Jewish Evangelism and the Church - Life of Paul Part 80

Okay the broader Bible open it with me. If you were to ask chapter 21 welcome all you guys and overflow out lobby.

You know what, six weeks, God willing, maybe seven at the most and were in that new auditorium. So I hope you keep reinforcing me were coming down the home stretch for an exciting time here. Ask chapter 21 were to be continuing our study the life of the great man. The apostle Paul now back in April 1981 hi to children, my wife and Brandon. I did win a four-year-old son named Jamie and a brand-new second son named Justin he was three months old and we decided in April 1980 want to take a little vacation and so the two of us. We took the two boys and we decided to go to Williamsburg for couple of days and and while we were there Brenda so I want to go to the pottery factory and shop laws like you are, whatever. So we went there and she said you want to come in and shop with me and I said no, no, got no interest in that it all, but also outside one of these big old buildings on the benches with the boys. Justin was in a little stroller. Jamie was for you, to move around because it also outside with them you going it will Brenda was gone for what seemed like an eternity, and so I can't really patient and I said to Jamie my four-year-old Austin Outlook. I'm going inside to look for you mom. You stay right here you stay with your brother and you to stay right here. I'll be back to sit right here with you brother. I went inside look around preventability's buildings were enormous. Took me about 10 maybe 12 minutes to find her, and when I finally found her. She said to me, where are the boys. I said well if Jamie outside watching Justin and she said you did what and right at that moment little four-year-old Jamie came walking up inside the building and I said what are you doing here it is so daddy I got scared so I came in looking for you and I said where's Justin he said I left him outside soon as he said that Brenda took off running. I mean running for the front door. We were running Jamie not running behind her. We come flying out the front door.

This building and sitting on the benches.

This sweet elderly old lady just rocking the stroller back and forth with Justin in it and we ran up to her and she said you know I was walking by and I saw this little kid just screaming his head off in the industry in the stroller and I figured if I sit here long enough somebody come back for what it was a bad day in River city for long. I mean, my wife was so mad at me for hours.

She wouldn't speak to me.

I was telling this to my children. The story this last week and my youngest son John said you know that it's funny. A lot of your stories in that way.

Say well yeah that's actually true that you ever met anybody that met you I me were to look at a story today in the Bible where the apostle Paul made some people even matter in him that Brenda wasn't me to talk about how that happened. And then, more importantly, so like what differences that make to our life today as followers of Christ, so that's the plan now little bit of background here in acts chapter 21. Remember, the apostle Paul is finished his third missionary journey as the summer of 5757 A.D. and is in Jerusalem and the leaders of the Jerusalem church came to Paul and said Paul we got a problem here in the town.

Everybody's heard that you're out there teaching Jewish people around the world to violate the laws of Moses violate our Jewish customs. They all know you're a believer in Jesus and that's making a really hard for us to reach Jewish people in this town we need you to do us a favor. Paul we need you to go to the temple and pay the expenses of four men here in our community that are finishing their Nazirite bow and by doing so, it will send a message to all of Jerusalem that you're not against the Old Testament law you're not against the Jewish customs.

So Paul said okay I'll do that.

But what you need to know is that since Paul had been away in Gentile country for years. There was a seven day purification process ritually that Paul had to go through before he was allowed to go into the temple and pay for these guys.

So that's where we left off.

Let's pick up the story asked 21 verse 27, when the seven days for Paul's purification were almost over.

Some Jews from the Roman province of Asia were Ephesus and Saul called in the temple. They seized him and shouted men of Israel, help us. This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and now he is brought a Gentile into the temple and to file this place, for they had previously seen throw from us in Ephesians a Gentile in the city with Paul and they assumed that Paula brought him in the temple. Paul is not rotting in the temple, but they thought he had and the people rush together took hold of Paul and dragged him from the temple. Now these Jews who recognize Paul were from Ephesus. If you remember they had tried to kill Paul in Ephesus a couple years before and failed, and now they saw another opportunity to get in by accusing him of bringing a Gentile into the temple that you should know the Gentiles were permitted into the temple complex. Let me show you a map into the outer temple complex. The court of the Gentiles Gentiles were allowed their but in the inner recesses of the temple were all the offerings were gone were the holy of holies were with the priest did their duties know to know no Gentile was permitted in their only Jewish people as a matter of fact there was actually a barricade wall that separated these two sections of the temple that went around the inner part of the temple morning Gentiles not to come in there.

