The Lenten Season | Friday 15 Mar 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Gracious Father,
whose blessed Son Jesus Christ
came down from heaven to be
the true bread which gives life to the world:
Evermore give us this bread,
that he may live in us, and we in him;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
We can go confidently
to the throne of God’s kindness
to receive mercy and find kindness,
which will help us at the right time.
(Hebrews 4:16)
__________
From Psalms: Psalm Psalm 51 // Have Mercy | Caroline Cobb
__________
OT Reading: Exodus 30:1-10 (GW)
The Altar for Incense
30:1 ⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Build an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense. Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high. The horns and altar must be made out of one piece ⌞of wood⌟. Cover all of it with pure gold—the top, the sides, and the horns. Put a gold molding around it. Make two gold rings, and put them below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles for carrying it. Make the poles out of acacia wood, and cover them with gold. Put the altar in front of the canopy which ⌞hangs⌟ over the ark containing the words of my promise. I will meet with you there in front of the throne of mercy that is on the ark.
“Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on this altar every morning when he takes care of the lamps. Also, when Aaron lights the lamps at dusk, he must burn incense. For generations to come an incense offering must burn constantly in the Lord’s presence.
“Never burn any unauthorized incense on this altar or any burnt offerings or grain offerings. Never pour a wine offering on it. Once a year Aaron must make peace with the Lord by putting blood on its horns. Once a year—for generations to come—blood from the offering must be placed on the altar to make peace with the Lord. It is most holy to the Lord.”
__________
RACHEM (Mercy) – Transliteration // Levi Life Music
__________
NT Reading: Hebrews 4:14-5:4 (GW)
Christ Is Superior to Other Chief Priests
4:14 We need to hold on to our declaration of faith: We have a superior chief priest who has gone through the heavens. That person is Jesus, the Son of God. We have a chief priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses. He was tempted in every way that we are, but he didn’t sin. 
So we can go confidently to the throne of God’s kindness to receive mercy and find kindness, which will help us at the right time.
Every chief priest is chosen from humans to represent them in front of God, that is, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin. The chief priest can be gentle with people who are ignorant and easily deceived, because he also has weaknesses. Because he has weaknesses, he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins in the same way that he does for the sins of his people.
No one takes this honor for himself. Instead, God calls him as he called Aaron.
__________
Before the Throne of God Above – Selah / Worship Videos
__________
+ Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+ 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. 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 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 