God-Validated - 5

It is been such a joy to be with you once again the gospel are great Savior and to open the word together and to be what and as one body together in Christ. Here in this location. It is always a joy to be with you. I think this is the 10th time that I've been here for meetings and a lot of the light. Each of those has been in the house swiftly the past 20 years have gone.

That's one of the things that amazes me so much about life, but it was it a token of great divine favor when he put me in touch with your pastor and we were able to establish the fellowship that has continued and grown through the years and that has been a part of our gatherings here and so I thank you for your very very careful attention. This is a very easy place to preach. It's obvious that a sound theological and expositional foundation has been laid and continued to be developed here for a congregation to be so very attentive Sunday before last I preached in another Baptist Church in my area there in Maryland tell you that there very very few Baptist Church there that would dare to have the for them anytime, but I was happy to be there with a dear your pastor and is a fellow on the back road to know who he was Looking at his watch and Midland look at his watch again and then then on one occasion he got up and went out and I don't know if it's because as bathroom trips were timed or what it was like the time become but I did come back in now say but I haven't seen anybody here looking at their watch it all and maybe because my eyes have failed and is not seeing like I used to, but your attentiveness, your kindness, your friendship, your fellowship in the gospel are all beyond description.

And I am so grateful for the blessing the Lord is giving me to be with you in this regard. Again, my thanks to all of you that I've been able to sit down across the table from the need to ship on a more personal basis of the wonderful communications. We've had here in the church foyer and here in the sanctuary as well. We've read Psalm number 19 and the target to which I am dressing in this message is that verse number seven, it says the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The idea there Scriptures, the law of God is come delete it is perfect and it is effectual. That's what we work toward this evening as we deal with the last topic of the five on the news that you can trust, namely the Scriptures. The only new and come tonight to consider the subject of it being God validated noticed in the first message was God. Three he breathed forth through holy men of old very words he would have us receive revelation from about. We noted Sunday night that it is God preserve and in an amazing collection of information, far, far more vast than we considered on Sunday evening we see the unmistakable evidence that the Scriptures have been preserved supernaturally when you consider so ancient a piece of literature for which over 5000 ancient manuscripts yet remain when other literature of the same class may have at most 20 manuscript is no comparison. The uniqueness of the Scripture being preserved by God. And then we considered on Monday evening how the Scriptures are blessed by God.

Inasmuch as where ever the word of God goes and is received. Prosperity follows to that culture that nation in the most prosperous nations of all human history are those that have received the Scriptures, and that is not to say that everyone in them is saved by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a matter of cultures that are built upon biblical precepts, thereby demonstrating that those receptors in that worldview has been embraced by that people in the production of their culture and where ever that is been prosperity has follow God has blessed his word happy is the nation whose God is the Lord and then we noticed as well that God has worked through his word to bring about purposes. That man could never achieve. And we come tonight to consider God validating his word, but this is the problem we have if we can call it a problem. All the messages to this point have in essence been evidence is God validating the Scripture the Scriptures validated by the fact that it is been preserved. If that is not a validating argument. There is none validating arguments related the peoples who embrace the Scripture have been blessed and prospered, and in fact the probably come to the message tonight. The problem of knowing what to include, because the fact is everything is a validation of Scripture, all of creation.

This is something that this Psalm we've read is strongly suggesting that Evans declare the glory of God.

You cannot describe the heavens except by virtue of the God of the Scripture. He's the only one that can be the source and if you go away from that, you've got evolution is the best offer man can make one of the leading authorities not to get over the subject matter but we know by human experience universally that order and structure and complexity never arise unaided out of chaos. It does not happen.

We know it doesn't we do not expect a jet airliner to originate in a scrap metal yard complexity order sophistication never arises unaided out of chaos.

And yet the evolutionary world adopts a system which is a continual proclamation of that thing.

