AMEN 2023 Conference: In His Presence

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Adventist Medical Evangelism Network (AMEN)

Morning Devotions: In HIS Presence

Gem Castor

Surrender and Peace in HIS Presence

I have already greeted some of you a wonderful morning.

This is like the extension of our prayer time.

Friends, it is such a joy to be in the presence of people who are hungering for the presence of God.

And when when Johnny was introducing me he said, a man of prayer.

I would like to correct him, a man who really needs a lot of prayer.

So before we continue on with a short devotional this morning, I'd like to invite for those who are able to kneel down, to please kneel down with me for a word of prayer.

Our great God, our dear, loving Heavenly Father, Lord, we praise and we thank you that we could be in your presence.

And Lord, we praise and we thank you that it is your desire to draw nearer and nearer to us.

So Lord, I ask in a very special way that may we not miss out on anything that you desire to give us.

May the anointing power of your Holy Spirit be upon us.

May your name be lifted up, O Lord, and may it be hidden.

May it not be heard nor be seen, but Jesus and Jesus alone be seen be heard the lifted up and exalted this is my desire the Lord may this be our hearts desire we ask this in the loving and precious name of your son Jesus all your children say amen And a little bit of a plug or announcement that tomorrow we'll be doing our prayer time not at 6 a.m.

But at 545 because it seems like we're rushed huh?

And friends, this morning, I'd like to share with you, I was thinking what to share, and this thought hit me, like, Can you imagine really being in the presence of Jesus when He was here on earth?

Can you imagine what it feels like, how His voice sounds like, how His demeanor?

And friends, I praise God for the inspired writings.

I really praise God for the Desire of Ages.

Aside from the Bible, Desire of Ages is 1 of my favorite books, if not my favorite book.

So it says here, Desire of Ages, page 254, paragraph 4, it says, His tender compassion fell with a touch of healing upon weary and troubled hearts.

Even amid a turbulence of angry enemies, he was surrounded with an atmosphere of peace.

And I'm thinking, if I have that, my dear friends, especially in the time that we're living in right now, that is a powerful weapon to have.

And we even lose our peace without enemies.

Listen to this friends, the beauty of His countenance, the loveliness of His character, above all, the love expressed in look and tone, drew to Him all who were not hardened in unbelief, had it not been for the sweet sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word.

Friends, sympathetic spirit that shone out in every look and word.

This is the beautiful thing that you experience in the presence of Jesus.

He would not have attracted the large congregation that he did.

The afflicted ones who came to him felt that he linked his interest with theirs as a faithful tender friend and they desire to know more of the truths he taught.

Friends, I hope and I pray that this will be our experience as well as we draw closer to his to his presence that when we go back home that people will have the same testimony as they have of Jesus.

Listen friends, and they long to abide in his presence.

Have you wondered friends how Jesus was always surrounded by people who doesn't want to let go of his presence is because of this.

And listen friends, that the comfort of his love might be with them continually.

And friends, as I'm reading this, this is something that hit me, and this is what the Lord desires for us to experience.

The continuation of this loving presence to abide with us.

And as much as the people desire to abide with him, the Lord's desire is stronger to abide with us.

And so when I look at all these blessings that comes from the presence of God, I'm thinking what is the secret of Jesus?

And so I was reading this article from Desire of Ages and I see that Jesus has 1 particular secret and why he has this strength, why he has this peace even in the midst of turbulence, even in the midst of enemies objecting him.

If you have your Bibles with you, please open it with me in John 6 verse 38.

1 simple thing, 1 aim that Jesus had in his life.

I have not heard an Amen so it means to say that you're still looking.

John 6 verse 38 it says, For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him who sent me." That was the absorbing thing in Jesus' life.

Not to do His own thing, but to do the will of Him who sent me.

Listen to this, I came down from heaven to do what God wants, not what I want.

And here I see the secret, my dear friends, of Christ's peace, of Christ's strength, even in the midst of all this chaos around him because he's not here for him he's here for God can we say the same thing and friends the signs of the times October 29 1894 it says here the 1 absorbing aim of the life of Christ was to do the will of his heavenly father.

The 1 absorbing aim of the life of Christ was to do the will of His Father.

And I'm thinking, what is the thing that absorbs me?

What is the thing that somehow consumes me?

Jesus is only 1 thing, and that is to do the will of His Father.

