Does online worship work?
Please click this link for the video version of today's blog :
Silence
1. Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence
2. Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.
Praise and Thanksgiving
1. Think through your day, all the times that made you smile.
2. Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people
3. **Sing a song to praise the Lord
Please click this link to worship with us -
Be with You: City Harvest Church, Singapore
10,000 Reasons
Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method)
1. Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:
“Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
2. Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:
"Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sins to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."
3. John Stott's daily prayer of Christlikeness (Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the fruit of the Spirit. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017, 13)
**Please click this link to read how God used John Stott to change my life:https://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/
"Heavenly Father, I pray that this day I may live in your presence and please you more and more.
Lord Jesus, I pray that this day I may take up my cross and follow you.
Holy Spirit, I pray that this day you will fill me with yourself and cause your fruit to ripen in my life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."
Today's Time with Abba: Psalm 66:1-4, Judges 21:1-25, Ruth 1:1-22;John 4:4-42; Proverbs 14:25
Please click this link for today's Time with Abba one year Bible: http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/
To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link:http://twa.pastoralcareschool.org/
Key passage:
19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
John 4:19-26
Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through today's TWA passages we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to Him.
The topic I received today from Jesus is: Does online worship work?
Started March 2020 when DOVID-19 broke out, for almost two years, most churches had only online worship until some churches returned to in-person worship in January 2022. Our church started to have in person services again in February 2022.
In that first two years of pandemic, no matter how big or small your church is, how glorious or beautiful your church is, the place of worship is not what we can choose for two years. May be what you can choose is which church you are going to have online worship.
Now, back to today's question: Does online worship work?
John 4 is dealing with the same question that the Samaritan woman asked Jesus:
You Jews claim the place we must worship is Jerusalem, so does we as Samaritans worship at Mount Gerizim work?
Jesus told the woman that it is not the place of worship but we must worship God in the Spirit and in truth. It means that we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can be in the presence of God and we need to truly open our hearts and souls to worship God, if not, we are only doing a religious activity.
If we really have the presence of God and truly open our hearts and souls, then we can be able to listen to what Jesus is speaking to us and we can be able to receive the living water from Jesus. We will truly be satisfied and not thirsty!
If you have that kind of worship, then your online worship works!
But, it is almost impossible for us to have that kind of true worship online. Because if that is possible, Jesus did not have to come to this world to have 30 years to worship with His family members and then three years to worship with His spiritual family members, his apostles and disciples.
You really need to go back to your church to worship in person with your spiritual family members!
Now, back to today's question: Does online worship work?
John 4 is dealing with the same question that the Samaritan woman asked Jesus:
You Jews claim the place we must worship is Jerusalem, so does we as Samaritans worship at Mount Gerizim work?
Jesus told the woman that it is not the place of worship but we must worship God in the Spirit and in truth. It means that we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can be in the presence of God and we need to truly open our hearts and souls to worship God, if not, we are only doing a religious activity.
If we really have the presence of God and truly open our hearts and souls, then we can be able to listen to what Jesus is speaking to us and we can be able to receive the living water from Jesus. We will truly be satisfied and not thirsty!
If you have that kind of worship, then your online worship works!
But, it is almost impossible for us to have that kind of true worship online. Because if that is possible, Jesus did not have to come to this world to have 30 years to worship with His family members and then three years to worship with His spiritual family members, his apostles and disciples.
You really need to go back to your church to worship in person with your spiritual family members!
Dear Lord Jesus,
Help us to worship You each week with our spiritual family members and to experience your presence, that we can open our hearts and souls to worship you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.Reflect on these questions:
1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?
2. What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus, to be holy - that is to do what Jesus wants you to do and not to do what Jesus wants you not to do? Family Corner: Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message.
2. What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus, to be holy - that is to do what Jesus wants you to do and not to do what Jesus wants you not to do?
Family Corner:
Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message.
Please click this link to Old Testament Psalm 64 blog: Please click this link to today's Old Testament Judges 15:1-16:31; blog and video: Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 14 blog:
For the Chinese version of this daily blog and video, please click this link (中文版請按此連結):
My first blog "Devotion on Fire" was written in English only (July 17, 2009年7月17日至November 22, 2012年11月22日). Each day one chapter of Bible, from New Testament and then Old Testament. Completed in four months and three years:http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/blessings-from-rev-dr-john-stott.html
My second blog "Discipler 123" was written in both Chinese and English (March 6,2011to December 31, 2016 ):
https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2011/02/day-1-choose-light-away-from-darkness.html
and "Time with Abba" blog and video (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2024):
Please click this link to Old Testament Psalm 64 blog:
Please click this link to today's Old Testament Judges 15:1-16:31; blog and video:
Please click this link to today's Old Testament Proverbs 14 blog:
For the Chinese version of this daily blog and video, please click this link (中文版請按此連結):
My first blog "Devotion on Fire" was written in English only (July 17, 2009年7月17日至November 22, 2012年11月22日). Each day one chapter of Bible, from New Testament and then Old Testament. Completed in four months and three years:
http://bishopsilas.blogspot.com/2009/07/blessings-from-rev-dr-john-stott.html
My second blog "Discipler 123" was written in both Chinese and English (March 6,2011to December 31, 2016 ):
https://discipler123.blogspot.com/2011/02/day-1-choose-light-away-from-darkness.html
and "Time with Abba" blog and video (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2024):
Connecting Workshop 2025(Session 2)
Bishop Silas Ng on Three Streams
Comments
Post a Comment