Sunday_Service

Good morning everyone from Hawaii to all points of this vast and incredible planet. As we gather this day we hope to bring you the element of peace and tranquility. We all welcome you to our 50th Sunday service of The Church Ministries, to find the inner teachings of our Lord and bring light to our heart and souls. I usually bring you all up to my medical situation but I will try not to speak about it. We are here to praise God and spread the word, the bread of life, and express miracles, health and prosperity. This week is just too much to even talk about; I have to remain positive and joyful, and to preach truth even in the wave of diversity. We want to welcome any visitors and any return guests, and welcome back our members from last week. I am still covering another Parable from Matthew Chapter 13, and I will be starting this week with the first one, I wanted to make a deep point on the tares and the wheat, and now I want to back track to the beginning and still go over the scriptures or verses 10-17 this way we will get a double input and a remembrance of the Holy Word.

Father we come to you in the name of Jesus, we ask for forgiveness for thinking we are inferior and we all know we were created in Your image. We need you this day. You O’Lord are our lamp; You are the Light in the darkness of this world. Please let Your loves shine in our hearts and our lives, and please don’t let sin and evil direct any of our paths and thoughts that are placed before us. Grant us your grace to follow Your will and love in our walk with You. You have brought upon this church blessing after blessing. May your Holy Spirit come upon us all for a special anointing and blessing upon all your people. Father we need the Holy Spirit to flood the bodies and minds of this congregation, so the hearing of Your word will serve to strengthen our faith in You, the one true God, Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. Please bring us all refreshment and a new cleansed spirit. Please open us all to Your teaching and knowledge. Dear Jesus You have made each Sunday a day of triumph through Your resurrection, please increase in us a desire to worship You and Your Father in pure spirit, and in open truth. We all need that contact from our spirits to Yours. Dear Lord we want to bring You joy through us and our worship this day. We are gathered today to focus on You and Your Son. We are all here to thank You and give You glory. Praise be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Father please erase from all our hearts all thoughts of pride and plant in us a spirit of high-quality love, a compassionate strength of character and of thanksgiving, as the season begins to approach us, and have a mind of joy and good will toward all. In Jesus Name, Amen

In this world we face many complications we search for God’s love and we do receive it. Sometimes we do not recognize it. We are surrounded by all different types of sin and barricades of the evil one. The light keeps pressing forth and we just don’t see it, even though we search for it continually but we are blinded by satan and surrounded by his darkness. We keep pressing towards the light but the darkness overwhelms us. Each day we ask for a day of peace and contentment and it just does not come. There comes a time where it is natural to wake up and have all your senses and you are faced not with one or two areas of darkness but many, and they submerge the light like a massive cloud. You call to God and ask for that time of peace and you wave and beat your arms at this cloud of darkness that is trying to over power the light. You see at times little spots or openings of light breaking through the darkness that is your hope. These openings and spots of light are your gifts of compassion and love to add to Gods reassurance of hope. I stand as a Christian full of love, optimism, and devotion for all people. I find my joy buy serving and during that service, I see an accomplishment, of bringing that joy to others. When the others do not receive the joy, in comes another cloud of darkness to circle around me. At times I call out to the Lord to remove the clouds of darkness because I know myself a simple man, cannot move these many clouds. I call His Name, I know He hears me, but the darkness remains. I understand fighting the darkness makes me stronger as I try to swim out of this blur, to hear and see through this haze. I know you can not have darkness and light in the same area, but I remain surrounded, even as a child of light a beacon, strong and full of light. We can not ask why this continues, and how is it possible. We do know the light will shine forth like the sun, at the time edited by God, as we wait in inquisition. God has faultless timing, and I trust in Him. I have tried all different ways to escape from this cloud of darkness, the promises, the faith, the love, the prayers, the word, the hope, the blood, the obedience, and the understanding of an intimate relationship, but still I remain in deeper darkness, and it gets darker as the spots and the openings of the true light are still breaking forcefully through. My patience has not left me, but the weariness, uneasiness, the sorrow, the tears; the waiting has just amplified into a disappointed expectation. I am exhausted and discouraged, but I know and have an inner strength that is Christ in me, and I will soon soar out of this darkness on the wings of eagles.

1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. Matt. 13: 1-9 KJV

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.

