My Presence Shall Go With You (1)

(Message by Pastor S. Joseph, Founder NLMI. Happy reading!)

When God’s presence comes down among us, His power does something within those of us who respond. For with God all things are possible. But if you have the question, ‘why is it not happening in my life?’- I say this: Because you do not respond in faith. Every step that we walk is by faith. Maybe for those of this world, fate plays a role; but for those in Christ, faith matters! I realize over these years I have walked with Him, that God has given us SO MUCH in the super-natural, and faith is the key to unlock those treasures given to us.

I want to remind you of the promise this year-the year of change 2012, from glory to glory according to the words of 2 Cor. 3: 18 and that NLMI is involved in the upcoming media campaign POWER TO CHANGE, that will happen in Mumbai around April this year. I am so blessed that God hears prayer and confirms His promise through His work among all believers. I ask you to be involved in this media campaign POWER TO CHANGE through prayer, winning souls for Christ, counseling and follow-up activities, for those who will believe among people in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and beyond. Many other churches too are involved in this; look around and you can see there is hunger for true knowledge and people are looking for peace all around and you can introduce the Prince of Peace to them (and for that you should know the Prince of peace yourself!)

I know there are millions around the world, posting their status, quotes, photos in facebook… but you know what? We have to look at our FACE in His BOOK-to see if there are any spot, wrinkle or blemish; because His BOOK is the mirror. As we read from His Book, we see the perfect Bridegroom and then see our self too-and say ‘Hey, what’s this spot here on my face?’ Or ‘Oh, I have a wrinkle!’ Then we may learn to pray, Lord please remove those wrinkles (get me an anti-ageing cream). {I am not against facebook, I too have an account and recently one of status message on my wall was ‘You are OLD when you stop learning’}

Do you know what are those spots, wrinkles and blemish written in Eph 5: 27? The SPOT represents our testimony in this world; the WRINKLE represents our relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ; and BLEMISH is something known only between God and you, in your relationship with God. Hot temper, short-temper, irritation, lust, greed, slander, gossip- you name any vice, and you will find it in spot, wrinkle or blemish. Only when you look into His word and choose to walk by faith, change takes place. This is an everyday battle-you know that, whether you are single or married, whether young or old.

I also want to say this that happiness depends on the happenings around us; and you must always look to make someone happy-whether in the house, or in the church or in the street even to a beggar , because an ounce of action is better than tons of preaching. 

Now let us turn to Exodus 33: 13 where Moses asks God to show him the way forward. Moses asks direction from God (even when he had the pillar of fire and the cloud before him); you see direction from God is important, whether for your ministry, whether as a leader or as a layman. God answers in verse 14: My Presence will go with you.

Exodus 33: 13 - 23

“Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.”

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Then he said to him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

And he said, “Please show me Your glory.”

Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you, I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.”

And the LORD said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Beloved, it is God’s Presence that divides light from darkness; and differentiates between people of this world and people of God. That is why we ought to be careful-what we think, what we say, what we do, where we go and who we are with. A man like Moses, so close to God, and delivering the Law to His people, was also hungry for God-or may I say greedy for God. Moses wanted more-MORE OF His glory, more of his grace.

But look at the two things Moses was refused: (i) he wanted to go to the promised land, but he was denied; (ii) he wanted see God’s glorious face , but this also he was denied-instead it was God’s goodness, all of His goodness that Moses was granted to see from the cleft of the rock.(yes, it’s a mystery how it is also written that God talked with Moses face to face Ex. 33: 11)

Spiritually speaking, Moses represented the Law, and Law CANNOT take one to the Promised Land, but grace CAN! 

But Moses DID see God’s glorious face in Jesus Christ. Turn with me to Luke 9: 28, where Moses, already in the Promised Land, speaks with Jesus who was transfigured on that mountain; it was there Moses saw the full glory of the Lord.

The glory from the Law is temporal-when Moses face was covered for only some time as he came down that mountain; but the glory from grace received within, is eternal. This is the glorious gospel that we share; and Jesus is our glorious Lord for whom we change from glory to glory. Jesus while praying for all believers who would believe, says in John17: 22 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one;”

God’s work goes on-in us and around us, till the coming of Jesus Christ. That is why I want to encourage any believer here, whose prayers are yet to be answered: keep on praying. Know that God’s work in precious young men and women continues. In Joshua 1:2, we hear God’s terse command: Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan… Charles Wesley puts it wisely: God buries His workers, and carries on His work. Therefore, one cannot say it is MY work, or MY ministry or MY church… but rather consider it a privilege to work along with Him, to serve Him in our lifetime, knowing that God can do anything without your permission. If you are obsessed with self, while seeking God, He says “I will give you rest.”

“Moses My servant is dead” – really? Then, how did he appear with Jesus on the mount of Transfiguration? You see, God is speaking in human figurative language-death of the physical body here. But then, we will have a glorious body, absent here and present there. Where is your eternal home? Are you afraid to die? Or are you prepared to go home? Have you laid up your treasures in heaven? [Matt. 6: 20] I do not know about you, but I am prepared to go home; yes, a burial place is also booked for me in the cemetery!

This life is temporal. Therefore live to fulfill His purposes, to declare His majesty, to have an eternal perspective of all that you do and wherever you go. Be willing to change from glory to glory, and God says “My Presence shall go with you”; whether in the workplace, or school, or any business place or at home. Psalm 16: 11 says “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” God Bless you.