After Christmas Day | Saturday 30 Dec 2023: Psalm 148; Proverbs 9:1-12; 2 Peter 3:8-13 ~ the promise of a new heaven and earth

After Christmas Day | Saturday 30 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.

“We look forward to what God has promised
—a new heaven and a new earth—
a place where everything
that has God’s approval lives.”
(2 Peter 3:13)

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From Psalms: Psalm 148 – Hebrew Worship – תְּהִלִּים 148 – Aleph with Beth

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OT Reading: Proverbs 9:1-12 (GW)

Wisdom Hosts a Banquet

9:1 Wisdom has built her house.
She has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat.
She has mixed her wine.
She has set her table.
She has sent out her servant girls.
She calls from the highest places in the city,
“Whoever is gullible turn in here!”

She says to a person without sense,
“Come, eat my bread,
and drink the wine I have mixed.
Stop being gullible and live.
Start traveling the road to understanding.”

Wisdom Prolongs Life

9:7 Whoever corrects a mocker receives abuse.
Whoever warns a wicked person gets hurt.
Do not warn a mocker, or he will hate you.
Warn a wise person, and he will love you.
Give ⌞advice⌟ to a wise person,
and he will become even wiser.
Teach a righteous person,
and he will learn more.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

You will live longer because of me,
and years will be added to your life.
If you are wise, your wisdom will help you.

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1000 Israeli musicians sing with one voice, BRING THEM HOME! – Homeland concert | One For Israel Ministry

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NT Reading: 2 Peter 3:8-13 (GW)

3:8 Dear friends, don’t ignore this fact: One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised, as some people think. Rather, he is patient for your sake. He doesn’t want to destroy anyone but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and change the way they think and act.

The day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that day heaven will pass away with a roaring sound. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and be destroyed. The earth and everything that people have done on it will be exposed.

All these things will be destroyed in this way. So think of the kind of holy and godly lives you must live as you look forward to the day of God and eagerly wait for it to come. When that day comes, heaven will be on fire and will be destroyed. Everything that makes up the universe will burn and melt. But we look forward to what God has promised—a new heaven and a new earth—a place where everything that has God’s approval lives.

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You Make All Things New – Trent (Vineyard Worship)

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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. 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.

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 | Friday 29 Dec 2023: Psalm 148; Isaiah 49:5-15; Matthew 12:46-50 ~ the compassion of God

After Christmas Day | Friday 29 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Sing with joy, you heavens!
Rejoice, you earth!
Break into shouts of joy, you mountains!
The Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his humble people.
(Isaiah 49:13)

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From Psalms: Psalm 148 – “Highly Exalted” | Sixteen Cities

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OT Reading: Isaiah 49:5-15 (GW)

49:5 The Lord formed me in the womb to be his servant
in order to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to him.
(The Lord honors me,
and my God has become my strength.)

Now, the Lord says,

“You are not just my servant
who restores the tribes of Jacob
and brings back those in Israel whom I have preserved.
I have also made you a light for the nations
so that you would save people all over the world.”

The Lord is the defender of Israel, its Holy One.

This is what the Lord says to the despised one, to the one scorned by the nation, to the slave of rulers:

Kings will see ⌞you⌟ and stand.
Princes will see ⌞you⌟ and bow.
The Lord is faithful.
The Holy One of Israel has chosen you.

This is what the Lord says:

In the time of favor I will answer you.
In the day of salvation I will help you.
I will protect you.
I will appoint you as my promise to the people.
You will restore the land.
You will make them inherit the desolate inheritance.
You will say to the prisoners, “Come out,”
and to those who are in darkness, “Show yourselves.”

They will graze along every path,
and they will find pastures on every bare hill.
They will never be hungry or thirsty,
nor will the sun or the burning, hot wind strike them.
The one who has compassion on them will lead them
and guide them to springs.
I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be restored.
They will come from far away.
They will come from the north and from the west,
and they will come from the land of Sinim.

Sing with joy, you heavens!
Rejoice, you earth!
Break into shouts of joy, you mountains!
The Lord has comforted his people
and will have compassion on his humble people.

The Lord Has Not Forgotten Israel

49:14 But Zion said, “The Lord has abandoned me.
My Lord has forgotten me.”

Can a woman forget her nursing child?
Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb?
Although mothers may forget,
I will not forget you.

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The Lord Is Gracious and Compassionate | Vineyard Worship

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NT Reading: Matthew 12:46-50 (GW)

The True Family of Jesus

12:46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowds, his mother and brothers were standing outside. They wanted to talk to him. Someone told him, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside. They want to talk to you.”

He replied to the man speaking to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” Pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does what my Father in heaven wants is my brother and sister and mother.”

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When Hope Was Born – VOUS Worship (musicmeetsheaven)

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

+ 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 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 Holy Innocents | Thursday 28 Dec 2023: Psalm 148; Jeremiah 31:15-17; Matthew 2:13-18 ~ the manifestation of evil

The Holy Innocents | Thursday 28 Dec 2023

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

Opening:

Heavenly Father,
whose children suffered at the hands of Herod,
though they had done no wrong:
by the suffering of your Son
and by the innocence of our lives
frustrate all evil designs
and establish your reign of justice and peace;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

“Get up, take the child and his mother,
and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you,
because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.”
(Matthew 2:13)

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From Psalms: Psalm 148 – “Praise His Name” – Sovereign Grace [Rachel Overd]

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OT Reading: Jeremiah 31:15-17 (GW)

31:15 This is what the Lord says:

A sound is heard in Ramah,
the sound of crying in bitter grief.
Rachel is crying for her children.
She refuses to be comforted,
because they are dead.

This is what the Lord says:

Stop your crying, and wipe away your tears.
You will be rewarded for your work, declares the Lord.
You will return from the land of the enemy.
Your future is filled with hope, declares the Lord.
Your children will return to their own territory.

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Rachel Weeping for Her Children – David Abramsky

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NT Reading: Matthew 2:13-18 (GW)

The Escape to Egypt

2:13 After they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. The angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and kill him.”

Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left for Egypt that night. He stayed there until Herod died. What the Lord had spoken through the prophet came true: “I have called my son out of Egypt.”

When Herod saw that the wise men had tricked him, he became furious. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys two years old and younger in or near Bethlehem. This matched the exact time he had learned from the wise men. Then the words spoken through the prophet Jeremiah came true:

“A sound was heard in Ramah,
the sound of crying in bitter grief.
Rachel was crying for her children.
She refused to be comforted
because they were dead.”

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The Flight Into Egypt – Nightnoise

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

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 | 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:

“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 Child – Boney 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.

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:

“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 natus – Christmas 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