After Epiphany | Saturday 13 Jan 2024: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Samuel 2:21-25; Matthew 25:1-13 ~ Stay awake: Jesus can return at any time.

After Epiphany | Saturday 13 Jan 2024

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

Opening:

Eternal Father, at the baptism of Jesus
you revealed him to be your Son,
and your Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove:
Grant that we, who are born again
by water and the Spirit,
may be faithful as your adopted children;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“So stay awake,
because you don’t know the day or the hour
[when the end will come].”
(Matthew 25:13)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 139:7-16 – The Corner Room

__________

OT Reading: 1 Samuel 2:21-25 (GW)

2:21 The Lord came to Hannah. She became pregnant ⌞five times⌟ and had three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in front of the Lord.

Eli’s Family Condemned

2:22 Now, Eli was very old, and he had heard everything that his sons were doing to all Israel and that they were sleeping with the women who served at the gate of the tent of meeting. So he asked them, “Why are you doing such things? I hear about your wicked ways from all these people. Sons, the report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading isn’t good! If one person sins against another, God will take care of him. However, when a person sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they wouldn’t listen to their father’s warning—the Lord wanted to kill them.

__________

You Know My Name – Tasha Cobbs Leonard / ft. Jimi Cravity

__________

NT Reading: Matthew 25:1-13 (GW)

A Story about Ten Bridesmaids

25:1 “When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps. Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come to meet him!’ Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.

“The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’

“But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘We can’t do that. There won’t be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.’

“While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.

“Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’

“But he answered them, ‘I don’t even know who you are!’

“So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.

__________

Spirit And The Bride – VOUS Worship

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Thou, who with thine own mouth hast told us that at midnight the bridegroom shall come: Grant that the cry, “The bridegroom cometh!” may sound evermore in our ears, that so we be never unprepared to meet him, or forgetful of the souls for whom he died, for whom we watch and pray. And save us, O Lord. Amen. (Lancelot Andrewes)

+ O God, our heavenly Father: Pour out your Spirit on your faithful people in the Middle East, that your Son’s life-giving Gospel may be preached to every tribe and nation. Send forth laborers into your harvest; defend them in all dangers and temptations; and hasten the time when the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in, and faithful Israel shall be saved; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Bring home the hostages, and deliver from bondage every person captivated by the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East. And finally, grant heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, diplomatically, and especially to those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

After Epiphany | Friday 12 Jan 2024: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Judges 2:16-23; Acts 13:16-25 ~ Jesus is Israel’s promised Savior.

After Epiphany | Friday 12 Jan 2024

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

Opening:

“God had the Savior, Jesus,
come to Israel from David’s descendants,
as he had promised.”
(Acts 13:23)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 139 – Sons of Korah

__________

OT Reading: Judges 2:16-23 (GW)

2:16 Then the Lord would send judges to rescue them from those who robbed them. But the people wouldn’t listen to the judges. The Israelites chased after other gods as though they were prostitutes and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors who had obeyed the Lord’s commands. They refused to be like their ancestors. But when the Lord appointed judges for the Israelites, he was with each judge. The Lord rescued them from their enemies as long as that judge was alive. The Lord was moved by the groaning of those who were tormented and oppressed. But after each judge died, the people went back to their old ways and acted more corruptly than their parents. They followed, served, and worshiped other gods. They never gave up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

The Lord Allows the Nations to Stay in Order to Test His People

2:20 The Lord became angry with Israel. He said, “Because the people of this nation have rejected the promise I gave their ancestors and have not obeyed me, I will no longer force out the nations Joshua left behind when he died. I will test the people of Israel with these nations to see whether or not they will carefully follow the Lord’s ways as their ancestors did.” So the Lord let these nations stay. He had not handed them over to Joshua or forced them out quickly.

__________

Come To Save Us | All Sons & Daughters | Union Chapel Church of God

__________

NT Reading: Acts 13:16-25 (GW)

13:16 Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and converts to Judaism, listen to me. The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made them a strong nation while they lived as foreigners in Egypt. He used his powerful arm to bring them out of Egypt, and he put up with them for about forty years in the desert. Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as an inheritance. He did all this in about four hundred and fifty years.

“After that he gave his people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.

“Then the people demanded a king, so God gave them Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years God removed Saul and made David their king. God spoke favorably about David. He said, ‘I have found that David, son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

“God had the Savior, Jesus, come to Israel from David’s descendants, as he had promised. Before Jesus began his ministry, John ⌞the Baptizer⌟ told everyone in Israel about the baptism of repentance. When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the person you’re looking for. He will come later. I’m not even good enough to untie his sandals.’

