Tag: 30 Sep

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost – 30 Sep – Mark 9:38-48 ~ For or Against Us?

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

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

Opening Prayer

Pour out your Spirit, O God, over all the world to inspire every heart with knowledge and love of you. Grant that we who confess Jesus as Lord may shun whatever is contrary to our faith and give witness to your love that has saved us in Christ, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Voice Of The Skies (Psalm 19)” – The Shiyr Poets

The heavens declare the glory
The heavens declare the glory of
The heavens declare the glory of God

Day after day | Night after night
The voice of the skies proclaim
The art of your hands

Without a sound | Without a word
The voice of the skies goes out
To the edge of the world

For the sun a celestial pavilion
Like a couple just wed from their canopy come
The rising of the sun to warm the world

Then the sun completes its circuit
Like a champion running his course with delight
Nothing in the world escapes it’s heat

The law of the Lord is perfect
The law of the Lord revives the soul
The Lord’s commands are sure delighting the heart

The fear of the Lord is blameless
The fear of the Lord gives light to the eyes
The teachings of the Lord make the foolish wise

To be desired | Much more than gold
Sweeter than honey from the honeycomb
Your servant is warned | Of danger and woe
For all who keep your word there’s great reward

For who can discern their own heart
Cleanse me from these hidden faults of mine
Keep me your servant from willful sin
Let them not be master over me

Then I will be blameless
I will be innocent
I will be free from sin

May the words | Of my mouth
May every heartfelt thought be pleasing to you

O Lord My Rock | Redeemer of all
May the life I live be pleasing to you
May the life I live be pleasing to you

The heavens declare the glory
The heavens declare the glory of
The heavens declare the glory of God
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Gospel Reading: Mark 9:38-48 (NLT)

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.”

“Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us. If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded.

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands. If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’
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Prayers of Intercession:

Sovereign God, ruler of heaven and earth: we approach your throne of grace to receive mercy and help in this our time of trouble. Lord, hear our prayers –

+ For church leaders — that they may serve humbly and speak truthfully to those in positions of power…
+ For people in positions of power — that they may use it wisely and fairly to further your Kingdom purposes…
+ For people in the media – that they might report the news truthfully without bias, slander or innuendo…
+ For people of faith – that we might discern truth from falsehood, and uphold the presumption of innocence…
+ For persecuted people of faith – that they may be delivered from evil with their reputations and positions restored…
+ For displaced people of faith – that they may be provided for and safely return to their homes and communities…
+ For people who are sick in body, mind and spirit – that they may be healed and delivered from all that ails them…
+ For all who have died in Christ – that they may receive the reward of eternal life lived in your holy presence…

Sovereign God: Give wisdom to all who rely on you, and show us the mercy and grace we need each day, all to your glory – we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“I Am Not Alone” – Kari Jobe


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Blessing – Ephesians 3:20-21

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

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

Morning Reading & Prayer: Sat, 30 Sep -Hebrews 1-4 ~ God’s rest is there for people to enter.

Morning Reading & 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: Hebrews 1-4 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Jesus Christ Is God’s Son

Hebrews 1:1-4 (NLT) – Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe. The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. This shows that the Son is far greater than the angels, just as the name God gave him is greater than their names.

A Warning against Drifting Away

Hebrews 2:1-4 (NLT) – So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Jesus, the Man

Hebrews 2:14-18 (NLT) – Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

We also know that the Son did not come to help angels; he came to help the descendants of Abraham. Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

Hebrews 3:1-6 (NLT) – And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.

But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

Hebrews 3:12-19 (NLT) – Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still “today,” so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. Remember what it says:

“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.”

And who was it who rebelled against God, even though they heard his voice? Wasn’t it the people Moses led out of Egypt? And who made God angry for forty years? Wasn’t it the people who sinned, whose corpses lay in the wilderness? And to whom was God speaking when he took an oath that they would never enter his rest? Wasn’t it the people who disobeyed him? So we see that because of their unbelief they were not able to enter his rest.

Promised Rest for God’s People

Hebrews 4:1-3, 6-7 (NLT) – God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest….

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today….

Hebrews 4:9-13 (NLT) – So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

Christ Is Our High Priest

Hebrew 4:14-16 (NLT) – 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.
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“Come Boldly To The Throne Of Grace” – Red Mountain Music


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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!

Morning Prayer: Fri, 30 Sep – Psalm 84:8-11; I Chronicles 16:27-29; 2 Corinthians 3:18 ~ reflected glory

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 84:8-11 (NLT)

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob.

O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor to the one you have anointed.

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.

Reading: I Chronicles 16:27-29 (NLT)

Honor and majesty surround him; strength and joy fill his dwelling.

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord, recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

2 Corinthians 3:18
2 Corinthians 3:18

Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

Prayer

May everything in this my being be directed to Thy glory and may I never despair. For I am under Thy hand, and in Thee is all power and goodness. – Dag Hammarskjold, Markings

May I be equal to Your hope of me. If I am weak, I ask that You send only what I can bear. If I am strong, may I shrink from no testing that shall yield increase of strength or win security for my spirit.

I trust in You, O Lord. I say, “You are my God. My times are in Your hand, my times are in Your hand.”

“Psalm 84 ” – C3 Church Oxford Falls Campus in Sydney, Australia.

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!