I still believe going to church is important, but declining attendance numbers across America say a lot of people think differently. It seems to me, when we worship, we are putting ourselves in a place where a wind of the life-changing power of God’s Holy Spirit can blow on us. Now I know that God’s Spirit can blow where He wants to. You can worship in a different setting other than the church, but the testimony of history and the majority of the people I know who have been saved is that the powerful wind of God’s Spirit first blew when they were at a worship service with other believers. The church was born when the followers of Jesus were gathered in one place. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together and suddenly the blowing of an unexplainable, violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting and the wind of God’s Spirit blew over them and thousands were healed and changed. Jesus said in John 3:8, “The wind blows where it wills.” When the wind blows on you, it will change your life. It may not blow powerfully on you every Sunday, but it is blowing on somebody. That is why you don’t want to miss being present because you never know when it is your turn for the wind of God’s Spirit of love, healing, and mercy to blow on you.
– Dr. Tim Thompson