Josephus, the Jewish historian tells us that there were signs posted in both Greek and Latin on this barrier wall.

Here is one of archaeologist of actually found two of those signs and if you could read Greek. Here's what the sign says and I quote no Gentile may enter this barricade that surrounds the temple. Anyone caught doing so will have himself to blame for his ensuing death, and focus was no idle threat.

The Roman government had given the Jewish authorities permission to enforce this even on Roman citizens who violated the temple. No trial was required. They just dragged you out and beat you to death, and it was just that simple. And that's what they were in the process of doing the possible reversal of 31 while the mob was trying to kill Paul news reached the Tribune that of the Roman garrison, the commander of the Roman army air there in Jerusalem that the whole city was in an uproar. So we took some centurions and soldiers and ran down to the temple and when the rioters saw the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. Let's go back to our map and in the upper right hand corner of our map to see the Antonio fortress. This was the headquarters for the Roman garrison there in Jerusalem. It had tall towers from which the Roman soldiers could look down onto the temple mount and see everything that was going on down on the Temple Mount and what they saw was this riot developing and so the Roman army rushed on the Temple Mount and friends had they not come at the exact moment they didn't.

There was no doubt this model to be involved with verse 33 and the Tribune came up and arrested Paul and putting in irons that he asked the crowd who this man was and what he had done some more shouting.

One thing that all there is another so the Tribune ordered Paul to be taken to the Antonio fortress. When the soldiers got to the steps of the fortress. They had to carry Paul above their heads because the violence of the mob was so great. You get the picture here. These people wanted to kill Paul so badly that the only way the Roman soldiers could guarantee his safety and getting out of their clutches and in the fortress.

They had to pick him up and carry them over and over their head focus was the original mosh pit in history that you see right now. Verse 37 and as the soldiers were about to take Paul in the fortress. Paul asked the Tribune the commander, may I say something to you. The commander said you speak Greek or to the Egyptian who started a revolt led 4000 terrorist out the desert some time ago and Paul said no.

I would you from Tarsus. Please let me speak to the people and having a receive the Tribune's permission. Paul stood on the test steps of the Antonio fortress with the crowd down below on the Temple Mount and emotion to the crowd, and when there was a great harsh. Paul began to speak to them in Hebrew, the folks you gotta love this guy.

You gotta love this guy. Here is he's in chains.

He's bruised. He's bleeding. He's exhausted and yet the only thing he wants to do is share Jesus with the people who just have beaten the death and they were to finish the job of the Roman army hadn't shown up. And yet all he wants to do is share the Lord with them. Give God a love this guy in Paul's speech here in acts 22 breaks into three little sections were to look at it now let me tell you what the sections are number one. He talks about his Jewish credentials number two. He talks about his conversion and the number three. He talks about the calling. God gave him to the Gentiles watch section 1 verse three, acts 22 then Paul said to the crowd.

I'm a Jew born in Tarsus but brought up in this city under Gamaliel.

I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers, and I was just as zealous for God as you are today and how can I prove that to you. Well, I persecuted the followers of this way. Christianity to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. I even got permission from the high priest to go to Damascus and bring back to Jerusalem. These people as prisoners. From there, to be punished. Paul today wanted all my credentials out there.

I was born Jewish. I was raised in Jerusalem. I was trained by the most eminent rabbi in Israel of the time.

Rabbi Gamaliel. I was so jealous and zealous for the Jewish laws in the Jewish customs that I was willing to imprison followers of Christ and even keel followers of Christ. In fact, Paul says when we ran out of followers of Christ to imprison in Jerusalem.

I went all the way to Damascus to find some more of posted a look guys, when it comes. He says to the crowd to be in Jewish and when it comes to being zealous for Jewish law and tradition I in this kosher as they call you all understand then number two. He goes on to say about noon. Verse six as I neared Damascus. Suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice say to me, Saul.

