Address—R. Reeves
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241 Savior through the desert, lead us.
Without thee.
We have 241.
Hear us.
I have a number of pictures that.
I'd like to share with you this afternoon.
And the subject that I have at my heart to share is.
The presence of the Lord Jesus.
Projects of the Lord Jesus.
Now the person Scripture.
You will notice is in John's Gospel, chapter one.
John's Gospel, Chapter One.
And verse one.
John 11 In the beginning was the word.
And the Word was with God.
And the word was fraud.
The same was in the beginning with.
God, we're introduced here to a glorious person who's called the Word.
And we learned later in this chapter that.
The Word became flesh.
From the Lord Jesus came into this world and became a man. The work became flesh.
But in these two verses that we read, we find that he is a divine person.
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And it says the Word was with God.
God with God.
What did they do together?
God with God.
Was there a fellowship of those divine members of the Trinity?
Was there a fellowship with Lincoln?
Yes, there was. When did it begin? It had no beginning.
Now turn with me to Proverbs chapter.
Pages.
And this will give us a little insight into this fellowship between the members of the Trinity.
God and God, God with God.
What did they talk about?
So did they think about it?
What did they plan?
Now in the book of Proverbs we have a.
Presentation in a way that we don't find it anyplace else in the Bible.
Of the thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal word.
And as a divine person.
Prior to his coming into this world.
Is the book of Proverbs chapter 8 we have him.
Presented as wisdom.
Let's begin reading from verse 23.
Hello verse 22, Roberts 822 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting from the beginning, or ever fear it was.
I never know that I was brought to it and there were no problems about him with water before the mountains were settled, Before the hills was hydrocortis.
As well as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the rest of the world.
When he propelled the heavens, I was there.
When he set a compass for a circle form the face of the dead.
When he established the clouds above.
When he strengthened apartments of the deep.
When he gave to the sea his decree that the waters should not pass his commandment.
When he appointed the foundations of the earth.
Then I was by him.
As one brought up with them.
Standby with daily his tonight.
Rejoicing always before him.
Rejoicing in the Habitable Department Reserve.
And my delights go with the sons of men. So here, beloved brethren, we see.
The Lord Jesus Christ as the eternal word.
A member of the Divine Trinity.
Portrayed as wisdom.
But God with God prior to the beginning of this world.
And we find what he's thinking about.
We find that what the fellowship was between the two.
In this sense, it says I will deal with his delight.
The Lord Jesus Christ as the Eternal Word, as the Eternal Son.
Was daily the delight of his father.
Even in eternity past He brought delight to his Father's heart. I was daily his delight.
Rejoicing always before them.
And it says my delights were with the sons of men though the thoughts of the future.
And the plans for the world?
And thoughts about you and me.
We're in his heart at this time, so the presence of the Lord Jesus with his Father.
Had as one of its.
One of its characteristics that they planned together, they fought together, and they looked into the future to the time when you and I would live along with many others and that.
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Intelligent creatures like we have been made by the head of God should be brought into a fellowship.
With God through the action of the Lord Jesus.
So his presence.
Was there to delight the father, and he looked forward to the time when he could share his presence with you.
Now go back to John's gospel.
Chapter one again.
And we're going to see something that's really wonderful.
We've already spoken of the fact that the Lord Jesus became a man.
He did not leave his position as.
The son because of what he became.
He was always there, and he always will be there, but he did become a man.
But.
He really never left the bootable spot.
Though he came to earth, yet he never left the bosom of his father. How can that be?
But it can only happen when you're talking about God. So in John's Gospel, chapter one.
In verse 18 it says no man hath seen God at anytime.
The only begotten son which is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared them so.
The amazing thing is that though the Lord Jesus became a man.
And though as a man he lived on the earth, yet in the essential.
Godhead being of his nature, he never left the belief of the Father.
All you say, Brother Rod, do you mean he was on heaven or he was in heaven and on earth at the same time? Yes, that's what I mean.
It can only get true of God. He was in heaven and on earth at the same time. You see, that's one of the characteristics of God, that he could be everywhere.
At the same time, and so the Lord Jesus said, you only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, so he never left his Father's heart even when he came to it.
I think what's Windows?
Now turn to John Three, we see a confirmation of that.
John 3 verse 13.
Says no man hath ascended up to heaven, that he that came down from heaven.
Even the son of man, which is intent.
And it doesn't say even the Son of Man, which was man, he says. Even the Southern Language is in heaven.
So the Lord Jesus could be in heaven and on earth at the same time. How can that be?
