At the end of the last Thursday the 17th bible study at Mission Timothee Nimes, where Pastor Luc Warnon preached from the book of Jeremiah with other texts from the scriptures, I was privileged to speak with and to say hello to Brother Joel’s wife. She is gentle and realistic, and she expressed hastiness for the day of the Lord (Sunday) should come as soon possible to be back again at the gathering of the saints and to be fed with fresh word of God. Her words showed her hunger and thirstiness after God, to be found again with others at the feet of the Lord, receiving the life-giving words from his mouth. But the presence of God is a tremendous – supernatural company within us –he dwells in us, before us- he goes a-head of us, and around us- like the mountain is round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from hence forth and forever more. Either at home, in the church, and at work during pause time and wherever, the Lord is with us as long as we seek him. We are always in his presence (whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hides not from thee; but the night shines as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. Psalms 139:7-12) but if we don’t seek him, we won’t find him – 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.
We carry, transport and bear around the presence of God along with us, and we are always (if we are conscious and mindful of him) in his presence wherever we go or be. Is God not the oxygen of life we breathe in every second? In him (his presence) we live, move and have our being! This is the reason, despite any overwhelming outward challenges and circumstances, a Spirit filled believer can constantly walk in the joy of the Holy Spirit and rejoicing ever more because the Lord is not only near, but lives in him. Let us confess to the presence of the great Shepherd (the Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalms 23:1-4) and admits to the present help in time of need of his presence ( he has promised, never to leave us, nor to forsake us: that is why we are bold to say, the Lord is our helper, we shall not fear what man shall do unto us. Hebrews 13: 5-6) and by faith, embrace the presence of Jehovah the man of war (and Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: and they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, the land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear them not. But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. Numbers 14:6-10) in our challenges, oppositions and confrontations of the enemy, lest we, not only lied about what is true, but also failed like the ten other spies who were sent to spy the Land of Canaan, and made the whole camp of Israelis to sin against God in the breach of promise to despise the presence of God and the pleasant land.
Please, let me elaborate with explanation from the present social applications of the digital era we now utilises such as what’s up or Imo and other instant voices and video chat messages to come lively and connect online with a loved one at the other end of the word or nearby away from our natural visibility twenty- four seven anywhere in the world as long as we have internet connection to update, share our joy or sorrow, and to communicate other things with family and friends. I know many folks who will prefer to let go of other things than not to have internet connection so that they can be online and on live feed with others. How amiable it can be to be live feed with God whose presence filled the heaven and earth by living, walking and talking, habiliment and conducting other businesses holily and godly before him in the light of his word which is spirit and life. How good would it for the soul that is conscious and addict to walk in God’s presence as most are conscious and addict to check their screen every passing half an hour for any in-coming messages if they have not opted for messages alert in their twitters, what’s up messenger, Imo and other live chats apps!
There is a unique and personal presence of the Lord with individual in Christ Jesus – it must be sustained by life of righteousness and holiness and devoted prayer and study life, or else it can be lost by sin such as Samson knew not that the Lord has departed from him. Also, there is a revelatory presence of the Lord to individual as the reward of intimacy (Cornelius case. Acts 10:30-32) or mercy shown from the Lord as Joseph found favour and God was with him from the beginning to the end of his life. And, there is the general assembly presence of the Lord with the congregation among his people. Oh, dearly beloved, there is unveiling of special glory and unleashing of extra ministerial anointing and power through divine presence reserved for the gathering of the saints, and you don’t want to miss a day in his court which is far better than thousand outside in a place where two or three gather together in his name; for there has the Lord promised to be in their midst. There they go from strength to strength, and have their cartridges refilled for continual offensive campaign in the on-going spiritual warfare. In his presence, the weary and wounded found rest from their troubles and the wounded are treated to receive healing for their wounds from the inns of the Lord –only the dwellers and inhabitants of Zion knows the inexpressible joy and pleasures that comes from the presence of the Lord, and no foreigners can intermeddle with it. Proverbs 14:10.
It is exclusively the inhabitants and constant dwellers of Zion, though they have life, and the life is manifested; yet, they shall increase and add to their knowledge of the path of life: to enlarge, not only their hearts in the ways of the Lord (Psalms 119:32) but also their paths under them (thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. Psalms18:36) that their feet did not slip – thou will show me the path of life in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalms 16:11.
It is disheartening to see people doing and acting insincerely to what they profess to believes in as somebody wasting their time engaging themselves in what shall not be of eternal blessings and comfort to them because of their ignorance of the manners, ways and doings of the God in whom they confess to love and serve. How great shall the loss of eternal recompense, bliss and glory be for many, if after they have eaten and drunk in the Lord’s presence (then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. Luke 13:23-30) but at the end disown by the Lord because they refused and failed to sanctify his presence in their daily lives, ways, and other areas of life, even as Moses was denied access to the Promised Land –Canaan!
