Month: June 2020

Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 25 Jun 2020 – Revelation 21, Psalm 147 ~ “See, I am making all things new!”

Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 25 Jun 2020

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

Opening:

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true godliness, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Everyone who conquers will inherit all these blessings,
and I will be his God and he will be my son.”

__________

The Book of Revelation: Chapter 21 (TLB)

21 Then I saw a new earth (with no oceans!) and a new sky, for the present earth and sky had disappeared. And I, John, saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. It was a glorious sight, beautiful as a bride at her wedding.

I heard a loud shout from the throne saying, “Look, the home of God is now among men, and he will live with them and they will be his people; yes, God himself will be among them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”

And the one sitting on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true: It is finished! I am the A and the Z—the Beginning and the End. I will give to the thirsty the springs of the Water of Life—as a gift! Everyone who conquers will inherit all these blessings, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But cowards who turn back from following me, and those who are unfaithful to me, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those conversing with demons, and idol worshipers and all liars—their doom is in the Lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This is the Second Death.”

Then one of the seven angels who had emptied the flasks containing the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come with me and I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

In a vision he took me to a towering mountain peak, and from there I watched that wondrous city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of the skies from God. It was filled with the glory of God and flashed and glowed like a precious gem, crystal clear like jasper. Its walls were broad and high, with twelve gates guarded by twelve angels. And the names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written on the gates. There were three gates on each side—north, south, east, and west. The walls had twelve foundation stones, and on them were written the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

The angel held in his hand a golden measuring stick to measure the city and its gates and walls. When he measured it, he found it was a square as wide as it was long; in fact it was in the form of a cube, for its height was exactly the same as its other dimensions—1,500 miles each way. Then he measured the thickness of the walls and found them to be 216 feet across (the angel called out these measurements to me, using standard units).

The city itself was pure, transparent gold like glass! The wall was made of jasper, and was built on twelve layers of foundation stones inlaid with gems: the first layer with jasper; the second with sapphire; the third with chalcedony; the fourth with emerald; the fifth with sardonyx; the sixth layer with sardus; the seventh with chrysolite; the eighth with beryl; the ninth with topaz; the tenth with chrysoprase; the eleventh with jacinth; the twelfth with amethyst.

The twelve gates were made of pearls—each gate from a single pearl! And the main street was pure, transparent gold, like glass.

No temple could be seen in the city, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are worshiped in it everywhere. And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, for the glory of God and of the Lamb illuminate it. Its light will light the nations of the earth, and the rulers of the world will come and bring their glory to it. Its gates never close; they stay open all day long—and there is no night! And the glory and honor of all the nations shall be brought into it. Nothing evil will be permitted in it—no one immoral or dishonest—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
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The Holy City – Jessye Norman

Last night I lay asleeping
There came a dream so fair
I stood in old Jerusalem
Beside the temple there
I heard the children singing
And ever as they sang
Methought the voice of Angels
From Heaven in answer rang

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
Lift up your gates and sing,
Hosanna in the highest.
Hosanna to your King!”

And then methought my dream was chang’d
The streets no longer rang
Hushed were the glad Hosannas
The little children sang
The sun grew dark with mystery
The morn was cold and chill
As the shadow of a cross arose
Upon a lonely hill

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
Hark! How the Angels sing,
Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna to your King!”

And once again the scene was changed
New earth there seemed to be
I saw the Holy City
Beside the tideless sea
The light of God was on its streets
The gates were open wide
And all who would might enter
And no one was denied
No need of moon or stars by night
Or sun to shine by day
It was the new Jerusalem
That would not pass away

“Jerusalem! Jerusalem
Sing for the night is o’er
Hosanna in the highest
Hosanna for evermore!”
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Morning Prayer – Psalm 147

 Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord! How good it is to sing his praises! How delightful, and how right!

+ God is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing back the exiles.

  • He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds.
  • He counts the stars and calls them all by name.
  • How great he is! His power is absolute! His understanding is unlimited.
  • The Lord supports the humble, but brings the wicked into the dust.

+ Sing out your thanks to him; sing praises to our God, accompanied by harps.

