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Monday Mash-Up: Links to Brighten Your Light

After a great Lord’s day with my Christian family at East Hill, I’m excited to begin another work week. Every day is a blessing, filled with opportunities that we can use to glorify God.

Do you want to improve your evangelistic skill set? The House to House blog recently had several posts designed to help us all be better soul winners. Get ready for some great, Biblically sound, and practical advise!

Let’s get to work! Make this week a great week!

What practical advice would you share from your experience in studying the Bible with others? Leave your tips in the comments below!

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Losing Your Soul Over the Super Bowl?

Matthew Vos is not interested in the Super Bowl because of his love for all things manly and athletic. Instead, his interest is piqued by observing our society’s behavior surrounding these major sporting events – especially when such an event falls on the Lord’s day.

Vos is a denominational sociologist. He watches the Super Bowl to watch the fans rather than the games. He observes the people on the sidelines, the advertisements on the television, and the subliminal messaging that permeates the entire event to compile his trained view on the state of our culture. He is particularly interested when the societal areas of sport and religion collide in an event like the Super Bowl. In a blog post published this past Friday (which I cannot recommend to your reading due to some of the language he uses), Vos voices his concerns with the Super Bowl.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing inherently sinful about a football game. However, our culture has a way of taking good, wholesome activities and turning them sour. Exhibit A: game time. How many church assemblies will be extra low tonight because some folks decided to stay home and watch? Perhaps football enthusiasts will DVR the game to watch later. Even still, these people will run into some struggles in their own time – especially if they are men. That brings us to exhibit B.

As a sociologist, Vos’s main concern regarding the Super Bowl is the way it portrays women. Vos contemplates any social situation with these thoughts regarding women:

  1. Where are the women in this situation?
  2. If they are not present, why?
  3. If they are present, what exactly are they doing?
  4. How do they experience the situation?
  5. What do they contribute to it?
  6. What does it mean to them?

Take a second or two to consider those questions for yourself. Vos says that the way we consume events such as the Super Bowl illustrates what we really think about any subject – in this case, women. Consider the ads upon which so much attention (and money) is focused during the Super Bowl. Are they not filled with sensuality?

Jesus said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). Add to that the words of the Psalmist: “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” (Psa. 101:3). Finally, it comes down to this: “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness” (1 Tim. 6:11). “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Tim. 2:22). “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20).

It seems as though it would take a lot to be able to look past all of this if one were actually interested in the football game itself. Perhaps with the right kind of technology that could censor the bad stuff, it would be possible to enjoy the game. The real question, in my judgment, is this: Are you willing to take whatever steps are necessary to maintain your relationship with God?

Perhaps we would do well to stop passively living our lives so that we could simply observe the culture in which we live – and, unfortunately, the culture to which we sometimes contribute.

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Their Questions, the Bible’s Answers: #1

I’m currently teaching the teen Bible class on Wednesday nights at East Hill, and I’m having a blast! They’re sharp, fun, and encouraging to be around. They sincerely want to do what is right, and they have a great interest in learning about Christ and what He expects for their lives. The last class of each month is Q&A night. I told them that I would post all of the questions (anonymously, of course) and answers here so they could have them in writing and so they could easily access other reference materials relative to the answers.

Here are their questions and the Bible’s answers.


Q: Who were the people in the cities to which Cain fled?
A: Cain had been caught. He murdered his brother, Abel, and God called him on it. The result was that he would be a “fugitive and a vagabond on the earth” (Gen. 4:14). God placed a special mark on Cain as a sign to others not to kill him (Gen. 4:14b-15), and Cain goes on his way.

 [Cain] dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son – Enoch” (Gen. 4:16-17).

Which brings us to our question – where did this city come from and who were its inhabitants? I think it’s a great question. Here’s the answer: they were Cain’s own family members. Bible critics use this passage to argue that Adam, Eve, and their offspring were not the only created family. If that is true, then the Bible is false. Genesis 3:20 says that Eve was the “mother of all living.” While the inspired record only specifically mentions the births of Cain, Abel, and Seth to Adam and Eve, Genesis 5:4 teaches that the first couple had many children. It says, “… the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters.” God had told them to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth” and they obviously took this command seriously (Gen. 1:28).

From this couple came the entire antediluvian world. Therefore, the people in the cities to which Cain fled were, in some way, related to him. To keep this post brief, I’ll leave the answer at that, though we could go off on some tangents (as we did in class). Check out the following references for more great information.

