15th June 2008. Being in his presence.
Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
I WANT REFRESHING TIMES – Do You? Now not all of us can say that we have the refreshing promised. There are times when we are weary, feel harassed, put upon, rejected and so on. Each of us needs a time to unwind, to get our breath so to speak to rest or sleep. Some times we find that we can’t rest, can’t unwind, and can’t sleep. Let me propose the spiritual answer.
Last week we heard preaching about two worlds: the spiritual and the worldly. When we neglect the spiritual and live only in the worldly world we are subject to lots of pressure, stresses and strains. When we take time out and enter the spiritual we get a different outlook, changed priorities, a new world view. The picture before us is the view from the heavenlies. We see things from God’s perspective. We need to come into the presence of the Lord. Here we find refreshing.
Peter was preaching for conversions. So this is a promise for those who are saved.
Acts 3:19 is a promise for salvation: repent – turn around, be forgiven, be refreshed, be made fresh again – find a new life in him - in his presence.
Peter said that there was refreshing for those who repent and as a result know that their sins are blotted out – this means that they are at last able to come into the presence of the LORD. They are righteous. They are right with God – there is no sin barrier preventing them coming into his presence. They are accepted (in the beloved). Repent means change direction. I decide to go in his direction – do it his way not follow my way. It means changing ownership of your life, saying, “I declare that I will no longer be in charge of my own life – I can see the mess I have made of it. I choose to give my heart to Jesus and to let him direct my life. I will let him show me the way to live. I need him as my saviour so that I am right with God and accepted by God and I choose to make Jesus my Lord. He is in charge now, not me.”
The same is true in our ongoing situation – not just at the time of salvation
We can struggle in a worldly way, in our own strength, and then we realise it. So we repent - turn round - trying his direction not ours. He forgives us and we find refreshing for our lives in his presence when we welcome him into the situation. This is truth; this is a promise from the Lord. Our part is to ACT in agreement with him not just agree that it is a good idea.
We can receive the same promise if we have been Christian for just a little time or many years. We can say “I need refreshing. I need to come into the presence of the Lord I need to experience the promise.” There are examples through the Bible of those who found that in his presence they were refreshed and made ready for what he had for them.
Moses, and Joshua
Exodus 33:7-11 (NIV) 7 Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the "tent of meeting."
9 As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses.
11 The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
We read that Jesus would spend the night in prayer, perhaps up a mountain, and he came down to minister to the sick and teach with the strength and direction that he had received from being in the presence of God.
Some expect to enter the presence of the Lord when they go to a special, set apart, sanctified building. That is good and true but we don’t need to limit God. The presence of the Lord can be experienced any place and any time.
Our quiet time. A time alone, free from distraction in which we may pray, read the word, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, journal what God is saying to us – a time of communion with him – experiencing his presence. Jessie Duplantice talks about this as “Throne time”. He says “Church time is not the same as throne time.” Throne time is just him and me. We can also have throne – just ‘him and me time’ in the middle of church time but the prime aim of church time is to meet together in his presence – us and God.
We can experience his presence in a meeting; at home, in the church building. It doesn’t have to be time physically alone. I have found that I can be “alone with him” in a noisy situation too. We can be; lost in worship, inspired with the word, receiving prayer and be refreshed in the congregation and it can feel just like we were the only one there.
We can sing:, I'm lost in wonder, lost in love. I’m lost in praise for ever more. Because of Jesus’ unfailing love I am forgiven I am restored.
Can this be real? As we sing can you be lost in an experience of wonder, praise and love?
I remember the day after I was saved. – a Sunday, 2nd March. I went to the local church alone, because I wanted to go to Church. In this church it was not a quiet reverential service. People chatted on the way up to communion and no one minded. Even so I experienced the presence of God in a way that I had never had before. I knew that he had answered the prayer of the night before. I knew that I was accepted, saved. Last night wasn’t just some emotional response. It was real. I belonged to him. My life was changed. Acts 3:19 was real to me.
Our attitude could be one of longing for more of him; of longing for the reality of his presence and the refreshing.
His presence is a place: A place of safety, a place to run to for help and security, a place of comfort and reassurance where worries disappear, a place where healing power soaks into our hearts, heads, emotions and our physical body – joints and organs digestive tract, nerves, blood and tissues. It’s a good place to be.
You can visit his presence – I did on 2nd March so many years ago. But if I had never visited again I would have missed something (and someone) precious and vital. Jesus said “Abide in me.” That’s “make your abode, dwelling place, habitual habitation in ME.”
We teach our children to pray – meal times and bed time at least. Additionally, if we have a leadership position, we need to teach and model being in his presence. We are all ministers. We are all disciples. Our personal development and our ministry and our witness to others has to come from what we receive in his presence.
Finally, I have been in pain due to a strain for some days. I felt a bit better on Thursday and I did a lot more than I should have done so I was very weary and I ached all over. At the Healing Rooms that night they prayed for me in our team time. We continued to pray for each other and to worship until it was time to open the doors and minister. We had been in the presence of the Lord for nearly an hour. For that evening, about 3 hours, I was free from pain and had all the energy I needed. It was Acts 3:19 for me. I was refreshed in the presence of the Lord.
I know the delight, strength and refreshing that I find when I am ministering.
Others of you know the same delight. Reaching out to others is invigorating. Intercession, prayer times, praying for the sick, witnessing, all refresh you. If you haven’t experienced this truth then you have a treat waiting for you. It is a precious part of our Christian life. Let me urge you. Desire more of Him. Seek to enter into his presence and minister to others from that place of strength. Let him bless you so that you may be a blessing.
Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord.
Will you seek him? His promise is that you will find him.
If you can say “I’m right with God, I love God. I love his presence, I belong to him.” Then say “amen”.
Perhaps there are others reading this who would have would say “I am not right with God, I’m not living right. I’m not doing right. I need prayer. I need to repent and be forgiven.”
If that is you I want to tell you that Acts 3:19 if for you.
If you need prayer; if you need to get right with God then I know that he wants to meet with you right now and take away you sin, forgive you and give you his refreshing. He wants to refresh your life. If is the first time for you then it is called being born again. What ever you situation I you are saying “I need to get right with God, pray for me, so that I may come into his presence”. If that is what you need pray this :
“I declare that I will no longer be in charge of my own life – I can see the mess I have made of it. I choose to give my heart to Jesus and to let him direct my life. I will let him show me the way to live. I need him as my saviour so that I am right with God and accepted by God and I choose to make Jesus my Lord. He is in charge now, not me.”
If you prayed that prayer and believe that Jesus died for you then right now you are saved. The creator of the universe God Almighty is you loving father right now. Your sins are forgiven. Jesus died for you and took your sins. You are right with God.
If you prayed that prayer get in touch.
Created by A Cornell ref: 0825aAGC 13/06/2008 23:31:00
