Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Thu, 20 July – Ezekiel 37-42 ~ come alive

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.

Reading: Ezekiel 37-42 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

A Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:11-14 (NLT) – Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”

Sovereign Lord: You scattered your people among the nations and reduced them to a point of near extinction – hopeless, old dry bones. But you never forgot them; and, in your mercy, you poured out your Spirit and breathed life into them – that they might return home to the land you promised them.

And, in our time, you have done it again with the establishment of the secular state of Israel. Pour out your Spirit and raise up a godly people within that state – that Israel might know that you are the Lord – that they are your people and you are their God.

An Everlasting Covenant

Ezekiel 37:24,26-28 (NLT) – “My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd…. 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.”

Sovereign Lord: You have made a new and everlasting covenant with your church through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ . You have placed your Spirit within her and established Jesus as her Head – the Shepherd King.

+ Rule and reign in the hearts of these your people;

+ Encourage the faithful that they may bear good fruit;

+ Raise the dead that they may return home to you;

+ Protect those who are oppressed and persecuted;

+ Supply all the needs of your people, especially those who are destitute;

+ Make us one in mind and spirit, through faith and baptism; and

+ Establish your presence among us through true, Spirit-filled worship.

Sovereign Lord: Look upon your covenant people, both Jew and Christian, with mercy and love. Pour out your Spirit on us, and breathe life into our dry bones and dead hearts. Raise up an army of believers to face the challenges of our troubled world with faith and trust in you; an army that will show the world that you alone can save. May your Kingdom come and your will be done, through Jesus Christ your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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“Come Alive” – Lauren Daigle

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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: Wed, 19 July – Proverbs 13-14 ~ accept discipline and practice godliness

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: Proverbs 13-14 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Accept Discipline

Hebrews 12:11 (NLT) – No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Father God: Thank you for your unfailing love for me. And thank you for caring enough to discipline me – to correct me when I’m wrong and to set me on the path of godliness.

+ Help me to swallow my pride and accept your discipline and correction.

+ Give me an open heart to welcome your criticism and life-giving instruction into my life.

+ And give me the wisdom to know when and how to correct my own adult children that they may remain on the path that leads to life – abundant and eternal.

Practice Godliness

1 Timothy 4:8 (NLT) – “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

Lord God: Give me the personal discipline required to train for godliness; strengthen me, by the power of your Spirit, in prayer, reflection on your Word, worship and service.

By your grace, allow me to realize some of the benefits along the way, in this life –

+ honesty, integrity, and a good reputation;

+ a life filled with light and joy;

+ an inheritance of blessing for my children and grandchildren;

+ proper fear and respect for you Lord – my life-giving fountain;

+ confession of my guilt before you that I may receive your forgiveness and reconciliation;

+ and faithfulness to your good plan for my life – that I may live my life enveloped in your unfailing love.

Finally, I ask that my life might contribute in a small way to the godliness of my nation – that America may become great again – through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“All I Once Held Dear” – Robin Mark

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Tue, 18 July – 2 Kings 11-15 ~ good and evil, kings and kingdoms

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: 2 Kings 11-15 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Lord God: you promised to bless your people so that through them all the nations of the world may be blessed – you would be their God, and they would be your people. And you gave them your life-giving commandments so that they might serve you and live full, rich lives. And you graciously extended your covenant promises to the church through faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
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Today’s reading is filled with the tragic rise and fall of the kings and kingdoms of Israel and Judah. It’s not all that different from the world news of the day – filled with evil, treachery, murder, war, conspiracy and the worship of false gods. Sadly, the history of the church is not all that different.

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Partial Obedience

2 Kings 12:2-3 (NLT) – All his life Joash did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight because Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Yet even so, he did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

+ Lord: forgive our tepid response to your commandment – to love you with all our heart, mind and strength. We have become a people who try to fit you into our busy lives, instead of placing you first in our lives and then allowing everything else to fall into place. Truth be told, we have no idea what it would be like to seek first the kingdom of God, because we’ve never tried it.

+ Lord: have mercy on us, your church, and remember your covenant promises to us. Revive us again and restore us as a light to the nations.

Rough Justice

2 Kings 12:20-21 (NLT) – Joash’s officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla. The assassins were Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer—both trusted advisers. Joash was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. Then his son Amaziah became the next king.

