Keystone Christian Reading Room

God's Presence

Part One

by William Vaught

january 1995

Prologue

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; Come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving; and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.(Psalm 100, NIV)

According to this Psalm the sure way to enter into God's presence is with praise and thanksgiving - not with a list of complaints and special requests as is practiced by most of churchdom. Try making a "praise" list, and enter into His gates and courts with thanksgiving and praise.

It works every time.

2 Chronicles 6 relates the tale of Solomon's building of the temple in Jerusalem and of his prayer of dedication. The offerings were laid out, and the people waited upon God.

"When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it. When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshipped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying

'He is good; His love endures forever'." (2 Chronicles 7.1-3, NIV)

GOD PROVIDED FIRE to consume the sacrifices and signaled His acceptance in so doing. With the presentation of the burnt offering, the one making the offering approached the Presence seeking acceptance as a worshipper. On being accepted he then was welcomed into fellowship with God, and when Israel saw the fire from God, they knew they had been accepted. They saw the glory of the LORD on the house, a definite manifestation of His presence, and in great awe and sincere reverence they bowed before Him to worship and praise. Worship acknowledged their awareness of His greatness -- "He is good; His love endures forever."

Stepping backward from the time of the above described events, we witness the preparation for sacrifice in 2 Chronicles 6.13-14: "Now he (Solomon) had made a bronze platform..., and had placed it in the center of the outer court. He stood on the platform and then knelt down before the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. He said:

'O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven or on earth -- you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way...'"

Now that's boldly spiritual and godly leadership. The church needs God to again raise up national leaders who will fearlessly lead our nation in prayer, in seeking His will, in worship of our Creator-Saviour! It should be our constant prayer that the fire of God fall upon us, consume our offering and admit us into His presence as a nation as well as a church. Then His glory will fill the house. "...we are His house" (Hebrews 3.6).

Praise is a vital part of worship. Coexistent with self-abasement and obeisance there is, in spiritual prayer, an exaltation of the object of worship - the LORD God Almighty. The psalmist sings, "I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34.1), and the writer of Hebrews says, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of the lips that confess His name". (Hebrews 13.15, NIV).

The word "confess" is a translation from the Greek "homologounton", a present participial form of the verb "homolgeo", meaning to declare, to speak openly the same thing. It's the same word, (though in different forms) used in Romans 10:9-10, where the Holy Spirit of God says: "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is LORD', and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (NIV)

Tremendous victories are won as we praise Him, confess His greatness, and proclaim His deliverance from sin and death. We magnify Him by confessing that HE IS LORD OF ALL - and when we seek to magnify Him in praise/worship, in His inexplicable grace and loving kindness, He pours out His mercy on us. Confessing His mercy brings activation of His mercy, and we exalt Him as we pray, "He is good; for His mercy endureth forever".

Herein is a mystery worthy of Him: as we affirm our need of Him, of our trust in His mercy and love, He imparts more of Himself. So, with the mouth confession is made to salvation: with praise/worship!!

We also know that there is worship in PETITION, because petition exalts God, confessing with our mouth and believing in our heart that God is capable of providing our every need. When we seek His favor we witness that we believe He has unbounded favor to bestow. When we present ourselves to Him as children in need, we acknowledge that He is our Father and Lord, well able to sustain us in any situation. "The eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him". (2 Chronicles 16.9).

OUR FATHER DELIGHTS IN GIVING!! His LOVE nature is a GIVING nature. His love for us is the kind of love that impels one to deny himself for the sake of the object of that love. Remember? "...because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved". (Ephesians 2.4-5, NIV, my emphasis).

A contrast worth noting: our worthlessness and His greatness; we - dead in sinful transgressions; He - super-abounding in tender-mercies.

In order to satisfy His great love for His creation, He desired to express it and HE DID!!! ON CALVARY!!! and now, day by day, we confess His mercy and receive the in-working of His love.

It's clear that God so loved the world that He gave Himself FOR ALL THE WORLD - and ultimately - "all shall be made alive. But each in his own order." (1 Corinthians 15.22,23). Yet beyond this all-inclusive, infinite, expression God is more than pleased to give - in fact He delights in giving - , to us as individual members of His body. But He seldom countenances whiners.

The sacred writings tell us Israel murmured, grumbled, and belly-ached continually while He showed them His mercy, remained faithful, and kept His part of the covenant with them. Yet they brought Him no delight - but aggravated Him (if such is possible with God!) and caused the heathen to scorn His name. However, our Saviour-God delights to give to WORSHIPPERS. And why is He so quick to take pleasure in giving thus? Because those who worship Him in spirit and truth don't try to manipulate Him for their own selfish interests. PRAISE/WORSHIP IS THE OPPOSITE OF COMPLAINING!

