PRESENCE
The Presence of the
Lord is in your life as a believer, it also means the Holy Spirit is in your
life. This is what sustains and nourishes us as we commune with God through the
indwelling Holy Spirit. So also, we must know that that when we read, pray and
worship; the Presence of the Lord is released and we are graced to also to
receive the blessings of the indwelling Holy Spirit which includes revelation, wisdom,
Knowledge, might, counsel, fear of the Lord, and quick understanding or
discernment.
Let
us for space sake look at the below seven blessings among several blessings
that the presence of God brings into the life of the children of God or
believers. We will find security, preservation, protection, and shielded in His
Presence.
“He
that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most-High shall abide under the shadow
of the Almighty” Psalms 91:1
1.
PEACE
When
God is with us, we will experience rest and peace in our lives.
The
LORD said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest”
(Exodus 33:14).
The
presence of God gives us rest from all the turmoil and confusion of life. Jesus
promised us the peace which the world cannot give (John 14:27). Jesus entered
the room where the frightened disciples were and said, “Peace be with you”
(John 20:19). This divine peace does not depend on the outward
circumstances but the reality that God turns around our mourning into joy so that
we might know that He rules in all the affairs of men.
When
we are inside an air-conditioned room, we can be cool even though it is hot
outside. Similarly, the presence of God will give you great inward peace and
joy forever more even though the external circumstances may be turbulent. Peace
is stillness or calmness; this peace come in the midst of chaos and it drives
away all the disorders of life. You will have rest from fears, sorrow, bondages,
poverty and agitations of the powers of darkness.
Rest
is the absence of hard chaos and labor; it brings peace, ease, security and
refreshment [Matt. 11:28-30]. No more fatigue or tiredness born out of being disconnecting
from the Presence of God. Resting allows us to quiet down our agitation before
God and revives our minds, bodies, and spirits so that there can be quietness, revel
in the absence of worry, and have stillness before God.
Peace
of God helps us to bear the weight of life’s challenges because God is bearing
that weight with us.
2.
PROTECTION
God’s
presence will give us protection, defense, shield or fortification.
The
Lord promises, “when you pass through the waters, I WILL BE WITH YOU; and
when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2).
The
Presence of God will be a great wall of protection around us (Zech. 2:5). We
need not fear the floods and fire when we go through them because God will be
with us to protect us (Read Daniel 3:25).
David
says, “Even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear
no evil, FOR YOU ARE WITH ME” [Psalm 23:4]. No one will be able to stand up
against us when God’s presence is with us [Joshua 1:5; Rom. 8:31]. What a
promise and what an assurance! Surely the Lord will always be with you to
protect you and rescue you when you obey him and follow him closely [Jer. 1:8;
19; 15:20].
3.
PROSPERITY
“GOD
look you full in the face and make you prosper” Numbers 6:26 MSSG
The
presence of God will bring us prosperity and success. The Bible says, “The
Lord was with Joseph and he prospered” (Gen. 39:2).
Again,
in Gen. 39:23, the Bible says that the LORD was with Joseph and gave him
success in whatever he did. About David the Bible says, “He went on
prospering and growing up and the Lord God of hosts was with him” (2 Samuel
5:10) …
Just
as Isaac prospered too…
“Isaac
received a 100-fold return on what he planted that year in the land he
received, because the LORD blessed him. He became very wealthy and lived a life
of wealth, becoming more and more wealthy. He owned so many sheep, cattle, and
servants that the Philistines eventually became envious of him” Gen. 26:12-14
ISV
Isaac
had the promise of God that if he “Sojourn in the land, and God WILL BE WITH
him, and will bless him” Gen. 26:3
The
Lord was with Hezekiah and wherever he went he prospered [2 Kings 18:7]. The
Lord was with Jehoshaphat and he had great riches and honor [2 Chron. 17:3, 5].
Yes, the Lord will bless the work of your hands and prosper your efforts in
this season in Jesus Mighty Name. We must seek His presence and guidance
continually in all our endeavors. Reading and meditating in the word of God
daily is mandatory in order to enjoy His presence. Only then will whatever we
do prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).
