Let me call your attention this morning to that portion of God's word that has been our consideration for the past two Lord's Days. Revelation chapter three. Revelation chapter three. We'll begin our reading at verse seven. Hear the word of God. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things says he who is holy, he who is true, he who has the key of David, he who opens and no one shuts and shuts and no one opens. I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door and no one can shut it for you have little strength, have kept my word and not denied my name. Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie. Indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept the word of my patience, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I am coming quickly. Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God. And I will write on him my new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. May God add a blessing to the reading of his holy word. We come once again to this faithful church in Philadelphia. This will be our last study together in this church. And I'm certain that I will not address every nuance of the symbolic language of this passage. However, I do desire to cover a couple of things this morning from our text that I think will be most helpful to us in our pilgrimage on our way to the celestial city. For it is Christ's message to his church. Last week, I marked out the second point in my outline being the admonition. There is none. Philadelphia and Smyrna received no condemnation from the omniscient Lord of the church. On the contrary, we read words of commendation and promise. Christ, who is holy and true, and who has the key of David, set before this faithful church, this church with little power and open door, Because they had kept his word and not denied his name, he made them promises. Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie. Indeed, I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you. Verse nine. The Lord says, I will do something. Always remember that God is the one who makes things happen. We are called to be faithful to him, and he will do. Tell men and women to abandon their own righteousness and good deeds as a means to appease a holy God, and reveal to them the righteousness of God, and that they must embrace that alien righteousness by faith And when they hear the good news that God has provided outside of themselves, apart from themselves, the only acceptable mediator, Jesus, his only begotten son, and when they fully trust only in him to provide for them a complete forgiveness and perfect righteousness, you may know that is the dunamis or the power of God unto salvation. Some believe the open door was, as I've stated in the previous lesson, a reference to evangelism. And if you remember, as we considered in our introduction of Philadelphia, that the city was intended to be a center of missionary activity for Hellenistic, for Hellenism or the Hellenistic way of life or the Greek culture. And now, it only seems appropriate that these Philadelphians now being converted, should become evangelists of the gospel of Christ, obeying the Great Commission. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. With the words of our Lord. And undoubtedly, this zealous and obedient group were the recipients of the aid of the Holy Spirit. We read those words in Acts chapter 1, to those who were about to go forth and proclaim this gospel message. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1.8. Even though I personally believe the open, the other view, the open door is a reference to salvation. And I personally hold that view. We can't help but to believe that those who entered that door, that open door, that was opened by David's son, David's Lord, who desired these to be saved, and he did indeed save them with so great a salvation. that they were no doubt witnesses, no doubt they were those who heralded the truth, that same truth that brought them into the kingdom of God. The tense of the verbs in verse eight indicate that they had kept Christ's word against the pressure to conform to the idolatrous culture in which they lived. And they did not exist in that culture silently. They did not deny his name. So the only way those of the synagogue of Satan would humbly bow before these believers is that God calls them to do so. Even if it was just common grace, falling short of salvation, it was the work of God. However, many believed. And I believe many perhaps were saved by the proclamation of these who God had granted entrance into this open door, those who had a good testimony in the world. And we read words like this in Acts chapter 14, which no doubt was true of what happened here in Philadelphia. Now it happened in Iconium that they, speaking of Paul and Barnabas, went together to the synagogue of the Jews and spoke. And they so spoke that a great multitude, both of Jews and of Greeks, believed. The gospel went forth. His servants preached. And God moved and saved sinners, even in the synagogue, those who held to the old covenant, Judaism. Last week, I mentioned a quote by Dr. Beakey, and he speaks about this verse here, verse 9. I will make them come and worship before your feet and to know that I have loved you. Dr. Beeker writes, the word worship here does not mean divine worship, but rather a kind of respect. These people will cease persecuting believers and will come to honor and respect them because they see the love of God for them. This word is better translated, bow down. as we read in the ESV and the LSB and the New American Standard. This action in Philadelphia was a reversal of what we read of in Isaiah 45, 14, and 49, 23, where the Gentiles bow, acknowledging, surely God is in you. And there is no other, there is no God, there is no other God. This Old Testament word means to prostrate oneself as a testimony