Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. (Psalm 12:1)
LORD, raise up godly leaders and teachers throughout the Episcopal Church. Thank you for the faithful sheherds you have raised up in this diocese.
They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. (Psalm 12: 2)
Jesus, cleanse the seminaries of the Episcopal Church of all idle speech and false teaching. Thank you for the faithful witness of Nashotah House and Trimity School for Ministry.
May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, (Psalm 12:3)
Father, shut the mouths of all those who speak flattering and proud things. Bless the words of your faithful witnesses.
Who have said, “With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is LORD over us?” (Psalm 12:4)
Holy Spirit, there so many lawless and lordless people among us. Help them know their need for Jesus.
“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” (Psalm 12:5)
Lord, you taught David how to be a faithful shepherd and rescue his sheep from the mouth of the lion and the bear. Please raise up faithful shepherds in our day who will resuce the poor and the need out of the clutches of those who would consume them.
The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6)
Holy Spirit, write your words on our hearts and minds. Help us daily walk by the light of your word.
You shall keep them, O LORD, you shall preserve them from this generation forever. (Psalm 12:7)
Jesus, preserve us and protect us.
The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men. (Psalm 12:8 )
A word received: Keep turning to me. I can do what you cannot.
STUDY GUIDE: SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 11, December 4, 2011
Theme Verse: 19Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
Readings: Mark 1:1-8; 2 Peter 3:8-18; Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85
Memory Verse: He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)
Next Week: John 1:6-8, 18-28; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 126
A word received: I want to build you into the church I want. I AM the foundation and cornerstone. Look to me — let me build you up by my Holy Spirit and my word.
Gospel: Mark 1:1-8
A word received: Remember all those witnesses that pointed to me in your lives as John did in his time. Who are you pointing to me? Look around you; ask for the guidance and power and fire of my Holy Spirit to do this.
Epistle: 2 Peter 3:8-18
“My times are in your hands.” (Psalm 31:15a) (verse 8-9) A word received: I want you to use my gift of time to you to build up my kingdom. Don’t be distracted as you wait for my timing of events. Keep your eyes on me. Pray for ears to hear my word to you so that your heart will be ready.
Old Testament: Isaiah 40:1-11
(verse 10-11) A word received: Pray that I will come into your heart now. I long to carry you in my arms as a lamb of my flock. I will lead you. I AM faithful.
Psalm: Psalm 85
A word received: I want you to see from verse 12 that verses 10 and 11 are what I give. They are not by your good works, but by my mercy and love.
Wednesday: 119:1-24 * 12, 13, 14; Amos 3:12-4:5: 2 Pet. 3:1-10: Matt. 21:23-32
Thursday: 18:1-20 * 18:21-50; Amos 4:6-13: 2 Pet. 3:11-18: Matt. 21:33-46
Albany Intercessor
God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.
~Saint Augustine
There is no possible source of evil except good.
~Saint Augustine
The difference between those whom the world esteems as good and those whom it condemns as bad, is in many cases little else than that the former have been better sheltered from temptation.
~Augustus William Hare
I don’t trust a man who uses the word evil eighteen times in ten minutes. If you’re half evil, nothing soothes you more than to think the person you are opposed to is totally evil. –Norman Mailer, author (1923-2007)
“Never put much confidence in such as put no confidence in others. A man prone to suspect evil is mostly looking in his neighbor for what he sees in himself. As to the pure all things are pure, even so to the impure all things are impure.”
~Augustus William Hare
“The fullness of our heart comes in our actions: how I treat the leper, how I treat the dying person, how I treat the homeless. Sometimes it is more difficult to work with street people than with the people in our homes for the dying because the dying are peaceful and waiting; they are ready to go to God. You can touch the sick and believe, or you can touch the leper and believe, that is the body of Christ you are touching, but it is more difficult when these people are drunk or shouting to think that this is Jesus in that distressing disguise. How clean and loving our hands must be to be able to bring compassion to them!”
~Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
Once we take our eyes away from ourselves, from our interests, from our own rights, privileges, ambitions – then they will become clear to see Jesus around us.
–Mother Teresa
“It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.”
–Mahatma Gandhi
“There is a saying, ‘Love your friends and hate your enemies.’But I say: Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
In that way you will be acting as true sons of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust too. If you love only those who love you, what good is that? Even scoundrels do that much. If you are friendly only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else?
Even the heathen do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
–Jesus of Nazareth (TLB, Matthew 5:43-48)