FLM TOBY FANANTENANA 67 Ha
Communion’s prayer, Sunday XIII after Trinity
Week from 11 to 16, September 2017
“Keep the command of God”
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Introduction: God urges us to keep his commands as they are the basis of his kingdom. Obedience to God‘s command includes three aspects: our respect for Him, our faith in Him and our love for Him. – Our respect for Him, as it is written in the Holy Scriptures: “Give everyone what you owe him… if respect then respect; if honor, then honor” Rom 13:7. Therefore, the Lord said: “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord Almighty” Mal 1:6a. – Our faith in Him, on the basis of which we receive His blessing, as it is written: “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God” Deut. 28:1-2. – Our love for Him, as Jesus Christ said: “If you love me, you will keep my command” Jn.14: 15. So we will say with the Apostle John —“ This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” 1 Jn 5:3. For the commands and laws the build his kingdom, and obedience to them bring peace and make it last. So is God’s mind, therefore Jesus said: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” Mt 5:7. A word of wisdom said: “Keep the command of God and it will guard you.”
Monday 11: The Lord claims obedience to his commands.
“Keep my decrees and laws” Lev 18:5a.
Reading 1: Jn 8:42-51; Reading 2: Lev 18:1-5; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: Lev 18:5. Other references:
– “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads” Deut. 6:6-8
– “If you love me, you will obey what I command” Jn 14:15.
Tuesday 12: Freed from sin in order to obey the command of God.
“Who will rescue me from this body of death?” Rom 7:24b.
Reading 1: Jn 8:25-35; Reading 2: Rom 7:7-25; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: Rom 7:22-25. Other references:
– “Preserve my life according to your love, and I will obey the statutes of your mouth” Ps 119:88.
– “To show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” Lk 1:72-75.
Wednesday 13: Keep the command of love, the basis of God’s kingdom.
“But I tell you: love your enemies” Mt 5:44a.
Reading 1: Rom 12:14-21; Reading 2: Mt 5:43-48; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: Mt 5:43-44. Other references:
– “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” Lk 6:28.
– “A new command I give you: love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” Jn 13:34-35.
Thursday 14: Keep the command of loving God.
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart…” Mt 22:37a.
Reading 1: Deut 13:1-5; Reading 2: Mt 22:34-38; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: Mt 22:37. Other references:
– “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 Jn 2:15b.
– “But I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” Jn 5:42-44.
Friday 15: Follow the command of loving the neighbors.
“Love your neighbor as yourself” Mt 22:39.
Reading 1: Is 58:6-10; Reading 2: Mt 22:34-40; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: Mt 22:39. Other references:
– “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” Jn 15:13
– “If anyone says, ‘I love God’, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: whoever loves God must also love his brother” 1 Jn.4:20-21.
Saturday 16: Be perfect in love.
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” Mt 5:48.
Reading 1: Col 3:12-15; Reading 2: Mt 5:43-48; Preaching 1 (choice); Preaching 2: Mt 5:48. Other references:
– “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you” Jn 15:12
– “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check” Jas 3:2.
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