References:


Q: Is there a certain age to be baptized?
A: I really like this question a lot. The answer is no, there is not a certain age that one must be in order to become a Christian. Instead, becoming a Christian is a matter of knowledge, understanding, and maturity. In other words, do you understand what the Bible teaches you to do in order to be saved? Do you understand why you must do those things? If so, then you are ready. No one can tell you whether you are ready to become a Christian. It is a decision that you must make yourself. However, there are many people who can help you to arrive at this decision. Your parents or grandparents, your Bible class teacher, a preacher, or an elder are just a few examples of those who would be so happy to talk with you about becoming a Christian.
Kyle Butt and John Farber wrote a great little book titled, Am I Ready to Be Baptized? I highly recommend it to your reading if you’re wondering when you should be baptized. In the book, the authors encourage us to think on the following questions:
  • Do you know who God is?
  • Do you understand what sin is? Have you sinned? (see 1 John 3:4; Rom. 3:23; 6:23)
  • Do you know God’s plan to remove sin?
  • Do you understand what it means to repent? (see Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38; 17:30-31)
  • If you have sinned, are you willing to repent of ALL of your sins?
  • Do you know that God’s plan says that a person must confess Jesus Christ? (see Rom. 10:9-10)
  • Do you know what it means to confess Jesus? (see Matthew 10:32-33)
  • Do you understand that God’s plan says that a person needs to be baptized? (see Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Pet. 3:21, etc.)
  • Do you understand what baptism does with sins? (see Acts 22:16)
  • Do you understand that becoming a Christian is a life-long commitment? (Mat. 10:22; Rev. 2:10)
  • Do you think you are ready to become a Christian by being baptized?

References:

A: Yes! The reference that was included in this question could be talking of nothing other than a dinosaur – the behemoth. While some have claimed that this animal could have been something like an elephant or a hippo, these animals simply do not match up with the description here in Job 40 (like the tail, for example – an elephant’s tail is nothing like a cedar tree).

Does this mean that dinosaurs and humans coexisted? There is simply no other conclusion if we respect the Genesis account of creation (Gen. 1). Dinosaurs would have been created on days five and six with the animals of the air and water (day five), the animals of the land (day 6), and humans (day 6).

See also passages that refer to leviathan – Psalm 74:14; 104:26; Isa. 27:1.

Admittedly, this is an extremely simplistic answer to this question. If you’re interested in further study on the topic of dinosaurs in the Bible, I recommend the following resources.

References:

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Think Souls: The Willingness to Work

Do you want to be a soul winner for Jesus? Every Christian’s answer should be a resounding “yes!” We know that the Lord has commanded us to go into all the world and teach the gospel to all nations (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47). Too, Jesus said that we should not call Him our Lord if we are not willing to obey all of His commands (Luke 6:46; Mat. 7:21). As a Christian, it is my privilege to take the grace-filled message of God’s salvation to people who would otherwise be lost.
We have already noted in previous posts that it is not enough to be satisfied with the “status quo” when it comes to soul winning. Pushing my responsibility of evangelism onto someone else (an elder, the preacher, an older Christian, or even a younger Christian) really jeopardizes my own salvation. Instead, we need the antidote about which Brother Andrew Connally used to preach: we must have the courage to care for the lost and the dare to dream that the lost might be won to the gospel. However, it’s not just about concern and vision. Brother Connally concluded his sermon with this point: we must have the willingness to work!

It seems as though our society believes that religion should not require hard work. It’s as though spirituality should come naturally rather than as a result of diligent study of God’s Word. Unfortunately, many Christians are buying into this idea. They could not be more wrong. The Bible teaches that work is at the very core of Christianity. Jesus said that one must consider the cost of discipleship before deciding to follow Him (Luke 14:28-33). There will be difficult decisions to make and hard work to accomplish as a disciple of the Lord, but the life of a “living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1-2) is well worth it. We are privileged to work for the Lord! We do this by choice, realizing the honor that it is to be involved in His work, and even to suffer for His cause. The inspired apostle Paul taught that the church has been designed to work: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
A good, spiritual work ethic is not just required of elders and preachers. The entire body is expected to work for the Lord. Brother Connally put it as follows. The Lord’s work needs mighty ministers who will distance themselves from the false teachers (cf. 1 John 2:19), declaring the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:26-27; 2 Tim. 4:1-5). We need enlightened elders, who will take heed to themselves and to all the flock which they oversee (Acts 20:28). We need dedicated deacons who will be great examples of Christ and wonderful leaders for all of us as we work together (cf. 1 Tim. 3:8-13). Last, but certainly not least, the Lord’s work needs faithful followers of Christ, who are always ready to give an answer (1 Pet. 3:15), devoted in their worship and encouragement of their fellow saints (Heb. 10:25), and faithful even to the point of death (Rev. 2:10). 
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” Is this even possible? It absolutely is! Our first century brethren did it in an age that did not enjoy our technological blessings to reach masses through media (Col. 1:23). In the ninth volume of the Gospel Advocate Commentary Series, David Lipscomb wrote the following thought provoking words:

