Since the begging of the month of April through the month of May, we as a church have been going through a theme "Month of Empowerment" and as a cap up, this message is all about the almighty power of
God's presence - and how we can lay hold of that power! Scripture provides
endless examples of how the presence of God empowers his children to live for
him. And one of the most powerful of these is found in the life of Moses.
Moses was
convinced that without God's presence in his life, it was useless for him to
attempt anything. When he spoke face to face with the Lord, he said,
"...If thy presence go not with me, carry us up not hence" (Exodus
33:15). He was saying, "Lord, if your presence is not with me, then I'm
not going anywhere. I won't take a single step unless I'm assured you're 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. The only
thing that sets us apart from nonbelievers is God's being "with us" -
leading us, guiding us, working his will in and through us.
Moses
didn't care how other nations received their guidance, formed their strategies,
ran their governments or directed their armies. He said, "We operate on
one principle alone. The only way for us to be guided or governed, to make war
and survive in this wasteland, is to have the presence of God with us!
"When
the Lord's presence is in our midst, no one can harm us. But without him, we're
helpless, reduced to nothing. Let all the nations of this world trust in their
mighty armies, their iron chariots, their skilled soldiers, their new weapons.
We will trust in the manifest presence of our God!"
Here is
how God answered Moses' bold statement: "...My presence shall go with
thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14). What an incredible promise!
The Hebrew word for "rest" here is "a comfortable, quiet
rest." God was saying, "No matter what enemies or trials you face,
you'll always be able to find a quiet rest in me!"
Think
about this: If a church has the manifest presence of God in its midst, there
won't be any hustle or bustle, sweating or striving. The worship meetings won't
be hurried along, with three songs, an offering and a short sermon. Instead,
there will be a calming peace, a quiet rest - and everyone who walks through
the doors will sense it!
Of
course, this doesn't mean a church can't experience loud praises or exuberant
worship. On the contrary, I believe those things are often the result of a
people at rest. A church body that has God's presence in its midst will live,
move and worship with a quiet confidence in the Lord at all times.
The same
is true for every individual Christian. If you have Jesus' presence in your
life, you will experience God's divine order. You'll have a peace and a calm,
with no fretting or anxiety, no running to and fro to seek guidance, no sense
that the bottom is falling out. You'll live at rest, knowing God has everything
under control!
The Old Testament Is Filled
With
Accounts of the Wonderful Blessings
That Came to Those
Who Had the Presence of
God With Them.
Consider
these Old Testament examples of the blessing that God's presence brought to the
lives of his followers:
God's presence was so evident in Abraham's life, even
the heathen around him recognized the difference between their lives and his:
"...Abimelech...spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that
thou doest" (Genesis 21:22). This heathen king was saying, "Abraham,
there's something different about you. God guides you, preserves you and
blesses you wherever you go!"
God promised Joshua that no enemy could stand against
him when God's presence was with him: "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 thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good courage..."
(Joshua 1:5-6). When God's Spirit is present with us, we can be strong and
courageous - because no enemy can harm us!
God told Gideon. "...The Lord is with thee, thou
mighty man of valour...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 - that "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 can do
when the Lord's presence is with him!
God warned Jeremiah that the whole nation would turn
against him and reject his prophecies. Yet God promised, "...they shall
fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee
to save thee and to deliver thee..." (Jeremiah 15:20). God was saying,
"It doesn't matter if the whole country turns against you, Jeremiah. All
that matters is that my presence is with you. Be confident I'm with you!"
God told Isaiah of a special promise he makes to those
he loves: "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy
name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee;
and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through
the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
For I am the Lord thy God...and I have loved thee...Fear not: for I am with
thee..." (Isaiah 43:15). God was saying, "With my presence abiding
with you, you can go through any flood or fire and survive. Yet you won't
merely survive. You'll be blessed and favored through it all, because my presence
is with you!"
These Old
Testament passages aren't just dead-letter stories. They're meant to encourage
and exhort us to seek God's presence in our lives. We can thank God for what
his presence did for Abraham, Joshua, Gideon, Jeremiah and all of Israel. Yet
each of us has a powerful testimony of what God's presence has done for us -
guiding our lives, opening doors, moving obstacles, melting hearts, making us
fearless.
I have
seen this proven true in my life. You may say, "You're just
boasting!" No - the fact is, God's presence has been with me in spite of
myself! I am a bundle of testimonies.
There Is a Condition Attached
to
Getting and Maintaining
the Presence of God in Our Lives.
God
attaches a condition to his presence in our lives. This condition is found in 2
Chronicles 15. In the previous chapter, King Asa had led the armies of Judah to
a great victory over Ethiopia's million-man army. Yet Asa testified it was
God's presence that had scattered the enemy:
"Asa
cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help,
whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, 0 Lord, our God;
for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude...So the Lord
smote the Ethiopians before Asa..." (2 Chronicles 14:11-12).
As Asa
and his armies led the triumphant procession back to Jerusalem, a prophet named
Azariah met them at the city gate with this message from God: "Hear ye me,
Asa...The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will
be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long
season Israel hath been without the true God...But when they in their trouble
did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of
them" (15:1-4).