It can only be.
Because he is God.
And they never left the heart of his father. And he says in verse 13 of the third chapter, though he spoke these words on earth, he said, I'm still in there. I'm still there. Summer land, which is.
Well, now let's go to Exodus Chapter 25.
And see some words that are familiar to us, but yet most precious to us.
Because there's the desire of God.
To dwell with man.
Lexus was 25.
And verse 8.
These are instructions which were given to Moses.
Considering concerning the building of a tent in which God could well.
He says, let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. So God wanted a dwelling place among his people.
And he gave instructions as to how to build this special tent. You see the word tent and Tabernacle.
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Are the same word.
Said, Let them make me a sanctuary, that I made well among them. It was the desire of the Lord to dwell among his people, even in the days of the Old Testament, that I may dwell among them.
God likes us. He loves us. He wants to dwell with us.
That I may dwell upon it enough. Go back to John again. Why? It's amazing how many times we're going to go back to John. Why? Because in John's Gospel we see the revelations of the truth that God has become a man in the person of Christ. Look back to John again.
At the moment we're talking about God tinting among his people for tabernacles.
John 11 John Chapter one.
First verse.
14 It says the word was made plain.
Beloved brother. That's a most striking statement, and in the original language where it says was made.
That's the word for Tabernacle. The word Tabernacle.
Just as God erected in the wilderness among his ancient people, the Jews erected a Tabernacle then.
In a more wonderful way, the Lord Jesus was a Tabernacle.
In his own person while he was on earth, the word.
And Tabernacles among us.
This opens the whole thing up in the Old Testament. God reserved in the Tabernacle and it would take us several days to tell you tell to talk about all the details of the cat Maple. But just think from the Lord Jesus became a man.
He was a Tabernacle in his own blessed person, dwelling among his people.
He was a testament. Now turn to Chapter 3 again.
By these, these verses and these chapters are so loaded, they're far beyond our imagination. Our full they are.
Not chapter 3, but Chapter 2 John Chapter 2.
Verse 20 then said the Jews 40 and six years was this temple and building.
And wilt thou gear it up in three days?
But he spoke of the temple of his body.
Well, there's another interesting point. Not only is the Lord Jesus the temple where God dwells, but he was also the Tabernacle. He and his own person is the Tabernacle as well as the temple.
Is that something? All the fullness of the Lord Jesus, both the Tabernacle and you see the Tabernacle is a temporary dwelling track wells and the temple is a permanent weather for God. Else but the Lord Jesus was probably he was the Tabernacle and he was the temple. Well, what's the point? The point is that God wants to go out with his people.
He wants to walk with them. He wants to talk with them. He wants to personally express his love.
Now let's go to Ezekiel Chapter 35.
Is it for chapter 35?
And we're going to see the presence of the Lord brought before us in a very interesting way here.
And this is the verse that triggered my my little message that I'm trying to share with you this afternoon. You see, I'm reading through Ezekiel in my personal reading At Home in the Mortgage.
I came to this verse recently and I was impressed.
He's talking about some people that were enemies of gods, people. And he said to these enemies verse 10 of Ezekiel 35. Because Ralph has said these two nations and these countries, two countries shall be mine and we will possess it.
Now here's the point of this The enemies were ready to come over. Come in and pick over.
That's possessions, and the Lord says they don't realize that I'm there.
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They don't know who they're doing.
So the presence of the Word was here spoken of in Ezekiel 3510, to keep the enemy from doing what it wanted to do. The presence of the Lord is a tremendous protection of God's good people and will. The enemies want to take over this land in these cities, the Lord says in this little statement. The Lord is there.
Didn't realize that, but the Lord was there to control those for all matter and below it. Rather, this impresses me. Presence of the Lord is a protection for us, so that the enemies of our souls can't do what they want to do.
They got to deal with God about it.
And those that hate us and the enemy of our souls, the devil, he would like to wipe us out. He can't do it because the Lord is here, and the presence of the Lord prevents the enemy from having his way and the.
That's what the two is equal 35 brings before us, he says. They don't know that I'm there and that they can't do what they'd like to do now. Turn to the end of the individual, where they have the presence of the Lord spoken of again in a different way, but.
Very interesting. I thought I just mentioned this. As long as we're in, this equilibrium is equal the last chapter.
And the 35th verse.
Ezekiel.
48 verse 35.
This is a prophecy of the future. It tells about something that's going to happen someday. It says it was round.
About 18,000 measures, and the name of the city from that day shall be the Lord is there.
Here the city called that.
