for the week ending February 26

A Note from the Parson’s Desk

I am looking forward to seeing you this Sunday at 8:00 central, 9:00 eastern time on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ParsonJohnMaggie

Links to Sunday Services are also available at https://travelingchurch.org/videos/.

This week’s scripture readings

Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.

Epistle: Romans 5:12-19
As sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned– sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

Psalm: 74
O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
2 Remember thy congregation, which thou hast purchased of old; the rod of thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this mount Zion, wherein thou hast dwelt.
3 Lift up thy feet unto the perpetual desolations; even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.
4 Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.
5 A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees.
6 But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.
7 They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.
8 They said in their hearts, Let us destroy them together: they have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.
9 We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.
10 O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hand, even thy right hand? pluck it out of thy bosom.
12 For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
15 Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood: thou driedst up mighty rivers.
16 The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.
19 O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked: forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.
20 Have respect unto the covenant: for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.
21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.
22 Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily.
23 Forget not the voice of thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against thee increaseth continually.

Prayer Requests

I will call on You, My God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 17:6

We invite you to share your needs as well as your praises. Unspoken requests will be honored. To add or update this list, send updates to: eric@fairewynds.com. For private messages or consultations please contact Frank directly at parson@parsonjohn.org

Wednesday Night Bible Study

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15

Join us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/parsonandmaggie for a time of study, fellowship and prayer.

This weeks study will be I Corinthians 11:17-39

The Parson’s Schedule for both Live and Online services

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25

The sermon text will be from Romans 12

Online services will go live at 9:00 Eastern, 8 Central on Facebook at https://www.youtube.com/@ParsonJohnMaggie

Our Post Script

We are well on our way into the new year. Next week a new ‘Hymn of the Month’ will be put up and Virginia and I are planning and working on some new ones for later this year. And while no one wants to say the word ‘Christmas’, yes, we have already started planning music for that. But first, the Easter season is soon upon us. To plan on that, in the next two weeks I will be rolling out a 10 day look at the ‘Jewish Festivals’. And yes, I know their are only 7, but I’m including a look at the GREATEST celebration that is yet to come-the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. You can find it in Revelation, if you’re curious. I plan on being there for certain!

Speaking of Revelation, on my desktop now is also an outline look at the 7 churches of Revelation that will be going out here in the next couple of weeks. We are to study ALL of scripture, and we might as well…after all, if He took the time to write to us, we really should take the time to read it! In the meantime I’m also gathering up the next group for BIG WORDS of the BIBLE set 2. Hopefully someone somewhere is getting something out of them. But on the other hand, it doesn’t really matter, as it as been a learning experience for me.

But this isn’t ‘All About Me’. So to that end, I am looking for others who might want to try their hand at a devotion or two. I’ll be glad to help with the formatting, so if you aren’t ‘computer literate’ don’t worry, just send the devotions and thoughts and I’ll plug them in. Specifically I would LOVE to see one done on prayer. I do not consider myself a ‘prayer warrior’ and I do feel my prayers-while the Spirit certainly gets them to God-aren’t exactly burning up the golden censure that the prayers of the saints are on! (Hey, that’s in Revelation, as well! What a book!) But some of you are, and some of you I KNOW have some thoughts and ideas (scripturally based, of course) and I would love to have you share them!

The same with questions, comments, thoughts, criticisms, secret BBQ recipes-send them on! Let’s work together to equip each other!

In Christ,
Eric

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