FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER: ALPHA's NEW GOOD NEWS 17.4.16

BEGINNING a NEW WEEK with GOOD NEWS 
*

  

~
Welcome to this 4th Sunday of Easter and to a new week... ~
Living God, long ago, faithful followers proclaimed  the good news of Jesus' resurrection, and the world was changed forever. Teach us to keep faith with them, that our witness may be as bold, our love as deep, and our faith as true. In Your Son's Name we pray, Amen.

*

* Alpha just released their new film series
and I'm more than pleased
to be sharing it with you today...  EnJoy! * The full series is available  HERE for download and to anyone wanting to offer the series.
Click for more Info on the series HERE * Father of all, Your Son remained with His disciples  after His resurrection, teaching them to love all people as neighbours. As Yeshua Jesus' disciples in this age, we offer our prayers on behalf of the world in which we are privileged to live and our neighbours with whom we share it. Open our hearts to Your power moving around us and between us and within us, until Your glory is revealed in our love of both friend and enemy, in communities transformed by Your justice and compassion, Your Truth, Life and Light, and in the healing of all that is broken. In Yeshua Jesus' Name.  Amen. *

* Scripture Readings
| Psalm 63 and 98 | Acts 9.36-43 | Rev 7.9-17 | Mt 7.15-29 |
| Jn 10.22-30 | * May God's glory shine on and within us,
may our lives proclaim God's goodness,
our work give God honour, and our voices praise God  forever...  As we go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.


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| Let Us Grow | Inspire Me Monday |

EASTER: RESURRECTION MORNING WORSHIP ! 5.4.15

Resurrection Morning !

le saintes femmes au tombeau Matthew 28.6 ~ Mark 16:1-8 ~ Christ is Risen!  Hallelujah!
Christ is Risen indeed ! and He has turned our mourning into dancing !

Psalm 30.12

*

~ May the Truth of sins forgiven be the ultimate 
JOY and Hallelujah! 
every day for the remainder of our earth life ...
* Readings:

Acts 10.34-43 ~ Isaiah 25.6-9 ~ Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 ~ 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ~
~ John 20. 1-18 ~

[click to link directly to passage- multiple versions avlbl ]
~ Rejoice with Nicole C Mullen leading worship this Eastertide  for #SongsonSunday 
*
~ 2 more selections HERE for Eastertide #SongsonSundays ~ Every Blessing on our Worship and Celebration
this Joyous Easter Day! Thank you for joining #SONGSonSUNDAYS 
[Be sure to add your Easter Songs of Joy in comments
including links if you'd appreciate our visit.]

~
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HOLY WEEK: WORSHIP and EASTER VIGIL

Share five favourite Holy Week things, 

five things that are truly worshipful for you. 

my five ~

1 Definitely Maundy Thursday.

the blessing of leading new believers into the deep truths of 

loving each other

serving each other

in humbling one's self before the other

as Christ led by example.

washing one another's feet

breaking and serving each other the bread and wine

in Remembrance of Him...
~

~

2 Celebration of the Palm Branch Praise Service

the JoY and exuberance 

of welcoming Christ

Hosannas of Gratitude in Thanksgiving for Who He IS 

~

~

3  the depths of Christ's agony on our behalf

His willingness to suffer what we deserved 

in recognition of our sins against God

~

~

truly Good this Friday worship 

~

4 Easter Eve with the Great Vigil

anticipation ...

all with candles awaiting the Light of the Risen Christ

"we share in the light of Your glory through Your Son,

The Light of the World

inflame us with new hope..."

"For Christ has ransomed us with His blood,

and paid for us the price of Adam's sin to our Eternal Father!"

yes ~ truly a night of Triumphal worship as we welcome the Risen Lord!

~

~

5 that Holy Week is just that!

It's more than just an Easter sunday one day event.

It's an entire week of deeply meaningful worship

of Christ and all He IS and has done...
~
following the spiritual journey of Lent

it is a week of intense awe and wonder of our Great God!

Love and Gratitude openly expressed in Worship

~

~ Come ~ join the worship ! 
Share your favourites of Holy Week in comments or blog post [then leave the link so we can find them]
~ May your blessings increase in keeping the Easter Vigil!



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SONGS ON SUNDAYS: MAKE ME WHOLE by PawnShop kings 9.3.14

Welcome to  SONGS  on SUNDAYS   for this 5th day of Lent 

* Being also the 1st Sunday of Lent,
there is much inspiration to discover as
we recognize Yeshua Jesus' entry into Life
via the wilderness. 

