At the name of Jesus – Start The Day

“So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹Also the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” 1 Samuel 4:10-11 NKJV

“Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. ²When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon. ³And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. ⁴And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands were broken off on the threshold; only Dagon’s torso was left of it. ⁵Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon’s house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.⁶But the hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. ⁷And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.” 1 Samuel 5:1-7 NKJV

God of gods, King of kings and Lord of lords,

Sometimes we forget that You, God are omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. You cannot be contained in a building, a world or even the universe. Even that is ever expanding under Your creativity. Yet You choose to have Your Presence with us, and in us. It is a miracle and beyond our full comprehension. What did Paul say? Your foolishness, God is greater than the wisdom of men (1 Corinthians 1:25). And You have never been foolish.

It is interesting here that the Philistines have respect for You God and begin to realise that You are more powerful than their own gods. It reminds us that when people start giving the enemy, Satan too much attention or worrying that other religions may take over, that You are still the only God. And when they meet with You they are defeated. Help me to keep my view of the rock on which I stand not as a small pedestal but the eternal foundation of Your Kingdom. You God are the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last word. You are above all, more powerful than all, more right than all and righteousness personified. One day every knee will bow. This is the God we know, put our trust in and are held by. Keep our perspective and respect right.

In Jesus name we pray

Worship Thursday 26th March 2026

At the name of Jesus
Ev’ry knee shall bow,
Ev’ry tongue confess him
King of glory now;
‘Tis the Father’s pleasure
We should call him Lord,
Who from the beginning
Was the mighty Word.

Humbled for a season
To receive a name
From the lips of sinners,
Amongst whom he came.
Faithfully he bore it,
Spotless to the last,
Brought it back victorious
When from death he passed.

Name Him, brothers, name Him,
With love strong as death,
But with awe and wonder,
And with bated breath;
He is God the Savior,
He is Christ the Lord,
Ever to be worshiped,
Trusted, and adored.

In your hearts enthrone him!
There let him subdue
All that is not holy,
All that is not true.
Crown him as your Captain,
In temptation’s hour;
Let his will enfold you
In its light and pow’r.

Brothers, this Lord Jesus
Shall return again
With his Father’s glory,
With his angel train,
For all wreaths of empire
Meet upon his brow,
And our hearts confess him
King of glory now.

Lyrics: Caroline M Noel

“After these things I looked, and there was a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said: “Come up here so that I can show you what must happen after these things.” ²Immediately I was in the Spirit, and a throne was standing in heaven with someone seated on it! ³And the one seated on it was like jasper and carnelian in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald encircled the throne. ⁴In a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns on their heads. ⁵From the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring and crashes of thunder. ”
Revelation 4:1-5 NET

Almighty God, Everlasting Father, our Prince of Peace,

A door standing open in heaven. God available! Jesus promised Nathaniel that he would see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man (John 1:51). Jesus spoke about being the door for His sheep to enter the sheepfold to be safe in Him and find all they needed. (John 10:9) In Revelation, speaking to the church in Laodicea, Jesus promises he will open the door to those who knock and come through and He will eat with them. (Revelation 3:19) In John’s gospel Jesus promises he is preparing a place for us and we will be free to enter (John 14:1). Jesus opened the door once and for all.

Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us that we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, so we can live our faith. Our High Priest is able to empathize with our weaknesses, because He was tempted in every way, just as we are—yet did not sin. We can approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Amazing, life changing.

So at the start of a new year, on this the first day, we remember heaven’s door is open because of Jesus. You, God are available to us in life and in death and to eternity. Even if we have not seen heaven, or Your Throne, in dreams or visions, may we know in faith it is there in times of worship or when we need to look up for faith hope and love.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Worship Thursday 1st January 2026
Caroline Marie Noel, was the daughter of an Anglican clergyman and hymn writer. She began to write poetry in her late teens but abandoned it until she was in her forties. During those years she suffered frequent bouts of illness and eventually became an invalid. To encourage both herself and others who were ill or incapacitated, she began to write devotional verse again. Her poems were collected in The Name of Jesus and Other Verses for the Sick and Lonely.

At the name of Jesus
ev’ry knee shall bow,
ev’ry tongue confess him
King of glory now;
’tis the Father’s pleasure
we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning
was the mighty Word.

Humbled for a season
to receive a name
from the lips of sinners
unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it
spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious
when from death he passed;

Bore it up triumphant
with its human light,
thro’ all ranks of creatures
to the central height,
to the throne of Godhead,
to the Father’s breast,
filled it with the glory
of that perfect rest.

Surely, this Lord Jesus
shall return again
in his Father’s glory,
with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire
meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him
King of glory now.

Lyrics: Caroline M Noel