Many take Matthew 18:20 out of context to imply the Holy Spirit can be moving outside of them in the assembly.
Matthew 18:[SUP]19 [/SUP]Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.[SUP]20 [/SUP]For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Do note that Jesus is talking. whenever Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit, Jesus uses the pronouns he or him in regards to the Holy Spirit; not "me" or " I ".
So do not apply His words wrong in verse 20 as if the Holy Spirit will make like a spook among believers in the assembly.
In context, this is about Jesus Christ being our only Mediator between God and man. The wording "in the midst of us" is referring to meaning inbetween us and the Father in regards to prayer. That is all it means in context to prayer.
Now if any one wishes to contend that the Holy Spirit can exists outside of us in the worship place, scripture in the N.T. would draw the line of distinction for you that the Holy Spirit would never have a need to do that for any reason now.
John 14:[SUP]16 [/SUP]And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;[SUP]17 [/SUP]Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Notice the difference in John 17 in how the world receives spirits after a sign that they can see and the real indwelling Holy Ghost as the only means on how we will know Him as apart from how the world knows in receiving spirits. Not once did Jesus ever gave tongues as a prayer language to be used as a sign that you will know the Holy Spirit by. BUT Jesus did say the difference between how the word knows spirits in their comings and goings with signs, and the knowing real Holy Spirit by His dwelling within you forever as promised for all those that come to & believed in Jesus Christ at their salvation.
More proof?
1 John 4:1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world........[SUP]4 [/SUP]Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.[SUP]5 [/SUP]They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.[SUP]6 [/SUP]We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1 John 4:4 draws the line of discernment in knowing the real Holy Spirit from those spirits that comes over a believer apart from salvation, even when those spirits brings tongues without interpretation when that supernatural tongue can be found in the world as 1 John 4:5-6 confirms, before Pentecost had come with God's actual gift of tongues of other men's lips to speak unto the people to hear the Word of God in their native tongue.
Now for the woman at the well on where to worship God the Father at on earth on how one did worship in the O.T..
John 4:[SUP]19 [/SUP]The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.[SUP]20 [/SUP]Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.[SUP]21 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.[SUP]22 [/SUP]Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.[SUP]23 [/SUP]But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.[SUP]24 [/SUP]God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This is not about God the Father being a Spirit, but that God the Father is not limited by a place or building for people to come to Him to worship Him in that place in that way any more.
I hope the Lord is helping you to see the meaning of His words here to the woman at the well that as believers, we need not go to the mountains nor to the temple at Jerusalem, but we can worship God the Father anywhere on earth. How?
John 14:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 5:[SUP]22 [/SUP]For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:[SUP]23 [/SUP]That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
John 13:[SUP]31 [/SUP]Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.[SUP]32 [/SUP]If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
Philippians 2:[SUP]5 [/SUP]Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:[SUP]7 [/SUP]But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:[SUP]8 [/SUP]And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.[SUP]9 [/SUP]Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:[SUP]10 [/SUP]That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;[SUP]11 [/SUP]And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus is the only way now in how we approach God the Father in worship to honor the Son in glorifying the Son as we are led by the Spirit to do what the Spirit is doing as well so that the Father may be honored & glorified in the Son at the same time.
Why must the Holy Spirit not be outside of us in the worship place any more? To signify the glory of the New Covenant.
1 Corinthians 6:[SUP]19 [/SUP]What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?[SUP]20 [/SUP]For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
So let us not defer from the truth in His words so that whenever any believer thinks they are feeling His Presence in the worship place, it is not the Holy Spirit at all, but the spirit of the antichrist which is IN THE WORLD. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world, so do not chase after then for any signs, for that is not after Christ Jesus at all. If any have done this, repent and return to your frst love and lean on Him to chase no more after those spirits outside of you and He will forgive you and help keep you resting in Him till the Bridegroom comes.
Matthew 18:[SUP]19 [/SUP]Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.[SUP]20 [/SUP]For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Do note that Jesus is talking. whenever Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit, Jesus uses the pronouns he or him in regards to the Holy Spirit; not "me" or " I ".
So do not apply His words wrong in verse 20 as if the Holy Spirit will make like a spook among believers in the assembly.
In context, this is about Jesus Christ being our only Mediator between God and man. The wording "in the midst of us" is referring to meaning inbetween us and the Father in regards to prayer. That is all it means in context to prayer.
Now if any one wishes to contend that the Holy Spirit can exists outside of us in the worship place, scripture in the N.T. would draw the line of distinction for you that the Holy Spirit would never have a need to do that for any reason now.
John 14:[SUP]16 [/SUP]And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;[SUP]17 [/SUP]Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Notice the difference in John 17 in how the world receives spirits after a sign that they can see and the real indwelling Holy Ghost as the only means on how we will know Him as apart from how the world knows in receiving spirits. Not once did Jesus ever gave tongues as a prayer language to be used as a sign that you will know the Holy Spirit by. BUT Jesus did say the difference between how the word knows spirits in their comings and goings with signs, and the knowing real Holy Spirit by His dwelling within you forever as promised for all those that come to & believed in Jesus Christ at their salvation.
More proof?
1 John 4:1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world........[SUP]4 [/SUP]Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.[SUP]5 [/SUP]They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.[SUP]6 [/SUP]We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1 John 4:4 draws the line of discernment in knowing the real Holy Spirit from those spirits that comes over a believer apart from salvation, even when those spirits brings tongues without interpretation when that supernatural tongue can be found in the world as 1 John 4:5-6 confirms, before Pentecost had come with God's actual gift of tongues of other men's lips to speak unto the people to hear the Word of God in their native tongue.
Now for the woman at the well on where to worship God the Father at on earth on how one did worship in the O.T..
John 4:[SUP]19 [/SUP]The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.[SUP]20 [/SUP]Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.[SUP]21 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.[SUP]22 [/SUP]Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.[SUP]23 [/SUP]But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.[SUP]24 [/SUP]God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
This is not about God the Father being a Spirit, but that God the Father is not limited by a place or building for people to come to Him to worship Him in that place in that way any more.
I hope the Lord is helping you to see the meaning of His words here to the woman at the well that as believers, we need not go to the mountains nor to the temple at Jerusalem, but we can worship God the Father anywhere on earth. How?
John 14:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 5:[SUP]22 [/SUP]For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:[SUP]23 [/SUP]That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
John 13:[SUP]31 [/SUP]Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.[SUP]32 [/SUP]If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
Philippians 2:[SUP]5 [/SUP]Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:[SUP]7 [/SUP]But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:[SUP]8 [/SUP]And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.[SUP]9 [/SUP]Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:[SUP]10 [/SUP]That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;[SUP]11 [/SUP]And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Jesus is the only way now in how we approach God the Father in worship to honor the Son in glorifying the Son as we are led by the Spirit to do what the Spirit is doing as well so that the Father may be honored & glorified in the Son at the same time.
Why must the Holy Spirit not be outside of us in the worship place any more? To signify the glory of the New Covenant.
1 Corinthians 6:[SUP]19 [/SUP]What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?[SUP]20 [/SUP]For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
So let us not defer from the truth in His words so that whenever any believer thinks they are feeling His Presence in the worship place, it is not the Holy Spirit at all, but the spirit of the antichrist which is IN THE WORLD. Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world, so do not chase after then for any signs, for that is not after Christ Jesus at all. If any have done this, repent and return to your frst love and lean on Him to chase no more after those spirits outside of you and He will forgive you and help keep you resting in Him till the Bridegroom comes.