Saturday, 18 Sep 2021: Psalm 1; Ecclesiastes 1:1-18; Matthew 23:29-39 ~ Have faith in God’s Son.

Saturday, 18 Sep 2021:

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

Opening:

O God, because without you we are not able to please you,
mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct
and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives
and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for
ever. Amen.

““O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!
How often would I have gathered your children together
as a hen gathers her brood under her wings,
and you were not willing!
See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you,
you will not see me again, until you say,
‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’””
(Matthew 23:37-39)

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Psalms: Psalm 1 (Everything He Does Shall Prosper) – The Psalms Project

Blessed is the man who does not heed the counsel of this world
Blessed is the man who does not conform to worldly ways

For his delight is in the law of the LORD
And on His Word he meditates day and night

And he shall be like a tree by streams of water
That yields abundant fruit in every season
And his leaves shall never, never wither
And everything he does shall prosper
And everything he does shall prosper
And everything he does shall prosper

But the wicked are not so
For they are like the chaff the wind blows away
And the wicked shall not stand in the judgment
For the LORD knows the way of the righteous
But the evil ways of man shall pass away
Shall pass away
They’ll pass away
Forever

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OT Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:1-18 (ESV)

All Is Vanity

1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
3 What does man gain by all the toil
at which he toils under the sun?
4 A generation goes, and a generation comes,
but the earth remains forever.
5 The sun rises, and the sun goes down,
and hastens to the place where it rises.
6 The wind blows to the south
and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.
7 All streams run to the sea,
but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow,
there they flow again.
8 All things are full of weariness;
a man cannot utter it;
the eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
9 What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
11 There is no remembrance of former things,
nor will there be any remembrance
of later things yet to be
among those who come after.

The Vanity of Wisdom

12 I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

15 What is crooked cannot be made straight,
and what is lacking cannot be counted.

16 I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.

18 For in much wisdom is much vexation,
and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

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All is Vanity – Caroline Cobb

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NT Reading: Matthew 23:29-39 (ESV)

23:29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

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O Jerusalem The Porter’s Gate · Greg Thompson

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Prayer:

Prayer for Jerusalem by Mary Fairchild

Dear Heavenly Father,

You are the Rock and Redeemer of Israel. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We are sad to see the violence and suffering as men, women, and children are injured and killed on both sides of the conflict. We don’t understand why it has to be this way, nor do we truly know if war is right or wrong. But we pray for justice, your sovereignty and righteousness, Lord. And at the same time, we pray for mercy. For everyone involved we pray, for governments and peoples, militants and terrorists, we ask for your kingdom to come and rule over the land.

Shield the nation of Israel, Lord. Protect the soldiers and civilians from bloodshed. May your truth and light shine in the darkness. Where there is only hatred, may your love prevail. Help me as a Christian to support those who you support, Lord, and to bless those who you bless, my God. Bring your salvation to Israel, dear God. Draw every heart to you. And bring your salvation to the whole earth.

Amen.

+ Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

+ Christ as a light, illumine and guide us. Christ as a shield, overshadow us. Christ under us; Christ over us; Christ beside us on our left and our right. This day be within and without us, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom we speak; in the mouth of each who speaks to us. This day be within and without us, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside us on our left and our right.

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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with us, wherever He may send us.
May He guide us through the wilderness, protect us through the storm.
May He bring us home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown us.
May He bring us 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.

Friday, 17 Sep 2021: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:18-33; Romans 11:25-32 ~ Have faith in God’s mercy.

Friday, 17 Sep 2021:

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

Opening:

“For God has consigned all to disobedience,
that he may have mercy on all.”
(Romans 11:32)

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Psalms: Psalm 1 – The Corner Room

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OT Reading: Proverbs 30:18-33 (ESV)

30:18 Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.

20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”

21 Under three things the earth trembles;
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is filled with food;
23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

24 Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29 Three things are stately in their tread;
four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and does not turn back before any;
31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.

32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.

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“On The Words Of God We Rest” – ForeverBeSure

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NT Reading: Romans 11:25-32 (ESV)

The Mystery of Israel’s Salvation

11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;
“and this will be my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”

As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

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His Mercy Is More – Praise and Harmony Beautiful God

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Prayer:

+ Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Blessing

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

Thursday, 16 Sep 2021: Psalm 1; Proverbs 30:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 ~ Have faith in God’s power.

Thursday, 16 Sep 2021:

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

Opening:

“And I, when I came to you, brothers,
I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God
with lofty speech or wisdom.
For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ
and him crucified.”
(1 Corinthians 2:1-2)

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Psalms: Psalm 1 – Sons of Korah

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OT Reading: Proverbs 30:1-10 (ESV)

The Words of Agur

30:1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!

5 Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

7 Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 lest I be full and deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God.

10 Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

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Proverbs 30:5
/ Every Word of God Proves True / Sharen May Vergara

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NT Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (ESV)

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

2:1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

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Strength of My Life – Vertical Worship

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Prayer:

+ Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Blessing

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

Wednesday, 15 Sep 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 29; John 7:25-36 ~ Jesus requires our trust.

