Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Tue, 25 July – 2 Kings16-20 ~ banished from God’s presence

Reading, Reflection & Prayer

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

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Please Read: 2 Kings 16-20 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Living God, help us to find ourselves in this reading of your Word, that we may truly understand what is happening today in our world; that, understanding, we may believe, and, believing, we may follow in all faithfulness and obedience, seeking your honor and glory in all that we do; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Banishment

2 Kings 17:13-20 (NLT) – Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel and Judah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees—the entire law that I commanded your ancestors to obey, and that I gave you through my servants the prophets.”

But the Israelites would not listen. They were as stubborn as their ancestors who had refused to believe in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors, and they despised all his warnings. They worshiped worthless idols, so they became worthless themselves. They followed the example of the nations around them, disobeying the Lord’s command not to imitate them.

They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven. They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.

Because the Lord was very angry with Israel, he swept them away from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained in the land. But even the people of Judah refused to obey the commands of the Lord their God, for they followed the evil practices that Israel had introduced. The Lord rejected all the descendants of Israel. He punished them by handing them over to their attackers until he had banished Israel from his presence.

Syncretism

2 Kings 17:32-34 (NLT) – These new residents worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests to offer sacrifices at their places of worship. And though they worshiped the Lord, they continued to follow their own gods according to the religious customs of the nations from which they came. And this is still going on today. They continue to follow their former practices instead of truly worshiping the Lord and obeying the decrees, regulations, instructions, and commands he gave the descendants of Jacob, whose name he changed to Israel.

Faithfulness

2 Kings 18:5-8 (NLT) – Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before or after his time. He remained faithful to the Lord in everything, and he carefully obeyed all the commands the Lord had given Moses. So the Lord was with him, and Hezekiah was successful in everything he did. He revolted against the king of Assyria and refused to pay him tribute. He also conquered the Philistines as far distant as Gaza and its territory, from their smallest outpost to their largest walled city.

Intercession

2 Kings 19:14-19 (NLT) – After Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it, he went up to the Lord’s Temple and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed this prayer before the Lord: “O Lord, God of Israel, you are enthroned between the mighty cherubim! You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth. You alone created the heavens and the earth. Bend down, O Lord, and listen! Open your eyes, O Lord, and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words of defiance against the living God.

“It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Deliverance

2 Kings 19:35-36 (NLT) – That night the angel of the Lord went out to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers. When the surviving Assyrians woke up the next morning, they found corpses everywhere. Then King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and returned to his own land. He went home to his capital of Nineveh and stayed there.

Respite

2 Kings 20:16-20 (NLT) – Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Listen to this message from the Lord: The time is coming when everything in your palace—all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now—will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.”

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “This message you have given me from the Lord is good.” For the king was thinking, “At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.”

The rest of the events in Hezekiah’s reign, including the extent of his power and how he built a pool and dug a tunnel to bring water into the city, are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Judah.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen.
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“Manifesto” – The City Harmonic

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, 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.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Mon, 24 July – Leviticus 19-21 ~ you must be holy

Reading, Reflection & Prayer

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

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Please Read: Leviticus 19-21 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

“Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:22b‭-‬23 (NLT)

Lord God: In your loving-kindness, you gave us your Son, Jesus Christ, to free us from sin and death; he came into our world not to condemn us, but to save all who put their faith and trust in him.

I bind this today to me forever: By power of faith, Christ’s incarnation; His baptism in Jordan river, His death on Cross for my salvation; His bursting from the spicèd tomb, His riding up the heavenly way, His coming at the day of doom. I bind unto myself today. [“St. Patrick’s Lorica” translated by Cecil Alexander (1889)]

Holiness in Personal Conduct

Leviticus 19:1-2 (NLT) – The Lord also said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the entire community of Israel. You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy….”

Respect God: “I am the Lord your God.”

+ Keep the Sabbath days of rest, and show reverence toward my sanctuary
+ Respect my name; respect the living God; do not trust idols or images

Respect Others: “love your neighbor”

+ love your mother and father; show respect for the aged; don’t nurse hatreds for relatives, but confront people directly
+ respect the poor and disabled; deal honestly in business; pay wages promptly; use honest weights and measures; and respect other people’s property
+ speak the truth; seek justice; don’t slander your neighbor, but defend your neighbor when his life is threatened
+ don’t practice fortune-telling or witchcraft; don’t defile yourselves by turning to mediums or to those who consult the spirits of the dead
+ treat foreigners who live among you like native-born Israelites, and love them as you love yourself

Punishments for Disobedience

Leviticus 20:1-2 (NLT) – The Lord said to Moses, “Give the people of Israel these instructions, which apply both to native Israelites and to the foreigners living in Israel.

“If any of them offer their children as a sacrifice to Molech, they must be put to death….”

Capital Offenses:

+ the sacrifice of children; dishonoring parents; adultery; incest; homosexuality; sex with animals; consulting mediums and spirits of the dead

Leviticus 20:7 (NLT) – So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your God. Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy.

