After Pentecost | Tuesday 20 Jun 2023: Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; 1 Samuel 3:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 ~ Stand firm and hang on!

After Pentecost | Tuesday 20 Jun 2023

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

Opening:

O Lord, from whom all good proceeds: Grant us the inspiration
of your Holy Spirit, that we may always think those things that
are good, and by your merciful guidance may accomplish the
same; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Stand firm and keep a strong grip
on the teaching we passed on to you
both in person and by letter.”
(2 Thessalonians 2:15)

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From Psalms: Psalm 105:1-11 – “Give thanks to the LORD God and call on his name” | The “Sing Psalms” Psalter

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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-9 (NLT)

The Lord Speaks to Samuel

3:1 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God. Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”

“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

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Speak Lord I’m Listening – South Edinburgh RC Cluster

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NT Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-3:5 (NLT)

Believers Should Stand Firm

2:13 As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Paul’s Request for Prayer

3:1 Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you. Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

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STAND – Newsboys

After Pentecost | Monday 19 Jun 2023: Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45; Joshua 1:1-11; 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ~ Be strong and courageous!

After Pentecost | Monday 19 Jun 2023

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

Opening:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous!
Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you
wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)

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From Psalms: Psalm 105– Give Thanks | Sean Dayton

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OT Reading: Joshua 1:1-11 (NLT)

The Lord’s Charge to Joshua

1:1 After the death of Moses the Lord’s servant, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant. He said, “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you— from the Negev wilderness in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west, including all the land of the Hittites.’ No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua’s Charge to the Israelites

1:10 Joshua then commanded the officers of Israel, “Go through the camp and tell the people to get their provisions ready. In three days you will cross the Jordan River and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

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Be Strong and Courageous and Do Not Be Afraid – Joshua 1 9 | Jennifer Carter

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NT Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (NLT)

3:1 Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

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Christ Be All Around Me | Anchor Hymns

After Pentecost | Saturday 17 Jun 2023: Psalm 100; Exodus 6:28-7:13; Mark 7:1-13 ~ Worship the living God whole-heartedly.

After Pentecost | Saturday 17 Jun 2023

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

Opening:

Grant, O Lord, that the course of this world may be so
peaceably ordered by your providence, that your Church may
joyfully serve you in quiet confidence and godly peace; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites!
Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you,
for he wrote, ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.'”
(Mark 7:1-6)

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From Psalms: Psalm 100 – (Enter in…) | Chris Tomlin || Northland Deaf Church Worship

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OT Reading: Exodus 6:28-7:13 (NLT)

6:28 When the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, he said to him, “I am the Lord! Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, everything I am telling you.” But Moses argued with the Lord, saying, “I can’t do it! I’m such a clumsy speaker! Why should Pharaoh listen to me?”

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Serpent

7:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Pharaoh will demand, ‘Show me a miracle.’ When he does this, say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.’”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the Lord had predicted.

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Who Is Like Our God [Official Lyric Video] | Vineyard Worship feat. Brenton Brown

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NT Reading: Mark 7:1-13 (NLT)

Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity

7:1 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, “Why don’t your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”

Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’

For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”

Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

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Heart of Worship (Official Lyric Video) Matt Redman

After Pentecost | Friday 16 Jun 2023: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:27-31; Acts 7:35-43 ~ Worship only the living God.

After Pentecost | Friday 16 Jun 2023

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

Opening:

So they made an idol shaped like a calf,
and they sacrificed to it
and celebrated over this thing they had made.
Then God turned away from them
and abandoned them
to serve the stars of heaven as their gods!
(Acts 7:41-42)

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From Psalms: Psalm 100 – The Corner Room

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OT Reading: Exodus 4:27-31 (NLT)

4:27 Now the Lord had said to Aaron, “Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him. Moses then told Aaron everything the Lord had commanded him to say. And he told him about the miraculous signs the Lord had commanded him to perform.

Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

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Thy Word by Amy Grant || J W

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NT Reading: Acts 7:35-43 (NLT)

7:35 “So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.

“Moses himself told the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.’ Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God’s people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.

“But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’ So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made. Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written,

‘Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings
during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
No, you carried your pagan gods—
the shrine of Molech,
the star of your god Rephan,
and the images you made to worship them.
So I will send you into exile
as far away as Babylon.’

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You Are God Alone (Not A God) – Phillips, Craig & Dean

After Pentecost | Thursday 15 Jun 2023: Psalm 100; Exodus 4:18-23; Hebrews 3:1-6 ~ Christ is in charge of God’s house.

After Pentecost | Thursday 15 Jun 2023

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

Opening:

Christ, as the Son,
is in charge of God’s entire house.
And we are God’s house,
if we keep our courage
and remain confident in our hope in Christ.
(Hebrews 3:6 )

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From Psalms: Psalm 100 – Philippine Madrigal Singers

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OT Reading: Exodus 4:18-23 (NLT)

Moses Returns to Egypt

4:18 So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt,” Moses said. “I don’t even know if they are still alive.”

“Go in peace,” Jethro replied.

Before Moses left Midian, the Lord said to him, “Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.”

So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.

And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’”

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Louis Armstrong – Go Down Moses | gospel

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NT Reading: Hebrews 3:1-6 (NLT)

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses

3:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire house.

But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.

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Christ Our Hope In Life And Death – Steph Macleod (featuring Sandra McCracken)