Sermon in Phoenix 14.11.2010

Let us begin our services with opening prayer and thanksgiving. Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that this morning we can assemble together around the hearing and study of your holy word. We ask for your service blessings and we thank you for the many abundant gifts that you have bestowed upon all of us. But above all, we thank you for the gift of faith which we can own alone by grace, alone by faith through the merits of your Son, Christ Jesus.

So we ask for your presence again this morning and bless this occasion and the events today so that we would be strengthened and uplifted in our walk of faith, that we could be nourished. We ask that you would be nourished by your everlasting gospel word and lead us and guide us and keep us in this begun faith so one day we could close our eyes to this world and this life and be translated to our eternal home in the glory of heaven. So all of this we ask in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Amen. So before reading our text and beginning the service, I wish to bring greetings from Minnesota, from my family and the home congregation there in Minneapolis. It's a pleasure to be here in the southwest in the warm, sunny climate and weather, not having to face the elements that they're experiencing back north in Minnesota, but it's soon to be before me when I fly back home later this afternoon. But enjoying the moments that I'm able to be here in your midst, here for Bible Camp this weekend and services today. Amen.

Today is the next to the last Sunday in the church calendar, and today's gospel text is from Matthew chapter 25, verses 1 through 13. So we will hear these words as follows in Jesus' name. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and they slept.

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and they trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you. But go rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him into the marriage. And the door was shut.

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and he said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for you know not neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. Amen.

Amen. So we are quickly approaching the end of the church calendar year. Today is the next to the last Sunday of the church calendar. So next Sunday would be the final Sunday in the church calendar, which is known as Judgment Sunday, or reminding us of that final judgment at the end of the world.

So all of us as human beings have our beginning here in life at our moment of birth. We will all live a finite period of time. As we are all mortal beings, we will one day have to face that last moment when we take our last breath in this life and be buried eventually into the bosom of the earth.

So likewise, the world, the earth and the cosmos has a beginning. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And all of this he did not use the tools that the tradesmen of the world and the earth would use. But his only tool was his only word: Let there be light. And there was light. And he created everything that exists within the cosmos and is here on this earth and in the skies and the heavens and in the seas and on the earth.

And God maintains this world by his word. And one day the world will come to an end and everything will be destroyed at God's appointed time. And it will be destroyed by and through God's holy word.

So just as we have a calendar that begins with January 1st and ends on December 31st, so also there may be fiscal calendars. Business people have the end of their fiscal year and when they close their books for the year and send them off to the CPA or their accountant that they have hired.

And so likewise we have the church calendar which reminds us of the cycle of life beginning with Advent Sunday, which is two Sundays from today, and ending at Judgment Sunday, which is next Sunday.

So today is the next to the last Sunday in the church year calendar and we are quickly approaching the end of the church year. And the theme is today watch, for we know not when the time of our lives, our departure will be. We do not know when the end of the world will be, but it's reminding us even though we don't know this day, this moment, or the hour, let us be, however, always departure ready. Sins forgiven, peace with God in heaven, with our names written in the Lamb's book of life in heaven.

So this parable of Jesus was from a larger speech of Jesus which he kept during the last week of his life. Jesus was already in the city of Jerusalem during Passion Week, which began on Palm Sunday when he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the people came out waving the palm branches and singing Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

So during that week, he kept this very long speech which is known as the Mount Olives discourse or the speech on the Mount of Olives. And therein he speaks much about the events of the eventual end of the world and beginning with the early part of chapter 24. And it's a good homework lesson to go home and read and study chapter 24 for it gives much admonition and instruction regarding the eventual end of the world and the signs leading up to the end of all time.

So Jesus, it says, went out and departed from the temple and his disciples and he came to them to show them the buildings of the temple. So he was pointing to the beautiful temple there before their eyes in the city. And he said, I see on you a stone of Jerusalem. And basically he was saying that you see it here standing today, but in the very near future not one stone of that temple will be standing upon another stone. It will just be a pile of rubble. It will be completely razed down and destroyed.