We all came up out of random nothingness, and they defend that position by saying it could happen over long, long time. In other words, billions of years but there again. We all know that time does not prove leave your house for 10 years. Just five unattended to nobody to cut your lawn. Just leave it will come back to the house and spent the overgrown with vines and everything else in you'll have a major job, straightening up because time does not lend itself to the improvement of matter only declines that is one of the great necessities and defenses of the evolutionary know know creation validates the Scripture and so what about the subject here. It's just to make this point. The whole creation is a validation of God's word, and so to take 25 3545 minutes. Brandon said I preached the midnight if I want. I told her that would tell you that to take that much time and I said that you run him out of town if effective, to take that much time in trying to pick what to include in such a small part of time when discussion of everything is clearly be a validation Scripture is a challenge, but will endeavor to do so. So I better get back on the subject and quick talking and let me say one. Much of what we've already discussed this week that the uniqueness of the Bible itself is God's validation of we talk about it Sunday morning house at 1500 years. Think again of a book began to be written in the year 521 and was just completed and came off the press yesterday and over that 1500 year period from all manner of different cultures. 40 different writer were writing out of their own experience in their own language out of their own culture and writing about the most controversial subject known to man religion and when it's finished 1500 years later, it is the most unified and coherent cinematic presentation that you can find that alone proclaims its validity. It must be what it claims to be, must be what Christ's church make it to be in their preaching and claim the very word of God uniqueness of the Scripture unique in its preservation. As we've already noted one other book has been preserved from antiquity with such dent textual manuscripts support preserved not simply in those manuscripts but preserved in the writings of the church fathers.

As we noted Sunday that all of the Scripture could be rewritten by quoting from the church fathers who in their writing quoted the whole Bible. Ultimately these uniqueness is of the word of God bespeaks the fact that it is the word of God and of course as we noted the uniqueness of God's blessing upon it wherever it is gone.

Prosperity has follow.

Let me ask you a question. Has Islam been good for the people who were under its I think you know how you would answer find such despotism, hardship, and you contrast the history of the Islamic world with the history of the Protestant Christian world and you have basically a long list of contrasts not even comparison the uniqueness of the power that it has exerted in human lives which will get to further and so the fact of all of these unique polities of Scripture sure which arise out of its content testify that the content is valid and who gave that content God himself. And so God validates the Scripture simply through the uniqueness of its content of its authorship of its presentation and of the blessings that attend to the proclaiming of God's word.

Second area of validation that issues tonight is the fact that the Scripture validates itself by fulfilled prophecy and you consider the prophecies that are made in the Scripture and then the fulfillment of them reported in the Scripture fulfillments which are not only reported in Scripture, but confirmed historically and once again you come to a unique book, unlike any other, which was right on right on right on again and again and again and again with its prophecies that have been fulfilled the name a few of Isaiah chapter 74 told that Jesus would be born the son of a virgin the reporting of its fulfillment. Matthew chapter 1 verse 18 through 25, as well as Galatians chapter 4 in verse in Genesis chapter 12 there was the prediction that Messiah would be born, the seed of Abraham in Matthew chapter 1 in the genealogy of Christ that is confirmed in Genesis 49 it is foretold that this Messiah, this king would be from the tribe of Judah in Matthew chapter 1 as well as Hebrews 7 in Revelation 5 the confirmation of that is given in second Samuel chapter 7 is foretold he would be born of the household of David in Matthew chapter 1, as well as what Romans chapter 1 report the fulfillment thereof. Micah 5 to 70 would be born in Bethlehem and Matthew chapter 2 verses six and eight identify Bettis's birthplace.

Hosea chapter 11 verse one says he will be called out of Egypt.

In Matthew chapter 2 presents the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 40 predicted that he would have a forerunner in John chapter 1 records the ministry of John the Baptist, who was the fulfillment of that prophecy. Isaiah chapter 35 foretold that he was to be a worker of miracles. In fact, the Gospels record 37 detailed miracles of Jesus. However, the apostle John shocks us by saying that the world would be too small if they tried to record all Jesus Christ had said and done that was in John 21 the whole world T record of his work is in Isaiah 53 it was foretold he was to be a man of sorrows, and so in Matthew 26 we read that he took with him Peter and two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy, and then city to them. My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.

Isaiah 53 also told that Jesus was to be rejected of men in John chapter 1 verse 12 we read he came into his own and his own received him not be read as well of Barabbas whom the people of Israel under the instigation of the evil religious leaders chose to be released, rather than Christ Barabbas who had committed murder in leading an insurrection.

Men desired him over Christ, Jack of men, as Isaiah said.

