Summary:
Streaming in for service is convenient and saves time. We hear the same message anyway. Why should we still make the inconvenient effort to gather in church for service? God remembers when we make the effort to come to church to worship Him. While we still can, let us treasure the opportunity to gather. God looks to see how we worship Him and records it down. If our names are recorded in His book of remembrance, isn’t that worth all the inconvenience/trouble?

In some countries, they are not able to gather in church. In some countries, they were able to gather in church and then because the situation worsened, they were once more not able to. Today, we are still able to gather in church.

Mal 3:13-16
13 “Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the LORD, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts? 15 So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’ ” 16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

There are some people we dare not speak up against because they are threatening. But there are some people whom we dare speak back to. We give them a black face and tell them directly that we are unhappy with them. This is because they are not a threat to us. Do we bully those weaker than us? And yet we are like mice before cats toward those we fear. Before God, we ought to be even more careful, because our God is listening to our discussion. These verses even say that the Lord listens and hears.

The most important verse is v16. The Lord doesn’t just listen and hear us. He also records the names of those who fear the Lord in the book of remembrance. Are the names of those who don’t fear the Lord not recorded then? They are, but not in a different book. The work of those who fear the Lord are not in vain; He remembers our deeds. In Revelation it tells us that there are many scrolls before the judgement seat. According to these books, God will judge each and everyone. Those who don’t fear the Lord - their acts will be recorded. And God will also remember those who fear the Lord - their works are not in vain.

Today, God remembers when we make the effort to come to church to worship Him, especially those who come by means of public transport. We may have gotten used to streaming in from home. It takes time and it’s inconvenient to travel to church. Truly, there are many things we can make more convenient in our lives to make our lives easier. But with regards to the things of God, we shouldn’t ‘make it so convenient for ourselves’. If we do, we may not be able to bear the final consequences. We should therefore try our best to travel to church to worship Him. Of course when the pandemic becomes worse and we are no longer able to come to church, then we won’t. But while we still can, let us treasure the opportunity. God looks to see how we worship Him and records it down. If our names are recorded in His book of remembrance, isn’t that worth all the inconvenience/trouble? May God guide us in the 3 days of Spiritual Meeting and pour down His spiritual grace on us.