Missing meetings means missing out on increased faith. We have such tremendous opportunities in Round Tables, Sunday and Wednesday services, Bible Studies and 3 weekly church Watches, as well as our own prayer watches and study to increase our Christ consciousness.
John 20: It was the Sabbath. The disciples had gathered together with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders. Though matter barred the way, Jesus showed up for a Sabbath meeting saying, “Peace be with you!: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.”
20 HE SHOWED THEM HIS HANDS AND SIDE. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.
Sometimes we seem to forget that the disciples (other than Thomas) had also been shown material proof of Jesus’ existence and resurrection that day. Thomas missed that first Sabbath meeting! Just think of the lessons of peace he could have learned that day from the Lord – fresh from resurrection!
There is no mention that Thomas was later, on the second Sabbath meeting, also blessed with Jesus’ Holy Ghost blessing to cast out sin. Was this not a clearer understanding of the Holy Ghost…casting out sin/animal magnetism… the belief of the carnal mind?
The apostle John writes in his first epistle (1 John 1:1-3) that he and the other apostles proclaimed “that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands…” When Jesus appeared, it was not just a ghost or vision. Therefore, in bringing Thomas to faith through making him touch and see, Christ Jesus could not allow one of the apostles – one of the eye and ear and hand witnesses, to deny the testimony of the others.
Online research: “You know, if you think about it, something similar happened when Jesus appeared to the 500 after the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:6 tells us there were 500 present (but some fell asleep) when Jesus commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised… …in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)
Yet in Acts 1:15 it appears that only 120 of them listened and obeyed Jesus’ words. That’s huge! That means 380 missed the meeting in the upper room described in Acts 1:15. That also means 380 missed out on the blessing of the Holy Spirit. 120 had tongues of fire on their heads and spoke powerfully in foreign languages they didn’t know. 120 were used to save the souls of 3,000 people. (Acts chapter 2) 380 were left out–because they missed the meeting.”