THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

I desire to encourage myself and you as to the reality of the presence of the Lord with His own. I believe it is a great characteristic of faith, and particularly in a day of general failure, to stand in the consciousness of this. I do not mean merely holding to the statements of Scripture, or regarding the words in Matthew 18:20 as a principle or ground of gathering. What we need is to be encouraged in the sense of the Lord's presence in the way of support.

In Matthew 18, the Lord speaks of being with His saints in the way of support. When the Holy One and the True says to Philadelphia, "thou hast a little power", it is not reproach but commendation. The secret of having strength is the consciousness by the Spirit of the Lord's presence with us. When Paul was before Nero no man stood with him, but he could say, "the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me" (2 Timothy 4:17). Others failed him, but the Lord did not fail him. He had the consciousness of being supported by the Lord. We, in our day, are in difficult times, but it is our privilege to be here in the blessed sense of the Lord's support. The Lord is here to support His own. I dare say you have noticed that there is no ascension recorded in Matthew. The Gospel ends with, "lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age". "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" – to support His saints and servants.

There are certain things in the world that are of the deepest interest to the Lord Jesus Christ. I wish we were more conscious how the heart of the glorified One is interested in what is going on down here. His Name is here; His interests are here; and His saints are identified with His Name and His interests. If we are in affection and purpose here for Christ, we need not have any misgiving, however great the difficulties may seem to be. Let us be encouraged in the Lord; He is with His saints. He will not abandon what is so dear to His heart. He takes pleasure in seeing His saints cherishing His Name and interests, and He delights to give them the support of His own presence in so doing. He is with His saints to protect us from the power of evil, and to encourage our hearts in all the blessed resource that is in Himself.

He says, "That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 18:19). It is "two of you" – that is, two of Christ's assembly. He had before spoken of His assembly, saying "I will build my assembly, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). In Christ's assembly no other business is entertained but the interests of Christ. He has called us out from this world that He might entrust us with His interests, and that we might be wholly for Him in the day of His rejection. And if we are on this line it is impossible that He should fail to support us. The weaker we are the more necessary and certain is His support if we are set for Him.

May we be more familiar with His blessed presence.

C.A. Coates ‘The House of God’ pp.135,136

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