Praying is nothing but an empty form if in our sincere and earnest prayer before Him we don't acknowledge that He hears. As we admit our need and His abounding grace-full sufficiency, we throw ourselves on His tender mercies and HE HEARS US.

According to the prayer-form Jesus taught His disciples, we don't approach God as beggars, but with the consciousness of the Father-Son relationship. Remember? "After this manner therefore pray ye: OUR FATHER which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name...", (Matthew 6.9). Fathers don't really appreciate whiners - and every father who is worthy of the name responds favorably to those children who value their relationship to him. This is a precious bond and is most vitally connected to worship, but even in this marvelous affinity, true worship recognizes His awesome holiness. "Hallowed" is a translation of the Greek word "agiasqhtw" which means be sanctified, be set apart, cleansed and purified - Holy in the truest sense of the much-maligned word.

Worship doesn't include the triteness and vulgar irreverence of referring to "big Guy on the block", "Man upstairs", et cetera, as some oafish neo-churchers are fain to do in addressing the ALMIGHTY ONLY GOD. The substance of praise, the very essence of true spiritual worship, is EXALTATION OF HIM, SETTING HIM APART AS WE LIFT HIM UP IN OUR HEARTS, humbling ourselves before Him.

I think it's more than a little significant that the Hebrew word most often translated "prayer" in the Old Testament means song of praise, or prayer in which God is praised.

There are many other words in the Bible for supplication, petition, meditation, entreaty, et cetera, but the fact is that often a SONG OF PRAISE is the prayer arising from our innermost being, expressing the desire to draw near to God, to be more conscious of His presence as we submit and cast all our cares on Him.

Praise/prayer confesses much of how God has led His people in the past:

"...these I will bring to My holy mountain And give them joy in My house of prayer... for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isaiah 56.7, NIV)

God says He'll give His people JOY in His house of prayer - joy that arises from the heart as songs of praise and worship ascend, bearing the profound desire of His people for the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and the fullness of His life.

"O You who hear prayer, to You ALL men will come" (Psalm 65.2, NIV, my emphasis)

As the Spirit Himself leads us out of rigid religious ritual, cold formalism, empty ceremony, and static repetitions of dead words we begin to find there has been a true uplift in worship and praise. This is because of the freedom of worship we find in God's presence. We often lift up our hands, which in itself is a basic expression of worship. For those who are granted the gift there is also often an outpouring of praise in "other tongues, as the Spirit gives utterance". Whatever the expression, emphasis is placed on PRAISE, and singing is a quickening part of worship.

Whether or not it is recognized as such, the praise/worship (thanksgiving) we've discussed consists of prayer and is an ENTRANCE into the conscious presence of God. Through all the waiting upon Him, whether quiet or vocal with singing His praises, there exists an outflow of desire for the Holy Spirit to lead us into a more intimate relationship with our Saviour - the Christ of whom we sing, the God we praise.

These periods of worship might not always be thought of as "a time of prayer", but that's immaterial. Time and again we experience things of which we have no doctrinal understanding, and yet we enter into them because of the seed of deep desire our Creator has planted in our hearts. We reach out to Him, channeling this desire through praise and prayer and song - vital elements in our worship. In our human effort to understand, to fully comprehend our walk with God, we often dissect, dismantle, and otherwise fragment things so that we are better able to examine and receive them and this exercise is usually a work of vanity. Yet, we find that, finally, praise, prayer, song, mute meditation are all a part of worshipping the LORD.

In our praise/worship we feel the blessings of joy, of peace, purpose and fulfillment, for though God is the focus, He delights to pour out blessings, even while we worship Him. Worship is not a foolish stroking of the Divine ego, no matter what the Bible-benders say - for God is a GIVER, and doesn't have to be bewitched or inveigled into a good mood to bless us. Neither is praise to be used as a sort of "con-game" or a self-serving tool by those who look upon Him as some kind of Santa Claus or Sugar Daddy. Praise/worship in spirit and in truth keeps HIM in the center of our consciousness and provides a field for His blessing activity: HIS HOLY PRESENCE is a fire that continually purifies so that blessing and praise/worship merge into incorruptible life and fellowship - worshipper and blesser in wholeness and HOLINESS!!

