Tag: Job

After Pentecost | Friday 04 Oct 2024: Psalm 26; Job 4:1-21; Romans 8:1-11 ~ Every believer has the Holy Spirit.

After Pentecost | Friday 04 Oct 2024

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

Opening:

O merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ
doesn’t belong to him.”
(Romans 8:9b)

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From Psalms: Psalm 26 // Vindicate Me, O Lord (Psalm 26) // My Soul Among Lions

Examine me and try my heart
Inspect my mind, my inward part
I’ve set Your grace before my eyes
I love Your truth I hate their lies
I take no part with the deceiver, no
I hate the way that unbelievers go

Vindicate me, O LORD
I have walked in my integrity
I’m holding fast to You, my God
Vindicate me, O LORD
Please be gracious and deliver me
I’m standing here within Your truth

I’ve washed my hands in innocence
Redeem me, LORD, be my defense
That I may sing with thankful praise
Within Your house through all my days
Don’t take my soul away with violent men
But at Your altar let me kneel again

Vindicate me, O LORD
I have walked in my integrity
I’m holding fast to You, my God
Vindicate me, O LORD
Please be gracious and deliver me
I’m standing here within Your truth

Vindicate me, O LORD
I have walked in my integrity
I’m holding fast to You, my God
Vindicate me, O LORD
Please be gracious and deliver me
I’m standing here within Your truth

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OT Reading: Job 4:1-21 (GW)

Eliphaz Speaks: Be Patient and Listen, Job

4:1 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied ⌞to Job⌟,

“If someone tries to talk to you, will you become impatient?
But who can keep from talking?
Certainly, you have instructed many people:
When hands were weak, you made them strong.
When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words.
When knees were weak, you gave them strength.
But trouble comes to you, and you’re impatient.
It touches you, and you panic.
Doesn’t your fear of God give you confidence
and your lifetime of integrity give you hope?

Only Evil People Suffer

4:7 “Now think about this:
Which innocent person ⌞ever⌟ died ⌞an untimely death⌟?
Find me a decent person who has been destroyed.
Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery,
they gathered its harvest.
God destroys them with his breath
and kills them with a blast of his anger.
Though the roar of the lion
and the growl of the ferocious lion ⌞is loud⌟,
the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.
The old lions die without any prey ⌞to eat⌟,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.

“I was told something secretly
and heard something whispered in my ear.
With disturbing thoughts from visions in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,
fear and trembling came over me,
and all my bones shook.
A spirit passed in front of me.
It made my hair stand on end.
Something stood there.
I couldn’t tell what it was.
A vague image was in front of my eyes.
I heard a soft voice:
‘Can ⌞any⌟ mortal be righteous to God?
Can ⌞any⌟ human being be pure to his maker?’

“You see, God doesn’t trust his own servants,
and he accuses his angels of making mistakes.
How much more will he accuse those who live in clay houses
that have their foundation in the dust.
Those houses can be crushed quicker than a moth!
From morning to evening, they are shattered.
They will disappear forever without anyone paying attention.
Haven’t the ropes of their tent been loosened?
Won’t they die without wisdom?

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Father Of Mercies (Acoustic Version) // Olly Knight & Ben Slee

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NT Reading: Romans 8:1-11 (GW) 

God’s Spirit Makes Us His Children

8:1 So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned. The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death. It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature. Therefore, we, who do not live by our corrupt nature but by our spiritual nature, are able to meet God’s standards in Moses’ Teachings.

Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude. But those who live by the spiritual nature have the spiritual nature’s attitude. The corrupt nature’s attitude leads to death. But the spiritual nature’s attitude leads to life and peace. This is so because the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God’s standards because it can’t. Those who are under the control of the corrupt nature can’t please God. But if God’s Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature.

Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him. However, if Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God’s approval. Does the Spirit of the one who brought Jesus back to life live in you? Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.

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I Belong To Jesus (Oh Hallelujah) – Selah [Integrity Music]

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: I hold up all my weakness to your strength, my failure to your faithfulness, my sinfulness to your perfection, my loneliness to your compassion, my little pains to your great agony on the Cross. I pray that you will cleanse me, strengthen me, guide me, so that in all ways my life may be lived as you would have it lived, without cowardice and for you alone. Show me how to live in true humility, true contrition, and true love. Amen.

Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

+ Do what only you can do to make your faithful people the promised blessing to every family on earth.

+ Protect them from the assaults of the evil one, coming in every form and from every direction.

+ Grant your heavenly wisdom to Israel’s leadership; give them the courage to do what’s right in your sight.

+ Comfort all those who mourn the loss of loved ones; deliver the hostages from captivity and restore their souls.

+ Destroy every stronghold and every expression of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.

+ Protect the Israel Defense Forces and every soldier engaged in their mission to root out this evil.

+ Strengthen the Messianic communities; use them to restore your faithful people to their proper place in your kingdom.

+ Unify your faithful people around your promise to Abraham – to bless every family on earth through them.

+ Intervene in the Middle East in ways that only you can; protect the innocent and punish the guilty, that all may live at peace.

Julian of Norwich

O God, of your goodness, give me yourself, for you are enough for me. I can ask for nothing less that is completely to your honor, and if I do ask anything less, I shall always be in want. Only in you I have all. Amen.

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.

After Pentecost | Thursday 15 Aug 2024: Psalm 34:9-14; Job 11:1-20; Acts 6:8-15 ~ Rely on the Spirit’s wisdom.

After Pentecost | Thursday 15 Aug 2024

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

Opening:

Almighty God, give us the increase
of faith, hope, and love; and,
that we may obtain what you have promised,
make us love what you command;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Stephen spoke with the wisdom
that the Spirit had given him.”
(Acts 6:10b)

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From Psalms: Psalm 34 – (Taste and See That He Is Good) by The Psalms Project

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OT Reading: Job 11:1-20  (GW)

Zophar Speaks: Your Words Call for an Answer, Job

11:1 Then Zophar from Naama replied ⌞to Job⌟,

“Shouldn’t someone answer this flood of words?
Should a good public speaker be acquitted?
Should your empty talk silence others
so that you can make fun of us without any shame?
You say, ‘My teaching is morally correct,’
and, ‘As you can see, I’m innocent.’
I only wish God would speak
and open his mouth ⌞to talk⌟ to you.
He would tell you the secrets of wisdom,
because ⌞true⌟ wisdom is twice ⌞as great as your wisdom⌟,
and you would know that God forgets your sin.

God Can Do as He Pleases

11:7 “Can you discover God’s hidden secrets,
or are you able to find the Almighty’s limits?
⌞God’s wisdom is⌟ higher than heaven.
What can you do?
It is deeper than ⌞the depths⌟ of hell.
What can you know?
It is longer than the earth
and wider than the sea.
If God comes along and imprisons ⌞someone⌟
and then calls a court into session, who can stop him?
He knows who the scoundrels are.
And when he sees sin, doesn’t he pay attention to it?
But an empty-headed person will gain understanding
when a wild donkey is born tame.

Confess Your Sin and Be Forgiven

11:13 “If you want to set your heart right,
then pray to him.
If you’re holding on to sin, put it far away,
and don’t let injustice live in your tent.
Then you will be able to show your face without being ashamed,
and you will be secure and unafraid.
⌞Then⌟ you will forget your misery
and remember it like water that has flowed downstream.
Then your life will be brighter than the noonday sun.
The darkness in your life will become like morning.
You will feel confident because there’s hope,
and you will look around and rest in safety.
You will lie down with no one to frighten you,
and many people will try to gain your favor.
But the wicked will lose their eyesight.
Their escape route will be closed.
Their only hope is to take their last breath.”

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Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise – SE Samonte

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NT Reading: Acts 6:8-15 (GW)

Stephen Is Arrested

6:8 Stephen was a man filled with God’s favor  and power. He did amazing things and performed miracles. ⌞One day⌟ some men from the cities of Cyrene and Alexandria and the provinces of Cilicia and Asia started an argument with Stephen. They belonged to a synagogue called Freedmen’s Synagogue. They couldn’t argue with Stephen because he spoke with the wisdom that the Spirit had given him. Then they bribed some men to lie.

These men said, “We heard him slander Moses and God.” The liars stirred up trouble among the people, the leaders, and the experts in Moses’ Teachings. So they went to Stephen, took him by force, and brought him in front of the Jewish council. Some witnesses stood up and lied about Stephen. They said, “This man never stops saying bad things about the holy place and Moses’ Teachings. We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy the temple and change the customs that Moses gave us.”