Here is
the secret of getting and maintaining the presence of God in your life. The
Lord reminded Asa, point blank, with no holds barred: "Asa, don't ever
forget how you got this victory. You sought me with all your heart, turning
wholly to me, when you were in trouble - and I sent my presence to you. It was
my presence that put your enemies to chase!"
Now Azariah
was telling Asa, "Do you remember what the kingdom was like before you
came to power? Everything was out of kilter, with no law, no guidance, no
righteous teaching. Everyone was a law unto himself, doing his own thing!"
This is
an accurate picture of many Christian homes today. Everything is out of order,
with no authority, peace or rest. Everyone does what he or she pleases. Many
such families have become tragic, dysfunctional messes.
Yet it
doesn't have to be this way. No Christian home has to remain dysfunctional.
God's promises are unchangeable, and his word pledges, "For the rest of
your life - as long as you continue to seek me - I will be with you. Whenever
you cry out to me, I will always be found of you!"
This is
not a complicated theology. Simply put, if both husband and wife - or merely
either - are seeking the Lord, there is no need for their home to be troubled
or "without law." Anyone can have the abiding presence of the Lord,
if he or she will simply seek him for it.
"...The
Lord...will be found of you..." (15:2). The Hebrew word for
"found" here is "matsa," meaning, "his presence coming
forth to enable, to bless." In short, this verse tells us, "Seek the
Lord with your whole heart, and he will come to you with his presence. Indeed,
his presence will be an almighty power that emanates from your life!"
According to the Scriptures,
Our
Chief Concern Is to Keep Seeking God,
to Ensure His Presence With Us.
God makes
his covenant of grace with every believer. This covenant is embodied in
promises such as, "God has laid on Christ the iniquity of us all."
"Jesus became a curse for us." "He will never leave us nor
forsake us."
Yet God
also makes certain, special promises to those who determine to seek him with
all their hearts. One such promise is a covenant of God's presence. However,
this covenant is strictly conditional. Scripture makes it clear that if we
abide by the rule of this covenant, we will enjoy the incredible blessing of
God's presence in our lives. And this doesn't refer only to issues of
salvation. It speaks of being such seekers after God that his awesome presence
is poured out on us - and it is seen and known by all!
God
revealed this covenant of his presence through an unnamed prophet who delivered
a message to Eli, the high priest of Israel. At the time, Eli was backslidden.
The Lord had been speaking to him, warning him against allowing sin and
compromise. But Eli had ignored all of God's words. And now, this unnamed
prophet said to Eli, "...the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that
thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now
the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and
they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" (I Samuel 2:30).
The
phrase "lightly esteemed" has to do with God lifting his presence.
This doesn't mean a person is damned, but rather that he'll have to walk in the
power of his own flesh. God was telling Eli, "I intended to bless your
house, to favor you. But you've scorned me, becoming soft on sin and allowing
your lusts to push me aside, Now I will take my presence from you!"
Many
people come to Christ with a great, initial burst of faith. Yet over time their
zeal wears thin, and they begin to neglect the Lord. They lightly esteem his
commands and turn back to their old, sinful ways. Yet they still believe God's
presence remains with them. No - that is a hoax, a lie, a delusion! The Bible
makes it clear: If you forsake him, he will forsake you!
God's
promises never fail. But some - like the covenant of his presence - are
absolutely conditional. They require more than merely our cooperation. Of course,
God will never abandon us or stop loving us. But if we remain in sin, his
presence will not be with us - and our lives will no longer be an instrument of
his powerful presence. We will live according to the flesh - striving,
floundering, with no power or guidance!
Only When God's Presence Is Upon Us
Can
We Behold, See and Understand His Glory
When
Israel was in the wilderness, God manifested his presence to them through a
cloud. This cloud was a physical manifestation of God's pledge to be with his
people. It came down and covered the tabernacle night and day. And it acted as
their guide for every undertaking. When the cloud moved, they moved, and when
it stayed, they stayed. The people didn't have to hold committee meetings to
try to figure out their direction or future. They put their confidence in that
visible cloud of God's presence.
Today,
that same cloud of his presence hovers over your secret closet of prayer. It
waits every day to envelope you in its peace. It will lead you, empower you and
give you peace. And it will give you detailed guidance for your home, work and
relationships.
Your
secret closet can be anywhere - in the shower, on the bus to your job, during
your commute to work. You can shut out everything else and say, "Lord, I've
got half an hour right now. I love you, Jesus, and worship you. This is my
closet time with you!"
It's a
wonderful thing to be shut in with God, developing a consistent prayer life.
God promises that as you become a seeking, praying servant, his presence will
break forth in your life - closing and opening doors and working his divine
order all around you. Yet something even greater than this will happen: God's
presence will lead you into a revelation of his glory!
There is
a difference between God's presence and his glory. Most Christians know his
presence - his great works in their lives - but few know his glory. In Exodus,
we're given a glimpse of this difference: "Then a cloud covered the tent
of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle"
(Exodus 40:34).