And he said, I see on you a stone of Jerusalem. I will show you that there shall be not left one stone upon another. And take no heed lest any man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying I am Christ. And many shall deceive you. And some of the signs leading up to the end of the world shall be: You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. And don't be troubled for all of these things must come to pass. For the end is not yet at hand.

And so he goes and continues and gives many other signs of the end of times and warning and admonition about the leading up to the end of the world.

So immediately after that, then Jesus then embarks and begins to tell this story, this parable about the ten virgins.

So before we get into this parable of Jesus, it's necessary to understand some of the culture and some of the customs and the background there among the people.

So before there was a wedding, there would be three major events. First of all, there was the engagement, which was known as the betrothal. And then there was the period of time from the engagement that led up to the wedding date.

So after a young boy and a young girl would announce their engagement, they would have an engagement party. And I'm sure here down in Phoenix area, as we do in Minnesota, we often have a little family celebration with our friends and relatives, commemorating and celebrating that event when a young boy and a young girl have announced their engagement and intent on getting married.

So in the Jewish culture, they would have a similar type of celebration. But after that celebration was over, the boy and the girl would not see each other until the wedding date. They were separated. And that separation or that time span would often be a year in length.

And why a year in length is because the eventual husband, the husband to be, had to gather together a dowry in order to buy off his bride from the bride's parents, which is still somewhat typical in many cultures around the world.

For example, in Togo, it's still a customary practice that when Nicholas Day got married, I went and performed that marriage celebration for him in Togo. And there was a many months period of time for him because he had to save up money to buy or get a dowry together in order to pay it to the father of the bride in order that the bride would be released to him for him to get married to.

So there was often this period of one year's time while the eventual husband was saving up to get married to.

Probably for protection for the eventual bride and groom, so that there wouldn't be temptations of them falling to sin and prevent them from having premarital sex before marriage. Not saying that this is a practice that we should observe today, but I'm sure that was part of the custom and the culture and the reason why they kept this separation between the two until the wedding night.

So they wouldn't be able to see each other for that up to a year's period of time. But they would have these messengers, their friends, who would bring messages back and forth between the bride and the groom during that period of time. And in that way, they would be able to keep contact with each other.

So this is also an interesting analogy, because we, during the Old Testament time, the bride was a picture of the chosen nation of Israel. And the groom is a picture of God, the Heavenly Father. But now during the New Testament era, that picture changes a little bit. And the bride is a picture of the congregation of God. But also a bride is a picture of one individual believer, a child of God.

So in the spiritual sense, each one of us are a bride of Christ. And the groom that we are waiting to get married to, we are already engaged. And we are waiting for that wedding celebration where that wedding will be consummated there in the glory of heaven. And then the groom will be finally wedded with the bride, with us, who are a child of God, the bride of Christ.

But just like in the Jewish culture, there is that separation. The bride was in her home, and the groom was in his home. The groom, Christ Jesus, is there in the glory of heaven. He is there at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. And we are brides who are here on earth. We are separated from each other. But yet, there is that messenger who is bringing messages back and forth between the groom to us as brides, and from us as brides back to the groom.

And who is that messenger? Isn't the messenger the Holy Ghost? Encouraging us, and uplifting us, and be of good cheer. Keep the faith. And if you keep the faith and a good conscience, eventually then that wedding will be consummated there one day in the glory of heaven.

So that is our goal of faith. We are now engaged to our groom, but we are waiting for the wedding celebration, which will eventually happen there in the glory of heaven. One day the wedding will begin, but there will be no end to that wedding.

So that is the picture. That's the background, historical and cultural background, to this little story or parable that Jesus is relating.

So, then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto these ten virgins. So actually these ten virgins are the bridesmaids. And they are the ones who will be standing for the actual bride at the wedding celebration.

So, the kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps to go forth to meet the bridegroom. So now, the time of betrothal is ending and the wedding celebration is just about to begin. And we know that it's going to happen this evening. But what time? Is it going to be ten o'clock? Is it going to be eleven o'clock? Is it going to be midnight? Or is it going to be one o'clock in the morning? Or maybe two o'clock in the morning? We don't know the exact hour when the shout will be heard that the bridegroom or the groom is now arriving.

