Wednesday 22nd January 2025

“Judah, your brothers will praise you. You will grasp your enemies by the neck. All your relatives will bow before you. Judah, my son, is a young lion that has finished eating its prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness – who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will honor. 11 He ties his foal to a grapevine, the colt of his donkey to a choice vine. He washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes are darker than wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.”
Genesis 49:8-12 New Lining Translation

God our promise keeper,

How we are blessed, encouraged and assured when we see the future in the past come true to Your word. Judah the family You placed Jesus into through Joseph, husband of Mary, who adopted him as his own firstborn. The royal sceptre passed down through Jacobs line to the King of Kings. It can never be taken away not even by death itself.

There as we travel through the Old Testament we see the picture of the King riding on a donkey the foal of a donkey as Jesus enters Jerusalem (Mark 11:7-10). The donkey symbolised – coming in peace and not war. Jesus came in peace and yet we killed Him. But he also came to war against our enemies of sin and death. I cannot watch gruesome war films but love the happy ever after endings. Lord it is hard to travel through the crucifixion but it is the only way we can truly know what it cost You. Keep us as it were journeying with You but always at the cross!

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Wednesday 23rd January 2025
Had to be this hymn which has stood the test of time. Says it all.


Jesus, keep me near the cross,
There a precious fountain;
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

In the cross, in the cross
Be my glory ever,
Till my ransomed soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Shed His beams around me.

Near the cross! O lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o’er me.

Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever;
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

Lyrics: Fanny Crosby

Tuesday 21st January 2025

“Reuben . . .The excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, you shall not excel,” Genesis 49:3b-4a
“Simeon and Levi . . . Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.” Gen 49:7
“Judah, The scepter shall not depart from Judah,” Gen 49:10
“Zebulun . . . will settle by the seashore.” Gen 49:11
“Issachar . . . will bend his shoulder to the load and submit himself to hard labour.” Gen 49:15
“Dan will be a . . . poisonous viper along the path that bites the horse’s hooves so the rider is thrown off.” Gen 49
“Gad . . .will be attacked by marauding bands but will attack them as they retreat.” Gen 49:19
“Asher . . . will dine on rich foods and produce food fit for kings.” Gen 49:20
“Naphtali . . . is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.” Gen 49:21
“Joseph . . . May my fatherly blessings on you surpass the blessings of my ancestors, reaching to the heights of the eternal hills. May these blessings rest on the head of Joseph, who is a prince among his brothers.” Gen 49:26
“Benjamin is a ravenous wolf, devouring his enemies in the morning and dividing his plunder in the evening.” Genesis 49:27 All New Living Testament

Father Almighty,

Jacob speaks very honestly to his sons and they knew he knew them well by what he said. Perhaps he was warning them what would happen if they went on as they were and did not look to develop character and change their ways. How often a child grows up useless because it was told daily it was. Joseph’s son received the blessing of the first born even though Joseph was the second to last son born. Judah a middle son was raised up as ruler for all generations!

I am grateful that when You look at me Father, You see Your son Jesus and bless me abundantly with forgiveness (1 John 1 :9), love (Romans 38:8,9 and a safe and certain future in heaven (1 John 5:13, John 14:1-3). Your Spirit does not keep reminding me of my failures and faults but what I can be. Then Your Spirit helps me make those changes from the inside out. Bringing the gift of His character and fruits (Galatians 5:22-23). He brings Your wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:12-16).

Yet you are honest with us, as Jacob was with his sons, and to know You means we know we are sinners. There is no escaping it, except that Jesus paid the price and now we have his purity and righteousness. Help us remember we are sinners saved by Your grace and keep the cross central to our faith So we can grow in Your likeness to please You.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Tuesday 21st January 2025
A story of the author is below the lyrics.
“Ebenezer” is recognition of a victory on a previous place of defeat with God’s help (1 Samuel 2:14)

Come Thou fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace
Streams of mercy never ceasing
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet
Sung by flaming tongues above
Praise the mount, I’m fixed upon it
Mount of Thy redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebenezer
Here by Thy great help I’ve come
And I hope by Thy good pleasure
Safely to arrive at home
Jesus sought me when a stranger
Wandering from the fold of God
He to rescue me from danger
Interposed His precious blood

Oh, that day when freed from sinning
I shall see Thy lovely face
Clothed then in blood washed linen
How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace
Come my Lord, no longer tarry
Take my ransomed soul away
Send Thine angels now to carry
Me to realms of endless days

Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be
Let Thy goodness like a fetter
Bind my wandering heart to Thee
Prone to wander, Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Here’s my heart, oh take and seal it
Seal it for Thy courts above

Lyrics: Based on hymn by Robert Robertson. Amended by Chris Rice.

Robert was in a spiritually backslidden condition, and traveling in a stage coach one day. His only companion a young woman unknown to him, and not realizing who it was she spoke with, she quoted Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, saying what an encouragement it had been to her. Robinson could not get her to change the subject. She asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, “Madam, I am the unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.” Gently, she replied, “Sir, the ‘streams of mercy’ are still flowing.” As a result of the encounter he repented. His fellowship with the Lord was restored through the ministry of his own hymn, and a Christian’s willing witness.





C

Monday 20th January 2025

 “But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genesis 50:19-20 NIV

Father God,

These verses are very encouraging to me Father. They came from Joseph’s actual experience of the many times You, God took his bad experiences and used then for good.

We too can trust You God to use even the most difficult situations in our lives for Your purposes and our good.
We too can learn to view challenges as opportunities for You, God to work in unexpected ways, shaping our character and faith.
We too can learn to see that You, God can bring about Your purposes through our suffering, even using it to bless others.
We too can maintain faith that Your plan, God, is greater than our understanding, and You are always at work in our lives even when we cannot see it.

These things are easy to say Father when everything is good. So help us know it, believe it and be able to live in trust and faith when it is not so good. As the disciples asked in Luke 17:5, we also ask, “Increase our faith.”

In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

Worship Monday 20th January 2025
You, God never let go.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise you still I will praise you

Chorus . . .

Lyrics: Beth Redman / Matt Redman

Pray
For those we know
For those who live alone without You.
Give thanks for the cease fire and pray for a miracle for Ukraine
For all those people who have gone through, or are going through fire, flood, freezing, hunger . . .
For our own needs