Zechariah chapter 13 foretold that our Lord would be deserted, and indeed Matthew 26 tells us that Jesus said to the multitudes or you come out against me as if he swords and staves to take me away. I sent daily with you in the temple and blade know how he lay no hold upon me. But all this was done that it might be fulfilled in the Scriptures of the prophets. All the disciples forsook him and fled. He was to be scourged. Isaiah 53 tells us in. Indeed, Matthew 27 records discouraging the flogging, the beating of Christ. Psalm 69 said he would be given vinegar to drink and all four of the gospel writers Rick that event. Upon the cross where vinegar was given to him to drink. Psalm 22, foretold that he would be pierced, and indeed, John 20 speaks about Thomas coming in wanting to put his fingers in the piercing of the hand saying he wouldn't leave until he had done so, we find that he was surrounded by enemies forsaken in and Psalm 22 in Matthew 26 presents that scene in the garden of Gethsemane and then in the trial before Pilate. Psalm 22 as well. Says that he would be forsaken by God, and indeed, from the cross, Christ stated those very words that godforsaken Isaiah 53 said he would be numbered with the transgressors. And we know from Matthew 27 that he was crucified between two transgressors. The fee we are told from Psalm 22 that he would agonize the first of any Dean John chapter 19 verse 20 tells us he said from the cross. I first that. In fact, as John gave that account, he prefaces it by saying Jesus knowing that all things were now fulfilled that the Scriptures might be accomplished saith, I thirst there you have Christ upon the cross, fully cognizant of what is happening in knowing that the Scriptures foretold he would first and so at that point. He says I thirst. Knowing the Scriptures foretold they would give him vinegar to drink and he knew if he said I thirst. They would come with the vinegar and it's exactly what happened was in full control as he was there on the cross, seeing to it.

Scripture was fulfilled fine from Psalm 31 it was foretold that he would commend his spirit to God. And indeed, in the 2346.

He says father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Psalm 22, foretold that he would have his garments divided and distributed in indeed. Matthew, Luke and John. All three report soldiers gambling over his garments. Psalm 34 proclaimed that there would not be one bone of his broken in John 1936. How that happened. Indeed, crucifixion victims always had their legs broken because it hasten their death when the one who would break the legs came to Jesus he saw. He was already dead and so he didn't exert his effort is legs, thus fulfilling Scripture Isaiah 53 verse nine said he would be buried with the rich and, indeed, John 19 in Matthew 27 rich man.

Joseph of Arimathea crave the body of Christ, put it in his own to Psalm 16 foretold that he would rise from the dead without seeing corruption in Matthew Mark Luke John and Paul all speak about the resurrection of Christ fulfill Psalm 68 says he would ascend into glory in acts one records the fulfillment of his ascension into glory. These are 24 passages prophecies of the Old Testament that were fulfilled in the new point to be observed is appears there are 356 such testament prophecies fulfilled new show to me another book with those credentials. Uniqueness of the word of God, God validating his word.

But there's more to be noted from this and this was brought to my attention refreshingly this afternoon is about the tour and I said at lunch together and he spoke concerning what he teaches in his Bible class at the Christian school in his comments prompted me to go back to my room and do a Google search and find out more as well. In doing so, I see what he's talking about worthy of our consideration. What are the odds that one person might be the one who is the fulfiller of prophecy. If you take just eight of these prophecies. The odds that one person would fulfill those eight prophecy when mathematically tactical calculated are utterly staggering for one person to be the one in whom only eight of these prophecies are fulfilled.

That person would be one and 100,000.

I'm not finished yet 100,000 trillion right one and then 17 zeros after and then do what I did go to the computer to ask how you say it in words. The odds that one person would be the fulfillment of this a of these prophecies. All of them converging on one or one in 100,000. And if that's not staggering.

Christ is the fulfillment of all 356 and if this does not validate that nothing is real.

