After Christmas Day | Wednesday 27 Dec 2023: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 2:1-10; Mark 11:1-11 ~ Jesus brings God’s better Kingdom.

After Christmas Day | Wednesday 27 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
you have given your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him,
and to be born of a pure virgin:
Grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the same Spirit
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

“Blessed is our ancestor David’s kingdom that is coming!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
(Mark 11:10)

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From the Gospels: Luke 1:46b-55 – Magnificat | Reawaken Hymns |

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-10 (GW

Hannah’s Prayer

2:1 Hannah prayed out loud,

“My heart finds joy in the Lord.
My head is lifted to the Lord.
My mouth mocks my enemies.
I rejoice because you saved ⌞me⌟.
There is no one holy like the Lord.
There is no one but you, O Lord.
There is no Rock like our God.

“Do not boast
⌞or⌟ let arrogance come out of your mouth
because the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and he weighs ⌞our⌟ actions.

“The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumble are armed with strength.
Those who were well-fed hire themselves out for a piece of bread,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
Even the woman who was childless gives birth to seven children,
but the mother of many children grieves all alone.

“The Lord kills, and he gives life.
He makes ⌞people⌟ go down to the grave, and he raises them up ⌞again⌟.
The Lord causes poverty and grants wealth.
He humbles ⌞people⌟; he also promotes them.
He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from the trash heap
in order to make them sit with nobles
and even to make them inherit a glorious throne.

“The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s.
He has set the world on them.
He safeguards the steps of his faithful ones,
but wicked people are silenced in darkness
because humans cannot succeed by their own strength.

“Those who oppose the Lord are broken into pieces.
He thunders at them from the heavens.
The Lord judges the ends of the earth.
He gives strength to his King
and lifts the head of his Messiah.”

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Behold Our God (Live at WorshipGod) | Sovereign Grace

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NT Reading: Mark 11:1-11 (GW)

The King Comes to Jerusalem

11:1 When they came near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples ahead of him. He said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you. As you enter it, you will find a young donkey tied there. No one has ever sat on it. Untie it, and bring it. If anyone asks you what you are doing, say that the Lord needs it. That person will send it here at once.”

The disciples found the young donkey in the street. It was tied to the door of a house. As they were untying it, some men standing there asked them, “Why are you untying that donkey?” The disciples answered them as Jesus had told them. So the men let them go.

They brought the donkey to Jesus, put their coats on it, and he sat on it. Many spread their coats on the road. Others cut leafy branches in the fields and spread them on the road. Those who went ahead and those who followed him were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is our ancestor David’s kingdom that is coming!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Jesus came into Jerusalem and went into the temple courtyard, where he looked around at everything. Since it was already late, he went out with the twelve apostles to Bethany.

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Mary’s Boy ChildBoney M. [Jesus4Life]

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,  direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ 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. Set free 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 those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.

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

After Christmas Day | Tuesday 26 Dec 2023: Luke 1:46b-55; 1 Samuel 1:19-28; Hebrews 8:1-13 ~ Jesus brings God’s better promise.

After Christmas Day | Tuesday 26 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Almighty God,
you have given your only-begotten Son
to take our nature upon him,
and to be born of a pure virgin:
Grant that we, who have been born again
and made your children by adoption and grace,
may daily be renewed by your Holy Spirit;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom with you and the same Spirit
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

“Jesus… brings a better promise  from God
that is based on better guarantees.”
(Hebrews 8:6)

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From the Gospels: Luke 1:46b-55 – The Magnificat – Koine

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 1:19-28 (GW

1:19 Early in the morning Elkanah and his family got up and worshiped in front of the Lord. Then they returned home to Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel [God Hears], because she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

Samuel’s Childhood

To keep his vow, Elkanah and his entire household again went to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord. But Hannah didn’t go. She told her husband, “I’ll wait until the boy is weaned. Then I’ll bring him and present him to the Lord, and he’ll stay there permanently.”

“Do what you think is best,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Wait until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord keep his word.” The woman stayed and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

As soon as she had weaned Samuel, she took him with her. She also brought a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a full wineskin. She brought him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh while the boy was ⌞still⌟ a child.