Yes, we are truly the center of God's love and purpose, while He is the center of our worship - a unique ordination God has spoken into existence as the means of satisfying the hunger He planted in man's heart. Again:

Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations. (Psalm 100, NIV, my emphasis)

Praise/worship aids us to become more aware of God's presence. During our day-to-day journey we are more often than not caught up in the basics of "survival" and find it difficult to shut out the hullabaloo of the natural so that we can be attuned to Him in our spirit. This is the time when praise of His Majesty and Glory do their most obvious work - because praise is a bridge to the conscious awareness of God. Although I used the noun "time" in the previous sentence - time is not of the essence - and not even audible praise is necessary. The truest praise we ever express may be mute - known only to Him who lives in that praise. "Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22.3)

(The word translated "inhabitest" in the preceding verse means to sit down, dwell, be still in place. Where the LORD GOD is enthroned is His dwelling place - the praise we offer in exaltation of Him is an entrance into common participation.)

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, for THIS IS GOD'S WILL for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5.16-18, NIV, my emphasis).

"...always giving thanks to God the Father for EVERYTHING, in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5.20, NIV, my emphasis).

IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES! FOR EVERYTHING! It's marvelous, isn't it? In the midst of any situation we can praise/worship Him, and this confesses His Kingship and power in that situation. Strange, though, that there are many who don't want to acknowledge HIS LORDSHIP in a trial; they don't praise Him IN or FOR the testing, because they feel that if they do so it cuts off "escape", and they'd have to stay right there. Often, pride and unbelief unite to mock God's ways in this manner, but HE WILL HAVE HIS WAY regardless of foolish mockery, and His overcoming victory will be readily manifest.

Should the mockers declare the Prince of Liars to be the cause of their trial instead of the LORD GOD, then they can try to take dominion over it, try to escape it, claim the victory, et cetera ad nauseam. Then being committed to battle, when and IF some semblance of victory over the situation is gained - WHO GETS THE CREDIT? "I fought, I prayed, I resisted, I displayed my faith, I named it and claimed it, I, I, I."

Very subtly man often ends up worshipping his own faith, crediting himself or some poor pulpiteer-cum-shaman with the victory.

When we praise/worship God IN and FOR all things, HE LIVES IN OUR PRAISE and we acknowledge His Sovereignty right in the thick of the things trying us. Thus we welcome Him into our ordeal, and place our trust in HIM to accomplish HIS PURPOSE, and then He brings us into HIS victory. Praise is access to Him as well as welcome to His Kingdom.

If we don't praise Him and worship Him how can we be joint-participants in His reign, His authority, His victory in trial? HE IS ENTHRONED IN THE PRAISES OF BELIEVERS!!!

It is truly written of our LORD "In all their affliction HE was afflicted", but there's more to it than His identification with us in the pressure and stress of processing to completion! The rest of the verse says, in part: "...and the angel of His presence saved them: in His love and in His pity (mercy) He redeemed them;..." (Isaiah 63.9, my parenthesis).

He's a fellow sufferer - but He is ENTHRONED as triumphant LORD in our hearts.

"See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed...". (Revelation 5.5, NIV). Furthermore, "...thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in Christ...". (2 Corinthians 2.14).

The more we praise Him, the greater the victory He brings, the more He is enthroned and rules in us. And this leads to more praise, enlarging His area of overcoming sovereignty in us - which leads to more praise, greater victory and yet more consciousness of His enthroned presence. "Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end." (Isaiah 9.7).

We are not to be performers but WORSHIPPERS. Worship must flow from the heart, in spirit and truth, not just a mummer's mouthing of dead prayer, the vain offering of the lips. God doesn't seek actors, strolling preacher-players, and holy-acrobats to worship Him; HE SEEKS TRUE WORSHIPPERS. He's NOT just an audience - something a performer must have. He's a PARTICIPATOR, rising in us as we magnify Him.

Sometimes He allows the externals of our journey to "fall dead", so He can lead us on past outward form into spiritual reality.

Remember Mary at the empty tomb, standing amid empty forms, dead bones - dead dispensations, dead rituals and forms of worship. (Witness the tombstone epitaphs in cemeteries.) Mary weeps and says, "They have taken away my LORD, and I know not where they have laid Him" (John 20.13). (At another place, in the Gospel of Luke, it is reported that a messenger asked, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?")

Why do people seek the LORD where He is not?

No - He didn't exchange one tomb for another; He hasn't just ordained a different list of forms, a different set of rituals and ceremonies, because HE IS RISEN TO A DIMENSION BEYOND SUCH PUERILE MISH-MASH - to be worshipped "in spirit and in truth" - in spiritual reality. We can worship Him NOW, HERE, ANYTIME - and find that he is enthroned in the praises of His people - right in the middle of testing, even if we don't "feel" like He's there.

This is written that we may be encouraged in our yielding to Him in praise/worship, so that He may live and manifest His life in the sphere of our humanity - to HIS GLORY. And as we worship Him, He reveals more of Himself to us, and we have more reason to worship Him.

This letter shall be continued. (See Part 2.)