of respect and reverence, often with the face down to the earth. This token of respect was shown sometimes to equals, sometimes to superiors, sometimes to kings or princes, and especially to the deity. Hence, we find it translated to adore or to worship is what we have in the King James and New King James Version. But beloved, what a promise, what a blessed promise, a gift to have your enemies humbled and saved. After much witnessing and godly living and prayer to see lost loved ones and acquaintances who have hated you only because you love and follow Christ, those who've rejected the gospel come and sit in the pew next to you and worship the holy and try you in God. What a blessing. Can you think of loved ones that you've witnessed to? Can you think of coworkers? Can you think of siblings who want to have nothing to do with you because you named the name of Christ? And you may have been maligned and lied on, but you've persevered. You've kept God's word, not denied his name. You lived a holy life in front of them. And lo and behold, by the power of the Holy Spirit, one day that gospel message comes to their ears, and they find themselves entering that open door, just as you did, that was opened by this Savior who has the key of David. Beloved, that should be our prayer, that God would encourage our hearts to know, as we see these examples all through Scripture, how God has broken the hearts and the stony hearts of unbelievers and cause them to come and worship with you, the great savior. Verse 10 of our text reads, because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. That's the New King James Version rendering The ESV renders it this way. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial. The New American Standard reads, because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you. And the ASB, the old 1901 ASB reads, because thou didst keep the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of trial. And the new LSB renders it, because you have kept the word of my perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of trial. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell on the earth. King James renders it. And I believe the last four translations are a correct rendering of this Greek noun, hupomones. It's in the genitive case. The genitive case in Greek expresses possession. And the personal pronoun mu is a genitive of me or my. It's not referring to the word, the logos or the logon here in our text, but it's referring to the patient endurance. So the original reads, you kept the word of endurance of me or my endurance. What is the endurance, or patience, or perseverance of Christ? Well, the word concerning Christ, endurance. This word means, according to Vine's expository dictionary of New Testament words, an abiding under. It's a compound word. Hupo, meaning under, and mino, to abide. So the word means to abide under. It's almost invariably rendered patience. Patience which grows only in trials. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, James 1.3. Sometimes Christians often lightheartedly say, don't ask God for patience. Because those who read our Bibles know that if you ask God for patience, he's gonna put you in a pressure cooker, in a furnace, in a situation that's uncomfortable. Because those are the places that God increases our endurance and our patience or perseverance. Or trying to provoke, pardon me, or trying to or providing endurance or perseverance, where do we see this in the life of Christ? If this is the perseverance that is Christ's perseverance, where do we get a picture? Where do we get a view of the perseverance or the endurance or the patience of Christ. The passage of scripture that immediately comes to my mind as an exhortation for us to be patient in our sufferings, as Christ was, is the Hebrews chapter 12, verse two. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. How shall we do this? Verse two says, looking on to Jesus. the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." And the writer of Hebrews goes on, he encourages us to consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, lest you be weary. discouraged in your souls or faint-hearted. The Bible calls us to look to Christ lest we be discouraged, lest we faint, lest we run this race in a haphazard and careless way. He calls us to not give up, but to, he tells us to lay aside the weight and the sins that easily beset us. And he tells us to run with endurance. Like a well-trained marathon runner. That's how we're to make our way to heaven. And what is our encouragement? Our great Lord is our example. Looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. He endured the cross, despised the shame. The Bible tells us to look to him, the one who sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. What kind of example has Christ given us when we find ourselves under undeserved affliction? Have you ever been in a situation in this life where you received Criticism or ill treatment, I have. And this verse in 1 Peter chapter two was something that it took God a long time to work into my soul. This was a long, hard lesson for me to learn in the workplace, in the trials of the workplace. And I had to keep coming back again and again and again to this passage in 1 Peter 2. And Peter writes, servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh, for this is commendable. If because of conscience for God, one endures grief and suffering wrongfully. What credit is it if you, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently. But when you do good and you suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called. We're called to suffer in this way, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. I don't wanna make this personal, but maybe you can identify with being ill-treated. I remember a time when I was accused of something on the job, and