__________

Avinu Malkeinu at a time of war אבינו מלכנו לעת המלחמה | Richard Shavei-Tzion

Our Father, our King, pardon and forgive all our iniquities.

Our Father, our King, blot out and remove our transgressions from before Your eyes.

Our Father, our King, erase in Your abounding mercies all the records of our debts [sins].

Our Father, our King, bring us back to You in wholehearted repentance.
__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

After Epiphany | Thursday 11 Jan 2024: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; Judges 2:6-15; 2 Corinthians 10:1-11 ~ Hold captive every disobedient thought.

After Epiphany | Thursday 11 Jan 2024

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

Opening:

We take every thought captive
so that it is obedient to Christ.
We are ready to punish every act
of disobedience….
(2 Corinthians 10:5b-6a)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 139:1-6 – The Corner Room

__________

OT Reading: Judges 2:6-15 (GW)

The Death of Joshua

2:6 Now, Joshua sent the people of Israel home. So each family went to take possession of the territory they had inherited. The people served the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and throughout the lifetimes of the leaders who had outlived him and who had seen all the spectacular works the Lord had done for Israel. The Lord’s servant Joshua, son of Nun, died at the age of 110. He was buried at Timnath Heres within the territory he had inherited. This was in the mountains of Ephraim north of Mount Gaash. That whole generation had joined their ancestors in death. So another generation grew up after them. They had no personal experience with the Lord or with what he had done for Israel.

The Sin of the Next Generation

2:11 The people of Israel did what the Lord considered evil. They began to serve other gods—the Baals. The Israelites abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors, the God who brought them out of Egypt. They followed the other gods of the people around them. They worshiped these gods, and that made the Lord angry. They abandoned the Lord to serve the god Baal and the goddess Astarte. So the Lord became angry with the people of Israel. He handed them over to people who robbed them. He also used their enemies around them to defeat them. They could no longer stand up against their enemies. Whenever the Israelites went to war, the power of the Lord brought disaster on them. This was what the Lord said he would do in an oath. So he made them suffer a great deal.

__________

You Restore | Official Lyric Video | CRC Music

__________

NT Reading: 2 Corinthians 10:1-11 (GW)

The Sin of the Next Generation

10:1 I, Paul, make my appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ. I’m the one who is humble when I’m with you but forceful toward you when I’m not with you. I beg you that when I am with you I won’t have to deal forcefully with you. I expect I will have to because some people think that we are only guided by human motives. Of course we are human, but we don’t fight like humans. The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ. We are ready to punish every act of disobedience when you have become completely obedient.

Look at the plain facts! If anyone is confident he belongs to Christ, he should take note that we also belong to Christ. So, if I brag a little too much about the authority which the Lord gave us, I’m not ashamed. The Lord gave us this authority to help you, not to hurt you.

I don’t want you to think that I’m trying to frighten you with my letters. I know that someone is saying that my letters are powerful and strong, but that I’m a weakling and a terrible speaker. The person who is saying those things should take note of this fact: When we are with you we will do the things that we wrote about in our letters when we weren’t with you.

__________

Jesus On My Mind – Kingdom Muzic Presents Bryann T

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

After Epiphany | Wednesday 10 Jan 2024: Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36; Isaiah 41:14-20; John 1:29-34 ~ The anointing of the Holy Spirit.

After Epiphany | Wednesday 10 Jan 2024

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

Opening:

“‘When you see the Spirit come down
and stay on someone,
you’ll know that person is the one
who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'”
(John 1:33b)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 69 – “Lord, in Your Great Love, Answer Me” – Francesca LaRosa

__________

OT Reading: Isaiah 41:14-20 (GW)

41:14 Don’t be afraid, Jacob, you worm.
You people of Israel, I will help you,”
declares the Lord, your Defender, the Holy One of Israel.
“I am going to make you into a new threshing sledge
with sharp, double-edged teeth.
You will thresh the mountains and crush them to dust.
You will turn the hills into straw.
You will winnow them.
The wind will carry them away.
The windstorm will scatter them.
But you will find joy in the Lord
and praise the Holy One of Israel.

“The poor and needy are looking for water, but there is none.
Their tongues are parched with thirst.
I, the Lord, will answer them.
I, the God of Israel, will not abandon them.
I will make rivers flow on bare hilltops.
I will make springs flow through valleys.
I will turn deserts into lakes.
I will turn dry land into springs.
I will plant cedar, acacia, myrtle, and wild olive trees in the desert.
I will place cedar, fir, and cypress trees together in the wilderness.
People will see and know.
Together they will consider and understand
that the Lord’s power has done this,
that the Holy One of Israel has created it.

