Thursday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time, 04 Jun 2020

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Opening:

Lord God, let the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon us, so that we may hold fast to your will with fidelity and show it forth in a holy life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.”

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A Reading from the Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 4:1-16 (NLT)

Warnings against False Teachers

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

They will say it is wrong to be married and wrong to eat certain foods. But God created those foods to be eaten with thanks by faithful people who know the truth. Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks. For we know it is made acceptable by the word of God and prayer.

A Good Servant of Christ Jesus

If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.

Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.
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Morning Prayer: (excerpts Psalm 104)

O Lord my God: You are the Creator and Sustainer of all thing in heaven and on earth.

+ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise God to my last breath!

You are robed with honor and with majesty and light! You bound the world together so that it would never fall apart.

You spoke, and at the sound of your shout the water collected into its vast ocean beds, and mountains rose and valleys sank to the levels you decreed. And then you set a boundary for the seas so that they would never again cover the earth. You send rain upon the mountains and fill the earth with fruit. The tender grass grows up at your command to feed the cattle, and there are fruit trees, vegetables, and grain for man to cultivate… and bread to give him strength.

+ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise God to my last breath!

You assigned the moon to mark the months and the sun to mark the days. You send the night and darkness, when all the forest folk come out. Then the young lions roar for their food, but they are dependent on the Lord. At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest, and men go off to work until the evening shadows fall again. O Lord, what a variety you have made! And in wisdom you have made them all! The earth is full of your riches.

+ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise God to my last breath!

May you be pleased by all my thoughts about you, for you are the source of all my joy -I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Creator, Sustainer (Psalm 104) – Yvonne Lyon] | Matt Searles

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Closing: 1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NLT)

Train yourself to be godly. Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.