November 12th 2014 The presence and power of God

In Old Testament times the place that was filled with God’s presence and power was the tabernacle and temple. It is here in this place that His glory was manifest to God`s people. It was therefore so important to be ceremonially clean and in a right place to be able to bring true worship to almighty God. Hence the many rules and regulations concerning sin and trespasses etc. much blood of sacrificial animals was spilt on Jewish altars to make it possible for the people of God to remain in harmony with their creator God. To enter His presence was exclusively for the High Priest on special occasions. It was a fearful thing to enter the Holy of Holies, and much careful preparation had to be made. There was a very real possibility of losing his life if the priest was not ceremonially clean. The people of God could themselves never know God speaking to them except through the priest, the prophet or seer. Personally they had no entrance into the presence of God as we as Christians have today.
Picture in your mind the glorious time of celebration when Solomon’s temple was dedicated to God. It is stated in 2 Chronicles that the altars could not contain the fat of the offerings of God’s people. They literally overflowed. Every person present would remember this time, for two very special reasons
1. Fire came from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the
sacrifices
2. God’s glory filled the place and the priests could not minister for the
magnificent glory of God prostrated them.

Picture it in your mind the harps and lyres and the singing of the levitical singers. The excitement of the whole scene and then the fire from heaven and the cloud of glory filling the whole place. They had been singing “for He is good for His steadfast love endures forever” and then this glorious spectacle occurs. God not only confirming and vindicating His people but also coming down right into the centre of the nation. You can hear God’s heart cry “I love you. I long to dwell with you and for you to be blessed as my people” Is that not God’s desire for us today? In the garden of Eden God came down and walked and talked with Adam and Eve. As God does not change even today we can walk in close communion with Him through Christ. This is a spiritual walk but one day we will the know the physical presence of the living God when He comes to dwell with us again.

Today, in the time of this new covenant sealed not by the blood of animals but by the blood of Christ himself, God’s glory is to be manifest in His people who individually are the temple of the indwelling Spirit of God. As in Old Testament times sin must be cleansed and God’s people made pure and righteous to enter His presence. We cannot play fast and loose with this principle that God has set in place. If we want His presence then we must confess our sin and walk a righteous path. This does not mean we will be perfect because that is not possible. What is possible though is that we can walk with God because He has made us clean through His son. Keep in your mind the ultimate aim of God; to be able to physically dwell with us His people, but until that time God wants to dwell in us through His Spirit and manifest His glory through us.

Let us turn back for a while longer to that time of celebration. This temple dedicated to God for His dwelling, forever, in the words of Solomon. Forever, no this could never be, for God knew this could only be a temporary place of dwelling. He had a greater plan for this people and all of mankind. It will take time to draw all the pieces together to bring us all into a place where He can dwell with us in perfect, physical harmony. The mount of God centred in Jerusalem, where all the nations of earth will come to pay homage to the King of Kings will be the place. Even today for those with eyes to see it would appear God is drawing the nations into position to move His plan on. This plan as I have already intimated is to bring those who respond to His plan of salvation into full and unlimited physical presence of himself and to again walk and talk with Him. In fact it will be at the end of Christ’s millennial reign this will be established. So still some time to go. See revelation 21:3 … Behold the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people.

But for the time being God made a promise to Solomon when He appeared to him in the night (a dream or vision). “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land”

For the promises of God to be fulfilled in our lives there has to an element of choosing on our part. Just as when Holy Spirit caused us to consider Christ we had to make the life changing decision to ask Him to forgive our sin and commit our lives to Him, so now it is our choice to commit to humbling ourselves before God so God can take hold of us to use us for His purpose. Consider then the consequences of the choices you have made and are making. We need to come before God to admit we so often have frustrated God’s plan for our lives by making bad choices. Not all is lost though, for as we come to God in humility He will bring us back to where He wants us, so He can continue using us fully for His glory. I remember a preacher once making this statement “God is always right” Now at face value we would scarcely disagree with that statement but in reality we often come into conflict over this statement. God can always be trusted to answer our prayers. Are we able to accept His answer or are we prone to say ‘you have got that wrong Lord’.

Listen again to Solomon “Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. “For now I have chosen and consecrated this house …..” 2 Chronicles 7:12-16

So this divine principle is laid down here both for them and us also. For all time.
1. As we walk in humility, prepared to admit our sin and turn towards our
God we can expect He will hear us when we pray.

2. As He filled the temple with His presence so shall he fill us today with
the essence of himself which is the Holy Spirit. God wants to fill us more
and more with more. Let your life be like a bottle with screw cap off,
able to be filled and refilled at will. He wants to continue revealing
Himself to us.

God desires above all things, for us to be in Christ and Christ in us. Let this seep into your very being, God desires us! He often says to me “I need you!” I am going to write a very theological word …. WOW!!

How else can His glory be manifest in His church except it be manifest in us, for we are His body the Church; not a building but a body made up of human beings, flesh and bone, body soul spirit: earthen vessels holding this treasure. What a remarkable, even stupendous thing this is. God desires to dwell with His creation, to show His glory in us and through us, to this world of ours.

Read with me Romans 12:1-2 (the message) –

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don’t become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead fix your attention on God. You will be changed from the inside out. Readily recognise what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well formed maturity in you.

Most of us frequently feel weak and unable to fulfil the task God has called us to. The apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians suggests to them and us also that the grace of God is sufficient for us all 2 Corinthians 12: 8-10.

This grace mentioned by Paul the apostle here surely has to be more than ‘unmerited favour’. The context is suggesting this grace is the power of Christ in his life. My mind is unpacking this even as I write this. The power that can be experienced, indwelling the Christian who is committed and surrendered to Christ is glorious. It is not available only to us to enjoy for ourselves but also to empower us in reaching out to the world around us. Read with me this testimony of Paul.

” I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ” (2 Corinthians 12:3, 7-10 NIVUK)

So we can all know that Christ is working in us and through us. His power will be manifest in us as we hand the control of our lives to Him. When I go to Africa to speak to groups of pastors I know I cannot do it, but He can. Reach out to God today, for whatever He has impressed on you to do, He will give you the ability to do it. Keep listening for His voice and with your eyes on Him and walking with Him you will be surprised with what God will do for you and through you.

Yes grace does embody the idea that anything we receive from God is His free gift to us. However wrapped up in these magnificent gifts of grace is always His revelation and the power to comprehend, assimilate and implement them. These God gifts in our lives enable us to reach out to our fellow man. Be encouraged if God is for us, who can stand against us?