We got fellow Iowa, Des Moines, IA Newton, but did you ever hear a town hall? The world is there.
Would you want to live in a town like that?
I would. Well, the day is coming when Jerusalem shall be given that name. The Lord will say or you say, if that's the name of the city, then everything is going to be all right. And brother, this is the thing. The day is going to come when the presence of the word physically on earth among his people, they're going to straighten out the whole mess that we know about today. And the name of that city will be.
The Mother's Day.
So I just like to bring that before you as a very happy thought. The presence of the Lord straightens everything, straightens everything out, and in the coming day of blessing on earth.
His presence will straighten everything out.
The name of the city from that day shall be the borders.
I'm upset. I'm not upset.
But I'll turn to Exodus chapter 33.
Exodus Chapter 33.
I don't know how to present my subject beloved, rather without turning to the scriptures.
And the Scripture will speak for themselves. Exodus Chapter 20, Chapter 33.
They'll have the presence of the Lord brought before us here, and in a different way, but a very nice way.
This was when God was speaking to Moses.
And.
Talking about the the future of God's ways with his people.
Exodus 3313. Now therefore I pray thee, if I foundation by sight, this is Moses speaking to the Lord. Show me now thy way, that I may know thee.
And that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider what this nation is thy people.
And he said, my presence shall go with you.
And I will give the rest.
What did the Lord promise his people? What was the biggest thing he could promise them?
The biggest thing he could promise them was his presence.
He says my presence shall go with you.
And I will give you rest.
And I would just like to make that the main point of my little meditation with you, dear brother, and here this afternoon.
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The presence of the Lord is the most valuable thing.
That we possess in our Christian life. My presence will be with you. That's better than riches, that's better than fame, that's even better than good health. It's better than anything you can imagine. The presence of the world. And he promised it to his people And now, Moses said.
In verse 15 he says and he said to him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not.
What about praise? Moses said. Lord. I don't want to go anyplace unless you go with me.
Your presence is perfect to me.
If thy presence do not withstate well, may the Lord give us a fresh glimpse of that desire today, and we'll say I want above everything else.
A sense in my heart of the presence of the Lord in my life, and in my way. Well, Moses had that. Here and there were flagged words.
Not turn to Psalm 23, those well known verses that have encouraged so many people for so many years and continue to do their good work today in our hearts.
Time 23.
Psalm 23.
First floor.
Gave when I walked through the valley of the shadow death. I will fear no evil.
Well, I have a great church policy.
Shape. My Bible doesn't read that.
What does it say?
Well, I brought to the valley of the shadow of death.
I will fear no evil without this.
Oh, now we're getting something.
What made all the difference To comfort the heart of this harmless?
The presence of the vote.
And he says, though I walk right in the shadow of death and though death and may overtake me in some way in my personal life or my home.
I will certainly look for that.
In times of sorrow and in times of anxiety.
In times of distress.
What is the thing that they'll do is the most good?
That's the purpose of the Lord Jesus.
I will hear no evil for thou art. He's talking directly to the Lord. And I thank you folks, and have noticed.
Many times that in the Psalm in the 23rd Psalm.
It starts out by talking about the Lord. It says the Lord is my shepherd.
But in this verse, he's not talking about the Lord, he's talking to the Lord representative.
In fact, I was sharing with my brother in Des Moines something that I think people should enjoy here this afternoon too.
My son, Phillips daughter is now 2 pushing 3.
And they're teaching her wishes.
And so.
Sitting next to Mark yesterday, last week at the meeting and.
She said to Mark.
She said that want to learn a verse.
Yeah, so she holds up her Sunday school paper like this and she says, OK, the Lord.
Mark, put on what you're doing, he says.
And she says is my shepherd.
Mark said.
Sure. I looked at you. You're doing pretty good, Mark.
Pretty good.
Well, when are we going to run like?
The Lord is.
Well, the Lord left through the valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil thought of talking directly to the and beloved brother in the presence of the Lord. Jesus makes all the difference in the circumstances of our lives. I know a little bit about it, not much, but a little bit. But it doesn't make any difference how much I know about it. It's still the truth.
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When Iris turned to Mark's Gospel, chapter 5.
There we have a lovely one. Thoughts about the presence of the Lord.
Mark's Gospel chapter 5 brings before us the case of a man who.
Have been delivered from the power of Satan.
In our marvelous way and.
He was thankful.
And so we'll just read the main point of this story and verse 18 of March half the time.
And when he was coming into the ship.
And when he was come into the ship.
He that have been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
There's no device.
