The Crucifixion

Posted on by korgrocker

“My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.”
Psalm 22:16-18 NLT

David’s prophetic image of crucifixion is incredibly accurate. The piercing of hands and feet, the shame of the nakedness, and the disposal of the poor person’s clothes all featured later in the graphic details of Jesus’ crucifixion that we can read in the Gospels. David wrote this Psalm in the first person, as though it was him who was experiencing the trauma of an extremely painful death. But how did David know about crucifixion many years before it was used as a heinously cruel act of execution? In common with many Old Testament prophecies, such a revelation could only have been provided by the Holy Spirit. God sees the end from the beginning and there were many occasions in the Bible when He chose to share what was coming with particular men and women who were part of His story of interaction with His loved creation, human beings. 

After the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples, probably scaring them half to death, because crucified, graveyard-dead, men don’t reappear alive and well, as a general rule. We know that His hands and feet were pierced by the Roman nails because scars remained, and it was these that Jesus showed His disciples, just so that they knew he was the same Man. Luke 24:38-40, ““Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet“. Don’t forget that these men, Jesus’ disciples, were men of the world in their day. Some were fishermen, a profession not known for personal sensitivity and atmospheric and intellectual thinking, and they would need some convincing that Jesus was indeed back from the dead. But they were still struggling to make sense of what they were seeing, because the next verse in Luke reads, “Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”” Jesus ate a piece of fish in their presence, finally convincing them that He was indeed alive. Ghosts don’t sit down to a fish supper! Jesus was the same Man but with a resurrected body that could pass through walls and travel distances instantly. God showed David the start of the journey from the Cross to the empty tomb, knowing that this was enough to help countless people understand why Jesus had to die. 

Another part of David’s prophecy involved Jesus’ clothes. Right on cue, we read in Luke 23:34, “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice”. In John’s Gospel we read a few more details of what actually happened, “When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did” (John 19:23-24). Again, how did David know this would happen unless God Himself had told him? Incredible details that must convince even the most cynical sceptic about Jesus and what happened that first Easter weekend.

Jesus just borrowed Joseph’s tomb for a weekend. It was soon vacated, and the next phase of history commenced. Within a few years the birth of Christianity took place, first in Jerusalem, and then, spreading rapidly, it exploded with Good News into the lives of men and women all over the civilised parts of the world. We pilgrims have heard the message and have put our trust in Jesus. Factually the Crucifixion happened – there is enough hard evidence to convince a court of law even all these years later. But that is not why we believe in Jesus. We have put our faith in the Man who came to this world, leaving the comfort of Heavenly eternity, just to save us from the consequences of our sins. Good News indeed. The Gospel has spread largely by the Holy-Spirit-empowered testimonies of God’s people, and we are part of that process today. We too tell everyone who we know about Jesus, about His love, His grace, His sinless sacrifice, His death and resurrection, and, above all, His invitation to spend eternity with Him. Daily we look for an opportunity to share our faith, and in the process bring ever closer that day when Jesus returns. We express our praise and worship and shout out our hallelujah’s whenever we can, because what else can we do? We give God all the glory and will do forever and ever.

Dear Lord Jesus. We proclaim our love and thanks to You today. Easter Sunday we remember every day, because You are alive and well, and live in our hearts through Your Spirit. Thank You Lord. Amen.

The Helpless

Posted on by korgrocker

“Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues. They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims. Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets. Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked. The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us! He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!””
Psalm 10:7-11 NLT

Who are the “helpless” that the Psalmist was writing about? These were people who were at the mercy of the wicked among them. People who were presumably unable to defend themselves against the murderous intent of their attackers, who, we’re told, had “trouble and evil … on the tips of their tongues”. The wicked attackers looked around for those in their societies who were weaker than them, and they then proceeded to crush them, impervious to the thought that God was looking on.  Mankind has always had a propensity to try and get one over their fellow members of society. That was true in the days when the Psalms were written and it is still true today. 