Wednesday, 15 Sep 2021:

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

Opening:

“Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple,
“You know me, and you know where I come from.
But I have not come of my own accord.
He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.
I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.”
(John 7:28-29)

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Psalms: Psalm 73 – Sons of Korah

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OT Reading: Proverbs 29 (ESV)

29:1 He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
will suddenly be broken beyond healing.

2 When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,
but when the wicked rule, the people groan.

3 He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

4 By justice a king builds up the land,
but he who exacts gifts tears it down.

5 A man who flatters his neighbor
spreads a net for his feet.

6 An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,
but a righteous man sings and rejoices.

7 A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;
a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

8 Scoffers set a city aflame,
but the wise turn away wrath.

9 If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

10 Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless
and seek the life of the upright.

11 A fool gives full vent to his spirit,
but a wise man quietly holds it back.

12 If a ruler listens to falsehood,
all his officials will be wicked.

13 The poor man and the oppressor meet together;
the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.

14 If a king faithfully judges the poor,
his throne will be established forever.

15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,
but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

16 When the wicked increase, transgression increases,
but the righteous will look upon their downfall.

17 Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;
he will give delight to your heart.

18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,
but blessed is he who keeps the law.

19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined,
for though he understands, he will not respond.

20 Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.

21 Whoever pampers his servant from childhood
will in the end find him his heir.

22 A man of wrath stirs up strife,
and one given to anger causes much transgression.

23 One’s pride will bring him low,
but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor.

24 The partner of a thief hates his own life;
he hears the curse, but discloses nothing.

25 The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

26 Many seek the face of a ruler,
but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice.

27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,
but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.

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Be Thou My Vision – Audrey Assad

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NT Reading: John 7:25-36 (ESV)

Can This Be the Christ?

7:25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?”

Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus

The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?”

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I Will Trust – Red Rocks Worship

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Prayer:

+ Increase, O God, the spirit of neighborliness among us, that in peril we may uphold one another, in suffering tend to one another, and in homelessness, loneliness, or exile befriend one another. Grant us brave and enduring hearts that we may strengthen one another, until the disciplines and testing of these days are ended, and you again give peace in our time; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ O God, without whose beauty and goodness our souls are unfed, without whose truth our reason withers: Consecrate our lives to your will, giving us such purity of heart, such depth of faith, and such steadfastness of purpose, that in time we may come to think your own thoughts after you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

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Blessing

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

Tuesday, 14 Sep 2021: Psalm 73:21-28; Proverbs 25:1-28; Colossians 3:1-11 ~ Christ reveals our new selves.

Tuesday, 14 Sep 2021:

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

Opening:

“Set your minds on things that are above,
not on things that are on earth.
For you have died,
and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
(Colossians 3:2-3)

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Psalms: Psalm 73 – ForeverBeSure

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OT Reading: Proverbs 25:1-28 (ESV)

More Proverbs of Solomon

25:1 These also are proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied.

2 It is the glory of God to conceal things,
but the glory of kings is to search things out.
3 As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
4 Take away the dross from the silver,
and the smith has material for a vessel;
5 take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
and his throne will be established in righteousness.
6 Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
or stand in the place of the great,
7 for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

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What your eyes have seen
8 do not hastily bring into court,
for what will you do in the end,
when your neighbor puts you to shame?
9 Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
and do not reveal another’s secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
and your ill repute have no end.

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11 A word fitly spoken
is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
12 Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold
is a wise reprover to a listening ear.
13 Like the cold of snow in the time of harvest
is a faithful messenger to those who send him;
he refreshes the soul of his masters.
14 Like clouds and wind without rain
is a man who boasts of a gift he does not give.

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15 With patience a ruler may be persuaded,
and a soft tongue will break a bone.

16 If you have found honey, eat only enough for you,
lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

17 Let your foot be seldom in your neighbor’s house,
lest he have his fill of you and hate you.

18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
is like a war club, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.

19 Trusting in a treacherous man in time of trouble
is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.

20 Whoever sings songs to a heavy heart
is like one who takes off a garment on a cold day,
and like vinegar on soda.

21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,
and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

22 for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the Lord will reward you.

23 The north wind brings forth rain,
and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

24 It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

25 Like cold water to a thirsty soul,
so is good news from a far country.

26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain
is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

27 It is not good to eat much honey,
nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.

28 A man without self-control
is like a city broken into and left without walls.

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Call of Wisdom by Will Todd –
Nigel Short, Tenebrae & English Chamber Orchestra

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NT Reading: Colossians 3:1-11 (ESV)

Put On the New Self

3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.

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Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me ~ CityAlight

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Prayer:

Anima Christi

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood
of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash
me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me.
Within thy wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated
from thee. From the wicked foe defend me. In the hour of my
death call me, and bid me come to thee, that with thy saints I
may praise thee for ever and ever. Amen.

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Blessing

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

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