What Is Church?
If you were to ask people, “What is church?”, you would probably get as many answers as the number of people you asked. One would say, “the fellowship”. Another would say, “the stained glass windows.” Another would say, “The teaching.” Or even, “The pastor is funny.” My involvement in a church in Columbia, MO, where I was associate minister and missions director, would change my opinion of what church is forever.
Right from the beginning I could see this place and people were different. You couldn’t open the doors without people being there and at least an hour before every meeting the prayer room was full with usually twenty to thirty people packed in there. Everything was bathed in prayer. And worship ended when it was over. And the worship wasn’t singing songs about something. The worship was about looking into the face of God and loving Him. The worship was prayer. This wasn’t a church that was based on religious traditions or backgrounds, but instead, it was based on a hunger for God. I would be in prayer with a group of people and the presence would be so strong I thought I would have to get down on my hands and knees and crawl out or I would die.
So many churches are “waiting” for revival and for God to do something when, in actuality, having God show up in your meetings isn’t that difficult. God is sovereign, but He is not one to lie and He is faithful and He will perform His words.
9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
It’s important to note that Jesus’ name is His nature. Ancient Jewish scholars wouldn’t utter the name of God, because they felt it was too holy, so they gave Him descriptive names such as “Jehovah Rapha” which is God our healer. So, when we pray “in His name” that isn’t a salutation or closing. You should be praying in Jesus nature.
God’s presence has to be cultivated and nurtured, but it is not complicated. You just have to be hungry and be around hungry people. This isn’t my opinion. This is what I know, because I’ve lived it. And if God isn’t in the house I’m leaving.
God Bless,
Dave