Week of May 27, 2007, Acts 2:1-21

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from Acts, chapter 2, verses 1 to 21. This is the story of Pentecost - the recounting of the beginnings of the Church:
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-- we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!"
12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning!
16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Jesus, You promised that You would send the Counselor, the Holy Spirit to empower and to guide. Jesus, thank You that You are faithful. Fill us with Your Spirit. Your Spirit was a miraculous part of the early church, and Your Spirit is a part of the Church today, guiding and empowering. With Your Spirit that You pour on Your people, fill us with power to love. Fill us with peace. Give us patience, kindness and goodness. Help us to be faithful, gentle and have self-control. And then, Holy Spirit, we ask for the gifts that are needed for Your Church to be a light to the world – to bring comfort, peace, strength, hope. To remind the world of Your love, Your joy, Your power among us, the gift of Your Spirit with us always. Fill us with Your Spirit, Lord.

Jesus, we call on Your name, and You are faithful to forgive, to cleanse, to restore. Thanks for Your saving grace and mercy in the midst of sin and strife. Thanks, Jesus, for Your presence with each of us always. May we always be more aware of You with us. Amen.

May the love of the Lord Jesus draw us to Himself;
May the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen us in His service; may the joy of the Lord Jesus fill our souls;
May the fire of the Holy Spirit bring comfort, guidance and fervency; and may the blessing of the almighty and most merciful God - Creator, Word and eternal Holy Spirit - be upon us and remain with us always.
In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Fill us with Your Spirit, Lord.

And on this Memorial Weekend in this country, our thanks to our veterans who have served in the military - those who have given their lives for this country. And for those who have survived the stuff of war, thanks. May you know God's peace and grace and love.

If you would like to leave a message or prayer request, you can e-mail me at: peacewm@tds.net.

Jesus, fill us with Your Spirit - and may we have a sense of Your Spirit with us always.

Week of May 20, 2007, Acts 16: 16-34

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is from the book of Acts, chapter 16, verses 16 to 34 - one of the many fascinating encounters with God:
16 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.
17 This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."
18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.
19 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities.
20 They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar
21 by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."
22 The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.
23 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.
24 Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.
27 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-- you and your household."
32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
33 At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34 The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-- he and his whole family.

Jesus, what must I do to be saved. I come to You, my Redeemer and Savior. Help me to believe – to believe in You, to believe in Your word, to know that You lived on this earth, a true record of happenings in people’s lives, that You care for each one of us, that You are truly real, and truly God. For You are who You said You were – truly man, truly God. And I do believe.

Thanks for Your presence in my life, Your joy that You instill in each of us because of the hope of salvation, and Your peace that only You can give. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His strength and His great peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you would like to leave a message or a prayer request, you can e-mail me at: peacewm@tds.net.
May Jesus, God's only Son 0ur Redeemer and Savior, be with you now and always.

Week of May 13, 2007, Psalm 67

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is Psalm 67 - a prayer of praise as we seek God's blessing:
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,
2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.
7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Heavenly Father, be gracious to us. Bless us. Show us Your favor. May Your face shine upon us. May all the nations on earth see how You work, Your glorious works, and may they see Your saving works among the nations.

May all peoples of the earth praise You, O God. May the nations be glad and shout for joy. You rule with justice and guide the nations of the earth. Let us rejoice before our God. Thanks for Your promise of blessing, Father. May all fear and reverence You, to the far corners of the earth.

Jesus, thanks for Your presence in our midst, Your peace that You bring, and Your love that we experience in powerful and numerous ways. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His strength and His great peace. In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If you would like to leave a message or a prayer request, e-mail me at: peacewm@tds.net.
God bless you and may God's face shine upon you now and always.

Week of May 3, 2007, Psalm 148

One of the Scriptures for Sunday is Psalm 148 – a psalm of praise, encouraging all creation to worship and praise the Lord – praising from the heavens, to the earth, animals and elements, kings and rulers, to each one of us praising the Lord:
1 Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD from the heavens, praise him in the heights above.
2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens and you waters above the skies.
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
6 He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave a decree that will never pass away.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding,
9 you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all nations, you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and maidens, old men and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the people close to his heart. Praise the LORD.

Heavenly Father, we praise You. May all creation praise You – from the heights of the heavens, the angels, all the heavenly hosts, praise You, Lord. May all Your creation, Lord, praise You, from the moon and stars, to the seas and ocean depths, all Your creation of wild animals and flying birds and small creatures – all Your creation praise You. May all Your people praise You, Lord, from rulers and kings to young and old.

May we praise the name of the Lord, for Your name alone is exalted and glorified. Your splendor is above the earth and the heavens – above all things. You have raised up for Your people a horn, a strong one, a King, Jesus Christ, who we all praise, for the time of Israel to the present – all people close to Your heart, Lord. We praise You, O Lord!

Thanks for Your presence and love and strength with us. Amen.


May the Lord bless you as you go on your way. May He go before you to show you the way. May He go behind you to encourage you. May He go beside you to guide and befriend you. May He always be above you to watch over you. And may He be within you to give you peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
You can leave a message or prayer request by e-mailing me at: peacewm@tds.net.
God bless you today and always.