For on the night of the wedding, the groom will come with his procession, come from his house to the house of the bride. And then when he approaches the door of the house of the bride, he'll say, I'm here. And then the bride will come out with her procession and join the groom. And in one procession, they will return back to the groom's house and go into the groom's house and close the door. And then the wedding will begin.

So the bridesmaids, together with the bride, are anxiously waiting. And the tension is increasing. And the excitement level is increasing that when is that groom going to arrive? When is that shout going to be heard that we can go out and meet the groom and then all head in the procession to the wedding chamber where the wedding will be held?

So that's the moment. It's the final hour and soon that shout will be heard. And they're anxiously waiting with excitement and in anticipation that it's going to be very soon. So that's where we are and that's the picture of our parable.

So, you will be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. So, they all had lamps. They all had a garment, their wedding garment. But the lamp wasn't what we would think of as an oil lamp. What it was, was a stick which was a torch. And then they had a fire on the torch. But then they had a separate vessel which contained the oil. And they would constantly be pouring oil on the torch in order to keep the flame burning on the torch so that it was actually the lamp was actually a torch and there was a little vessel which was the fuel for the fire.

So, there were ten virgins. But five of them were wise and five were foolish. So, the moment then is the end of the world. The moment when the final wedding celebration is going to end. And we don't know when it is going to be. They didn't know whether it was going to be at ten o'clock, eleven o'clock, midnight, one o'clock. But here it says at midnight. But that's just an arbitrary point in time that is used in the text.

As I was mentioning at the 8:30 service, I was speaking from the epistle text for today from 2 Peter 3rd chapter, which they read also at the opening of Sunday School. That the world, the first world we of course know was destroyed at the time of Noah with the flood. And then was the second world which was after the time of Noah when Noah was killed. And then was the third world which was after the time of Noah when Noah was killed. And then was the fourth world which was after the time of Noah which ended at the time of the morning of the New Testament era.

But now we, during the entire era of the New Testament, are living the last times. It may seem to us that the world is getting so bad and worse and worse every day that how much longer can this world exist? Or things are getting to be different. Or things are getting to be so evil. When will the patience of God run out? When surely the end of the world is going to be very soon.

Already Jesus when he was still living he said, Not one generation will pass before the end of the world before I come the second time. So they were living with this expectation that there was a second world. There was the disciples of Jesus and the apostles at that time that of those living there would be at least one or some of them still alive when Christ came the second time.

And so when Paul writes to the Thessalonians, there was a situation there in Thessalonica that why does it pay to even work any longer? That let's just go out in the fields and gaze at the eastern horizon because Christ is going to come from the east and go all the way to the west. That doesn't pay to do anything anymore because the end is so close and it's nigh at hand.

Paul said get off your laurels get to work. For if you don't eat, for if you don't work neither shall you be allowed to eat. That was 2000 years ago. And we are still living the last times expecting that any moment now could be the end of the world.

And Luther already in his time, some 500 years ago said that if he knew if he would happen to know that the end of the world is tomorrow, yet today he would plant an apple tree. We moved into our house five years ago. And that first year I planted apple trees. And many of them still haven't produced apples five years later. One began to produce its first apples last year.

But if you knew the end of the world would come today or tomorrow why would you plant an apple tree today when it takes many years before they begin producing apples? Luther said even if I knew tomorrow would be the end of the world, I would still plant apple trees today.

So the bottom line is this. I don't know when the end of the world is going to be. And you don't know when the end of the world is going to be. Many people have tried to predict that it's going to be on such and such a day at such and such an hour. But that day comes. Nothing happens. And the world continues just as it has continued on to this day.

But the bottom line is this. It will come soon. And it will not tarry. It will happen. And we don't know if it's going to come with a big earthquake and a huge nuclear war. But according to Jesus, it will be a very calm, normal life and day in life just like any other day.

