PEOPLE OF HIS PRESENCE Kay Keith Peebles 05/08/2020 20.16
I have often wondered what it must have been like to walk with Jesus; to hear His audible voice, and look into His eyes radiating with love. If only I could feel His deep compassion for the hurting and watch as He reached out to touch the leper. What did the woman at the well, who was a total outcast feel when He offered her the living water of redemption, adoption and belonging? What did the blind man think when the Pharisees grilled him about who had given sight to a man born blind? The religious leaders were appalled Jesus had healed him on the Sabbath and denied His right to walk in the Power and Presence of God. It was a divine miracle only the Messiah was prophesied to perform. The former blind man had to be struck by their unbelief as he relished his amazing encounter with the Son of God!
Every day the disciples lived, witnessed and experienced His Presence. They carefully observed each and every miracle and several later wrote Biblical testimony to what they saw and heard. He made it very clear to them that although He was the Son of God, He laid down all His glory and power to be born as a man. He called Himself the Son of Man. He was empowered by His obedience to the Father and submission to the Holy Spirit. He took no glory for anything He said or did. Instead, He repeatedly declared He only did what He saw His Father doing and said what His Father told Him to say. God’s power and authority flowed through Jesus because He was completely submitted to His will and continually dwelled in His Presence. He regularly rose to pray and seek the Father’s will for that day. He lived a surrendered life before His disciples, and taught them what they would be doing after His death and resurrection.
First He sent out the 12 disciples to minister. They returned amazed at what the power of God did through them. “And He called to Him the Twelve [apostles] and began to send them out [as His ambassadors] two by two and gave them authority and power over the unclean spirits…So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they drove out many unclean spirits and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.” Mark 6:7-13. This happened before His death, resurrection and Pentecost which was their empowering by the Holy Spirit. Notice in the scripture Jesus gave them authority and power. It also says they drove out many unclean spirits and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
Later He sent out 70 and they also returned awe struck that God would pour out upon them His power to heal, deliver and declare His word. “Now after this the Lord chose and appointed seventy others and sent them out ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to come…And heal the sick in it (town that welcomed them) and say to them, The kingdom of God has come close to you…The seventy returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! And He said to them, I saw Satan falling like a lightening [flash] from heaven. Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are enrolled in heaven.” Luke 10:1-20. Jesus empowered others beyond the 12 disciples (Apostles) to heal the sick and set the captives free.
Mark closed out his book with Jesus’ resurrection and commission to all believers. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe (not just the Apostles); in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents (accidentally, like Paul), and even if they drink anything deadly, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will get well.” Mark 16:16-20. Emphasis mine.
Before Jesus was crucified, He prayed a prayer in John Chapter 17 which was not only for his 11 remaining disciples but also for those of us who would later believe because of their testimony. “I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those You have given Me, for they belong to You. All [things that are] Mine are Yours, and all things [that are Yours] belong to Me; and I am glorified (through) them. [They have done Me honor; in them (us) My glory is achieved.] And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep in Your Name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We [are one]…Just as You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world…Neither for these alone do I pray, but also for all those who will ever come to believe in Me through their word. I have given to them the glory and honor which You have given Me that they may become one even as We are one.” John 17:9-22
Both Mark and John affirm that it is the will of God that ALL who believe in Jesus walk in the Power and Presence of God, healing the sick and casting out demons as well as raising the dead in His name. Our first reaction might be “Me? No way!” Scripture is emphatic throughout the New Testament and the Old that ordinary people did extraordinary things by the hand of God. Some would argue that the gifts were only for the first century church and are not for today but I would ask them this question; are all people healed and whole today? Are all people free from demonic possession today? Do people die too early today? Is the gospel still supposed to be preached today? The only answer possible is yes! Although doctors are a wonderful gift, God did not raise them up to replace His power over sickness and disease. In fact, medical science does not cure all diseases; God does. See Psalm 103.
