04/05/23 THE BLESSING OF LIVESTREAM

04/05/23 THE BLESSING OF LIVESTREAM

When government overreach and actual sickness was causing people to stay away from church meetings, I was glad for the opportunity to add Live Streaming to our services. This way we could continue to meet in-person and also reach folks who were not able to attend in-person meetings.

I have had my own physical ailments that put me in the hospital and then made me home-bound for awhile. On Thanksgiving Day last year, I was in the hospital in New Bern, and unable to be with my family and church folks. From my hospital room, Martha and I tuned into the service in Williston. It was such an awesome blessing. After getting home from the hospital, there were times that I was not strong enough to get to an in-person meeting, but I was able to preach and teach online. Again, Live Streaming was an enormous blessing.
With all of the strange sicknesses in these difficult days, sometimes believers need to stay home, either for their own recovery or to keep from spreading sickness to other church folks. As pastor, I have cherished the online fellowship with shut-ins and with folks who are separated by miles.

Some folks took a bad attitude toward Live Streaming services when it first started. I did not. I was blessed and I know some other folks were blessed with online ministry. Some of the folks who were the most negative concerning online services have become willing captives, neglecting or avoiding in-person gatherings, often for the wrong reasons.

One of the great dangers with online services is that some folks find it more convenient to stay home, rather than get up, get dressed, travel a distance. It is also cheaper to stay home than to drive to a local gathering in these days of expensive fuel. This all takes a toll on folks. It is especially detrimental to the children and family members who are kept home because those in charge choose not to go.

Yes, there are legitimate reasons to miss service sometimes. But far too often people opt for the comfy sofa in their living room today. It is one thing to miss a gathering because of actual reasons, it is another to be deceived by Satan into just staying home because you don't really want to be gathered with others, for whatever supposed reason.

The devil does not want folks to gather together. He especially wants to keep children, young people and other members of family away from gathering together.

Online services are a great benefit for the truly needy. Don't use this option to avoid meeting with others. There is a special presence of God in an in-person meeting. Sitting at home has its own distractions and it is an easy way to shut out the personal and intimate work of the Holy Spirit.