As I wrote this I immediately thought of the scammers and fraudsters who contact vulnerable people and relieve them of their money. I regularly receive emails from my bank warning me of the tactics that fraudsters use to try and gain access to my bank account. And I think of the “helpless victims” who, nevertheless, are taken in by plausible tales and are soon parted from their savings. I recently heard of someone who had a text from one of their children (or so they thought) using a phone that wasn’t theirs, to say that they were in trouble and needed some funds. It was so convincing that the person concerned was well along the way of arranging a money transfer before something made them think that there was something not quite right here. Fortunately, the scam was stopped before any harm was done. 

The helpless in our societies today are those who are weaker, mentally and physically, because of age or upbringing. Children can be very trusting of the adults around them and can end up abused and manipulated. Older people can find themselves lacking the mental capacity they once had and inadvertently are talked into danger. And in between, there are always “innocent people” who find themselves defenceless in the face of a murderous attack of one kind or another.

In Biblical days, lawlessness made travel between cities fraught with danger, and Jesus even told a parable about a man robbed by bandits, beaten up and left for dead at the side of the road. A story that people in those days would immediately relate to. Travel by anyone of any importance was always accompanied by a contingent of soldiers for protection. But even those in cities were not immune from petty thieves and pickpockets. There was always someone out to prey on “helpless victims”. 

Of course, we pilgrims can look on and wonder where God is during these times of danger and anxiety. We pray, but evil people seem to prevail. Then we turn to Psalm 91 and read, “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease” (Psalm 91:2-3). We will find a refuge from danger in God. There are no scammers in God’s Kingdom and the wonderful thing is that as we stay close to Him, He will keep us safe. There are many people with testimonies of how God has stopped something bad happening to them. I look back on my own life and see the times when God protected me in a time of danger. And for those who fall victim to an evil person, there is always a way back. He promised to look after us as we ” … live in the shelter of the Most High …” (Psalm 91:1a). 

Dear Father God. Your protection is assured and we are so grateful. Please lead us and guide us in Your ways, in the paths of righteousness. Amen. 

Testimonies

Posted on by korgrocker

“If I were to testify on my own behalf, my testimony would not be valid. But someone else is also testifying about me, and I assure you that everything he says about me is true. In fact, you sent investigators to listen to John the Baptist, and his testimony about me was true. Of course, I have no need of human witnesses, but I say these things so you might be saved.” John 5:31-34 NLT

Jesus was still in the middle of a long conversation with the Jewish leaders. We don’t know if they were interacting with Him, but, so far, Jesus has spoken about His mission, His miracles, His authority to give life to anyone He chooses, His power to raise the dead, His authority to judge, and His relationship with His father in Heaven. A lot of ground covered. But now Jesus must have been responding to a question or comment about His authority. If He can make all these claims, who is there to witness to their truth?

Jesus admitted that to testify about Himself, and who He was, would not be acceptable or valid. But He pointed out that John the Baptist spoke the truth about Him. We read in John 1:5-6, “God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony“. He continued, ” ….. “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’” From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us” (John 1:15b-18).‭‭ The Jews considered John to be a prophet, and many people were baptised by him in the Jordan. He was greatly respected by both the Jewish leaders and the people, so what John said was taken note of. Jesus, however, reminded His listeners that He didn’t need the benefit of human witnesses, but if He had one, that would help these leaders to be saved.

At Jesus’ trial before the Jewish High Council, the Sanhedrin, the Jewish leaders tried hard to find someone who would substantiate a capital charge against Jesus. We read in Matthew 26:59-61, “Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone’s testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days’“”. A trumped up charge hardly sufficient to bring about a death sentence and based on what Jesus said, not on what He did. To an outsider, a statement like that is hardly a crime at all. But before we 21st Century people say that such a thing couldn’t happen today, we should take note that we have to be careful about certain things we say, things that could be defined as “hate speech”, and which are likely to cause other people offence. Street preachers particularly have to be careful about the content of their messages and avoid being drawn into discussions about issues such as homosexuality. As in Jesus’ day, what we say can be misconstrued and lead to prosecution.

There are two things here for us pilgrims. Is there anyone who can testify to our faith, and what is our testimony? An example much overworked is the question – “If I was arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict me?” Would the prosecution be able to produce one or more witnesses who would testify that I was a believer? John testified great things about Jesus, but what would our witnesses testify about us? The second thing concerns our testimonies. What would people say about us? Would who or what we are be identifiable as appropriate for people who believe in Jesus? And do we have testimonies that will lead to people being saved? 

