Monday, June 1, 2009

HIS PRESENCE

In Psalm 27:4, David says; "One thing I ask of the Lord -- the thing I seek most -- is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life."

The greatest need in Christianity is the ability to "focus." To cut through all the fog of current fads and focus on the main thing! So many Christians get stuck or sidetracked on things that do nothing but distract them from what is truly the "one thing necessary."

THE MAIN THING IS HIS PRESENCE.


JOY AND PLEASURE
Ps 16:11
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
NKJV

GLADNESS
Ps 21:6
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence.
NKJV

SAFETY
Ps 31:20
20 You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
NKJV

REFRESHING
Acts 3:19
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
NKJV

JOY, PLEASURE, GLADNESS, SAFETY, AND REFRESHING COMES FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD AND NOT FROM ANYTHING ELSE.

DAVID KNEW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD AND EVEN IN THE MIDST OF HIS OWN FAILURE HE CRIED OUT FOR GOD'S MERCY!

Ps 51:11
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
NKJV

DAVID CRAVED THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Ps 42:1-3
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
NKJV

NO WONDER GOD SAID THAT DAVID WAS A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART.

In both Amos and Acts we read:
Acts 15:16
16'After this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
NKJV

Amos 9:11
11 "On that day I will raise up
The tabernacle of David, which has fallen down,
And repair its damages;
I will raise up its ruins,
And rebuild it as in the days of old;

God Himself is rebuilding that relationship were we can meet with Him and live in His Presence.
He gave his very Son so that we could be redeemed. He sent His Spirit into our hearts so that we could experience the very "adoption as His children."

As we move through the celebration of "Pentecost" we should allow ourselves to be focused on His Presence that now abides within our hearts and not merely in tabernacles, tents or temples.

The very "fullness" of God lives in and finds expression in and through His Body, the gathered and assembled "people of His Presence."

Live every moment, every day in the awareness of His Presence!

Pastor Quintin