After Pentecost | Monday 17 Jun 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O Lord, from whom all good proceeds:
Grant us the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may always think those things that are good,
and by your merciful guidance may accomplish the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“But itâs unthinkable
that I could ever brag about anything
except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By his cross my relationship to the world
and its relationship to me have been crucified.”
(Galatians 6:14)
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From Psalms: Psalm 53 – The Corner Room – “Psalm 53”
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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 13:23-14:23 (GW)
13:23 Now, Philistine troops had gone out to the pass at Michmash.
Jonathan Defeats the Philistines
14:1 One day Saulâs son Jonathan said to his armorbearer, âLetâs go to the Philistine military post on the other side.â But Jonathan didnât tell his father âhe was goingâ.
Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree at Migron. He had with him about 600 men in addition to Ahijah, the son of Ichabodâs brother Ahitub, who was the son of Phinehas and the grandson of Eli, the Lordâs priest at Shiloh. Ahijah was wearing the priestly ephod.
The troops didnât know Jonathan had left. There was a cliff on each side of the mountain pass where Jonathan searched for a way to cross over to attack the Philistine military post. The name of one âcliffâ was Bozez, and the name of the other was Seneh. One cliff stood like a pillar on the north facing Michmash, the other stood south facing Geba.
Jonathan said to his armorbearer, âLetâs go to the military post of these uncircumcised people. Maybe the Lord will act on our behalf. The Lord can win a victory with a few men as well as with many.â
His armorbearer answered him, âDo whatever you have in mind. Go ahead! I agree with you.â
Jonathan continued, âListen, weâll cross over to the Philistines and show ourselves to them. If they say to us, âStay where you are until we come to you,â then weâll stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say to us, âCome up here,â then weâll go up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has handed them over to us.â
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine troops. The Philistines said, âLook, some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they were hiding in.â
âCome up here,â the men of the military post said to Jonathan and his armorbearer. âWe have something to show you.â
Jonathan told his armorbearer, âFollow me up âto the military postâ because the Lord has handed the troops over to Israel.â
Jonathan climbed up âthe cliffâ, and his armorbearer followed him. Jonathan struck down the Philistines. His armorbearer, who was behind him, finished killing them. In their first slaughter Jonathan and his armorbearer killed about twenty men within about a hundred yards. There was panic among the army in the field and all the troops in the military post. The raiding party also trembled âin fearâ. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God.
Saulâs watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin could see the crowd âin the Philistine campâ dispersing in all directions.
âLook around,â Saul told the troops who were with him, âand see who has left âour campâ.â They looked and found that Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.
Then Saul said to Ahijah, âBring the priestly ephod,â because Ahijah carried the ephod in front of Israel that day. While Saul was talking to the priest, the confusion in the Philistine camp grew worse and worse. Then Saul said to the priest, âRemove your hand âfrom the ephodâ.â Saul and all the troops with him assembled and went into battle. They found Philistine soldiers killing their fellow soldiers in wild confusion. The Hebrews who had been with the Philistines before this and had been stationed in the camp now joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. When all the men of Israel who had been hiding in the mountains of Ephraim heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they also pursued the Philistines in battle. So the Lord saved Israel that day.
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The Battle is the Lord’s – Alisa Childers
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NT Reading: Galatians 6:11-18 (GW)
Paul Summarizes His Teachings about Circumcision
6:11 Look at how large the letters âin these wordsâ are because Iâm writing this myself.
These people who want to make a big deal out of a physical thing are trying to force you to be circumcised. Their only aim is to avoid persecution because of the cross of Christ. Itâs clear that not even those who had themselves circumcised did this to follow Mosesâ laws. Yet, they want you to be circumcised so that they can brag about what was done to your body. 
But itâs unthinkable that I could ever brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his cross my relationship to the world and its relationship to me have been crucified. Certainly, it doesnât matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation. Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God.
From now on, donât make any trouble for me! After all, I carry the scars of Jesus on my body.
May the good will of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters! Amen.
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In the cross of Christ I glory – Ridgeway Community Church
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+ O God, almighty and merciful, you heal the broken-hearted, and turn the sadness of the sorrowful to joy, Let your fatherly goodness be upon all whom you have made. Remember in pity all those who are this day destitute, homeless, elderly, infirm, or forgotten. Bless the multitude of your poor. Lift up those who are cast down. Mightily befriend innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs. Cheer with hope all who are discouraged and downcast, and by your heavenly grace preserve from falling those whose poverty tempts them to sin. Though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they are perplexed, save them from despair. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him who for our sakes became poor, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
-
- Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
- Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically;
- Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
- Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones;
- Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
- Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities;
- Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
- Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
- Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
- Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Anima Christi Liezel Garcia, The Herald’s Choir Sa’Yo Lamang
Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
While he was teaching them, he said, âListen! A farmer went to plant seed. Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasnât much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasnât deep. When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didnât have any roots, so they withered. Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didnât produce anything. But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.â He added, âLet the person who has ears listen!â
Faith enabled Enoch to be taken instead of dying. No one could find him, because God had taken him. Scripture states that before Enoch was taken, God was pleased with him. No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
âWhat is a mortal that you should remember him,
Since Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, âEvery kingdom divided against itself is ruined. A house divided against itself falls. Now, if Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom last? I say this because you say Beelzebul helps me force demons out of people. If I force demons out with the help of Beelzebul, who helps your followers force them out? Thatâs why they will be your judges. But if I force out demons with the help of Godâs power, then Godâs kingdom has come to you.
The Peanut Gallery 