Monthly Archives: February 2024

GOD’S RIVER

Christian Life, ,

The Bible has many references to God’s river. The imagery of a river teaches us great lessons about the benefits of God’s living water in our lives. First of all, who or what is this stream?

God often describes Himself as the fountain of living water. To drink from this fountain is to quench our thirst from the source of divine love, out of which flows all His benefits to humans. God Himself is the only source of life. He created us, and He sustains us from the bounty of all that He is. To seek life from any other source will lead to death.

‭Psalms‬ ‭36:7‭-‬9‬ ‭NLT‬
[7] “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. [8] You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. [9] For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.”

God had an issue with His people Israel, because they had dumped Him for sources that could never quench their thirst.

‭Jeremiah‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭NLT‬
[11] “Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!…
[13] “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

God dwells in a city through which this river of living water runs, which sustains everything in its path. It flows from its source beneath God’s throne.

‭Psalms‬ ‭46:4‭-‬5‬ ‭NLT‬
[4]”A river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the Most High. [5] God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it.”

Ezekiel saw this river…

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭47:1‭-‬7‬ ‭NLT‬
[1]” In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. [2] The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. [3] Measuring as he went, he took me along the stream for 1,750 feet and then led me across. The water was up to my ankles. [4] He measured off another 1,750 feet and led me across again. This time the water was up to my knees. After another 1,750 feet, it was up to my waist. [5] Then he measured another 1,750 feet, and the river was too deep to walk across. It was deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through. [6] He asked me, “Have you been watching, son of man?” Then he led me back along the riverbank. [7] When I returned, I was surprised by the sight of many trees growing on both sides of the river.”

From a trickle only ankle deep, the river gathered momentum until it became a stream too deep to wade. Fruit trees grew along its banks providing sustenance to all in its path.

John saw the same river in his vision of the New Jerusalem.

‭Revelation‬ ‭22:1‭-‬2‬ ‭NLT‬
[1] “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. [2] It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.”

Who or what, then is this river?

Jesus answers the question for us.

‭John‬ ‭7:37‭-‬39‬ ‭NLT‬
[37]”On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! [38] Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” [39] (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)”

God promised to Israel, on the day when He would change their hearts, that He would also pour in and through them the source of all life, the river of His Holy Spirit,

‭Ezekiel‬ ‭36:26‭-‬27‬ ‭NLT‬
[26]”And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. [27] And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.”

Time and again, He repeated His promise of the gift of His Holy Spirit to His people until the day of Prntecost came.

‭Acts of the Apostles‬ ‭2:2‭-‬4‬ ‭NLT‬
[2] “Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. [3] Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. [4] And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability…
[14] Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. [15] These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that. [16] No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: [17] ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. [18] In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.”

So, to every believer God gives His Spirit to indwell us, the Spirit of Jesus to be our Companion and Helper, to provide the power to live the life Jesus gave us through His death.

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12:13‬ ‭NIV‬
[13]”For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”

Perhaps one of the most beautiful stories in the New Testament is the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well outside Sychar. Tired as He was after walking in the blistering heat at midday, Jesus was not too tired to recognise this woman’s need.

How tenderly He directed her, step by step, to the source of the water that would quench her thirst forever. He recognised that, deep inside of her, was the yearning to be loved. Her liaisons with men were a glaring clue to her need.

Without a hint of condemnation, Jesus exposed her festering wound, revealed His knowledge of her sordid life, and diagnosed her emotional ill…she was drinking water from a polluted fountain. No religious “correctness”, worshiping God in the right place, would cure her illness.

Her joyful response was a clear indication that she got the message. Gone her shame, gone her polluted source, she gladly, and without embarrassment, shared her newfound faith with her fellow villagers.

There is a perennial fountain of God’s love flowing from His presence through the Holy Spirit.

‭Romans‬ ‭5:5‬ ‭NIV‬
[5] “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

All are invited to drink from this source, but only those who do will live in the abundance of that love.

Those who do, says God’s Word, will be like trees that keep growing and bearing the fruit of that love…

‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22‭-‬23‬ ‭NIV‬
[22] “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

‭Psalms‬ ‭1:1‭-‬3‬ ‭NIV‬
[1] “Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. [3] That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”

‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:7‭-‬8‬ ‭NIV‬
[7] “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. [8] They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

The invitation is given to anyone who is thirsty.

‭Revelation‬ ‭22:17‬ ‭NIV‬
[17] “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.'”