So why do you persecute me well. Who are you, Lord. I asked and he replied I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. I said, Lord, what should I do. And the Lord said, get up and go to Damascus and there you will be told what you been assigned to do. And Paul goes on to tell him that he went into Damascus a guy named Ananias a follower of Christ came to see him and told him verse 15 God has chosen you to be his witness to all men about Jesus Christ that wanted Paul say this to the crown because he wanted the crowd to understand that his change in behavior from persecuting Christians to preaching Jesus Christ. That change in behavior came not because he made a decision to deny Judaism or to defect against Judaism. It came because of God's supernatural intervention in his life. Finally, he goes on to say that he was called to the Gentiles. He says, verse 17. When I returned to Jerusalem and I was praying in the temple I fell into a trance and I saw the Lord speaking to me may case the Lord said, and get out of Jerusalem because they will not accept your testimony about me, not Paul pushes back a little and he says the Lord. These men in Jerusalem. They know me. They know how I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed. Acts chapter 7 I stood there giving my personal approval watching the close of the people who were telling him, and then the Lord said no they're not going to listen to your Paul go from good to send you far away to the Gentiles. Now in Romans chapter 11 Paul calls himself the apostle to the Gentiles right here.

He tells us how we got that calling. He wasn't looking for didn't volunteer for. I don't even know if he wanted it. The point is he plan to come back to Jerusalem, which is what he is done and I think his plan was to reach Jewish people for Christ. The rest of his life, but God stepped in and said no Paul that's not what you're doing what I want you to do was go reach Gentiles. You're my emissary to them. Verse 22 and the crowd listened up to this point until Paul said this, that is going to send you the Gentiles, then they raise their voices and shouted with our visit.

God, he's not meant to live and since the crowd was shouting and throwing their cloaks and flinging dust into the air. The Tribune order Paul to be taken into the fortress for his own protection. This was the end of the speech they heard the word Gentiles. The speech was a non-convinced it was going to be part for the speech highly Paul intended to go on and talk about how we wasn't teaching against the Jewish law, how he wasn't undermining Jewish customs friends he never got there. He said Gentiles speech was over and and that's where were to stop for the day because we need to ask the most important question of the morning and you know what that question is, so are you ready you want to hear you guys in the lobby and down and overflow here we go one to three. Yeah to salon so you say, honestly, really. I'm proud of you covered a lot of ground that you not get tired of this whole thing. This is good you know you covered a lot of minuets ago to finish this but other than the fact that you covered a lot of ground. What else I mean is that what what what does it mean in my life that all I don't understand willing to see if I can make that connection you. I think we should ask the question why did the mention of the words Gentiles set this crowd off so badly, why would Paul said God sent me to the Gentiles wanted to send this mob into such a frenzy. When we got to understand, to answer this question, we got understand how the Jewish people thought about Gentiles, Paul, Christ Matthew chapter 15 tells us the answer here in Matthew 15. A lady comes to Jesus asking him to heal her child. She's a Gentile and here's what Jesus said. He said it is not good to take the children's bread that is the Jewish people's bread, meaning himself and to toss it to the dogs, meeting her as a Gentile and she replied yes Lord, but even the dogs can eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table and Jesus said woman, great is your faith, your request is granted, and her daughter was healed from that very moment, but the important thing we want to notice here is that at the time of Jesus, the Jewish people called Gentiles dogs.

They consider Gentiles to be subhuman almost to barely even be human beings. They had absolutely no interest in relating to Gentiles, the Jewish people at the time of Paul had no desire to reach Gentiles for God. Teach Gentiles. The Bible bring them into the community of faith Gentiles were dogs and you know just because you became a believer in Jesus didn't necessarily change that bigotry.

We find this even in the early Jewish believers. I'm sure you know that for many years after the resurrection of Jesus, the Jewish believers Peter, James, John, all these guys. They never share Jesus with anybody but Jewish people.

In fact, in acts chapter 10 when Peter led the very first Gentiles ever to Christ. A fellow named Cornelius, a Roman soldier. It was such a scandal in the early church that they actually call Peter and put them on trial and said what have you done now. The person who changed all of this was the apostle Paul.

God revealed to him that things were different now, after the death of Christ, and he went around teaching that when a person comes to Jesus Christ. Whether your Jew or whether your Gentile day that person joins a brand-new entity called the church and in this new entity. Jews and Gentiles are equal members of the family of God with equal access to God and with people standing before God, look what Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2, he says, therefore, remember that formerly you are Gentiles by birth, you were excluded from citizenship in Israel you were foreigners to the covenants of promise and you were without hope and without God in the world but now in Jesus Christ, you who were once far away have been brought near to the blood of Christ, for he, Jesus, has made the two groups Jews and Gentiles one and has destroyed the dividing wall between us. Now I can't prove it but I'm convinced the dividing wall between us. The false talking about here is the wall in the Jerusalem Temple that that's what he's thinking about this barrier wall. The Gentiles from getting close to God the Gentiles from approaching near to God for Gentiles from being intimate to God and what Paul is saying here is when you give your life to Jesus Christ as a Gentile.

That wall is gone you can get as close to God as you want to get you could his approach as near to God as you want to get friends, that was a revolutionary concept in the time of the apostle Paul.

That was a brand-new theological truth and let me say if you're here today in your Gentile that if you live before the time of Jesus Christ. You couldn't draw near to God like that you couldn't have gone inside of that barrier wall but Jesus Christ tore all that down, and now is a Gentile, living today, you can get as close to God as you want to get hey what a wonderful piece of news if you're here today and you haven't taken advantage of that by embracing Jesus as your personal savior.

I'm here to ask you, why not, why, why wouldn't you want to embrace this and be as close to God as possible.

Let me tell you some of the Gentiles in the first century when Paul share this with them. They embraced it by the boatload. So much so that by the end of the first century the church, it completely switched it gone from being almost exclusively Jewish to be almost exclusively Gentile, which is the way it's been for the last 1900 years and let me tell you that today it's kind of sad that we have the exact same problem in the modern church that we had in the early church except in reverse to say what we talking about will friends in the early church.

They were that the early church was exclusively Jewish and had very little interest in reaching Gentiles for Christ. Today the modern church is almost exclusively Gentile, and with few exceptions, has little interest in reaching Jewish people for Christ. We just flipped it. That's all we done is not on idle.

I don't think that's really true. I think we got an interest you know the Protestant church. The Catholic Church reaching Jewish people really do okay listen to this.

The Christian cost scholars group on Jewish Christian relations. These are leaders from the Lutheran Church. The Methodist Church Episcopal Church and a variety of other Protestant churches, they released a statement in September 2002, and I quote, we were now all missionary efforts aimed at converting Jews."

The US Catholic bishops in an article entitled reflections on covenant mission released in August 2002 said and I quote targeting Jews for conversion to Christianity is no longer theologically acceptable in the Catholic Church." What in the world is going on out there. You know I'm on the board of Jews for Jesus, as most of you know been on the board for over 15 years and were involved. Right now Jews for Jesus in a five-year outreach program call, behold, your God, what we did is we identified every city in the world that has at least 25,000 Jewish people living in it, and our goal during those five years is to send a team to every one of those cities to spend four weeks in that city handing out tracts on the street interacting with the Jewish community telling Jewish people to Jesus is the Messiah telling Jewish people.

He died on the cross so they could go to heaven and we been to a bunch of cities overseas, but here in America we been so far, to cities like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta we been to Boston to Chicago to Dallas to West Palm Beach Florida you know little Israel. You know, down there and let me tell you sad fact. Listen to this in almost every single one of these cities here in America we have had trouble getting even one or two Protestant churches willing to stand with us publicly and say that they are going to ally with us as we try to reach the Jewish people in their time.

It's a struggle to get one or two Solana. I find that hard to believe I'm telling you the truth. So why is that well sometimes I think it's because of their theology. Some of these churches are not your Jewish people really need Jesus in order to go to heaven so they figure why go to the trouble friends. If you have any doubt with the Jewish people need Jesus to go to heaven. You go pick up my CD by the same title in the bookstore and I'll straighten you out you go get that sometimes the reason these churches don't want to be involved is because they don't want to do the hard work it takes to reach Jewish people and it is hard work. You know whether to Jews.

There's three opinions to know what I'm saying and it is hard work to reach Jewish people.