Then the parents butchered the bull and brought the child to Eli. “Sir,” Hannah said, “as sure as you live, I’m the woman who stood here next to you and prayed to the Lord. I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. In return, I am giving him to the Lord. He will be dedicated to the Lord for his whole life.”

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Gaudete, Christus est natusChristmas Carol  [Good News Gospel]

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NT Reading: Hebrews 8:1-13 (GW)

Jesus’ Priestly Work Is Superior to Other Priests’ Work

8:1 The main point we want to make is this: We do have this kind of chief priest. This chief priest holds the honored position—the one next to the majestic God [the Father] on the heavenly throne. He serves as priest of the holy place and of the true tent set up by the Lord and not by any human.

Every chief priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. Therefore, this chief priest had to offer something. If he were on earth, he would not even be a priest. On earth ⌞other⌟ priests offer gifts by following the instructions that Moses gave. They serve at a place that is a pattern, a shadow, of what is in heaven. When Moses was about to make the tent, God warned him, “Be sure to make everything based on the plan I showed you on the mountain.”

Jesus has been given a priestly work that is superior to the Levitical priests’ work. He also brings a better promise  from God that is based on better guarantees. If nothing had been wrong with the first promise, no one would look for another one. But God found something wrong with his people and said to them,

“The days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new promise to Israel and Judah. It will not be like the promise that I made to their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of Egypt. They rejected that promise, so I ignored them, says the Lord. But this is the promise that I will make to Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my teachings inside them, and I will write those teachings on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying, ‘Know the Lord.’ All of them from the least important to the most important will all know me because I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold their sins against them.”

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Infant Holy, Infant Lowly | Elevation Worship

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ Gracious Father, we pray for your holy catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,  direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ 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. Set free 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 those who will restore Israel spiritually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing: FaithandWorship.com | John Birch

May God, who has called us out of darkness
into his marvelous light,
bless us and fill us with peace.

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

The Season of Advent | 4th Sunday 24 Dec 2023: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:46b-55; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38 ~ He will be called the Son of God.

The Season of Advent | 4th Sunday 24 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Stir up your power, O Lord, and
with great might come among us;
and as we are sorely hindered by our sins
from running the race that is set before us,
let your bountiful grace and mercy
speedily help and deliver us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

The angel answered [Mary],
“The Holy Spirit will come to you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore, the holy child developing inside you
will be called the Son of God.”
(Luke 1:35)

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Thou Didst Leave Thy ThroneParkside Evangelical Church

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From the Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16 (GW)

David’s Wish to Build a House for God

7:1 While King David was living in his house, the Lord gave him peace with all his enemies around him. So the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Look, I’m living in a house made of cedar, while the ark of God remains in the tent.”

Nathan told the king, “Do everything you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.”

But that same night the Lord spoke his word to Nathan: “Say to my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one who will build me a house to live in? I haven’t lived in a house from the day I took Israel out of Egypt to this day. Instead, I moved around in a tent, the tent ⌞of meeting⌟. In all the places I’ve moved with all the Israelites, did I ever ask any of the judges  of Israel whom I ordered to be shepherds of my people Israel why they didn’t build me a house of cedar?’

“Now this is what you will say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture where you followed sheep so that you could be the leader of my people Israel. I was with you wherever you went, and I destroyed all your enemies in front of you. I will make your name famous like the names of the greatest people on earth. I will make a place for my people Israel and plant them there. They will live in their own place and not be troubled anymore. The wicked will no longer oppress them as they used to do ever since I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. So I will give you peace with all your enemies. I, the Lord, tell you that I will make a house for you….

7:16 Your royal house will remain in my presence  forever. Your throne will be established forever.’ ”

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From the Gospels: Luke 1:46b-55 Holy Is His Name | Magnificat | Canticle / Song of Mary | John Michael Talbot | Sunday 7pm Choir

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From the Epistles: Romans 16:25-27 (GW)

16:25 God can strengthen you by the Good News and the message I tell about Jesus Christ. He can strengthen you by revealing the mystery that was kept in silence for a very long time but now is publicly known. The everlasting God ordered that what the prophets wrote must be shown to the people of every nation to bring them to the obedience that is associated with faith. God alone is wise. Glory belongs to him through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.