__________

The Mighty One of Israel (Medley) – Randy Rothwell | Poder da Ressurreição

__________

NT Reading: John 1:29-34 (GW)

John Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God

1:29 John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘A man who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ I didn’t know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel.”

John said, “I saw the Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him. I didn’t know who he was. But God, who sent me to baptize with water, had told me, ‘When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, you’ll know that person is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen this and have declared that this is the Son of God.”

__________

Behold The Lamb | First Baptist Dallas Choir and Orchestra

__________

Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May Christ, who sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.

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

After Epiphany | Tuesday 09 Jan 2024: Psalm 69:1-5, 30-36; Exodus 30:22-38; Acts 22:2-16 ~ The sign and seal of baptism.

After Epiphany | Tuesday 09 Jan 2024

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

Opening:

“‘What are you waiting for now?
Get up! Be baptized, and
have your sins washed away
as you call on his name.’”
(Acts 22:16)

__________

From Psalms: Psalm 69 – (Save Me O God) [Jeff Lowe]

__________

OT Reading: Exodus 30:22-38 (GW)

The Oil for Anointing

30:22 The Lord said to Moses, “Take the finest spices: 12½ pounds of powdered myrrh; half as much, that is, 6¼ pounds of fragrant cinnamon; 6¼ pounds of fragrant cane; 12½ pounds of cassia—all weighed using the standard weight of the holy place—and 4 quarts of olive oil. Have a perfumer make these into a holy oil, a fragrant mixture, used only for anointing. This will be the holy oil used for anointing.

“Use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark containing the words of my promise, the table and all the dishes, the lamp stand and all the utensils, the altar for incense, the altar for burnt offerings and all its accessories, and the basin with its stand. In this way you will dedicate them for their holy purpose. Then they will be most holy, and anything that touches them will become holy. Anoint Aaron and his sons as well. In this way you will set them apart for their holy duties of serving me as priests.

“Say to the Israelites, ‘For generations to come, this will be my holy oil used only for anointing. It must never be poured on the bodies of other people. Never make any perfumed oil using this formula. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy. Whoever prepares a perfume like this or puts it on anyone who is not a priest must be excluded from the people.’ ”

The Incense for Use in the Tent

30:34 The Lord said to Moses, “Take one part fragrant spices (two kinds of gum resin and aromatic mollusk shells), and mix them with one part pure frankincense. Have a perfumer make it into fragrant incense, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. Grind some of it into a fine powder, and put it in front of ⌞the ark containing⌟ the words of my promise in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. You must treat it as most holy. Never make any incense for yourselves using this formula. Treat it as holy to the Lord. Whoever prepares anything like it for his own enjoyment must be excluded from his people.”

__________

“Face To Face” | Zach Williams

I’m a traveler far from home
I get lost but I press on
I’ve got a mansion, streets of gold
Where I belong

There’s a day, coming soon
Where the old will be made new
And Heaven’s glory shines like the morning
Before our eyes

When we all see Jesus
When we all see Jesus
No more sickness
No more madness
No more pain
When we all see Jesus
Face to face

We will sing with the angel voices
There will be a great rejoicing
Holy holy, worthy worthy
Is the lamb

__________

NT Reading: Acts 22:2-16 (GW)

22:2 When the mob heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul continued, “I’m a Jew. I was born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia and received my education from Gamaliel here in Jerusalem. My education was in the strict laws handed down by our ancestors. I was as devoted to God as all of you are today. I persecuted people who followed the way ⌞of Christ⌟: I tied up men and women and put them into prison until they were executed. The chief priest and the entire council of our leaders can prove that I did this. In fact, they even gave me letters to take to the Jewish community in the city of Damascus. I was going there to tie up believers and bring them back to Jerusalem to punish them.

“But as I was on my way and approaching the city of Damascus about noon, a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice asking me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?’

“I answered, ‘Who are you, sir?’

“The person told me, ‘I’m Jesus from Nazareth, the one you’re persecuting.’

“The men who were with me saw the light but didn’t understand what the person who was speaking to me said.

“Then I asked, ‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’

“The Lord told me, ‘Get up! Go into the city of Damascus, and you’ll be told everything I’ve arranged for you to do.’

“I was blind because the light had been so bright. So the men who were with me led me into the city of Damascus.

“A man named Ananias lived in Damascus. He was a devout person who followed Moses’ Teachings. All the Jews living in Damascus spoke highly of him. He came to me, stood beside me, and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ At that moment my sight came back and I could see Ananias.

“Ananias said, ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the one who has God’s approval, and to hear him speak to you. You will be his witness and will tell everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for now? Get up! Be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.’