Jesus says on that day there will be two out in the field. And the first day will be the second. And the second day will be the third. And the fourth day will be the fifth. There will be two people at the mill. And there will be two people in their bedroom at night. The call will come. One will be taken. And one will be left. Meaning the kingdom of God is drawn between those two individuals. One was in faith. And one was not in faith.

So according to the words of Jesus, it sounds like the world is not going to end with a nuclear disaster. But it may be just a quiet, normal day like any other day. And suddenly the end will be.

So now Jesus is saying, Then the kingdom of heaven is likened unto ten virgins. So the virgins all looked alike. They all had a similar wedding garment. They all had a torch. They all had a vessel in their hand. But yet five of them were wise and five of them were foolish.

And while they are waiting, all ten of them began to slumber. All ten of them were waiting and all of them dozed off.

We are living difficult times. And the world is evil and wicked in many ways. And we know the enemy of souls goes around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He doesn't just attack from the left side of the road from the area of the freedom of the flesh and open sins. But he also doesn't care which side he attacks from. He can also attack from the right side, from the right side of self-righteousness and the side of righteousness of the law and the side of good works and so forth.

So he doesn't care which side of the ship one would fall off and drown. His only goal is that one would fall off the ship. So he goes around and he is trying to find the weakest spot. Is it here? Is it here? Or is it here? From the left? No. The devil has never made a peace treaty on the right side. He goes around. He will attack from the left side and he will attack from the right side and then from the left and the right. His only goal is to cause one to fall into sin and out of faith.

But because of the oppression from the world and the temptations of the enemy of souls, all ten slumbered and fell asleep.

In the Old Testament time, it tells of the prophet Zachariah and the prophet Zachariah had an escort whose name was prophet Haggai. And in the beginning of chapter four in prophet Zachariah it says that this prophet had slumbered and dozed off and fell asleep. But then the escort Haggai came and shook the ship and woke him up.

And when he woke up, he saw a beautiful vision. He saw a candlestick made of pure gold. So there was a little meeting, caretaking meeting, where the escort came and had concern over prophet Zachariah and shook him out of his slumber. And matters were talked about and resolved.

And the vision that he saw was before him the candlestick made of pure gold, which is a picture of God's kingdom. And gold is a precious substance and it had no spot or defilement on it.

When John the evangelist was on the isle of Patmos, he saw a vision of the seven golden candlesticks, which is a picture of the pure kingdom of God. And in the middle of the seven golden candlesticks, the one walking in the middle was Christ Jesus himself.

So even prophet Zachariah fell into a slumber and became drowsy and did he even fall into a little sleep? But he was woken out of that slumber by an escort, Haggai.

We remember when Jesus during the last week of his life was there in the garden of Gethsemane and he told his disciples that I need to go off a distance to pray. But while I'm away off praying, stay awake. Stay right here. Stay awake. Don't fall asleep.

So he came back from praying and what did he find? The disciples were sleeping. Stay awake. And he went off the second time to pray. Came back the second time and again the disciples were sleeping. He woke them up again and he said, I know that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

And so this is kind of the similar type of situation.

So finally the call is heard sometime in the middle of the night and they hear a shout that the bridegroom or the groom is now knocking at the front door. He's here and we need to go out to meet him.

So all ten get woken out of their slumber and they pick up their torches and their vessel and they're ready now to go meet the groom to join the procession to head back to the groom's house for the beginning of the wedding.

But they had a calculation. They needed to have a torch. Well they all had their torches and they needed to light their torch. So everyone lit their torch. They had their wedding garments on ready to go. But the torch needed to be continually on fire.

And so the five wise had their torch and they lit the torch and began to continually pour oil on the torch to keep that flame going. But the five foolish had their wedding garment on. They took their torch. They lit their torch but immediately the torch went out and their vessel which was supposed to contain oil was empty.

And so they asked the five wise that could you give us some of your oil? We don't have any oil left. And they said, We don't have enough for ourselves and for you. You have to go to the merchant that sells oil to buy oil.

And so they went to buy oil and by the time they came back the procession had already reached the groom's house. The door was closed and they knocked on the door and the door was locked.

Just like the situation during the time of Noah when Noah and his family entered into the ark, then God locked the door. There was no opening that door no longer. And then many people had remorse and wanted to make repentance but the door was locked never to be opened again.

