Saturday Morning: 19 Jan 2019 – John 5:16-32 ~ God works 24/7 with eternity in mind.

Saturday Morning

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

Almighty God: to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid; cleanse the thoughts of my heart through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy name, through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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Morning Reading – John 5:16-32 (NLT)

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true.
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Morning Reflection:

God works 24/7 with eternity in mind.

Yesterday I wondered why some people are physically healed in this life, while others are not? The answer, I suggested, was to be found in the sovereignty of God who is always at work for our good, whether we recognize it or not.

In today’s reading, Jesus expands on what he and the Father are up to –

The Father has assigned to his Son the life-giving power and authority to forgive sins and to raise us from death to life. Jesus is not indifferent to our human suffering. Indeed, he experienced suffering beyond our imagination on the cross. But healing of sickness in this life is temporary at best – we will all eventually die. And Jesus’ larger purpose is to take us across that divide – “from death into life.”

The signs and wonders of Jesus, then and now, do provide welcome relief of human pain and suffering. But their larger purpose is to invite us to believe in Jesus, the Son of God, so that we who are dead in sin, will not face the judgement we deserve, but will be made alive in him, now and forever.

I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will. – John 5:30

Questions for consideration: God works 24/7 with eternity in mind.

+ How do you think healing the sick fits into God’s eternal purpose?

+ Can a person be physically healed and yet remain spiritually dead?

+ Why do you think some people fear death and judgement?

+ How do you respond to Jesus’ assertion – “my judgement is just?”

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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Lift our eyes off our present troubles and fix our gaze on eternity. Thank you for your saving grace through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive our sins and deliver us from any fear of death and judgement. Have mercy on all those who are sick and suffering and lead them into a saving relationship with you through your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
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“This I Believe” (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship

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Closing:

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, and 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

Friday Morning: 18 Jan 2019 – John 5:1-17 ~ God works 24/7

Friday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – John 5:1-17 (NLT)

Jesus Heals a Lame Man

Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”

“I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.”

Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!”

Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath, so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!”

But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

“Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded.

The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”
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Morning Reflection:

Why did Jesus single out this man for healing when there were crowds of sick people all around him? And why are some people healed in this life, and others are not? Those are the questions that came to my mind in today’s reading.

There’s not much to go on regarding the man’s faith, other than he did what Jesus told him to do – picked up his mat and began walking. But repentance and trust appear to be lacking, especially when he deflects the religious leaders criticism and sends them to Jesus.

Today’s reading doesn’t address my questions directly, but the last verse offers a clue –

“My Father is always working, and so am I.” – John 5:17

+ God the Father is always at work – with everyone, everywhere – there are no boundaries on his mercy, loving-kindness and justice.

+ God the Son, works the same way 24/7 – working out the Father’s will in the lives of the specific people he encounters.

The answer to my questions lies in understanding God’s sovereignty –

There are no limits to God’s rule. This is part of what it means to be God. He is sovereign over the whole world, and everything that happens in it. He is never helpless, never frustrated, never at a loss. And in Christ, God’s awesome, sovereign providence is the place we feel most reverent, most secure, most free. – Desiring God.org

Stay tuned, tomorrow’s reading will give us more to go on…
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Morning Prayer:

Sovereign God: Today’s reading is another example of how little I understand your ways and your works. Thank you for the assurance that you are always at work, whether I recognize it or not. My hope is in you – your loving-kindness, your mercy, and your justice. When I bring my requests to you, strengthen me in the conviction that you are working out all things for your purpose and for my good. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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“This I Believe” (The Creed) – Hillsong Worship

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Closing:

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

Thursday Morning: 17 Jan 2019 – John 4:46-54 ~ from beggar to believer

Thursday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – John 4:46-54 (NLT)

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
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Morning Reflection:

I am a member of a ministry team that receives online requests from people all over the world. Often the requests received are from desperate people and, while I am not personally able to meet their immediate needs, I can and do point them to the same God who takes care of me.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs
from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
– Philippians 4:19

I do this out of compassion for the person, but also with the hope that as their emergency needs are met, God will be glorified and his Spirit will lead them into a life-changing relationship with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Which leads me to our reading today –

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me
unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” – John 4:48

I want my relationship with Jesus to be based on my faith in who He is – God with us, the Savior of the world – the One who came to give me a full, satisfying life now and forever. Not simply, what He can do for me in an emergency. How about you?

Questions for consideration:

+ What kind of relationship do you have with Jesus?
+ When do you pray? What do you pray for?
+ What happens when you don’t get what you asked for?
+ Does your prayer life need an adjustment?
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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Thank you for allowing us to bring our requests to you through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the mercy and help we have received in our times of need. Fill us with a desire for more of you, for a deeper abiding relationship with you – so that we may always stand firm in our faith – when you give, and when you take away. To the glory of your name. Amen.
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“Blessed Be Your Name” – Matt Redman

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Closing:

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

Wednesday Morning: 16 Jan 2019 – John 4:27-45 ~ Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.

Wednesday Morning

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

Opening (Collect for Purity)

Morning Reading – John 4:27-45 (NLT)

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.”

But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.”

“Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other.

Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike! You know the saying, ‘One plants and another harvests.’ And it’s true. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.”

Many Samaritans Believe

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
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Morning Reflection:

Today’s reading is a continuation of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman. The disciples are shocked; the woman is excited; the villagers see for themselves; and many believe that Jesus truly is “the Savior of the world.”

What speaks to me is Jesus’ response to the disciples –

“Wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” – John 4:35b

God’s word to me is – “I need to develop a harvest mindset.” What might that look like?

Look everywhere – including where I might least expect an openness to Jesus’ saving grace.
Take joy – in the work God has given me; whether it’s sowing seeds, or reaping a harvest.
Remember – God is “Lord of the Harvest” – I may work hard planting without seeing the fruit of my labor, or I may reap someone else’s harvest.

Questions for consideration:

+ Where can I begin looking today for a harvest field around me?
+ What common ground do we share, so that I can begin?
+ What do I expect as a result of my efforts?
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Morning Prayer:

Heavenly Father: Your Spirit is continually moving to renew the face of the earth. Open my eyes to the people and groups you have already prepared to receive the Good News of your love with joy and faith-filled obedience. Show me the part you want me to play, and release the fountain of your Spirit within me, that I might go about my assigned tasks with confidence and enthusiasm. I ask this in Jesus’ name – the Savior of the world. Amen.
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“The Savior of the World Has Come” – The Isaacs

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Closing:

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

Praying the Psalms: Fri, 21 Dec – Psalm 150 ~ Hallelujah!

Praying the Psalms

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

Opening – (Northumbria Community)

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.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
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Morning Reading: Psalm 150 (NLT) –

Praise the Lord!

_Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
_Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!
_Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!
_Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!
_Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!
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Morning Prayer

O Lord our God: to you we offer our highest praise –

+ for you have made us in your image…
+ for you protected us in times of trouble…
+ for you redeemed us through your Son, Jesus Christ…

O Lord our God: to you we offer our highest praise –

+ fill us with faith and cleanse our hearts that we may sing your praise…
+ give us psalms and hymns and spiritual songs that we may sing your praise…
+ keep our minds fixed on you, on what is right, and pure, and lovely, that we may sing your praise…

O Lord our God: to you we offer our highest praise – as we joyfully approach the celebration of the Birth of your Son, and wait expectantly for his glorious Return. Yours is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Psalm 150” (Hallelujah!) – Israeli Band – MIQEDEM (Tel Aviv)