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Gloria in excelsis DeoAntonio Vivaldi [Eugen Tutunaru]

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Gospel Reading: Luke 1:26-38 (GW)

The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary

1:26 Six months after Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.

When the angel entered her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is with you.”

She was startled by what the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.

The angel told her,

“Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor  with God.
You will become pregnant, give birth to a son,
and name him Jesus.
He will be a great man
and will be called the Son of the Most High.
The Lord God will give him
the throne of his ancestor David.
Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever,
and his kingdom will never end.”

Mary asked the angel, “How can this be? I’m a virgin.”

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.

“Elizabeth, your relative, is six months pregnant with a son in her old age. People said she couldn’t have a child. But nothing is impossible for God.”

Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.”

Then the angel left her.

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Be It Unto Me | Don Moen – Live Worship Sessions

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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.

+ O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty and everlasting God, you govern all things in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear our prayers, and grant that in our local assemblies the pure Word of God may be preached and the Sacraments duly administered. Strengthen and confirm the faithful; protect and guide the children; visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked; arouse the careless; recover the fallen; restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement of your truth; and bring us all to be of one heart and mind within your holy Church, to the honor and glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Almighty God, from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed: Kindle, we pray, in the hearts of all people the true love of peace, and guide with your pure and peaceable wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, especially in the Middle East; that in tranquility your kingdom may go forward, till the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Lord of Heaven’s Armies, we pray for swift and total victory over all evil in the Holy Land. Set free 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, 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 the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.

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

The Season of Advent | 4th Saturday 23 Dec 2023: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Judges 13:2-24; John 7:40-52 ~ Jesus Messiah from Bethlehem.

The Season of Advent | 4th Saturday 23 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

O Lord Jesus Christ,
you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance
and prepare the way for our salvation:
Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise make ready your way,
by turning the hearts of the disobedient
toward the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world,
we may be found a people acceptable in your sight;
for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Doesn’t Scripture say that the Messiah
will come from the descendants of David and
from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?”

(John 7:42)

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From Psalms: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26 – | Catholic Music Initiative

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OT Reading: Judges 13:2-24 (GW

13:2 There was a man from Zorah named Manoah. Manoah was from the family of Dan. His wife was not able to have children. The Messenger of the Lord appeared to her and said, “You’ve never been able to have a child, but now you will become pregnant and have a son. Now you must be careful. Don’t drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean food. You’re going to become pregnant and have a son. You must never cut his hair because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the power of the Philistines.”

The woman went to tell her husband. She said, “A man of God came to me. He had a very frightening appearance like the Messenger of God. So I didn’t ask him where he came from, and he didn’t tell me his name. He told me, ‘You’re going to become pregnant and have a son. So don’t drink any wine or liquor or eat any unclean food because the boy will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from the time he is born until he dies.’ ”

Then Manoah pleaded with the Lord, “Please, Lord, let the man of God you sent come back to us. Let him teach us what we must do for the boy who will be born.”

God did what Manoah asked. The Messenger of God came back to his wife while she was sitting out in the fields. But her husband Manoah was not with her. The woman ran quickly to tell her husband. She said, “The man who came to me the other day has just appeared to me ⌞again⌟.”

Manoah immediately followed his wife. When he came to the man, he asked him, “Are you the man who spoke to my wife?”

“Yes,” he answered.

 Then Manoah asked, “When your words come true, how should the boy live and what should he do?”

The Messenger of the Lord answered Manoah, “Your wife must be careful to do everything I told her to do. She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevines, drink any wine or liquor, or eat any unclean food. She must be careful to do everything I commanded.”

Manoah said to the Messenger of the Lord, “Please stay while we prepare a young goat for you to eat.”

But the Messenger of the Lord responded, “If I stay here, I will not eat any of your food. But if you make a burnt offering, sacrifice it to the Lord.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the Messenger of the Lord.)

Then Manoah asked the Messenger of the Lord, “What is your name? When your words come true, we will honor you.”

The Messenger of the Lord asked him, “Why do you ask for my name? It’s a name that works miracles.”

So Manoah took a young goat and a grain offering and sacrificed them to the Lord on a rock he used as an altar. While Manoah and his wife watched, the Lord did something miraculous. As the flame went up toward heaven from the altar, the Messenger of the Lord went up in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they immediately bowed down with their faces touching the ground.

