Reading: Psalm 139: 1-12, 17-18, 23-24
Song: For the might of your arm we bless you
For the might of Your arm we blessYou - YouTube
Prayer:
We come to you as a church with overflowing joy and thanksgiving in our hearts. We know that we will not make it far without your grace and the Holy Spirit. With that, we thank you for your guidance and mercy.
We are grateful to you, o God, for blessing us with all your fullness in all aspects of our church. We pray that we continue to be pleasing in your eyes.
We are grateful to you for helping us in the life of our church. Our hearts are full of joy. We pray for your guidance and wisdom in the coming years. Also, we want to live as a church in a manner worthy to be called your children.
We know, Father, that we will be lost without you, and our grandest plans would be in vain. We ask that you continue to open our hearts and minds to your message and enable us to be a part of the execution of your will here on earth.
You have called us your children, and we are one body. We pray that you let love and humility dominate our hearts so we can be of one mind and soul. Through our unity, we can readily obey your will, o Lord. May our humility and unity bring you glory.
We know that you want us to grow. You want us to be better, stronger, and wiser each day. But we also know that growth can be harmful when it is against your will. We pray for your church, its development, and immeasurable greatness in your name.
We know that everything is possible for you. Guide us to your will and give us the honour of being a part of the spread of your Kingdom here in the world. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Faithgiant.com
Lord’s Prayer
Reading: Isaiah chapter 51: verses 1 to 6
Song: Search me O God
Search me, O God, and know my heart today - YouTube
Reading: Matthew’s gospel, chapter 10: verses 16 to 23
Reading: 1st letter of Peter: Chapter 4, verses 12-19
Song: Through the night of doubt of sorrow
Prayer:
We know that your love surpasses knowledge and understanding. And because of that, we want to share it with others. We pray for the world to hear your word and turn back from their wicked ways. May you find us carrying our cross daily in obedience to you. Please open the hearts and minds of the world to receive the Gospel and your salvation
We know that our ministry does not end in the local church. We pray for courage in proclaiming the Gospel to the world. It can be daunting at times, but we know that the Holy Spirit will guide us in our way.
We want to share what we learn from the Bible in our quiet time and Bible study but fear sometimes grips us. Give us the courage to keep proclaiming God’s word. Please help us share our faith.
We come to you today with heavy but hopeful hearts. Christians all over the world are suffering because of their faith. Please help us, Lord. Please enable your children. We pray for peace and strength in these times. Revive the hope in our lives, Lord. Strengthen us and strengthen our faith.
We pray for grace and hope. We know that you are the Prince of peace, but the peace in our lives is threatened by persecution. Remind us, Lord, that they persecute us because they do not fully understand and know You. Help us forgive and love instead.
We pray for those that persecute us. May the Gospel reach their hearts so that they may walk in your word. May our perseverance and faithfulness bring you glory.
You have called us to follow and obey you. We want our local church to be a channel of hope and life for others. We pray that our faith bears fruits that will give you glory and praise. Please help us to walk in your teachings. May our lives be the Gospel that other people need to know you. Teach us, o God, how to be channels of your salvation and love.
You have called us the light of the world. Like the saints before us who have lived the Gospel, may our lives be instruments for the salvation of others. May we live as Christ did, humble and filled by the Holy Spirit. Let our lives be beacons of light to guide others to you, o God. We pray that you never find us lacking in our faith. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.
Faithgiant.com
Song: I do not know what lies ahead
I do not know what lies ahead - YouTube
Who was the first letter of Peter written to? Chapter 1 starts with a description, that that the letter is written to Jewish Christians driven out of Jerusalem, and scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Ausia and Bithynia.
Peter says that he is writing from Babylon. Whether Babylon is a geographical place, or a coded reference to Rome, or some other terrible place has been much discussed, but it is probable that he is writing from a place where being a Christian was not easy.
The intended recipients of the letter are described as aliens, or foreigners in different translations, “Jewish Christians driven from Rome and scattered” in the Living bible. Clearly, they are feeling persecuted and oppressed, or there would be no need to write the letter.
There is discussion about whether the main concern is because they are “Strangers” in the literal sense, immigrants; or in the spiritual sense, “people living in the world but not of the world.” To my mind there is a bit of both.
Neither is it clear whether the problems being faced are official persecution, or social discrimination.
As far as we understand, official persecution by the Roman authorities did not start until later, although there were some smaller scale problems. However, even in such a cosmopolitan structure as the Roman empire, foreigners living in a strange city would be subject tom suspicion and discrimination.
Firstly they were foreign, probably speaking a different language, and even if speaking the same language (probably Greek, or possibly Latin) they would have a strong accent, which could make communication difficult.
