+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is (good) gracious, for his mercy endures for ever.”
(Psalm 136:1)
Preparation:
Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.
__________
The Lord Is Good (Hillsong)
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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)
“Psalm 136:1-9”
1 O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
2 O give thanks unto the God of all gods, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
3 O give thanks unto the Lord of all lords, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
4 Who alone does great wonders, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
5 Who by his excellent wisdom made the heavens, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
6 Who laid out the earth above the waters, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
7 Who made the great lights, *
for his mercy endures for ever;
8 The sun to rule the day, *
for his mercy endures for ever;
9 The moon and the stars to govern the night, *
for his mercy endures for ever.
__________
Proverbs 24 (NLT)
3 A house is built by wisdom
and becomes strong through good sense.
10 If you fail under pressure,
your strength is too small.
__________
Consider:
“O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is (good) gracious, for his mercy endures for ever.”
(Psalm 136:1)
Preparation:
the LORD is good (gracious)
The LORD is good beyond all others: indeed, he alone is good in the highest sense; he is the source of good, the good of all good, the sustainer of good, the perfecter of good, and the rewarder of good.
The LORD is goodness itself
practically all that he does is good….
relatively the LORD is good to his creatures….
the LORD is merciful
When all else is changing within and around, In God and his mercy no change can be found.
__ Spurgeon
__________
Prayer:
+ Gracious God and most merciful Father, you have granted us the rich and precious jewel of your holy Word: Assist us with your Spirit, that the same Word may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to your own image, to build us up and edify us into the perfect dwelling place of your Christ, sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly virtues; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
+ Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
+ O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Psalm 136 (Your Mercy Endures) ~ Greg LaFollette ft. Leslie Jordan
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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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
Set us free, loving Father, from the bondage of our sins, and in your goodness and mercy give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto your Name, O Most High.
For you, LORD, have made me glad by your deeds,
and I will shout for joy because of your handiwork.
(Psalm 92:1,4)
Preparation:
Holy Spirit, breath of God and fire of love, I cannot pray without your aid: Kindle in me the fire of your love, and illumine me with your light; that with a steadfast will and holy thoughts I may approach the Father in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who reigns with you and the Father in eternal union. Amen.
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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)
“Psalm 92”
1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, *
and to sing praises unto your Name, O Most High,
2 To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning, *
and of your faithfulness in the night season,
3 Upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the lute, *
with the sound of melody upon the harp.
4 For you, LORD, have made me glad by your deeds, *
and I will shout for joy because of your handiwork.
5 O LORD, how glorious are your works; *
your thoughts are very deep.
6 The dull of heart does not consider this, *
and a fool does not understand it:
7 Though the ungodly are as green as the grass, and though all the workers of wickedness flourish, *
they shall be destroyed for ever; but you, LORD, are the Most High for evermore.
8 For lo, your enemies, O LORD, lo, your enemies shall perish, *
and all the workers of wickedness shall be destroyed.
9 But my horn shall be exalted like the horns of wild bulls; *
for I am anointed with fresh oil.
10 My eye also shall see its desire upon my enemies, *
and my ear shall hear with joy the end of the wicked who rise up against me.
11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, *
and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Lebanon.
12 Those who are planted in the house of the LORD *
shall flourish in the courts of our God.
13 They also shall bring forth fruit in their old age, *
and shall be green and full of sap,
14 That they may show how upright the LORD is, *
my rock, in whom there is no unrighteousness.
11 Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die;
save them as they stagger to their death.
12 Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.”
For God understands all hearts, and he sees you.
He who guards your soul knows you knew.
He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
17 Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall;
don’t be happy when they stumble.
18 For the Lord will be displeased with you
and will turn his anger away from them.
__________
Consider:
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto your Name, O Most High.
For you, LORD, have made me glad by your deeds,
and I will shout for joy because of your handiwork.
(Psalm 92:1,4)
Sing and give thanks to the Lord
It is good ethically, for it is the Lord’s right
It is good emotionally, for it is pleasant to the heart
It is good practically, for it leads others to render the same homage
Our personal experience has confirmed us in the belief that it is good to sing unto the Lord; we have often felt like Luther when he said, “Come, let us sing a psalm, and drive away the devil.”
__ Spurgeon
Because of what he has done
God’s creation compels us to reflect on the wonders of the universe
God’s redemption compels us to reflect on the wonders of his loving-kindness
God’s providence compels us to reflect on the wonders of his hand in history
Psalm 92 is titled: A song to be sung on the Sabbath Day.
Q: What has God done for you?
Q: What is God doing for you now?
Q: What fills you with wonder and joy?
Prayer: a litany of thanksgiving
Give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely
bestowed upon us:
+For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky
and sea, We thank you, Lord.
+ For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our
friends, We thank you, Lord.
+ For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve, We thank you, Lord.
+ For health and strength to work, and time to rest and worship, We thank you, Lord.
+ For all who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity, We thank you, Lord.
