I know we all would like to believe that the Lord hears all our prayers and blessed to know that he will answer our every request.
Jesus did say this is possible in:
Matthew 18: 19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Jesus said his Father will answer prayers when believers gather and ask in agreement what is true to his name. Meaning what is true to his teaching.
Even Paul tells us that this power of Jesus is present when believers assemble in the name of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 5: 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present,
This power of Jesus exists when believers assemble as the body of Christ with Jesus as its head. They all have the same mind of Christ.
We all need to examine ourselves and ask why I gather with other believers is it for the same purpose to be one in the power of Christ to glorifying our Father by obeying his will.
This is only possible when a church is doing what Paul said it must be doing.
Ephesians 4: 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Every believer who gathers with other believer must know that they all agree in their faith and knowledge of Jesus and not assume they do.
They all have a common faith in Jesus as their Lord obeying his teaching and commandments.
This common faith in Jesus’ teaching becomes the church doctrine. Most people who go to church do not even know the full doctrine of its church. So, how can the power of Jesus be present.
This is interesting when people gather with others from another church, they assume that they all have the same doctrine, but if they do not the power of Jesus will not be present.
True? Think about it. For me, I want the power of Jesus to always be present when I gather with other believers because we have the same mind of Christ by capturing our every thought and make it obedient to his teaching.
We need to understand that whatever we accept as our doctrine is what will save you.
1 Timothy 4: 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
This is where your doctrine must always be true to Scripture because false doctrine will always be present.
2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Paul tells Titus that pastors are the ones responsible to lead the church in what is trustworthy sound doctrine, and they must be able to refute what opposes it.
Titus 1: 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
As the pastor of East Shore, I understand what I teach is for the sake of our salvation. I do not teach to make a living or have an ulterior motive but only want for all of us to be with our Father in heaven. So, I fearfully teach what I pray is sound to Jesus’ teaching to save us.
I have no desire to gather people by doing church or teach to make them feel good or to pet their emotions or to teach what their itching ear want to hear.
I want to be among Jesus’ brothers and sisters who know and obey their heavenly Father’s will because they want the power of Jesus present when they gather so that our Father will answer our every prayer.
I hope you have the same desire for East Shore.
This is only possible when our doctrine is one of the same and not cookie cut with just foundational truth but clear and sound to everything that makes us Jesus’ body by being united in the same faith in the whole knowledge of our Lord Jesus.
When you gather with others remember Jesus is only present when you all agree to everything he teaches in Scripture that he will recognize as being his body.
Be safe in Jesus,
Ps. Glenn