Secondly, they were following a different, and new, religion. The locals might already have encountered Jews, and would then have some understanding of their customs and practices, but this group was different, and in spite of having a common tongue, and accent with the Jews, would get little sympathy from them either.
Perhaps they were beginning to ask among themselves “Why have we come here?!” Certainly, I remember several times since we came to Sheffield, usually when something had gone wrong, wondering what sort of place I had brought my family to. Should we stay? What was my purpose here?
I sounds like some of them had made a less than successful transition. They did not have what they wanted. They were coveting what others had. They were quarrelling among themselves. In several of his letters, Paul refers to the destructive power of envy, and perhaps here we have an example of this.
Earlier in the letter, Peter says that people will not usually try to hurt you for trying to do good. A similar sentiment to that of Paul when he lists the fruit of the spirit and then says that against these things there is no law.
What sort of life do you associate with being a Christian? Certainly, if you listen to some popular evangelists, or read some of their tracts, you could be forgiven for thinking that once you have accepted Christ into your life, all will be rosy. When God has blessed you, you life will be wonderful, affluent ant easy. Peter doesn’t think so! Neither did Paul, or most of their disciples.
Peter says that there is nothing unusual in experiencing trials, and whilst it is not clear whether he is referring to legal proceedings, or social and relationship problems, the principle is the same. There is no shame he says in experiencing difficulties because you are a Christian; but this is not an excuse for all problems. There is a reference to not wanting to hear of community members being murderers, thieves or other sorts of criminals. Whether there have already been such cases, or whether this is exaggeration for effect, we will never know. But clearly, he does not consider that there is any place in Christian society for these activities, especially if conducted in the name of Jesus. Perhaps they have arisen from the feelings of coveting and envy referrer to earlier.
Nonetheless, we are told that we can expect to suffer on account of our beliefs. There will always be those who do not want the error of their ways pointing out to them, those who resist what is right, perhaps because it is contrary to their personal gain, or pleasure.
People might have to reign in their business activities in the interests of fairness, or stop doing something which offends someone else. In the past, it was common practice for men to be able to buy their supplies of contraceptives from the barber. Barbers who belonged to churches which did not approve of contraception would have to forgo this lucrative sideline; perhaps not a huge suffering, but nonetheless a sacrifice for their faith.
Peter goes on to suggest other things that he does not want to hear of. He appears not to want people to seek out suffering. They should not want to set themselves up as a martyr. Meddling, being a busybody, prying into other people’s affairs; all these are undesirable.
Today, there are those who never miss an opportunity to say that the Christian Church is being marginalised. According to them, Christians are being prevented from following their faith. Whilst I am sure that there are times when it can be difficult to do, or say, the right thing, it has always been so. History is full of people who chose the right time to say the right thing, or perform the right action, and had to pay a price for it. But, in the main, they were not setting themselves up for trouble.
People who apply for a job, get it and then say that their religion prevents them from doing part of it are doing this. If you can’t bring yourself to do a job, the answer is simple, don’t apply for it. If you don’t like the dress-code for a job, do a different job. There are very few places where the scriptures tell us what we should wear because we are a Christian, or what jewellery we should adorn ourselves with, because we are a Christian.
The sixties song proclaimed “They’ll know we are Christians by our love”, not clothes, jewellery, or bolshiness.
In my experience of working in a number of different environments, and living in several, very different, areas, Christians are only as marginalised as they want to be.
When we are suffering, Peter tells us to trust God, who made us; praise God for being in Christ’s family.
Do what is right, he says. Your suffering should be because you are doing God’s will. John Wesley put the way of doing what is right as “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.”
Nowhere does he advise us to meddle in matters that are not our concern. My mother always wanted to know what was happening around her. Someone in the family accused her of being nosey, her response was “Not nosey, just interested!”
Sometimes it is a very fine line between being nosey and interested; between trying to do good and meddling; between doing or saying the right thing, and setting yourself up to be a martyr. These differences are the difference between doing God’s will and bringing discredit on our community.
We must pray for discernment before we decide what to do in such circumstances.
Of course, we must not lose sight of those places in the world where it is not so easy, nor so cut and dried. There are many countries where the Church is officially persecuted. And others where although the church is officially tolerated, there is still active discrimination against Christians. We need to support people in these places, through prayer, and whatever form of action we can pursue. But, here again, we need to tread the fine line. If we meddle in matters beyond our experience, we could do more harm than good, we need to be guided by the spirit, and by the advice of those who understand the situation of the people in those places.
Song: Through all the changing scenes of life
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