It
is by the living in and communion with the Holy Spirit that the spirit of
wisdom and revelation brings illumination of mysteries and hidden truths [Eph.
1:17-19] so that we can access things that causes us to prosper which are hidden
from others who refuse to meditate in the word of God neither do they have
fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Daniel opens his windows towards Jerusalem 3
times daily to have fellowship with God, so he encounters God tremendously and
he knows the truth that sets free as he understood by books [Daniel 9:2]
4.
PEOPLE’S FAVOR AND GOD’S FAVOR
The
Bible says, “Large number of people had come over to Asa from Israel when
they SAW THAT the LORD his God was WITH HIM” (2 Chron. 15:9). When God is
with us, He gives us the people to help us. God was with Asa and when the
people saw it, they came to help him; they submitted to his leadership! Asa
sought the Lord eagerly and pleased Him by removing what was detestable in the
sight of God (2 Chron. 14:3, 4). The Lord demonstrated His presence with Asa in
a powerful way.
“And
the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the LORD, and also with
men” 1 Sam. 2:26 [Also Luke 2:52; Acts 2:47]
Joseph
also enjoyed the favor of people because God was with him. The Bible declares
that he had favor with his earthly father, with Potiphar, with the prison
keeper and finally with Pharaoh (Gen. 39: 4, 23; 41:42). The Presence of God
will surely bring the favor of people in your life in this season. [Psalm 142:7]
5.
PRUDENCE [WISDOM]
The
Bible says that David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him
(I Samuel 18:12-15). The Lord will give us wisdom when He is with us. We may
face many confusing and conflicting situations but God will give us the wisdom
to make the right decisions. God was with David and gave him wisdom to act
wisely in everything and it made his enemy Saul to fear him. The Presence of
God will make our enemies to fear us because they see that God is with us.
6.
PLEASURE [DESIRABLE THINGS]
Psalm
16:11 tells us that in the presence of God “there is fullness of joy”
and at His right hand “eternal pleasures”.
“Surely
you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your
presence.” Psalm 21:6
Yes,
the presence of God gives us joy that is unspeakable and full of glory [1 Pet.
1:8]. When the Lord is with us, we can smile in the midst of the storms and
sing in the midst of adverse situations in life [Hab. 3:18].
7.
POWER
“The
LORD said, “I’m making my promise again. In front of all your people I will
perform miracles that have NEVER BEEN DONE in any other nation in all the
world. All the people around you will see how AWESOME THESE MIRACLES ARE, that
I will perform FOR YOU” Exodus 34:10 GW
The
Lord literarily told Moses, “I WILL BE WITH YOU and display my awesome power
in your life” (Ex. 34:10) after Moses asked God for His Abiding Presence to
go with the Israelites on the way to the Promised Land. Moses indeed saw the
awesome display of God’s power in the last 40 years of his life. He witnessed
the mighty deeds of God that were never done anywhere in the world.
God
promised and did according to promise before all the people, He did marvelous
and great and mighty things. Such as the drying up of Jordan for the people of
Israel to pass on dry ground from the wilderness to the Promised Land, God
caused the sun to stand still till midnight while Joshua was fighting battle.
Bitter water was turned into sweet water, Manna was dropping from heaven for
them to eat for 40 years. Their garments did not tear, fade nor get old as they
wore them for 40 years; even when they sinned, they were healed by looking at
the brazen serpent.
“But
you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye
shall be witnesses unto me…” Acts 1:8
The
power to witness and to evangelize in nations of the world come through the
power of the Holy Spirit.
The
Lord is ready to display the same awesome power in us and through us. God will guide,
nourish, empower, lead, comfort, heal, provide for, open doors for, remove
obstacles and tremendously bless us in miraculous ways in this season and
beyond.
“God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and he went around
doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God WAS
WITH HIM” Acts 10:38
This
same power is available to us when God’s Presence fills our lives and He is
with us. The Presence of God was with Jesus and He set the people free from
sicknesses and satanic bondages. The Presence of God was with the early
disciples and confirmed their ministry with miracles, signs and wonders (Mark
16:20). The Lord was with the Apostle Paul and performed extraordinary miracles
through him. You will see the display of God’s power as you seek to practice
His Presence in the coming days.
