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 it’s 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 Saul’s son Jonathan said to his armorbearer, “Let’s go to the Philistine military post on the other side.” But Jonathan didn’t tell his father ⌞he was going⌟.
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 Ichabod’s brother Ahitub, who was the son of Phinehas and the grandson of Eli, the Lord’s priest at Shiloh. Ahijah was wearing the priestly ephod.
The troops didn’t 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 ⌞cliff⌟ 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, “Let’s 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.”
His armorbearer answered him, “Do whatever you have in mind. Go ahead! I agree with you.”
Jonathan continued, “Listen, we’ll cross over to the Philistines and show ourselves to them. If they say to us, ‘Stay where you are until we come to you,’ then we’ll stay where we are and not go up to them. But if they say to us, ‘Come up here,’ then we’ll go up, because that will be our sign that the Lord has handed them over to us.”
So both of them showed themselves to the Philistine troops. The Philistines said, “Look, some Hebrews are coming out of the holes they were hiding in.”
“Come up here,” the men of the military post said to Jonathan and his armorbearer. “We have something to show you.”
Jonathan told his armorbearer, “Follow me up ⌞to the military post⌟ because the Lord has handed the troops over to Israel.”
Jonathan climbed up ⌞the cliff⌟, 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 ⌞in fear⌟. The earth shook, and there was a panic sent from God.
Saul’s watchmen at Gibeah in Benjamin could see the crowd ⌞in the Philistine camp⌟ dispersing in all directions.
“Look around,” Saul told the troops who were with him, “and see who has left ⌞our camp⌟.” They looked and found that Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.
Then Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring the priestly ephod,” 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, “Remove your hand ⌞from the ephod⌟.” 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 ⌞in these words⌟ are because I’m 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. It’s clear that not even those who had themselves circumcised did this to follow Moses’ laws. Yet, they want you to be circumcised so that they can brag about what was done to your body. 
But it’s 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 doesn’t 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, don’t 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:
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- 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, “Listen! 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 wasn’t much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn’t have any roots, so they withered. Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn’t produce anything. But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted.” He added, “Let the person who has ears listen!”
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.
“What is a mortal that you should remember him,
Since Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every 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? That’s why they will be your judges. But if I force out demons with the help of God’s power, then God’s kingdom has come to you.
The Peanut Gallery 