"The Presence of God"

Call to Worship: L: Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised! P: Each day God brings to us new opportunities to learn and grow. L: God is near to all of us. P: We will not fear to call upon the Lord. L: Come, let us praise God who walks with us daily. P: Let us open our hearts and spirits to God who loves and lives with us. AMEN.

Opening Prayer Redeeming God, come and heal our lives this day. Open our hearts to receive your words of hope and joy that we may become faithful servants of yours in this world which you have loaned to us. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name.

Offertory

John 6:12 “When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”

Is it not time to identify and fix the leakages in our financial lives? This week we have another opportunity to use our savings to worship God by bringing our tithe and regular offerings to Him.

Prayer Faithful God, we come before you with many issues on our hearts. We want your immediate intervention; and when we don’t see things happening the way we think they should be, we are quick to dismiss you and any thought of your presence. Remind us that you will work with us and through us for peace and hope. Bring us back to you, O Lord. Help us shout your praises and live lives of joyful service. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

Revelation 7:9-17 New International Version The Great Multitude in White Robes 9 After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” 11 All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” 13 Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

14 I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore,

“they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 ‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’ nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Benediction May the love of God, abundant through Jesus Christ, and freely given to us, be with you all your lives. Go in peace to serve God in all that you do. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.