Seeking God's face together

After death

January 25, 2020January 25, 2020Ruth Kirk

1. After death, Lord,
All of us will meet
Those we abused,

2. And we will grasp
How much we damaged
Those we have misused.

3. We will face
Our callous deeds,
The hurtful words we spoke,

4. Until we beg forgiveness
From all those
Whose hearts we broke.

5. Help us now, instead, to change,
Say: Sorry, Lord,
And try

6. To live more like
Your only Son, on earth,
Before we die.

References

1. The time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgement (John 5:29; NLT).

2. Now I will pour put judgement on you for the evil you have done to them (Jeremiah 23:2; NLT).

3. Human pride will be humbled, and human arrogance will be brought down. Only the Lord will be exalted on the day of judgement (Isaiah 2:17; NLT).

4. You should fear punishment yourselves, for your attitude deserves punishment. Then you will know that there is indeed a judgement (Job 19:29; NLT).

5. If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift (Matthew 5:23-4; NIV).

6. As we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgement, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world (1 John 4:17; NLT).

The Kingdom of God

January 24, 2020Ruth Kirk

The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21; NKJV).

1. The Kingdom of God
Is within you:
Trust in his mercy
And might.

2. The Kingdom of God
Is within you:
Live in his presence
And light.

3. The Kingdom of God
Is within you:
Honour his name
Without cease.

4. The Kingdom of God
Is within you:
Rest in his love,
And his peace.

References

1. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever (Psalm 52:8; NKJV).

Trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:5; NLT).

2. He will restore us, so that we may live in his presence (Hosea 6:2; NLT).

He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light (Colossians 1:12; NLT).

3. Honour the Lord for the glory of his name (Psalm 29:2; NLT).

Rejoice always (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NIV).

4. Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28; NLT).

He loves us with unfailing love (Psalm 117:2; NLT).

His peace will guard your hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7; NLT).

May we eat your bread

January 23, 2020Ruth Kirk

1. Father,
May we eat your bread
Until we share
The mind of Christ;

2. Father,
May we drink your wine;
Our hearts
Your willing sacrifice;

3. Father,
May we dwell in you,
Until our souls
Reflect Christ’s worth:

4. Then, we will
Be one with you,
And spend our lives
In heaven on earth.

References

1. We have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16; NLT).

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5; NKJV).

2. This is my blood which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many (Matthew 26:28; NLT).

If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine (Matthew 26:39; NLT).

3. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16; NIV).

Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3:8; NLT).

4. Whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17; NIV).

The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21; NKJV).

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven (Philippians 1:27; NLT).

May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10; NLT).

In human form

January 22, 2020Ruth Kirk

In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form
(Colossians 2:9; NIV).

1. Christ is light in human form:
The light that leads to life.

2. Christ is fire in flesh and blood,
Consuming greed and vice.

3. Christ is truth personified:
As honest as the day.

4. Christ is peace made manifest;
He is our peaceful way.

5. Christ is God incarnate here,
His Spirit, like a dove,

6. Descends from heaven, revealing that
The King of kings is love.

References

1. God is light (1 John 1:5; NIV).

I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life (John 8:12; NLT).

2. God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24; NIV).

I have come to set the world on fire (Luke 12:49; NLT).

Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables (John 2:15; NLT).

3. The Spirit is truth (1 John 5:6; NKJV).

Jesus told him, “I am […] the truth” (John 14:6; NLT).

4. The Lord is peace (Judges 6:24; NLT).

The Dayspring from on high has visited us […] to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78-9; NKJV).

Jesus told him, “I am the way” (John 14:6; NLT).

5. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15; NLT).

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being
(Hebrews 1:3; NIV).

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! (John 14:9; NLT).

6. When he had been baptised, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17; NKJV).

God is love (1 John 4:16; NLT).

Damaged (#2 of 2 linked prayers)

January 21, 2020Ruth Kirk

Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life
(John 6:54; NIV).

1. Lord, we are
Your intricate creation,
Hurt by life in body
And in mind;

2. Damaged, Lord, in heart,
And soul, and spirit,
Which makes us frail, deaf,
Captive, lame, and blind.

3. But every time we take the Host
You heal us:
Bit by bit
You set us free, dear Lord;

4. And every time we share the Cup
You fill us:
Drop by drop,
Until we are restored.

References

1. Your hands have made me and fashioned me, an intricate unity (Job 10:8; NKJV).

2. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows (John 16:33; NLT).

3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3; NIV).

4. He restores my soul (Psalm 23:3; NKJV).

Damaged (#1 of 2 linked prayers)

January 20, 2020Ruth Kirk

If the Son sets you free, you are truly free
(John 8:36; NLT).

1. Lord,
You live in every damaged body;
Every wounded, fragile, anxious mind.

2. Lord,
You live in every injured spirit;
Every broken heart, and those confined.

3. Lord,
You want to heal each mind and body,
Giving us new life, for you are kind.

4. Lord,
You want to set free every spirit,
And every broken heart you want to bind.

References

1. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

The Spirit of God lives in you (1 Corinthians 3:16; NLT).

He knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust (Psalm 103:14; NLT).

2. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise (Psalm 51:17; NIV).

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3; NIV).

3. A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said. Move with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” Mark 1:41; NLT).

Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God (1 Peter 1:23; NLT).

How kind the Lord is! How good he is! So merciful, this God of ours! (Psalm 116:5; NLT).

4. He will give you another Advocate [Comforter, Encourager, Counsellor], who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth (John 14:16-17; NLT).

The Lord has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Isaiah 61:1; NIV).

Help me, Lord

January 19, 2020Ruth Kirk

I look to you for help, O Sovereign Lord
(Psalm 141:8; NLT).

1. Help me, Lord,
To worship you today,
To praise you
As I walk your Narrow Way,

2. To see you, Lord,
In everyone I greet,
And serve you willingly
In all I meet.

3. Help me, Lord,
To pray throughout today,
To follow you
Along your Little Way,

4. To bless you, Lord,
And thank you without cease –
For then I’ll live in love,
And joy, and peace.

References

1. Worship the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2; NLT).

Praise the Lord! (Psalm 150:1; NLT).

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14; NIV).

2. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (Colossians 3:11; NLT).

Be kind to everyone (2 Timothy 2:24; NLT).

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them (Romans 12:9; NLT).

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35; NIV).

3. Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17; NIV).

Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24; NLT).

4. I will bless the Lord who guides me (Psalm 16:7; NLT).

Give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18; NIV).

Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16).

You will live in joy and peace (Isaiah 55:12; NLT).