The Messenger of the Lord didn’t appear again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah knew that this had been the Messenger of the Lord. So Manoah said to his wife, “We will certainly die because we have seen God.”

But Manoah’s wife replied, “If the Lord wanted to kill us, he would not have accepted our burnt offering and grain offering. He would not have let us see or hear all these things just now.”

So the woman had a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him.

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The Blessing Israel Passages | Erez Dan – Director and Producer, Daniel Berkove – Exec. Producer

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NT Reading: John 7:40-52 (GW)

7:40 After some of the crowd heard Jesus say these words, they said, “This man is certainly the prophet.” Other people said, “This man is the Messiah.” Still other people asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? Doesn’t Scripture say that the Messiah will come from the descendants of David and from the village of Bethlehem, where David lived?” So the people were divided because of Jesus. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but they couldn’t.

When the temple guards returned, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus?”

The temple guards answered, “No human has ever spoken like this man.”

The Pharisees asked the temple guards, “Have you been deceived too? Has any ruler or any Pharisee believed in him? This crowd is cursed because it doesn’t know Moses’ Teachings.”

One of those Pharisees was Nicodemus, who had previously visited Jesus. Nicodemus asked them, “Do Moses’ Teachings enable us to judge a person without first hearing that person’s side of the story? We can’t judge a person without finding out what that person has done.”

They asked Nicodemus, “Are you saying this because you’re from Galilee? Study ⌞the Scriptures⌟, and you’ll see that no prophet comes from Galilee.”

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O Little Town of Bethlehem – Lyric Video (Chanticleer)

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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. Set free 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 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 the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.

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

The Season of Advent | 4th Friday 22 Dec 2023: Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; 2 Samuel 6:12-19; Hebrews 1:5-14 ~ The Son reigns with justice.

The Season of Advent | 4th Friday 22 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

O Lord Jesus Christ,
you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance
and prepare the way for our salvation:
Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise make ready your way,
by turning the hearts of the disobedient
toward the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world,
we may be found a people acceptable in your sight;
for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

God said about his Son,
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.

(Hebrews 1:8)

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From Psalms: Psalm 89 – Via Christus Choir

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OT Reading: 2 Samuel 6:12-19 (GW

6:12 King David was told, “The Lord has blessed Obed Edom’s home and everything he owns because of the ark of God.” Then David joyfully went to get the ark of God from Obed Edom’s house and bring it to the City of David. When those who carried the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, David sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.

Wearing a linen ephod, David danced in the Lord’s presence with all his might. He and the entire nation of Israel brought the ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the sounding of rams’ horns. When the ark of the Lord came to the City of David, Saul’s daughter Michal looked out of a window and saw King David leaping and dancing in the Lord’s presence, so she despised him.

The men carrying the ark set it in its place inside the tent David had put up for it. David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings in the Lord’s presence. When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and the fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord of Armies. He also distributed to all the people—to the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women—one loaf of bread, one date cake, and one raisin cake. Then all the people went home.

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Dance Like David Danced | New Creation Worship, Singapore

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NT Reading: Hebrews 1:5-14 (GW)

1:5 God never said to any of his angels,

“You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.”

And God never said to any of his angels,

“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son.”

When God was about to send his firstborn Son into the world, he said,

“All of God’s angels must worship him.”

God said about the angels,

“He makes his messengers winds.
He makes his servants flames of fire.”

But God said about his Son,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.
The scepter in your kingdom is a scepter for justice.
You have loved what is right and hated what is wrong.
That is why God, your God,
anointed you, rather than your companions, with the oil of joy.”

God also said,

“Lord, in the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth.
With your own hands you made the heavens.
They will come to an end, but you will live forever.
They will all wear out like clothes.
They will be taken off like a coat.
You will change them like clothes.
But you remain the same, and your life will never end.

But God never said to any of the angels,

“Take the honored position—the one next to me on the heavenly throne
until I put your enemies under your control.”

What are all the angels? They are spirits sent to serve those who are going to receive salvation.

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The King Shall ComeHeart Beats

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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. Set free 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 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 the Lord, when he comes,
find us watching and waiting.

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