So what does this mean for us? Why weren't they able to receive any oil? Why was it too late? We all live during the time of grace and the grace doors are open and the merchants are still selling oil. Oil is being offered.

If someone comes to ask for us for the gospel, we preach the gospel and it's a bottomless pit. There's an infinite amount. Last night we were talking about times of the new awakening and times which even were similarly experienced during the 1970s where the gospel was rationed that you've used your quota. Sorry, you used up your allotted amount.

Or sometimes they would ask for the gospel and well do you really understand what is the issue here? Have you found the root of the matter? Do you really understand what you're trying to make repentance of? No. We don't probe the heart. It's an unconditional gospel without questions asked. We preach the gospel if they ask a hundred times. We preach a hundred times and still say that there's still more to be offered if you want.

So the grace doors are open and there's an infinite amount of grace. But once a person dies, the time of grace has ended. There's no longer after that moment to receive the grace of repentance.

So as long as a person is alive it is a time of grace. So we could say that this is a picture of that moment after death then they try to correct their situation before God the heavenly father but it is too long too late to change that situation.

Like the rich man in Lazarus in that parable there was a gulf that was now between the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus felt that his tongue was on fire or the rich man felt that his tongue was on fire and would have wanted that someone would come from on the other side of the gulf to dip his finger in water and come and touch his tongue.

But it was too late. And so that is the situation for the five foolish persons. The doors of grace were closed. The time of life had ended and it was over.

So we have this time of grace where a brother can say to a brother and a sister can say to a sister, Your sins are forgiven. On to you be of good cheer. Believe your sins forgiven.

So the wise took oil and they lit their vessels with their lamps. And while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered. We talked about that. And they slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold the groom has now come and is knocking at the front door. Go out and meet him.

And then all those virgins arose, every one of them, all ten of them, and they all lit their lamps. And the bridegroom answered saying not so lest there be not enough for us and for you. But go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in. So the five wise had joined that procession and returned back to the groom's house and the door was closed and now the wedding celebration was to begin.

And the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins saying Lord, Lord open to us. But he answered it. He said verily I say unto you, I know you not.

And so in the parables of Jesus and in the parables of the Bible, the crux of the story, the impetus of the story, the thrust of the story is always at the end. That's the teachable. That's the lesson. That's the moment.

And now in the last verse of our text it says, Watch therefore, for you know not neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man will come.

So one preacher brother in Finland when he would speak on this text he would reference it. He said in this way that what benefit is it if I would have an armful of other people's torches or oil lamps if I would go around and I would have your torch and your lamp and your lamp and your lamp but my own personal lamp would not be burning.

We know that oil in the Bible is a picture of the Holy Spirit. And in the Bible it says those that are led by the Spirit of God they are children of God.

So in order to be heaven acceptable, we need to have the Holy Spirit. And then in Hebrews it also says without faith it is impossible to be acceptable or pleasing unto God the heavenly Father.

So we need to have living faith. And living faith is living because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so it is necessary and important that our own personal vessel of faith would be filled with the Holy Spirit.

So parents no matter how much they would want cannot believe for their children. And the children no matter how much they would want to cannot believe for their parents or their siblings. It is personal faith.

And yesterday's faith doesn't help us today. And today's faith doesn't help us for tomorrow. But we need to be believing today at this moment and especially at that moment when the groom Christ Jesus is coming.

So death does not prepare anyone for that moment. We need to be prepared departure ready before the moment of death because after death it is too late.

So during the time of lingering, the time of waiting, we could say during the time of betrothal after the time of engagement during that period of time of up to one year when they are waiting for the dowry to be gathered together and waiting for the wedding celebration to begin, they would often sing wedding songs or songs associated with weddings.

And often the wedding songs were just known as the songs of Solomon. So interesting to read this book and many of them and most of them are associated with the topic of wedding celebration and marriage.

So we want to be always departure ready. We have that wedding garment and that wedding garment is the cloak which has been prepared by Christ Jesus.

