Blog Detail

Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Last week we began on a series titled, “In His Presence”. We learned that in life, you may do without some things, but you can’t do without God’s Presence and live a fulfilled life. Jesus declared in John 15:5, “Without me you can do nothing.” The bible says, “In God’s presence is fullness of joy; At His right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Anyone living outside of God’s presence goes through a life of displeasure. As a matter of fact, such an individual becomes an easy prey and target by the devil. The Psalmist declares in Psalm 91:1-8, “He who dwells 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 I will trust.” Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.” The above scripture we just read shows us the protective covering one enjoys for being in God’s presence. Yes, your life becomes unreachable to the devil when you dwell in the secret place of the Most High. Hallelujah! It doesn’t matter the battalion set up against you by the enemy; as long as you remain in the protective pavilion of the Most High, all your enemies will pursue you in vain, become disappointed and disgraced.

Now, one major prerequisite for standing before God’s presence, and enjoying fellowship with Him, is having fear of the Lord and departing from iniquity. David declared in Psalm 24:3-4 saying, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” No wonder he went further to say, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). Anytime our life is tainted with iniquity, God withdraws from us. He said in Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.” The bible delares in Genesis 39:2 that, “The Lord was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.” Why? Because Joseph shunned iniquity and embraced righteousness (Genesis 39:9). “For thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows” (Hebrews 1:9). Listen, you can’t claim to love God, and love sin at the same time. You either love one and hate the other. Righteousness and iniquity cannot dwell together. Like Joseph, you’re bound to enjoy God’s presence and be exalted far above your contemporaries when you abstain from iniquity and embrace right standing with God.

Now, as believers in Christ Jesus, there are three levels of God’s presence we should understand. First, is God’s Omnipresence. In other words, God’s presence is everywhere. David wrote in Psalm 139:7, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? Secondly, God’s Indwelling Presence. The bible declares in Romans 8:11, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” When we received Christ at new birth, the indwelling presence of God came upon us. And finally, God’s Manifest Presence. The bible declares in Colossians 1:27, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” The third level of God’s presence is where God manifests Himself in the seen realm from the unseen. As children of God, we should not only be aware of God’s Presence around us, or carry His presence within us, but more importantly, manifest God’s presence wherever we go. In other words, let the presence of God find expression through you to reach out to the perishing by drawing them to God. Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” My prayer for you today is that as you go this week, you will not only abide “In His Presence” but “Manifest His Presence” wherever you Go in Jesus Mighty Name. You’re Blessed. Have a Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!