If our coming together is unto the Lord God of heaven and earth, it put a responsibility on us with obligation of solemn reverence and godly fear in his presence, as we comport or behaves scholarly and soberly in the attitude of a student to learn continually for unceasing rest for the soul, and to adore fervently in the spirit of a worshiper in the house of God which is the ground and pillar of the truth whenever we come to offer spiritual sacrifices. There is a degree of fervency, chastity and orderliness requires when we come to be presented before the Lord to worship in spirit and truth; and the under- shepherds (pastors) in charge ought to see to the enforcement of such spiritual rules and customs by bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ in obedience to the faith in the house of God. Habakkuk 2:18-20. 1Timothy 3:14-15.
If I’ve been to the church to be entertained by a sweet talker in a fair speech, I can expect him to say what would makes me feel good, better and happy without any offense or grievance of heart; but not so unto the Lord, unto whom the gathering of his people shall be, who by his Holy-Spirit will seek to feed us at every gathering with unleavened bread of life for instructions in righteousness, doctrines of the kingdom and of Christ, and to receive encouragement with increasing revelation of the glory and person of the risen Lord in whom we have believed – to receive reproofs and rebukes for our foolishness for correction – to teach us how to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing through timely but divinely programming of increasing revelations of his exceeding broad commandments (Psalms 119: 96) to keep our feet, not in the broad way and wide gate to destruction, but in the straight gate and narrow way to eternal life for conformity to the image of Christ – sons and daughters of God made perfect and complete in all his will in preparation for eternity. This is the reason you don’t personally want to miss out of any program in the church, but will count all things as dung and unimportant to be in the presence of the Lord with his sanctified ones called by his name.
Our attitude of reception and reaction to the word of God determines our spiritual growth and the extent the Lord shall reveal his word and ways to us if we are grateful and thankful for the word spoken after we heard and received it, not as the word of man, but as the word from God which is meant for our spiritual steadfastness and healing for the soul, spirit and body; and to pray over the word we’ve heard where it concerned or related to us, even as the pharmaceutical over the counter drugs, if taken as prescribed, works healing for the body – thus says the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.. Zachariah 8:3. 1 Colossians 4:12. Thessalonians 2:13.
The life of man is full of vanities, uncertainties, madness and follies. His carnal and worldly pursuits are insatiable in a competitive world of endless desires and restlessness – nothing satisfied like Christ. The outcome of his present carnal pleasure is bitter as wormwood and then death; and, it’s satisfaction at the end is found to be distasteful, even as Amnon finally realized, who once was filled with impassioned and vehement lustful desire for the presence and company of her half-sister (Tamar) but hated her exceedingly after he had sexually defiled her; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. 2 Samuel 13: 1-19.
In this present life, it is only in Christ could we found true pleasure and satisfaction; and if we exercise ourselves therein, it could bring us into a place and position of eternal satisfaction before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and God that sits on the throne shall dwell among us. We shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on us, nor any heat. We shall be fed continually by the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne, and shall lead us unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Revelation 7:15-17.
Christ is the life – to live the best life now is to let your conversations be as it becomes the gospel of Christ. There is no better, fullness and abundant life than to sanctify his presence now in your daily life; and by doing this, you’re preparing yourself to live visibly eternally in his presence where we shall be with him and see him as he is. Note: such are the spiritual prodigals, who sought and thought to live independently of God – out of the guidance of his spirit and far away from satisfying the pleasure of serving God in spirit and truth, but will soon discover that separating from his presence, they can do nothing – that there is no satisfying pleasure in displeasing the Lord. If we do not found satisfaction in Christ love and in his will and fellowship and relationship right away now, it shall be impossible for him to provide or furnish us with anything that may constitute to our eternal satisfaction and pleasure hereafter.
Has he not drawn us with the cord of love; and his death not serves as the comfort of his love demonstrated towards us that while we were yet sinners, he died for us? Has he not taken our sins in his own body on the tree to be made a curse unto us for our consolation in him? At the right hand of the Lord is pleasure forever more…. this is the relief and comfort of his presence. The affection and the desire of a child of God should always be for fellowship of the spirit (If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies. Philippians 2:1) to love in the spirit (Colossians 1:8) and live in the spirit from abstention of the damnable works of it, and walk in the spirit by producing the fruit of it. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name (Christ) is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins (Church) love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright loves thee. Songs of Solomon 1:2-4. This is the way to practice the presence of God and to live and walk as spiritual men who were raised from the dead and made to sit with God in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, far above principalities and powers, thrones and dominion. None of the delights of flesh and senses are comparable to the spiritual pleasure they have and enjoy in Christ, and their desire is to hold on to God’s presence by doing those things that pleases him (and he that keeps his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides -presence in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. 1 John 3:24) above anything and anyone at anywhere or at any time – I have not sat with vain persons; neither will I go in with dissemblers. I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked. I will wash mine hands in innocence: so, will I compass your altar, O Lord: that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where your honour dwelleth. Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men: in whose hands is mischief and their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in my integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot stands in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the Lord. Psalms 26; 4-12.