Everything is just a phantom dream third validation Scripture I would maintain is the confidence that later biblical writers express in the integrity of the earlier biblical you read the writers of the New Testament and you see the confidence that they expressed in affirming the Old Testament right and is not that they were good buddies just scratching one another's backs New Testament writers who wrote within a period of about 40 years didn't know any of the Old Testament writers personally. The closest one to them was 400 years before that. That's over this country and yet they refer to the Old Testament is an absolute bedrock certainty of its reliability. Matthew quotes the Old Testament 36 time, mostly from the prophets Isaiah, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Psalms Deuteronomy Jesus referred to the divine authority of the Old Testament in Matthew five 812 Luke 410, 15, 17, 24 and in John chapter 5, he quoted the Old Testament almost PS he quoted the Old Testament 78 times the books of Moses 26 time, our Lord, quoted from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel Daniel Hosea, Amos Jonah, Micah and Malachi referred to the Old Testament as the Scriptures as the word of God as the wisdom of God. The apostles quoted 209 times from the Old Testament and considered it to be quote the oracles of God and as we've already noted, the Old Testament and hundreds of places predicted the offense of the New Testament as the New Testament is the fulfillment of the old. We have such things as this showing Christ's commitment to the Old Testament I might mention there's a sermon that I preached some time ago, endeavoring to answer the question.

To what extent did Christ believe the Old Testament is a very valid question and studied to undertake because so many of the theological liberals to say nothing of influenced look to the Old Testament as points just for call information. There was a man swallowed whale survived to tell about it. You know that you mean God sent fire and brimstone from heaven upon the city of Troy that not Believe that is those are just a snake talk to woman and this led them, now that's the attitude toward the Old Testament.

That's just mythology is allegory to teach us some other true that's the mindset yet we find Christ emphatically and repeatedly affirmed his absolute and unwavering confidence in the Old Testament, and so if were going to use the word Christian, we better believe what Christ said what he said is an absolute affirmation of the Old Testament. To this extent.

Soldiers came in to Gethsemane to arrest the Lord Jesus and take him away to judgment, but it was about. He knew it would be to take him to the trial and then his death and Peter pulls out his sword swinging as it is one of those who is coming to take Christ who happens to be Mauk is the servant of the high priest and Peter cuts off the man's ear. I think the guy probably lurched sideways so he didn't get his and and consequently just got his ear.

Jesus said to Peter, put your sword away. Do not think that I could call legions of angels, but how, then, with the Scriptures be fulfilled.

What you see that Christ there who had the capacity to call the armies of heaven to his defense and deliverance knew that to do so would mean the Scriptures were not fulfilled and that's what he lived to do the will of his father in heaven. He was so committed to the Old Testament Scriptures. He chose as a disciple Judas Iscariot knowing from the start. Jesus would betray him so that thereby the Scriptures will be fulfilled, and he would not speak up for its own defense at Gethsemane because you do so would transgress the fulfillment of Scripture. This is the extent to which Christ believe in the exact literal list of the Old Testament Scriptures and for me to believe anything else is to be in conflict with Christ and those in conflict with Christ have no right to call themselves Christian's do 1/4 validation that I would point to the Scripture is what I will call the validation or the confirmation of primitive conscience when I speak of primitive conscience's I'm speaking of that inmate conscience with which every human being is born primitive conscience before it has been distorted by the hardness of heart. I choose this example I have told a lie.

You have total tell me that you did, but I we are a bunch of liars. You probably do not remember the first lie you told but you probably do recall that instinct knew that a lie was not you knew the truth was something over here that you were contradict or obfuscating that you are refusing to acknowledge you were endeavoring to convince someone that something true was true when you lied it in your own heart and conscience, though you didn't process all of these explanations. Surely yet you knew instinctively that a lie was wrong. Nobody had to stop you and tell you about what lies are not right and wrong, you know instinctively that stealing was wrong. Nobody tell you that betrayal misrepresenting of another person. Unfaithfulness, all of these we have an instinctive conscience that they are wrong. And yes, that conscience by being often transgressed can be cut down to nothing can be hardened until you no longer feel it, but there's a point in time you have primitive conscience and you know many things to be right and wrong based upon that and this is the thing to know the Scripture validates that college. It says the same thing, and by the same measure, the conscience validates the Scripture. Here you have two separate and distinct items. The book of God's revelation in the creation of God in a human being and both are saying the same thing until the one in man is called and perverted by willful presumptuous transition primitive conscience in mankind agrees with the morality of Scripture, there is something instinctive to tell a person that he ought not to commit adultery and no one has to tell them that as the apostle Paul wrote to the people of Rome. He pointed out how the Gentiles do by nature the things that are contained in the law of God. How does the evolutions described explain conscience that human beings have a certain set of instinctive value which they've not been taught because many of the human beings who have had no teaching whatsoever which have not been learned from Scripture for the same reason many of those who have those values ever had the Scripture have that set of values and I would maintain the fact that God has given them to everyone testifies to. In fact, the validity of this should proclaiming the same in the proclamation of the Scripture validates the conscience as well. It's it cross validation so God has written the law upon our hearts and this validates among many other things is a validator of the law. Now we come to what is I believe the ultimate absolute most conspicuous validation of the law of God. We read from the seventh verse of Psalm 19. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.

