Thurs 30th November 2023

Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?”]27 The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbour as yourself.28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Luke 10:25-28 NET

Lord our God,

I love that Jesus always answers the hard questions and the ones meant to trip him up – not with irritation but with compassion. He does not point out what they were trying to do even though he knew what was in their hearts. He did not seek to belittle them in public or private. He did not look to score points. He asks the expert his opinion and uses the opportunity to help the one asking discover the truth.

It looks like the religious expert had found a way to get eternal life by worshipping You and being good. Jesus says do this and You will live. But then I realised that Jesus knew the expert also knew no one can worship God perfectly, heart, mind, soul and strength. If we truly loved our neighbour as ourself the world would be a very different place! We all fail and fall short of the glory of God. We all need Your Spirit to help us, and Your mercy, through Jesus, to forgive us when we mess up.

Help us to worship You and do our best to live as good neighbours. Thank You that you accept our imperfect worship and forgive us as we do our best. Knowing that You always love and forgive us – as You are love (1 John 4:8). We should have plenty to spare and share!

In Jesus name we pray.

Lord our God,

We pray,
For all our family, friends and neighbours. For their many individual needs and hopes. Keep them from evil and open their eyes to good. For our ministers, pastors and all in our congregations.
For Bible translators and those who get Bibles into the hands of those who need them and have been praying for one of their own.
For our Government, King, Queen and their family.
For those in Iceland in the danger area and those evacuated.
For Gaza and the Middle East, Lord thank You for this ceasefire and pause, enable it to continue.
For Putin and Ukraine. For a beginning to the end of this war, conflict and bloodshed.
For all those who need to know they are loved with Your everlasting, unfailing love today.
For ourselves, thank You for a new day. Help us see today through Your eyes and how You love and forgive us.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 30th November 2023
Remember this hymn – a prayer to Jesus.

Jesus, good above all other,
gentle child of gentle mother,
in a stable born our brother,
give us grace to persevere.

Jesus, cradled in a manger,
for us facing every danger,
living as a homeless stranger,
make we thee our King most dear.

Jesus, for thy people dying,
risen Master, death defying,
Lord in heaven, thy grace supplying,
keep us to thy presence near.

Jesus, who our sorrows bearest,
all our thoughts and hopes thou sharest,
thou to us the truth declarest;
help us all thy truth to hear.

Lord, in all our doings guide us;
pride and hate shall ne’er divide us;
we’ll go on with thee beside us,
and with joy we’ll persevere.



Wednesday 29th November 2023

“Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”” Luke 10:23,24 New English Translation

Wonderful Lord God,

You spoke into darkness and gave us the first light of creation. Ready for our arrival. You spoke into our sinful world and gave us Your Son to light our way back to You. You gave us the light of Your Word to be a spotlight on our journey and the way home to You.

I often wonder what it would have been like to meet Jesus in the flesh. Then I remember the times the Holy Spirit has made Your presence almost tangible. And I praise You. And all the times Your Holy Spirit has reminded me Christ (and therefore You) are with me, even when I don’t feel it so.

How blessed we are that we can read and hear the words You spoke. The truth inspired by You to those who wrote the Bible. Both the Old and the New. Those who walked with You and saw the beginning faith spreading around the world and wrote in down. Thank You for Your Word. Help us read it. Understand it. Remember it. And most of all apply it where it speaks into our situation personally.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

God of Light,

We pray,
For all our family, friends, neighbours, and our church family. For their many individual needs and hopes. Keep them from evil and open their eyes to good. For our ministers, pastors and all in our congregations.
For the health of the workers rescued in India. For new safety laws and applicable good pay for such difficult work.
For Bible translators and for those who get Bibles into the hands of those who need them and have been praying for one of their own.
For our Government, King, Queen and their family.
For those in Iceland in the danger area and those evacuated.
For Gaza and the Middle East, Lord thank You for this ceasefire and pause, enable it to continue.
For Putin and Ukraine. For a beginning to the end of this war, conflict and bloodshed.
For all those who need to know they are loved with an everlasting, unfailing love today.
For ourselves, thank You for a new day. Help us see today through Your eyes how You love us and those around us.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Wednesday 29th November 2023
This is one of those hymns that allows God to speak to us directly through His Word in verses 2, 3,4 and 5. I love this gentle version.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said,
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”

“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.”

“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake!”

Author known as ‘K’ in John Rippon’s A Selection of Hymns (1787)
 
CD: Fernando Ortega, Hymns of Worship, Word Entertainment.

Tuesday 28th November 2023

 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’” Jeremiah 33:14-16

 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21:25-28

Lord of the past, present and future,

Advent – starts next Sunday as we also break into December. Though the Santa Clause season has started already in gardens! And the TV has endless Christmas movies on the film channels! We know that Christmas is more than a feel good factor. It is heaven breaking in to human history. It is the fulfilment of Your many promises to send a Saviour. And it gives us the faith to trust You will keep those of Your promises not yet fulfilled. You will come again.

The first time You came was humbly to be among us, one of us and serve us. To show the depth of Your love in dying for our sin. Death could not hold You. And now seated at God’s right hand, You are able to be with us by Your Holy Spirit. And You speak into every generation. Sometimes like Noah, we think that people do not want to know about Jesus the Saviour. But some do! The church, unlike the locked up boat of Noah, is taking people on board to safety every day.

When You come back again it will be different. It will be with power and glory. We do not know when. We have seen a global pandemic, natural disasters, wars, famine, evil. The wold is suffering from our sin, in the environment, politics and economically. But we do not know when You will return. So help us walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise (Ephesians 5:15). Knowing we have a future secure in You if we are faithful.

In Jesus name, Amen.

We pray,
For all our family, friends, neighbours, and our church family. For their many individual needs and hopes. Keep them from evil and open their eyes to good.
For ministers, pastors, congregations and all that is done by those belonging to churches. May You keep them safe in You and from all harm and evil.
For our Government, that You would root out any evil, selfish intentions and bless each person with clean sight for the good of the nation.
For our King and Queen and their family. Healing for any broken relationships and forgiveness.
For Iceland where the land is unsettled and dangerous.
For Gaza and the Middle East, Lord continue the pause and the sending of aid and release of hostages.
For Putin and Ukraine. An end to this war, conflict and bloodshed.
For those with evil intentions to harm, murder or hurt. Thwart their intentions, convict them of sin and show a better way forward.
For all those who need to know they are loved with an everlasting, unfailing love today.
For ourselves, thank You for a new day. For all the blessings today holds. Giving thanks for the coming of Jesus and that He is coming back again and our names are written in heaven.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Tuesday 28th November 2023

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

Joy to those who long to see Thee
Day-spring from on high, appear.
Come, Thou promised Rod of Jesse,
Of Thy birth, we long to hear!
O’er the hills the angels singing
News, glad tidings of a birth;
“Go to Him your praises bringing
Christ the Lord has come to earth!”

Come to earth to taste our sadness,
He whose glories knew no end.
By His life He brings us gladness,
Our redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number,
Born within a cattle stall;
This the everlasting wonder,
Christ was born the Lord of all.

Born Thy people to deliver,
Born a child and yet a King,
Born to reign in us forever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all sufficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne