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.
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Morning Reading: Psalm 70 (NLT)
Please, God, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. May those who try to kill me be humiliated and put to shame. May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy; please hurry to my aid, O God. You are my helper and my savior; O Lord, do not delay.
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Morning Prayer
O Lord our God: you are our ever-present help in times of trouble. Hear the cries of your people above the turmoil of the storm; meet us in our helplessness –
+ Hasten to alert friends to our plight…
+ Hasten to alleviate our fear and anxiety…
+ Hasten to absolve us from humiliation and shame…
O Lord our God: you are our ever-present help in times of trouble. May all who seek you be filled with joy and gladness –
+ Disappoint the malice of the wicked by deliverance of the good…
+ Delight us in your saving grace, and refresh our heavy hearts…
+ Dispense your mercy, and assure us of our certain hope…
O Lord our God: you are our ever-present help in times of trouble. We place our trust in you, and plead our case through your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Psalm 70” (St. Olave Scottish Metrical Psalter 1650) – Free Church of Scotland
Lord, haste me to deliver; with speed, Lord, succor me.
Let them that for my soul do seek shamed and confounded be:
Turned back be they, and shamed, that in my hurt delight.
Turned back be they, Ha, ha! that say, their shaming to requite.
In thee let all be glad, and joy that seek for thee:
Let them who thy salvation love say still, God praisèd be.
I poor and needy am; come, Lord, and make no stay:
My help thou and deliv’rer art; O Lord, make no delay.
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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.
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+ 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.
2 Chronicles 1:1, 7-13 (NLT) – Solomon son of David took firm control of his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him very powerful.
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That night God appeared to Solomon and said, “What do you want? Ask, and I will give it to you!”
Solomon replied to God, “You showed great and faithful love to David, my father, and now you have made me king in his place. O Lord God, please continue to keep your promise to David my father, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth! Give me the wisdom and knowledge to lead them properly, for who could possibly govern this great people of yours?”
God said to Solomon, “Because your greatest desire is to help your people, and you did not ask for wealth, riches, fame, or even the death of your enemies or a long life, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge to properly govern my people— I will certainly give you the wisdom and knowledge you requested. But I will also give you wealth, riches, and fame such as no other king has had before you or will ever have in the future!”
Then Solomon returned to Jerusalem from the Tabernacle at the place of worship in Gibeon, and he reigned over Israel.
Preparations for Building the Temple
2 Chronicles 2:1-2, 5-6 (NLT) – Solomon decided to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord, and also a royal palace for himself. He enlisted a force of 70,000 laborers, 80,000 men to quarry stone in the hill country, and 3,600 foremen.
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“This must be a magnificent Temple because our God is greater than all other gods. But who can really build him a worthy home? Not even the highest heavens can contain him! So who am I to consider building a Temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices to him?
Solomon Builds the Temple
2 Chronicles 3:1 (NLT) – So Solomon began to build the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to David, his father. The Temple was built on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the site that David had selected.
2 Chronicles 5:1 (NLT) – So Solomon finished all his work on the Temple of the Lord. Then he brought all the gifts his father, David, had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and the various articles—and he stored them in the treasuries of the Temple of God.
The Ark Brought to the Temple
2 Chronicles 5:2-14 (NLT) – Solomon then summoned to Jerusalem the elders of Israel and all the heads of tribes—the leaders of the ancestral families of Israel. They were to bring the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant to the Temple from its location in the City of David, also known as Zion. So all the men of Israel assembled before the king at the annual Festival of Shelters, which is held in early autumn.
When all the elders of Israel arrived, the Levites picked up the Ark. The priests and Levites brought up the Ark along with the special tent and all the sacred items that had been in it. There, before the Ark, King Solomon and the entire community of Israel sacrificed so many sheep, goats, and cattle that no one could keep count!
Then the priests carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant into the inner sanctuary of the Temple—the Most Holy Place—and placed it beneath the wings of the cherubim. The cherubim spread their wings over the Ark, forming a canopy over the Ark and its carrying poles. These poles were so long that their ends could be seen from the Holy Place, which is in front of the Most Holy Place, but not from the outside. They are still there to this day. Nothing was in the Ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Mount Sinai, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel when they left Egypt.
Then the priests left the Holy Place. All the priests who were present had purified themselves, whether or not they were on duty that day. And the Levites who were musicians—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and all their sons and brothers—were dressed in fine linen robes and stood at the east side of the altar playing cymbals, lyres, and harps. They were joined by 120 priests who were playing trumpets. The trumpeters and singers performed together in unison to praise and give thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, they raised their voices and praised the Lord with these words:
“He is good! His faithful love endures forever!”
At that moment a thick cloud filled the Temple of the Lord. The priests could not continue their service because of the cloud, for the glorious presence of the Lord filled the Temple of God.
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Prayer: Lord God, the Only Wise God – Give the leaders of our nations the wisdom and knowledge to govern them properly; shield and defend your people, that they may live peaceably and receive justice.
+ Turn the hearts of your people scattered throughout the world back to you.
+ Convict them of sin, and call them to repentance and right living.
+ Raise up an army believers who will worship you in spirit and truth.
+ Restore in us the joy of your salvation and the willingness to follow you.
Lord God, God of Glory and Grace – Come and fill us with your Spirit, Let your glory fall on our worship in every tribe and nation – that the world might know you are the One True God – through Jesus Christ, who lives in unity with you and the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Let Your Glory Fall In This Room” – Terry Macalmon (Every Nation Church Bangkok, 7th Anniversary)
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!
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentence
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.
Reading: Psalm 22:26-28 (NLT)
The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.
The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations.
Reading: 1 Chronicles 29:11-14 (NLT)
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength.
O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!
Reading: Mark 6:2-4 (NLT)
The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, “Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?” Then they scoffed, “He’s just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.” They were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.
Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.”
Prayer
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God.
Thanks to You, O ever-gentle Christ, for raising me freely from the black and darkness of last night into the kindly light of this day.
+ O Son of Mary, how wonderful Your friendliness to me! How deep! How unchanging! Help me to pass it on.
+ Help me to find my happiness in my acceptance of what is Your purpose for me: in friendly eyes; in work well done; in quietness born of trust; and, most of all, in the awareness of Your presence in my spirit.
+ Come, Lord Jesus, come as King. Rule in my mind: come as peace. Rule in my actions: come as power. Rule in my days: come as joy.
+ Your Kingdom come: in this world; in this country; in this community; and, especially, in me.
Lord Jesus: You pour life into me, giving me speech, sense, desire, giving me thought and action. My fame or repute will be just as You allow: You mark the way before me. Help me to follow faithfully in Your footsteps until my life’s end. Amen.
“1 Chronicles 29:11” – Church of God, National Choir
Blessing
May the peace of the Lord Jesus 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.
+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
May those who take delight in my trouble be turned back in disgrace. Let them be horrified by their shame, for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
The Peanut Gallery 