Quote:
“The omnipresence of God-a gracious antidote to every earthly sorrow!”
– John MacDuff
“God is over all things, under all things; outside all within but not enclosed; without but not excluded; above but not raised up; below but not depressed; wholly above, presiding; wholly beneath, sustaining; wholly within, filling!”
– Hildebert of Lavardin
First Thoughts:
As we are studying about the presence of God throughout the Scriptures, we are learning that there is an essential presence of God (His required presence EVERYWHERE – that sustains all things etc…)
And there is His relational presence that can be experienced. This is the aspect of His presence that can be “near” or “far”; “closer” or “further away”.
Our sins obviously created a “gulf” or distance between us and the HOLY Father. But Praise be to the Name of Jesus, the Christ, the Anointed One, we have been brought NEAR to God by Immanuel, (God with us), Jesus Himself; who meditates on our behalf. This study on God’s presence brings a whole new appreciation for what Jesus did for us on the cross. He bore more than our sin, guilt and sorrow…He also took down the road closed signs, detour signs, bridge out signs, quarantined signs, the no trespassing signs… and gave us entrance to the Holy of Holies; where even the Priests of the Old Testament could not enter…but Thanks to our New HIGH PRIEST, Jesus, we are made Priests! Priests who CAN ENTER IN! Glory to His name for FULL ACCESS, in Christ Jesus!
Warning: (Day 3 page 77)
We should not have a “flippant, God-is-my-co-pilot” attitude towards His presence. Nor should we feel “He is near me at church on Sunday, but not so near at work on Monday.”
Powerful Reality:
Only Christians have a living God. Our God is infinite in His location and unlimited in His activity. All Man-made gods are limited. In Paganism, one god was said to be over the mountains, another over the rivers and lakes, yet another controlling just the clouds and storms. This simply shows they are limited by place and environment. But also they are limited by activity. By pure definition, those “gods”, could not have been gods at all. By definition, they could only be fake gods.
From a logical and rational point of view; this also further establishes the point that there can only be ONE GOD. Not hundreds, not thousands, not even 3. There is One True, Holy and Perfect Omnipresent God who has manifested Himself perfectly to be our All in all as Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
God’s “Nearness”:
This is certainly treasured by all true believers. No Christian, in their right mind, could say they do not desire God’s nearness. However, we can develop bad habits over time…even create idols like “a localized god” as is discussed in day 4 of lesson 4. If we find ourselves thinking that God is more present at church than He is at home, at work, at school, or even when we are surfing the web…then we may be guilty of having this idol in our lives. Here is an illustration:
Would a person who looks at pornography at home…
…Also look at pornography during a church service?Why not? Because the person would be embarrassed…not wanting people or God to know they participated in such a sexually immoral habit.
God does not dwell in dwellings made by human hands… The Bible says He dwells in us as Christians…as Temples of the HOLY Spirit. So the idols keep mounting up…We need to evaluate daily…do I really believe that God is here…right Now? And is Right NOW always for God?
God is not going to allow us, even as Christians, to enjoy His nearness if we embrace sin.
Where is My Blessings?:
Another sign of this idol could be in an effort to chase down a blessing by church hoping, going to events with popular speakers, or revivals where you heard “God is moving”. If you believe God is equally available to anyone who diligently seeks Him, then we can experience anything that God has to offer directly from Him. We can experience His move at Grace Family Fellowship! We can feel His presence and Healing power anywhere! Although it does help when there are others around us seeking God and praising Him and pressing into His presence; that atmosphere should start with us first. Let’s be personally invested in creating that culture of His closeness…it might just lead to others around us sensing and feeling Him too!
Challenging Quotes:
A.W. Tozer:“The tragic results of this spirit are all about us: shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the overwhelming element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, salesmanship methods, and the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit.”
John Wesley: “It is our honor that we are made capable of His acquaintance [with God], our misery that by sin we have lost it; our privilege that through Christ we may return to it; and our unspeakable advantage to renew and cultivate it.”
John Piper: “If you don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because you have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because you have nibbled at the table of the world so long. Your soul is so stuffed with small things, and there is no room for the great.”
Personal Application:
After finishing Lesson 4, all 5 days, I am challenged to:
1. evaluate if there are any sin(s) I’ve not repented of.
2. make sure I treasure God’s nearness and not grow accustomed to His being distant.
3. meditate on what sets us, as believers, even as members of Grace Family Fellowship, apart from others. The world, other organizations and groups and even other religious affiliations. As Day 5 proves, it should be the Word of God and God’s nearness and evident activity in our lives and in our church that sets us apart.
We need more than just talk, we need proof! God proved Himself in the Old Covenant and in the New Covenant…God has not Changed, so God, Please Prove Yourself in our lives, in our homes and in Your Church, I pray for this like the Psalmist did in Psalm 27:4,8 (Page 84). I ask for this and I seek it!
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