19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;

21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matt. 13: 18-23 KJV

10Then the disciples came to Him and said, Why do You speak to them in parables?

11And He replied to them, To you it has been given to know the secrets and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.

12For whoever has [spiritual knowledge], to him will more be given and he will be furnished richly so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

13This is the reason that I speak to them in parables: because having the power of seeing, they do not see; and having the power of hearing, they do not hear, nor do they grasp and understand.

14In them indeed is the process of fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, which says: You shall indeed hear and hear but never grasp and understand; and you shall indeed look and look but never see and perceive.

15For this nation's heart has grown gross (fat and dull), and their ears heavy and difficult of hearing, and their eyes they have tightly closed, lest they see and perceive with their eyes, and hear and comprehend the sense with their ears, and grasp and understand with their heart, and turn and I should heal them.

16But blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear.

17Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous men [men who were upright and in right standing with God] yearned to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Matt. 13:10-17 AMP

10His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?"

11Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. 12To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. 13That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand. 14This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says:

`You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning.15For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes--so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.' 16"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17I assure you, many prophets and godly people have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not. Matt. 13: 10-17 NLT

"And He spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow." The careful reader will notice an omission here, namely, that this parable does not begin with the words "the kingdom of heaven is like unto." This cannot be without some good reason, for that which is omitted from Holy word is often times as meaningful as what is recorded. Each of the six parables which follow do begin with this clause. The reason why it is left out at the beginning of the first is not difficult to account for. As we have shown in a previous article, "the kingdom of heaven" is an expression which, in the present dispensation, has reference to Christendom the sphere of Christian profession, that circle where the sovereignty of Christ is publicly owned. But the "kingdom of heaven" did not assume this form until after Christ had returned to the Father. Thus, because this first parable considers the period of time covered by our Lord’s earthly ministry these words are suitably omitted. The first parable forms an introduction to those which follow: it describes the work of Christ’s foundation to the establishment of His kingdom among the Gentiles, though the principle of it is of wider application.

Jesus entered into a boat that he might be the less pressed, and be the better heard by the people. By this he teaches us in the outward circumstances of worship not to covet that which is stately, but to make the best of the conveniences God in his providence assigns to us. Christ taught in parables. Thereby the things of God were made more plain and easy to those willing to be taught and at the same time more difficult and unclear to those who were willingly ignorant. The parable of the sower is plain. The seed sown is the word of God. The sower is our Lord Jesus Christ, by himself, or by his ministers. Preaching to a multitude is sowing the corn; we know not where it will light. Some sort of ground, though we take ever so many pains with it, brings forth no fruit to purpose, while the good soil brings forth plentifully. So it is with the hearts of men, whose different characters are here described by four sorts of ground. Careless, insignificant hearers, are an easy prey to Satan who as he is the great murderer of souls, so he is the great thief of sermons, and will be sure to rob us of the word, if we take not care to keep it. Hypocrites, like the stony ground, often get the start of true Christians in the shows of profession. Many are glad to hear a good sermon, who do not profit by it. They are told of free salvation, of the believer's privileges, and the happiness of heaven; and, without any change of heart, without any abiding conviction of their own depravity, their need of a Savior, or the excellence of holiness, they soon profess an unwarranted assurance. But when some heavy trial threatens them, or some sinful advantage may be had, they give up or disguise their profession, or turn to some easier system. Worldly cares are fitly compared to thorns, for they came in with sin, and are a fruit of the curse; they are good in their place to stop a gap, but a man must be well armed that has much to do with them; they are entangling, troublesome, scratching, and their end is to be burned. Worldly cares are great hindrances to our profiting by the word of God. The deceitfulness of riches does the mischief; they cannot be said to deceive us unless we put our trust in them, then they choke the good seed. What distinguished the good ground was fruitfulness. By this true Christians are distinguished from hypocrites. Christ does not say that this good ground has no stones in it, or no thorns; but none that could hinder its fruitfulness. All are not alike; we should aim at the highest, to bring forth most fruit. The sense of hearing cannot be better employed than in hearing God's word; and let us look to ourselves that we may know what sort of hearers we are.