Some people ask me, Jen, do you always have to ask for God's will in everything?

How about things that you already know what to do?

1 thing that I've learned, I've been involved in the prayer ministry by the way friends for the past 13 years I'm a teen now 13 years and 1 thing that somehow and I learned over and over again that without God I am nothing and without God I would not even know how to pray.

And people might think, like, oh Jen, you are the prayer leader.

And this is 1 thing that I learned, friends, if God is not leading even in my prayers, I would be praying things that would not even make sense.

And that question, do you have to seek God, God's will, all the time?

And friends, when in our lives are we desperately seeking His will?

When it seems like we don't know what to do, then we seek Him with all of our hearts.

And I love this time that people always ask me, Brother Jen, can you lead us into prayer?

Can you lead us in our prayer and fasting?

And they will call me up and I'm thinking oh lord I pray that every day is a medical board exam and it's not just them who prays even their parents are fasting and praying.

Friends we only seek God when it seems like we need Him desperately.

But friends, I tell you, if we do not practice seeking Him in simple things, then we will not somehow be comfortable or be at peace seeking his presence, seeking his will in big things.

Friends, it needs to be a habit until it becomes a lifestyle.

I love this quote here from Science of the Times.

It says, those who have sanctified, who have a sanctified will, or shall I say, those who have a surrendered will that is in unison with the will of Christ, will day by day have their wills bound to the will of Christ.

Day by day, their wills will be bound to whom?

To the will of Christ and that is my desire.

And so here I see that God is testing us in these little things that he's placing in front of us.

Is Jen gonna ask for my leading and my guidance?

And friends, John 4 verse 34, another declaration of Jesus here.

Remember that scene of the woman at the well?

When the disciples went to the city and looked for bread.

You know the Filipinos could not relate to this because bread for us is snacks.

And the disciple asked Jesus, so have you eaten?

Healing and Joy in HIS Presence

Our great God, our dear loving Heavenly Father, Lord, we give You praise and we give You thanks and we desire, Lord, to lift up our voices to You, to greet You a happy Sabbath, dear Father.

And Lord, as we worship here this morning, I'd just like to remember our brothers and sisters in Israel and Palestine who are experiencing a different Sabbath, O Lord.

But dear Father, I ask in a very special way that even in the midst of this troubled world, dear Father, I pray that they may sense the closeness of your presence.

So Lord I ask in a very special way that may the anointing power of your Holy Spirit be upon us and help us Lord to appreciate the freedom that we have right now and help us Lord to draw nearer to you in the times of peace, in the times of war, in the times of difficulty, we will know for a fact, O Lord, that your presence is with us, that your promise is sure and true, that you will never leave us nor forsake us.

Again, Dear Father, we pray for the anointing power of your Holy Spirit upon us.

Hide me, Lord, behind your cross, that I may not be seen or be heard, but Jesus and Jesus alone be seen, be heard, be lifted up, and exalted.

We ask all this in the loving and precious name of your Son Jesus, all your children say Amen.

Friends, aren't you glad that Jesus set a wonderful, beautiful, powerful example for us to follow?

Your amen sounds so sleepy, I know it's too early.

Friends, the theme verse for this conference, this is 1 of my favorite verses, Psalm 16 verse 11.

Even my prayer partner is nodding his head.

And I know most of you, this is your favorite verse.

You will show me the path of life in your presence is what?

And at your right hand, there are pleasures forevermore.

If we just take this to heart, what will be our experience?

Because I have not seen anyone, I have not known or read anyone who ever graced this planet that has been attacked, assailed, tormented by the enemy as much as Jesus was.

Friends, Even what is happening in Israel right now, in Palestine, compare that to what Jesus has gone through.

But have you ever wondered, remember the first quotes that I read to you yesterday, the description of what it is to be like in the presence of Jesus.

Can you imagine, friends, He was assailed, attacked, tormented, He was pushed down by the enemy, and He has this description when you linger around Him.

Friends, He has the atmosphere of peace even in the midst of all these trials.

And I'm thinking, most of us are even having difficulty sleeping, even in the midst of peace.

And I praise God, friends, that the Lord has given me 1 of the gifts, even the gift of public sleeping.

Listen, friends, He has this loveliness and love is expressed in His words, in His character.