Jesus’ approach to the Jewish leaders was one where He didn’t pull any punches. He told them the truth about Himself, and His life was totally in line with His testimony. No hypocrisy. No lies. No sin. Jesus was the only perfect Man who has walked on this earth, so what else can we do than praise Him?

Dear Lord Jesus. It is difficult to get our minds around the fact that the Son of God left Heaven and came to this planet at just the right time with a plan for the salvation of mankind. We can only thank and worship You today. Amen.

Spirits in Prison (1)

Posted on by korgrocker

“So he went and preached to the spirits in prison— those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 3:19-21 NLT

These are verses that can cause people difficulties, and there are several theories about what they really mean. We know from 1 Peter 3:18b that Jesus was “ … raised to life in the Spirit” so taking these verses literally we conclude that in the period between His death and resurrection Jesus, in spirit form, preached a message to a select group of spirits who were imprisoned in some way. We therefore have to ask ourselves what was the message that Jesus preached, what happens to our spirits after we die and why select just this particular group of spirits.

After we die, the Bible indicates that our physical bodies are of no further use and can be disposed of. However, our spirits continue to live and go somewhere. The popular expectation is that Heaven is the final destination for people’s spirits – most people, regardless of what faith they have, if any, like to think that their loved ones, and themselves, will end up in Heaven after they die. Others assume that unbelievers end up in hell, but Scriptures tell us that this was a place created for the devil (Revelation 20:10). Unbelievers, unrepentant sinners, are not sent there until after the Great White Throne judgement we read about in Revelation 20. But the most likely place for spirits after we die is a place called Hades or Sheol. This is a holding place for spirits until they receive their new bodies. Hades seems to be compartmentalised with a part reserved for believers called paradise. We know that from the words Jesus spoke to the thief next to Him. Luke 23:43, “And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise””. We also read Jesus’ parable about Lazarus and the Rich Man, where Lazarus is in a place of comfort but the rich man is in a different place of anguish. ““Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to sit beside Abraham at the heavenly banquet. The rich man also died and was buried, … The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’” (Luke 16:22,24). 

So we conclude that after we die, our spirits end up in a holding place, compartmentalised in accordance with our response to God while we were still nalive. Those who repented of their sins and believed in Jesus will end up in a compartment called Paradise, and those who haven’t will end up in a compartment that will probably be a foretaste of what hell will be like. And there is no possibility of a transition between the two. But these are my personal theories, gained from a rather sparse selection of Scriptures – everyone must draw their own conclusions.

Thankfully, God has provided for us a way to avoid the hell-like part of Hades. Jesus came to Planet Earth so that, through Him, our sins would be forgiven. Peter, in his Pentecost day message, and in response to the question, “What should we do?”‭‭‭, said, “ … Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit“. It is important to note that the repentant thief had not been involved in any of the Jewish liturgies of his day. To bring it up to date, he hadn’t been to a Bible study or a prayer meeting. He hadn’t responded to an altar call given out by some trans-national evangelist. Instead, with his dying breaths, he came to a place of repentance and assured himself a future with Jesus in Paradise. All human beings have the same choice. Some may think it unfair that after a life of crime he should receive such a reward. But that is God’s grace. “All have sinned …” Paul wrote, and God will forgive everyone who come to Him. We pilgrims have made the right choice, but we cannot just leave it there. Many people around us have still to make the same decision that we did. Who are we praying for? Who are we telling of our hope in a Heavenly future? The harvest is ready, folks.

