Romans chapter 12. It's taking a little longer to get through Romans 12 than I thought it would be. But anyway, it's always good stuff here. But to remind you again, we're in verses 9 through 13, the current section. I'll just go ahead and read this, starting with verse 9 to remind us from Wednesday night's message. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Kindly affection one to another with brotherly love, in honor of preferring one another, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. I'll pick up here where we left off. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. All of these statements are a message in and of themselves, but distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality. Lord willing, we're gonna cover at least verses 12 and 13 here this afternoon. Notice the first statement there, rejoicing in hope. Of course 1 Thessalonians 5.16 says rejoice evermore. That's a pretty simple straightforward command. It's probably harder to practice than it is to read it. It's one of the shortest verses in the Bible. But Philippians 4.4 says rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Well that's easy for Paul to say. Can I remind you that Paul was under house arrest. He was facing trial with the government of Rome. He was waiting to hear when He was going to go in and appear before Caesar. So, again, we think about, you know, He did not have good circumstances going on. The Lord was using that, as we see in the book of Philippians. But it's interesting, Romans 15, 13 says, Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. So as we see this statement, rejoicing in hope. In fact, I want you to notice with me Lamentations chapter three. Lamentations chapter three. People may read Jeremiah probably, but they often, a lot of people don't unless they're reading through the Bible or something. As far as Lamentations, Jeremiah's known as the weeping prophet. So when you think about him being the weeping prophet, once you think about, in fact, as you look down through this chapter, he talks about that's what he talked about from chapter 1 on, all the problems they're having under the judgment of God. Well, it's interesting. In fact, let's look at verse 18 just to kind of give us a context where we're heading as far as hope here. It says, verse 18, Lamentations 3, and I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord, remembering my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. the bitterness of circumstances. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, and therefore have I hope." Now, I want you to consider he's talking about all the trials and the difficulties, the sorrows, the grief from God's judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah at this point. So it says here, this I recall to mind, therefore I have hope. Well, where's the hope up to this point? It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, my soul. Therefore will I hope in Him." Notice again, this hope focusing on the Lord. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Again, we see this emphasis on the hope here. It says all of these circumstances are going on, but it's good that we should hope and quietly wait for the salvation that the Lord will bring. I want you to see some New Testament passages on this, Romans Chapter 8. Just by way of reminder here, Romans Chapter 8, we see here this context of sufferings that come from the curse of God upon creation. Romans chapter eight, notice verse 18 through 25. For I reckon, this is on the south, right? I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Notice sufferings in contrast with glory. So the glory that we have to look forward to, Daniel 12 says, the righteous will shine as the stars forever. So, for the earnest expectation of the creature, so we're talking about the creation here, waited for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. So when we are glorified, notice creation is going to be renewed. For we know that the whole creation groaneth, and travaileth in pain together until now, not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groaneth in ourselves, waiting for the adoption to it, the redemption of our body. For we are saved, notice, by hope. I thought we were saved by faith. Hope and faith are wrapped up into one another. It says here, but hope that is seen is not hope. For what a man seeth, what doth he yet hope for? So if we're in heaven, we don't need hope anymore. Faith and hope will become sight. But if we hope for that we see not, notice, hoping focuses on something we cannot yet see personally. We can only see them by faith. Then do we with patience wait for it. So again, we see this emphasis as we're suffering in this lifetime because of the curse upon curse of sin upon all of creation. Then notice with me Hebrews chapter 6, Hebrews chapter 6. Here we see a statement about the anchor of hope. Hebrews chapter 6 verse 11. And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end." So we're not just, well, I hope that... It's not an unsure thing. Notice here we're talking about a full assurance of hope unto the end. