Saturday Morning: 13 Apr 2019 – Ezekiel 37:21-28, John 11:45-56 ~ the plot to kill Jesus

Saturday Morning

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

Opening Sentence:

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O, that today you would pay attention to his voice!
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Reading from the Old Testament – Ezekiel 37:21-28 (NLT)

And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord:

“I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms. They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.

“My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever. I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”
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Reading from the New Testament – John 11:45-56 (NLT)

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”

Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.

So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.

It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”
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“New Covenant” – (Yeshua) Joshua Aaron

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Closing Prayer:

Almighty God: You created the world and all that is in it, and on the seventh day you rested. Thank you for consecrating the seventh day as a day of rest. Help us set aside our “to do lists” and earthly worries, that we may be prepared to enter into the your presence in worship, and there experience a foretaste of your promised eternal rest in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Friday Morning: 12 Apr 2019 – Jeremiah 20:10-11, John 10:31-42 ~ “I am the Son of God”

Friday Morning

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

Opening Sentence:

O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O, that today you would pay attention to his voice!
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Reading from the Old Testament – Jeremiah 20:10-11 (NLT)

I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.” They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.” Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”

But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten.
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Reading from the New Testament – John 10:31-42 (NLT)

Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.
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“Overcome” (Psalm 18) – James Block

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Closing Prayer:

Almighty God: Your beloved Son suffered rejection, pain and crucifixion before he entered into the joy of glory. Grant that we too, walking in the way of the cross, may discover it to be the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

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

Pause to Ponder Holy Week and Easter

Pause to Ponder Holy Week and Easter

Our 2019 New Testament Reading Plan has taken us through the Gospel of John and the Book of Romans. We will continue our reading plan with the Gospel of Mark after Easter on Monday, April 22nd.

Since Holy Week and Easter are only a few days away, it seems right to pause our reading plan in order to ponder the events that forever changed the world and, in turn, forever changed our lives by making us right with God.

Definition of ponder

transitive verb

1 : to weigh in the mind : appraise pondered their chances of success
2 : to think about : reflect on pondered the events of the day

intransitive verb

: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply

We will be following the daily USCCB Lectionary Readings on the days leading up to Easter. Please pause to ponder what God has done for you.

May God transform us into new creations by changing the way we think.
Then we will learn to know God’s will for us,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The Peanut Gallery

Thursday Morning: 11 Apr 2019 – Romans 16:17-27 ~ be wise and stay innocent

Thursday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Romans 16:17-27 (NLT)

Paul’s Final Instructions

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.

Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.

Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.
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Morning Reflection:

The Apostle Paul ends his letter to the Romans with a warning –

“Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith
by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught.
Stay away from them.” – Romans 16:17

How can we identify false teaching, or teachers? By their fruits –

+ False teaching causes conflict within the church.
+ False teaching causes confusion, believers lose their balance, or bearings.
+ False teaching is contrary to the clear teaching of Scripture, it either adds or subtracts from Biblical truth.

We can also identify false teaching, or teachers by their methods –

+ False teachers prey on those who are vulnerable and unsuspecting, e.g new Christians.
+ False teachers are deceptive, disguising themselves as “angels of light.”
+ False teachers are seductive in their speech, appealing to our base human nature.

What’s the GOOD NEWS?

Be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
– Romans 16:20

+ God has given us his Word and Spirit so that we can discern between true and false teachers/teaching.
+ God has given us the power of his Spirit so that we can walk away from false teachers/teaching.
+ The defeat of Satan is certain – Jesus wins!
+ The God of grace and peace is with us.

Questions for your consideration:

  • Can you think of false teachers/teaching that you have encountered? What gave them away? Please explain.
  • How did you respond when you became aware of false teachers/teaching? Please explain.
  • How can you live wisely and innocently? Do you have a plan to immerse yourself in God’s Word and be continually filled with God’s Spirit? Please explain.
  • Does knowing “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” help you to live more confidently? Please explain.

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Morning Prayer:

Loving Father: We are living in days filled with deception – not only in the world, but in the Church; often it’s difficult to know the truth – yet you have told us that if we know the truth, the truth will set us free.

Thank you for freeing me form the bondage of sin and death and planting my feet firmly on the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, Lord, grant me discernment and an understanding heart to know what is good and true, and the ability to identify and reject what is false and deceptive.

Help me to test every spirit to distinguish between truth or the deception that’s being peddled. Give me wisdom and understanding to discern the difference, and to act accordingly. Thank you, Father – you are not a God of confusion, but the God of peace. Give me an understanding heart – in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” – The Master’s Seminary Chorus

 

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and 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.

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

Wednesday Morning: 10 Apr 2019 – Romans 15:22-16:16 ~ pray and remember

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – Romans 15:22-16:16 (NLT)

In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.

Paul’s Travel Plans

But now I have finished my work in these regions, and after all these long years of waiting, I am eager to visit you. I am planning to go to Spain, and when I do, I will stop off in Rome. And after I have enjoyed your fellowship for a little while, you can provide for my journey.

But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially. As soon as I have delivered this money and completed this good deed of theirs, I will come to see you on my way to Spain. And I am sure that when I come, Christ will richly bless our time together.

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. Pray that I will be rescued from those in Judea who refuse to obey God. Pray also that the believers there will be willing to accept the donation I am taking to Jerusalem. Then, by the will of God, I will be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and we will be an encouragement to each other.

And now may God, who gives us his peace, be with you all. Amen.

Paul Greets His Friends

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.

Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.

Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them. Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.
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Morning Reflection & Prayer:

“Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:30

Two themes stand out for me in today’s reading: 1. Paul’s personal prayer requests for his ministry, and 2. Paul’s personal remembrance of many of the believers he has met.

And so, I invite you to reflect and pray along these same lines –

Questions for consideration and prayer:

+ Are you involved in a particular ministry in your church, or community, or somewhere else? Please explain.

  • Pray for its leadership…
  • Pray for clarity of vision…
  • Pray for God to supply its needs…
  • Pray for those it serves…
  • Pray for guidance as to how you can help…

+ Who are the people who have most influenced your life as a believer? Please explain.

  • Give thanks for them…
  • Pray blessing on them in life and death…
  • Pray for provision for their needs…
  • Pray for blessing on all the people they influenced…

+ When you think of believers that you have met over the years, who comes to mind? Please explain.

  • Give thanks for them…
  • Pray for God to meet their needs…
  • Pray for strengthening in faith…
  • Pray for peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…
  • Pray as the Spirit enables you…

All of this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“Great is Thy Faithfulness”

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and 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.

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