Month: December 2023

After Christmas Day | Tuesday 26 Dec 2023: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:19-28; Hebrews 8:1-13 ~ Jesus brings God’s better promise.

After Christmas Day | Tuesday 26 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
you have given your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him,
and to be born of a pure virgin:
Grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the same Spirit
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

“Jesus… brings a better promise  from God
that is based on better guarantees.”
(Hebrews 8:6)

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From the Gospels: Luke 1:46b-55 – The Magnificat – Koine

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 1:19-28 (GW) 

1:19 Early in the morning Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped in front of the Lord. Then they returned home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [God Hears], because she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

Samuel’s Childhood

To keep his vow, Elkanah and his entire household again went to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord. But Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, “I’ll wait until the boy is weaned. Then I’ll bring him and present him to the Lord, and he’ll stay there permanently.”

“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Wait until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord keep his word.” The woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

As soon as she had weaned Samuel, she took him with her. She also brought a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a full wineskin. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh while the boy was ⌞still⌟ a child.

Then the parents butchered the bull and brought the child to Eli. “Sir,” Hannah said, “as sure as you live, I’m the woman who stood here next to you and prayed to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. In return, I am giving him to the Lord. He will be dedicated to the Lord for his whole life.”

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Gaudete, Christus est natus – Christmas Carol  [Good News Gospel]

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NT Reading: Hebrews 8:1-13 (GW)

Jesus’ Priestly Work Is Superior to Other Priests’ Work

8:1 The main point we want to make is this: We do have this kind of chief priest. This chief priest holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic God [the Father] on the heavenly throne. He serves as priest of the holy place and of the true tent set up by the Lord and not by any human.

Every chief priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this chief priest had to offer something. If he were on earth, he would not even be a priest. On earth ⌞other⌟ priests offer gifts by following the instructions that Moses gave. They serve at a place that is a pattern, a shadow, of what is in heaven. When Moses was about to make the tent, God warned him, “Be sure to make everything based on the plan I showed you on the mountain.”

Jesus has been given a priestly work that is superior to the Levitical priests’ work. He also brings a better promise  from God that is based on better guarantees. If nothing had been wrong with the first promise, no one would look for another one. But God found something wrong with his people and said to them,

“The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah. It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, so I ignored them, says the Lord. But this is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ All of them from the least important to the most important will all know me because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them.”

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Infant Holy, Infant Lowly | Elevation Worship

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,  direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ O God, our heavenly Father: Pour out your Spirit on your faithful people in the Middle East, that your Son’s life-giving Gospel may be preached to every tribe and nation. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Set free the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically, and especially those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.

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

Christmas Day | Monday 25 Dec 2023: Isa 52:7-12; Ps 98; Heb 1:1-12; John 1:1-18 ~ The Son’s glory is full of kindness and truth.

Christmas Day | Monday 25 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
you have given your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him,
and to be born of a pure virgin:
Grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the same Spirit
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

“The Word became human and lived among us.
We saw his glory. It was the glory
that the Father shares with his only Son,
a glory full of kindness and truth.”
(John 1:14)

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Joy to the World – 2023 St. Olaf Christmas Festival (Massed Choir & St. Olaf Orchestra)

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From the Prophets: Isaiah 52:7-12 (GW)

52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger
who announces the good news, “All is well.”
He brings the good news,
announces salvation,
and tells Zion that its God rules as king.
Listen! Your watchmen raise their voices
and shout together joyfully.
When the Lord brings Zion back,
they will see it with their own eyes.
Break out into shouts of joy, ruins of Jerusalem.
The Lord will comfort his people.
He will reclaim Jerusalem.
The Lord will show his holy power to all the nations.
All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

Run away! Run away!
Get away from there!
Do not touch anything unclean.
Get away from it!
Make yourselves pure,
you Levites who carry the utensils for the Lord’s temple.

You will not go away in a hurry,
nor will you go away quickly.
The Lord will go ahead of you.
The God of Israel will guard you from behind.

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From the Psalms: Psalm 98 (All the Ends of the Earth) – Francesca LaRosa

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From the Epistles: Heb 1:1-12 (GW)

God Has Spoken to Us Through His Son

1:1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe. His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he now holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic God [the Father] on the heavenly throne.

God’s Son Is Superior to the Angels

1:4 The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs. God never said to any of his angels,

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

And God never said to any of his angels,

“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”

When God was about to send his firstborn Son into the world, he said,

“All of God’s angels must worship him.”

God said about the angels,

“He makes his messengers winds.
He makes his servants flames of fire.”

But God said about his Son,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.
You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong.
That is why God, your God,
anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy.”

God also said,

“Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth.
With your own hands you made the heavens.
They will come to an end, but you will live forever.
They will all wear out like clothes.
They will be taken off like a coat.
You will change them like clothes.
But you remain the same, and your life will never end.”

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O Come All Ye Faithful – Northern Baptist Association

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From the Gospels: John 1:1-18 (GW)

The Word Becomes Human

1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was already with God in the beginning.

Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.

He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.

The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.

God sent a man named John to be his messenger. John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message. John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light.

The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn’t recognize him. He went to his own people, and his own people didn’t accept him. However, he gave the right to become God’s children to everyone who believed in him. These people didn’t become God’s children in a physical way—from a human impulse or from a husband’s desire ⌞to have a child⌟. They were born from God.

The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness  and truth.

(John declared the truth about him when he said loudly, “This is the person about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ ”)

Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is. Laws were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.

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Light of the World – Lauren Daigle [Landon Gingerich]

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,  direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ O God, our heavenly Father: Pour out your Spirit on your faithful people in the Middle East, that your Son’s life-giving Gospel may be preached to every tribe and nation. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Set free the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically, and especially those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.

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

Christmas Eve | Sunday 24 Dec 2023: Isaiah 62:11-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:8-20 ~ “Glory to God in the highest heaven!”

Christmas Eve | Sunday 24 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

O God, you have caused this holy night
to shine with the brightness of the true Light:
Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth,
may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven;
where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns,
one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

“Today your Savior, Christ the Lord,
was born in David’s city.”
(Luke 2:11)

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Once In Royal David’s City (Christmas Carols on ITV 2018)

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From the Prophets: Isaiah 62:11-12 (GW)

62:11 The Lord has announced to the ends of the earth:
“Tell my people Zion,
‘Your Savior is coming.
His reward is with him,
and the people he has won arrive ahead of him.’ ”

They will be called Holy People, Those Reclaimed by the Lord,
and you will be called Sought After, a City Not Deserted.

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From the Psalms: Psalm 97 ~ Ian White

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From the Epistles: Titus 3:4-7 (GW)

3:4 However, when God our Savior made his kindness and love for humanity appear, he saved us, but not because of anything we had done to gain his approval. Instead, because of his mercy he saved us through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal. God poured a generous amount of the Spirit on us through Jesus Christ our Savior. As a result, God in his kindness  has given us his approval and we have become heirs who have the confidence that we have everlasting life.

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Gloria/Angels We Have Heard on High ~ (Casting Crowns)

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From the Gospels: Luke 2:8-20 (GW)

Angels Announce the Birth of Jesus

2:8 Shepherds were in the fields near Bethlehem. They were taking turns watching their flock during the night. An angel from the Lord suddenly appeared to them. The glory of the Lord filled the area with light, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, a message that will fill everyone with joy. Today your Savior, Christ the Lord, was born in David’s city. This is how you will recognize him: You will find an infant wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, a large army of angels appeared with the angel. They were praising God by saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those who have his good will!”

The angels left them and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what the Lord has told us about.”

They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph with the baby, who was lying in a manger. When they saw the child, they repeated what they had been told about him. Everyone who heard the shepherds’ story was amazed.

Mary treasured all these things in her heart and always thought about them.

As the shepherds returned to their flock, they glorified and praised God for everything they had seen and heard. Everything happened the way the angel had told them.

O Holy Night – Fellowship Creative

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Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

Restore us again, O God of hosts;
show us the light of your countenance
and we shall be saved.
Bless and keep us, this night and always.

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

The Season of Advent | 4th Sunday 24 Dec 2023: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 ~ He will be called the Son of God.

The Season of Advent | 4th Sunday 24 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and
with great might come among us;
and as we are sorely hindered by our sins
from running the race that is set before us,
let your bountiful grace and mercy
speedily help and deliver us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The angel answered [Mary],
“The Holy Spirit will come to you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy child developing inside you
will be called the Son of God.”
(Luke 1:35)

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Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne – Parkside Evangelical Church

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From the Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 (GW)

David’s Wish to Build a House for God

7:1 While King David was living in his house, the Lord gave him peace with all his enemies around him. So the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of God remains in the tent.”

Nathan told the king, “Do everything you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.”

But that same night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan: “Say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one who will build me a house to live in? I haven’t lived in a house from the day I took Israel out of Egypt to this day. Instead, I moved around in a tent, the tent ⌞of meeting⌟. In all the places I’ve moved with all the Israelites, did I ever ask any of the judges  of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people Israel why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’

“Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name famous like the names of the greatest people on earth. I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer oppress them as they used to do ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. So I will give you peace with all your enemies. I, the Lord, tell you that I will make a house for you….

7:16 Your royal house will remain in my presence  forever. Your throne will be established forever.’ ”

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From the Gospels: Luke 1:46b-55 Holy Is His Name | Magnificat | Canticle / Song of Mary | John Michael Talbot | Sunday 7pm Choir

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From the Epistles: Romans 16:25-27 (GW)

16:25 God can strengthen you by the Good News and the message I tell about Jesus Christ. He can strengthen you by revealing the mystery that was kept in silence for a very long time but now is publicly known. The everlasting God ordered that what the prophets wrote must be shown to the people of every nation to bring them to the obedience that is associated with faith. God alone is wise. Glory belongs to him through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.