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself." We see several references to this in scripture. Daniel has a reference to this. Titus 1 and all of that. God cannot lie. So it says literally he swears by himself. He cannot swear. Who does God swear an oath to? God is the greatest one, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. So this is the oath that he swears by himself to Abraham. And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Notice that before Abraham ever received the land, it says he obtained the promise. So obviously the promise has something as far as other than the land. For men verily, I should say, swear by the greater, And an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife, wherein God, willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. Immutability speaks of an unchangeable nature. Notice that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. Notice how Paul then describes this hope, which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that within the veil, whether the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. Notice with me 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. Here we see that we have a lively hope through faith in Jesus Christ. It's not half dead, it's lively. So we see this here in 1 Peter 1 verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy have begotten us again unto a lively hope. Now this carries the aspect of living, but I want you to consider something that's lively is, like I said a moment ago, not half dead. So we aren't just hope to get by type of thing. No, this is a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If God the Father can raise up Jesus from the dead, we can have a lively hope. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. who are kept, notice, we are kept by God's power through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. You know, if I have to keep it myself, then I'm in big trouble, because I'm not sinlessly perfect. So we see here that we are kept by God's power through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed. Not only are we saved by faith, but I believe we are also secure in Christ by faith. Verse 6, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in happiness through manifold temptations. How many of you have ever worked on a manifold? Well, when you think about the word manifold, there's actually two words that make up that word manifold. Manyfold. Manifold. So if we think about many in number, numerous, multiplied, variations, that's what we're thinking about. It's like temptations, we often think about temptation to sin. No, temptation has more than one idea as well. In fact, James 1 even tells us about this. Temptation here in many cases is a trial that we're experiencing, but manifold temptations, many varied temptations. that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though betried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen ye love." We love somebody we've never seen. We love somebody by faith because God's Word tells us about Jesus Christ. Though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. But again, we see here in verse 3, we have a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Also, one other one, 1 John 3. 1 John 3. 1 John 3, verses 1 through 3. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. The world should not be able to understand us, because we have something totally different than what the world has to offer. Beloved, now, not just at death, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Well, there's a license to sin if I ever saw one. No, that's not, absolutely not, because notice it says in verse three. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure. Notice here our hope of seeing him someday, our hope of Faith and becoming sight here, everyone that has this hope in him will purify himself even as Jesus Christ is pure. Again, as I say so often, he is our standard. Titus 2.13 says, looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. By the way, that's not a pre-trib rapture plus the second coming. It's all one and the same. We're looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not only Savior, He's also God. He's the great God and Savior Jesus Christ. So we are to be rejoicing in hope. So let me ask you, why is there so much depression? Why is there so much sorrow and all of these things in our modern day Christianity? I believe it's because we do not truly understand the hope, the anchor of the hope that we have. If we fully understood the hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we would be fulfilling this statement, rejoicing in hope more than we ever have. Related to this is patient in tribulation, the next one. First we have 1 Peter 4. Patient in tribulation. Now let me just say this. So many times the Bible words actually mean far more than we think of it in our modern day. When we think of patience, it's like, okay, I'm slow to get upset or whatever. No, patience is actually perseverance, in a sense, as well. 1 Peter 4, verse 12, Beloved, think it not strange, considering the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. Wow, I don't understand why this is going on. No, Jesus promised that we would have all this stuff, but rejoice. Notice, again, rejoicing in hope, but rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, partakers of Christ's sufferings. Now that doesn't mean we will necessarily suffer like Christ on a cross and scourging and all that, but he's emphasizing we will be partakers of the sufferings related to Jesus Christ. That when His glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. Notice again, rejoicing, hope, patience, and tribulation are all tied together here. If you be reproached, notice the reproaching here for the name of Christ, happy are ye. Wait, wait, it's getting very close that Christianity is going to be outlawed here in America. They're working on it in Canada. We're following right along pretty much lockstep with Justin Trudeau and all them up in Canada. For the spirit of glory and of God rested upon you. On their part, he is evil spoken of, but on your part, he is glorified. So we should allow God to be glorified through us in how we respond to this reproach for the cause of Christ. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. So as we think about here, suffering for doing wrong, Peter emphasizes, don't suffer for those kinds of things. Suffer for the cause of Christ, the name of Christ. If any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed. You don't have to be ashamed of that. But let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time has come that judgment must begin at the house of God. And if it first begin at us, What shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God. Oh, it's never the will of God for you to suffer. Those people are heretics. There's absolutely nowhere in the Bible that I have, they must have something totally different, there's nothing in the Bible that says we will not suffer in this lifetime. In fact, as believers in Christ, we have an added dimension of suffering because not only do we have the normal suffering of life, we also could suffer for the cause of being a Christian in an ungodly, anti-Christian world. Therefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him and well-doing as unto a faithful Creator. In Acts 14.22, relation to Paul's ministry after he was stoned and left as dead. So in that context, how many of us have ever been stoned for what we believe? So here's Paul, he was stoned and left for dead. So as he's confirming, it says, the souls of the disciples, new believers, he exhorted them to continue in the faith. And then it says that he emphasized this to those people. So I remind you, he's probably looking all bruised up and and quite a sight because he had just been stoned and left for dead. He says that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. We have bought, because of dispensational teaching, we have bought this idea that tribulation is a seven-year period of time in the future. In reality, you do a study of the word tribulation. Believers experience tribulation far more than unbelievers. We're not talking about a period of seven years just before the coming of Christ. Tribulation is what we as believers experience for the cause of Christ, to enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus said in John 16, 33, These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. So He's going to make sure that we have peace if we're trusting in Him. In the world ye shall have tribulation. That's what Jesus said. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Can I remind you that's before His death and resurrection. He overcame the world. He did not yield to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life, the temptations from the devil. He did not give in to the things of this world. None of that. He says, I have overcome the world. I have, past tense, overcome the world. He came to destroy the works of the devil, the one who had power over death. 1 Thessalonians 3, patient in tribulation. 1 Thessalonians 3, verses 1 through 4. 1 Thessalonians 3, verse 1, When we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith." Notice, comfort you. In Thessalonica, in fact, Paul could only stay for a short time because of persecution that took place in the city of Thessalonica. Verse three, that no man should be moved by these afflictions. No man should be moved by these afflictions. Again, they saw how much Paul suffered for the testimony of Jesus Christ. No man should be moved by these afflictions. For yourselves know that we are appointed. Now, we don't like that word, do we? We are appointed unto these afflictions. For verily when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, many afflictions, much tribulation, even as it came to pass, and ye know, it came to pass." Well, thankfully, it's also coming to pass. We're not going to do that forever. Hebrews chapter 10, this is a passage we went to several times in our study of Hebrews related to the suffering of these Hebrew believers. Hebrews 10, notice verse 32. Called Remembrance, the former days, in which after ye were illuminated, you saw the light of the truth of the gospel, ye endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst ye were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. Notice, used. You think about Christians being sent to the arena. They were used for the entertainment of the crowds. Wow, that sounds interesting. It says they were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, put in an arena with wild beasts. For he had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully, notice this, the spoiling of your goods. How would you like to have people come and spoil your goods? just haul things off from your household, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, notice our patience again, patience in tribulation, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith, The just shall live by faith. Here's how we endure our patient in tribulation. We live by faith. But if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we, known as true believers, we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. James chapter 5, one other passage in relation to patience in tribulation. James chapter 5, verses 7 through 11. James, of course, is the elder of the church at Jerusalem. James 5, verse 7, Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and latter rain. Now, let me ask you, they're putting crops in the fields right now, so are they going to, next month, have the opportunity to get the combine out and start harvesting the crops? No, the farmer has to wait patiently for it. Long patience is how it's described here. Be ye also, so here's the application, be ye also patient, establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord, whereof nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye should be condemned. Lest ye be condemned, I should say. Behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering, affliction, and of patience. I do not know of many Old