After Pentecost | Tuesday 10 Sep 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O Lord God, grant your people grace
to withstand the temptations of
the world, the flesh, and the devil,
and with pure hearts and minds to follow you,
the only God;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
“God disciplines us for our own good
so that we can become holy like him.”
(Hebrews 12:10b)
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From Psalms: Psalm 73:1-20 | (Forever Be Sure)
OT Reading: Proverbs 11:1-31 (GW)
The Value of Righteousness
11:1 Dishonest scales are disgusting to the Lord,
but accurate weights are pleasing to him.
Arrogance comes,
then comes shame,
but wisdom remains with humble people.
Integrity guides decent people,
but hypocrisy leads treacherous people to ruin.
Riches are of no help on the day of fury,
but righteousness saves from death.
The righteousness of innocent people makes their road smooth,
but wicked people fall by their own wickedness.
Decent people are saved by their righteousness,
but treacherous people are trapped by their own greed.
At the death of a wicked person, hope vanishes.
Moreover, his confidence in strength vanishes.
A righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and a wicked person takes his place.
With his talk a godless person can ruin his neighbor,
but righteous people are rescued by knowledge.
When righteous people prosper, a city is glad.
When wicked people die, there are songs of joy.
With the blessing of decent people a city is raised up,
but by the words of wicked people, it is torn down.
A person who despises a neighbor has no sense,
but a person who has understanding keeps quiet.
Whoever gossips gives away secrets,
but whoever is trustworthy in spirit can keep a secret.
A nation will fall when there is no direction,
but with many advisers there is victory.
Whoever guarantees a stranger’s loan will get into trouble,
but whoever hates the closing of a deal remains secure.
A gracious woman wins respect,
but ruthless men gain riches.
A merciful person helps himself,
but a cruel person hurts himself.
A wicked person earns dishonest wages,
but whoever spreads righteousness earns honest pay.
As righteousness leads to life,
so whoever pursues evil finds his own death.
Devious people are disgusting to the Lord,
but he is delighted with those whose ways are innocent.
Certainly, an evil person will not go unpunished,
but the descendants of righteous people will escape.
⌞Like⌟ a gold ring in a pig’s snout,
⌞so⌟ is a beautiful woman who lacks good taste.
The desire of righteous people ends only in good,
but the hope of wicked people ends only in fury.
One person spends freely and yet grows richer,
while another holds back what he owes and yet grows poorer.
A generous person will be made rich,
and whoever satisfies others will himself be satisfied.
People will curse the one who hoards grain,
but a blessing will be upon the head of the one who sells it.
Whoever eagerly seeks good searches for good will,
but whoever looks for evil finds it.
Whoever trusts his riches will fall,
but righteous people will flourish like a green leaf.
Whoever brings trouble upon his family inherits ⌞only⌟ wind,
and that stubborn fool becomes a slave to the wise in heart.
The fruit of a righteous person is a tree of life,
and a winner of souls is wise.
If the righteous person is rewarded on earth,
how much more the wicked person and the sinner!
__________
Deliver Us from Evil – Eric Lee Brumley
Jesus taught us how to pray
And the words that we should say
Not my will but Yours be done come now and rescue us
Deliver us from evil
Deliver us we pray
Deliver us from evil
Make straight the way
Who can stand before the Lord?
If our God is for us
Nothing can overcome,
the children of the light
Deliver us from evil
Deliver us we pray
Deliver us from evil
Make straight the way
Deliver us from evil
Deliver us we pray
Deliver us from evil
Make straight the way
Get back, get gone, get behind me
Get back get, gone get behind me
Get back, get gone, get behind me
Get back, get gone, get behind me
Get back, get gone, get behind me
__________
NT Reading: Hebrews 12:3-13 (GW)
12:3 Think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become tired and give up.
You struggle against sin, but your struggles haven’t killed you. You have forgotten the encouraging words that God speaks to you as his children:
“My child, pay attention when the Lord disciplines you.
Don’t give up when he corrects you.
The Lord disciplines everyone he loves.
He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.”
Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. If you aren’t disciplined like the other children, you aren’t part of the family. On earth we have fathers who disciplined us, and we respect them. Shouldn’t we place ourselves under the authority of God, the father of spirits, so that we will live? For a short time our fathers disciplined us as they thought best. Yet, God disciplines us for our own good so that we can become holy like him. We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy. But later on, those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right.
Strengthen your tired arms and weak knees. Keep walking along straight paths so that your injured leg won’t get worse. Instead, let it heal.
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CeCe Winans – Goodness of God
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+ 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.
+ Go before us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, through your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
-
- Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
- Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically;
- Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
- Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones;
- Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
- Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the October 7th atrocities;
- Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
- Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
- Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
- Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Thomas à Kempis
+ 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. Amen.
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Peanut Gallery 