But the real reason I think the major reason most of the time is that these churches are afraid of offending the Jewish community in that town and afraid of taking the heat that's going to come when they try to reach Jewish people for Christ you know in Denver we had one church in the main city of Denver who was willing to stand with Jews for Jesus and after they had committed to do so, they backed out because they got so many calls from the Jewish leaders in that town asking them to back out that they did the Jewish leaders told them that if they supported Jews for Jesus, that it would damage the dialogue in that town between Jews and Christians that it would hurt their mutual understanding and that would inhibit the Christians and the Jews in Denver from moving forward will. My question is moving forward to what moving forward to the point that every Jew in Denver goes to hell because there's no churches and no followers of Christ willing to share Jesus with them is that what moving forward is listen.

Reaching Jewish people is hard work.

No doubt about any church that decides to reach the Jewish people in its community. They are going to offend the Jewish community, not because they're trying to be offensive, but the message of the cross of fan and any church that does this dude you are going to feel the heat. That's just the way it is. But listen in the days of the apostle Paul. All three of these things were still drill and Paul.

He reached out the Jewish people.

Anyway, remember when Paul went to any city, even though he was the apostle of the Gentiles. The first people he went to see was never the Gentiles always went to the synagogue first is the Jewish people.

Remember what Paul said in Romans chapter 1. I'm not ashamed of the message of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, look to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. And finally, in Romans nine through 11.

If you read those chapters will find Paul crying out to us as followers of Christ to love his Jewish people and have a heart to reach his Jewish people and Paul even says Romans 934. If it were possible, would be willing to be cursed and cut off from Christ if it would mean the salvation of those of my own Jewish race that is an on believable state folks a Christian who knows and believes the Bible knows the Jewish people need Jesus a Christian who knows the Bible understands how near and dear to the heart of God. Jewish evangelism is in a church that is been well taught in the word of God is a church that will have a zeal for reaching Jewish people in their community as well as non-Jewish people in their community and that's why I say where a church stands when it comes to Jewish evangelism and where an individual follower of Christ stands when it comes to Jewish evangelism is a huge spiritual barometer of where they stand in their knowledge of the word of God and their commitment to Jesus Christ.

Now, would Jews for Jesus, there come in here to Washington DC to do, behold, your God, from 18 August to 18 September this year we McLean Bible church all the sponsoring and host church in Washington DC and friends. I'm here to tell you that if there is not one of the church in Washington DC that stands for Jews for Jesus when they come for doubt we are going sandwiches for Jesus not only that, okay. Not only that, but I understand with them personally on the put on the Jews for Jesus T-shirt, put my track bag on and I'm going down on the streets of Washington DC as many days as I can and I'm in a hand out tracts talk to Jewish people and try to tell them Jesus is the Messiah, who died on the cross for their sin, and he they ease necessary for them to go to heaven.

I can't wait to do this. I'm jazzed about this.

I'm excited about this and I want you to be excited. I want you to get jazzed. I want you to have a part of this I want you to have a piece of the action you understand. There are 250,000 Jewish people in this town, your doctor, your dentist, your lawyer your jeweler. These people bearing the sale and they have never seen in this town.

A targeted attempt to reach the Jewish community like they're going to see the end of August in the beginning is that there is never happened in this town you know what Windows which is not to reach Jewish people.

He is either a member Morse Rose and the founder Jews for Jesus said to me once he said you know a lot of interesting every time we go out on the streets and try to reach Jewish people.

When original budget Gentiles to and that's true were not illegally Jewish people to Christ in this town you watch really hundreds and thousands of Gentiles to Christ in the sale and and and I wouldn't be a bit surprised that pickets outside of our church. I would be a bit surprised to be vilified in the Jewish newspapers of this town. I wouldn't be surprised to have articles written against us in the post-and and let me just tell you some of our worst opposition and some of the nasty stuff. It's going to be said about us as a church in this town is not going to come from the Jewish community you watch is going to come from the Christian community in this town which is really sad. Watch what happens. But you know what we don't care, we okay because were not here serving the Christian community or the Jewish community or the Washington Post. Thank God were not here serving of where your servant Jesus Christ in this town. As always, he's happy with us friends when our double-breasted people thing and and went where we're excited about what's going to happen in this town. This is the most significant outreach public outreach to get this town in a decade. You know I got that little boy in the stroller remember him that we left outside of the thought about you when he grew up survived and is a first year law student at the University of Michigan and he wrote me an email. I want to read it to you. Part of. He said that I so I have a question I would Jewish friend here in Michigan that I met several months ago several times the issue of religion is come up and I try not to waste those opportunities. One thing about this girl is that she has no idea why she believes what you believe, which I'm beginning to learn is very common among Jewish people my age. Another thing that I found really troubling is how entrenched in tradition. This girl is unlike our faith. Judaism is not seen it displayed in this girl's life has no effect on her everyday activities. She made a comment to me that she just wants to be Jewish so she can have a Jewish home and see your children bar mitzvahed to me this is really say anyway.