Dear Father God. We pray for guidance about who we should pray for, and witness to. We know that Jesus came to this world to save sinners, and is still doing it through His people. We pray for more “divine appointments” as we go out and about in our communities. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Preaching Ambition

Posted on by korgrocker

“My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.” In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.”
Romans 15:20-22 NLT

Paul was very clear about what really floated his boat – his preference was for being a church planter in virgin territory, in places where the inhabitants had never heard the Gospel before. Throughout the Middle East in those days communications were poor, so the Good News about Christ was carried by word of mouth, by itinerant preachers such as Paul. No internet or social media to spread the news. So it would have been very possible for Paul and his entourage to walk into a new place, and find a harvest of people desperate for some Good News. We read what happened at Philippi, with a lady called Lydia. The story is recorded in Acts 16, “On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She and her household were baptised … ” (Acts 16:13-15a). There were people around with a God-awareness in those days, but the Good News of Jesus and God’s plan for the salvation of mankind was not widely known, even though it was prophesied in the Bible. In Ephesians 3, Paul referred to God’s plan as being mysterious, but from Paul’s lips came the simple but profound facts of Christ, His sacrifice at Calvary, and the way to God “through the dark paths of sin”. Good News indeed.

But Paul’s heart as a Pastor wasn’t in doubt. We read his letters and see the care and love he had for both the churches he planted and those he didn’t. The Ephesians and the Galatians. The Philippians and the Romans. All received, with others, his letters of correction and encouragement. But his heart was really in bringing new souls into the Kingdom of God.

Fast forward to 21st Century Western society. Some have started to refer to the current age as being “post-Christian”. We have the many church buildings, mostly unique and very beautiful, particularly here in the UK, dotted around our landscape, like monuments to the glory of a past age, where people worshipped a person they called God. Prayers written in an antique style were read in unison from elderly books; songs they called hymns with strange lyrics were sung to tunes unfamiliar to today’s ear. And we now have a generation, or more, who may have a God-awareness, but not in a worshipful way like Lydia and her family. In today’s society, the name of God is more likely to be heard as a swear word than in a worshipful prayer. The only contact with God most have is at a church wedding or in a funeral service, rituals quickly forgotten in the celebrations afterwards.

But there is hope, because our wonderful Heavenly Father planted within every person an awareness of Himself. In Genesis 1:27 we read, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them”. We can try and suppress our inner feelings, but the reality is that each human being has within him God’s image. People try and find something to fill the God-hole within them with spiritual activities like Yoga or they delve into things like horoscopes. But they soon find that the emptiness is still there. Others try and fill the gap with materialistic activities. People talk about “retail therapy”, or they claim closeness to nature with their gardens or eco-activities. But only God can fill the yearning, the spiritual thirstiness, within them. We pilgrims have the opportunity, through the power that is within us, to tap into that spiritual awareness, and bring the only lasting solution. Jesus invited the thirsty to come to Him. We read what he said in John 7:37-38a, “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink!“”

What do we pilgrims have an ambition for? Of course we have to earn a living, but do we search after promotion in our companies or do we put our earthly yearnings to one side and, like Paul, say that we, “ … would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2b). Promotion to a higher position in our employment won’t help the lost around us. But our testimonies and preaching about Christ could just promote them into Heavenly places.

Dear Father God. Please help us prioritise our lives to get them aligned with Your will and purposes. For Jesus’ sake.Amen.

Privilege and Authority

Posted on by korgrocker

“Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey Him, bringing glory to His name.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Paul is making a bold statement here. Because of his position as an Apostle he claims to have a God-given authority “through Christ”. Is that an assumption on his part or does he really have a mandate? The answer is that he received a clear mandate from Jesus at their encounter on the Damascus Road (Acts 9), an encounter that was so dramatic that it totally changed his life. To the extent that in Galatians 1:1, Paul said of himself, ” …I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.” That’s a mandate that nobody will mess with or deny him!

In today’s verse, Paul also used the word “us” rather than “me”. Paul therefore must have been writing this letter as part of an apostolic team, but the exact nature of who was in the team is lost in the mists of time. Regarding who originally established the early church in Rome, tradition has it that the foundations were laid by Christians, probably new believers, travelling there, perhaps on business, or on returning home – we do know that some Jewish visitors from Rome heard Peter’s Acts 2 sermon. (Acts 2:10). The Apostle Peter also is credited with having an influence on the nascent Roman church.

In his letter, Paul said it was a privilege to share his message, his Good News, with the Gentiles, the non-Jews, wherever he went. And he did so with every opportunity that he had at his disposal. By all accounts he was a confident and persuasive preacher, and won many an argument with the Jews he found in places he visited. But his real heart, his real mission, was to see the Gentiles converted to be followers of Jesus. And that to him was a privilege. Notice that his message wasn’t to tell the Gentiles what God had done for him, but what God had done for them. A difference in emphasis, but one we should note because it makes the sharing of the Good News more personal and relevant.