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear." Matt. 13:1-8 NIV

18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." Matt: 13:18-23 NIV

Most of the details of this parable are concerned not with the Sower or the Seed, but with the various soils in which the Seed fell. In His interpretation the Lord Jesus explained the different soils as representing various classes of those who hear the Word. They are four in number, and may be classified as hard-hearted, shallow-hearted, half-hearted, and whole-hearted. It is important to see that in the parable Christ is speaking not from the standpoint of the divine counsels for there can be no failure there but from that of human accountability. What we have here is the Word of the kingdom addressed to man’s responsibility, the effect it has on him, and his response.

The plain teaching of our present parable should at once scatter the positive but vain dreams of post-millenarians. It answers clearly and conclusively the following questions: What is to be the result of the broadcast sowing of the seed? Will the entire world receive it and every part of the field produce fruit? Will the seed spring up and bear a universal harvest, so that not a single grain of it is lost? Our Savior plainly tells us that the greater part of the seed produces no fruit, so that no world-wide conquests by the Gospel, in the Christian placement of the race, are to be looked for. Nor was there any hint that, as the age progressed, there would be any change, and that later sowers would meet with greater success, so that the wayside, stony, and thorny ground hearers would cease to exist or would rarely be found. Instead of that, the Lord Himself has plainly warned us that instead of the fruitage from the Gospel showing an increase, there would be a marked decrease; for when speaking of the fruit borne He said, "which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty". These words are too plain to be misunderstood. We believe that the "hundred fold" had reference to the yield borne in the days of the apostles; the "sixty" at the time of the Reformation; the "thirty" the days in which we are now living. The history of the last nineteen centuries has witnessed the fulfillment of Christ’s prediction; only a fractional percentage in any land, city or village has responded to the Gospel.

This Gospel cares for the disciples, followers, believers, and all people and the fruits, which the Word of God develops in the world. It does not speak of the law nor of human institutions; but, as Christ himself says, of the Word of God, which He himself the sower preaches, for the law bears no fruit, just as little as do the institutions of men. Christ however sets forth here four kinds of people of the divine Word.

The first sections of people are those who hear the Word but neither understands nor values it. And these are not the mean people in the world, but the greatest, wisest and the most saintly, in short they are the greatest part of mankind; for Christ does not speak here of those who persecute the Word nor of those who fail to give their ear to it, but some who hear it and are students of it, who also wish to be called true Christians and to live in Christian fellowship with Christians and are partakers of baptism and the Lord's Supper. But they are of a carnal heart, and remain so, failing to appropriate the Word of God to themselves, it goes in one ear and out the other. Just like the seed along the wayside did not fall into the earth, but remained lying on the ground in the wayside, because the road was tramped hard by the feet of man and beast and it could not take root.

Therefore Christ says the devil comes and takes away the Word from their heart that they may not believe and be saved. What power of Satan this alone reveals, that their hearts, hardened through a worldly mind and life and lose the Word and let it go, so that they never understand or confess it; but instead of the Word of God Satan sends false teachers to trample it under foot by the doctrines of men. For it stands here written both that it was flattened under foot, and the birds of the heaven devoured it. The birds Christ himself interprets as the messengers of the devil, who snatch away the Word and devour it, which is done when he turns and blinds their hearts so that they neither understand nor appreciate it. (2 Tim 4:4). By the treading under foot of men Christ means the teachings of men, that rule in our hearts, as he says in (Mt 5:13) about us being the salt of the earth, and when the salt is lost it will be trampled by men. Then in (2 Thes. 2:11), they must believe a lie because they have not been obedient to the truth.

Thus all heretics, extremists and sects belong to this number, who understand the Gospel in a carnal way and explain it as they please, to suit their own ideas, all of whom hear the Gospel and so far they bear no fruit, even more, they are governed by Satan and are harder oppressed by human institutions than they were before they heard the Word. For it is a dreadful utterance that Christ here gives that the devil takes away the Word from their hearts, by which he clearly proves that the devil rules mightily in their hearts, notwithstanding they are called Christians and hear the Word. Likewise it sounds terribly that they are to be trampled under foot, and must be subject unto men and to their harmful teachings, by which under the appearance and name of the Gospel the devil takes the Word from them, so that they may never believe, possess fruit and be saved, but must be lost forever; as the dedicated spirits of our day do in all lands. For where this Word is not, there is no salvation, and great works or holy lives avail nothing, for with this, that he says: "They shall not be saved," since they have not the Word, he shows forcibly enough, that not their works but their faith in the Word alone saves, as Paul says to the Romans:

