After coming back from our EthnosEmmanuel camp, I was reminded on the names of God that we have learned this year.

- Jehovah Shammah is the Lord who is there and is omnipresent. God will be here when we seek Him and is accessible to us.

- Jehovah Shalom is the Lord who is peace. Jesus gives us peace with God and with men. He fills us with his perfect love that brings completeness.

- Jehovah Jireh is the Lord who will see. He provides for the need that He sees. He is our provider and our greatest provision.

- Jehovah Mekaddishkem is our Lord who sanctifies us God sets us apart, washes away our sins. We need God’s grace to live sanctified lives.

- Jehovah Nissi is the Lord is my banner. Don’t give up. God leads in truimphal procession. He gives us victory against our flesh, the devil, our enemies.

TRUST in the Name of our Lord. His name is dependable. Jesus is our good shepherd-Jehovah Rohi. He is there. He sees. His staff comforts us and brings us peace. He provides for us. He cleans us and sets us apart. He protects us from our enemies. What a wonderful God we have!

Ps Serene’s Tribe (Katherine)

1.      The Chronological Study on the Presence of God 

a.   The Presence of God intended

Genesis 2 …the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being… The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it… 

b.   The Presence of God departed

Genesis 3 … Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden… After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. 

c.   The Presence of God through incarnation

Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” –which means, “God with us.” 

d.   The Presence of God dwelling

John 1:14a The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. 

e.   The Presence of God indwelling

John 16:7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.1 Cor 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 

f.   The Presence of God in Second Coming of Christ

Ezekiel 48:35b “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE (Jehovah-Shammah).” 

2.      The Ezekiel’s Study on the Presence of God 

a.   The Leaders drove away His Presence

Ezekiel 8 … “Son of man, do you see what they are doing–the utterly detestable things the house of  Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? … So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the house of  Israel. In front of them stood seventy elders of the house of
Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of  Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’”…Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz… He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east. 

b.   The People drove away His Presence

Ezekiel 22 … defiles herself by making idols…  See how each of the princes of  Israel who are in you uses his power to shed blood. In you they have treated father and mother with contempt; in you they have oppressed the alien and mistreated the fatherless and the widow. You have despised my holy things and desecrated my Sabbaths. In you are slanderous men bent on shedding blood; in you are those who eat at the mountain shrines and commit lewd acts. In you are those who dishonor their fathers’ bed; in you are those who violate women during their period, when they are ceremonially unclean. In you one man commits a detestable offense with his neighbor’s wife, another shamefully defiles his daughter-in-law, and another violates his sister, his own father’s daughter. In you men accept bribes to shed blood; you take usury and excessive interest and make unjust gain from your neighbors by extortion. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign LORD… There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’–when the LORD has not spoken. The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. 

c.   Breathing in His Presence

Ezekiel 37:1-14 … in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones… and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry…  Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’” So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet–a vast army. Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of  Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of  Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’” 

d.   Overpowered by His Presence

Ezekiel 47:1-5 The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east)… As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in–a river that no one could cross. 

e.   Living Eternally in His Presence

Ezekiel 48:35b “And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE (Jehovah-Shammah).” 

3.      The Ethnos-Emmanuel Response to the Presence of God 

a.   Do not drive away His Presence

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

b.   Know where the Wind is

John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Ps 46:10a Be still, and know that I am God

Ps 139:7-10 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

Acts 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 

c.   Breathing in the Wind

John 20:20-22 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord…  And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

1.      The Biblical Understanding on Jehovah Nissi

Exodus 17:

8  The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

9  Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

10  So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11  As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.12  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up–one on one side, one on the other–so that his hands remained steady till sunset.

13  So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.

14  Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

15  Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner.

16  He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the LORD. The LORD will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.” 

a. The descendants of “Taking God’s Blessing lightly”

    v8a  The Amalekites came

    Amalekites = the descendants of Amalek

    Amalek = the grandson of Esau who despised the Blessing of the firstborn

    Genesis 36:12  Esau’s son Eliphaz also had a concubine named Timna, who bore him Amalek. 

b. The enemies attacked the Israelites when they were resting

    v8b attacked the Israelites at Rephidim

    Rephidim = Rests 

c. The 2-prong strategy of winning

    v9a  Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill

    Joshua in ground operation and Moses in air operation 

d. God’s covering was held with the highest regards

    v9b with the staff of God in my hands 

e. Extreme diligence in obeying leader’s instruction

    v10a  So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered 

f. Dependence on God is the ultimate key to winning

    v11  As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 

g. Creativity and ground adjustment was needed

    12a  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.

h. Support for one another in the team is essential

    v12b Aaron and Hur held his hands up–one on one side, one on the other 

i. The operation calls for great perseverance

    v12c his hands remained steady till sunset.

j. Victory is ours to claim

    v13  So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 

k. Remember Jehovah Nissi

    v15  Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. 

2.      The Ethnos-Emmanuel Response to Jehovah Nissi 

a.   The descendants of “Taking God’s Blessing lightly”

    Do not underestimate what our blessing can do to the community. Believe that many lives will be changed and touched by God as we do acts of kindness coupled with our prayer blessing. 

b. The enemies attacked the Israelites when they were resting

    If we stay idle and do nothing, the enemy will continue to advance. So stand up and be counted. 

c. The 2-prong strategy of winning

    We need both to plan a ground operation for the 100K blessing and an intensive 40-day fasting and prayer. 

d. God’s covering was held with the highest regards

    Know that the Presence, Power and Protection of God are important. 

e. Extreme diligence in obeying leader’s instruction

    Warriors of Light must be ready to move together. Uncertainty and disobedience will result in failure and defeated. 

f. Dependence on God is the ultimate key to winning

    Always realign the Warriors of Light to draw strength from God in the midst of the intense ground operation. 

g. Creativity and ground adjustment was needed

    Warriors of Light must be empowered to take initiative and ownership. 

h. Support for one another in the team is essential

    Warriors of Light must lay down their pride and preferences for the sake of the bigger body. 

i. The operation calls for great perseverance

    Warriors of Light must not give up half way. Everyone must complete the process together. 

j. Victory is ours to claim

    Always give thanks to God because He always leads us into triumphant procession. 

k. Remember Jehovah Nissi

    Decide today to build an altar that names ‘The LORD is my Banner’.