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Your Personal Prayer page
All prayers that are
placed on this page will be prayed for in Church,
telephone your prayers for
inclusion to the Vicar
telephone 020 8894 1932
or email to Dennis at dcblackshire@yahoo.co.uk
telephone 020 8894 6449
Prayers will remain displayed for a
month unless otherwise requested
Click here to read the 'NICENE CREED'
Click
here for today's Bible readings
Merciful God, your Son came to save
us
and bore our sins on the cross:
may we trust in your mercy and know
your love,
rejoicing in the righteousness that is ours
through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Please join us for refreshments in the Church Hall
after the Eucharist.
For your prayers this week: Please
remember those who are ill, recovering or undergoing treatment at this time
including Revd Murray Thomsett, Revd Vanessa Herrick, Revd David Saville,
Dorothy Pring, Teresa Gowland, Agnes, David Loftus, John Spratley,
Victoria Kibble, Reg Bailey, Bethany, Tim Matthews, Peter Mower, Mike Pannett,
Frank Hackman, Jan Pollard, Evelyn Snow, Kathleen Richards, Karen Swift, Ken
Bonfield, Doug Varey (Anne-Marie's father), Muriel North, May Franklin, Stan
Collins. Joan Parks, Chris Morris Peter Stroobants, Rev. John Wheeler, &
Christopher Browne, Claire
Give thanks for those who have recovered from illness or surgery and been restored to fullness of health.
Prayer Focus Names from our electoral roll - please try to remember
these people in your private prayers.
Those who are in our prayer focus this
week: Diana,
Charlotte & Emily Sell; Trevor & Pamela Smallpiece; Charles Smith
& family; Evelyn Snow,; Barbara Spratley.
Please pray for
bereaved families, and others who have died, and the family & friends of
those whose anniversary of death occurs at this
time.
“From Me is thy fruit found.” Hosea 14:8
Our fruit is found from our God as to union. The fruit of the branch is directly traceable to the root. Sever the connection, the branch dies, and no fruit is produced. By virtue of our union with Christ we bring forth fruit. Every bunch of grapes have been first in the root, it has passed through the stem, and flowed through the sap vessels, and fashioned itself externally into fruit, but it was first in the stem; so also every good work was first in Christ, and then is brought forth in us. O Christian, prize this precious union to Christ; for it must be the source of all the fruitfulness which thou canst hope to know. If thou wert not joined to Jesus Christ, thou wouldst be a barren bough indeed.
Our fruit comes from God as to spiritual providence. When the dew-drops fall from heaven, when the cloud looks down from on high, and is about to distil its liquid treasure, when the bright sun swells the berries of the cluster, each heavenly boon may whisper to the tree and say, “From me is thy fruit found.” The fruit owes much to the root—that is essential to fruitfulness—but it owes very much also to external influences. How much we owe to God’s grace-providence! in which He provides us constantly with quickening, teaching, consolation, strength, or whatever else we want. To this we owe our all of usefulness or virtue.
Our fruit comes from God as to wise husbandry. The gardener’s sharp-edged knife promotes the fruitfulness of the tree, by thinning the clusters, and by cutting off superfluous shoots. So is it, Christian, with that pruning which the Lord gives to thee. “My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” Since our God is the author of our spiritual graces, let us give to Him all the glory of our salvation.
Evening—September 8
“The exceeding greatness of His power
to us-ward who believe according to the working of His mighty power,
which
He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead.” Ephes. 1:19,
20
In the resurrection of Christ, as in our salvation, there was put forth nothing short of a divine power. What shall we say of those who think that conversion is wrought by the free will of man, and is due to his own betterness of disposition? When we shall see the dead rise from the grave by their own power, then may we expect to see ungodly sinners of their own free will turning to Christ. It is not the word preached, nor the word read in itself; all quickening power proceeds from the Holy Ghost. This power was irresistible. All the soldiers and the high priests could not keep the body of Christ in the tomb; Death himself could not hold Jesus in his bonds: even thus irresistible is the power put forth in the believer when he is raised to newness of life. No sin, no corruption, no devils in hell nor sinners upon earth, can stay the hand of God’s grace when it intends to convert a man. If God omnipotently says, “Thou shalt,” man shall not say, “I will not.” Observe that the power which raised Christ from the dead was glorious. It reflected honour upon God and wrought dismay in the hosts of evil. So there is great glory to God in the conversion of every sinner. It was everlasting power. “Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over Him.” So we, being raised from the dead, go not back to our dead works nor to our old corruptions, but we live unto God. “Because He lives we live also.” “For we are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God.” “Like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Lastly, in the text mark the union of the new life to Jesus. The same power which raised the Head works life in the members. What a blessing to be quickened together with Christ!
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
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