  • He covers the heavens with clouds, sends down the showers, and makes the green grass grow in mountain pastures.
  • He feeds the wild animals, and the young ravens cry to him for food.
  • The speed of a horse is nothing to him. How puny in his sight is the strength of a man.
  • But his joy is in those who reverence him, those who expect him to be loving and kind.

+ Praise him, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!

  • For he has fortified your gates against all enemies and blessed your children.
  • He sends peace across your nation and fills your barns with plenty of the finest wheat.
  • He sends his orders to the world. How swiftly his word flies.
  • He sends the snow in all its lovely whiteness, scatters the frost upon the ground, and hurls the hail upon the earth.
  • Who can stand before his freezing cold? But then he calls for warmer weather, and the spring winds blow and all the river ice is broken.
  • He has made known his laws and ceremonies of worship to Israel — something he has not done with any other nation; they have not known his commands.

+ Hallelujah! Yes, praise the Lord!
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New Jerusalem – Michael Card

I saw the Holy City,
Descending from the sky
So brilliant with the light of God
The city is His bride
There is no temple in this town
No sun, no moon, no lamp
For God’s own glory is it’s light
Illuminated by the Lamb
And God Himself will wipe the tears
From every weeping eye
No death, no pain, no mourning cry
And every tear made dry

And now our God will dwell with them
The new Jerusalem
And He Himself will walk with them
The new Jerusalem

And so let all of those who thirst
Come now and drink for free
And to the one who overcomes
Come now and you will see
Behold the old has passed away
Now everything is new
The Alpha and Omega’s words
Are trustworthy and so true
And God Himself will wipe the tears
From every weeping eye
No death, no pain, no mourning cry
And every tear made dry

And now our God will dwell with them
The new Jerusalem
And He Himself will walk with them
The new Jerusalem
And now our God will dwell with them
The new Jerusalem
And He Himself will walk with them
The new Jerusalem

And He Himself will walk with them
The new Jerusalem
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Closing Revelation 21:3-4 (TLB)

“Look, the home of God is now among men, and he will live with them and they will be his people; yes, God himself will be among them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. All of that has gone forever.”

__________

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

Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 24 Jun 2020 – Revelation 20, Psalm 100 (101) ~ The Final Judgement!

Wednesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 24 Jun 2020

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

Opening:

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true godliness, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Each was judged according to his deeds….
And if anyone’s name was not found recorded in the Book of Life,
he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.”

__________

The Book of Revelation: Chapter 20 (TLB)

20 Then I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key to the bottomless pit and a heavy chain in his hand. He seized the Dragon—that old Serpent, the devil, Satan—and bound him in chains for a thousand years, and threw him into the bottomless pit, which he then shut and locked so that he could not fool the nations anymore until the thousand years were finished. Afterwards he would be released again for a little while.

Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those who had been given the right to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the Creature or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They had come to life again and now they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

This is the First Resurrection. (The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years had ended.) Blessed and holy are those who share in the First Resurrection. For them the Second Death holds no terrors, for they will be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

When the thousand years end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations of the world and gather them together, with Gog and Magog, for battle—a mighty host, numberless as sand along the shore. They will go up across the broad plain of the earth and surround God’s people and the beloved city of Jerusalem on every side. But fire from God in heaven will flash down on the attacking armies and consume them.

Then the devil who had betrayed them will again be thrown into the Lake of Fire burning with sulfur where the Creature and False Prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

And I saw a great white throne and the one who sat upon it, from whose face the earth and sky fled away, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, great and small, standing before God; and The Books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in The Books, each according to the deeds he had done. The oceans surrendered the bodies buried in them; and the earth and the underworld gave up the dead in them. Each was judged according to his deeds. And Death and Hell were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death—the Lake of Fire. And if anyone’s name was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.
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Judgement Day – Stealth

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Morning Prayer – Psalm 100 (101)

Shout with joy before the Lord, O earth! Obey him gladly; come before him and sing his praises!

+ Try to realize what this means—the Lord is God! He made us—we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
+ The Lord is always good. He is always loving and kind, and his faithfulness goes on and on to each succeeding generation.

Sing about his loving-kindness and his justice, Lord; teach us to obey you gladly!