It seems strange that at that time the gospel had been preached among all the nations, but if we consider the earnest character of the Christians, who gloried in persecution and death for Christ’s sake, it will not seem so strange. The greatest hindrance to the gospel in our day is the lukewarm and indifferent character of professed Christians. Personal consecration and devotion are the great needs to spread the gospel abroad (page 265, emp. added).

We can fulfill the command in the great commission if we will have the courage to care, the dare to dream, and the willingness to work.
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Think Souls: The Dare to Dream

Brother Andrew Connally used to preach that overcoming mediocrity involves three dynamics of Christian excellence: the courage to care, the dare to dream, and the willingness to work. Having examined the courage to care last week, we now come to the dare to dream.

Does the great commission seem big to you (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48)? The thought of going “into all the world” to “preach the gospel to every creature” can be overwhelming. Zoom in from the global level to a personal level and the task is magnified. As discussed last week, it is not easy to invite someone to have a Bible study or to come to worship. However, there is no room for negativity in the Christian’s life. We have the greatest Helper who will guide us and bless our efforts, however small they may be. It is amazing what God’s people can do when they trust in Him!

We often achieve and feel successful simply because we set our goals so low. As children, we would dream big, but it seems that, as we grew, our dreams became smaller. We brand these small dreams as “realistic” and “possible,” all the while limiting God’s power and our own God-given potential. Does this describe your view of soul winning? If so, you are not alone. Our challenge is to overcome the sentiments of the nay-sayers and to cultivate the enthusiasm of our first-century brethren who actively fulfilled the Lord’s commission (cf. Col. 1:23).

Michael Hyatt, former CEO and current chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers in Nashville, wrote a blog post in which he described big dreams as “God sized dreams.” Hyatt, though not a New Testament Christian, offers three great insights to the benefits of God-sized dreams.

First, God-sized dreams ensure our growth. Small dreams require the least effort. By contrast, big dreams often force us to push ourselves beyond our previous limits. In other words, big dreams cause big growth. Hyatt said, “[God] is not just interested in what we can accomplish for Him, but in who we are becoming along the way.” The one talent man exerted little effort, while the two and five talent men went out and doubled what they had been given (Mat. 25:14-30). That is God-sized dreaming.

Second, God-sized dreams force us to invite others into a bigger story. I am not much for self-promotion. When inviting someone to worship, I never want to say, “I wish you would come hear me preach.” Instead, I want to invite that person to come experience God’s people offering their worship to God. Evangelism is not about us, it is about inviting the lost to learn about Jesus Christ and His way that leads to eternal life (Mat. 7:13-14). The cause of evangelism is so much bigger than we are. In fact, we wil be amazed at what is possible for ordinary people who have a God-sized dream when those people put their faith in Him. “With God all things are possible” (Mat. 19:26).

Third, God-sized dreams give glory to Him, not us. Our policy at East Hill is that numbers are not everything, but numbers are important because each number represents at soul. Can the church at East Hill double in size within the next five to ten years? It can if God’s people will pray hard, work hard, and get out of the way to give God all of the glory. “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

Brother Connally said, “We have to learn to dream again!” Let’s break the mold of the status quo, and dare to dream God-sized dreams. “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20-21).

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Think Souls: The Courage to Care

In the 1960’s the late brother Andrew Connally preached a sermon titled “Overcoming Mediocrity.” In that sermon, brother Connally cited three things we must possess if we will rise above the status quo: the courage to care, the dare to dream, and the willingness to work. It seems that these are three characteristics that every Christian must have regarding soul winning, as well. Let’s consider the first point today.


We must have the courage to care about the problem. The problem is adequately expressed in a song we sometimes sing: “souls that are precious, souls that are dying, while we rejoice our sins are forgiven!” Statistics indicate that roughly 155,000 people worldwide die each day. How many of that number do you think are New Testament Christians? The problem is further magnified by the fact that many Christians shirk their soul winning responsibilities. Jesus came to save lost souls (Luke 19:10), and He has commissioned His disciples to be active in spreading the saving message (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-48). However, Jesus Himself said, “the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37). What about you? Do you have the courage to care about the problem?

