God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.—John 4:24
Jesus tells us… You’ve heard people say things like, “She sings like an angel.” But did you know that you really can sing with the angels? When you worship Me in spirit and truth, your voice joins with choirs of angels who are always praising Me. While you can’t hear their voices, I hear every word of your worship and praise. To worship in spirit and in truth means that you truly worship Me. You don’t just go through the motions—sitting and standing at the right times, closing your eyes to pray. It means that your heart and your spirit are really praising Me, because you know I am the All-Powerful God.
Jesus encourages us… When you truly worship Me, it opens the way to My Heart. Then My blessings rain down on you. And the greatest blessing of all is simply being near Me.
John 4:23; Psalm 100:4 Study Notes
Footnotes John 4:20-24 The woman brought up a popular theological issue—the correct place to worship. But her question was a smoke screen to keep Jesus away from her deepest need. Jesus directed the conversation to a much more important point: The location of worship is not nearly as important as the attitude of the worshipers.
Passage Psalms 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Footnotes Psalms 100:4 God alone is worthy of being worshiped. What is your attitude toward worship? Do you willingly and joyfully come into God’s presence, or are you just going through the motions, reluctantly going to church? This psalm tells us to remember God’s goodness and dependability, and then to worship with thanksgiving and praise! Psalms 101 Study Notes 101:1-8 David may have written this psalm early in his reign as king as he set down the standards he wanted to follow. David knew that to lead a blameless life he would need God’s help (101:2). We can lead blameless lives if we avoid (1) looking at wickedness—anything vile or vulgar (101:3), (2) evil thoughts or associates (101:4), (3) slander (101:5), and (4) pride (101:5).
If we look for Jesus…we will see His Story!
REVEREND JOHN ROBINSON & HIS 120 PARISHNERS,
LAND AT PLYMOUTH ROCK LIVING BY THE PASSAGE OF EZRA 8:21,
WHERE EZRA LED THE REMNANT OF JEWS FROM EXILE TO GOD’S PROMISED LAND, AFTER HAVING ABANDONING THEIR LORD, THROUGH REPENTANCE.
The replica Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts today
THE PILGRIMS FOUNDING OF THE NEW WORLD AT PLYMOUTH ROCK
ABOARD THE MAYFLOWER SEPTEMBER 22TH 1620
THE EVENT
After King Henry VIII severed ties with Rome and appointed himself head of the Church of England in 1553, three groups of Protestants emerged: (1) Anglicans who continued the traditions of their church; (2) Puritans who wanted to work within Anglicanism to reform and purify it; and (3) Puritans who were Separatists and dissenters determined to establish their own independent congregations. “Harried out of the land” by various British monarchs. Many of them had fled to Holland, where one Leyden congregation, led by Rev. John Robinson, flourished and tripled in size.1 But these dissenters grew concerned at how easily their children were being assimilated into the Dutch culture. They were strangers in the land. Somehow an idea arose in their hearts to immigrate to the New World, where they could establish a colony to freely pursue their English customs while retaining religious liberty.
THE EVENT - Read More
Many of them had fled to Holland, where one Leyden congregation, led by Rev. John Robinson, flourished and tripled in size.1 But these dissenters grew concerned at how easily their children were being assimilated into the Dutch culture. They were strangers in the land. Somehow an idea arose in their hearts to immigrate to the New World, where they could establish a colony to freely pursue their English customs while retaining religious liberty. It was a breath-taking idea. Robinson led his church in an emotional send-off. About 125 church members had signed up for the first voyage, with the rest planning to come later. Robinson proclaimed “a day of solemn humiliation” on which he delivered a passionate sermon based on Ezra 8:21, which is about Ezra leading the remnant of Jews from exile to the promised land. Robinson’s text apparently encompassed the following verses of that chapter: Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So, we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. (vv. 21–23) Robinson didn’t choose this passage at random. The eighth chapter of Ezra tells the story of Ezra’s leading a remnant of Jewish pilgrims back to the promised land of Israel from their exile in Babylon. It would be a hard and dangerous trip, but Ezra wanted to direct the hearts and minds of his people to the protective hand of the God who was leading them. Robinson must have felt like a modern-day Ezra, and, indeed, in many ways he was.
JESUS WAITING THERE
Midway through the voyage on September 22, they read the scripture for the day and felt it was placed in the Bible just for them. It was Psalm 107:30 So He guides them to their desired haven. Verses 23–31 say: Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
THE EVENT - Read More
Many of them had fled to Holland, where one Leyden congregation, led by Rev. John Robinson, flourished and tripled in size.1 But these dissenters grew concerned at how easily their children were being assimilated into the Dutch culture. They were strangers in the land. Somehow an idea arose in their hearts to immigrate to the New World, where they could establish a colony to freely pursue their English customs while retaining religious liberty. It was a breath-taking idea. Robinson led his church in an emotional send-off. About 125 church members had signed up for the first voyage, with the rest planning to come later. Robinson proclaimed “a day of solemn humiliation” on which he delivered a passionate sermon based on Ezra 8:21, which is about Ezra leading the remnant of Jews from exile to the promised land. Robinson’s text apparently encompassed the following verses of that chapter: Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the road, because we had spoken to the king, saying, “The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him.” So, we fasted and entreated our God for this, and He answered our prayer. (vv. 21–23) Robinson didn’t choose this passage at random. The eighth chapter of Ezra tells the story of Ezra’s leading a remnant of Jewish pilgrims back to the promised land of Israel from their exile in Babylon. It would be a hard and dangerous trip, but Ezra wanted to direct the hearts and minds of his people to the protective hand of the God who was leading them. Robinson must have felt like a modern-day Ezra, and, indeed, in many ways he was.
JESUS WAITING THERE
Midway through the voyage on September 22, they read the scripture for the day and felt it was placed in the Bible just for them. It was Psalm 107:30 So He guides them to their desired haven. Verses 23–31 say: Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
JESUS WAITING THERE - Read More
Midway through the voyage on September 22, they read the scripture for the day and felt it was placed in the Bible just for them. It was Psalm 107:30 So He guides them to their desired haven. Verses 23–31 say: Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, they see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!