After Pentecost | Friday 21 Jun 2024
+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening:
O Lord, from whom all good proceeds:
Grant us the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may always think those things that are good,
and by your merciful guidance may accomplish the same;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“David was successful wherever Saul sent him.
Saul put him in charge of the fighting men.
This pleased all the people, including Saul’s officials.”
(1 Samuel 18:5)
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From Psalms: Psalm 9:1-2 – David Forlu – Psalm 9 (Live) | Hymn Melodies
I give thanks to You Lord with my whole heart
I recount all Your wonderful deeds
I am glad and exult in You Lord
I sing praise to Your name Most High
Chorus:
You’re the stronghold for my life
In times of trouble
And those who know Your name
Trust in You
For You, O Lord have not forsaken
Those who seek You
I sing praise to Your name Most high
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OT Reading: 1 Samuel 17:55-18:5 (GW)
17:55 As Saul watched David going out against the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”
Abner answered, “I solemnly swear, as you live, Your Majesty, I don’t know.”
The king said, “Find out whose son this young man is.”
When David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner brought him to Saul. David had the Philistine’s head in his hand.
Saul asked him, “Whose son are you, young man?”
“The son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem,” David answered.
David’s Love for Jonathan
18:1 David finished talking to Saul. After that, Jonathan became David’s closest friend. He loved David as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself. (From that day on Saul kept David ⌞as his servant⌟ and didn’t let him go back to his family.) So Jonathan made a pledge of mutual loyalty with David because he loved him as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself. Jonathan took off the coat he had on and gave it to David along with his battle tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
David was successful wherever Saul sent him. Saul put him in charge of the fighting men. This pleased all the people, including Saul’s officials.
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The Battle Is Yours | Paul Wilbur
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NT Reading: Acts 21:1-16 (GW)
Paul in Tyre
21:1 When we finally left them, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we sailed to the island of Rhodes and from there to the city of Patara. In Patara, we found a ship that was going to Phoenicia, so we went aboard and sailed away. We could see the island of Cyprus as we passed it on our left and sailed to Syria. We landed at the city of Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
In Tyre we searched for the disciples. After we found them, we stayed there for seven days. The Spirit had the disciples tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem. When our time was up, we started on our way. All of them with their wives and children accompanied us out of the city. We knelt on the beach, prayed, and said goodbye to each other. Then we went aboard the ship, and the disciples went back home.
Paul in Caesarea
21:7 Our sea travel ended when we sailed from Tyre to the city of Ptolemais. We greeted the believers in Ptolemais and spent the day with them. The next day we went to Philip’s home in Caesarea and stayed with him. He was a missionary and one of the seven men who helped the apostles. Philip had four unmarried daughters who had the ability to speak what God had revealed.
After we had been there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea. During his visit he took Paul’s belt and tied his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man who owns this belt. Then they will hand him over to people who are not Jewish.’ ”
When we heard this, we and the believers who lived there begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
Then Paul replied, “Why are you crying like this and breaking my heart? I’m ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but also to die there for the sake of the Lord, the one named Jesus.”
When Paul could not be persuaded, we dropped the issue and said, “May the Lord’s will be done.”
Paul in Jerusalem
21:15 After that, we got ready to go to Jerusalem. Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us. They took us to Mnason’s home, where we would be staying. Mnason was from the island of Cyprus and was one of the first disciples.
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This Video Will Lift Your Spirit | “Oceans” by Hillsong United / Luke Silva w/ Liv Harland
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+ O God, you desire that all people be saved and come to knowledge of the truth: Prosper all those who live, preach, and teach the Gospel at home and in distant lands [especially in the Middle East]; protect them in all perils, support them in their loneliness, sustain them in the hour of trial; give them your abundant grace to bear faithful witness; and endue them with burning zeal and love, that they may turn many to righteousness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
+ Sovereign Lord: We pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
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- Protect Israel from the fiery darts of the evil one coming from every direction, both within and without.
- Grant your heavenly wisdom to those guiding Israel militarily, politically, and diplomatically;
- Give them hearts to receive, and the courage to do, what’s right in your sight.
- Comfort those who grieve and mourn the loss of loved ones;
- Rebuke those who would use grief for evil purposes.
- Bring swift and certain justice to all those complicit in the Oct 7th atrocities;
- Deliver the hostages from captivity, and restore their souls.
- Destroy every stronghold of the evil death cult terrorizing the Middle East.
- Strengthen the Messianic communities – Jew and Arab alike – bind them together in love, that they may be a source of help, and healing, and hope;
- Use them in the restoration of your people to their proper place in your Kingdom.
- We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
+ Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of Israel’s armed forces. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through 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.
Saul told his officials, “Please find me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”
6:43 “A good tree doesn’t produce rotten fruit, and a rotten tree doesn’t produce good fruit. Each tree is known by its fruit. You don’t pick figs from thorny plants or grapes from a thornbush. Good people do the good that is in them. But evil people do the evil that is in them. The things people say come from inside them.
22:1 The angel showed me a river filled with the water of life, as clear as crystal. It was flowing from the throne of God and the lamb. Between the street of the city and the river there was a tree of life visible from both sides. It produced 12 kinds of fruit. Each month had its own fruit. The leaves of the tree will heal the nations. There will no longer be any curse. The throne of God and the lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him and see his face. His name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night, and they will not need any light from lamps or the sun because the Lord God will shine on them. They will rule as kings forever and ever.
But it’s unthinkable that I could ever brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. By his cross my relationship to the world and its relationship to me have been crucified. Certainly, it doesn’t matter whether a person is circumcised or not. Rather, what matters is being a new creation. Peace and mercy will come to rest on all those who conform to this principle. They are the Israel of God.
The Peanut Gallery 