The
apostle Paul writes that all believers' bodies are the tabernacle of God:
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth
in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). Like the Israelites who lived under the
cloud of God's presence, we're constantly under the covering of God's grace.
Yet, what is the difference between beholding God's presence and beholding his
glory?
Moses
sought God for a continual manifestation of his presence: "...that I may
know thee..." (Exodus 33:13-14). And God answered him, "...My
presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest" (verse 14).
Moses'
request would be quite enough for most believers. We all want the presence of
God - leading us, guiding us, empowering us, blessing us. Really, what more
could any believer desire? Yet having the assurance of God's presence wasn't
enough for Moses. He knew there was more. And he cried out, "...I beseech thee,
shew me thy glory" (verse 18).
God did
show Moses his glory. But it didn't appear in some luminous cloud or in an
earthshaking demonstration of power. No, God expressed his glory in a simple
revelation of his nature: "The Lord passed before him, and proclaimed, The
Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin..." (34:6-7). God's glory was a revelation of his
goodness, mercy, love and compassion!
I've
heard many Christians say, "Oh, how the glory of God came down in our
church last night! There was such incredible praise, and people were slain by
the Spirit." But that isn't proof of a manifestation of God's glory. It
has nothing to do with God beyond human emotions. It doesn't include a
revelation of who he is!
Some may
argue, "But what about the disciples' experience on the Mount of
Transfiguration? Wasn't that a manifestation of God's glory? There was an
overpowering light and the miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah."
But God's
glory wasn't in Moses or Elijah or in the spectacular light. Rather, his glory
was in Jesus: "...his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white
as the light...behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him" (Matthew 17:2-6).
God was
saying, "Here is my glory personified - in Christ!" Indeed, Jesus is
the fulfillment of all God said he was to Moses - gracious, merciful,
longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands,
forgiving iniquity and transgression of sins. And now the Lord was saying,
"Here's a living picture of my glory. It is all embodied in my son!"
I've
heard some Christians say, "If only the Lord would give me a vision of the
horrors of hell, I would never forsake him. I'd live for Jesus every day!"
No - that kind of vision never keeps anyone. Only a vision of who Jesus is - of
his glory, grace and mercy - will keep us holy.
God wants
to open our eyes to "...the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints" (Ephesians 1:18). He's saying, "All the glory I revealed to
Moses is embodied in my son. And now I have given him to you as your
inheritance. You have a right to know him in all his glory!" "In him dwelleth
all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2:9).
Why did
Moses so desperately seek a vision of God's glory? I believe the reason is
found in this verse: "There I will meet with the children of Israel, and
the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory" (Exodus 29:43). The word
"sanctified" here means "made clean." God was saying, in
other words: "Moses, as you and the people worship me, I will meet with
you and give you my presence. And when I reveal my glory to you, it will
cleanse you!"
This is
one of the most powerful verses in all of scripture. It offers hope to everyone
who struggles with a besetting sin and yearns to be free and clean. God
pledges, "Your temple will be made clean by a revelation of my glory. And
that revelation is available to you right now - in my son, Jesus Christ!"
Where can
we find this revelation of Christ? We find it only as we come to the
scriptures! Paul says that as we allow God's word to reflect to us an
ever-increasing revelation of Jesus, we will be changed from glory to glory:
"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, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
This
revelation of God's glory will provide keeping power for our lives:
"...upon all the glory shall be a defence" (Isaiah 4:5). In other
words, God's glory will keep us clean in our worst hour. Satan may lie to us,
"You're defeated! You're a cheat, a liar, an adulterer." But we can answer,
"No, devil. I have a high priest - and I'm cleansed by a vision of his
glory!"
When God
revealed to Moses all these things about his nature, he also gave him the full
revelation that he "...will by no means clear the guilty..." (Exodus
34:7). Azariah prophesied to King Asa in his most prosperous hour, "If you
despise God's glory - if you excuse your sin and neglect the Lord - he will not
cleanse you!" "...The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if
ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake
you" (2 Chronicles 15:2).
What God
is telling us here is so simple: "Take time to get to know my son! Search
my word and seek me in your secret closet of prayer. Then, as you abide in my
presence, your eyes will begin to open to my glory. It is all revealed in
Christ. He is the full revelation of my love, grace, mercy, kindness.
"As
you continually reflect on this revelation, it will cleanse and purify you -
because you'll become more and more like Jesus. As you see how loving and
merciful he is to you, you'll become more loving and merciful to others. And
that will be my glory revealed in you!"
Beloved,
stop looking for a sign. Stop expecting some force to shake your church
building, or for some preacher to lay hands on you and solve all your problems.
Seek the Lord alone! His word makes it clear - you'll either enjoy his
continual presence or be lightly esteemed: "For the eyes of the Lord run
to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of
them whose heart is perfect toward him..." (16:9).
Seek him
with all your heart, and desire his presence in your daily life. Then you will
know and experience the incredible glory of God!
God bless!
Boboye Reuben Olisawo
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