“The
same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a
teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou does, except
God BE WITH HIM” John 3:2
The Lord has given “His Presence and Power” unto us through the Ministry of the Holy Spirit [Acts 1:8], we will experience all the blessings if we maintain relationship with Him and walk in holiness and righteousness. Be careful not to allow anything that can remove God’s presence from your life. The Bible says that sin, disobedience, murmuring and slander will take the Presence of God away from your life [Read Judges 16:20; 1 Samuel 16:14; Numbers 12:9].
Be
filled with God’s PRESENCE AND POWER!
PRACTICE
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
We
must practice the Presence of God to be filled with His Presence continually,
these includes reading, studying, meditation upon and becoming a doer of the
scriptures, fervent prayers, holy living and righteousness, communion with the
Holy Spirit, seek repentance when you fall into sin, worship God in truth and
in spirit and become a doer of the things that pleases God.
“And
they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many
wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were
together, and had all things common” Acts 2:42-44 KJV
The
Anointing and the Power of the Holy Spirit abide in the Christian community
where all the characteristics that ensures kingdom of God realities dwells as
they continue in the apostolic teachings, unity of faith, holy living, right
standing with God, sharing communion and coming together for prayers
“Every
believer was faithfully devoted to following the teachings of the apostles.
Their hearts were mutually linked to one another, sharing communion and coming
together regularly for prayer. A deep sense of holy awe swept over
everyone, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and
wonders. All the believers were in fellowship as one body, and they shared
with one another whatever they had” Acts 2:42-44 TPT
The
abiding Presence of God dwells harmoniously in such community and all manner of
miracles, signs and wonders are done in the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
“And
by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the
people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch…There came also a
multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks,
and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed
everyone” Act 5:12, 16
Thorough
studies of the apostolic community shows us that once the repentance and
ingathering started [Acts 2-4], revival sets in and as many as joined this
chariot were filled with the abiding Presence of God in the person of the Holy
Spirit and great and mighty things were done in the precious name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Revival
is the breathing of new life again to something that is dead or dying and the
way is to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus. Repentance is a turning
away in our hearts to do what is right in the sight of God. It is the moving
away from a self-focused life to a God focused life which is a life that love
and honor the Lord.
Such
are the times when the Holy Spirit convict men of sin, judgment and
righteousness, they see the evil and sin in their heart, confess their sins and
depart from doing evil but now serving God in truth and in Spirit. Continual
praise and worship keep the glory cloud in their midst, conviction upon sinners
call for repentance among many and many accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior and
they experience spectacular miracles, signs and wonders.
There
had been severe longing for revival since the God showed His Power and Glory to
bring out Israelites from the yoke of bondage in Egypt to the Ezra’s revival
where the word of God was rediscovered and the people of God lined up with it.
Unfortunately, such revivals were not sustained because sin, lethargy and
apathy creeps in and killed the move of God.
In
Acts 2:47, we see the Lord was adding to the Church daily those who are saved
but there was an astronomical growth to 5000 [Acts 5:14, 6:7; 9:31: 11:21, 24;
14:1, 21; 16:5; 17:12]. This is not just in numbers but evidenced changed lives
and great increase in those who mature in their faith.
Two
key things that dies off when revival is lost, is the love of God and love for
one another [John 13:35]; and the loss of glory due to sin. True enough
miracles, signs and wonders bring in unbelievers but it will take diligence to
serving God and thorough discipleship to know and become like Christ. We must
hold on tenaciously to the ministry of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to
keep the revival fire burning. Maintaining what God gave, building upon it and standing
on the path of godliness with purity of heart helps also to keep the fire
burning. We must not focus on the outward manifestations and display of
spiritual gifts as in Corinth to the negation of building our inner man and
developing Christ-like attitude, nature and character else pride and ego plus
iniquity will hinder the fiery move of God.
“If
my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and
seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” 2 Chron. 7:14
The
key to reigniting the fire however is to turn from our wicked ways in
repentance and do those things that are pleasing in the sight of God diligently
or tenaciously!
