The Lenten Season | Friday 08 Mar 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Heavenly Father,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless until they rest in you:
Look with compassion
upon the heartfelt desires of your servants,
and purify our disordered affections,
that we may behold your eternal glory
in the face of Christ Jesus;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“[God] planned all of this
so that we who had already
focused our hope on Christ
would praise him and give him glory.”
(Ephesians 1:12)
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From Psalms: Psalm Psalm 107 | Poor Bishop Hooper
give thanks to the lord
for he is good
let the redeemed of the Lord say so
from the north and from the south
from the east and from the west
those he has redeemed he has gathered them
some wandered in desert wastes
hungry thirsty their souls faint
when they cried to the Lord in their trouble
he delivered them
some sat in dark and death
the words of god they rebelled against
when they cried to the Lord in their trouble
he delivered them
let them thank the lord
his love is steadfast
his works are wondrous
to the children of man
some were fools through sinful ways
suffering in their iniquities
then they cried to the Lord in their trouble
he delivered them
then they cried to the Lord in their trouble
he delivered them
some went down to the sea
where they saw gods deeds his works in the deep
there he commanded raised up the wind
lifted the waves mounted them to heaven
their courage melted staggered drunken
they cried to the lord and he delivered them
he made the storm be quiet the waves of the sea were silenced
and they were glad that the waters sat in stillness
let them thank the lord
his love is steadfast
his works are wondrous
to the children of man
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OT Reading: Daniel 12:5-13 (GW)
The Words Are Sealed Up
12:5 When I, Daniel, looked up, I saw two men standing there. One man stood on one side of the river, and the other one stood on the other side. One of them asked the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river, “How long will it be until these miracles are over?” I heard the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river. He raised his right hand and left hand to heaven and swore an oath by the one who lives forever. He said, “It will be for a time, times, and half of a time. When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.”
I heard him, but I did not understand. So I asked him, “Sir, how will these things end?”
He replied, “Go, Daniel. These words are to be kept secret and sealed until the end times. Many will be purified, made white, and refined. But wicked people will do wicked things, and none of them will understand. Only wise people will understand. From the time the daily burnt offering is taken away and the disgusting thing that causes destruction is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed are those who wait until they reach 1,335 days. But go on until the end. You will rest, and you will rise for your inheritance at the end of time.”
__________
𝑳𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒂 𝒅𝒐𝒅𝒊 – 𝒂 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒃𝒂𝒕 | לְכָה דוֹדִי – פיוט לשבת 𝒃𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒘 – 𝑴𝒂𝒂𝒚𝒂𝒏 𝑻𝒛𝒂𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟏 | 12 Tribes Music
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NT Reading: Ephesians 1:7-14 (GW)
1:7 Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness. He poured out his kindness by giving us every kind of wisdom and insight when he revealed the mystery of his plan to us. He had decided to do this through Christ. He planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth. God also decided ahead of time to choose us through Christ according to his plan, which makes everything work the way he intends. 
He planned all of this so that we who had already focused our hope on Christ would praise him and give him glory.
You heard and believed the message of truth, the Good News that he has saved you. In him you were sealed with the Holy Spirit whom he promised. This Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive our inheritance. We have this guarantee until we are set free to belong to him. God receives praise and glory for this.
__________
Is He Worthy? (Andrew Peterson) – by Highrock Church
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+ Our God, in whom we trust: Strengthen us not to regard overmuch who is for us or who is against us, but to see to it that we be with you in everything we do. (Thomas à Kempis)
+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Deliver the hostages from evil and restore their souls. Release from bondage every person connected to the death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And, grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically – and especially to those who will restore Israel spiritually – through Jesus Christ our Lord.
+ Gracious and holy Father, please give me intellect to understand you, reason to discern you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, a spirit to know you, a heart to meditate upon you, ears to hear you, eyes to see you, a tongue to proclaim you, a way of life pleasing to you, patience to wait for you, and perseverance to look for you. Grant me a perfect end, your holy presence, a blessed resurrection, and life everlasting. (Benedict of Nursia)
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
May God our Redeemer
show us compassion and love.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 