Paul said that to drink of the Spirit is to allow Him to control our lives.

‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭NIV‬
[18]”Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”

When we follow His leading, we are connected to the source of the love which satisfies our needs and out of which flows all the resources, we need to bear good fruit.

GOD’S HEAVENLY LIBRARY

Christian Life, ,

Did you know that God has a library in heaven? Of course, I am writing figuratively, not literally since all God’s wisdom and knowledge is within Himself. I found this interesting article, written by Ray Pritz, on the Internet. (biblesocietyinisrael.com)

“And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done.’ (Revelation 20:12)

God has a library. Unlike a normal library, it is not a place where people come to study. It seems to be more of an archive or official record. What kinds of books does God keep on his bookshelf, and what is written in those books?

The passage in Revelation 20 tells us that some of the books contain a record of the things we have done. I am reminded of the story of Mordechai in the book of Esther. Mordechai had done a good deed for the king, in fact he had saved the king’s life. The king had forgotten about it, but it was all recorded in the official records of the kingdom, and Mordechai was rewarded (Esther 6:1-3). God does not forget our deeds, of course (except our sins when they have been forgiven), and they are all recorded in heaven.

Even the words we say are all preserved in heaven: “I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). Well, perhaps it is not quite such a comfort to know that everything I have ever said is just waiting in heaven for God to confront me!

It is amazing to consider—indeed, impossible to understand—that God has known all these things long before we did or said them. But that is exactly what scripture says: “You saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began” (Psalm 139:16).

What exactly does this include? A beautifully encouraging verse, Psalm 56:8, tells us that God even records every pain we feel, every tear we shed: “You number my wanderings; put my tears into your bottle; are they not in your book?”

God is made especially happy when his people meet together in fellowship. In fact, he seems to have a special book dedicated just to those precious moments: “Then the people who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard what they said. In his presence there was written down in a book a record of those who feared the Lord and respected him.” (Malachi 3:16)

We have seen that God writes down both what we say and what we do. Some of God’s books, seem to be written in pencil, where things that are written can also be erased. This seems to be the meaning of Psalm 130:3-4: “If you kept [a record of] our sins, who could escape being condemned? But you forgive us, so that we should stand in awe of you,” and it is confirmed by passages like Isaiah 43:25 and Micah 7:18-19.

The first verse we looked at, Revelation 20:12 speaks of the book of life. This same book is referred to by different names. Jesus (Luke 10:20) just says “rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Revelation 13:8 and 17:8 tell us that this book was written from the foundation of the world, and that there are some whose names are not written in the book. According to various scriptures, it is possible for a name to be erased from this book. So Moses says (Exodus 32:32-33), “’But now, if You will, forgive their sin — and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” The LORD said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.” And David prays that his enemies “may be blotted out of the book of life, and may they not be recorded with the righteous” (Psalm 69:28). And in Revelation 3:5 Jesus says to the church in Sardis, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not erase his name from the book of life.”

It should be a sobering thought that something will be erased from God’s book: either my sins or my name.

God knows us intimately; every word, every thought, every act is recorded in heaven. While this may serve as a warning to us, it should also be a comfort. God knows, remembers, and cares about everything we go through. The “book of life” is “the Lamb’s” (Revelation 21:27); those who belong to the Lamb of God are written in that book and will enjoy eternity in the presence of God.”

Thank you, Ray, for this reminder of God’s intimate knowledge of all people.

I would like to add another sobering note to this enlightening article. God also has a place where He writes the names of those who refuse His grace.

‭Jeremiah‬ ‭17:13‬ ‭NIV‬
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

On one occasion, when the Pharisees brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus for His judgment, Jesus bent down and wrote in the dust. Since Jesus knew the Scriptures, did His action not mirror Jeremiah’s words? Was He not writing the names of each accuser in the dust?

In a mute but telling action, was Jesus not warning His opponents, “I know you.” He knew their names. By writing them in the dust, He was revealing His judgment on them. “I know each one of you. Just as many footsteps and the wind will obliterate your names I have written in the dust now, so you names will disappear from God’s records in eternity, never to be remembered.”

So, if our names are not indelibly written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, we have no hope that God will ever remember us in eternity. Like writing in the impermanence of dust, our names will be forgotten forever.

One last thought.