+ Lord: you are holy, and you call your people to live holy lives as well. Raise up prophets who will speak the truth to us – who will correct us when we’re wrong, and will teach us to do what’s right. And raise up priests who will bring us to Jesus to receive mercy and help in our time of trouble.

+ Lord: have mercy on us, your church, and remember your covenant promises to us. Chasten us and correct us that we may do what is right in your sight.

Promise-keeping God

2 Kings 13:22-23 (NLT) – King Hazael of Aram had oppressed Israel during the entire reign of King Jehoahaz. But the Lord was gracious and merciful to the people of Israel, and they were not totally destroyed. He pitied them because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And to this day he still has not completely destroyed them or banished them from his presence.

+ Lord: when we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Here us now, Lord, as we pray….

+ Lord: have mercy on your church and remember your covenant promises to us. Have pity on us; extend your grace and mercy to us that we may amend our ways and put you first in our lives.

Flawed Saviors

2 Kings 14:26-27 (NLT) – For the Lord saw the bitter suffering of everyone in Israel, and that there was no one in Israel, slave or free, to help them. And because the Lord had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, he used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them.

+ Lord: you use flawed people inside the church and outside the church to restore order and justice that your people might live quiet, peaceful lives and bear witness to your love, mercy and grace. Raise up leaders with the authority to help your people, both Christians and Jews, especially those experiencing oppression and persecution for their faith.

+ Lord: have mercy on your people and remember your old and new covenant promises to us. Protect us and provide for us in this our time of trouble.

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“Remind Me Who I Am” – Jason Gray

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Mon, 17 July – Leviticus 16-18 ~ atonement, once and for all

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: Leviticus 16-18 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Hebrews 7:26-28 (NLT) – “He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.”

Lord God: you appointed your Son, Jesus Christ, as the perfect High Priest forever. Jesus faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin; he understands our weaknesses.

+ Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Give me the grace I need to help me when and where I need it the most.

Leviticus 16:15-16 (NLT) – “Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites.”

Lord God: you paid the ransom once and for all that saved us from our empty lives; it was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

+ Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on me.

Leviticus 16:20-22 (NLT) – “When Aaron has finished purifying the Most Holy Place and the Tabernacle and the altar, he must present the live goat. He will lay both of his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the wickedness, rebellion, and sins of the people of Israel. In this way, he will transfer the people’s sins to the head of the goat. Then a man specially chosen for the task will drive the goat into the wilderness. As the goat goes into the wilderness, it will carry all the people’s sins upon itself into a desolate land.”

Lord God: you have removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

+ Lamb of God: who take away the sins of the world, have mercy on me.

Leviticus 18:1-5 (NLT) – Then the Lord said to Moses, “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.

Lord God: your Son, Jesus Christ, has made a way for us to come into your presence; and so we come, fully trusting in your grace. Make us a peculiar people, people who belong to you, set apart to shine light in the darkness by faithfully following your life-giving commandments – to love you with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

+ Lamb of God: who take away the sins of the world, grant me your peace.

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“Lamb of God” – Twila Paris

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

6th Sunday after Pentecost: 16 July – Matthew 13:1-23 ~ Farming 101

6th Sunday after Pentecost

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

Opening Prayer

God of the heavens, God of the earth, all creation awaits your gift of new life. Prepare our hearts to receive the word of your Son, that this good news may grow within us and yield a harvest that is a hundredfold. 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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“Psalm 84” – the Protestant Reformed Churches in America

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Reading: Matthew 13:1-23 (NLT)

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes — so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
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Intercessory Prayer

Gracious God: You crown me with love and tender mercy; you fill my life with goodness. Hear me as I pray –

+ That all your people may hear, understand, and live your Word….
+ That hard-hearted people may be broken and prepared to receive your Word….
+ That new believers may become deeply rooted in your Word….
+ That believers everywhere may seek your kingdom first, above all else….
+ That believers everywhere may see their faithfulness rewarded by changed lives….
+ That believers who have gone before us in death may share the glory awaiting all your people….

God our creator, you provide for the earth and for all who live, hear to my prayer, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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“Psalm 85” – John Alexander Wilson 2016, The Free Church of Scotland.

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Concluding Prayer – 1 Cor. 15:58 (NLT)

Therefore, my beloved friends, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
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+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!

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