Tag: Psalm 140; Esther 4:1-17; 1 Peter 1:3-9

After Pentecost | Monday 30 Sep 2024: Psalm 140; Esther 4:1-17; 1 Peter 1:3-9 ~ Your current position is a test of faith.

After Pentecost | Monday 30 Sep 2024

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

Opening:

O merciful Lord,
grant to your faithful people pardon and peace,
that we may be cleansed from all our sins
and serve you with a quiet mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

“The purpose of these troubles
is to test your faith
as fire tests how genuine gold is.”
(1 Peter 1:7)

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From Psalms: Psalm 140 // Poor Bishop Hooper

deliver me o lord from evil men
preserve me from the violent
who plan evil things in their hearts
and stir up wars they make their tongues sharp
as a serpents and under their lips is venom

guard me o lord from wicked hands
preserve me from the violent
who have planned to trip up my feet
the arrogant have hidden a trap for me
with cords they have spread a net beside the way they have set

i say to the lord you’re my god
give ear to the voice of my cry
oh lord the strength of my salvation
you cover my head on the battle day

as for those who surround me
let the mischief of their lips be overwhelming
may burning coals fall on them
may they be cast to fire and pits
let no liar in the land and let evil hunt down the violent man

the lord will maintain the afflicted
he’ll give justice to the poor
the righteous will give thanks to your name
the upright will dwell in your presence

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OT Reading: Esther 4:1-17 (GW)

4:1 When Mordecai found out about everything that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried loudly and bitterly. He even went right up to the king’s gate. (No one could enter it wearing sackcloth.)

In every province touched by the king’s command and decree, the Jews went into mourning, fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many put on sackcloth and ashes.

Esther’s Problem

4:4 Esther’s servants and eunuchs came and informed her ⌞about Mordecai⌟. The queen was stunned. She sent clothing for Mordecai to put on in place of his sackcloth, but he refused to accept it. Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to serve her. She commanded him to go to Mordecai and find out what was going on and why.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate. Mordecai informed him about everything that had happened to him. He told him the exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasury to destroy the Jews. He also gave him a copy of the decree that was issued in Susa. The decree gave permission to exterminate the Jews. Hathach was supposed to show it to Esther to inform and command her to go to the king, beg him for mercy, and appeal to him for her people. So Hathach returned and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s advisers and the people in the king’s provinces know that no one approaches the king in the throne room without being summoned. By law that person must be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to him will he live. I, myself, have not been summoned to enter the king’s presence for 30 days now.” So Esther’s servants told Mordecai what Esther said.

Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther, “Do not imagine that just because you are in the king’s palace you will be any safer than all the rest of the Jews. The fact is, even if you remain silent now, someone else will help and rescue the Jews, but you and your relatives will die. And who knows, you may have gained your royal position for a time like this.”

Esther sent this reply back to Mordecai, “Assemble all the Jews in Susa. Fast for me: Do not eat or drink at all for three entire days. My servants and I will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even if it is against a royal decree. If I die, I die.”

Mordecai did just as Esther had commanded him.

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For Such a Time as This (Esther’s Song) | Marty Goetz & Misha Official Live Music Video

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NT Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9 (GW) 

Faith in Christ Brings You Joy

1:3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! God has given us a new birth because of his great mercy. We have been born into a new life that has a confidence which is alive because Jesus Christ has come back to life. We have been born into a new life which has an inheritance that can’t be destroyed or corrupted and can’t fade away. That inheritance is kept in heaven for you, since you are guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.

You are extremely happy about these things, even though you have to suffer different kinds of trouble for a little while now. The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again.

Although you have never seen Christ, you love him. You don’t see him now, but you believe in him. You are extremely happy with joy and praise that can hardly be expressed in words as you obtain the salvation that is the goal of your faith.

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Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122) – Valley Beth Shalom

A song of ascents. Of David. I rejoiced when they said to me,
“We are going to the House of the LORD.”
Our feet stood inside your gates, O Jerusalem…
Pray for the well-being of Jerusalem;
May those who love you be at peace.
For the sake of my kin and friends,
I pray for your well-being.

Bridge
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we pray for your peace
May those who love you, may those who defend you, only know peace

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Prayer: ACNA | BCP2019

Genesis 12:2-3 (GW)
12:2 I will make you a great nation,
I will bless you.
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
12:3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you, I will curse.
Through you every family on earth will be blessed.”

Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:

+ Do what only you can do to make your faithful people the promised blessing to every family on earth.

+ Protect your faithful people from the assaults of the evil one coming in every form and from every direction.

+ Grant your heavenly wisdom to Israel’s leadership; give them hearts to receive and the courage to do what’s right in your sight.

+ Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East, especially in Israel and Lebanon.

+ Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in this atrocious evil; separate from them and protect those who are truly innocent.

+ Comfort all those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones; deliver the hostages from captivity and restore their souls.

+ Use the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – to restore your people to their proper place in your kingdom.

+ Unify your faithful people around your promise to bless every family on earth through them.

+ Intervene in Lebanon in ways only you can; protect the innocent and punish the guilty, and enable the people of Lebanon to live at peace with its neighbor Israel.

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.

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.

Monday, 27 Sep 2021: Psalm 140; Esther 4:1-17; 1 Peter 1:3-9 ~ For such a time as this.

Monday, 27 Sep 2021:

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

Opening:

O merciful Lord, grant to your faithful people pardon and
peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins and serve you
with a quiet mind; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him.
Though you do not now see him, you believe in him
and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,
obtaining the outcome of your faith,
the salvation of your souls.”
(1 Peter 1:8-9)

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Psalms: Psalm 140

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

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OT Reading: Esther 4:1-17 (ESV)

Esther Agrees to Help the Jews

4:1  When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and he cried out with a loud and bitter cry. He went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. And in every province, wherever the king’s command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

When Esther’s young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther and explain it to her and command her to go to the king to beg his favor and plead with him on behalf of her people. And Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. Then Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to go to Mordecai and say, “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law—to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. But as for me, I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.” Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

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For Such A Time As This. – WAM Ministries

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NT Reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV)

Born Again to a Living Hope

1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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Living Hope – Phil Wickham

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Prayer:

+ O God, almighty and merciful, you heal the broken-hearted, and turn the sadness of the sorrowful to joy, Let your fatherly goodness be upon all whom you have made. Remember in pity all those who are this day destitute, homeless, elderly, infirm, or forgotten. Bless the multitude of your poor. Lift up those who are cast down. Mightily befriend innocent sufferers, and sanctify to them the endurance of their wrongs. Cheer with hope all who are discouraged and downcast, and by your heavenly grace preserve from falling those whose poverty tempts them to sin. Though they be troubled on every side, suffer them not to be distressed; though they are perplexed, save them from despair. Grant this, O Lord, for the love of him who for our sakes became poor, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

+ 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.

+ Christ as a light, illumine and guide us. Christ as a shield, overshadow us. Christ under us; Christ over us; Christ beside us on our left and our right. This day be within and without us, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom we speak; in the mouth of each who speaks to us. This day be within and without us, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside us on our left and our right.

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Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with us, wherever He may send us.
May He guide us through the wilderness, protect us through the storm.
May He bring us home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown us.
May He bring us home rejoicing once again into our doors.

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