Care requires courage. No one denies that soul winning is not easy – especially when we first begin. It takes courage to invite someone to have a Bible study with you, to then lead that Bible study, and to say the things that need to be said. But we must cultivate a compassionate heart for the lost. “When [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion” (Matt. 9:36). Caring engages your conscience. It causes you to be particularly mindful of lost souls that are all around you as you live your life. It causes you to feel badly if you miss an opportunity. The feeling of a nagging conscience is not always pleasant, but God gave it to us for a reason – perhaps that is exactly the motivation that we need to get busy in the Lord’s work. Caring opens your eyes. Suddenly the world population of 7 billion people turns into 7 billion souls that we must reach! But we can do it (cf. Col. 1:23). We have help from our Christian brethren and help from our loving God, who does not put on us more than we can bear. Caring may even bring pain. What about when you ask someone you love for a Bible study and that person refuses? Or when you teach someone the truth but they will not accept it and obey it? This can be painful. Our responsibility is not to force someone to obey; in fact, we simply cannot do that. Our responsibility is to try. Brother Connally said, “when we begin to have the courage to care, the world will change!”

“Few there are who seem to care, and few there are who pray; melt my heart and fill my life: give me one soul today!”

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God’s Word on Dealing With Discouragement

Today’s post is a PIT+. These posts will provide bonus material that will supplement the conversation on this week’s episode of Preachers in Training (on The Light Network).

This week, I will be joined by Andy Brewer and Brad McNutt, gospel preachers from Tennessee and Kentucky respectively. Our discussion this month centers around burnout. If you are a preacher, a youth minister, or a Christian at large and you have ever struggled with or gotten close to the line of burnout, then this month’s podcasts are for you.

Everyone has suffered from discouragement while trying to live for God. In fact, we have plenty of Biblical examples of those who struggled through and found help from the Father. Several years ago, I wrote a sermon that I titled “Dealing with Discouragement” It is a study of 1 Kings 19, when Elijah felt alone in the world and wanted to give up his work. Click here to download a PDF version of my slides from that presentation. My prayer is that they will point you to God’s Word and aid you in times of need. These passages have certainly done that for me.

As preachers – and as Christians – we cannot give up. The work in which we are involved is too important. The consequences of quitting are too severe. Keep on keeping on!

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Introducing … The Light Network!

Something exciting is happening tomorrow, Lord willing, and I want you to be a part of it!


Tomorrow, January 5, 2013, marks the official launch of The Light Network (TLN). TLN is a network of Christian podcasts dedicated to the truth of God’s Word. Through nine podcasts that are seen and heard only on TLN, we will encourage listeners and viewers in living for Jesus, enlighten listeners and viewers of ways to make the Christian life easier, and empower listeners and viewers through the Word of God (Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 1:7-8).

The whole TLN team is coming together this Saturday to officially launch the network. Everyone will be live in studio for The Light Network’s Launch Party! The party is not for the TLN team; instead, it’s for our TLN community! We hope this can be a time when everyone can get together, meet each other, and be encouraged by studying God’s Word together.

Here’s the best part: you can be a part of the Launch Party from the comfort of your home! Join us tomorrow from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM (CST) at thelightnetwork.tv/live. Also, I hope you will hop in TLN’s chat room so that you can participate in our conversations. The TLN team will be monitoring the chat room while we’re on the air so that we can all talk to each other.

Please join The Light Network team tomorrow to be encouraged by the TLN community, to be enlightened about the work of TLN, and to be empowered as we all study the Word of God together.

To God be the glory!

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New Year, New You

Do you make resolutions at the beginning of a new year? If you do, then you are among close to 45% of American adults who want to be better in 2013.


Resolution making is the easy part. The tough stuff began at the stroke of midnight when we were supposed to make those resolutions our practice. According to an awesome infographic that I found, 75% of American adults who made resolutions will have kept those resolutions by the end of the first week in January (notice that 25% of us can’t even last one week). By the end of the year, however, only 1 in 10 people will have stuck to their resolutions.

In a blog post titled Making Resolutions Stick, Michael Hyatt offers the following four ways to help you and me be better at keeping our resolutions:

  1. Keep them few in number
  2. Make them “smart” (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound).
  3. Write them down.
  4. Go public (share them with others who will hold you accountable).

Remember to keep the mindset that your resolution is a commitment. It may be a commitment you’ve made to yourself, to your spouse, to your family, to your friends, or even to God. Do not discount the importance of keeping those commitments. Keep your word (cf. Mat. 5:37; James 5:12). Do not make excuses (cf. Acts 24:25). Do not become stagnant in your personal growth – especially not in your personal spiritual growth (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18). Finally, do not be content with the status quo (cf. 2 Cor. 10:12). D not let society fool you into thinking that it is a good moral barometer. Do what is right because it is the right thing to do (cf. Eccl. 12:13).