Yesterday one of the topics that was discussed and presented was justification by faith alone. And the question was presented at the beginning of the lesson that can someone explain to us what does justification mean?

So in a nutshell, Adam and Eve were there in paradise and after they fell into sin by eating that forbidden fruit of that tree, they fell into sin. And the consequences of that great fall into sin were so great that before the eyes of God they were like this black book. It was black as soot, blacker than we could say the walls there in condemnation in hell.

And God is a just God. And that's where we get the word justify or justification from. God is just. God is holy. God is a demanding God. And he himself is perfect and just.

But in order to be acceptable onto God the heavenly Father, you have to be just. You have to be perfect. You have to be white as Kleenex. Perfectly white. Not one spot.

And now because of the fall into sin, God looked down from heaven and what did he see? He saw there is no one who is good. No not one. All have sinned. All have fallen short of the glory of God. There is no one who is good. No not one.

We are black as this book. And a black person who is black like this book, it's impossible for that person to enter the portals of the glory of heaven.

So what then is the solution? Luther was terrified by this word justification or justify because all he could see before standing before God is that he was unacceptable. He was a sinner and he was unworthy before the eyes of God the heavenly Father.

And he knew that God was a just God and he just shook with fear and trembling and it didn't dawn on him until he began to study Romans where he said the just shall live by faith.

So it opened up to him that it is possible for a person even though he is black as this book somehow in some way in some method to become acceptable unto God the heavenly Father.

So that is why God sent his Son into this world who was a God of God but at the same time he was a human just like you and I. But he was different in this respect. He was perfect. He was blameless. He was sinless. And he fulfilled the demanding and he was God to the last letter.

And he prepared this robe of righteousness, this wedding garment which is pure white. In fact when Jesus was on Mount of Transfiguration, the disciples Peter, James and John who were there with him saw a vision and two prophets or two saints from the Old Testament, one was Moses and one was Elijah.

And they examined Jesus up and down his face shone like the sun and his garment was white as snow. And they examined up and down and they saw that it was a perfect garment that was without spot or without blemish.

And this is what Christ has done for us. When he came into this world he lived his life and he shed his blood and he was the one that wedding robe which is perfect and by which one can be heaven acceptable.

So this wedding garment is out there and existing and Luther finally realized that the just shall live by faith. So by faith it is a hand which reaches out and is able to grasp onto this white wedding garment and wrap it around ourselves, our undying soul.

And now before the eyes of God we are white without spot and we are without blemish. At the same time as a human being we are still corrupt. We are a sinner. But at the same time we are righteous.

And this word righteousness in other languages means departure ready. And at the same time when the shout is heard and the cry sounds forth that the groom Christ Jesus is coming, whether we leave this world as an infant or as a teenager or we live to be 90 some years old, when we leave this life having faith and a good conscience owning the righteousness which Christ has prepared.

And so Jesus says whether the call would come in early evening, whether it would come at midnight or whether it would come in the wee hours of the morning or at daybreak the next day, have your loins girded, have your lamp in your hand and be departure ready.

So that is the thrust. That is the teachable message of this text. We don't know when we will leave this earth. We don't know when we will have to say goodbyes to this world. Will we still be alive when there is a collective departure at the end of the world? Most likely not.

Each of us will die singly individually. We can't hold on to the hands of our mother or our father or our closest companion, our own spouse. We can't hold on to our hands of our own children. We must individually leave this world, step into that bridgeless stream of death alone. No one to help us. No one to escort us.

But when we leave in faith, we leave with the security and the companionship of Christ Jesus. And Jesus lays himself down as the bridge over that stream of death and will carry us from this life to that eternal home in the glory of heaven.

So brother and sister be of good cheer. We are waiting for that wedding celebration to happen and to begin there in the glory of heaven. Be of good cheer. Be of good conscience. Seem how it may seem. Feel how it may feel. It may be difficult at times.

But we wish to with our hand of faith grasp behold and cling to those grace promises of God. He will lift. He will carry. And he will bring us one day to that eternal home in heaven.

So even now believe sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious. Amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us your peace. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.