“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20 NKJV)
We know that God is present everywhere, all the time, through His Spirit. However, there are manifestations of His tangible presence described in many places in Scripture. At the completion of the tabernacle in Exodus 40, the Presence prevented Moses from entering. In 2 Chronicles 5, the priests could not stand at the dedication of the temple because of the glory. Throughout Scripture there are special times of visitation that are unique to certain situations.
Jesus promised that when we gather in unity as His people, He will always show up, and that in those moments, our corporate prayers would have a multiplied impact. When we gather to worship Him, His Presence is in our midst. It’s a fact. He promised.
This Sunday, we will have the opportunity to touch Heaven in ways that we don’t often experience when we are on our own. Church is an occasion for interaction with the realm of the Spirit to receive from God things that are beyond our individual faith. Jesus makes it clear that we have a role to play in this: we must gather in His Name and agree on what we ask.
First, we gather in His Name. People come to church for a variety of reasons, some good, some not. “In His Name” means exactly what it says. Doing something in the Name means doing it as His official representatives. The Church is the physical representation of Jesus Christ on the earth. Our gatherings are sacred and powerful events. We glorify His name in word and worship as we offer ourselves to Him to use us as He sees fit. When we do, we will see the unbeliever in the crowd, “report that God is truly among you.” (1 Corinthians 14:25).
Second, we must be in agreement about the things we ask. That doesn’t mean we have to all be at the same level of faith or even faithfulness. We’re all at different stages of growth. We can, however, agree that the things we ask are the will of God. That requires that we have a scriptural basis for what we’re asking. I like to have a specific verse that we can stand on together. Then we can agree that God hears us and know that we have the answer. (1 John 5:14-15).
Our gatherings are intended to be an oasis of love and power where we can all participate in and receive from the personal presence of our Savior. We will not settle for anything less. We can each exercise our faith at whatever stage of growth we are at. We mustn’t give in to the temptation to scoff or to be an observer instead of a believer.
“Make your church not only a Word church, but a Holy Ghost church. Put the Word first always. Move in the Holy Ghost in line with the Word. And the glory shall be made manifest. The glory shall even be seen by many. And the blessings of the Lord will flow like a mighty river.” Kenneth E. Hagin, Prophecy in February, 2003
For a little guidance on enjoying the flow of the Hoy Spirit in your gatherings, try “Is There an Interpreter in the House.” The third edition just became available in Kindle.
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