The Hand of the Lord

27 June 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: Oh God Our Help in Ages Past

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit  

Topic: The Hand of the Lord

Reading: Luke 1:57-80

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. ⁵⁹ On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ ⁶¹They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ ⁶²Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. ⁶³He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷ Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ⁶⁸ ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them. ⁶⁹ He has raised up a mighty saviour^* for us in the house of his servant David, ⁷⁰ as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, ⁷¹   that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. ⁷² Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, ⁷³ the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us ⁷⁴that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, ⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. ⁷⁶ And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, ⁷⁷ to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. ⁷⁸ By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon^* us, ⁷⁹ to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ ⁸⁰ The child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day he appeared publicly to Israel.

Introduction

Today as part of our series on the Holy Spirit we will consider a phrase that is commonly encountered in the Scriptures, ‘the Hand of the Lord’. This phrase is found in our text for today’s study and I believe it is synonymous with yet another phrase in the Scriptures, ‘the Spirit of the Lord’. God has used numerous people in the past for His work here on earth and continues to do the same. One unique attribute of whoever God chooses to use is His Presence (i.e His Hand/Spirit) with the individual. Without the Holy Spirit in our lives, living for God is impossible. Also, when we lack His Spirit we find it extremely difficult to perform whatever tasks He requires from us; we become powerless and prone to attacks from the enemy. Presence of the Holy Spirit makes all the difference in the lives of believers.

Questions/Discussion

1. What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase ‘the Hand or Spirit of the Lord’?

1 Samuel 10:5-6, 10-12

After that you shall come to Gibeath-elohim,^* at the place where the Philistine garrison is; there, as you come to the town, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the shrine with harp, tambourine, flute, and lyre playing in front of them; they will be in a prophetic frenzy. ⁶Then the spirit of the Lord will possess you, and you will be in a prophetic frenzy along with them and be turned into a different person. ¹⁰When they were going from there^* to Gibeah,^* a band of prophets met him; and the spirit of God possessed him, and he fell into a prophetic frenzy along with them. ¹¹When all who knew him before saw how he prophesied with the prophets, the people said to one another, ‘What has come over the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?’ ¹²A man of the place answered, ‘And who is their father?’ Therefore it became a proverb, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’

Luke 1:59-68

On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother said, ‘No; he is to be called John.’ ⁶¹They said to her, ‘None of your relatives has this name.’ ⁶²Then they began motioning to his father to find out what name he wanted to give him. ⁶³He asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’ And all of them were amazed. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵Fear came over all their neighbours, and all these things were talked about throughout the entire hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard them pondered them and said, ‘What then will this child become?’ For, indeed, the hand of the Lord was with him. ⁶⁷ Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy: ⁶⁸‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Or do you not know that your body is a temple^* of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

2. Are there criteria or conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit?

Luke 24:45-48

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah^* is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses^* of these things.

Acts 1:6-9, 9:1-6, 13-19

So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

⁹Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ⁵He asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ The reply came, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.’

¹³But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; ¹⁴and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’ ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; ¹⁶I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.’ ¹⁷So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul^* and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁸And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Galatians 5:1-6, 13-14

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.² Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. ³Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. ⁴You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working^* through love.

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;^* only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,^* but through love become slaves to one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’

2 Timothy 2:15-21

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. ¹⁶Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, ¹⁷and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’, and, ‘Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.’ ²⁰ In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. ²¹All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned^* will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work.

3. a) How do we live continually according to the leading of the Holy Spirit?

     b) What are the benefits?

Romans 8:1-17

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ²For the law of the Spirit^* of life in Christ Jesus has set you^* free from the law of sin and of death. ³For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin,^* he condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^{* 5}For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit^* set their minds on the things of the Spirit.^{* 6}To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit^* is life and peace. ⁷For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, ⁸and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit,^* since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit^* is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ^* from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through^* his Spirit that dwells in you. ¹² So then, brothers and sisters,^* we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— ¹³for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba!^* Father!’ ¹⁶it is that very Spirit bearing witness^* with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

2 Corinthians 3:4-18

Such is the confidence that we have through Christ towards God. ⁵Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God, ⁶who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. ⁷ Now if the ministry of death, chiselled in letters on stone tablets,^* came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, ⁸how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? ⁹For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory! ¹⁰Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory; ¹¹for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! ¹² Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, ¹³not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that^* was being set aside. ¹⁴But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. ¹⁵Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; ¹⁶but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

God is for us and neither man nor the enemy can harm us. Let us continue to put our trust in God who called, chose and filled us with His Holy Spirit.

Closing Prayer

Lord, it is only through the guidance of Your Holy Spirit that we can live the life of Christ. Give us the grace to yield to His leading all the days of our lives, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

New creation in Christ

20 June 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: Amazing Grace

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Topic: New creation in Christ

Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 14-17

So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— ⁷for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. ¹⁰For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil. ¹⁴For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. ¹⁵And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. ¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;^* even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,^* we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

Introduction

The ministry of conversion to the Christian life is one of the most important tasks of the Holy Spirit. Christ came and paid the price for our sins and then set the stage for the promised Holy Spirit to make disciples of Him through the Church. Last week we discussed how the Holy Spirit guides and leads believers. Today, we will be examining how we are a new creation in Christ. To be ‘new’ implies that there was an ‘old’. The Scripture tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But God in His infinite mercy and amazing grace sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ, as an atonement for our sins. Christ shed His Blood to wash our sins away over 2000 years ago, inviting us into a new dispensation of God’s love. Now through the power in the Blood and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we are a new creation; not living for ourselves any more but for Christ, who died to set us free.

