There is a difference between the omnipresence of God and the manifest presence of God. Rom. 12:1 says, "I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." The Message says, "So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around-life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out." He is manifest only when we are aware of His presence, as we surrender to the Spirit of God so He can show us the work of the Father and Son. When we cooperate with Him in loving obedience, God will manifest Himself to us.
Worship is not just an event, it is a lifestyle. In John 15:5 we find these words, "I am the vine, you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing." In the complete awareness of His presence, as we become obedient to Him, living out our worship, His presence becomes manifest. His power becomes very evident around us. Reality is, we must go beyond the event and see evidence of kingdom fruit. Where God's presence is manifest, we will see His power bearing spiritual fruit for His glory. Our public worship is an outcome of our personal/private worship and our obedience to Him in allowing Him to bear fruit in and through our lives. mjm
Questions/Comments: michaelj@fbcrockwalltx.org