The second section of people is those who receive the Word with joy, but they do not persevere. These are also a large multitude who understand the Word correctly and lay hold of it in its purity without any spirit of division, separation or devotion, they rejoice also in that they know the real truth, and are able to know how they may be saved without works through faith. They also know that they are free from the bondage of the law, of their conscience and of human teachings; but when it comes to the test that they must suffer harm, disgrace and loss of life or property, then they fall and deny it; for they have not root enough, and are not planted deep enough in the soil. Hence they are like the growth on a rock, which springs forth fresh and green, that it is a pleasure to behold it and it awakens bright hopes. But when the sun shines hot it withers, because it has no soil and moisture, and only rock is there. So these do; in times of persecution they deny or keep silence about the Word, and work, speak and suffer all that their persecutors mention or wish, who formerly went forth and spoke, and confessed with a fresh and joyful spirit the same, while there was still peace and no heat, so that there was hope they would bear much fruit and serve the people. For these fruits are not only the works, but more the confession, preaching and spreading of the Word, so that many others may thereby be converted and the kingdom of God be developed.

The sad thing is that today almost everything connected with modern evangelistic effort is calculated to produce just this very type of hearer. The bright singing, the sentimentality of the hymns, the preacher’s appeals to the emotions, the demand of the churches for visible and quick results, produce nothing but superficial returns. Sinners are urged to make a prompt decision, are rushed to the repentant form, and then assured that all is well with them; and the poor deluded soul leaves with a false and temporary joy. And the deplorable thing is that many of the Lord’s own people are supporting and fellow transporting this Christ dishonoring and soul deceiving burlesque of true Gospel ministry.

The third section of people are those who hear and understand the Word, but still it falls on the other side of the road, among the pleasures and cares of this life, so that they also do nothing with the Word. And there is quite a large multitude of these; for although they do not start deviation, like the first, but always possess the absolutely pure Word, they are also, not attacked on the left as the others with opposition and persecution; yet they fall on the right side, and it is their ruin that they enjoy peace and good days. Therefore they do not earnestly give themselves to the Word, but become indifferent and sink in the cares, riches and pleasures of this life, so that they are of no benefit to any one. Therefore they are like the seed that fell among the thorns. Although it is not rocky but good soil; not wayside but deeply plowed soil; yet, the thorns will not let it spring up, they choke it. Thus these have all in the Word that is needed for their salvation, but they do not make any use of it, and they rot in this life in carnal pleasures. To these belong those who hear the Word but do not bring under subjection their flesh. They know their duty but don’t do it, they teach but do not practice what they teach, and live this year as if it were their last.

The fourth section of people are those who lay hold of and keep the Word in a good and honest heart, and bring forth fruit with patience, those who hear the Word and steadfastly retain it, meditate upon it and act in harmony with it. The devil does not snatch it away, nor are they by this means led astray, moreover the heat of persecution does not rob them of it, and the thorns of pleasure and the greediness of the times do not hinder its growth; but they bear fruit by teaching others and by developing the kingdom of God, hence they also do good to their neighbor in love; and therefore Christ adds, "they bring forth fruit with patience." For these must suffer much on account of the Word, shame and disgrace from extremists and heretics, hatred and jealousy with injury to body and property from their persecutors, not to mention what the thorns and the temptations of their own flesh do, so that it may well be called the Word of the cross; for he who would keep it must bear the cross and misfortune, and triumph.

He says: "In honest and good hearts." Like a field that is without a thorn or brush, cleared and spacious, as a beautiful clean place: so a heart is also cleared and clean, broad and spacious, that is without cares and greediness as to temporal needs, so that the Word of God truly finds lodgment there. But the field is good, not only when it lies there cleared and level, but when it is also rich and fruitful, possesses soil and is productive, and not like a stony and gravelly field. Just so is the heart that has good soil and with a full spirit is strong, fertile and good to keep the Word and bring forth fruit with patience.

Here we see why it is no wonder there are so few true Christians, for all the seed does not fall into good ground, but only the fourth and small part; and that they are not to be trusted who boast they are Christians and praise the teaching of the Gospel; like Demas, a disciple of Paul, who abandoned him (2 Tim. 4:10); like the disciples of Jesus, who turned their backs to him (John 6:66). For Christ himself cries out here: "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear," as if he should say: O, how few true Christians there are; one dare not believe all to be Christians who are called Christians and hear the Gospel, more is required than that.

