Advent Prayer: 3rd Tuesday 15 Dec 2020
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
+ O God, most high and most near, you send glad tidings to the lowly, you hide not your face from the poor; those who dwell in darkness you call into the light.
+ Take away our blindness, remove the hardness of our hearts, and form us into a humble people, that, at the advent of your Son, we may recognize him in our midst and find joy in his saving presence.
+ We ask this through him whose coming is certain, whose day draws near: your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
“What God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer,
he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out,
that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
and that he may send the Christ appointed for you.”
(Acts 3:18-20)
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“Psalm 125″ [A Song of Ascents.]
The Lord Surrounds His People
Those Who Trust (Psalm 125) – The Worship Circle
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Old Testament Reading: 2 Kings 2:9-22 (ESV)
When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.” And he said, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.” And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And he saw him no more.
Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah
Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him opposite them, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. And they said to him, “Behold now, there are with your servants fifty strong men. Please let them go and seek your master. It may be that the Spirit of the Lord has caught him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send.” But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send.” They sent therefore fifty men. And for three days they sought him but did not find him. And they came back to him while he was staying at Jericho, and he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”
Now the men of the city said to Elisha, “Behold, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees, but the water is bad, and the land is unfruitful.” He said, “Bring me a new bowl, and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him. Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt in it and said, “Thus says the Lord, I have healed this water; from now on neither death nor miscarriage shall come from it.” So the water has been healed to this day, according to the word that Elisha spoke.
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“Days of Elijah” – Robin Mark
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New Testament Reading: Acts 3:17-4:4 (ESV)
“And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. 
Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
Peter and John Before the Council
And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
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Revive Us Again – Phil Wickham
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Prayer:
Almighty and merciful God, revive us again:
+ that we may renounce the devil and all the spiritual forces of wickedness that rebel against Your rule and reign…
+ that we may renounce the empty promises and deadly deceits of this world that corrupt and destroy Your creatures…
+ that we may renounce the sinful desires of the flesh that draw us away from Your unfailing love…
+ that we may readily confess Your Son Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior…
+ that we may joyfully receive Your Word as revealed in the holy Scriptures…
+ that we may obediently follow Your commandments and walk in Your ways…
Almighty and merciful God, revive us again:
+ that we may be steadfast in faith, joyful through hope, and rooted in love, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 