Tonight we continue our look at what is technically not defined as a cult, but if you recall from two weeks ago, when we started looking at the Word of Faith movement and the prosperity gospel doctrine, we saw that the foundation for it is not biblical, it is cultic. And we looked at some of those things in our introduction, and we looked at what they had said as far as God is concerned, and how they are firm proponents or believers in this positive affirmation. Or in other words, you have the power to create your own reality by speaking it or saying it. For example, the book written by Joel Osteen, The Power of I Am, and how we took the quotes from that book and showed that it was very clear that whatever you put after the words, I am, that's what was going to happen in your life. These kinds of things that we tied in with what the metaphysical cults, unity, school of Christianity, Christian science, several others that we haven't gone over, have the same basic philosophy. And that's where this comes from. It is not biblical. I cannot stress that enough. It is not biblical in its origin. This doctrine is out of the metaphysical cults. We must keep that in mind. So as we continue in this study here, we're going to pick it up here concerning their doctrine of man, what they believe in man. If you recall, their doctrine of God makes God a big man. And here, while they make God a big man, word-faith proponents make man a little god. And that's dangerous. Kenyon, the founder of this movement, taught that man, as a species, quote, is in God's class of being, end quote. The following are just a few examples of many. By many, I mean many. that make it abundantly clear that these people believe that man can be a god. Kenneth Hagen, quote, man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God's presence without any consciousness of inferiority. He made us the same class of beings that he is himself. The believer is called Christ. That's who we are. We're Christ. Morris Cirillo, quote, the whole purpose of God was to reproduce himself. You're not looking at Morris Cirillo. You're looking at God. You're looking at Jesus, end quote. The next quotes are from everyone's favorite word of faith proponent, Kenneth Copeland. Quote, God's reason for creating Adam was his desire to reproduce himself. And in the Garden of Eden, he did that. He was not, speaking of Adam, he was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God, even. And Adam was as much like God as you can get. Just the same as Jesus, when He came into the earth, He said, if you've seen Me, you've seen the Father. He wasn't a lot like God. He's God manifested in the flesh. And I want you to know something. Adam in the Garden of Eden was God manifested in the flesh. Next quote. Quote. You don't have a God in you. You are one. Next quote. You are not a spiritual schizophrenic, half God and half Satan. You are all God. Another quote. All of God's attributes and abilities were invested in Adam. And then he says, quote, when I read in the Bible where he says, I am, I just smile and say, yes, I am too. I am in capitals, so you know what he's saying. Not only does he believe that every Christian is a God and that God, Adam, and Jesus are alike, we touched on that two weeks ago, he also made this blasphemous statement, which I remember hearing on his television program several years ago. In the context, he is referring to the act of redemption. Please keep that in mind. Quote, The Spirit of God spoke to me, and He said, Son, realize this. Now follow me in this. Don't let your tradition trip you up. He said, Think this way. A twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain. And I threw my Bible. I said, what? He said, a born-again man defeated Satan. The firstborn of many brethren defeated him. He said, you are the very image and the very copy of that one. I said, goodness gracious, saints alive. I began to see what had gone on in there and said, well, you don't mean You couldn't dare mean that I could have done the same thing. He said, oh yeah. If you'd had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could have done the same thing because you're a reborn man too. What He is saying here is that He could have accomplished redemption just like Jesus did. Now there's some more in this we will look at later when we look at their doctrine of redemption that explains how somebody can come up with this. But this is what he is saying. He said the Holy Spirit told him you could have done the same thing Jesus did. The same thing. Can we just go to Acts chapter 4? Slight pause here. grounded in reality before we move on. Acts chapter 4. Here Peter is speaking to the rulers because they are brought before them. They're preaching Jesus and they don't like it. And Peter politely, respectfully, but with authority says that's too bad. And he's speaking of Jesus Christ. In verse 11 he says, Nobody can do what Jesus did. Nobody. Nobody. Sadly, I have a few more quotes to go through. Bear with me. Quote, now Peter said, by exceeding great and precious promises, you become partakers of the divine nature. All right, are we gods? We are a class of gods, end quote. The next quote, on the cross, Jesus won the right for believers to be born again back into the God class. Adam was created not subordinate to God, but as a God. I cannot