Tag: 02 Dec

First Sunday of Advent – 02 Dec – Luke 21:25-33 ~ The coming of the Son of Man

First Sunday of Advent

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

Opening Prayer

God our Savior, you utter a word of promise and hope and hasten the day of justice and freedom, yet we live in a world forgetful of your word, our watchfulness dulled by the cares of life.

Keep us alert. Make us attentive to your word, ready to look on your Son when he comes with power and great glory. Make us holy and blameless, ready to stand secure when the day of his coming shakes the world with terror.

We ask this through him whose coming is certain, whose day draws near: your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” – Shane & Shane

Come, Thou long expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free
From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in Thee
Israel’s strength and consolation, Hope of all the earth Thou art
Dear desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart

 

 

Born Thy people to deliver, Born a child and yet a king
Born to reign in us forever, Now Thy gracious kingdom bring
By Thine own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone
By Thine own sufficient merit, Raise us to Thy glorious throne
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Gospel Reading: Luke 21:25-33 (NLT)

“And there will be strange signs in the sun, moon, and stars. And here on earth the nations will be in turmoil, perplexed by the roaring seas and strange tides. People will be terrified at what they see coming upon the earth, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and great glory. So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”

Then he gave them this illustration: “Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things taking place, you can know that the Kingdom of God is near. I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
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Prayers of Intercession:

Faithful God: In your mercy, receive our prayers, the cries of our hearts, and help us –

+ For believers, that we may be ready when Christ returns in glory…
+ For people of good will, that they may receive your mercy and grace through Christ…
+ For people who are lonely and sad, that we may comfort them as we have been comforted in Christ …
+ For people in need, that we may care for them as we await the return of Christ…
+ For people who suffer, that they may receive hope and healing through Christ…
+ For all who have died in Christ, that they may enjoy peace and rest in eternity…

Faithful God: You are loving and kind to all who put their trust in you. Extend your grace to us now, in this our time of need, we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending” – Lichfield Cathedral Choir

Lo! He comes with clouds descending, Once for favored sinners slain;
Thousand thousand saints attending, Swell the triumph of His train:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God appears on earth to reign.

 

Every eye shall now behold Him, Robed in dreadful majesty;
Those who set at naught and sold Him, Pierced and nailed Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing, deeply wailing, Shall the true Messiah see.

The dear tokens of His passion, Still His dazzling body bears;
Cause of endless exultation To His ransomed worshipers;
With what rapture, with what rapture, Gaze we on those glorious scars!

Yea, amen; let all adore thee, High on thine eternal throne;
Savior, take the power and glory; Claim the kingdoms for thine own:
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Thou shalt reign, and thou alone.
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Blessing –

May almighty God bless us by the light of Christ’s coming, and enrich our lives with every grace. May He make us steadfast in faith, joyful in hope, and untiring in love all the days of our lives. And may He grant us eternal life when our Redeemer comes again in glory.

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

Morning Reading: Sat, 02 Dec – 1 John 1-2 ~ Live as Children of God

Morning Reading

+ 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 in Full: 1 John 1-2 (NLT)

Jesus Christ: The Word of Life

1 John 1:1-4 (NLT) – We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

Jesus Christ: Our Cleanser

1 John 1:5-10 (NLT) – This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Jesus Christ: Our Righteousness

1 John 2:1-6 (NLT) – My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

Jesus Christ: Our Light

1 John 2:7-11 (NLT) – Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

To God’s Children:

1 John 2:12-14 (NLT) – I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

  • I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
  • I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.
  • I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father.
  • I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.
  • I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.

Love What’s Eternal

1 John 2:15-17 (NLT) – Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Live God’s Truth

1 John 2:18-23 (NLT) – Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Remain in Jesus Christ

1 John 2:24-27 (NLT) – So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Live as Children of God

1 John 2:28-29 (NLT) – And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
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“No Longer Slaves” – Jonathan David & Melissa Helser


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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!