+ For all who earnestly seek after truth, and all who labor for justice, We thank you, Lord.
+ For all that is good and gracious in the lives of men and women,
revealing the image of Christ, We thank you, Lord.
+ For the communion of saints, in all times and places, We thank you, Lord.
Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises
given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father,
and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen
__________
Psalm 92 (LIVE Hebrew Worship) – Shilo Ben Hod
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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
God most high, your ways are not our ways, for your kindness
is lavished equally upon all. Teach us to welcome your mercy toward others,
even as we hope to receive mercy ourselves. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. Amen
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…
For evildoers shall be rooted out, but those who wait patiently for the LORD,
they shall inherit the land. (Psalm 37:7,9)
Preparation:
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of my heart by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that I may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ my Lord. Amen.
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The New Cloverdale Psalter (2019 Update of 1535 Original)
Psalm 37
1 Fret not yourself because of the ungodly, *
neither be envious of those who are evildoers.
2 For they shall soon be dried up like the grass, *
and be withered even as the green herb.
3 Put your trust in the LORD, and do good; *
dwell in the land, and surely you shall be fed.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD, *
and he shall give you your heart’s desire.
5 Commit your way unto the LORD and put your trust in him, *
and he shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; *
do not grieve yourself over the one whose way prospers, over the one who carries out evil counsels.
8 Refrain from wrath, and let go of anger; *
fret not yourself, lest you be moved to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be rooted out, *
but those who wait patiently for the LORD, they shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone; *
you shall look for their place, and they shall not be there.
11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the land *
and shall be refreshed with an abundance of peace.
12 The ungodly plot against the just *
and gnash at them with their teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at them in scorn, *
for he sees that their day is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword and have bent their bow *
to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay those who walk aright.
15 Their sword shall go through their own heart, *
and their bow shall be broken.
16 The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken, *
but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the godly, *
and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in perilous times, *
and in the days of famine they shall have enough.
20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be consumed as in a fiery furnace; *
even as smoke shall they vanish away.
21 The ungodly borrow and do not repay, *
but the righteous are merciful and generous.
22 Those who are blessed by God shall possess the land, *
but those who are cursed by him shall be rooted out.
23 The LORD orders a man’s steps; *
he makes his footsteps sure and preserves him on his path.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast down, *
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now I am old, *
yet I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging bread.
26 The righteous is ever merciful in lending, *
and his seed shall be blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do that which is good, *
and dwell in the land for ever.
28 For the LORD loves that which is right; *
he forsakes not those who are godly, and they are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be punished; *
as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30 The righteous shall inherit the land *
and dwell therein for ever.
31 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, *
and his tongue talks of judgment.
32 The law of his God is in his heart, *
and his footsteps shall not falter.
33 The ungodly lie in wait for the righteous *
and seek occasion to slay him.
34 The LORD will not leave him in their hand, *
nor allow him to be condemned when he is judged.
35 Hope in the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt you so that you shall possess the land; *
when the ungodly perish, you shall see it.
36 I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, *
and flourishing like a tree in full leaf.
37 I went by, and behold, they were gone; *
I sought them, but their place could nowhere be found.
38 Mark the blameless, and take heed of the upright, *
for there is a future for the peaceable.
39 As for the transgressors, they shall perish together, *
and the end of the ungodly is that they shall be rooted out at the last.
40 But the salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD, *
who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41 And the LORD shall stand by them and save them; *
he shall deliver them from the ungodly and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.
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Psalm 37 – Wait Patiently
__________
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Proverbs 24
10 Don’t give up and be helpless
in times of trouble.
19 Don’t let evil people
worry you
or make you jealous.
20 They will soon be gone
like the flame of a lamp
that burns out.
__________
Consider:
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him…
For evildoers shall be rooted out, but those who wait patiently for the LORD,
they shall inherit the land. (Psalm 37:7,9)
“Be still before the Lord”
“Hold thee still” (so it may be translated). And this is the hardest precept that is given to man; insomuch that the most difficult precept of action sinks into nothing when compared with this command to inaction.
—Jerome.
“Wait patiently for him”
God is worth waiting for. “He never is before his time, he never is too late.” In a story we wait for the end to clear up the plot; we ought not to prejudge the great drama of life, but stay till the closing scene, and see to what a end the whole arrives.
“For evildoers shall be rooted out”
There is no good, but much evil, in worrying your heart about the present success of graceless plotters: be not enticed into premature judgments—they dishonor God, they weary yourself. Determine, let the wicked succeed as they may, that you will treat the matter with indifference, and never allow a question to be raised as to the righteousness and goodness of the Lord. What if wicked devices succeed and your own plans are defeated! there is more of the love of God in your defeats than in the successes of the wicked.
_____
Passion, according to Bunyan’s parable, has his good things first, and they are soon over; Patience has his good things last, and they last for ever.
