USING BIBLE TENSES BIBLE WAY (PART 2)

Right from time immemorial, and even before Christianity was established by our Lord, God has always been the same. He did not become more powerful because of the sacrifice of Jesus neither did He become bigger or greater. What He is today, He was yesterday, and forever will be.

One of such attributes that He has always possessed is His omnipresence.

Isaiah 66:1(NKJV)

Thus says the LORD: "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest?

“Earth is My footstool.”

The earth is too small to contain God. So just as God is not bound by time, He is also not bound by space.

Jeremiah 23:23–24(NKJV)

23. "Am I a God near at hand," says the LORD, "And not a God afar off?

24. Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the LORD; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the LORD.

God sees all things; nothing can be hidden from His sight.

Proverbs 15:3(NKJV)

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Psalm 139:7–12(NKJV)

7. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8. If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10. Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.

11. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me;

12. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

So, clearly, God is omnipresent, that is, everywhere at the same time.

However, there is even more to this. Beyond God's ubiquitousness or omnipresence, there is also such a truth as His manifest presence. This is qualified by the influence of God's glory in a place. In this case, God is not just there like everywhere else, He is there in such a manifest dimension.

Exodus 40:34–35(NKJV)

34. Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

35. And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

2 Chronicles 7:1–2(NKJV)

1. When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

2. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.

This is God's manifest presence—full of glory! And guess what? Jesus has brought this reality to every believer.

John 17:5,22(NKJV)

5. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

22. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one.

God's manifest presence is with every child of His today. This is not something to happen in the future or something to pray for. It is rather something to be realized, actively believed, and actively enjoyed.

John 14:16–17(NKJV)

16. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you FOREVER--

17. the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Jesus promised this before he left the earth and he fulfilled his promise.

So you don't invite the Holy Spirit to come when biblically, he has already. It is a walk in unbelief for a child of God to be in a meeting and still be praying for the Holy Spirit to come. From where? These are the words of our Lord himself.

He also promised

Matthew 18:19–20(NKJV)

19. "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

20. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Jesus did not say, “I will be the there” or “If you invite me, I'll come around.” No. He said, “I AM THERE.” This means his manifest presence is automatic in a Christian meeting. It is not invoked by some prayer; it is rather an established reality predicated on the fact that children of God have come together in the unity of faith.

God’s manifest presence is a present tense reality for every Christian individually and in every Christian meeting. You don't pray for it. Rather, you can pray to see it expressed.

Matthew 28:18–20(NKJV)

18. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

19. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20. teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you ALWAYS, even to the end of the age." Amen.

So, individually, as children of God, God’s manifest presence is with us ALWAYS, and collectively, in a Christian gathering, same is the case...ALWAYS.

Do you believe the words of Jesus?

If you do, thank Him for being ever-present with you.

Confession: I believe the words of Jesus and I know that wherever I am, God is…wheresoever. God's manifest presence is always with me and this will never change. Great is the glory of God upon my life. Hallelujah!

Victor Ibosiola © 2022