Everyone who sat in the council stared at him and saw that his face looked like an angel’s face.

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Spirit Lead Me – Influence Music & Michael Ketterer

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and light rises up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what you would have us do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save us from all false choices; that in your light we may see light, and in your straight path we may not stumble; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ Merciful God, you desire not the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn to you and live; and through your only Son you have revealed yourself as the God who pardons iniquity. Have mercy on the unrepentant and those who do not believe. Awaken in them, by your Word and Holy  Spirit, a deep sense of their sinfulness and peril. Take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of your Word. Grant them to know and   believe that there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which they must be saved, but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so  bring them home and number them among your children, that they may be yours for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you  and  the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. 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 October 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.

+ Heavenly Father, you have promised to hear what we ask in the Name of your Son: Accept and fulfill our petitions, we pray, not as we ask in our  ignorance, nor as we deserve in our sinfulness, but as you know and love us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.

Morning Prayer: Psalm 30:1-5; Job 2:7-13; John 11:32-40 ~ mourning

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence

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.

You will find the Lord your God, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Morning readings

Psalm 30:1-5 NLT:

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Job 2:7-13 NLT:

A bereaved Israeli mourning ahead of Israel’s Memorial Day at the grave of a fallen soldier at Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul military cemetery, April 14, 2013. (Gideon Markowicz/Flash 90) Read more: http://www.jta.org/2013/04/15/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/israel-observes-memorial-day-with-siren-ceremonies#ixzz2lVoyAFcJ
A bereaved Israeli mourning ahead of Israel’s Memorial Day at the grave of a fallen soldier at Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul military cemetery, April 14, 2013. (Gideon Markowicz/Flash 90)

So Satan left the Lord’s presence, and he struck Job with terrible boils from head to foot.

Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

John 11:32-40 NLT:

When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” he asked them.

They told him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”

Jesus was still angry as he arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them.

But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.”

Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”

Reflection/Prayer:

Jewish custom was to mourn for the dead three full days and nights known as ‘days of weeping’ which were followed by four ‘days of lamentation’ thus making seven days. One rabbinical notion suggested that for tree days the person’s spirit wandered about the sepulchre; hoping to re-enter the body, but when corruption set in the spirit left. For this reason loud lamentations began on the fourth day. When the seven-day mourning period was over, and the visitors had left, the mourner returned to a quiet period of less intense mourning for 30 days, then 11 months to progressively come out of mourning. Close relatives make a practice of saying ‘the Kaddish’ often in the eleven months – a prayer of praise to God and longing for His Kingdom. It’s wording is parallel to that of the Lord’s prayer and is often used at other times as well.

Glorified and sanctified be the Great name of God in the world which He created according to His will. May He establish His Kingdom during your days and during the days of the whole house of Israel at a near time speedily and soon. Say, Amen.

May His Great name be praised for ever, glorified and exalted, extolled and honoured, and praised and magnified be the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, whose glory transcends, yea is beyond all blessing and praise and consolation which is uttered in the world. Say, Amen.

May there be great peace from heaven upon us and upon all Israel. Say Amen.

May He who makes peace from the heavens grant peace upon us and upon all Israel. Say, Amen.

David Kossoff in his book A Small Town is a World tells of Rabbi Mark sitting by the death-bed of his friend old Mendel. Mendel sensed the Rabbi’s grief and made jokes. But then when his breathing grew shallow he asked the Rabbi for one last wish, his voice by now rather faint. ‘Anything, old friend,’ said Rabbi Mark, bending forward to hear the last words. ‘When it’s all over,’ said Mendel, ‘and it’s time to lift me into my coffin, promise not to hold me under my arms… I’m ticklish.’

A prayer upon waking:

The soul You gave me is pure, my Lord: You gave it life and You preserve it within me, and at the end, when the time comes, You will take it away, only to give it back to me one day. But as long as that soul is in me it will worship You, O Lord my God, the God of my fathers, from whom one day the dead will receive back their souls.

One Jew exclaimed to his friend:

‘You should live to be 120 years and a couple of months.’
‘Why a couple of months?’
‘So you shouldn’t die suddenly.’

Canticle

Christ, as a light… illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield… overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

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.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
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Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.