GOD is with Us
Part 1 – God’s Manifestations
It is a phrase we hear every day in the community of faith, “God is with us” Some people believe it, while many others have doubts. Our proof as believers in written in the scriptures and grounded in our own personal encounters with Yahweh our God. Every true believer can tell you of at least one encounter they have had with God in their lives. Personally, my encounters began as a child and have never stopped, my personal list is long.
To reassure all believers that HE does and HE continues to reveal Himself in physical or symbolic forms, Yahweh our God has given us a long record of HIS manifestations in the scriptures to remind us that HE is an active, present part of our lives. In the very beginning of HIS written Word in the book of Genesis, we read of Yahweh our God’s appearance to mankind in a tangible form because HE walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day. Wow, what an awesome experience! I truly would like to have this kind of encounter one day with Yahweh our God.
We read of HIS holy manifestations throughout the Old and New Testaments. One of the most iconic divine encounters was the parting of the Red Sea for Moses and the Hebrew slaves during the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14:21-22). But even before Moses, Yahweh our God appeared to Abraham as a man and ate food with him. (Genesis 18:1-3 (LEB):
And Yahweh appeared to him[a] by the oaks of Mamre. And he was sitting in the doorway of the tent at the heat of the day. 2 And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near[b] him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground. 3 And he said, “My lord, if I have found favor in your eyes do not pass by your servant. (Genesis 18:1-3 (LEB)
It is clear to me that God has never been bound by form, space, or time like we are as human beings. HE presents Himself however He chooses for His purposes. HE can appear as a burning bush, a pillar of cloud and fire, an angel, and even in human form. HIS presence is also manifested through spiritual gifts, visions, dreams, and various events like the flood or the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (Torah means guidance and teaching for humankind).
Bible scholars believe these holy manifestations can be categorized into appearances in human form, visible form through nature, through the Holy Spirit, and in specific events or actions. God is Spirit and He exists beyond the physical universe and is separate from, and superior to HIS creation. All true but, I say the most important of all manifestations is the physical Messiah Yeshua (Jesus), the Living Word and our Emmanuel, God with Us.
Part 2 – Manifestations in Dreams and Visions
Throughout the Bible, Yahweh our God frequently uses dreams and visions as a means of communication with His people. Pay attention to your dreams! I advise you to write them down diligently like a scribe in the biblical times. Dreams can often be divine encounters and heavenly communications that provide us with revelation, guidance, prophecy, and warnings. I can reference at least 37 scriptures about visions and dreams and there are probably a lot more than those I’ve listed.
We see God revealing mysteries to the prophet Daniel, guidance to Jacob and judgements to Amos. In dreams and visions God sent an angel to announce the conception of Yeshua (Jesus) to Mary and fatherly advice and warnings to Joseph.
Genesis 46:2-3
2 In a vision at night God called to Isra’el, “Ya‘akov! Ya‘akov!” He answered, “Here I am.” 3 He said, “I am God, the God of your father. Don’t be afraid to go down to Egypt. It is there that I will make you into a great nation.
Daniel 2:19 (CJB)
19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision at night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
DREAMS and VISIONS
2. Genesis 15:1
3. Genesis 41:1-7
4. Job 4:13-16
5. Exodus 3:2-3
6. Judges 7:13-15
7. 1 Samuel 3:2-15
8. 2 Samuel 7:4
9. 1 Kings 3:4-15
10. Isaiah 6:1-8
11. Ezekiel 1:4-14
12. Ezekiel 8:2
13. Ezekiel 11:24-25
14. Ezekiel 37:1-10
15. Daniel 2:28
16. Daniel 4:5
17. Daniel 2:19
18. Amos 7:1-9
19. Amos 8:1-6
20. Amos 9:1
21. Zechariah 1:8
22. Zechariah 3:1
23. Zechariah 4:2
24. Zechariah 5:2
25. Zechariah 6:1
26. Matthew 2:12
27. Matthew 2:13
28. Matthew 27:19
29. Acts 9:3
30. Acts 16:9
31. Acts 18:9
32. Acts 22:18
33. Acts 27:23
34. Acts 9:10-11
35. Acts 10:3
36. Acts 10:9-17
37. Revelation 1:12
I had a dream a few years ago about a co-worker name Steve. God spoke to me three nights in a row. HE told me a short message that HE wanted me to deliver to Steve. I hesitated and did not do as I was told after the first dream. The second night God spoke to me again and I realized this was a heavenly communication but still I resisted for fear of being rejected by Steve who was on a higher level of management than me. Finally, the third night, the same dream, but God added a strong sense of urgency that really shook me up. The next morning, I called Steve and asked him to come to my office. When he arrived, I told him about the three dreams, and he began to weep. I was surprised. He said, “You don’t know how bad I need to hear from God right now.” I told him it’s a very simple message; God said, “Tell Steve I love him.” Steve thanked me profusely, weeping he left my office. I found out later that day from a close friend of Steve’s that he had tried to commit suicide during the same time period that God was sending me the messages in the dreams! Pay attention to what God is telling you in your dreams! It could be a matter of life or death.
Part 3 – Next Week: Manifestation in the Holy Spirit