How to Reign in His Presence!
Through FAITH and Grace!
By Riqui Ricón*
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
(4) The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. (5) They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior. (6) Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob. (Psalm 24:3-6, NIV)
All these requirements for you to live in the Presence of the Lord are fully covered through the New Covenant in the Blood of Jesus. Your New Birth as an authentic and legitimate Child of God grants you the legal and moral standing (Identity) to be in and enjoy the Presence of your heavenly Father.
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. (2) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3, KJV)
To fully enjoy God's Presence, you must understand (and above all BELIEVE) that it doesn't matter whether or not you feel like you have clean hands and a pure heart, because according to God's Word, you are now in Christ Jesus and the old man or woman you used to be is dead.
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20, KJV)
The old man or woman you used to be was nailed to the cross of Calvary.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT)
So, the requirements of clean hands and purity of heart to enjoy God's Presence DO apply to you, because—doubt no more—you are a New Creation; you are an authentic and legitimate Child of God. You were Born Again!
So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. (7) For we live by believing and not by seeing. (2 Corinthians 5:6-7, NLT)
Always remember that now, as a Born Again Child of God, you no longer live by what you see or feel about yourself but by FAITH, believing God—believing His Word!
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:8, NIV)
Nothing you did, do, or could do is relevant here; rather, it is because of what Jesus did for you that you have the full right to receive a clean heart and live a life full of joy, having full communion with God, your Father.
For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. (1 Peter 1:23, NLT)
According to what the Bible says—the Word of God that does not lie—you were born again of the incorruptible seed which is the Word of God, which lives and remains forever!
At this point, you might likely argue with me: "But, but, Riqui, I can't be this person you're talking about, because I just committed a sin and I'm not clean..."
My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. (2) He himself is the sacrifice that atoned for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. (1 John 2:1-2, NLT)
First, you have to understand once and for all that justice (getting what you deserve) and the Grace of God (NOT getting what you deserve, but something infinitely better) have NOTHING to do with you. They didn't reach you because
of something you did, are doing, or might do in the future. God's Justice and Grace are upon you solely, and exclusively, because of what Christ Jesus did out of Love for you, by dying on the cross paying for ALL your sins and by rising again, defeating sin and death, to make you an heir of Eternal Life: An authentic and legitimate Child of God!
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:16-17, KJV)
God loves you so much that He preferred to give up His own Son, Jesus, rather than lose you!
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, KJV)
His Love for you is so great and wonderful that, through Christ Jesus, He also provided forgiveness and cleansing for your sins today.
A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18, NIV)
Pay attention to how the Jews aspired to inherit Eternal Life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:17, KJV)
To inherit Eternal Life (an exclusive attribute of God), first you must be saved; that is, you must be justified by God Himself through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. In this way, and only in this way, do you acquire Eternal Life and with it your Identity as a Born Again Child of God.
Then, and only then, material things cease to be relevant, because you are spirit and now you belong to heaven and never again to this world.
When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.
(21) What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! (22) But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life. (23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:20-23, NIV)
Now, as a Born Again Child of God, you are eternal to live and enjoy the Presence of your heavenly Father.
In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.
(Proverbs 12:28, KJV)
Because of what Jesus did by dying and rising for you, you have been declared righteous by God, and sin and death no longer have any claim on you.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (20) The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, (21) so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:19-21, NIV)
It is time for you to reign in the Presence of God through His Grace.
Let’s pray out loud:
Beloved heavenly Father, how beautiful it is to know I am so loved by You. Thank You for such a great and vast Love! Truly, I am very grateful. Thank You because I have clean hands and a pure heart. Thank You for making me Your Child. Thank You because despite my circumstances, You increase my days and add years to my life. Lord Jesus, through Your sacrifice of Love, through Your precious Blood shed to the last drop, I have now passed from death to life and You have transferred me from darkness into Your marvelous Light! I can live in Your Presence the Life You bought for me! Eternal Life! So, in every problem, illness, or affliction, I, (your name here), am more than a conqueror, for I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me, and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I WILL FEAR no evil because You, Jesus, are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and in Your house, O Lord, in Your Presence, I will dwell for
all Eternity. I am healed! I am free! I am prosperous! I am joyful! I am a Born Again Child of God! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Important Note:
How do I become a Child of God? How do I establish a relationship with the Almighty?
Just say the following prayer aloud, putting all your attention and heart into what you are saying to God:
Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the Son of God. That You came into this world, born of the virgin Mary, to pay for all my sins, and I have been a sinner. Therefore, today I say that I accept. I accept Your sacrifice on the cross! I accept Your precious Blood shed to the last drop out of love for me! I open my heart to You and invite You in because I want, Lord Jesus, that from today and forever You be my only and sufficient Savior, my God, my King, and my Lord.
Thank You, Almighty God, because with this simple prayer and profession of faith I have passed from death to Life, I have been transferred from darkness to Your marvelous Light. Today I have been Born Again! God, now I am Your Child! Now You are my Father! I will never be alone again! I will never live defeated again. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Three Recommendations:
What just happened by you recognizing Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life, according to God's Word, is that you have been Born Again. No longer as an ordinary human being, subject to the law of sin and death, but now as a legitimate and authentic Child of God, Born Again, exactly like Jesus Christ, who is now your Older Brother. Therefore, I give you these three, very important, recommendations:
1. Pray. Praying is talking with God. So, find a quiet place where you can begin talking to Him about everything. Do it out loud, and you will notice how God always responds to your heart.
2. Read and meditate on the Word of God. The Bible is the Word of God, so get a Bible and start reading and meditating on it. How do you begin? It’s very simple. Depending on the day, look up the reading program “The
Bible in One Year” and do the corresponding readings. You can get this program at: Through The Bible In One Year (palabradehonor.org). You will notice that the program is set up so you can print it as a booklet.
3. In prayer with God, your Father, look for and join a Christian church or congregation where the Word of God is taught based on the Good News, which are the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ricardo C. Peredo Jaime © 2020
Reading and Meditation on the Word of God
Do these daily readings, and by the end of one year you will have read the entire Bible.
January 24 Luke 18.18-43 / Genesis 31 / Psalm 24 Luke
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.
21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.
22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.
24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.
28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee.
29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake,
30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished.
32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on:
33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.
34 And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
Genesis
31 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.
2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.
36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day.
Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:
52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
Psalm
24 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob.
Selah.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
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