—Spurgeon
Q: Do you find it difficult to do nothing – to be still before God?
Q: What hinders you? What helps you?
America is in turmoil over a Nomination to the Supreme Court, and the upcoming elections.
Q: What do you expect to happen between now and when it all ends?
Q: Can you trust God for the final outcome?
Q: What can you do to wait patiently in the meantime?
Prayer:
+ For Our nation
Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly pray that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure conduct. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought here from out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom, in your Name, we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace
at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, sustain our trust in you; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ For Our President and Members of Congress
O Lord our Governor, whose glory fills all the world: We commend this Nation to your merciful care, that we may be guided by your providence, and dwell secure in your peace. Grant to President Trump and Members of Congress the wisdom and strength to know and to do your will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them continually mindful of their calling to serve this people in reverent obedience to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
+ For Courts of Justice
Almighty God, you sit on your throne giving righteous judgment: We humbly ask you to bless all courts of justice and all magistrates in this land; give them a spirit of wisdom and understanding, that fearing no power but yours alone, they may discern the truth and impartially administer the law; through him who shall come to be our Judge, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
+ For an Election
Almighty God, to whom we must account for all our powers and privileges: Guide and direct, we humbly pray, the minds of all those who are called to elect fit persons to serve as US President and Members of Congress. Grant that in the exercise of our choice we may promote your glory, and the welfare of this nation. This we ask for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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“Be Still” – the Hillsong Worship
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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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Peanut Gallery: During the month of June we are reading through the Book of Proverbs, one chapter per day. “Growing in Character” is the theme; each day we will look for practical advice on living a wise and godly life in this present age.
I recommend that you begin by reading through the entire chapter for the day yourself (a link will be included, see below.) There is something for everyone in the Book of Proverbs. I will focus on what speaks to me in the chapter and follow that theme for the day. But the verse that speaks to me, on any particular day, may be different from the wisdom God has for you… and you don’t want to miss out.
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening sentence and prayer
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.
_____
Open my eyes, Lord, to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. Psalm 119:18 (NLT)
__________
A reading from Proverbs: Proverbs 24:11-12 (NLT)
The Dachau concentration camp pictured above on the day it was liberated by American forces (April 29,1945).
Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.
__________
A reading from the Gospels: Luke 4:18-19 (NLY)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
__________
The text… deals with the fault which besets us all in our relations and in life: and the wholesome truths which it utters apply to our duties in regard to… every misery within our reach. They speak of the murderous cruelty and black sin of negligence to save any whom we can help from any sort of misery which threatens them. They appear to me to suggest four thoughts which I would now deal with:-
I. The crime of negligence.
Not to use any power is a sin; to omit to do anything that we can do is a crime: to withhold a help that we can render is to participate in the authorship of all the misery that we have failed to relieve. He who neglects to save a life, kills…. Violence slays its thousands, but supine negligence slays its tens of thousands.
II. The excuse of negligence.
The shuffling plea, ‘Behold we knew it not,’ is a cowardly lie…. We are bound to know, and the most ignorant of us does know, and cannot help knowing, enough to condemn our negligence…. In so far as the excuse ‘we knew it not’ is true, it is no excuse, but an indictment. It lays bare the true reason of the criminal negligence as being a yet more criminal callousness as to the woe and loss in which such crowds of men whom we ought to recognise as brethren are sunken.
ISIS video shows execution of Ethiopian Christians on beach and in desert by Islamic State terrorists in Libya; ISIS tells Mideast Christians: Convert or face death. (April 19, 2015)
III. The condemnation of negligence.
The great example of God is put forward in the text as the contrast to all this selfish negligence…. God ‘takes pain,’ so to speak, to see after His children. Are they not bound to look lovingly on each other? God seeks to know them. Are they not bound to know one another? Lofty disregard of human suffering is not God’s way. Is it ours?
No less eloquently does the other name which is here applied to God rebuke our negligence. ‘He preserveth thy soul.’ The strongest motive for seeking to save others is that God has saved us….
IV. The judgment of negligence.
‘Doth not He render to every man according to his works?’ There is such a judgment both in the present and in the future for Christian men as for others…. We rob ourselves of blessed sympathies and of the still more blessed joy of service, and of the yet more blessed joy of successful effort, by our indolence and our negligence…. And if we stretch our view to take in the life beyond, what gladness can match that of the man who shall enter there with some who will be his joy and crown of rejoicing in that day, and of whom he shall be able to say, ‘Behold I and the children whom Thou hast given me!’
If there is one tear we could have dried and didn’t, or one wound we could have healed and didn’t, that is a sin; if we could have lightened the great heap of sorrow by one grain and didn’t, that is a sin; and if there be one soul that perishes which we might have saved and didn’t, the negligence is not merely the omission of a duty, but the doing of a deed which will be ‘rendered to us according to our works.’
__________
__________
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
4 For you, LORD, have made me glad by your deeds, *
7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; *
The Peanut Gallery 