All this is spoken for our instruction, that we may not go astray, since so many misuse the Gospel and few lay hold of it aright. True it is unpleasant to preach to those who treat the Gospel so shamefully and even oppose it. For preaching is to become so universal that the Gospel is to be proclaimed to all creatures, as Christ says in Mk. 16:15: "Preach the Gospel to the whole creation;" and Ps. 19:4: "Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world." What business is it of mine that many do not regard it? It must be that many are called but few are chosen. For the sake of the good ground that brings forth fruit with patience, the seed must also fall fruitless by the wayside, on the rock and among the thorns; in as much as we are assured that the Word of God does not go forth without bearing some fruit, but it always finds also good ground; as Christ says here, some seed of the sower falls also into good ground, and not only by the wayside, among the thorns and on stony ground. For wherever the Gospel goes you will find Christians. "My word shall not return unto me void" (Is. 55:11).

But what does it mean when he says: "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God", etc.? What are the mysteries? Shall one not know them, why then are they preached? A "mystery" is a hidden secret, that is not known: and the "mysteries of the kingdom of God" are the things in the kingdom of God, as for example Christ with all his grace, which he manifests to us, as Paul describes him; for he who knows Christ truly understands what God's kingdom is, and what is in it. And it is called a mystery because it is spiritual and secret, and certainly it remains so, where the spirit does not reveal it. For although there are many who see and hear it, yet they do not understand it. just as there are many who preach and hear Christ, how he offered himself for us; but all that is only upon their tongue and not in their heart; for they themselves do not believe it, they do not experience it, as Paul in 1 Cor. 2:14 says: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God!" Therefore Christ says here: "Unto you it is given", the Spirit gives it to you that you not only hear and see it, but acknowledge and believe it with your heart. Therefore it is now no longer a mystery to you. But to the others who hear it as well as you, and have no faith in their heart, they see and understand it not; to them it is a mystery and it will continue unknown to them, and all that they hear is only like one hearing a parable or a dark saying. This is also proved by the extremists of our day, who know so much to preach about Christ; but as they themselves do not experience it in their heart, they rush ahead and pass by the true foundation of the mystery and tramp around with questions and rare orphans, and when it comes to the test they do not know the least thing about trusting in God and finding in Christ the forgiveness of their sins.

But Mark says (4:33), Christ spake therefore to the people with parables, that they might understand, each according to his ability. How does that agree with what Matthew says, 13:13-14: He spake therefore unto them in parables, because they did not understand? It must surely be that Mark wishes to say that parables serve to the end that they may get a hold of coarse, rough people, although they do not indeed understand them and later, they may be taught and then they know: for parables are naturally pleasing to the common people, and they easily remember them since they are taken from common every day affairs, in the midst of which the people live. But Matthew means to say that these parables are of the nature that no one can understand them, they may grasp and hear them as often as they will, unless the Spirit makes them known and reveals them. Not that they should preach that we shall not understand them; but it naturally follows that wherever the Spirit does not reveal them, no one understands them. However, Christ took these words from Is. 6:9-10, where the high meaning of the divine foreknowledge is referred to, that God conceals and reveals to whom he will and whom he had in mind from eternity.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ. 1Cor. 2:11-16 NIV

As we close at the end of this week we all must remember our words of the Lord. The peace of all men comes to an all out Christian understanding. O’ Gracious God I thank You that you have kept me from anymore decreasing health problems, which would cause me not to preach the word. I am truly grateful that You have blessed the work I do. I do admit I am not worthy of all the goodness and the wonderful life you have granted me in the past with true mercy and a creative and spectacular teaching mixed with a glorious adventure. Father we all call upon Your name, for the continued blessings you have poured over our visitors, guests, and members. As the days step forward we are conscious of our ways of worshiping You in Spirit as the days unfold. Help us to look away from ourselves, and let us seek to be useful to others. Please grant us the grace to overcome our feelings of self. Forgive us of any empty chatter or any murmurings of disorder in our lives. Please Father bring us joy and the steadfast ambition to be of good cheer and open up our hearts to loving all people that we come in contact with. In the powerful Name of Jesus, Amen and Amen