CCF International Church

PERSPECTIVE – PS PAULO FONSECA CAPV

Genesis 1

We can see the presence of God from the beginning of Creation. He created everything through His word, and so it was done. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

The Manifest Presence of God in the life of Noah. God did not choose Noah randomly. He knows who He can count on to accomplish His purposes, people who walk with Him, hear His voice, and obey. In this season, God is not looking for people with skills, talents, renowned theologians, etc. God seeks true worshippers who love Him in spirit and in truth.

Noah was chosen from within a corrupt generation because, like Enoch, he walked with God, and God’s presence was manifest in his life. His first act after the flood was to offer sacrifices, which the Lord received as a sweet aroma in his nostrils. The Lord made a promise and a covenant with him. Prayer and sacrifice activate God’s purposes in our lives.

The Calling of Abraham (Genesis 12:1-7)

Like Noah, Abraham’s calling came with promises and many challenges. The manifest presence of God in our lives leads us to overcome unimaginable challenges.

God touched Abraham’s heart; at that moment, a covenant was made heart to heart. Before asking Abraham to carry out His work through his hands, God would do it.

The presence of God in our lives will not deliver us from problems, but it will allow difficulties to come so that we may overcome them and, through our victory, glorify the name of the Lord.

The Sacrifice of Isaac. He said to his Father: Father, I am selling the altar, the wood 🪵 and the 🪓 axe. Where is the sacrifice? The sacrifice is you. You yourself who are reading this text.

In this season, the sacrifice is us. Paul tells us: I urge you, brothers and sisters, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Just as it was in the lives of Daniel, Mishael, Shadrach, and Abednego. They all triumphed even when involved without problems.

Daniel 3. We all know what happened to Daniel’s three friends and also to Daniel himself.

The manifestation of God’s presence in the lives of the four servants of the Lord caused King Nebuchadnezzar to exalt the name of the Lord.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, who envied his angels and delivered his servants who trusted in him, for they did not want to obey the king’s word. Preferring to give his body rather than serve and worship any other God but his own God.

Daniel distinguished himself among the presidents and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him (Daniel 6:3)

Even after the king’s decree, Daniel remained firm in his purpose to pray three times a day because he knew that being in God’s presence in sacrifices, prayers, and obedience would attract God’s presence into his life and deliver him from any and all situations.
The lions’ den was just another process for the glorification of the Lord’s name in his life.

Daniel: Your God, whom you continually serve, may he deliver you.

vs 18. Then the king appeared at his palace, spent the night fasting until the king entered into the process for Daniel’s life.

20. Daniel, servant of the living God, has He delivered you from the lions’ mouth?
    My God envied an angel and shut the mouths of the lions because innocence was found in me before Him and because I believed in Him.
21. May peace be multiplied to you!
22. I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom, MEN TREMBLE AND FEAR BEFORE THE GOD OF DANIEL, BECAUSE HE IS THE LIVING GOD AND HE ENDURES FOREVER; HIS KINGDOM WILL NOT BE DESTROYED, AND HIS DOMINION WILL HAVE NO END. HE DELIVERS AND SAVES AND PERFORMS SIGNS AND WONDERS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH. IT WAS HE WHO DELIVERED DANIEL FROM THE POWER OF THE LIONS. The king surrendered to the greatness of God and was able to verify the presence of God manifested in his life and the lives of his friends.

The Bible says in the books of Hebrews and Romans.

Romans 8:19 The creation itself eagerly awaits the revealing of the sons of God.

Hebrews 12:1 For we are also surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.

The manifestation of God’s presence in our lives will cause people to be drawn to God. Grace and Peace

Notes extracted from the book “Rest in the Day of Perils” –  Dr S.Y. Govender

Joshua 6:20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Without the Ark (Presence of God), such a victory would not have occurred.

The enemies in Canaan:

Joshua 3:10 And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites

Victory over these enemies was proof that God was with Israel

Over Dagon

1 Samuel 5:4 And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the LORD. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it.

Over Satan

1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Goliath

1 Samuel 17:46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

David defeated Goliath to show that God was in Israel

The Ark of God represents the Presence of God

Joshua 6:6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.” 7 And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.”

8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”

There was clear order in the battle formation that was in accordance with the explicit instructions of the Lord.

First   –   The armed men  (Natural) Second – The seven priests (Spiritual) Third – The Ark of God Fourth – Rear guard and the people

Our victory against our enemies is a collaboration between the Lord and ourselves. 

The items in the Ark are key to our victory over our enemies.

The Stone Tablets (God’s Law) God promised Joshua and His people good success if they were faithful and obedient to all the instructions in the Word of the Lord 

Joshua 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

The Word of the Lord during the leadership season of Moses does not change in the leadership season of Joshua. The Lord  explicitly forbids any distractions (do not turn from the Word of God either to the left or right)

PRESENT DAY APPLICATION The Ark is now constituted within the believer. The Holy Spirit dwelling in believers; the Word of God written on the tablets of our hearts indicate a desire for Divine wisdom,  and spiritual Intelligence; the Holy Spirit bringing to us the proceeding Word (symbolised by the manna) that the Holy Spirit hears (John 16:13) and guiding us into all truth. 

The rod of Aaron is a powerful symbol of God’s leadership represented by the seven priests who would go before the Ark (Joshua 6:8); in this present day this represents not only the leader of the household (spiritual father/set man) but also refers to the priesthood of all believers ,in whom the elements in the Ark are formed and incarnated.

This is the spiritual weaponry of believers that are mighty in God. Our weapons are not carnal.