EChurch@Wartburg – 11.11.12

Welcome to Our Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg


Duomo Feltre-Wkikcommons

Here is our order of worship

A Prayer of Ambrose (c 339-97) link

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all, take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore thee,
a heart to delight in thee,
to follow and to enjoy thee,
for Christ’s sake.
In Jesus name,
Amen

Prayer on the Beatitudes Link

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Keep us from being preocuppied with money and worldly goods, and with trying to increase them at the expense of justice.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." 
Help us not to be ruthless with one another, and to eliminate the discord and violence that exists in the world around us.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Let us not be impatient under our own burdens and unconcerned about the burdens of others.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled."
Make us thirst for you, the fountain of all holiness, and actively spread your influence in our private lives and in society.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Grant that we may be quick to forgive and slow to condemn.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God."
Free us from our senses and our evil desires, and fix our eyes on you.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."
Aid us to make peace in our families, in our country, and in the world.
Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven in theirs."
Make us willing to suffer for the sake of right rather than to practice injustice;
and do not let us discriminate against our neighbors and oppress and persecute them.
In Jesus name
Amen

If you are new to EChurch, please click on this link for an explanation

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 11:30-31 (NASB Bible Gateway)

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit Regarding Anxiety

"O Holy Spirit, give me stillness of soul in you.
Calm the turmoil within, with the gentleness of your peace.
Quiet the anxiety within, with a deep trust in you.
Heal the wounds of sin within, with the joy of your forgiveness.
Strengthen the faith within, with the awareness of your presence.
Confirm the hope within, with the knowledge of your strength. 
Give fullness to the love within, with an outpouring of your love.
O Holy Spirit, be to me a source of light, strength and courage
so that I may hear your call ever more clearly
and follow you more generously."
~ William Browning link

The Lord bless you, and keep you;

The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’

Numbers 6:24-26 (NASB)

Please feel free to leave a comment or question. We also have contact information if you should wish to discuss thoughts about anything privately. We are so glad you took time to be with us!

Comments

EChurch@Wartburg – 11.11.12 — 11 Comments

  1. Excellent service once again! And the story of Rahab and her faith is so inspirational.

    I think I understand why many are reluctant to share their struggles after coming to Christ…many believers become “fruit inspectors.” They do judge others by their outward behavior. Being the object of those fruit inspectors leads to a lack of transparency and guilt and shame follow.

    Let’s say the number of sins, bad habits, and/or bad attitudes in a new convert’s life is 10. In the “fruit inspector’s” eyes, the most glaring and disgusting one that needs attention (from God) is #1. “Hey, that’s Rahab the harlot!” God sees it differently and is working on #7. That #7 may take a long time but we are still waiting for the new believer to overcome sin #1. Eventually, #7 is gone and the Holy Spirit begins to convict the new convert (now 1 yr. old) about sin #4. About now, we (the self-appointed inspectors) are sure he has not “truly” been saved because we don’t see any “good” fruit because sin #1 is still obvious. We cannot possibly know the area of one’s life God is working on and the length of time for that work to be accomplished to His satisfaction.

    I’ve had to ask the Lord’s forgiveness for judging a fellow believer based on performance many times. What helped me to see the error of that is the fact that I’ve heard others criticize me based on my lack of fruit. And it hurts.

    Thank you Wade for always sharing a message of faith and hope in Him.

  2. Wade,

    Thanks for a wonderful message that we all need to hear.  What an important reminder that Rahab (the harlot) is listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

  3. Pingback: My Homepage

  4. Pastor Burleson,

    Great message! There isn’t another holy book in the world that would give Rahab the time of day. It’s one of the many things that makes the Judeo-Christian Scriptures uniquely different.

  5. TWW and Wade,

    I am so grateful for EChurch! We just left our SGM church after 27 years and are looking for a new church, but it is Wade’s messages that are food for my soul right now. Wade, your sermons are so full of grace and truth. They are refreshing me and reminding me why I fell in love with Jesus years ago. Sadly, my love had grown cold and my faith was dry. But the Holy Spirit is using you to stir up my affections for Christ once again. Thank you! I wish we lived in OK!

  6. Lost in (cyber) Space,

    Your comment is so heart-warming! I am grateful that the Holy Spirit is working through Wade to restore your faith.

    Even though I have never been involved with an SGM church, I went through some difficult church experiences. Wade has helped me move past them, and my heart is joyful once again.

    Blessings!

  7. Thank you Wade. All I heard in this message was LOVE. Love of God, Love of Jesus. Oh, if only more preachers would allow God to speak thru them as you do. thank you again.