I don't know about you, friends, but I would have a hard time expressing love in my voice and my character if I'm constantly being oppressed by the enemy.

And friends, he has this sweet sympathetic spirit.

Sometimes we forget to be sympathetic when we ourselves are suffering, being crushed down.

And friends, just imagine this, this last line yesterday in this first paragraph that I read, and the people long to abide in His presence, that the comfort of His love might be with them continually.

Friends, can people say the same thing about us?

And friends, let me bring to you a little picture of what Christ has gone through.

Listen friends, this is from Dezarab, A.J.

It says here, When Jesus came into the world, Satan's power was turned against Him.

From the time He appeared as a babe in Bethlehem.

The usurper worked to bring about his destruction.

From the time that he was a babe, The Lord brought him to this world.

And friends, the enemy doesn't want him to exist.

Listen friends, in every possible way he sought to prevent Jesus from developing a perfect childhood, a faultless manhood, a holy ministry, an unblemished sacrifice.

And friends, this is what Heaven witnessed.

Heaven beheld the victim betrayed into the hands of the murderous mob, and with mockery and violence hurried from 1 tribunal to another.

It heard the sneers of his persecutors because of His lowly birth.

It heard a denial with cursing and swearing by 1 of His best-loved disciples.

I saw the frenzied, it saw, heaven saw, the frenzied work of Satan and his power over the hearts of men.

The Savior ceased at midnight in Gethsemane, dragged, towed, and throw from palace to judgment hall, arraigned twice before the priests, twice before the Sanhedrin, twice before Pilate, and once before Herod, mocked, scorched, condemned, and led out to be crucified, bearing the heavy burden of the cross, amid the wailing of the daughters of Jerusalem, and the jeering of the rabble." Friends, I don't know about you, But just the first lines, I don't know if I'll be able to survive that.

I don't know if I'll be able to keep my cool.

Heaven viewed with grief and amazement, Christ hanging upon the cross, blood flowing from his wounded temples, and sweat tinged with blood standing upon his brow.

From his hands and feet blood fell, drop by drop, upon the rock drilled for the foot of the cross, the wounds made by the nails gaped as the weight of His body dragged upon His hands.

His labored breath grew quick and deep, and His soul panted under the burden of the sins of the world.

And all heaven was filled with wonder when the prayer of Christ was offered in the midst of this terrible suffering.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Friends, I don't know if I'll be able to pray this prayer.

I think my prayer would be, I'm just being honest with you here, Lord please avenge your servant.

Lord, This is the time right now that we should do something.

I don't know if I have something in me that will pray, Lord, please forgive those people who are doing this to me.

Yet, there stood man formed in the image of God, joining to crush out the life of His only begotten Son.

And now being mocked, derided, scourged, and they want to put out the life of the 1 who gave his life for them.

But can you imagine, friends, can you just imagine what Jesus was experiencing, what Jesus was feeling?

Sometimes we could empathize on what people are going through, But no 1 could explain it better than the ones who are going through this.

But friends, get this, this really blew my mind, friends, because of all the things that I have just given you a picture of, the heaviness, the pain, the sorrow, all these attacks, this was not the thing that has given Christ the greatest sorrow.

Listen friends, as the Father's presence was withdrawn, they saw Him sorrowful, with a bitterness of sorrow exceeding that of the last great struggle with death.

It was the withdrawal from the presence of His Father.

The greatest anxiety of Jesus was not that they'll nail Him to the cross, is not that they will mock Him, whip Him, and put him to shame.

It was the withdrawal of the presence of his Father.

Friends, and here I see in this, I will not say Now secret, this is like a clue, a very obvious clue that Jesus is giving his people to show us how to go through this life in the midst of all the trials and troubles, is to be desiring the presence of His Heavenly Father.

Friends, this is the reason why that He is being assailed, attacked, derided, pushed down and yet He could bless people and yet He could sympathize and yet He could see love in His face, in His voice you could hear sympathy.

And Lord, friends, you know what, I love the theme of our conference right now, of our convention in His presence.

Power and Victory in HIS Presence

And friends, you know, 1 thing that I'm not really comfortable about is when I'm being introduced.

And I praise God that the backstage, everything is a little bit mumbled.

So I could not hear what, I could not decipher what our brother just shared a while ago.

But I praise God for whatever positive things that he has talked about me because without God it would not have been possible.