I know the verse in second Corinthians about how Satan is blinded the hearts of the Jews, and I really see that to be true. This is so sad for me though I've never had this much interaction with the Jewish person about Jesus and what I see depresses me. I'm trying to witness to this girl but I'm not sure how to get her to listen because she so defensive. Even though she has no clue what she's defending so advice please that's your forte here.

Well, I wrote them back and I gave him some advice about how to talk to girl this girl and I also said to him, don't you dare fall for this woman.

That's part of my life hell yeah absolutely not.

It was a wonderful email and let me tell you, the apostle Paul were alive today, the email he would've sent back to this young man, he would've sent back to an email that said right on Justin. You're starting to get it son right on Justin, you start to understand how terribly lost Jewish people and every body is apart from Jesus Christ, right on Justin is starting to understand the sadness that I filled in Romans chapter 9 cause me to say what I did right on Justin you starting to understand the heart of God for lost people and right on Justin, you start to do something about it right on song good for you to pull one here but that's what I wrote back and import told because that's what Paul would've said, and friends.

That's what Paul would say to you and me.

If he were here today he'd say if you're a follower of Jesus Christ and you live in this town there to hundred and 50,000 people in this town who don't know how to get to heaven and nobody is going to tell him if we don't tell. That is the truth that is the way it is and he would say you know what God wants you to have the heart he has for people outside of Christ. If you want to go tell when they come to town he want you to be part of this, they said we know what lawn you got understand I'm not the kind of person he puts on a bright red T-shirt puts a track bag over my shoulder goes down the street to wash okay. All right.

Fair enough. There lots all the ways you can help. We need help with music help with drama help with our media campaign.

We need people to stand at kiosks in the malls around Washington and give out printed material and we need people to pray. If there's nothing else to commit to do, but for a month be serious in prayer about this outreach that's critical is that I would he want me to do want you to do is take a still insert at a bulletin it is Jews for Jesus on the front and will train you.

Nobody is going to throw you out there without training I want to turn it on the back and on the back.

It has a place for you to check which of the two days of training you're going to come to and then we want you to come will figure out at the training. What you're good at what you want to do. There is nothing you're good at that. We can use. And then we want to go in the lobby hand listen to our Jews for Jesus reps that are out there in the lobby and that I want you to start getting excited about being part of this I want you to start praying now about the Jewish people were going be walking down the street minding their own business, but they have no idea that they have an appointment with eternity waiting for mom street corner. I want you to start pray in their hearts going to be ready and open and I want you to start praying for the success of this campaign that were going to leave hundreds and thousands of Jewish people and Gentile people to Jesus Christ the end of the summer.

The beginning of this fall here in Washington friends. This is the most exciting evangelism opportunity to hit this town.

Well, maybe since I've been here. We want to be a part of it.

I want you to be a part. I want you to have the joy of being a part of seeing us do this. So if you fill out the form you go turn it in.

Will do that but for heavenly father. Thanks for the opportunity to talk today about our role here in Washington as ambassadors for Christ and remind us today that here in this town we have a job to do our job is to represent Jesus and tell people the truth about how they get to heaven, and it doesn't matter whether there Jewish, whether they're Muslim. Whether there Gentile with animal vegetable and mineral than the competitive. That's our task. That's our target.

So Lord I pray that you would excite us as a church family and mobilize us to be part of this wonderful outreach and I pray we would see hundreds of thousands of people in this town come to Jesus Christ the summer because of our willingness to get out there and do something about people's loss to state God use us in this town to make a difference for Jesus Christ, one life at a time and we pray this in Jesus name, amen