He that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him.
This man had learned the hard life of serving safety. He learned it by bitter experience and when he had been delivered, from the power of safety.
He said. I just want to be with Jesus. I just want to be with Jesus.
Oh, please, let me be with him, right? Because Jesus made all of it to him.
And pull up with brother. This is Jesus makes all the glad, the Lord Jesus with us and to be with him makes all the difference. And this man caught the point. He prayed him that he might be with him.
Now turn to Luke Gospel chapter 24.
The presence of the Lord is such a.
Comfort in the soul, such as encouragement and a stimulation and a safeguard.
And we're just talking about a few points about it today.
Luke's Gospel, chapter 24.
Verse 13.
List 2413 and before Two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus.
Which was from Jerusalem about 3 score Pillow.
And they talked together of all these things which had happened.
And it came to pass the Twilight community together and reason that.
Jesus himself drew near.
And when?
Tell you something.
These folks were going the wrong way.
They had their backs towards God's center and they were going the wrong direction.
But to send the throat my heart right in this ish.
That the Lord Jesus joined them and walked with them even when they went the wrong direction.
You know this world, this world's got everything all mixed up.
And you can't trust the world's philosophy. The world has a slogan. God helps those that help themselves.
Sounds good, doesn't it?
No, that's not the kind of God we've got. We've got the God is a lot bigger than that.
We've got a God so big in the Lord Jesus that he loves us so much that even if we go the wrong direction to walk with us and you put the pressure on in the right way.
To get us to make a new turn.
That's the kind of a Lord we know.
Oh, I love it. I love him for what he is and what he's done. And here, here, we're probably a couple. We don't know. We know the name of one of these persons, but.
We assume it may be a man and his wife. They were going the wrong direction and it said Jesus himself grew here and went with them.
And for what purpose?
To encourage them to keep on going the wrong direction? No. Open their eyes so that they can turn around.
Is that the kind of a Lord you've got?
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It is. He will never leave us. Ready. Even when we go the wrong direction. He won't leave us, but he'll do the very best he can do.
To help us make AU turn.
That's why you're here. And it wasn't long before and walking with these people going the wrong direction. It wasn't long before he was. He was calling attention to the scriptures.
And it wasn't bound before their eyes were opened.
And it wasn't long before they they went back the right direction.
That's the kind of a Lord you've got.
How can you help but love it? Matthew, chapter 18.
We like to look at this verse.
Because it entered us in a day like the one in which we look when.
The Christian testimony is it ruins.
And people are doing what they think is right, regardless of what God has got to say.
That's already find real comfort in verse 20 of Matthew 18. It says where two or three are gathered together in my name.
Jeremiah in the midst of that the presence of the Lord.
Among his people.
Gathered to his precious.
Why do you folks keep on coming to this meeting themselves?
What? You give it up.
Government people come here anymore.
How come you do?
Well, maybe you say. Wait a minute, you're not supposed to preach like that.
You say to me, I know the reason I come to that Southern Eaton Rd.
We don't have a lot of good preachers.
We don't have any special talent OR we don't have any tremendous performances and great demonstrations. We don't.
But let me give you a secret.
I think I could get this shot at almost anybody in this room. They sold the secret of five. We keep coming to our color meeting room.
To tell you the truth, the secret is the Lord is there.
And let me tell you, your brother.
Grace of God I have been gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus for over 45 years.
And I see an increasing amount of weakness of all kinds among my brother and in myself.
And do you know what's kept me at the meeting?
This one fact, this one fact. The Lord is there.
If it had not been for my understanding and ripple that truth.
Why would I? Why would I continue?
Why would I continue?
Why would I not seek a bigger bunch of folks with a lot more pizzazz and all kinds of stuff that feels like Why wouldn't? I probably would, But you know what holds me back? You know what keeps me here?
Gathered with you, dear President. You know what keeps me here.
That's the point.
For two or three gathered together in my name, there are five in the midst of them. The Lord Jesus Christ is present among those today who are gathered simply in His name, even if there's only two.
And in some places there are just two.
The presence of the Lord driving.
Is everything for the fellowship of his people?
And if it worked for that, I suppose I'd have cooked the meeting long ago, and I know a lot of people that I grew up with.
And I should?
Where are they today? Where did they go?
You know why I think they left?
They didn't see this truth, but the Lord.
It's the truth. Leave it without my heart, your dear brethren gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. You're solely Iowa.
You can know for sure the world.
And when you see that then keep it together.
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May the Lord keep us that we will never lose sight of that precious God.
