Ephesians 1:1-14 models passing the peace (1:2) and a prayer of adoration (1:3-14). Thus I reflected upon worship and how prayer is an essential element of worship and the passing of the peace is appropriate too. All worship is according to the pattern revealed in the word of God just as all prayer should be according to the pattern revealed in the word of God. The model and summary of right prayer is the Lord's Prayer and expanding on its first three petitions we have here a model prayer of adoration. It is a prayer blessing the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ because of election and adoption in Christ, redemption and reconciliation in Christ, and for the assurance of our inheritance. God tells us these things not only to give His people assurance but also so that all of the glory would go to Him alone.

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Labels: adoption, assurance, blessing, election, passing the peace, prayer

Psalm 128 is one of the songs of ascents that would be sung as the people (including Jesus) went up to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus sang this psalm knowing that entering the blessing meant the curse of the cross first. In this psalm we see a parallel to justification by faith -- being pronounced blessed by faith. And then as a blessed people, we do good works from which more blessings flow. More than this, Jesus is the head of the household of God and he says, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Father." And so we follow His lead and believe -- receiving faith and repentance with empty hands and then using those hands to labor in His church.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: blessing, faith, Psalms, repentance, song of ascents

Psalm 128 is one of the songs of ascents that would be sung as the people (including Jesus) went up to Jerusalem for Passover. Jesus sang this psalm knowing that entering the blessing meant the curse of the cross first. In this psalm we see a parallel to justification by faith -- being pronounced blessed by faith. And then as a blessed people, we do good works from which more blessings flow. More than this, Jesus is the head of the household of God and he says, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Father." And so we follow His lead and believe -- receiving faith and repentance with empty hands and then using those hands to labor in His church.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: blessing, faith, Psalms, repentance, song of ascents

Psalm 67 calls upon God to bless Israel so that the nations will praise God in thanksgiving for their salvation, fear God in faith, and be saved (three ways of saying the same thing). I pronounce God's blessing at the end of every time of worship and now I am doing so at the end of my ministry here in Stopover not only because I want the best for this church (as I do) but also because I want to see people be saved.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: blessing, praise, Psalms, salvation, Sunday worship, thanksgiving

Psalm 67 calls upon God to bless Israel so that the nations will praise God in thanksgiving for their salvation, fear God in faith, and be saved (three ways of saying the same thing). I pronounce God's blessing at the end of every time of worship and now I am doing so at the end of my ministry here in Phelps not only because I want the best for this church (as I do) but also because I want to see people be saved.

Click here or the title to listen.

Labels: blessing, praise, Psalms, salvation, thanksgiving