‭Isaiah‬ ‭49:15‭-‬16‬ ‭NIV‬
[15] “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! [16] See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;…. “

‭

LIFE LESSONS FROM JACOB

Christian Life, ,

Just as Abraham had learned life lessons from his walk with God, so Jacob, too, learned valuable lessons from his failures and God’s faithfulness that helped him to be a good finisher.

Despite God’s promises to him in his dream at Bethel, Jacob spent many years trying to make things happen by manipulation, trickery, and deception. Only when he was in a jam so tight that there was no way of escape, did he surrender himself to God at Peniel.

How like Jacob we are! Instead of trusting God and allowing Him to work out His will in us we, like Frank Sinatra, say, “I did it my way!” Our way often leads us on detours that waste the weeks, months, or even years we could have been doing God’s will.

Yet, as Jacob learned, God’s patience never runs out. He will wait until we come to the end of ourselves and find out that His way is always best.

As his life drew to a close, Jacob was fully committed to the destiny of his descendants. He was in line with those whom God had chosen to be the builders of His nation. Jacob blessed his grandson, Ephraim, Joseph’s younger son, ahead of Manasseh despite Joseph’s protest. Did he have prophetic insight into the
destiny of Ephraim, as he did when he blessed each of his own sons on his deathbed?

His faith in God’s promises inspired him to request burial in Canaan in the cave his grandfather had bought for the burial of Rebekah and other family members. So, Jacob had learned to trust God’s promises implicitly as did Abraham and Isaac before him.

We would do well to take a leaf from Jacob’s book. God’s promises are His insurance policy for our past, present, and future. Without His promises, we have no guarantee that our destiny in Him is secure. Earthly insurance policies promise to step in when disaster strikes. God’s insurance policy guarantees a past forgiven and blotted out, a present filled with His presence, intervention, favour and blessing, and a future beyond our wildest imagination.

‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2:9‬ ‭NLT‬
[9] “That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

We must be thankful that God has preserved the record of the lives of these Old Testament saints. Their stories are full of both warnings and encouragement for us to follow as we traverse the road they have already travelled.

JACOB DECEIVER TURNED DEPENDENT – 6

Bible Study, ,

JACOB HEADS TO EGYPT

And so, Jacob, the deceiver was transformed into Israel, the dependent. The next few chapters in Genesis trace the latter years of Jacob’s life when his newfound trust in God was put the the test. His relationship with Esau, restored on the surface, but with Jacob’s misgivings still smouldering underneath, led him to settle in Canaan far from his brother.

His life in Canaan on his return was ordinary, but God’s promise to him and his descendants and God’s reassurance, became the guiding principle in his life.

‭Genesis‬ ‭35:6‭-‬7‬ ‭NIV‬
[6] “Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan. [7] There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother….
[9] After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him. [10] God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. [11] And God said to him, “I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants. [12] The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.” [13] Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him.”

One by one, Jacob’s closest family members passed on, culminating in the death of his beloved Rachel in childbirth. So, all he had left of her was Joseph and his newborn son, Benjamin. His relationship with his ten older sons slowly soured as his love and attention centred on Rachel’s boys.

‭Genesis‬ ‭37:3‬ ‭NIV‬
[3] “Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.”

Jacob’s story began to take a back seat as the focus shifted to Joseph. As I move into a study of Joseph’s life, I am struck by Joseph’s persistent integrity despite his suffering. How did he weather such compelling temptations without a Bible to guide him?

I believe the answer is Jacob. Obviously, Jacob’s dramatic encounters with God, initially at Bethel and again at Peniel, left indelible marks on his life. His bond with Joseph, as young as he was before he was ripped from his father’s side, fostered intimacy. Jacob must have spent time teaching his son the values he had learned through these experiences, and the promises given to him and his predecessors.

Joseph must have developed an awareness and a holy fear of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from the lessons he learned from his father, as his father passed down to him the promises made to his ancestors.

So, Jacob, twister though he was, became Israel, a prince with God, and lived to see the next phase of God’s prophetic word to Abraham. He responded to God’s instruction to go to Egypt where Joseph was in charge, assured that God was at the helm of his life and the lives of his descendants.

‭Genesis‬ ‭15:13‭-‬16‬ ‭NLT‬
[13] “Then the Lord said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. [14] But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. [15] (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.) [16] After four generations your descendants will return here to this land, for the sins of the Amorites do not yet warrant their destruction.”

To be concluded…

JACOB, DECEIVER TURNED DEPENDENT – 5

Bible Study, ,

The situation weighed heavy on Jacob’s mind as he continued his journey towards Canaan. It was slow going with such a huge company of people and animals… plenty of time to think about what might lie ahead for them.