The church has a rich history of people who refused to conform to the religious traditions like the Jews in Jesus’ day and many churches today. They are the revivalists who have kept the church alive through the centuries, continuing to preach the same Gospel Paul and the Apostles preached after Jesus’ death. They are walking in the same signs and wonders the disciples (believers) walked in and more. People like John Wesley, George Whitfield, Evan Roberts, John G. Lake, Smith Wigglesworth and more recently, the healing revival in the 1950’s: Kathryn Kuhlman, Oral Roberts, A.A. Allen and R. W. Shambach to name a few. One of our current Generals of the faith, Reinhardt Bohnke, recently went to be with the Lord. Millions came to his crusades where the miracle working power of God saved, healed, delivered and raised the dead. Today thousands are carrying on their light and fire all over the earth. Many are unnamed and unknown by most of the world.
How did they keep the fire burning through all the persecution, rejection and unbelief? They received and remained empowered by Prayer and practiced the Presence of the Lord on a daily basis. They allowed the Lord to refine them and prune them. They lived a life completely submitted to the Lord and surrendered all to be obedient to His word and His will. How can we follow in their footsteps and continue to keep the Gospel alive and relevant? We can practice Prayer and abide in the Presence of God as they did.
We are blasted daily with garbage from the world through television, newsprint and smart phones. This continually tries to cause us to fear, become angry, and to give up on our faith. It all dumps the refuse of this world’s system in our ears as a doctrine that God is irrelevant and even dead. It devours our faith and leaves us unable to cope with life and if we’re not careful, we could cave to its untrue and unholy doctrine.
Those who are believers are not of this world. We were bought with a price and made new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is imperative we renew our minds from our old ways of thinking in order to be able to walk in the faith required to survive this present age. Adam and Eve had God’s word and Presence but they allowed the prince of this world to deceive them into doubting Him and His truth, which caused them to lose everything God had given them.
Moses stood before the pharaoh of Egypt on one side and the Jewish slaves on the other in order to bring God’s people out of bondage. How could a common man do such a thing? He practiced Prayer and lived daily in the Presence of God. He had no Bible! The Lord reached out to him through the burning bush and Moses turned aside from everything he knew and journeyed up the mountain to clearly see and understand the miracle he was witnessing. The Lord spoke to him and Moses was willing to be obedient to what the Lord told him to do. God uses the humble, those who don’t see ability within themselves but lean wholly upon the Lord’s strength to do whatever He challenges them to do.
Moses maintained the Presence of the Lord throughout the rest of his life. God’s presence gave him perseverance through the battle with Pharaoh in Egypt and with the rebellious Jews in the wilderness. He put his tent of meeting outside of Israel’s camp and the glory cloud of the Lord could be seen by all 2 million Jews. The Lord had offered His Presence to the Israelites at the beginning of their wilderness journey but most refused. Because they refused, many thousands died in the wilderness having rebelled against the Lord, His law and His ways. Those who made it to the Promised Land had believed in the Lord and obeyed His directions. Moses spoke with the Lord “face to face” during the Old Testament times. How much more should we be able to commune with Him since Calvary?
Jesus’ death and resurrection violently tore open the heavens for all who would believe in Him, fulfilling the Isaiah Chapter 64 passage about the Messiah. The heavens are now open to all who believe and His Presence is available day and night to all who seek Him. We do not have to strive for His Presence; we just have to BELIEVE it is ours and seek Him.
As storms come there is a shelter from fear in the Presence of the Lord. There is a hiding place from the clamor of the world, a place of refuge and peace in times of trouble. There is a place of rest and contentment when the world closes in and an assurance that we are not alone or vulnerable. When we surrender to His Presence, we are cleansed, renewed, filled, empowered and sent forth as His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and make disciples in His name. When we dwell in His Presence, we become bold as a lion and are able to stand before Pharaohs and kings without intimidation as Ambassadors of His Kingdom. Those who practice His Presence become one with Him and by doing so will go forth and do mighty exploits in His name.
