Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Tue, 08 Aug – 1 Chronicles 1-4 ~ Genealogy: from Adam to Jesus to me

Reading, Reflection & Prayer

+ 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.

Please Read: 1 Chronicles 1-4 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

The Ancestry of Jesus from David and Abraham

Matthew 1:1, 16-17 (NLT) – This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham…. Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Mary gave birth to Jesus, who is called the Messiah. All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.
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The Ancestry of Jesus from Abraham and Adam

Luke 3:34, 37-38 (NLT) – Abraham was the son of Terah…. Shem was the son of Noah. Noah was the son of Lamech. Lamech was the son of Methuselah. Methuselah was the son of Enoch. Enoch was the son of Jared. Jared was the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was the son of Kenan. Kenan was the son of Enosh. Enosh was the son of Seth. Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God.
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Heavenly Father: Help us to see in these genealogies the unfolding of your plan and purpose ever since creation. A plan and purpose that included me.

From Adam to Noah’s Sons

1 Chronicles 1:1-4 (NLT) – The descendants of Adam were Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah.

From Shem (Noah’s Son) to Abraham

1 Chronicles 1:24-27 (NLT) – So this is the family line descended from Shem: Arphaxad, Shelah, Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah, and Abram, later known as Abraham.

From Abraham’s descendants to Israel

1 Chronicles 1:28, 34 (NLT) – The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael…. Abraham was the father of Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel.

Israel’s Twelve Sons

1 Chronicles 2:1-2 (NLT) – The sons of Israel^[v] were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

From Judah to Hezron

1 Chronicles 2:3-5 (NLT) – Judah had three sons from Bathshua, a Canaanite woman. Their names were Er, Onan, and Shelah. But the Lord saw that the oldest son, Er, was a wicked man, so he killed him. Later Judah had twin sons from Tamar, his widowed daughter-in-law. Their names were Perez and Zerah. So Judah had five sons in all.

The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

From Judah’s Grandson Hezron to David

1 Chronickes 2:9-15 (NLT) – The sons of Hezron were Jerahmeel, Ram, and Caleb.

Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, a leader of Judah. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz. Boaz was the father of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse.

Jesse’s first son was Eliab, his second was Abinadab, his third was Shimea, his fourth was Nethanel, his fifth was Raddai, his sixth was Ozem, and his seventh was David.
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1 Corinthians 15:45 (NLT) – The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit.

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Romans 5:18 (NLT) – Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.

Heavenly Father: Thank you for enabling us to trace the lineage of Jesus all the way back to the first man, Adam. Through Adam’s sin, judgement and death were brought into the world; through Jesus’ righteousness, forgiveness and life are offered to all who believe in his name.

You promised to send us Messiah, and you fulfilled that promise in the gift of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for extending your lineage to this present day through your saints and servants. Thank you for the gift of new life I have received, through faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you for adopting me into your family, for including me as your child.

May that lineage of faith continue to be extended through my children and grandchildren. I ask this through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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“And Can It Be” – by Stuart Townend

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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!

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Mon, 07 Aug – Leviticus 25-27 ~ Year of Jubilee

Reading, Reflection & 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: Leviticus 25-27 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Year of Jubilee

When [Jesus] came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” – Luke 4:16-21 (NLT)

Leviticus 25:8-10 (NLT) – “In addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven sets of seven years, adding up to forty-nine years in all. Then on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, blow the ram’s horn loud and long throughout the land. Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan. This fiftieth year will be a jubilee for you….”

Lord God: You established the year of jubilee as a time to release the poor held captive by debt, and to restore families torn apart by economic migration. It was a “year of release,” a “time of the Lord’s favor”, a time to start over with a clean slate. The year of jubilee was a time to get a new life.

And then, you sent your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Good News – now is the year of jubilee. The time of the Lord’s favor has come!

+ Thank you Lord Jesus, for setting me free from my captivity to sin and death

+ Thank you Lord Jesus, for making me “poor in spirit” that I may enter your kingdom

+ Thank you Lord Jesus, for giving me a new life where I could make a fresh start as a new person created in your image

Lord God: May this be the year of jubilee; let your kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven – through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“This Is The Year Of Jubilee” – by The Isaacs

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

9th Sunday after Pentecost: 06 Aug – Matthew 17:1-9 ~ Listen to him.