As his misgivings grew, so he schemed to protect his family and possessions from Esau’s revenge. Despite his human efforts and the reassurance of God’s presence and protection, Jacob needed something more than his own ingenuity.

He had come to the end of himself. God had given him many years of hardship and turmoil to bring him to the realisation that, without God, he had created the mess he was in. He left an enemy behind in Haran, his uncle and father-in-law, Laban. Ahead lay another enemy, Esau his brother, estranged by his own trickery. He was caught in the middle with many people to protect and no way of escape.

So, in desperation, Jacob turned to God.

‭Genesis‬ ‭32:9‭-‬12‬ ‭NIV‬
[9] “Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ [10] I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. [11] Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. [12] But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”

One lesson Jacob was learning from his grandfather, Abraham, was to lean on God’s promises. He gave God the credit for enriching him with family and flocks but he needed God’s intervention to save them all from Esau’s vengeance.

Hoping to appease his brother, he sent his servants with a large gift of flocks, herds, and servants, but the servants returned with bad news. Esau was on his way to meet him with a large contingent of men.

‭Genesis‬ ‭32:4‭-‬6‬ ‭NIV‬
[4] He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. [5] I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ” [6] When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

Jacob was desperate. He had done his best to defuse Esau’s anger but he had no idea what would happen next. Would Esau resort to bloodshed to avenge his lost birthright and blessing?

Once more, God met Jacob at the time of his deepest need.

‭Genesis‬ ‭32:22‭-‬30‬ ‭NIV‬
[22] That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. [23] After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. [24] So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. [25] When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. [26] Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” [27] The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. [28] Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” [29] Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. [30] So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

How often God comes to us when we are most vulnerable, when our guilt weighs us down or when our weakness bares our throat to the enemy. Jacob had painted himself into a corner, like the children of Israel on the shore of the Red Sea, the Egyptians behind them and the sea in front of them. No escape route for human ingenuity to grasp!

God loves a situation like this because it’s the time when His child stops running and listens to Him instead. I think Jacob was sick of himself and his devious ways. Look where it had got him. He was stuck, with no way out.

So, God had him by the throat, pinned him down, and finally got his attention. Instead of eliminating him for his wickedness, God held him fast until he stopped fighting. Then, as it dawned on Jacob that it was God Himself, in human form, who was his opponent, he held on to Him, refusing to release his grip until he was assured, not only of mercy but also of God’s favour. What a moment! What a place to be in!

Why did the exchange between God and Jacob focus on their names? According to Hebrew understanding, a name is a prophetic utterance of character. Jacob was well-named, meaning “supplanter”, implying a deceiver, or “heel” since Jacob grabbed Esau’s heel as he was being born.

At that moment Jacob, on confession of his name, was changed to “Israel” , a new name, a new disposition, a new nature, a new person, a prince with God. In a sense, he had held on to God until he had won the battle.

Jacob, the deceiver, was transformed. At that moment, he became Israel, God’s Prince. From then on, the nation being formed would take on his new name, the children of Israel. Strange, isn’t it, that the nation would be named after Israel, not Ahraham, its founder. Why?

Jacob was a fighter. He never gave up until he got what he wanted. Even if it took devious means, he fought until he won. So, in his wrestling with God he refused to let go until he got God’s blessing. His dogged determination got him the prize.

Like Jacob, the Apostle Paul manifested the same quality of perseverance.

‭Philippians‬ ‭3:10‭-‬14‬ ‭NIV‬
[10] “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. [12] Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

God loves and approves of those who hang on to their goal to the end, no matter what, to gain the ultimate prize of eternal likeness to Jesus.

It was that quality that God wanted to build into the nation of Israel, to gain and retain the promise that He gave them through the patriarchs, Abraham, the initiator, Isaac, the bridge, and Jacob, the fighter for what was his.

Why did God honour this quality in Jacob? Even the devious ways in which Jacob got what he wanted did not disqualify him from God’s purpose. God honours a “finisher”. Jesus endorsed this determined perseverance in His people.

‭Matthew‬ ‭24:12‭-‬13‬ ‭NIV‬
[12] “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, [13] but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Trial and trouble separate true believers from opportunists. Those who stick with Jesus, no matter what, will gain the prize.

‭2 Timothy‬ ‭4:7‭-‬8‬ ‭NIV‬
[7]”I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. [8] Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

What a testimony!

To be continued…