Without God we are nothing, I am nothing.

And friends this is 1 thing that I that I somehow could not even wrap my mind around because I don't even know why I'm here.

I told you I'm not a pastor, I'm a caster.

And I, and this is a convention of medical professionals.

And I remember when I, when I was being asked to, to complete the, the form in Pathways to Health, and there was this 1 line that says medical background and I'm thinking the only medical background that I had and I wrote it patient that's it so seriously friends is only by the grace of God I'm here standing in front of you right now so all praises be to God and listening to the messages that has been given since the first night until yesterday, it's just amazing, overflowing to my heart.

And I was asking, Lord, what would you have me share?

What would you have me share this morning?

And friends, it's not important what I want to share, it's important what God desires to share to us.

I know friends that my brother Johnny already prayed but I could not go on sharing what the Lord wants me to share with you if I will not ask you to pray with me so please join me again friends.

Our great God, our dear loving Heavenly Father, Lord, thank you that your promise is indeed sure and true that in your presence, Lord, is fullness of joy.

May Father, I ask in a very special way that may you continue to open our eyes, take away the scales and remove all the lies of the enemy.

Help us Lord to understand and help us to know that there's no other joy in this world.

It's not found anywhere else but only in Your presence.

So Lord I ask that may the anointing power of Your Holy Spirit be upon us today.

Speak Your words Lord I ask, in the loving and precious name of Your Son Jesus, all Your children say, Amen.

Friends, I was so blessed by our Sabbath School discussion yesterday.

So if you open your Bibles with me, join me, friends, join me.

Let's go back again to that chapter that we have been studying this week, Psalm chapter 16, and let's start verse 5, and I'll pick some verses there until we go to verse 11.

It says, O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance, my cup.

As most of you know, I did not even graduate a theology student, and even studying the Bible, it takes a lot for me.

And English is not my first language, friends.

And so all these little disadvantages that I see is actually an advantage, friends, because it gives us a need to ask for the Holy Spirit's leading.

So we can have no excuses my dear friends because in every disadvantage that we have is actually an opportunity for us to see our need of Him, our desperate need of Him.

So friends I was reading this morning and I love comparing other versions and I love using, it's not a promotion, they're not paying me e-sword, but you could parallel the other verses, the other translations and I like the other translations.

NLT it says, my cup of blessing, just imagine, he considers God as his cup of blessing.

My cup of blessing, you guard all that is mine.

Friends, if God is guarding all that is yours, what is there to worry?

And I tell you this, God will guard those things that you place in His hands.

The Living Bible, it says, My price, wow, My price.

God is My food, My drink, My highest joy.

I don't know about you friends, but that gave the biggest smile on my face.

I was blessed the Lord who has given me counsel.

My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

Friends, I looked at Easy Read version, listen to this.

I praise the Lord because He taught me well.

Even at night, He put His instructions deep inside my heart.

Friends, this is 1 thing that I learned about God.

Learning with God doesn't stop only in the day session.

And Francis is 1 amazing thing because I felt a little bit pressured and thinking and I was looking at the program thinking, oh there's no message after me.

I'm thinking, Lord this is such a huge burden that you have placed on my little shoulders.

And then So this morning I switched my alarm at 2am.

Friends, you know what time the Lord woke me up?

And I just stayed in the presence of God.

Remember friends, the answer is in His presence, amen?

Lord, I have a lot of things that I prepared and by the way friends, this is 1 of my biggest pet peeves, or not, I did not say pet peeve, but things that gave me anxiety.

When organizers ask me for titles in advance.

Because I have learned, friends, I have learned that it's not what important what I want to share.

I have a lot of things that I want to share, but God's message is the most important thing.

Not my message, friends, not even the experience that I want to share with you, not unless the Lord says to me, do so.

And so friends, I was waking up this morning, there's still a little bit of pressure, of tense tension in my shoulders, even in my little fingers.

So I knelt down and I said, Lord, what would you have me share?

And the Lord just asked me, I think that you have to rephrase your question.

And I said, Lord, please pray your prayers to my heart.

And the Lord convicted me to pray, what would you have me do?

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Morning Devotions: In HIS Presence

Healing and Joy in HIS Presence

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Surrender and Peace in HIS Presence

32m

Healing and Joy in HIS Presence

37m

Power and Victory in HIS Presence

39m

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