May our main goal for 2013 (as much of it as God allows us to see, James 4:13-16) be to pursue spiritual growth and maturity so that we may become the people that God wants us to be.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph. 2:10).

You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created (Rev. 4:11).

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A Call to Thanks-Living

Isn’t it ironic that Thanksgiving is followed by Black Friday? Please do not misunderstand, I am all for incredible sales and great deals – they certainly help this time of year. However, think about that for which Black Friday is known: great sales, long lines, insane hours, and rude (even violent) shoppers. Yes, just a mere few hours after they gave thanks for all that they already have, these shoppers were out fighting tooth and nail for that hot item that they simply cannot live without, daring someone to stand in their way. News reports are filled with stories of fights that broke out in the middle of the aisles, with hundreds of people around who could potentially be hurt, all because of something that certain shoppers wanted.


Consider whether you think the following Bible passage and observations are appropriate as we enter the gift-giving season.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:5-6).

1. God desires holy hearts – not counterfeit Christianity. Your conduct, translated “conversation” (KJV), “life” (ESV), and “character” (NASB) is how you live. This is the deepest, most true part of yourself – who you really are. It is no surprise that God’s Word calls our attention to our true selves. The Bible is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). In fact, true Christianity starts in our hearts and manifests itself by our righteous actions and speech (cf. Phil. 1:27; Col. 3:1-2; Mat. 6:33; etc.). God does not want charades; He wants converted hearts, whole and living sacrifices (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). Which leads us to the particular point of character noted in this passage: covetousness.

2. A Christian’s conduct will be without covetousness. Covetousness is greed; a strong-willed determination to have what belongs to others. In his book Studies in Hebrews, Robert Taylor says that covetousness is “selfishness gone to seed” (p 236). Why are some Black Friday shoppers willing to inflict violence upon others in pursuit of their goods? Does it not stem from a covetous, greedy heart? Notice just two other passages dealing with covetousness:

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints … For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God (Eph. 5:3, 5).

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry (Col. 3:5).

Notice that, in these two passages, Paul says covetousness is idolatry. As much as many of us love this time of year – times with family, sharing meals together, decorations, and even giving gifts – we must all keep our hearts in check so that we do not bow before the god of materialism! In his commentary on Ephesians, Albert Barnes wrote the following about a man with a covetous heart:

[He is a] man who, in this insatiable pursuit, is regardless of justice, truth, charity, faith, prayer, peace, comfort, usefulness, conscience; and who shall say that there is any vice more debasing or degrading that this? (p 96)

Covetous thinking, though so much a part of our culture, has two major flaws. First, covetous people place entirely too much confidence in the power of the things in the world. The world, and all that is in it, will be burned up when the Lord comes again (2 Pet. 3:9-11). If we depart from this life in death before the second coming of Christ, then we must remember that we can take none of it with us (1 Tim. 6:7). Therefore, the Holy Spirit says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15-17).

The second flaw of covetous thought is that covetous people have a very low opinion of the willingness and ability of God to provide. When one finds security and happiness in things, then he or she is not looking to the One from Whom all blessings flow (cf. James 1:17). This promise follows the Hebrews writer’s exhortation: “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Heb. 13:5). God promises to provide all of our needs, we must simply place our trust and our faith in Him (Mat. 6:25-34).

3. We must learn the Christian virtue of contentment. It is not sinful to wish for things that we would like to have. Goals are healthy in our lives and meeting our goals enriches our lives. However, there is a difference in wanting and coveting, in desire and materialism. God’s Book tells us that we must “be content with such things as you have” (Heb. 13:6). Contentment is not necessarily something with which we are born. In fact, contentment must be learned, developed, and maintained. Paul said, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content” (Phil. 4:11). Elsewhere, he stated, “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6), and “having food and clothing, with these we shall be content” (1 Tim. 6:8).

If we will train our hearts to learn and to practice contentment, then we will find ourselves relying more on God (cf. Phil. 4:11-13). Because he learned contentment, the Hebrews writer was able to trust in God’s promises and to boldly say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb. 13:6).

It is not in titles, nor in rank;It is not in wealth like London Bank,To purchase peace and rest;If happiness have not her seatAnd center in the breast,We may be wise, or rich, or great,But never can be blest. (Author unknown)

May God help us – in this season and in every season – to be entirely holy and peacefully content.