Matthew 4:1-11

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

{just click to read}

 The desert development of His spiritual growth. A place of solitude.  Of quiet and disquiet. Facing His fears.  Finding out more of who He was. If we have chosen to take this Lenten journey,
He is our example.  In facing our fears. In finding out who we are.  When we're alone. Of Who is With us when we're afraid.
When we're afraid we're alone. * ~ May your inner journey be blessed ~
* * An appropriately beautiful Lenten response, today's SONGs on SUNDAYs are new releases  * Make me Whole and 

* their dance along joyful rendition of
Love Like Jesus from Scott and Joel Owen - PawnShop kings * Thank you for joining us today - both listening and linking if you'd like! Add your link in comments and we'll pop round for a listen to your selection.  If you'd be so good to link back here via the url link
to this post  our #SONGsonSUNDAYs soundtrack will grow. Feel free to add a button to your post or sidebar as a reminder.  We look forward to hearing your choice. Your presence is valued!
*
May You Be Blessed !
"..for God himself has said, “I will never fail you or abandon you.""

Hebrews 13:5

Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

*

*

Find and follow FHC online:

@_eHope - Goodreads - Facebook - Pinterest

*

Shared with : * Hosts: Lisa Advent  and  JacquiAvery
[Add your #Lent posts to Lisa's  linky .]
Where we're Photo and Gratitude posting our Lenten Journeys
Shared with: 
Holly's * Coffee for Your Heart * Tanya's * Small Victories Sunday *
Michelle's *Hear It Use It * Naomi's *Monday's Musings * Abbey of the Arts * Invitation to Photography * Sew Crafty Angel * Wake Up Wednesday * Lyli's * Thought Provoking Thursdays * Missional Women * Faith Filled Fridays *
*

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Ascension Day and God's Favourite Place on Earth - A Review

Today I'm posting a timely review of

'God's Favorite Place on Earth' by Frank Viola 

in light of his insights on Christ's Ascension

and the effects it can have on our own life as Christ followers.

The Day of Christ's Ascension to Heaven

culminated 40 days of witness to His earthly presence

following His Resurrection.

Witnessed by His disciples and followers.

Verified by two heavenly messengers after His Ascension.

How does this affect our lives today?

A book of comfort.  A book of challenge.

I had never realized the amount of time Jesus spent in Bethany prior to reading Viola’s newest release, God’s Favorite Place.  Viola presents a good case for Jesus’ attachment to the people and the place that captured his favour.  People who welcomed and received Christ, providing  hospitality, honour, friendship and love.  All responses we are encouraged to offer as our own Bethany invitation to Christ.

To move past performance mentality of serving as exemplified by Martha at our initial glimpse into this home in Bethany.  To pursue relational living with the Lord as seen in Mary ‘s response.  Casting aside gender and cultural restraints to be who she is called to be, Mary leaves propriety to wholeheartedly invest herself, her time, her efforts for the worth that is Christ.  A worth that increased in her relational pursuit, culminating in the ointment poured upon the object of her affection, her heart’s desire, her Lord.  Viola would that we recognize Mary’s ‘waste’ and make it our own.  Recognize that what religion and religious of our day consider  service or ministry is often the real ‘waste’ when  worship is God’s heart cry for his friends to follow...

This particular point also spoke to a recent conversation on property ownership 

vs communal living where all things are shared.  

Christ never suggested personal property ownership was sinful.  Mary’s fragrant offering was hers to give, revealing a heart of generosity.  She owned the perfume; the perfume, valuable as it undeniably was, did not own her.  There’s the heart of the issue.  For the rich young ruler, his personally owned property owned his heart.  Thus, Jesus’ solution to his particular issue wasn’t a wholesale solution or command to every follower.  We’re called to have Mary hearts of worth and worship toward our Saviour, whatever our financial situation.

A beautifully novelized telling from Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha, of their times spent with their friend, Yeshua Jesus.  Insights gained from those times, his own death and resurrection foretelling Christ’s own.  The deathbed counsel of his so-called friends reminiscent of Job’s counsellors; definitely some sin in there somewhere Lazarus! Or some lack of Christ’s abilities or heart toward you.  How common to the religious minded to confront and affront another, all, supposedly, in service to Christ.  

But not in the truth of Christ's Spirit of Love and Compassion. 

Mercy that fails not.

Thought provoking and life changing challenges from Viola, if allowed to search and cleanse our own heart; to move us toward becoming a Bethany that welcomes and creates sanctuary for Christ and His nature to become our self-image.

Rich with narrative, scripture background to each chapter, and 

practical applications such as our position in prayer.  

Beggars coming before God?  

Or from the place of ascendancy provided through Christ’s ascension? 

Are we seated with Christ in heavenly places?

Or still lacking boldness to enter God's throne of Grace

through the completed work of Christ in His death, resurrection and

Ascension?

A book to inspirit new perspectives in living out the Bethany experience as well as invitation to make our churches Bethany communities that welcome and promote Christ in relation and reality.

Highly recommended for those who are pursuing more than religious form and function, 

those who desire to live an ascendant life, 

or those who are curious.

published May 1. 2013 by David C Cook

208 pages pb and ebook

*David C Cook provided me an ebook copy to read and review without obligation.

Thank you for the opportunity.

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Easter JoY !

Easter

“Oh, what joy for those

      whose disobedience is forgiven,

      whose sin is put out of sight!”

The Alleluia of Easter 

while living in a Good Friday world, 

King David’s words resonate with me increasingly 

as I near the day of celebration.

Caspar David Friedrich 1833

My Lenten journey has been long 

as I’ve plumbed new depths of relationship 

with Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

Spiritual discoveries gained through exploration 

of new directions led by Holy Spirit, 

that voice behind me saying, 

"This is the way you should go,”” Is 30.21. 

From the very inception of this Lenten journey 

I have been led on a new path.  

Not a common path of caffeine or sugar sacrifice; 

A path of inner recognition; a path of listening and hearing; 

a path of relational focus;  

An uncommon path of sacrificing distractions.  

I was impelled to answer the searching gaze that queried, 

“What is keeping you occupied?  

What has your attention?  

Your focus?  Your heart?” 

Which is, of course, what God is always pursuing; 

our heart.  My heart in this case. 

 And was it a worthy focus?  A worthy occupation?  

These attractions; these distractions 

that so cleverly kept my attention?  

Anaesthetizing me to the very relationship 

to which I’m called and for which I’m created.  

The questions searched the depths of me; my core.  

Which they must if I am to be changed.  

To be transformed.  

To be conformed to the image 

of the One who designed and desires me as His own. 

And so the journey continues.  

Hearing, now that I’m listening.  

Listening, now that I’m hearing.  

The joy and beauty of a developing love relationship.  

How do we fall in love?  

By spending time together.  

Which is exactly what this Lenten journey has provided.  Focused time – together. 

Time intentionally redirected to God.  

Sitting in His Presence.  

Reading and re-reading His love letters.  

Conversation.   Notes taken in those conversations.   

Ah hah  moments of revelation.  

Resting in His embrace.  

Gratitude and reflection.  

Contemplation of beauty – His beauty.  

Of person, heart, love, nature.  

‘Altogether lovely’, isn’t He described in scripture?  

And I’ve - we’ve – been invited 

to discover this loveliness for ourselves. 

And so I enter into Easter.  

Into this celebration of joy.  

Focused.  Intentional.  

Undivided in heart and attention.  

In heart satisfying relationship with my Saviour.  

And with all Easter people I joyfully proclaim, 

Alleluia!  Christ is risen!  

The Lord is risen indeed!  

Alleluia!

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TUESDAY in Holy Week 3.26.13

If someone is serving me, let him follow me;
wherever I am, my servant will be there too.
My Father will honour anyone who serves me.

John 12.26

O God,

by the passion of your blessed Son,

you made an instrument of shameful death

to be for us the means of life.

May our lives be so transformed by His passion

that we may witness to His grace;

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Readings:

 {click on reference to link directly to scripture}

Isaiah 49.1-7

Psalm 71.1-12

From my mother's womb You have been my strength.

1 Corinthians 1.18-31

John 12.20-36

Source of Life,

accept all we offer You this day,

and turn us from sin and death,

that we may share in the tree of life,

through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

. . .

Blessed are You, gracious God,

Creator of heaven and earth;

we give You thanks and praise

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who for our salvation became obedient unto death.

The tree of defeat became the tree of victory;

where life was lost, life has been restored.

Therefore with angels and archangels

and all the heavenly chorus,

we cry out to proclaim the glory of Your Name.

Faithful God,

may we who share this banquet

glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

our salvation, life, and hope,

who reigns as Lord now and for ever.
Amen.

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Palm Sunday Prayers

Lord, we praise you for life, and for the way you make life new.
We praise you for the way you open our eyes to see the wonder of your world
and our ears to listen to the song that creation sings to your glory.
We thank you most of all for your Son Jesus Christ.
We praise you that through him you change
our hearts, our minds, and our lives.
On this Passion Sunday we remember his life of goodness,
his healing, his teaching and his love for everyone.
We remember his death on the cross for us.
We praise you that though he seemed to be defeated,
he was the one who won.
Those who hated and rejected him
believed they had defeated him,
but he was the one who was victorious.
We praise you that your love will never be defeated
and your concern will never come to an end.
We praise you for those who have loved their neighbour
and for those who have brought hope to many.
We thank you for those who told us about Jesus
and went on telling us until we finally listened.
Forgive us when we find it so easy to give up and give in;
that we are willing to follow 
only until you want us to carry a cross.
Forgive us and keep us faithful to you,
so that our lives may be filled with your victory.
For Jesus’ name's sake. Amen

David Clowes, 500 Prayers for All Occasions, 

(England: David C. Clowes, 2003)

It is right to praise you, almighty God,
for the acts of love by which you have redeemed us
through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Hebrews acclaimed Jesus as Messiah and King,
with palm branches in their hands, crying,
Hosanna in the highest.
May we also, carrying these emblems , go forth to meet Christ
and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life;
who lives and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever.  Amen.

Almighty God,
whose Son was crucified yet entered into glory,
may we, walking in the way of the cross,
find it is for us the way of life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.  Amen

The Book of Alternative Services
of The Anglican Church of Canada 1985

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