lo and behold, I didn't know at the time that the one who accused me knew I was not guilty of what I was accused of. Until his superior came in and said, I told you, the people called and said, it wasn't our driver, it was someone else. Now I'm thinking, wait, now you know when you accuse me that I was innocent of what you're accusing me of. That's ill-treatment, brother. And unfortunately, I didn't handle it like Peter said I should have handled it. I didn't do anything outwardly evil or wrong, but I was fuming and upset and angry. And God brought this passage of scripture to my mind. Ernest, look at your Savior. Look at your Savior. When you do good and you suffer, if you take it patiently, if you have this hupomone, being able to stand under the trial, up under the pressure, This is commendable before God. For this is what we've been called to. We live in a fallen world. We're gonna be mistreated, we're gonna be lied on, there's gonna be all manner of things said against us falsely for Christ's sake. And it hurts. And we are a people like any other people, men of like passions, and we're upset when we're wronged. And we have to remember, our Savior was wrong. There was a statement, my mom, I can hear my mom now always saying, when something was said that wasn't right, she said, they lied on Jesus. What makes us think that we're greater than our master, that we'll live this life and nothing evil will come to us? So he's left us an example to how to live in a fallen world. We were called to this, brethren. And he's left us an example. We're not in the dark, and how we ought to continue on in the way. He committed no sin, nor was there deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. He committed. Commit is to give or to hand over to another. So we're to pray to our Father who sent this trial for our sanctification and for his glory. That's one of the things that's just kept me in the midst of these kinds of situations, always looking at it and saying, Lord, you sent this. This is no accident. Those of us who believe in the sovereignty of God, that God is working all things after the counsel of his own will, We have to say this to ourselves. Father, you sent this. How must I respond? How must I conduct myself in this situation? These folks in Philadelphia had not denied his name. They kept his word in the midst of the pressures of this pagan society. As God had given the strength to endure. And instead of having pity parties, We need to speak truth to ourselves. We need to say self, even in this trial, I know. I know this. As the apostle says, in him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will, Ephesians 1.11. Say, self, I know my father has conformed me to the image of his son. So I know all this suffering and trial is working together for my good because I've been predestined and called and justified and glorified. So as I speak to myself, I echo the words of the Apostle Paul. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. When you're going through trials and God is whittling away at your old Adamic nature, he's making you more and more like your savior, you say to yourself, I know this is good. This is good for me. It's good for me when I'm out of the way and my brother puts his arm around me and exhorts me It's good for me. Let the righteous smite us. It's a good thing for loved ones to point out those areas in your life that are unlike Christ, that you might repent, that you might seek the God of heaven to help you walk wholly and humbly in the world. Tell ourselves, we need to tell ourselves, he cares for us. So we cast all our cares upon him because he does, he does, he really does care for us. Our text in verse 10 says, I will keep you from our trial, which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell on the earth. This is not a reference to a secret rapture. Oh, how long I held that view. This is not where the church will escape the trial of the great tribulation. This is a very special promise to this faithful church. However, not all faithful churches receive these promises. This is not a blanket promise. This is something very special that our Lord has said to this church in Philadelphia. You remember the church in Smyrna back in chapter two? who had dealings with the blasphemous synagogue of Satan as well. Listen to our Lord's words to them. They didn't receive a condemnation either. There was no censure for this church. And this is what Christ says to them in the midst of their difficulty and trials. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison. that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation 10 days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. There are various kinds of trials. Paul describes them in Romans chapter eight. He says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors to him who loved us. Ryan persuaded, the apostle says, that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing is able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. And he says to the Corinthian church, but we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed. We're perplexed, but not in despair. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed. The health, wealth, and prosperity folks would tell you, if you suffer, you're living a defeated life. Yet no one suffered like our Savior, and He is the great victor. And we are not greater than our Lord. Brethren, we've been called to follow in His steps. Both our suffering for the gospel and the comfort that God provides in Christ are a direct result of our union with Christ. We receive great blessings because we are in Christ. And we face many difficulties and trials because we are in Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercy and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now, if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings, which we also suffer. If we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. 