get over the parallel between this and Mormonism. That is a very scary parallel. And yet it's the same thing when you look at it. Adam was created not subordinate to God, but as a God. He lost it, and in Christ we are taken back to the God class. And I apologize for the next few quotes, but I had to put them in. They are from Benny Hinn. Quote, God came from heaven, became a man, made man into little gods, went back to heaven as a man. Quote, Christians are little messiahs and little gods on the earth. Thus, and now if you've watched Benny Hinn, you've seen him do this, he's going to encourage the audience to repeat after him. So, thus say, I am a god man. This spirit man within me is a god man. Say, I'm born of heaven, a god man. I'm a god man. I am a sample of Jesus. I am a super being. Say it. Say it. Who's a super being? I'm a super being. I walk in the realm of the supernatural. Say it. You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left, right, and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness. What? Yes. Say after me, everything I ever want is in me already. Another quote, if you say I am, you're saying you're a part of him, right? Is he God? Are you his offspring? Are you his children? Then you're not human. Quote, when you were born again, the Word was made flesh in you. You are everything He was, and everything He is, and ever He shall be. Don't say, I have. Say, I am. I am. I am. I am. I am. And then Earl Polk, one more quote, until we comprehend that we are little gods and we begin to act like little gods, we cannot manifest the kingdom of God. According to their doctrine, when Adam sinned, he took on the nature of Satan, and that when a person is saved, they receive the nature of God. There is so much more we could bring out about this, but I trust that's enough to give you a little picture of what they believe. What does the Bible really say concerning man? Psalm chapter 8. We start there. Psalm 8, verses 3 through 5. I have put all these quotes in because I believe it is very important that we understand who we're dealing with and we need to know what they really believe. because the facade that they give, the veneer that they present is that they are straight biblical. They're from the Bible. And that's not the case at all. Psalm 8, beginning in verse 3, the Bible says, When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? Notice verse 5, please. For thou hast made him exactly like thyself. Oops. No, I don't think that's what it says. Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels and hast crowned him with glory and honor. God did not create Adam as his equal. That is ridiculous. Psalm 39, verse 5. Verse 4, David says here, That's not what you're hearing from these people today. And we'll see that later. David wanted to know how weak he was. He wanted to see it and understand it so he could trust in God, not himself. Verse 5, Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbread, and mine age is as nothing before thee. Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity. That's what the Bible says. Psalm 103, verses 15 and 16. The Bible says here, as for man, his days are as grass. As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone. And the place thereof shall know it no more. Psalm 146 and verse 4. I believe you are seeing that the Bible's idea of man is not the same as Mr. Copeland's, Mr. Hagin's, et cetera. Psalm 146 in verse 4. It says in verse 3, "...put not your trust in princes, nor in the Son of Man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish." You remember Genesis 3 in verse 19 when God told Adam, "...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." He obviously didn't see Adam as his equal. Isaiah 40, verse 6. Isaiah 40, verse 6. One of the huge problems, I believe, with society as a whole is this idea that they think man is really something, and they have forgotten that the Bible says man without God is nothing. Isaiah 40, verse 6. Here the Bible tells us, The voice said, cry, and he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. Surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of our God shall stand forever. Isaiah 51 and verse 12. Just a few pages over. Isaiah 51-12, God says here, If you go to Ephesians chapter 2, regarding this idea of Adam taking on the nature of sin, nature of Satan, pardon me, and when we're saved we receive the nature of God. They believe that man does not have his own nature. It's either the nature of Satan or the nature of God. In Ephesians chapter 2, in verse number, chapter 4, pardon me, verse 22. Ephesians 4 and verse 22. I have a whole lot of verses and I'm kind of skipping some and I keep forgetting which ones I skipped. Ephesians 4, verse 22. Let's go back to verse 20. But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." The passage here makes it clear that both natures are human. They're human. McConnell, in his book, A Different Gospel, states, quote, what we put off is not a satanic nature, and what we put on is not a God nature. The human nature. The old nature's corrupt. We need the new man from God, 2 Corinthians 5.17. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. Let's go to Acts chapter 10. Let's look at some examples here in the Bible of believers and whether their example matches the doctrine that we hear from these men and women. Make sure I'm inclusive there. Acts chapter 10, verse 25 and 26. Here, Cornelius, the centurion, has sent for Peter. He's seeking the truth. God has told him to send for Peter, and Peter will explain it to him. So, verse 25 says, And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up! I myself also am a man. did not accept worship as a god, did he? He did not accept being treated as a god. Yet according to what we just read from these gentlemen and ladies, that's exactly what we should be. He wouldn't have it. Stand up. I myself also am a man. I'm nothing to worship. I'm no god. I am a man. Acts chapter 14. Here's another example. beginning in verse 11. Here in Lystra, Paul had healed the man who was impotent in his feet. And when he did so, verse 11, it says, And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of the Lycaoni of their town, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men, and they call Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. which when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you. and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God which made heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are therein." Paul and Barnabas did not accept being treated as gods. Yet according to what these men say of today, they should have. They had every right to because they're now back in the God class. Yet these pillars of New Testament doctrine would not accept it. so much so they rent their clothes this this was horrific to them that these people would would treat them as God let's go to revelation revelation 19 in verse 10 verse 9 John is told to write Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And in verse 10, John says, And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not. I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And again in chapter 22, verse 8. And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant. and of thy brethren, the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book. Worship God." The angel did not accept being treated as a god. That's what the Bible teaches, and that is not what the word of faith people teach. Isaiah 42, verse 8. Let's just look at God's testimony on this. God says, I am the Lord. That is my name. And my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. And in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, Let's just see who the Bible shows does accept being worshipped as a god. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 3. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God." Who does accept worship? The Antichrist. That's something we should ponder. That is who accepts worship as a god. And if that's the one who accepts it, what does that tell us about the doctrine that teaches we can too? Ezekiel chapter 28. Ezekiel 28, beginning in verse 1. Here God is speaking to the prince of Tyrus. If you read the chapter, you see that he's also speaking to Satan as well. Pardon me. It says, The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyrus, Thus saith the Lord God. Because thine heart is lifted up, and thou hast said, I am a God. Sounds familiar. I sit in the seat of God, in the midst of the seeds. Yet thou art a man and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God. And he goes on, I'm just skipping for the sake of time, describing his, he's a very smart person, he has wisdom, and it says in verse 5, By thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches. We will see that parallel a little later. But don't forget that. The same attitude. Notice what's associated with it. Riches. Possessions. Prosperity. Verse 6, Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God, behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations, and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness. They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas. Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, I am God?" I don't think this enemy is going to be impressed. When he sacked his city, and they come into his little throne room, and he's sitting there, and he's, you can't kill me, I'm a god. And what are they gonna say? Yeah, right. You can say it all you want, it doesn't change it. But thou shalt be a man and no god in the hand of him that slayeth thee. These men ought to heed the warning from God's word. Man is no god. He is nowhere close. What do they believe concerning Christ? Once again, let us start with Copeland. He claimed Jesus told him, quote, don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God. I'm sorry, I would be disturbed if people accused me of thinking I was God. That would bother me. Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God. The more you get to be like me, the more they are going to think that way of you. They crucified me for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God. I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was with me." End quote. Next quote. Because of His sinless life, Jesus walked in perfect dominion. God did whatever He asked, not because He was God's Son, but because He held the position of a righteous man. But that was Jesus, you say. But the Bible says that through our believing on Him, we have been given the same position of righteousness with God that Jesus has. Translation, God will do whatever you say to. Quote, Jesus is no longer the only begotten son of God. Quote, now please remember the metaphysical source of this doctrine. positive affirmation, speaking things into existence. Quote, Jesus existed only as an image in the heart of God until such time as the prophets of the Old Testament could positively confess Jesus into existence through their constant prophecies. Do you see what he's saying? Jesus was just an idea in God's heart until it was brought into reality by the prophets speaking it. I don't know what else to call that, but blasphemy. How do you get to this? You get to this because you didn't start in God's word. You started in the cults. Quote, Jesus has a beginning and an end. No. Jesus says otherwise, as we shall see. Quote, Jesus has not remained the same, he has changed. Okay, we can quote that one. Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, and today, and forever. Fred Price. Quote, Jesus was on the earth just a man, not the Son of God. And then there is Kenneth Hagin. Quote, you are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was. And again, I apologize. We're back to Benny Hinn. Quote, now Jesus endured the cross and looked towards the cross by the power of the Holy Ghost. He was kept sinless by the Spirit. Because the Bible says He offered Himself spotless through the Spirit. Watch this. It's right here. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without spot? So had the Holy Ghost not been there, then Jesus would have sinned. Really. So the only reason Jesus was righteous was because the Holy Spirit was there. Uh-huh. What about all the years before he was baptized and the Spirit descended? Because if it's the Holy Spirit, the only thing that kept him from sinning was the Holy Spirit. The Spirit didn't descend until he was baptized. How about all those years before? All of this is no different from what we have seen in the other cults as far as what they believe concerning Christ. He is no different than we are. We can do what He did. He is not the only begotten Son of God. He is not eternal, etc., etc., etc. Which is why we started this whole study with 1 John 4. Beloved, believe not the spirits, but try every spirit. Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. Their doctrine is not the Bible's doctrine. What does the Bible really say? John chapter one, beginning in verse one. You cannot just brush this under the rug and say, well, they just have some different beliefs, but we're all serving the same. No, we're not. We are not serving the same God. They don't even believe in the same Jesus I do. That's not my Jesus. That's not Him. So you cannot tell me, well, we're all following the same thing. We are not. They are following a different gospel. And it is a different spirit. And we must see it. John chapter 1, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory. the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Verse number 18 says, no man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him. Revelation chapter 1. We can go to the end of the Bible. Revelation 1. Here we have verse 5, John speaking. And he says, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness and the first begotten of the dead and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. Verse 8, I am, alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is and which was and which is to come, the Almighty. Verse 18, he says, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, amen, and have the keys of hell and of death. Psalm 2 and verse 7. Let's just go to Hebrews chapter 1, verse 5. Hebrews quotes Psalm. Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 5. Of course, the whole premise of the book of Hebrews is to show that Jesus is God in the flesh. He is the Messiah. He is the sacrifice. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And in verse number 5, He says, for unto which of the angels said he at any time, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. And again, I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. We know John 3.16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. Micah chapter 5, verse 2. You remember this verse, we hear it a lot at Christmas time, with good reason. The Bible says here, But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel. Who is it talking about? We know who it's talking about because in Matthew we have the three, the wise men, not three, but the wise men who come bearing three gifts to seek the king of the Jews. Where is he that is born king of the Jews? King Herod. has an apoplexy because he's the king of the Jews and there isn't anybody else that can be king of the Jews. Study Herod, Google him, you'll see he was the nasty, nasty, nasty guy. Very nasty guy. Will do anything to keep his power and gain more. So the first thing he does is he gets the scribes and the Jewish leaders and demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they immediately respond with what? This verse right here. Micah 5.2. That's who we're talking about, Jesus Christ. And what does it say at the end of the verse? Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. You can't have a beginning if you've been from everlasting. That's not possible. It just isn't. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 8. Hebrews 13 and verse 8, Jesus Christ, I quoted earlier, but we'll read it again. Jesus Christ, the same. Thank God He is. Yesterday, and today, and forever. He does not change. He does not change. And that's His words on it. We know John 8 and verse 58, where Jesus made it clear before Abraham was, I am. I, again, just challenge you to think on that. He didn't say, before Abraham was, I was. He said, before Abraham was, I am. And they knew exactly what he was talking about because they immediately took up stones to try to stone him to death for blasphemy, claiming he is God. But he could do that because he is. He is God. He is the one who can say, I am, not Benny Hinn. It's Jesus Christ. He is the one who has that authority. John chapter 17. Look at Jesus' prayer here in the garden. John 17 and verse 5. He says, And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. How can Jesus have glory with the Father before the world was if He was only an idea in the heart of God that had to be spoken forth by Old Testament prophets? John chapter 17 and verse 24, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. And then John chapter 8 and verse 24, Jesus makes it clear. He said, That's what we have to come to. We have to see Jesus Christ for who He is. God in the flesh, dying and taking our place on the cross, paying the price for our sin. If we can't see that, He said, you shall die in your sin. So for people like these men to claim that they can say I am just like Jesus said I am is blasphemy. Let's go to Revelation 5. Remember Mr. Copeland and his revelation that if he knew the Word of God like Jesus did, he could have done the same thing. Well, Revelation 5 beginning in verse 1, John says, And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back side, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven nor in earth, neither under the earth, save perhaps Kenneth Copeland, was able to open the book, neither to..." Oh, sorry, that's not in there, is it? "...no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not." Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the Book, and to loose the seven seals thereof." If Mr. Copeland is correct, then the Word of God is not. Because Revelation 5 here would be incorrect if Kenneth Copeland is correct about his being able to accomplish redemption, just as Jesus did. The sad fact is Kenneth Copeland has no power to accomplish redemption whatsoever. No one, save Jesus Christ, can do that. We still have more to go, but we're out of time. I again urge you to give heed to the Word of God. Stay with the Word of God. We can see the danger in these men. We see the danger of not staying with the Word of God. You end up so deceived, so messed up, you don't even know which end is up, all the while thinking you're preaching the Bible. I'm convinced almost all of these men are convinced themselves, or were convinced, those who have passed on, were convinced that they were preaching the Bible. They were deceived. And yet it is so, it is not complicated if you just go back to the source of the teaching. Go to the Bible and see, is that what the Bible really says? And when you compare scripture with scripture, it's clear that's not from the Bible. You can go back to the cults and see exactly where it started, and that the origin is not from the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's from a different gospel. And it is a dangerous one. And it's exactly what the Bible warns us about in these times that we live. That's why we must know the word of God. You cannot rely on preaching once or twice a week and then you go on your way without ever opening God's Word. You must know it. Know it. That requires you to be in it every day. For your sake. For your family's sake. Know what the Word of God says. Because if you don't, people like this will find you easy prey. Easy pray, and you will end up in a world of hurt. Stay with God's Word. Compare Scripture with Scripture, just like the Christians there at Berea. What was their characteristic? They searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. That's what we need to do. That's the pattern. Oh, that's what he's saying? Let's see if that's what the Bible says. And if it is, fine. But if it's not, reject it. because no matter how good it sounds, it's wrong. Let's bow our heads for prayer. Again, if you're listening to us tonight, if you're here and you don't know Christ as your Savior, the Bible is clear, Jesus Christ is the way, the only way to have forgiveness of sin and to go to heaven. You must come through him. And the Bible is clear, you must repent of your sin, confess it to God, ask him to forgive you and save you. The Bible says that if you do, He will. No exclusions. Do it today. Christian, again, the warning is clear. We live in dangerous, deceptive times. We must be on guard. We must be sober. As a soldier in a spiritual war zone, you do not have the luxury to coast through this battle. If you are not watching, you will end up a casualty. Be sober. Be vigilant. Stay with the word of God. Father in heaven, help us. Help us to see the importance of knowing your word, the importance of doctrine. Help us not to be led astray. Help us to rely upon you, to walk by faith, not by sight, and to go by what your word has taught. Help us, Father, to be faithful, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.