All of the Lord is perfect. Okay, it is perfect in its origin. It is the law of the Lord he gave it can be nothing but perfect. It is perfect as well. In its obligation obligates every human being.

There are non-exempt from the law of God. The Scripture, God willing. Tomorrow I will cross the North Carolina Virginia border and once I'm in Virginia, North Carolina, has no jurisdiction.

I can never cross a boundary and get away from divine jurisdiction because the law of the Lord obligates all souls. It is perfect in its origin. It is perfect in its obligation, then I would say.

Third, it is perfect in its operation. When you think of every legal system on planet Earth. You recognize we are all imperfect and we could go to things that they require or forbid and find imperfections among those, but I'm not talking about that.

I'm rather talking about the strap cheer of human government and the imperfections of if you are ever involved in a trial criminal trial or you observe what goes on there, you recognize that there are two potential results either guilty or not guilty, but it's to be noted that there is no result in us. It simply guilty or not guilty means. The evidence says there guilty, not guilty says it's not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt that they are guilty. But it doesn't say there is and we are all aware of loophole lawyers who specialize in getting terminals off the my are they good at it and the criminals are good at getting the money needed to pay them because you have to pay them well, reminds me of a distant relative that I had by marriage on my father's side of the family. I spoke with them only once. He was turning he was retired when I spoke to him, but he had a reputation Harford County for being the blogger to go to them.

Trouble will get you off the hook. He started his law practice in the backseat of his car.

The client came to him with a guilty issue. He would say, take your case, you pay me $25 if I win for you maybe $50. He built a law practice that I think was a rather shady practice all the bad people knew he's the guy to go to and at one time I spoke with him as we were at a family get together a dinner he made the comment I always figured that if I could get a guilty man off the hook.

Then innocent people have an even better chance themselves was a great reason is that wonderful way to approach the enforcement of law, a law your dysfunction in that kind of an ethical climate and I'm not here to pick on lawyers nephew just graduated from law school in some you have children in law school, lawyers which you see what I'm saying there is an imperfection in our legal system and we cannot have the verdicts guilty or innocent because we could never know that the person is really innocent.

We can only say it's not been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is guilty and therefore cleared not guilty that's man's law and legal system. The law of the Lord's prayer. He knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. Human law addresses only the outer be a and it doesn't really address that it only addresses the other behavior that has been observed and it really doesn't address that it only addresses the outer behavior which has been is observed and demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt.

Doubt to be the wrong behavior then the verdict can be guilty when it comes to the law of the Lord is no question Scripture as a researcher, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, all things are naked and open to the eyes of him with whom we have to do nothing will hide or exit your truth is, God knows sees the law of the Lord is perfect, it's perfect in its operation but perfection of its operation goes further back for it says the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul judge on the judge's bench can see the guilt of the criminal and can sentence him to a sentence of punishment can't change the scoundrel's heart cannot rewire criminals think or reprogram his computer but that's what the law of the Lord God's the Scriptures change the sinner and in that is one of the greatest validations of their truthfulness and of their origin and of the fact they are the word of God. They actually remake the person in the fact that across the planet tonight.

There is a church of Jesus Christ, comprised of sinners who have truly been transformed from darkness to light from death to life from sinners to saints from enemies of God. Two sons of God from children of perdition to the children of glory validates the Scripture, God has done a mighty work and nothing but the Scripture will do that. A Ironside. Harry Ironside was a prominent Bible teacher and conference speaker in this country in the first half of the last century and one Sunday afternoon as he was walking home from the place where he'd spoken there in San Francisco walking along market Street he heard the corner of market and grand Avenue commotion something going on soon recognize what he was hearing was a Salvation Army band as they were having a street meeting out there on the streets of San Francisco and so he went to join with one with them and because Christ when he got to the group rather that it assembled there.

