PASTOR DANIEL PASARIBU
Monday Sermon for LJUSC, August 13, 2012
"LIVING IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE LORD’S HOLY PRESENCE IN THE LAST DAYS UNTIL THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE”, (Exodus 33:15)
PART I
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The message we have today is all about the almighty power and glory of
God's holy presence and how we can lay hold of that power in the Last
Days. 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!
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
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:
1.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!"
2.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!
3.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!
4.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!"
5.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.
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!"
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.
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“LIVING ALWAYS IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE LORD’S HOLY PRESENCE IN
THE LAST DAYS UNTIL THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE”, (Exodus 33:15) :
PART II
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.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
According to the Scriptures, Our Chief Concern Is to Keep and 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 honor me I will honor, 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?
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The Lord Gave Moses a Revelation of 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 and 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 is 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. I know a
man who was near death and experienced just these kinds of hellish
visions. Afterward, he swore he would dedicate his life to Christ. But
within weeks that vision died, and he went back to his sinful ways.
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!"
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“LIVING ALWAYS IN THE POWER AND GLORY OF THE LORD’S HOLY PRESENCE IN
THE LAST DAYS UNTIL THE RAPTURE WILL TAKE PLACE”, (Exodus 33:15)
PART
III
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 will flee from us, for he can not face
the Power and the Glory of God who dwell in us. Eventhough he 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 holy
presence or be lightly esteemed: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and
fro throughout the whole earth, to show 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!
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Let me give you the conclusion on this sermon today by giving four
important things to prepare our hearts to live our lives mindful of the
presence of God and the love of God for us to enable us to live in the
Presence of God .
As we all know that, we are now living at the
perilous times in the Last Days prior the soon coming of the Lord Jesus.
The whole world is already full of evil spirits trying to control our
lives to live according to the Kingdom of Darkness. God knows exactly
how His Children can overcome our flesh, the world and the Devil in our
daily life if we just obey His instruction to seek His Face and
surrender unto Him to receive His revelation in His Presence to live
according to His Plan.
Let’s try to follow the four important things
to practice in our daily life to include daily devotions, solitude,
prayer and community.
1.“Devotions” are a time each day, or each part of the day, for coming into the
presence of God. It is a time alone with God spent reading and reflecting upon
reading. Devotions can include Bible reading, readings from Christian writers,
prayer, even simply being still and quiet for a time. A quiet spot where interruptions
are unlikely is best. Time can range from 10 minutes to 1 hour. Consistency and
faithfulness are key components of daily devotions.
2.“Solitude” is a time of silence, away from everyday happenings of our lives. But it
is more than simple silence. Solitude includes time alone—alone with God. Solitude
can be a time of reflection on the happenings of our lives and, depending upon the
circumstances of our lives, can be experienced as peaceful or distressing. Solitude
can be a quiet time of wonderment on the gift of life given to us. Solitude can be a
time of reflection on God and the Kingdom of God. However experienced, solitude
involves silence in the presence of God without any special purpose or reason
except the desire to be with God.
The obvious question is: how are we able to find solitude in our busy lives filled
with work, things to do, and people who need us? The answer to this question is
to intentionally choose to make time and to create circumstances for solitude to
occur. When traveling in the car, turn off the radio. When in the house, turn off the
television, stereo, or other "background noises". Be intentional about creating
situations where quietude is possible and solitude may result. For many of us, that
involves an intentional choice to limit or filter what we will see in
terms of movies, life’s happenings, or even news of world events. The
intentional choice involves
discipline—one of the fruits of which can be found time to be alone with oneself and
with God. It is the intentional choice to create space for God by not filling our senses
and our minds with “things” that would otherwise occupy us!
For me, living a life filled with lists to help organize myself, the thought of solitude was
scary and seemed an unnecessary waste of life’s most precious commodity: time.
In the beginning, it wasn’t easy! Solitude cut against a lifetime of routines and
values all aimed at endeavoring to accomplish the most that can be done and to be
productive in the ways of the world. Over time, by practicing solitude more
frequently, I came to recognize that “being” as opposed to “doing” has even greater
fruits. The times of silence and solitude or simply “being”created opportunities
to listen for God in my life and to see God in my life!
3.“Prayer” is the third essential that embodies the practice of living in the presence of
God. Prayer is quite simply communion with God—speaking to God either by
words or by inclining of one’s heart toward the heart of God. Prayer becomes the
heart of “Living in the presence of God” because instead of carrying the burdens of
life alone, we take them to God in prayer. Not only at times of devotions, or in fixed
time of prayer, but as often as we are able! A servant of God, Richard Foster calls them
“breath prayers” and Paul says that we should “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
These prayers are regular and frequent visits to the presence of God to express a
word, a thought, a request, a blessing or concern, and anything and everything in life
that is worthy of sharing with our God who created us, loves us and wants our love
first and foremost, and wants us to respond by going forth to give this love to others!
Such times of prayer are for me an opportunity to express gratitude to God for the
blessings of life, to pray for those in all parts of my life, and to reflect upon what I can
and should be doing in life. Most importantly, these times provide an opportunity to
listen quietly for God's Will and Word to me and for me.
4.Finally, "Community" is essential to the discipline of living in the presence of God.
It is ironic that this is so--but experience and tradition show that living in Christian
community where the love of Christ is expressed and experienced is essential to this
spiritual discipline. The truth is that we need to recognize that God loves us all with
the same unconditional, unending love and we are called to share life in community to
experience the presence of God and to experience the love of God! Stated another
way, living in the presence of God is best experienced and most authentic when it is
lived in community.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray that all of you and me will be desiring strongly to seek God’s
face to live more often in His Holy Presence to receive His Power and
Glory to empower us to overcome our flesh, the world and the Devil and
his kingdom on this earth especially when we are now truly living at the
perilous time in the Last Days awaiting for the soon coming of the
Lord.
I pray none of us of all congregation of this Salvation Church
will be defeated by our enemies but living victoriously until the end
and after all we may meet with the Lord Jesus in the clouds at His
Glorious Day according to 1Thessalonians 4:16-18.
To God Be All The Glory And Honor, A m e n.
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