Merciful Heavenly
FATHER, look upon us as we enter these forty days, bearing the mark of ashes, and
bless our journey through the desert of lent. May our fasting be hunger for
justice; Our alms, a making of peace; Our prayer, the chant of humble and
grateful hearts. All that we do and pray is in the name of JESUS, our LORD For
in HIS cross you proclaim your love For ever and ever. Amen
Almighty GOD, you
have created us out of the dust of the earth: Grant that these ashes may be to us a
sign of our mortality and penitence, that we may remember that it is only by
your gracious gift that we are given everlasting life; through JESUS CHRIST our
Savior. Amen
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall
return.
Ecclesiastes 3:20
Isaiah 58:1-12
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a
trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their
sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways,
as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their GOD
they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to GOD.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest
not? wherefore have we afflicted our
soul, and thou takest no knowledge?
Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your
labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite
with the fist of wickedness ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your
voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and
to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the
heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that
thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover
him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and
thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy righteousness shall go before
thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer;
thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.
If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of
the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and
satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy
darkness be as the noonday
11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and
satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a
watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old
waste places thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou
shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
Joel 2:1-2
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my
holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD
cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds
and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people
and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more
after it, even to the years of many generations.
Joel 2:12-17
Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me
with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and
turn unto the LORD your GOD for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave
a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD
your GOD?
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a
solemn assembly
16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation,
assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts let
the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep
between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD,
and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them
wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their GOD?
Almighty GOD we
are marked with ashes, Symbol of repentant hearts, And contrite spirits. We
want to be transformed, To be made NEW, To
learn the Your way, Of serving no other master but YOU. Let us heed YOUR call, And
walk with CHRIST, Into the wilderness. Help us to see beneath the surface, Not
denial and sacrifice, Not sin and death, But transformation, NEW LIFE IN CHRIST.
Let us seek to be changed, Let us seek to be so transfigured By YOUR Power and
Glory, That we desire above all else to become worthy citizens, Of YOUR NEW
WORLD OF PEACE AND JUSTICE. Amen
Psalm 103
Bless the LORD, O my soul and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his
benefits
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all
thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who
crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that
thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for
all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the
children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger,
and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide neither will he keep his
anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor
rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great
is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he
removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD
pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we
are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass as a flower of
the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and
the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's
children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that
remember his commandments to do them.
19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens;
and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in
strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers
of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his
dominion bless the LORD, O my soul.
2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10
Now then we are ambassadors for CHRIST, as though GOD
did beseech you by us: we pray you in CHRIST's stead, be ye reconciled to GOD.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of GOD in him.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you
also that ye receive not the grace of GOD in vain.
2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted,
and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold, now is the accepted
time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be
not blamed
4 But in all things approving ourselves as the
ministers of GOD, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in
distresses,
5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in
labours, in watchings, in fastings;
6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness,
by the HOLY GHOST, by love unfeigned,
7 By the word of truth, by the power of GOD, by the
armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good
report as deceivers, and yet true;
9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and,
behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet
making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
FATHER in Heaven,
Help us to know how much you love us; Help us to see the ways in which we
wander way from you. During this Lent
bring us back to you And forgive us for any wrong we have done. We ask this
through CHRIST JESUS our LORD. AMEN
Matthew 6:1-6
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be
seen of them otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a
trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know
what thy right hand doeth
4 That thine alms may be in secret and thy Father
which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the
corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you,
They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and
thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:16-21
Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a
sad countenance for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to
fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and
wash thy face;
18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy
Father which is in secret and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward
thee openly.
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break
through nor steal
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also.
Most holy and
merciful FATHER: We confess to you and to one another, and to the whole
communion of saints in heaven and on earth, that we have sinned by our own
fault in thought, word, and deed; by what we have done, and by what we have
left undone.
Psalm 51
Have mercy upon me, O GOD, according to thy lovingkindness
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is
ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done
this evil in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and
be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my
mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts and
in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean wash me,
and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones
which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O GOD; and renew a
right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not
thy HOLY SPIRIT from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and
uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and
sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O GOD, thou GOD of
my salvation and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O LORD, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew
forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give
it thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of GOD are a broken spirit a broken
and a contrite heart, O GOD, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion build thou
the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of
righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering then shall they
offer bullocks upon thine altar.
And JESUS being full of the HOLY GHOST returned from
Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those
days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of GOD,
command this stone that it be made bread.
4 And JESUS answered him, saying, It is written, That
man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of GOD.
5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain,
shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I
give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to
whomsoever I will I give it.
7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
8 And JESUS answered and said unto him, Get thee behind
me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the LORD thy GOD, and him only
shalt thou serve.
9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a
pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of GOD, cast
thyself down from hence:
10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge
over thee, to keep thee:
11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at
any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
12 And JESUS answering said unto him, It is said, Thou
shalt not tempt the LORD thy GOD.
13 And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he
departed from him for a season.
♥
We all sinned n deserve GOD’s judgment. But our loving FATHER, GOD sent HIS only begotten SON to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in HIM. JESUS, our LORD who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that HE died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buries n rose from the dead according to the Holy Bible. If you truly believe n trust in your heart, receiving JESUS alone as your SAVIOUR, declaring (by Baptism) JESUS is The LORD n SAVIOUR, you will be SAVED from the judgment n spend ETERNITY with GOD in HEAVEN….In The name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.. Amen
- Wednesday, March 01, 2017
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