The Manifested Presence of God
ICS Daily Devotions

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NKJV) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

There are two kinds of God’s presence: the omnipresence of God and the manifested presence of God. God is omnipresent. Therefore, He is present wherever we are. In addition, there can be a strong or manifested presence of God in our midst. When we minister to Him, He will minister to us because God created us to have fellowship with Him.

The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our hearts after being saved. However, while God was present with the people in the Old Testament through the pillar of cloud, pillar of fire, and His glorious presence, in the New Testament, the Bible also talks about the manifestation of the Spirit where God chooses to minister to His people through the different gifts of the Holy Spirit. The manifestation of the Spirit is God’s presence in the local church. It is much easier for God to touch a person’s heart than for us to speak a thousand words to them!

Therefore, the manifestation of the Spirit can appear when we enter into His presence through worship and the teaching or preaching of the Word. It can happen during cell groups, church seminars, church camps, church services, or whenever two or three are gathered in His name (Matthew 18:20). We should view the presence and the manifestation of the Spirit as a norm rather than an exceptional case or something that only happened historically, and be conscious in our minds and hearts that we can encounter Him whenever we meet with Him daily and as a corporate body of believers.

Exodus 33:11b (NKJV) but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

When the pillar of cloud came to the tabernacle of meeting, Joshua enjoyed the presence of heaven where God dwells and the close encounter with God so much that he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Joshua was eventually appointed a leader to lead the people into the Promised Land. One reason why God chose Joshua is his longing to fellowship with God. Joshua’s knowledge of God and His very different spirit of faith in God was established when he had the privilege of encountering God and dwelling in His presence.

We can also have a close encounter when we spend time with God alone and as a corporate body. Expect a close encounter with God during the praise and worship and the preaching of the Word every Sunday. We ought to enjoy and desire being in God’s presence because many of our challenges can be resolved in His presence. He will speak to us and show us the solution. God’s presence, also referred to as the anointing, can break the yoke and remove burdens in our lives. He can heal sicknesses and illnesses, and miracles can happen when God is in our midst.

Sermon Series：The Presence of God