The lady who was the captain of that division of the Salvation Army.

I don't understand all of the ranking divisions Salvation Army but the lady that was the captain immediately recognized him and ask him if he would like to give a word of test stood before the group testifying that he noticed that the outer fringes of the listener who appeared to be a well old dignified gentleman. He was well dressed. His demeanor and deportment and presence was one that was impressive and he observed that man reaching into his pocket. Pulling out a card and the man took pendant and began writing in this Harry approached the ending of his testimony. This man walked up to him, handed him the card, which immediately.

Ironside looked down at and when he saw it was a man's business card.

He recognized the name right away for the man was a very prominent and well-known leader in the labor union movement of that time represented the IWW stood for industrial workers of the world's critics said stood for. I will work, but they had a different different attitude needed. Obviously, and this is a man who had traveled considerably on the West Coast of the country endeavoring to incite class warfare and sector workers against the leaders of industry and the man was open Gnostic agnostic is someone who says you cannot know God and open agnostic and eloquent speaker and agitator repeat and Harry noticed on the back of that business card that he had written a little statement, which read Sir I challenge you to debate with me. The question agnosticism versus Christianity in the Academy of science Hall next Sunday afternoon or clock.

I will pay all expenses will immediately Harry responded that next Sunday at three scheduled to speak elsewhere. But he thought he could finish in time to be there at four and he would indeed come for this debate upon to condition condition number one. He says to the man in the hearing of all present, to whom he is now read the content of the card. I will update debate with you next Sunday, but you must bring with you a man, a man who will say in his own experience of testimony.

I was down and out. I was overcome by sin and oppression, drunkenness and profligacy. I was at the end of my rope life was meaningless. I had nothing and was utterly wasted within Kingman heard this man speak about agnosticism and my heart was and I was challenged to start a new life. And indeed, as I embraced the teachings of this agnosticism became a new man.

I got victory over all of the things that I was unable to get and had been living in prosperous leader percent and then Ironside continued and said second condition, I want to bring a woman who will testify that she had given herself over to the passions of the flash and to the whole world of godless women users and at that point.

Ironside said, and perhaps even a woman from down here in the unit over to the area known in San Francisco for its red light district as we would call it want to bring that woman who will testify the same thing my life was ruined and I had nothing to live, then I discovered through this man's teaching agnosticism and it transformed my life and Harry said, if you will bring a man and a woman whom I've just described next Sunday at 4 o'clock I will be there with 100 people who will say I went to the Scriptures and met Christ and he transformed my heart and my soul and made me new and at that time. Ironside turned to the captain of the Salvation Army and said can you provide some of the comments he came back. Yes, I can get you 40 real quick and all but the Salvation Army band there to lead the procession to the debate and Harry says very well and good. I will lead the procession with the band behind me playing onward Christian soldiers and we will have the debate would be debaters to stand walked away while the crowd laughed, you will not find an ideology or book ideology, which is brought about the transformation of lives Scripture's as it does at three day around the world the greatest validations of the Scripture is the word of God is the fact that there are sinners saved by grace, who have utterly repudiated what they once were, and have embraced as their own the Lord and Savior of the Scripture, who is the subject of the word of God to us.

God validates the Scripture by way of the glorious gospel is not had the new birth, the gospel of Christ applied effect. Julie to your heart.

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found called upon while he's for. He says him that cometh into me I will in no wise cast out together God and our father what mercy and over whelming love is evident in the fact that you revealed yourself to ungrateful Richard sinners by nature are enemies of God who would blaspheme the hate the intern from the and yet they were pursued by grace and subdued by the sovereign conquering love that is manifest in the giving of the Scripture to us. And indeed, as we consider the fact that God has saved our soul therein. We know this picture to be true, and in the conversion of the center Scriptures greatest validation is on display. Bless our time together considering thy great and holy word this week and may it be the prophet of souls, now and forevermore we pray in Jesus name, amen