+ Help us, Lord, to walk a blameless path, especially in our own homes, where we long to act as we should.
+ Help us, Lord, to refuse the low and vulgar things; and to have no part in crooked deals of every kind.
+ Help us, Lord, to reject all selfishness and stay away from every evil,  avoiding anyone who slanders his neighbors.

Shout with joy before the Lord, O earth! Sing about his loving-kindness and his justice.

+ Raise the godly in our land, Lord, that we may follow their leadership.
+ Surround us with godly people who can help us walk  in your ways.
+ Ferret out criminals, liars, and deceivers;  and free our land from their grip.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.
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My Weapon – Natalie Grant

__________

Closing Revelation 20:4 (TLB)

Then I saw thrones, and sitting on them were those who had been given the right to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the Creature or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They had come to life again and now they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
__________

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

Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 23 Jun 2020 – Revelation 19 ~ “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”

Tuesday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 23 Jun 2020

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

Opening:

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true godliness, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him;
for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb,
and his bride has prepared herself.

__________

The Book of Revelation: Chapters 19 (TLB)

19 After this I heard the shouting of a vast crowd in heaven, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Salvation is from our God. Honor and authority belong to him alone; for his judgments are just and true. He has punished the Great Prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sin; and he has avenged the murder of his servants.”

Again and again their voices rang, “Praise the Lord! The smoke from her burning ascends forever and forever!”

Then the twenty-four Elders and four Living Beings fell down and worshiped God, who was sitting upon the throne, and said, “Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!”

And out of the throne came a voice that said, “Praise our God, all you his servants, small and great, who fear him.”

Then I heard again what sounded like the shouting of a huge crowd, or like the waves of a hundred oceans crashing on the shore, or like the mighty rolling of great thunder, “Praise the Lord. For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself. She is permitted to wear the cleanest and whitest and finest of linens.” (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)

And the angel dictated this sentence to me: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “God himself has stated this.”

Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, “No! Don’t! For I am a servant of God just as you are, and as your brother Christians are, who testify of their faith in Jesus. Worship God. The purpose of all prophecy and of all I have shown you is to tell about Jesus.”

Then I saw heaven opened and a white horse standing there; and the one sitting on the horse was named Faithful and True—the one who justly punishes and makes war. His eyes were like flames, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on his forehead, and only he knew its meaning. He was clothed with garments dipped in blood, and his title was “The Word of God.” The armies of heaven, dressed in finest linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses.

In his mouth he held a sharp sword to strike down the nations; he ruled them with an iron grip; and he trod the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. On his robe and thigh was written this title: “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

Then I saw an angel standing in the sunshine, shouting loudly to the birds, “Come! Gather together for the supper of the Great God! Come and eat the flesh of kings, and captains, and great generals; of horses and riders; and of all humanity, both great and small, slave and free.”

Then I saw the Evil Creature gathering the governments of the earth and their armies to fight against the one sitting on the horse and his army. And the Evil Creature was captured, and with him the False Prophet, who could do mighty miracles when the Evil Creature was present—miracles that deceived all who had accepted the Evil Creature’s mark, and who worshiped his statue. Both of them—the Evil Creature and his False Prophet—were thrown alive into the Lake of Fire that burns with sulfur.  And their entire army was killed with the sharp sword in the mouth of the one riding the white horse, and all the birds of heaven were gorged with their flesh.
__________

We Will Ride – (Andy Park)

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Morning Prayer

Our sufferings bring acceptance, acceptance brings hope: and our hope will not deceive us, for the Spirit has been poured into our hearts. It is through the same Spirit that we pray:
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.

Help us to realize that our troubles are slight and short-lived; they are as nothing compared with the joy we shall have when we reach our home with you.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.

Come to the lonely, the unloved, those without friends; show them your love, and help them to care for their brothers and sisters.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.

Take away our pride, temper our anger: may we follow you in your gentleness: may you make us humble of heart.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.

Give us the fullness of your Spirit, the Spirit of sonship: make our love for each other generous and sincere.
– Stay with us, Lord, on our journey.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Increase in us, Lord, your gift of faith, so that the praise we offer you may ever yield its fruit from heaven. 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.
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All the Poor and Powerless – All Sons & Daughters

__________

Closing Revelation 19:4-5 (TLB)

“Praise the Lord. For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.”
__________

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

Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 22 Jun 2020 – Revelation 18, Psalm 146 ~ the precipitous fall of Babylon

Monday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time, 22 Jun 2020

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

Opening:

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true godliness, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

But you, O heaven, rejoice over [Babylon’s] fate;
and you, O children of God and the prophets and the apostles!
For at last God has given judgment against her for you.

__________

The Book of Revelation: Chapters 18 (TLB)

The Fall of Babylon

18 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.

He gave a mighty shout, “Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen; she has become a den of demons, a haunt of devils and every kind of evil spirit. For all the nations have drunk the fatal wine of her intense immorality. The rulers of earth have enjoyed themselves with her, and businessmen throughout the world have grown rich from all her luxurious living.”

Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people; do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her crimes. Do to her as she has done to you, and more—give double penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed many a cup of woe for others—give twice as much to her. She has lived in luxury and pleasure—match it now with torments and with sorrows. She boasts, ‘I am queen upon my throne. I am no helpless widow. I will not experience sorrow.’ Therefore the sorrows of death and mourning and famine shall overtake her in a single day, and she shall be utterly consumed by fire; for mighty is the Lord who judges her.”

And the world leaders who took part in her immoral acts and enjoyed her favors will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. They will stand far off, trembling with fear and crying out, “Alas, Babylon, that mighty city! In one moment her judgment fell.”

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. She was their biggest customer for gold and silver, precious stones, pearls, finest linens, purple silks, and scarlet; and every kind of perfumed wood, and ivory goods, and most expensive wooden carvings, and brass, and iron, and marble; and spices, and perfumes, and incense, ointment, and frankincense, wine, olive oil, and fine flour; wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and slaves—and even the souls of men.

“All the fancy things you loved so much are gone,” they cry. “The dainty luxuries and splendor that you prized so much will never be yours again. They are gone forever.”

And so the merchants who have become wealthy by selling her these things shall stand at a distance, fearing danger to themselves, weeping and crying, “Alas, that great city, so beautiful—like a woman clothed in finest purple and scarlet linens, decked out with gold and precious stones and pearls! In one moment, all the wealth of the city is gone!”

And all the shipowners and captains of the merchant ships and crews will stand a long way off, crying as they watch the smoke ascend, and saying, “Where in all the world is there another city such as this?” And they will throw dust on their heads in their sorrow and say, “Alas, alas, for that great city! She made us all rich from her great wealth. And now in a single hour all is gone. . . . ”

But you, O heaven, rejoice over her fate; and you, O children of God and the prophets and the apostles! For at last God has given judgment against her for you.

Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder shaped like a millstone and threw it into the ocean and shouted, “Babylon, that great city, shall be thrown away as I have thrown away this stone, and she shall disappear forever. Never again will the sound of music be there—no more pianos, saxophones, and trumpets. No industry of any kind will ever again exist there, and there will be no more milling of the grain. Dark, dark will be her nights; not even a lamp in a window will ever be seen again. No more joyous wedding bells and happy voices of the bridegrooms and the brides. Her businessmen were known around the world, and she deceived all nations with her sorceries. And she was responsible for the blood of all the martyred prophets and the saints.”
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Morning Prayer of Praise – Psalm 146 (TLB)

Praise the Lord! Yes, really praise him! I will praise him as long as I live, yes, even with my dying breath.

Don’t look to men for help; their greatest leaders fail; for every man must die. His breathing stops, life ends, and in a moment all he planned for himself is ended. But happy is the man who has the God of Jacob as his helper, whose hope is in the Lord his God— the God who made both earth and heaven, the seas and everything in them. He is the God who keeps every promise, who gives justice to the poor and oppressed and food to the hungry. He frees the prisoners and opens the eyes of the blind; he lifts the burdens from those bent down beneath their loads. For the Lord loves good men. He protects the immigrants and cares for the orphans and widows. But he turns topsy-turvy the plans of the wicked.

