Gathered Right!

For where two or three are gathered in My name [meeting together as My followers], I am there among them.” MATTHEW 18:20 AMP

When there is a call to gather together for worship/service, it is important to first weigh my motives for gathering, before I set out. It is important to clear out any doubts relating to the WHY I am setting out, and the WHO I am going to meet. When the WHY and the WHO are ascertained, then I am ready for true worship.

This present generation seems not to understand this: we have replaced the reality of God's Presence with superb buildings and multimedia worship aids; we equate quality worship with the style and voice of the worship leader; we seek physical signs that give us a 'feel good' mentality, rather than seeking out the true personal experience of God. We come to the place of worship with bitterness in our hearts against fellow worshipers, and then wonder why our services are empty of God's true move. It's not that all these aids are unimportant, but when God's Presence is absent, it doesn't matter how much is spent to make the service interesting.

Look at today's extract: it is never about number but about purpose. We can be only 3, yet God would do mighty things. There were about 12 apostles, with a few others, in the upper room then, and these were the launching pad for the gospel after the Holy Spirit came. It is about knowing why and to whom we gather. The gathering has to be in the right name for God's grace to be made available. We gather as God's followers to receive instructions for life, and we submit our will to God's purpose. We allow God dictate our actions, direct our thoughts and determine our impact. When God is in charge, impact is non - negotiable.

If I seek God's Presence, I must seek to do his will. If He must manifest himself in my life, my life must be an open and willing vessel for his Spirit. Is that true for you? His time of favour is here.