Now Matthew, Chapter 28.
The presence of the Lord.
Or bless so many things well.
The Friends of the Lord protects us. Presence of the Lord encourages us. The presence of the Lord gathers us together.
Now in Matthew chapter 28.
Verse 20 verse 18.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying all power.
Is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
What were you there for and teach all nations?
Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you. And lo.
I am with you early.
I am with you all.
Beloved brother, everyone in this room has been commissioned.
To share the good news about Christ.
What do you say? Well, brother reply. I've never been called to do. Yes, you have. I do.
Beloved brother and sister, you have been called to share the Christian message in your lifetime. It's right here, and I don't know how you can escape it.
You might say, well, that's just for brother Sorcerer, brother Reeves and brother this and that and so on, but surely not for me.
How do you get out of it?
One way to get out of it is not be a disciple. That's the only way to get out of it.
And here you've got your Commission and you're to go to a Dark World.
And the closest mission field to you as your neighbor.
Giving, glowing a Dark World.
And you can tell it about Jesus.
And what does he say? He says I am with you always, he says. I'm not going to send you by yourself, I'm going to go with you.
Well, isn't that good?
And I'll tell you this if you ask the Lord, and if I ask the Lord for an opportunity to share the gospel.
Don't be surprised if the courage comes and we're able to do it and find an opportunity.
He said. I'm with you. This is my work and I'm sending you to do it. And I'm not going to send you alone. I'm going to be with you all the way. I'm with you all the way, even until the end of the world.
Now Hebrews chapter 13. Let's see.
Last verse that I thought to share with you this afternoon.
The presence of the Lord.
It's wonderful and it makes a lot of difference.
In our lives.
Hebrews, chapter 13.
Verse 5.
What's your conversation be without covetousness?
And be content with such things as you have.
What he had said.
I will never leave these.
Nor forsake of it.
Can you tell me that there's something better?
Than the presence of the Lord Jesus in your life. He's with us personally. He's with us when we are sick, He's with us when we're in trouble, and He's even with us when we go the wrong direction.
He said. I will never leave you and for safety.
So their brother, may the Lord encourage us with these words.
And may the Lord help us to have a consciousness in our hearts.
Of who we belong to and the fact that he has promised. Never believe us.
And let's rely upon his presence.
There were two people sitting together.
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One of them was very tired.
And they were sitting on the sand.
There were no chairs.
There was not even a tree to lean against.
And so these two people that were sitting down, resting from a very busy.
A very tiresome journey.
In order to get a little relaxation, they set back-to-back.
He said back-to-back as arrested from the journey.
And.
One of the persons just said to the other.
Lean hard.
Lean hard.
He said I'll never leave you north or so, and he has said not in those words, but in words just like them here, said Rush.
Let's say #52.
#52 Lowered airline.
But I'd love, trust the poor guilty slaves of sin. But thou redeems us to God, and may thy spirit well with their number. 52 Lord, we are fine, but by light.
Over him, he's made of him.
Without being a strange can't stop.
We talked about a wonderful person.
The Son of God.
The Word became flesh, the Lamb of God. And I'm glad to tell you he's my Savior and I want him to be the savior. Everybody in history, let's say #92 of it, and everybody wrote for Jesus.
He who brought a motorcycle.
As an option asked to make this considered good to let him in, but Jesus came to your house tomorrow.
Knock at the door of your house. Would you let him in while he can? Knock it on your heart? Store tonight. Room in here for you.
Room for Jesus. Send this thing the first can last.
Night.
A month or so ago and I went up to a house.
And I saw in the mailbox it had a big sign right there in the mailbox. Got his love.
And I thought, well, I'll just knock on this door and and I'll hand the gospel tracks to the persons in the house. I'll hand them to the person.
Walk on the door? No.
Came to the door.
And I knocked on the door second time.
And a man came to the door, and he was wiping his sleep out of his eyes. I woke him up.
In the left.
And I said, I'm sorry I woke you up. I didn't want to do that. But I saw. I saw the sign on the mailbox. God is love. And I said that. Who put out there? He said I did.
But I said, when did you put that there?
I said a year ago I put my trust in the Lord Jesus measurement of Savior.
And I said to him, he had a mustache in my own dark hair, and he was a little darker, complex, and some of us, I said to him.
Do you speak the Spanish language? No, he says. I came from Syria.
I came from Syria. Wasn't that wonderful?
His whole life has changed. So she put the trust, his trust in the Lord Jesus.
One of my brothers.
Because we're both on the same time. Because they both believe on the same day.