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT)

Lord Jesus: Thank you for being both our great High Priest; you understand our weaknesses, and you sacrificed yourself – once and for all – to take away our sins. Forgive us and make us clean; and fill us with your Spirit that we might live holy, godly lives as faithful witnesses to your love, your mercy and your grace. Amen.
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“Forgiven” – Sanctus Real

Well the past is playing with my head | And failure knocks me down again | I’m reminded of the wrong | That I have said and done | And that devil just wont let me forget

My mistakes are running through my mind | And I’ll relive my days, in the middle of the night | When I wrestle with my pain, struggle with my pride | Sometimes I feel alone, and I cry

When I don’t fit in and I don’t feel like I belong anywhere | When I don’t measure up to much in this life | Oh, I’m a treasure in the arms of Christ | ‘Cause I’m forgiven
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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

7th Sunday after Pentecost: 23 July – Matthew 13: 24-43 ~ God will sort it all out

7th Sunday after Pentecost

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

Opening Prayer

O God, patient and forbearing, you alone know fully the goodness of what you have made. Strengthen our spirit when we are slow and temper our zeal when we are rash, that in your own good time you may produce in us a rich harvest from the seed you have sown and tended. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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“Indescribable” – Chris Tomlin

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Reading: Matthew 13: 24-43 (NLT)

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

“The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

“‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

“‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Parable of the Yeast

Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”

Parable of the Wheat and Weeds Explained

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”

Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!
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Intercessory Prayer

Heavenly Father: Fill us with your Spirit, that we might know how to pray –

+ For all believers who try to live faithfully, that they may have the grace to rise above the evil around them…. Lord, hear us.

+ For an end to war and all forms of conflict, that believers everywhere might live peaceful, quiet lives with dignity…. Lord, hear us.

+ For believers who suffer under oppression and persecution, that they may see justice done, in your time…. Lord, hear us.

+ For those among us who are finding life difficult, that the goodness of believing friends may bring them through…. Lord, hear us.

+ For all who lack the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter, that you may send help their way, through the efforts of believers…. Lord, hear us.

+ For those whose earthly journey is over, especially those who have lost children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters due to famine, violence and war…. Lord, hear us.

God of love and compassion, you do marvelous deeds: attend to our prayers and have mercy on us, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Before the throne of God above” – Kingsway Music

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Concluding Prayer – Romans 8:38-39

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Sat, 22 July – Colossians 3-4 ~ set your sights on the realities of heaven

Reading, Reflection & Prayer

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

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Reading: Colossians 3-4 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Think About The Things Of Heaven

Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT) – Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Lord God: You have claimed me as your own through faith and baptism, and made me a new creation in Christ Jesus. Continue the good work you have begun in me – that there might be less of me in me, and more of Christ in me – that my true life in Christ might be revealed.

Put to death your old nature

+ Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires.

+ Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

+ Get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.

Put on your new nature

+ Clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

+ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you.

+ Clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

+ Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts; and always be thankful.

Devote Yourselves To Prayer

Colossians 4:2 (NLT) – Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Lord God: Thank you for allowing to approach your throne of grace through faith in your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask for your mercy and help in this our time of need.

+ That you might give us many opportunities to speak about your plan concerning Christ.

+ That we might proclaim this message as clearly as we should.

+ That we might live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.

+ That our conversations might be gracious and attractive – the right response for everyone.

Lord God: I ask that the message about Christ, in all its richness, might fill our lives. And that whatever we do or say, might be done and said as representatives of our Lord Jesus, always giving thanks through him to you, our heavenly Father.

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“Eternity” – John Alexander Wilson

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Fri, 21 July – Luke 21-22 ~ “I want to know Christ”

Reading, Reflection & Prayer

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

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Reading: Luke 21-22 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT) – I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Lord Jesus: All who put their faith and trust in you want to know you more, at least in theory. But in practice, it gets a lot harder – sharing in your suffering and death. We want to get through Good Friday as quickly as possible, so that we can live forever as Easter people; but that’s not quite the way it works, as you tell us in today’s reading.

Expect Opposition

Luke 21:12 (NLT) – “There will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers….”

Lord Jesus: You warned believers to expect opposition as we live out our faith – putting into practice what you preached; and so it has played out for 2000 years in every generation and every tribe and nation. For some it has meant prejudice, mockery and ridicule, but for others it has meant imprisonment, torture and death.

+ Lord, in your mercy, give us the courage of our convictions to face opposition in whatever form it takes
+ Lord, in your mercy, give us wisdom and the right words to speak the undeniable truth of your Word
+ Lord, in your mercy, give us perseverance to stand firm until our life’s end, even when family and friends turn against us
+ Lord, in your mercy, give us the strength to stay alert to danger and to be prepared for your imminent return

New Covenant

Luke 22:19-20 (NLT) – He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”

Lord Jesus: Thank you for instituting the sacrament of holy communion as a sign and seal of your covenant with us.

+ Thank you for your presence with us in this most holy sacrament
+ Help us to enter into this holy mystery with reverence and awe
+ Thank you for permitting your body to be broken that our bodies may be made whole
+ Thank you for pouring out your innocent blood, once and for all, for the forgiveness of our sins
+ Thank you for your assuring us in this holy mystery that we are heirs of your eternal kingdom

Watch and pray

Luke 22:45-46 (NLT) – At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

Lord Jesus: You alone understood the enormity of the sacrifice you were about to make. We cannot begin to understand your agony of spirit.

+ Forgive us our ignorance and sustain us in our prayer life
+ Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil
+ Fill us with your Spirit and lead us on the path of right living, and
+ Stay with us and watch over us, even when we fall asleep on you

I ask this for your name’s sake. Amen.
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“Beneath the Cross”