Questions/Discussion

1. What does it mean to be a new creation in Christ?

Romans 6:1-7, 8:9-11

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? ²By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? ³Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For whoever has died is freed from sin. ⁹ But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit,^* since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit^* is life because of righteousness. ¹¹If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ^* from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through^* his Spirit that dwells in you.

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. ¹⁵And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. ¹⁶ From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view;^* even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view,^* we know him no longer in that way. ¹⁷So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

2. How do you know you have a new life in Christ?

Colossians 2:13-23

And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God^* made you^* alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, ¹⁴erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed^* the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. ¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. ¹⁷These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling^* on visions,^* puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking,^{* 19}and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. ²⁰ If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe,^* why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, ²¹‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’? ²²All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. ²³These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.^*

3. What expectations and responsibilities come with having a new life in Christ?

Galatians 5:13-26

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters;^* only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence,^* but through love become slaves to one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ ¹⁵If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. ¹⁶ Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, ²¹envy,^* drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, competing against one another, envying one another.

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

We have been called, chosen and forgiven by God, who has made us a new being in Christ. May we live as Christ’s own by allowing the Holy Spirit dwell in us all the days of our lives to the praise and glory of God.

Closing Prayer

Thank you Lord for saving us and making us a new creation in Christ. Continue Your work of renewal in our lives through Your Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Guidance of the Holy Spirit

13 June 2012

Opening Prayer/Worship

Hymn: Abide with Me

Theme: Be filled with the Holy Spirit

Topic: Guidance of the Holy Spirit

Reading: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,⁵and said to him, ‘You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.’⁶But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us.’ Samuel prayed to the Lord,⁷and the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.⁸Just as they have done to me,^* from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you.⁹Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.’ ¹⁰ So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.¹¹He said, ‘These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots;¹⁶He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle^* and donkeys, and put them to his work.¹⁷He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.¹⁸And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’ ¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, ‘No! but we are determined to have a king over us,²⁰so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.’

Introduction

The work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers are too many to enumerate. He is our Comforter, Advocate, Counselor, Helper, reminds us of all truth, gives us life, guarantees our eternal salvation, sanctifies, teaches and guides us. When we are too weak to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. In this study, we will learn more about how the Holy Spirit guides us and the implications of rejecting His leadership in our lives. The first step towards enjoying the guidance of the Holy Spirit is accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. Then, our sins are forgiven and we receive the Holy Spirit who will empower, guide and protect us till Christ returns. It is only the Holy Spirit that can safely guide us through life’s woes, troubles, pains and satanic attacks. It is only through the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we will, at the end of life’s journey, join the Saints Triumphant.

Questions/Discussion

1. How does the Holy Spirit guide believers of Christ?

Psalm 121

¹     I lift up my eyes to the hills—

      from where will my help come?
²     My help comes from the Lord,

      who made heaven and earth.

³     He will not let your foot be moved;

      he who keeps you will not slumber.
⁴     He who keeps Israel

      will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵     The Lord is your keeper;

      the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
⁶     The sun shall not strike you by day,
      nor the moon by night.

⁷     The Lord will keep you from all evil;

      he will keep your life.
⁸     The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in
from this time on and for evermore.

Psalm 138:3, 6-8

³     On the day I called, you answered me,

      you increased my strength of soul.^*

⁶     For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;

      but the haughty he perceives from far away.

⁷     Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

      you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;

      you stretch out your hand,

      and your right hand delivers me.
⁸     The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;

      your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.

      Do not forsake the work of your hands.

John 16:5-7, 12-16

But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, “Where are you going?”⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts.⁷Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate^* will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ¹² ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you.¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.¹⁶ ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’

Acts 16:6-10

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.⁷When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;⁸so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.⁹During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’¹⁰When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

What are the benefits to the believer?

2. Why did the Israelites reject the leadership of God over them?

1 Samuel 8:4-9, 19-20

Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah,⁵and said to him, ‘You are old and your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.’⁶But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to govern us.’ Samuel prayed to the Lord,⁷and the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.⁸Just as they have done to me,^* from the day I brought them up out of Egypt to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so also they are doing to you.⁹Now then, listen to their voice; only—you shall solemnly warn them, and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.’ ¹⁹ But the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel; they said, ‘No! but we are determined to have a king over us,²⁰so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.’

3. In what ways do we reject the guidance of the Holy Spirit

     today and what are the implications?

1 Samuel 8:10-18

So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.¹¹He said, ‘These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots;¹²and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plough his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots.¹³He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.¹⁴He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his courtiers.¹⁵He will take one-tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and his courtiers.¹⁶He will take your male and female slaves, and the best of your cattle^* and donkeys, and put them to his work.¹⁷He will take one-tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.¹⁸And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.’

Intercession/Worship

Conclusion

God loves us so much that He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts- guiding, teaching and comforting us at all times. Let us live each day knowing that we are not alone; God is with us, now and forever more.

Closing Prayer - Psalm 23 (BCP)

¹     THE LORD is my shepherd; / therefore can I lack nothing.

²     He shall feed me in a green pasture, / and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.

³     He shall restore my soul, / and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.

⁴     Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; / for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.

⁵     THOU shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of them that trouble me; / thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.

⁶     Surely thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; / and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

      GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

      As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.