Testament prophets who did not suffer for the message that they delivered. Behold, we count them happy which endure. So the happiness comes when we endure. Ye have heard the patience of Job. Notice, the patience of Job, how he patiently endured the trials and afflictions that he experienced. And have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy. He received twice as much as he lost. in his trials. So again we see this idea of being patient in tribulation. The next one, Romans 12, is continuing instant in prayer. All kinds of references to this. 1 Thessalonians 5.17, pray without ceasing. Colossians 4.2, continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Verse we saw earlier, Ephesians 6.18, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit for all saints. Notice the emphasis of all. See, prayer is very important because that's how we put the spiritual armor on and because we need the Lord's help in spiritual warfare. Another statement that I found in scripture about praying, continuing incident in prayer, praying always, it's Epaphras, mentioned in Colossians 4.12, always laboring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. That's one of the things I've prayed for our church family, even as we're reminded of that verse here this last week. Laboring fervently, it says of Epaphras. He was always laboring fervently. He was continuing in prayer constantly. Again, the emphasis of his prayer request is that the church may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. I think of the example also in Acts 12, remember where Herod, as I mentioned this morning, Herod rounded up Peter and Apostle James, and he had already executed James, the brother of John, and he was going to, he had anticipation of executing Peter. He's facing execution, and it says in Acts 12, verse 5, prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Now what I think is always interesting in that passage is that when Peter comes knocking on the gate, they're surprised when Peter is standing there. Oh, it's his angel. It's his angel. No, it's Peter. Let me in, or they're going to come arrest me again. The Lord let me out, but, you know, I need, I can't stand out here in the street. So as we think about this, why are we surprised when we're praying continually, asking God to do something? Notice we have Philippians chapter 4, verse 6 and 7. I believe these are good verses to be reminded of as we experience increasing trials in the days in which we live. Philippians chapter 4 verses 6 and 7. Oh no, they're going to clean out the shelves of the toilet paper. I mean, I walked into our Crete Walmart and the entire paper section was empty, empty shelves. There were people who had a lot of care. They were full of care about all that. How I know that? I delivered five cases of toilet paper to one house. They ordered it online because they couldn't find it in any of the stores. I remember in Lincoln, the radio stations were talking about, well, they're going to the stores and saying, well, Hy-Vee's all cleaned out. But I did find, I did hear that such and such store, so not long, everybody's going over there. We're full of care over the stupidest things. Here's the reality. We are so full of care. Be careful for nothing. You know what Jesus said in Matthew 6? Take no thought. Three times. Take no thought. We're not even thinking about the things of this life. Why? Because the Lord knows we need them. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. So let me ask you, how do you know if you've left the request with God? If you still don't have peace, guess what? You better go back to praying. No, the peace of God comes when we are giving everything to the Lord by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. letting our requests be made known unto God. We're leaving it with Him. Notice the result, is the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The word keep there means to guard and protect. Notice God's peace, that is beyond comprehension, passeth all understanding, is going to keep our hearts, you could say our emotions, and our minds, our thoughts, through Christ Jesus. Continuing instant in prayer. We desperately need that. The next command on the list in verse 13, distributing to the necessity of saints. Let me just summarize this. This is not communism. This is community. There's a big difference. The difference here is they were voluntarily sharing their things with those in need. The Soviet Union, the so-called People's Republic of China, USSA, Socialism Security, That's what we have. They're forcefully taking things from people and giving it to somebody who doesn't want to work. They take from the working class, and there's a redistribution of wealth through welfare. That's what our world does with it. Israel has Marxism. with the communal living and the kibbutz, all of those things. So as we think about the difference here, New Testament churches were willing to help meet the necessity of saints. So let me ask you, are we obligated, are we obligated as a church? I'm telling you, the pastor's not going to do this. Are we obligated as a church to help anyone and everyone that comes knocking on the door because it's locked because the wind's blowing it open. Are we obligated to help anyone and everyone that comes to this building looking for a handout? No. In fact, that's why I don't even do that when I see somebody holding a sign out instead of working at Walmart. Why don't they go in and check with Walmart to see if they're hiring? Here's the reality of this. We, first of all, have a responsibility to meet the necessity, the needs of the saints. In fact, an example in Scripture, New Testament churches were sending help to the needy saints of Jerusalem. They experienced a lot of persecution in Jerusalem, and they were desperate. In fact, whole families, I read in Scripture, were affected by that persecution. I believe that's why Paul was so burdened about that, because he was a part of that whole thing. So we're talking about community, not communism. forcibly taking things from people is not what scripture is talking about. Distributing to the necessity of saints. Are we willing to help when we meet a need? I do not feel an obligation to help anyone that has money for alcohol, but they don't have money for their bills. I don't have an obligation from God. I can't find it. I'm not saying I won't try to help them another way, but to simply hand out money And what are they gonna use then, more alcohol? Final one in verse 13 is given to hospitality. 