After Pentecost | Tuesday 12 Nov 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world
that he might destroy the works of the devil
and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life:
Grant that, having this hope,
we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that,
when he comes again with power and great glory,
we may be made like him
in his eternal and glorious kingdom;
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“If any woman is a believer
and has relatives who are widows,
she should help them.”
(1 Timothy 5:16)
__________
From Psalms: Psalm 113 | Who is Like the Lord – Sovereign Grace Music / Breathe Back Ministries
_________
OT Reading: Genesis 24:11-27 (GW)
Abraham’s Servant Finds a Wife for Isaac
24:11 The servant had the camels kneel down outside the city by the well. It was evening, when the women would go out to draw water. Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today. Show your kindness to Abraham. Here I am standing by the spring, and the girls of the city are coming out to draw water. I will ask a girl, ‘May I please have a drink from your jar?’ If she answers, ‘Have a drink, and I’ll also water your camels,’ let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. This way I’ll know that you’ve shown your kindness to my master.”
Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The girl was a very attractive virgin. No man had ever had sexual intercourse with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back.
The servant ran to meet her and said, “Please give me a drink of water.”
“Drink, sir,” she said. She quickly lowered her jar to her hand and gave him a drink. When she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I’ll also keep drawing water for your camels until they’ve had enough to drink.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the water trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. The man was silently watching her to see whether or not the Lord had made his trip successful.
When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a fifth of an ounce and two gold bracelets weighing four ounces. He asked, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me whether there is room in your father’s house for us to spend the night.”
She answered him, “I’m the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milcah and Nahor. We have plenty of straw and feed ⌞for your camels⌟ and room for you to spend the night.”
The man knelt, bowing to the Lord with his face touching the ground. He said, “Praise the Lord, the God of my master Abraham. The Lord hasn’t failed to be kind and faithful to my master. The Lord has led me on this trip to the home of my master’s relatives.”
__________
What a Faithful God – Stuart Townend / Grace Bible Church – Adell
__________
NT Reading: 1 Timothy 5:9-16 (GW)
5:9 Any widow who had only one husband and is at least 60 years old should be put on your list ⌞of widows⌟. People should tell about the good things she has done: raising children, being hospitable, taking care of believers’ needs, helping the suffering, or always doing good things.
Don’t include younger widows ⌞on your list⌟. Whenever their natural desires become stronger than their devotion to Christ, they’ll want to marry. They condemn themselves by rejecting the Christian faith, the faith they first accepted. At the same time, they learn to go around from house to house since they have nothing else to do. Not only this, but they also gossip and get involved in other people’s business, saying things they shouldn’t say.
So I want younger widows to marry, have children, manage their homes, and not give the enemy any chance to ridicule them. Some of them have already turned away to follow Satan. If any woman is a believer and has relatives who are widows, she should help them. In this way the church is not burdened and can help widows who have no families.
__________
Goodness Of God ~ Bethel Music // music meets heaven
__________
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all whose increasing years bring them weakness, distress, or isolation [especially those who have faithfully served you]. Provide for them homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers, and the willingness to accept help; and as their strength diminishes, increase their faith and their assurance of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.
Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
+ Do what only you can do to make your faithful people the blessing promised to every family on earth.
+ Protect them from the assaults of the evil one, coming from every direction and in every form.
+ 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 in peace.
We ask in Jesus’ name. 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
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.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
5:9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.
The Peanut Gallery 