This verse finishes with the goal of Paul’s message to the Gentiles – “that they will believe and obey Him, bringing glory to His name.” Paul’s aim was not to have a cosy chat about theology with a few like-minded people. He was fired up with an urgency to get people into God’s Kingdom, and in the process, giving God the glory.

As we read this verse, we note that Paul said he was an Apostle. But surely the job description he wrote was more that of an Evangelist. The two roles can overlap but, as we see in many places throughout Paul’s letters, his heart was in establishing and nurturing churches, an Apostle’s goal.

We pilgrims too, in a sense, are Apostles and Evangelists in that we are tasked with serving our Master, Jesus, in sharing the message of the Good News of what God has done for us. It is important that we follow up our testimonies with encouraging new believers to become part of a Bible-believing, God-fearing, local church. And if there’s not one, then perhaps we should start one. That was how the early church was established. We read in Acts 2:46, “They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity”. Jesus confirmed such an approach when He said in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them”. If Jesus is with us, we cannot fail! Today, we call such Christian gatherings house churches. Not a modern phenomenon at all – the concept was well established before our ornate and vast church buildings and cathedrals were built.

So, pilgrims everywhere, go for it! “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31). Who indeed! In Acts 2 there was a day when the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early disciples caused absolute mayhem. People came running to find out what was going on. And at the end of Peter’s sermon we read, “Those who believed what Peter said were baptised and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all“. But before we talk down such events, we must remember that Peter was just a fisherman. Not a learned Bishop, or professor of theology. He was nobody special except for one thing – he had met Jesus. We pilgrims have met Jesus too. Haven’t we?

Dear Father God. We thank You for all You have done. We thank You for extending Your grace and love to all mankind. We reach out to You today, in praise and worship. Amen.

Don’t Close the Book

Posted on by korgrocker

“Then he instructed me, “Do not seal up the prophetic words in this book, for the time is near. Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.””
Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NLT

In the days before paper and books, writings would be recorded on scrolls, and they would be rolled up and sealed to preserve the contents. We saw this back in Revelation when we read, “And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?”” (Revelation 5:2). Jesus eventually stepped forward to open the scroll. He was the only one found worthy enough to break the seals and unleash the consequences on the earth. Well, now we’re at Revelation 22 and John was instructed not to seal the scroll. Today, we would say keep the book open and make it available for all to read. So this was to be no library book, removed from the shelf and relegated to a storeroom somewhere. This was no book to be placed in a box at the back of the attic. The angel was saying that events were about to come to fruition, just as described in the book. So keep it handy for reference. It was almost as though the prophecies were to form a checklist, with boxes to be ticked as the events happened, implying that the prophetic words contained within Revelation were going to happen just as described. And “soon”.

The angel continued with a strange statement. What did he mean by saying that existing behaviour must continue, whether good or bad? John’s prophetic vision about what was to happen had finished. The angel was now gently bringing him back to the present. A world populated by good and bad people. Perhaps the End Times were about to be completed so quickly that there wasn’t any time left for personal revisions of human behaviour. People were to continue carrying on as they always had done until the final day arrived. Jesus warned us that this would be the case, as we read in Matthew 24:37-39, “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn’t realise what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.” It is sad to think that mankind has become so arrogant that warnings about the future are disregarded, people preferring to live their lives in a sinful way. Of course it was not necessarily wrong to indulge some of the social practices that were happening. It was all about where God was in them – elevated or ignored? In it all, were the people’s lives harmful and vile, or righteous and holy?

Is there any significance in the descriptive words the angel used – harm, vile, righteousness and holiness? Possibly not, because there were many other character descriptions possible to describe how mankind behaves. The message for us pilgrims is to “keep on keeping on”. As we wait for the final days to come, we must continue to do the things God has asked us to do. Sharing our messages of hope. Living our lives as we should. Following Christ at every opportunity. Aspiring to true righteousness and holiness.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your faithful servant John, who so diligently wrote down everything presented to him. Please help us too to be diligent in the tasks You have set us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.