2 Corinthians 1, 3-7. The apostle says in Philippians, that I might know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death. He says again, for to you, it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. This doctrine of suffering as a Christian has been put behind a dark curtain or hidden under a bushel. There's not much preaching about suffering Christians. And the fact that we've been called to suffer, and the Bible tells us how we're to suffer and how we're to, to persevere how we are to lay hold of Christ that we might endure this suffering. Brethren, I am, I'm making a case for the fact that suffering is part and parcel to the Christian life. God spares us from difficulties and trials and tribulations, we should count it a great mercy. And there are times in our life, our lives are not all suffering and all trials. God gives us many days of gladness and sunshine. And God has, in his sovereign power, directed so many things away from our lives and our days in his keeping power. And if you had a good day, you ought to become more charismatic and jump up and down. and praise God and thank him for the great mercy he showed upon you in any given day when you know his mercy and his power. When your remaining sin is crippled because you're taking the acts of God's word to it and you're doing battle with your remaining sin. God causes you to persevere and God gives you courage and steel in your backbone to not be afraid and cowardly when you stand before others and tell them of the mercies of God in Christ Jesus. Those are good days. Don't you feel good when you go home and you had an opportunity to tell someone about your savior? May God increase those days. And to think that we have in our text this word about suffering. It's a word about no suffering or testing. This word is a promise from God, from the great Savior. But if we say there's no suffering in the Christian life and it's not are a lot because we are children of the King. We run in the face of church history and the accounts of redemptive history and even present day realities. This is true, brother. Some churches, this church in Philadelphia received this great promise from Christ, but the church in Smyrna did not receive. They were faithful. They did not receive this. Christ tells them they're gonna die. They're gonna be put in jail. They're gonna be put to death. God is sovereign in how he dispenses his blessings, and this church in Philadelphia has received a great blessing from God. We see this mixture in the scripture. This is not strange to us. If you look at Hebrews chapter 11, what we refer to as the hall of faith. And we see this mixture here. In verse 30, it says, by faith, the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith, the harlot Rahab did not perish, with those who did not believe when she had received the spies with peace. And what more shall we say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, and also David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith subdued kingdoms, work righteousness, obtain promises, Stop the mouth of lions. Is that not a reference to Daniel? Listen to the victories and the blessings that God has bestowed. Quench the violence of fire. Is that not a reference to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? These are great blessings. The people of God enjoyed by faith. They endured. out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens." But we go on with this testimony of those who were men and women of faith and who endured. But it's a different example here, a different testimony. As we read, women received the dead. To life again, others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Verse 36, still others had trial of mocking, discouraging, yes, and chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two. were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. This is the testimony of God's people. Some received this blessing. I will keep you from the hour of trial. And some hear God's words, you'll be imprisoned, you'll be killed. But his promise is the same to both groups. He keeps them by his power. He says to the church in Philadelphia, you have kept my word. It's a play on words. And I also will keep you. You have been faithful and you have kept my word. You've not denied my name. You've kept the word of my patience. I also will keep you." How does he keep us? He's saying, all these horrible things happened to us. I believe that the church in Philadelphia received a wonderful promise. And it may be that the Lord will shield them from future danger. We need to ask what is meant by the hour of trial. And what is meant by the whole world? Commentators are divided on this. What is this testing? And who are these who will be tested? Our verse says, those who dwell on the earth. And you might say, that's everybody. That's all mankind. But in the book of Revelation, this book that was given to the saints to encourage them in their journey, encourage them in their faith, calling them to persevere. In the book of Revelation, this phrase that refers to the earth dwellers, the unsaved un-Christian or non-Christians, is a reference to rebellious humanity whom God will pour out his wrath upon. If you look at the Revelation, you'll find these references to those who dwell on the earth, like we have in Revelation 6, 10. The saints in heaven sing, and they cry with a loud voice, saying, how long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 8, 13. Then I looked and heard an angel flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth. Because of the remaining blast of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. Revelation 11.10. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them. Speaking of the slain witnesses, And they celebrate and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. They are preaching and they considered the preaching of these witnesses as torment. They did not want to hear this gospel message. And when you speak to people and they don't want to hear it and they reject it, they consider your words as torment. And they'll rejoice when you're shut up, when your mouth is stopped. And these rejoiced. They had a party because the witnesses were slain, these earth dwellers. And God's judgment's going to come upon them. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, the beast. everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the lamb who has been slain. If your name's not written in the book of life, you're in this group of earth dwellers who will receive the wrath of God. And when God pours out his wrath on a wicked nation, sometimes the righteous suffer. Not God's wrath, but he has other purposes in our lives, even if we are in solidarity as citizens of the same land. We're not exempt from the trial, but we are kept from wrath. Listen to Ramsey. He says, to be kept from or out of the hour of temptation or trial cannot mean not to suffer temptation or trial, but to be saved from its power. to be kept through it and brought safely out of it. We enter into these times of testing and trial. And there are times in our life when we are the recipients of ill treatment just because of solidarity. When we were growing up, if someone did something wrong in the house and the parents didn't know who did it, All the siblings were guilty by association. Just, you're all guilty. And you say that's not fair. Well, when wicked Israel went down into captivity, into Babylonian captivity, you know some righteous folks went, too, because they were part of that nation. But God has his plans and purposes in these things. Consider our Lord's words concerning us in his high priestly prayer. I have given to them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Our Lord comes and he keeps us. from the power of trials and temptations and difficulties, and he causes us to live righteous and holy lives in the midst of all the pressures that would cause, that seek to cause us to turn aside from the way. He keeps us by his power. He keeps us in the trial. He keeps us sometimes from the trial. And that's the work of God, as we see, as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we understand something else is going on. God's working in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It's the perseverance, preservation of the saints. You hear Pastor Martin saying, the only proof I have that he preserves me is that by his grace, I'm enabled to persevere. God enables us to persevere, and he keeps us in this hour of trial. He makes many promises to us, and this passage goes on and talks about those eternal promises that God has for us. He says, I'm coming quickly. That word, I'm coming quickly, could be a good thing and it could be a bad thing. It's a good thing for those who eagerly wait his coming because we know that his reward is with him and he brings to us and he promises this crown of life that he will give to those who persevere to the end. It's a good thing He's coming quickly, but to those who've not come to Christ and not accepted Him and not given up their sin and fled to the only Savior of sin, this coming quickly is a alarming word. It ought to be an alarming word. It ought to shake you that you have no righteousness covering, you have no protection, you have no Holy Spirit to guide you and to direct you and to comfort you. You have no one to protect you from the wrath to come. Great promises. These who are citizens of heaven will one day realize in a fuller sense, in a fuller way, their citizenship when they're ushered into the kingdom, the eternal kingdom. Beloved, these are promises left for us Our Lord promises that those who oppose us will come and worship before us. He promises to keep us in the hour of trial, which is definitely part and parcel of this Christian life in this fallen world. He's coming quickly, and he says, Hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown. We must persevere. And he offers great blessings to those of us who obey this word. This is a faithful church. A little power, but faithful. No condemnation, no censure from him who sees all things. We complain about churches and church members. Christ looks at this church and He has nothing bad to say about them. That ought to tell us something, right? What bad have we to say about His bride when He sees His faithful ones persevering? May that be our lot, brethren. May we be given grace to persevere and receive these promises that come from our great Savior. Amen? Let's pray. Father, we acknowledge that we have little power, but we thank you that it's not by might, it's not by power, but it's by your spirit. And so we ask, Lord, that you would increase our faith and that you would grant us what we need to glorify you in the earth. Father, we thank you for how You have helped us along the way. Forgive us, Lord, for the times when we've not taken the time to thank you for the multitude of blessings and the mercies that we receive from day to day. We thank you for how you keep us. We thank you, Father, that you have not left us to ourselves. You've not allowed our remaining sin to gain the dominance. You've given us everything. You've given us a perfect righteousness. And You've forgiven us of all our sin. And for that, we are eternally grateful. And so we pray, Father, that in the midst of our trials and all the difficulties in which we encounter in this life, that You would help us to look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Help us, Lord, to follow in His steps. And we shall be so very careful to give Your name all the praise and all the glory. For it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen.