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The Presence of God: Discovering God's Ways Through Intimacy With Him
Honor, glorify, and love God by learning to dwell in His presence.
R. T. Kendall invites you to discover what it means to be in the presence of God. In this fresh, new look at God’s presence Kendall explores everything from the omnipresence of God to the tangible manifestation of His presence.
You will discover why God might at times withhold a sense of His presence while at other times you might experience an acute sense of awe or reverence of God that drives you to your knees in prayer, leads you into spontaneous worship of Him, or brings about healing and other miracles.
Kendall teaches you how to develop a sensitivity to His presence so your love for Him and relationship with Him will deepen and grow.
R. T. Kendall invites you to discover what it means to be in the presence of God. In this fresh, new look at God’s presence Kendall explores everything from the omnipresence of God to the tangible manifestation of His presence.
You will discover why God might at times withhold a sense of His presence while at other times you might experience an acute sense of awe or reverence of God that drives you to your knees in prayer, leads you into spontaneous worship of Him, or brings about healing and other miracles.
Kendall teaches you how to develop a sensitivity to His presence so your love for Him and relationship with Him will deepen and grow.
- GenresChristian
224 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2017
44 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 28, 2023
Ever since the Fall of Man, the echo of the ages has always been to become more fully aware of and immersed in the Presence of God.
The Psalmist declares,
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"
Even the night shall be light about me;
Brother Lawrence said in the 17th Century:
"Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think."
Even the hymn writer sings as he feels:
Far off, O God, and yet most near,
Unseen, yet shining clear in all,
Thy presence moves, Thy ways appear,
In system's rise and sparrow's fall.
R. T. Kendall belongs in the same class as such notable theologians as Martin Lloyd-Jones and John Stott. Pastor of Westminster Chapel in central London for over 25 years, R. T. originally was part of the Church of the Nazarene denomination before going against family, community, and education in becoming a non-denominational Christian. Over the years, Kendall has authored over 50 books on the Christian faith. Today Pastor Kendall is retired from ministry, but continues to add to his vast collection of many writings as a very astute and knowledgeable man of God.
In The Presence of God: Discovering God’s Ways Through Intimacy With Him, Kendall doesn’t introduce us to the presence of God, he doesn’t give us a five step plan to become more aware of God's presence, and he doesn’t endlessly tell us of how this book will bless us and change our lives. Rather, Kendall doesn’t take center stage at all, but through sound teaching, always points to the Creator and His Word.
Kendall explores, expounds, and equips us in the Presence of God. Exploring God’s multi-dimensional Presence from His Omnipresence to His Abiding Presence and still on to His Manifest Presence. Like a many-faceted diamond looking through a magnifying glass, God’s Presence is a powerful force that His children can connect to in various ways. Whether it be prayer, worship, or as Brother Lawrence said ‘the least remembrance of Him’.
I am a person who struggles to connect with the Almighty. My parents spoke ‘the love of Jesus’ in one breath then abused me in the next. So I have always seen God through those tainted lenses of abuse. But the more I grow older, the more I understand that God is good and His mercies endure forever. In His Presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures at His right hand. The Lord may not have stopped my parents from abusing me cause it would interfere with their free wills, but neither did He condone it. In fact, He may have openly tried to stop it by sending certain people into the right moment at the right time. Or, by sending an encouraging word, a shoulder to cry on, or a true friend to exhort me to continue on, persevere, and endure for many good things will come to those who wait on the Lord! I will never know what happened exactly this side of eternity. My only hope is that twenty, fifty years from now I will still go on a singing:
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee !
The Psalmist declares,
Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"
Even the night shall be light about me;
Brother Lawrence said in the 17th Century:
"Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; the least little remembrance will always be the most pleasing to Him. One need not cry out very loudly; He is nearer to us than we think."
Even the hymn writer sings as he feels:
Far off, O God, and yet most near,
Unseen, yet shining clear in all,
Thy presence moves, Thy ways appear,
In system's rise and sparrow's fall.
R. T. Kendall belongs in the same class as such notable theologians as Martin Lloyd-Jones and John Stott. Pastor of Westminster Chapel in central London for over 25 years, R. T. originally was part of the Church of the Nazarene denomination before going against family, community, and education in becoming a non-denominational Christian. Over the years, Kendall has authored over 50 books on the Christian faith. Today Pastor Kendall is retired from ministry, but continues to add to his vast collection of many writings as a very astute and knowledgeable man of God.
In The Presence of God: Discovering God’s Ways Through Intimacy With Him, Kendall doesn’t introduce us to the presence of God, he doesn’t give us a five step plan to become more aware of God's presence, and he doesn’t endlessly tell us of how this book will bless us and change our lives. Rather, Kendall doesn’t take center stage at all, but through sound teaching, always points to the Creator and His Word.
Kendall explores, expounds, and equips us in the Presence of God. Exploring God’s multi-dimensional Presence from His Omnipresence to His Abiding Presence and still on to His Manifest Presence. Like a many-faceted diamond looking through a magnifying glass, God’s Presence is a powerful force that His children can connect to in various ways. Whether it be prayer, worship, or as Brother Lawrence said ‘the least remembrance of Him’.
I am a person who struggles to connect with the Almighty. My parents spoke ‘the love of Jesus’ in one breath then abused me in the next. So I have always seen God through those tainted lenses of abuse. But the more I grow older, the more I understand that God is good and His mercies endure forever. In His Presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures at His right hand. The Lord may not have stopped my parents from abusing me cause it would interfere with their free wills, but neither did He condone it. In fact, He may have openly tried to stop it by sending certain people into the right moment at the right time. Or, by sending an encouraging word, a shoulder to cry on, or a true friend to exhort me to continue on, persevere, and endure for many good things will come to those who wait on the Lord! I will never know what happened exactly this side of eternity. My only hope is that twenty, fifty years from now I will still go on a singing:
Still all my song shall be
Nearer, my God, to Thee !
May 29, 2023
Kendall begins his book by describing the everywhere presence of God, the matter if you feel it. He also calls this the unconscious presence of God. He calls it the unconscious presence of God because God can be with us and we don’t realize it. This happened to Jacob.
In the second chapter, Kendall describes his doctrinal change from a Nazarene to a Reformed approach. He describes the discipline of the Lord as he learned how to deal with his family rejecting his decision. Even then dry that change, God was with him. He was teaching the author how to graciously on in this new belief system. I actually did not know he changed his doctrinal beliefs.
He writes about God hiding His face from His people. You don’t see that in many books about the presence of God. These are times when we must seek His face and long for Him. But these are times that happened in the Bible. When this happens, we must seek the Lord and His presence even more.
Chapter 4 talks about God’s presence as a holy nudge from the Holy Spirit. These are times when you sense God’s presence and feel He is telling you to do something. God’s presence isn’t just an experience. God moves us in His presence.
In chapter 6, Kendall writes about the integrity God calls us to in His presence. Integrity means to do the godly thing in every situation. God helps us to do this. People experiencing God’s presence live in a way that pleases Him.
Kendall writes about the symbols of God’s presence in chapter 7. This chapter spends a lot of time on the temple and the temple implements. Every part of the temple from the outer courts to the Most Holy Place showed God’s presence with His people. This was one of the most interesting chapters of the book.
In Chapter 8, the author focuses on revivals and how he judged whether it was a revival from God or of the flesh. Most of this happened before he became a Reformed pastor. Chapter 9 goes into the weird things he saw and how God showed him not to judge the weird things so harshly. He said that some of this may be because of the flesh, but that God still be in it.
Chapter 10 includes the book with God’s presence in Heaven. It will be an amazing to be in God’s presence all the time for eternity. He concludes the book with a call for salvation for anyone who does not know Christ.
This was a good book about some of the aspects of God’s presence. However, I thought that many of the chapters focused on things that are connected with God’s presence, but also adding some other parts of Christian theology. I think I was looking for more of a book about experiencing God’s presence. Some of the author’s focus is on things around’s presence, rather than God’s presence alone.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get familiar with God’s presence and some of its aspects. If you need to know what God’s presence is like, this may not be the right book for you. But if you need a basic understanding of God’s presence and its effects, pick up this book and read what Kendall has to say about it.
In the second chapter, Kendall describes his doctrinal change from a Nazarene to a Reformed approach. He describes the discipline of the Lord as he learned how to deal with his family rejecting his decision. Even then dry that change, God was with him. He was teaching the author how to graciously on in this new belief system. I actually did not know he changed his doctrinal beliefs.
He writes about God hiding His face from His people. You don’t see that in many books about the presence of God. These are times when we must seek His face and long for Him. But these are times that happened in the Bible. When this happens, we must seek the Lord and His presence even more.
Chapter 4 talks about God’s presence as a holy nudge from the Holy Spirit. These are times when you sense God’s presence and feel He is telling you to do something. God’s presence isn’t just an experience. God moves us in His presence.
In chapter 6, Kendall writes about the integrity God calls us to in His presence. Integrity means to do the godly thing in every situation. God helps us to do this. People experiencing God’s presence live in a way that pleases Him.
Kendall writes about the symbols of God’s presence in chapter 7. This chapter spends a lot of time on the temple and the temple implements. Every part of the temple from the outer courts to the Most Holy Place showed God’s presence with His people. This was one of the most interesting chapters of the book.
In Chapter 8, the author focuses on revivals and how he judged whether it was a revival from God or of the flesh. Most of this happened before he became a Reformed pastor. Chapter 9 goes into the weird things he saw and how God showed him not to judge the weird things so harshly. He said that some of this may be because of the flesh, but that God still be in it.
Chapter 10 includes the book with God’s presence in Heaven. It will be an amazing to be in God’s presence all the time for eternity. He concludes the book with a call for salvation for anyone who does not know Christ.
This was a good book about some of the aspects of God’s presence. However, I thought that many of the chapters focused on things that are connected with God’s presence, but also adding some other parts of Christian theology. I think I was looking for more of a book about experiencing God’s presence. Some of the author’s focus is on things around’s presence, rather than God’s presence alone.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to get familiar with God’s presence and some of its aspects. If you need to know what God’s presence is like, this may not be the right book for you. But if you need a basic understanding of God’s presence and its effects, pick up this book and read what Kendall has to say about it.
November 21, 2022
R. T Kendall expone una diversidad de temas en este libro que puede resultar muy interesante y útil para algunos. Para otros puede ser una exposición que se queda corta en profundidad respecto a algunos temas.
Soy de los primeros, me fue muy útil, de hecho, voy a releer este libro, debido que hay ideas y experiencias que me gustaría repasar.
Un libro que está lleno de experiencias, lo que podría volverlo muy subjetivo, pero no es así. Utiliza la Escritura para respaldar lo bíblico y lo que no encuentra respaldo en la Escritura, el autor lo expone claramente.
Valoro mucho el hecho de que no tema escribir sobre manifestaciones extrañas, no para criticarlas, sino para intentar explicarlas. No teme decir "yo creí que estaba mal y ahora pienso que esta bien". Esto último le da valor de honestidad al escrito. Entendido que el escritor se ve a sí mismo como un humano que no conoce todo, ni tiene la última palabra.
Lo recomiendo.
Soy de los primeros, me fue muy útil, de hecho, voy a releer este libro, debido que hay ideas y experiencias que me gustaría repasar.
Un libro que está lleno de experiencias, lo que podría volverlo muy subjetivo, pero no es así. Utiliza la Escritura para respaldar lo bíblico y lo que no encuentra respaldo en la Escritura, el autor lo expone claramente.
Valoro mucho el hecho de que no tema escribir sobre manifestaciones extrañas, no para criticarlas, sino para intentar explicarlas. No teme decir "yo creí que estaba mal y ahora pienso que esta bien". Esto último le da valor de honestidad al escrito. Entendido que el escritor se ve a sí mismo como un humano que no conoce todo, ni tiene la última palabra.
Lo recomiendo.
June 18, 2018
Love R.T. But this Book Was Okay
I got the privilege of hearing R.T. Kindall speak. He is phenomenal. A true father of the faith. This book was good but a bit all over the place. Some of it related to the presence of God and some of it had to do with other precepts. None of it was bad but I wish it more directly related to the title of the book. I could be wrong and be at fault for making the connection. It is, however, definitely worth reading.
I got the privilege of hearing R.T. Kindall speak. He is phenomenal. A true father of the faith. This book was good but a bit all over the place. Some of it related to the presence of God and some of it had to do with other precepts. None of it was bad but I wish it more directly related to the title of the book. I could be wrong and be at fault for making the connection. It is, however, definitely worth reading.
May 22, 2018
Worth reading
I am glad I read this although I already knew a lot of what he said.
I did enjoy his personal anecdotes.
I am glad I read this although I already knew a lot of what he said.
I did enjoy his personal anecdotes.
December 10, 2021
It okay and it was his own perception. It had a lot of good ideas.
January 27, 2025
Love this book. Only truth and good to over think the thing that rt kendall. Say i believe the book is good if you want to grow in Faith and understanding God.
April 30, 2021
I like it when the author shares of his own experiences which brings alive the text. I will re-read this book again much more closely. I thought it was well written and thoughtful. I can clearly see how the author has experienced the presence of God and has sought to share those helpful experiences with us.
June 2, 2020
His theology is off doctrinally, but there are some good points made throughout the book. Overall a pretty good book.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews