October 2 - Love Not The World – Part 2 (Follow-up to October 1)

        James 4:4 – "You adulterous people! Don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God."

        This verse supplements the theme already laid down in Romans 12:2 and 1 John 2:12. These are very strong words from James, the half-brother of our Master Jesus! He doesn't mince words about the seriousness of our devotion, allegiance, and love for God. 

        James uses the word "friendship" to describe this loyalty. However, he is not referring to friendships with persons; on the contrary, he is talking about friendship with the world's patterns, which are sinful and against the ways of God. Paul goes into detail about this apparent confusion in 1 Corinthians 5:9. He states, "I have written to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or greedy, or swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world." Paul is referring in context here to believers in the Corinthian body, who were practicing sexual immorality as if it were acceptable behavior – believers who should know better. The people of the world do not know better; they are blind to the truths of God's ways. How will they ever see the light if believers do not shine it upon them?

       Jesus also iterates this idea. In John 17:15, Jesus says to the Father, "My prayer is not that you remove them from the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." The upshot is that believers are in the world, but not of the world. We live among unbelievers, but we are no longer stuck in their sinful patterns. We have been given birth into a new way of thinking and acting – one that learns to please God and to enjoy his ways.

        I used to be God's enemy as Romans 5:10 states. Why would I want to continue living as his enemy, as James 4 states, after I received his forgiveness and adoption into his family? I can be someone's "friend" without conforming to their pattern of living, because my allegiance is with the ultimate Friend, who is still conforming me to his pattern. Let's be the light and truth to those we call friends in this dark world.

March 2 – The Presence of God

        Deuteronomy 29:10 – "All of you are standing today in the presence of Yahweh your God...."

        "The Presence of God" is a mystical phrase that is used today in various ways. There is a popular song from the 2010s called "Your Presence, Lord". It suggests a physical manifestation (a revealing) of God's Spirit, similar to what we read in Acts, chapter 2. The song even longs for this manifestation. The aforementioned verse in Deuteronomy could suggest this same manifestation, or it could suggest a general view of all of us constantly being under the watchful eye of God, which basically means that he is "all around us" without actually existing within created objects.

        As to the former option above, when the Israelites were being reminded of the covenant given at Horeb (in Deut. 29:10), God was still leading the nation through the desert as a cloud by day and as a pillar of fire at night – a physical manifestation of God (who is spirit). Deut. 31:17 is the last reference of this specific manifestation, even though the tabernacle might still have been assembled after the ark of the covenant and the Israelites all crossed the Jordan river into the promised land. I doubt that this manifestation continued, since the Israelites had entered the promised land, notwithstanding the fact that the ark was yet to find a final resting place. This did not happen until David's reign; it was not until Solomon had built the permanent temple that the physical manifestation of God re-appeared where the ark resided.

        Nonetheless, there are several references in the Psalms and in Jeremiah 5:22, where the term "Presence" is used in the general sense that we are always in God's presence. Even though a physical manifestation is currently rare, it is no less important to understand that all of us are under God's watchfulness, in a positive and negative way. God notices when the least sparrow falls unto death, and cares about us infinitely more (Luke 12:7; Matt. 10:29). God also sees every intent of the heart, whether good or bad (Mark 7:21-23). 

       The NIV renders Psalm 89:15 as "....who walk in the light of your presence, O Yahweh."  That phrase is commensurate with how we think of the mystical concept of "presence" today.  Nonetheless, the Hebrew words for this verse are "....they walk in the light of your face..."  This is also a mystical phrase, because God's face is not the sun in the sky.  It is a phrase using a physical concept to describe something otherworldly.  No one ever sees God's face, physically or metaphysically (1 Timothy 6:16), but somehow that metaphysical light is shed upon us; hence, the reason for using the term "presence".  From this verse in Psalm 89, one could also theoretically argue for using the term "shining" instead of "presence".

        It is certainly not wrong to seek a physical manifestation of God's spirit, unless one deems it necessary in order to know(feel) that God's spirit is leading one's life. This  scenario suggests a walk of feelings or sight, instead of a walk of faith, the former being quite far from how God wants us to live (2 Corinthians 5:7). It would be quite difficult to live when hard things enter our lives, if feeling God's presence were necessary. Nonetheless, the book of Acts records several events of God physically changing the meeting environment. I have read of many events throughout history, in which God's spirit was physically manifested. So, it is not out of the question for God to reveal himself in a physical way, when he chooses to do so. However, his "presence" cannot be manufactured by our religious conjuring, which I have seen attempted numerous times throughout my life, and which, no doubt, occurs repeatedly in America's church services. God manifests himself physically when it is in his plan to do so.

         When God reveals himself in a physical way, you will know it. You won't have to guess or wonder. You will know it. In the meantime, let us grow in God's grace and faith, trusting in him, no matter how we feel or what we see, knowing that he is for us and not against us (Romans 8:31).