9th Sunday after Pentecost

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

Opening Prayer

God of glory, it is good for us to be here. Reveal your Son to us now in the message of the prophets and the witness of the apostles, that we may heed his voice and receive him in faith. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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“You Are Holy “ – Christ For Nations Worship

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Reading: Matthew 17:1-9 (NLT)

Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

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Intercessory Prayer

God of glory: You revealed yourself to us through your Son Jesus, full of grace and truth. It’s in his name we come before you; hear our prayers –

+ For the Church, that it may continue to reveal Jesus Christ to the world…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christians who suffer persecution, that the promise of glory may sustain them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For peace in the world, that nuclear war may never again bring death and disaster…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people who work for peace, that they may continue despite the difficulties they meet…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who suffer in mind or body, that the healing power of Jesus may bring them comfort…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people on holidays, that they may travel safely and return home refreshed to love and serve you…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christians who have died as the result of war, that they may enter into the glory of heaven…. Lord, hear us.

Lord God, our king, all peoples see your glory: hear our prayers and ground us in your love, mercy, and grace, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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“Glory to You” – Aaron Keyes

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Concluding Prayer – Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLT)

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.

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

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Sat, 05 Aug – 1 Thessalonians 4-5 ~ live to please God

Reading, Reflection & 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: 1 Thessalonians 4-5 (NLT) – click here

Reflection & Prayer

Live to Please God

1 Thessalonians 4:1 (NLT) – Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more….

Holy God: you have called us to live holy lives as a people set apart to be light in the darkness, to reflect your glory. Cleanse our hearts and minds of all impurity –

+ that we might shun all sexual sin and lustful passion
+ that we might live honorably and faithfully within our marriages
+ that we might love and support one another, as well as other believers around the world
+ that we might live quiet lives, minding our own business and working to support ourselves
+ that we might live honest, respectable, lives as people with good reputations within our communities

Live Hopefully

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 (NLT) – And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

Mighty God: you raised your Son, Jesus Christ, from the grave to glory, and promised he would return to raise his saints to glory as well. Show us how to live as people who are on their way to heaven –

+ that we might live confidently and faithfully in anticipation of his return
+ that we might encourage one another, and build each other up, in faith, love, and good works
+ that we might be alert and prepared for his return at all times – loving and forgiving one another
+ that we might live as children of the light, clearheaded and protected by faith and love, confident of our salvation

Live Respectfully

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (NLT) – Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other.

Gracious God: May our respect and love for you be reflected in the way we treat those who serve you as our spiritual shepherds. Show us how to strengthen your Church and live peacefully with each other –

+ that we might all patiently do our part to encourage the timid and care for the weak
+ that we might reject all evil and anger, and seek only the best for one another
+ that we might live joyfully, prayerfully, and thankfully
+ that we might welcome the Holy Spirit and his manifestations among us, testing everything against Scripture

Live Confidently

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (NLT) – Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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“Living for Jesus” – Cedar College of Education Choir at KwaSizabantu Mission in South Africa.

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Blessing – (Northumbrian Community)

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

Reading, Reflection & Prayer: Fri, 04 Aug – John 1-2 ~ we have seen his glory

Reading, Reflection & 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: John 1-2 (NLT) click here

Reflection & Prayer

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. – Colossians 1:15-20 (NLT)

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Lord Jesus Christ: It’s hard for me to harmonize the gentle Jesus, meek and mild, taught in Sunday School with the eternal Word, preeminent and preexistent, taught in the Bible. And yet, you are one and the same – lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Help me to understand what I am reading here today – that I might give you the reverence and honor due your name, and see your glory made manifest through your unfailing love and faithfulness.

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Christ, the Eternal Word

John 1:1-5 (NLT) – In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

John 1:10-14 (NLT) – He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John 1:16-18 (NLT) – From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
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Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT)

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Lord Jesus Christ: Once again, the contrasts within your being are astounding. You are one with God, high and exalted, and yet you are the Lamb of God, crucified on a cross. You emptied yourself of your prerogatives as the Son of God – in order to take away my sins – that I might inherit all the prerogatives as a child of God. Your humility and obedience were truly beyond my comprehension. All I can say is: “Thank you!”

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Jesus, the Lamb of God

John 1:29-34 (NLT) – The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”
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Lord Jesus Christ: Baptize me now in the Holy Spirit. I receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit right now by faith in Your Word. May the anointing, the glory, and the power of God come upon me and into my life right now. May I be empowered for service from this day forward. Thank You, Lord Jesus, it’s in your name I pray. Amen.

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“In Christ Alone” – Passion 2013