Exodus 33:9 (NKJV) And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
Ezekiel 43:4-5 (NKJV) And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
God is omnipresent—He is everywhere or all present. Therefore, we can be encouraged that He can hear us wherever we pray or cry out in His name.
The presence of God is described and appears very differently throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, the pillar of cloud represented God’s presence, just like the pillar of fire by night when God led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Both the Old and New Testaments talk about the glory of the Lord that filled the temple.
1 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
In addition, the New Testament talks about the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, which can also be referred to as the anointing when it comes to the presence of God. The presence of God can be the manifestation of His Spirit when He ministers to us through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
We should not put God in a box by saying that God can only manifest or express His presence in a certain way. Some people don’t even believe in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit today! Indeed, God can manifest in ways that make us uncomfortable, dumbfounded, or amazed by His presence, but we must not restrict God from ministering in our midst through the work of the Holy Spirit because He is the master of every church service. We need to be open to His presence in our midst. Though we may or may not feel His presence, we can be assured God does show up because Jesus said, “for where two or three are gathered in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:20).
We should not be fearful in God’s presence because we are present in the audience of a loving Heavenly Father, where there is joy, peace, and freedom. Praise the Lord that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict people of sin, righteousness, and judgement. Therefore, it is also in the presence of God when people are saved in church services.
When light enters, darkness disappears. Therefore, people can have oppression lifted in the presence of God, because when His presence comes into our midst, demons will flee. As children and believers of God, let’s desire to be in His presence because of what a privileged position it is!
Sermon series： The Presence of God
神的同在
出埃及记33:9摩西进会幕的时候，云柱降下来，立在会幕的门前，耶和华便与摩西说话。
以西结书43:4-5 耶和华的荣光从朝东的门照入殿中。灵将我举起带入内院，不料，耶和华的荣光充满了殿。
神是无所不在的——祂无处不在。因此，我们可以得着安慰，因为无论我们在哪里祷告或呼求祂的名，祂都能听见我们的祷告。
神的同在在圣经中有着不同的描述和显现。在旧约中，云柱象征着神的同在，就像在夜间，神带领以色列民出埃及时的火柱一样。无论是在旧约还是新约中，都提到过充满圣殿的耶和华荣耀。
哥林多前书12:7 圣灵显在各人身上，是要使人得益处。
此外，新约中提到圣灵的显现，当谈到神的同在时，也可以称之为膏抹。当圣灵的恩赐被运用来服侍圣徒，神的同在也得着彰显。
我们不应把神局限在某种框架中，认为祂只能以某种方式显现或表达祂的同在。有些人甚至今天不相信圣灵的彰显！确实，神的彰显可能会以让我们不舒服、目瞪口呆或惊讶的方式出现，但我们绝不应该限制神在我们中间通过圣灵的工作来施行祂的事工，因为祂是每一场教会敬拜的主宰。我们需要对祂在我们中间的同在保持开放的心态。尽管我们可能感受不到祂的同在，但我们可以确信神必定同在，因为耶稣说：“因为无论在哪里，有两三个人奉我的名聚会，那里就有我在他们中间。”（马太福音18:20）
我们不应在神的同在中感到恐惧，因为我们是在一位慈爱的天父面前，那里充满了喜乐、平安和自由。感谢主，正是圣灵的工作，叫人为义，为审判，知罪。因此，正是在神的同在中，人们才能在教会敬拜中得救。
当光进入，黑暗就消失了。因此，人们在神的同在中可以得到压迫的解除，因为当神的同在来到我们中间时，邪灵必定逃跑。作为神的儿女和信徒，让我们渴望进入祂的同在，因为这是何等荣耀的特权！
讲章系列: 神的同在
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