Tag: repent

Morning Prayer: Psalm 42:7; Jonah 1:17-2:2; Matthew 12:38-41 ~ resurrection

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence

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.

You will find the Lord your God, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Morning readings

Psalm 42:7 NLT:

I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.

Icon of Jonah and the Whale Juliet Venter Metal Prints
Icon of Jonah and the Whale
Juliet Venter Metal Prints
Jonah 1:17-2:2 NLT:

Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from inside the fish. He said,

“I cried out to the Lord in my great trouble, and he answered me. I called to you from the land of the dead, and Lord, you heard me!”

Matthew 12:38-41 NLT:

One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

“The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent.”

Reflection/Prayer:

‘Jonah was in the belly of a fish.’

Many people will say: ‘That is impossible, that is a fable.’ But God, who can make fishes 100 feet long, says that it is possible. (Can you make a fish one inch long?) And God can do an even greater miracle: Christ says that as Jonah was three days and nights in the stomach of a fish, so He would be three days and nights in the heart of the earth, in the grave, and then rise from the dead. Jonah says inside the fish: ‘Salvation is of the Lord!’ Salvation in Hebrew, is Yeshua, or Jeshua; that is the Hebrew name for Jesus…

Professor Samuel Schultz argues that there is no room for the idea of a harsh vindictive God of justice in the Old Testament to be contrasted with a God of love and mercy in the New. Love and mercy are always offered before judgement is rendered. Yeshua’s warnings concerning judgement in the New Testament are as severe as anything in the Old, even if we argue that the highest personal revelation of God’s love is seen in Jeshua!

Incidently, the April 4th, 1896 Literary Digest gave a story of a Mediterranean whale that demolished a harpoon boat.

Two men were lost…. One was found alive in the whale belly a day and a half after it was killed. James Bartley lived with no after effects except his skin was tanned by the gastric juices.

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
_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Morning Reading: Acts 3.12-26 NLT – faith in Jesus’ name

Reading: Acts 3:12-26 NLT

Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd.

“People of Israel,” he said, “what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness? For it is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of all our ancestors—who has brought glory to his servant Jesus by doing this.

“This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before Pilate, despite Pilate’s decision to release him. You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded the release of a murderer. You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!

image

“Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

“Friends, I realize that what you and your leaders did to Jesus was done in ignorance. But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had foretold about the Messiah—that he must suffer these things.

“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.

“Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.’  Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be completely cut off from God’s people.’

“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’

“When God raised up his servant, Jesus, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father – Give me a passion and heart for the lost… a passion to reach one more for Jesus. Holy Spirit – Usher in a season of refreshment… of power healing and evangelism where sins are forgiven,  lives are changed,  and families,  tribes and nations turn to God.  Lord Jesus – You reign over heaven and earth… pray for us… may your Kingdom come and your will be done… so that in the end every knee shall bow and tongue confess you as Lord. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “In the name of the Lord” – Sandi Patti

Crowds Have Lined The Narrow Street / To See This Man From Galilee / Just A Carpenter Some Say Leading Fools Astray / Yet Many Kneel To Give Him Praise

And In His Eyes They Glimpse The Power / That Sees The Heart Of All Men / And He Knows His Fathers Mind He Speaks His Fathers Words / For He Comes In The Name Of The Lord

There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord / There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord / There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord / Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord

When My Plans Have Fallen Through / And When My Strength Is Nearly Gone / When Theres Nothing Left To Do But Just Depend On You / And The Power Of Your Name

And When We Call Upon Your Name / Your Strength Through Weakness To Show / We Can Know The Master Plan Extend The Masters Hand / When We Come In The Name Of The Lord

There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord / There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord / There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord / Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord

His Name Will Be Worshiped Forever / Creator Redeemer And King / There Is Strength In The Name Of The Lord / There Is Power In The Name Of The Lord / There Is Hope In The Name Of The Lord / Blessed Is He Who Comes / Blessed Is He Who Comes / Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord / In The Name Of The Lord

Morning Reading: Acts 2.37-41 NLT – save yourselves

Reading: Acts 2:37-41 NLT

Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

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Philippines: 1000 people baptized

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles — all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day — about 3,000 in all.

Prayer: Lord Jesus – Give us the courage and boldness to speak the truth, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, then you will receive the Holy Spirit!” Holy Spirit – I call on the name of the Lord… on behalf of my children and grandchildren… my friends and neighbors… the people I see around me every day… pierce their hearts that they might be saved from this crooked generation. Heavenly Father – Call your childrem home… guard them and protect them. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Come Just As You Are” – Alfred Barratt

Morning Reading: Luke 24.35-49 NLT – joy and wonder

Reading: Luke 24:35-49 NLT

Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread.

And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

“Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt?  Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.”

As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet. Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder.

Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”  They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he ate it as they watched.

"Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear
“Forgiven”
by Thomas Blackshear

Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day.  It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’  You are witnesses of all these things.

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – I join all your followers down through the ages in joy and wonder at your amazing love. While we were yet sinners, you died for us. Fill us with the power and authority of your Spirit to tell the whole world, ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ You are my King. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Amazing Love” – Newsboys