1 Timothy 3.2 talking about bishops be given to hospitality. Titus 1.8, a pastor is to be a lover of hospitality. So pastor, why aren't you having us into the parsonage all the time? 1 Timothy 5.10 talks about widows taken into the care of the church, lodging strangers. First Peter 4, 9 says use hospitality one to another without grudging. Let me give you the definition of hospitality. See, we have these narrow ways of thinking in relation to Scripture instead of considering what the Bible actually says. What is hospitality? It's the act or practice of receiving or entertaining strangers or guests without reward or with kind and generous liberality. It does not necessarily mean you're taking people into your home. It's talking, in fact, literally the idea carries of loving strangers. Okay, so when somebody comes to your church for the first time, how much are you greeting them? How much are you making them welcome? Do we love strangers? When they came the first time over a year ago, I did not, do you know there's a North Carolina car sitting out in front of the church? No, I didn't know anybody was out here. They didn't know anybody was in here. Think about this. All of a sudden started clicking, oh yeah, these are people that have been listening online. But here's the reality of this. When we greet somebody that we've never met before, in fact, I just read this in Hebrews 13 the other day. I have to look at the wording again here, make sure I say it right. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers. This is the idea of hospitality. For thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Angels will always, in scripture you see this, angels manifest themselves as men. The ones who visited in Sodom, they're both called angels and men. So which is it? Well, they look like men, but they're angels sent from God. In our modern isolated culture, people rarely know their neighbors, especially in large apartment complexes. I think this is amazing. People live right wall to wall. In many cases, they don't know their neighbors as much as somebody who has property lines. Very interesting. Cram all these people together. They don't want to know anybody. I believe social media is an attempt to replace what we've lost in America. Social media is not a replacement. True social, fake book, all of those things are not a replacement of actual having a relationship. I was doing some reading on something here recently. A senior's version of Facebook. It's kind of humorous. For those of my generation who do not and cannot comprehend why Facebook exists, I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principles. Therefore, every day I walk down the street and tell passersby what I've eaten, how I feel at the moment, what I've done the night before, what I will do later, and with whom. I give them pictures of my family, my dog, of me gardening, taking things apart in the garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks, driving around town, having lunch, and doing what anybody and everybody does every day. I also listen to their conversations, give them thumbs up, and tell them I like them. And it works just like Facebook. I already have four people following me, two police officers, a private investigator, and a psychiatrist. Social media is no replacement for being sociable. In these days, in these last days, I really believe we need one another. All right, so here's four more principles we can try to put to practice here this week. Again, each and every one of these statements I believe, have a powerful message behind them. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer. We're going to need those three things in these last days. Distributing to the necessity of saints, giving to hospitality. We are going to need those five short commands in these last days. We are going to need, I believe, in the very near future, one another in the local church more than we in America have ever experienced it. Why is it that the churches in communistic countries, tyrannical countries, grow by leaps and bounds? Everything I hear about this. The harder the government comes down on the churches, the more they grow. How is that possible? It's because when there's a government like that, that is tyrannical, Everyone realizes they need other people, encouragement and strength from other people. Lord, I pray that you'd help us in these last days to take seriously, think seriously about this practical Christianity, these practical commands that come from the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul. Lord, help us in these last days to realize we need, we need one another in the local church more than ever before. And Lord, I pray that you'd help us to even consider our prayer life. Are we praying faithfully? Lord, are we patient in the tribulations and the difficulties of life? Are we rejoicing in the hope that we have because of the resurrection? Lord, help us to put these things down to practice. In Jesus' name, amen.