Kingdom Perspectives Sep-Oct 2021

VOLUME 03 I ISSUE 05

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

PERSPECTIVES

COMFORTING I INSPIRING I WORD OF LIFE AND SPIRIT

KINGDOMPERSPECTIVES.IN

YLNO NOITALUCRIC ETAVIRP ROF

Kingdom Principles for Kingdom' Lifestyle

Seeking the Presence of God

PERSPECTIVES Gospel I Literature I Education

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President: Blasson N Mathew Chief Editor: Sherin Johnson Co-Ordinator Overseas: Betty Joseph & Blessy Joseph Subscription Co-ordinators: Roshin C Raju, JJithin Abraham and Kevin CK

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL

ETYMOLOGYPRESENCE OF GOD

Sherin Johnson

Rev. Shyam Raj

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PROGRESSIVE REVELATION OF GOD

HOW TO LIVE CONSISTENTLY IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Dr. Joseph Ivin Thomas

Kevin J Antony

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Dr. Joseph Ivin Thomas Dr. Joseph Ivin Thomas, is the Assistant Professor at the Department of Physiology at East Point Medical College, Bangalore, India. Adjunct Faculty, School of Natural Sciences & Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, IISc campus, Bangalore, India. He carries a vision to be a channel of blessing for the Kingdom of God and thereby glorify the precious name of our lord Jesus Christ. Dr. Joseph and his family are engaged in many ways to be the salt and the light for many lives in the dark world. Dr. Joseph is married to Dr. Shweta Pai. In their happy married life God has gifted them a son Yeshurun Ephraim Joseph.

Kevin J Antony Kevin J Antony, is currently studying BSc in Biotechnology Chemistry Zoology at Christ University, Bangalore. Alongside Studying D.Th at Carmel Theological Academy. A member of Carmel Sharon Fellowship Church, Madiwala. Kevin is passionate about influencing many lives with the living Gospel and He is a great blessing for the kingdom of God.

Rev. Shyam Raj Rev. Shyam Raj has completed his M.Th in mission. He also holds a Master's degree in history. He lives in Bangalore and is a renowned Bible teacher and preacher in India and abroad. He is married to Riji.and blessed with twins Jordan and Joshah.

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Editorial Sherin Johnson Chief Editor

I n my obser vat i on t he most i mpor t ant t hi ng t o be est eemed i n our l i f e i s t he pr esence of God. Al l t he bl essi ng f or our l i f e and spi r i t ual i t y comes f r om t he pr esence of God. Wher e t he pr esence of God i s t her e i s heal i ng, del i ver ance, br eakt hr ough and peace.

Ther e

is

not hi ng

mor e

magni f i cent

or

gl or i ous i n t he uni ver se t han t he pr esence of God. When t he chi l dr en of God ar e r eady t o car r y t he pr esence of God, God wal ks wi t h t hem. Moses had t he pr esence of God, hence he coul d l ead t he peopl e of I sr ael out of Egypt . Havi ng t he pr esence of God wi t h us i s wor t h mor e t han r i ches, f ame or power . Ther e i s pr ot ect i on and pr ovi si on when we ar e i n t he shadow of t he al mi ght y ( Psal m 91 . 1 ) . We can go anywher e and achi eve what ever we ar e ai mi ng f or , when t he pr esence of God i s wi t h us.

Mor eover , t he super nat ur al r eal m i s possi bl e onl y i n t he pr esence of God. The mor e t i me we spend i n t he

pr esence

of

God

t he

mor e

dr amat i c

exper i ences we can expect f r om Hi m. You can f l i p t hr ough t he pages of t hi s edi t i on and f i nd mor e myst er i es about t he pr esence of God, t he Bi bl e i s speaki ng about .

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PERSPECTIVES Gospel I Literature I Education

God's presence makes everything alive, however void and chaos is the result of His absence

BLASSON N MATHEW

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PROGRESSIVE REVELATION OF GOD

The life of a Christian is truly the life of a pilgrim soldier. A pilgrim seeking out the will of God, wherever He may lead (Heb 11:9; Heb 11:13; 1 Pet 2:11; Ps 39:12). A soldier tearing down (spiritual) strongholds, wherever they be found (2 Tim 2:3-4; Ps 18:39; Eph 6:13). We may sometimes be tempted to think that it was our own conscious decision to follow the LORD. But the truth of the matter is that it was He who chose us even before the foundations of the world were laid (1 Pet 2:9; John 15:16; Jer 1:5; Eph 1:3-4; Deu 14:2). Unto us, the sheep of His pasture, lies the credit of responding to the voice of the Good Shepherd, and He lovingly calls us by name (John 10:27). Of all the many man-made organized religions, not one confesses God as Abba, Father (Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6).

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This was truly an extraordinary departure from every preceding notion of the omnipotent Creator’s identity in human history. It was made known to the whole world through His only begotten son Jesus, the Christ (meaning the Messiah or Savior). Even the ancient Israelite nation to whom God manifested in a myriad number of miraculous ways, were completely ignorant of their privileged position before the throne room of Heaven. They knew of Him in a very reverential but nonetheless distant way, as the great I AM, through Moses (Ex 3:14) and as Jehovah (or Yahweh) through Abraham (Gen 22:14). In this article, which is the first in a series, I’d like to explore the scriptural basis of the stage by stage manner that God chose to reveal Himself to the peoples of the earth.

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Let us start with the Old Testament first and then dive into the New Testament. In the book of Genesis, we read of God as an actual “person” taking a stroll in the Garden of Eden and casually chatting with Adam and Eve (Gen 2:19-20; Gen 3:8). He was like a friend who walked and talked with them. The whole relationship however, took a drastic turn for the worse after the fall and sin entered the world. God gradually distanced Himself from what was till that time a direct, twoway, line of sight interaction with the descendants of Adam. Consequently, people began to worship the LORD from afar, starting from Enosh’s generation – the grandson of Adam (Gen 4:26). The once intimate bond of friendship was replaced by an earnest yearning for a return back unto God – to mend that broken fellowship with the One whom they were no longer able to see or hear or understand, but whose presence they were acutely and unexplainably aware of in their hearts. Evidence of this is clear from the fact that the gentiles who don’t have the benefit of possessing the Law (chiefly The Ten Commandments), follow many aspects of it without even knowing, because God has already engraved it on the tablets of their hearts (Rom 2:14-15).

But in a misguided attempt to restore

what was lost, people began fashioning for themselves idols made of wood, stone and metal, and offering these abominations their worship. However, scripture does say that there were still some exceptional figures like Enoch, Noah, Abraham and Moses who enjoyed the same old companionship that Adam once did (Gen 5:21; Gen 6:9; Isaiah 41:8; Exo 33:11). They often talked to God, face to face. What a great privilege for man in his fallen sin depraved state to see a Holy God! Bible-scholars refer to these singular appearances and interactions as “theophanies' '. Specific examples include (1) The mysterious king of Salem and priest of God Melchizedek who blesses Abram (Gen 14:17), (2) The meeting of Abraham with the three men who were on a mission to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:1), (3) the man with whom Jacob wrestled till dawn, (4) the man with a drawn sword that met Joshua before an important battle (Josh 5:13), (5) Isaiah sees the LORD on a throne surrounded by seraphim (Isa 6:1), (6) Ezekiel sees a man seated on a throne carried by cherubs (Ez 1:26), (7) King Nebuchadnezzar sees a fourth man in the flames along with Shedrach, Meshach and Abednego.

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(8) Daniel sees the Ancient One seated on a throne (Dan 7:9). These passages clearly convey that the God of the Bible is not a formless being, as most of the oriental cultures and Eastern religions suggest. He has an external frame that in many ways resembles our own; with hands, a back and a face (Ex 33:22).

Afterall, man was created in the image of God (Gen 1:26). The portrait of Holy God in the Old Testament, is of a spirit being having a definite form. He once shared a very close bond of kinship with man, till the latter proved unworthy of it by repeated acts of disobedience. His awesome presence has ever since withdrawn and remained hidden from the overt view of the general populace, and is revealed only to those exceptional few who actively seek after Him with all of their heart, mind and soul (Isa 45:15). The crux of the problem is that no individual or nation can ever rise up to the high standards of holiness that the LORD has set, on their own strength.

And that’s precisely the message that the Old Testament testifies to.

Both the temptation to yield to the desires of the flesh and the Devil working very hard behind the scenes pose obstacles too great to overcome. Hence, a new plan of action had to be initiated to salvage and redeem man from the clutches of the Adversary, and bring him back to the place of safety where he truly belongs. This is in essence the purpose of the New Testament, to herald good news (gospel) to all peoples, that the Kingdom of Heaven is not far, but near (Mat 4:17). The key to unlocking its door and entering is quite simple: just believe and repent, be baptized and saved (Mark 16:16). The signs that follow them that do so, forms the very core of the Christian experience (Mark 16:17-18; John 15:8). The theme of my next article will be on the revelation of God in manifest presence as Jesus.

His awesome presence has ever since withdrawn and remained hidden from the overt view of the general populace, and is revealed only to those exceptional few who actively seek after Him with all of their heart, mind and soul (Isa 45:15).

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ETYMOLOGY: PRESENCE OF GOD Rev. Shyam Raj

The Scriptures often speak of God's presence in human history. The most common Hebrew term for "presence" is panim which is also translated "face,"implying a close and personal encounter with the Lord. The Greek word prosopon has the same meaning.

The Greek preposition enopion also commonly appears; several other Hebrew and Greek words occur only a few times.

God's presence carries a wide variety of meanings. It may be something people fear. Adam and Eve's sinfulness drove them to hide from the Lord in the garden of Eden (Genesis3.8). God's holiness cast light on Isaiah's sinfulness (Isa 6.5). Many people who encountered God or His feared for their lives (Judges 13.22, Luke1.11-12, 2.9). God's presence provides comfort in times of trouble or anxiety.

The downcast seek Him and find encouragement and strength to praise Him God also displayed His presence at a place of worship. The Israelites brought their sacrifices to the tabernacle — and later the temple because God chose to establish His name there.

Worshipers thus experienced a special closeness to the Lord in such a place.

Inside the place of worship, the bread of the Presence reminded Israel of God's proximity.

When Solomon dedicated the temple, the manifestation of God's glorious presence prevented priests from fulfilling their usual duties. Reverent and proper behavior was important, for disastrous consequences could result if people did not follow God's pattern for worship.

The apostle Paul charged Timothy to remain faithful to the Lord, reminding his son in the faith of God's watchful presence as Timothy performed his ministry. The Bible describes heaven as a place filled with God's presence.

Angels stand in God's presence and act on His authority as He directs them.

God’s presence is everywhere. This is sometimes called God’s omnipresence.

Inversely, the Lord repeatedly equates His judgment as removal from His presence and blessing. Many Bible characters experienced the unusual presence of God. Let us earnestly desire to experience the presence of God in our lives.

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Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

Psalm 95:2

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HOW TO LIVE CONSISTENTLY IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD

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For that, anything that leads to sin must be avoided at all cost. Never give in to temptations. The devil seeks to destroy those who walk in the ways of righteousness, therefore we must be aware of the deceptive tools of Satan. He tries to cajole us away from the presence of God, therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16). You should never compromise your spiritual life. Paul in his letters to the churches urges them not to leave the presence of God. We have heard this many times but can we pledge that we would never compromise on anything that would lead us astray from the presence of God, our Saviour? What value does any of these worldly possessions and pleasures promise when compared to our glorious eternity with our Father?

“Lazarus, came forth from the dead!

(John 11:1–44)” When you are in the presence of God, your circumstances don't matter to God. Lazarus was a decaying corpse until Jesus rolled the stone from his tomb. Whatever the situation might be, Jesus can roll away the stone sealing your tomb (John 11). Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, so that His presence could be felt by the town of Bethany. God works when all hope is lost, God is not man, so are His ways.

W e m ay wonde r w h a t t h e b i g d e a l is a bout God ’ s p r e s e n c e . W h a t h a p p ens if God ’ s p r e s e n c e i s n o t w i t h us? Witho u t H i s c o n s i s t e n t p r e s ence in ou r l i f e , w e c a n n o t b e a r fr uits. In s i m p l e w o r d s , w e c a n n ot acco m p l i s h the very p u r p ose for wh i c h w e w e r e c r e a t e d .

D o y ou think w e c a n e n t e r e t e r n i t y w i t h out His pr e s e n c e a n d g r a c e ?

N o ! H ow do we g e t c l o s e r t o G o d ?

T h e simple a n s w e r i s , t hr o u g h p r a y er a nd by t h e c o n s t a n t r e a d i n g o f t he scripture . S i n r o b s y o u f r o m G o d ’s presen c e . P s a l m s 1 6 : 1 1 s a y s , “ In Your p r e s e n c e t h e r e i s fu l l ness of joy ; a t y o u r r i g h t h a n d a r e pleasures fo r e v e r m o r e ” M a n does not d e s e r v e t h e p r e s e n c e o f God yet His g e n t l e m e r c y a l l o w s u s th e liberty to f e e l H i s a w e s o m e p r e s ence. Medi t a t i o n o n H i s l o v e a l o n e can take u s t o H i s p r e se n c e .

O n c e sinners, we w e r e a l l o u tc a s t s , h e s hed His blo o d f o r m e a n d y o u .

H e g ave his life f o r u s o n t h e c r o s s o f C alvary to s a v e u s f r o m t h e e t e r nal fire, im a g i n e H i s l o ve f o r e a c h one of us ! H e l o n g s f o r u s t o b e in His pres e n c e , a s a m o t h e r w o u ld take h e r c h i l d r e n i n h e r a r m s, so does Ou r f a t h e r l o n g t o b e w i t h us.

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Moses, the great law giver and leader of God’s people understood the importance of God’s presence. “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here” (Exodus 33:15).

There is suffering on the earth since the fall of man. But Paul asks us to rejoice in suffering. If you are going through a tough time, God is training you because he does not leave you all alone and unequipped. “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Rejoice when you are insulted, falsely accused. Rejoice for your reward in Heaven is great. The presence of a storm shouldn’t cause us to doubt the Presence of God. Alexander McLaren once said, “Peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.” It is high time that we remain in the presence of God. Cherish your time in God’s presence. Pray and long for an encounter with the Holy Spirit. Jesus still promises His eternal life to all. To Joshua God said “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Jesus, the lamb of God was slain for our sins, for He loved us with an everlasting love. Jesus was crucified for our sins, He redeemed us.

Shedding the blood of God’s only son was the sole way to atone for our sins. God did not have a plan B. How can we not be in His presence? How can we forsake His love? If you seek the presence of God, you will see the glory of God. May God bless you with His everlasting presence!

The greatness of a footballer is

measured

by

how

consistent he is in delivering to the team. ... Similarly, our aim must be to constantly live in the presence of God.

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1. O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.

PSALM 139.1-12

2. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.

4. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

6. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

7. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

8. If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10. Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

11. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12. Even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

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JESUS CHRIST IS THE BREAD OF LIFE

John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

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2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

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Psalm 27:4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.

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