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Gloria in excelsis Deo – Antonio Vivaldi [Eugen Tutunaru]

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Gospel Reading: Luke 1:26-38 (GW)

The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary

1:26 Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.

When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.”

She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.

The angel told her,

“Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor  with God.
You will become pregnant, give birth to a son,
and name him Jesus.
He will be a great man
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his ancestor David.
Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever,
and his kingdom will never end.”

Mary asked the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.”

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.

“Elizabeth, your relative, is six months pregnant with a son in her old age. People said she couldn’t have a child. But nothing is impossible for God.”

Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.”

Then the angel left her.

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Be It Unto Me | Don Moen – Live Worship Sessions

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayers, and grant that in our local assemblies the pure Word of God may be preached and the Sacraments duly administered. Strengthen and confirm the faithful; protect and guide the children; visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked; arouse the careless; recover the fallen; restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement of your truth; and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, especially in the Middle East; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Set free the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically and especially, those who will restore Israel spiritually through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.

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

The Season of Advent | 4th Saturday 23 Dec 2023: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Judges 13:2-24; John 7:40-52 ~ Jesus Messiah from Bethlehem.

The Season of Advent | 4th Saturday 23 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

O Lord Jesus Christ,
you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance
and prepare the way for our salvation:
Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise make ready your way,
by turning the hearts of the disobedient
toward the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world,
we may be found a people acceptable in your sight;
for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Doesn’t Scripture say that the Messiah
will come from the descendants of David and
from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?”
(John 7:42)

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From Psalms: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 – | Catholic Music Initiative

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OT Reading: Judges 13:2-24 (GW) 

13:2 There was a man from Zorah named Manoah. Manoah was from the family of Dan. His wife was not able to have children. The Messenger of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You’ve never been able to have a child, but now you will become pregnant and have a son. Now you must be careful. Don’t drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean food. You’re going to become pregnant and have a son. You must never cut his hair because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.”

The woman went to tell her husband. She said, “A man of God came to me. He had a very frightening appearance like the Messenger of God. So I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. He told me, ‘You’re going to become pregnant and have a son. So don’t drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean food because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from the time he is born until he dies.’ ”

Then Manoah pleaded with the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent come back to us. Let him teach us what we must do for the boy who will be born.”

God did what Manoah asked. The Messenger of God came back to his wife while she was sitting out in the fields. But her husband Manoah was not with her. The woman ran quickly to tell her husband. She said, “The man who came to me the other day has just appeared to me ⌞again⌟.”

Manoah immediately followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?”

“Yes,” he answered.

 Then Manoah asked, “When your words come true, how should the boy live and what should he do?”

The Messenger of the Lord answered Manoah, “Your wife must be careful to do everything I told her to do. She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevines, drink any wine or liquor, or eat any unclean food. She must be careful to do everything I commanded.”

Manoah said to the Messenger of the Lord, “Please stay while we prepare a young goat for you to eat.”

But the Messenger of the Lord responded, “If I stay here, I will not eat any of your food. But if you make a burnt offering, sacrifice it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the Messenger of the Lord.)

Then Manoah asked the Messenger of the Lord, “What is your name? When your words come true, we will honor you.”

The Messenger of the Lord asked him, “Why do you ask for my name? It’s a name that works miracles.”

So Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and sacrificed them to the Lord on a rock he used as an altar. While Manoah and his wife watched, the Lord did something miraculous. As the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Messenger of the Lord went up in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they immediately bowed down with their faces touching the ground.

The Messenger of the Lord didn’t appear again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah knew that this had been the Messenger of the Lord. So Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die because we have seen God.”

But Manoah’s wife replied, “If the Lord wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He would not have let us see or hear all these things just now.”

So the woman had a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

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The Blessing Israel Passages | Erez Dan – Director and Producer, Daniel Berkove – Exec. Producer

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NT Reading: John 7:40-52 (GW)

7:40 After some of the crowd heard Jesus say these words, they said, “This man is certainly the prophet.” Other people said, “This man is the Messiah.” Still other people asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Doesn’t Scripture say that the Messiah will come from the descendants of David and from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?” So the people were divided because of Jesus. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but they couldn’t.

When the temple guards returned, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus?”

The temple guards answered, “No human has ever spoken like this man.”

The Pharisees asked the temple guards, “Have you been deceived too? Has any ruler or any Pharisee believed in him? This crowd is cursed because it doesn’t know Moses’ Teachings.”

One of those Pharisees was Nicodemus, who had previously visited Jesus. Nicodemus asked them, “Do Moses’ Teachings enable us to judge a person without first hearing that person’s side of the story? We can’t judge a person without finding out what that person has done.”

They asked Nicodemus, “Are you saying this because you’re from Galilee? Study ⌞the Scriptures⌟, and you’ll see that no prophet comes from Galilee.”

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O Little Town of Bethlehem – Lyric Video (Chanticleer)

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, our heavenly Father: Pour out your Spirit on your faithful people in the Middle East, that your Son’s life-giving Gospel may be preached to every tribe and nation. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Set free the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically, and especially those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.

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