The Lord will reign forever. O Jerusalem, your God is King in every generation! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
__________

Morning Prayer

Almighty Father, the heavens cannot hold your greatness: yet through your Son we have learned to say:
– Father, may your Kingdom come!

We praise you as your children; may your name be kept holy in the hearts of all mankind.
– Father, may your Kingdom come!

Help us to live in the hope of heaven today: make us ready to do your will on earth.
– Father, may your Kingdom come!

Give us this day the courage to forgive others: as you forgive us our trespasses.
– Father, may your Kingdom come!

Father, be with us in all our trials: do not allow us to fall away from you.
– Father, may your Kingdom come!

Lord God, who entrusted the earth to men to till it and care for it, and made the sun to serve their needs: give us grace this day to work faithfully for your glory and for our neighbors’ good. 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.
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Let Your Kingdom Come – Sovereign Grace

Closing Revelation 18:4-5 (TLB)

“Come away from [Babylon], my people; do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her crimes.”
__________

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

The 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 21 Jun 2020 – Matthew 10:26-33, Psalm 69:1-15, Jeremiah 20:7-13, Rom 5:15-17 ~ “I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.”

The 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 21 Jun 2020

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

Opening:

Lord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name, increase in us true godliness, nourish us with all goodness, and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul.
Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

__________

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God (Virtual Choir #4) –

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A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 10:16-33 (NLT)

“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

“A brother will betray his brother to death, a father will betray his own child, and children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed. And all nations will hate you because you are my followers. But everyone who endures to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.

“Students are not greater than their teacher, and slaves are not greater than their master. Students are to be like their teacher, and slaves are to be like their master. And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names!

“But don’t be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!

Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
__________

“Whom Shall I Fear” – Chris Tomlin
–

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A Reading from the Old Testament: Jeremiah 20:7-13 (TLB)

O Lord, you deceived me when you promised me your help. I have to give them your messages because you are stronger than I am, but now I am the laughingstock of the city, mocked by all. You have never once let me speak a word of kindness to them; always it is disaster and horror and destruction. No wonder they scoff and mock and make my name a household joke. And I can’t quit! For if I say I’ll never again mention the Lord—never more speak in his name—then his word in my heart is like fire that burns in my bones, and I can’t hold it in any longer. Yet on every side I hear their whispered threats and am afraid. “We will report,” they say. Even those who were my friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”

But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior, and before him, the Mighty, Terrible One, they shall stumble. They cannot defeat me; they shall be shamed and thoroughly humiliated, and they shall have a stigma upon them forever. O Lord Almighty, who knows those who are righteous and examines the deepest thoughts of hearts and minds, let me see your vengeance on them. For I have committed my cause to you. Therefore, I will sing out in thanks to the Lord! Praise him! For he has delivered me, poor and needy, from my oppressors.
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Morning Prayer: Psalm 69:1-15 Living Bible (TLB)

Save me, O my God. The floods have risen. Deeper and deeper I sink in the mire; the waters rise around me. I have wept until I am exhausted; my throat is dry and hoarse; my eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to act. I cannot even count all those who hate me without cause. They are influential men, these who plot to kill me though I am innocent. They demand that I be punished for what I didn’t do.

O God, you know so well how stupid I am, and you know all my sins. O Lord God of the armies of heaven, don’t let me be a stumbling block to those who trust in you. O God of Israel, don’t let me cause them to be confused, though I am mocked and cursed and shamed for your sake. Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me! My zeal for God and his work burns hot within me. And because I advocate your cause, your enemies insult me even as they insult you. How they scoff and mock me when I mourn and fast before the Lord! How they talk about me when I wear sackcloth to show my humiliation and sorrow for my sins! I am the talk of the town and the song of the drunkards. But I keep right on praying to you, Lord. For now is the time—you are bending down to hear! You are ready with a plentiful supply of love and kindness. Now answer my prayer and rescue me as you promised. Pull me out of this mire. Don’t let me sink in. Rescue me from those who hate me, and from these deep waters I am in.

Don’t let the floods overwhelm me or the ocean swallow me; save me from the pit that threatens me.
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I Will Trust In You – Gary Oliver

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Closing – Romans 5:15-17 (NLT)

The sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen