Good morning. I think I'm squared away here. Okay, well, let's just look to the Lord in prayer as we begin. Our Father, we again are truly thankful to be able to be here. We thank you for the provisions of your word and of the Spirit that gives us understanding. And we pray that you would bless our time this morning as we look into the awesome events of the last time. I pray that you might give us ears to hear what the Spirit says and that you might give us a better understanding of who you are and the wonder of the plan of history and the plan of salvation that you have laid out for us and have brought us into. and also the hope that we have that our Lord and Savior is King of kings and Lord of lords. And he will reign on this earth in due time in your timing. And we have that hope for we thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Okay, as we come again to Perfect.

Okay, this is page 30 of your workbook, if you have it and you want to look at that or have it up here. Just to give us, again, a sense and an overlay of where we are in this book as we go through Of course, we're looking at basically a chapter at a time. And so it's good for us to stop occasionally and just reorient where we are. It's easy to, even when we have our devotions, to read a set portion of scripture. and to dive into that and to mull that over in our hearts and our minds. But we need to also see the context.

You know, this is something we run into every day in news broadcasts, where a lot of times you don't get the context. They pull one little sentence or a couple of sentences out of what somebody says. And without the context of what they're talking about, it can mean almost anything. It's the saying that you can prove anything by statistics, because you just pull it out and plug it in with no context or anything else. So it's good for us to stop for a minute. and just see what this book is about and where we are. And so as we look at this chart, it gives us a picture of how the book is kind of laid out and then where we are.

So as you remember, the first chapter was where John was called up to heaven. And there he sees this great vision of the Lord Jesus Christ and this amazing picture of this one who is awesome and nothing like John has ever seen before. And that gives us a ground level look, if you will, of what the book is all about. What is the title of the book? The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

And as we come to the book, I think we need to keep that in mind. There was a little a little book, a booklet, basically, that I got years and years ago, I think when I was in Bible school. And it basically was a book that was one to give you some instructions as you approach the scripture for your devotional life. And it gave you several questions to ask as you approach the scripture. You know, what does it say about God? What does this passage say about sin? What does it say to me that I am supposed, is there a command that I am supposed to obey? Is there a promise that I am to hold on to?

As we come to the book of Revelation, don't forget that this is a book that is written to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ. And we see him in this book in a way that we have not seen him before. And so my hope is when we get to the end of our lesson today, to stop and ask that question. What does this say about the Lord Jesus Christ? This first chapter was the vision of the Lord Jesus.

And then as you remember, we went to chapter 2 and chapter 3, and these were the letters that the Spirit wrote to the seven churches in Asia Minor, and also to us. There are many things that are practical for us. And then as we went on to chapter four, we were taken into this great throne room of heaven.

And there we had the sights and the sounds of this awesome and That was a word that was years ago, and maybe still is, kind of worn out by kids. But the truth is it applies here, and I find myself using it almost too much. It's kind of like Princess Bride where the guy keeps saying, inconceivable. And then finally they say, I don't think that means what you think it means. But awesome, it's kind of this catch-all phrase that just goes, I have no words to describe it. It just is overwhelming.

And in some ways, that's the way this throne room scene is. And we keep coming back to that throne room scene. And different things happen there. But for the most part, what happens there is worship. These multitudes of angels and creatures and saints of every tribe and tongue and nation all gathered, praising God. But it is also a place of activity, and we will see some of that activity today. We saw it in chapter five, where there was a scroll, and the question went out, who is worthy to open the scroll? And so activity happens there, and we will see that.

Up in the top of this chart, basically, it breaks the book into three portions, if you will, three views. The first one is described as the things which are in it. You'll notice that it is actually taken from the very first chapter, so the chapter outlines itself.

So it's the things that you have seen and John saw this great vision of Christ. And then the things which are these churches and how they're functioning and the struggles they're having and the issues that need to be addressed. And then the greater part of the book deals with the things which shall take place after these things. And there we have broadly the description of the great tribulation, the thousand-year reign of Christ, and finally the new heavens and the new earth, and the eventual eternal state with our Lord.

So where we've been over the last a couple of lessons is in the seal judgments, the seals in this scroll, the seals that are open and the scroll is unraveled to reveal what is there. And so we've been going through these and we've come to the sixth seal and And these terrible things that have happened, the reveal of the four horse, and then the reveal of the saints under the altar who are crying, how long, oh, Lord, till you answer our prayers, until you vindicate that which has been done to us?

And the Lord answers them and says, just a little while longer. Just wait. Kind of sounds like a parent to a child who just can't stand it. Lord, how much longer? And in some ways, we feel that way. When we look at God's program and we say, how much longer till you come, Lord? This world is just awful. And the Lord says, just a little while longer. He has his set timetable. and it is being accomplished.

And so there was a bit of a pause in chapter 7 and there were some the calling out of the 144,000 who would go out and evangelize, basically, and we will see them again in chapters to come, how the Lord uses them and protects them, and then And then there was this great multitude who proclaimed that the greatness of the Lord in being the God of salvation and the wonder of the Lamb. The sixth seal, and maybe I'll just make mention of it to give us a jump into what's happening here.

So in chapter six, right the last part of the chapter, it says in verse 12, I looked and when he opened the sixth seal and behold, there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became like blood and the stars of the heaven fell to the earth. as the fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. I thought of that last night when the wind was blowing in our house and the trees were howling and I was looking at these scriptures and it was very appropriate. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, kind of like those old-fashioned blinds that you pull down, you couldn't get to set exactly and you thought they were set and you let it go and it just rolls right up again. a rolling rolling back up and every mountain and every island was moved from out of its place in verse 15 and the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich and the commanders and the mighty men notice.

These are all the powerful men that we look up to as it were we People emulate to be like them. But look at all these. And then it includes even the slave and every free man. And what did they do? They hid themselves in caves in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and the rocks, fall on us.

Hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. For the great day of his wrath has come who is able to stand. And so we are here in this great tribulation, the carrying out of the great judgment and the great wrath of God upon an evil world and a sinful world. And so we have that scene on earth, and we have this great scene of worship in heaven. And we come then to chapter 8. And in chapter 8, basically the chapter can be broken down into three sections. There we go. First of all, there was... And I...

I unintentionally borrowed this word from John MacArthur from his study Bible. Initially, I put the preparation for the trumpets, and as I thought about it, it wasn't really preparation. It was events that happened before, and I thought it was kind of like a prelude, and then I I was thinking about that as I was getting up this morning. And of course, I opened my Bible again to read the passage.

And what is the heading he has? He goes, the seventh seal, the prelude to the seven trumpets. And I went, OK, I guess I'm in good company. So there is in the first verses one through six, this prelude to the trumpet judgments, to the blowing of the trumpets and what happens as a result. And then we have, the trumpets themselves. And in our passage, we have the first four of the trumpets being blown. Really, the trumpets you'll see here go all the way through Chapter 9, and then the seventh trumpet isn't blown until Chapter 11.

So there's a lot of material and a lot of things. You'll notice that the trumpet judgments fall upon creation. They don't fall upon, at least the first four, don't fall upon people directly. They fall upon creation. And then finally, and some keep the final verse basically as a part of the trumpet judgments. And in a sense, it's kind of an announcement towards what is to come. But there's the woe announcements on those that inhabit the earth. And it is a woe, woe, woe. Three woes for the three trumpet judgments yet to follow. And those judgments will actually fall upon the people. So, that is the layout. That is where we are. And so, let's begin in our passage here. Chapter 8, beginning at verse 1.

And when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. And then another angel, having a golden scepter, I did that yesterday too. A golden censer came and stood before the altar. And he was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises and thunderings and lightning and an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound."

So remember where we are. as we come into this chapter, John's vision is looking at the great throne room. And what is going on there? And what has just been going on there? This great scene of worship, and if you will, noise, It is a loud place with a lot going on. And then we come to the opening of the seventh seal and there is silence. This stark contrast and this anticipation of what is coming next.

I have never been in a hurricane. But my understanding is that as a hurricane passes over a particular location, there is the howl of the wind and the destruction that goes with it. And so as the first part of the hurricane moves across the city or the area. There is all this going on. And then you remember a hurricane is this round, circular piece of weather.

Technical term, obviously. But then, in the middle of the hurricane, they call it the eye, because when you see the satellite views, that's what it looks like. It's this little donut-shaped, and it's calm. There's no wind. But those that are in the eye anticipate that the next half is coming. In a sense, this silence is that eye in the midst of the storm.

The storm has been coming for these number of seals, and now the seventh seal is open, and the terrible anticipation of the back half, if you will, of the hurricane of God's judgment is right there and ready to come. In the fall, and probably by James's design, at least the elder's design, to study the minor prophets of the day of the Lord, this coming day. And we looked at it and we studied it and how the Lord's judgment will come in some ways to judge his people, in some ways to deliver his people. But you remember, you remember our going through the book of Habakkuk. where the Lord would bring the evil Chaldeans to judge the people of Israel. And as Habakkuk is praying to the Lord in the end of chapter 2, in the Lord working out his plan, He says in chapter 2, the very last words there, and he says, the Lord is in his holy temple.

Let all the earth keep silent. There is a greatness, an awesomeness, a holy hush of the Lord is going to work. and await in anticipation of what that will be. So there is this silence in heaven. And then our attention is turned to these seven angels that stand before God. And I saw these seven angels.

It's a particular group. And if you would go into our library there and pull down a commentary on the Book of Revelation, a little advertisement for our library, it is wonderful. Avail yourself of that resource. It is good. And it is full. But if you were to pull down a commentary or two on the book of Revelation, there is much discussion on who these angels are. I'm not going to deal with that any more than to say that these are a particular group.

Some have said that maybe Gabriel is one of those angels. And the reason they say that is when he, in Luke chapter 1, came to announce the birth of John the Baptist to Elizabeth. He appeared in the temple, and he said, I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you. Zachariah, who was Elizabeth's husband, who was working fulfilling his duties as a priest, this angel is there. But the point here is that Gabriel says he is one who stands before God.

These seven angels, whoever they are, if it includes Gabriel, or if it's other angels, they stand before God to do his bidding when he calls them to do it. And here it says that they stand before God, and what is God's bidding that they should do but to take trumpets? And in short order, they will blow the trumpets.

Then it says there was another angel having a golden censer And he came and stood before the altar. And here is a presentation of incense offered with the prayers of the saints. And in chapter 5, it talks about the incense that was offered before the throne of God. And it says there that the incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

But it seems here that there's a difference, a distinction, because it says to be offered with the prayers of all the saints. It doesn't say they're the same thing. Is it a major deal? Maybe not, probably not, but just to make mention of it. But it says, there was much incense given and he offered these.

The point is the prayers of the saints. What are the prayers of the saints? Well, we saw some of the prayers earlier, those under the altar that said, how long until you vindicate us? When Jesus taught his disciples to pray that prayer that we in many churches refer to as the Lord's Prayer, what does it say? It says, Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. on earth as it is in heaven. The heartbeat of the saints is that God's will would be done and that His kingdom would be established and that He would rule and reign as the sovereign that He is. That, I believe, is a very real part. Those two aspects are a very real part of the prayers that are offered here in this chapter.

And so these prayers were offered and the smoke went up. and ascended before God from the angel's hand. And then the next aspect of this prelude is the censer then was taken and filled with fiery coals and thrown to the earth. And then we have these loud, we've gone from silence to now noise, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. This great, if you will, I tried to find a term that would be appropriate for the noises and thunderings and lightnings, because it occurs a number of times in the book here. In chapter 4, verse 5. Here in our chapter, in chapter 8. In chapter 11, verse 19. In chapter 16, verse 18. these specific sounds and the lightning.

And so what I thought of was, what is it that calls people to attention? Well, a lot of times we describe it as fanfare. You play a little fanfare to get people's attention. Fanfare doesn't seem strong enough for what this is, but that's what it is. It's, if you will, the whistle on a ship. when an officer is about to board or when he's coming, to call everybody to attention, to direct their attention. In a sense, that's what this is.

The NIV study Bible in their notes says that it is symbolic, this noise and thunderings and lightnings are symbolic of the awesome majesty and the power of God. John MacArthur in his notes on the first occasion, and I'll just read it from here in verse 4, 5, his notes say, it is not a fury of nature. but the firestorm of righteous fury about to come from an awesome, powerful God upon a sinful world." And so, it's not an unimportant thing.

It marks an important event that is about to occur from the throne of heaven. When the Lord was going to give the Ten Commandments, the law, to Moses on Mount Sinai, there were thunderings and lightnings. It was a display of the holiness, the awesome power, and the unapproachableness of the great God.

And here we have this scene where there is silent anticipation. And now there are these loud noises and thunderings and lightnings and it says, and an earthquake. Bad things are about to happen. And as this happens, the seven angels that stand in the presence of God prepare themselves. They maybe line up And they bring the trumpets to their lips in preparation to sound.

And that is the next step. In the television that I grew up in, And the same thing happens now, or in stories, where you'll focus on a scene and this is going on, and then they'll go, meanwhile, back at the ranch, and they'll turn your attention from where we are to where we're going. Verse seven does that.

We are in the throne room of heaven observing all that is going on and the opening of the seal, the silence, the look of the seven angels standing in preparation to do the Lord's bidding. This other angel who is presenting the prayers of the saints with this great incense. And then the thunderings, and the lightning, and the loud noises, and the earthquake, and the angels preparing to blow, and then the first trumpet sounds. And in verse seven, it says, meanwhile, down on earth. And now we come to this next section. And the angel sounded in verse seven, and hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. And the second trumpet sounded. Second angel sounded his trumpet.

And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. Then the third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch. And it fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of water. And the name of the star was Wormwood. And a third of the waters became Wormwood. And many men died from the water because it had become bitter. Then the fourth angel sounded. And a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them was darkened. And a third of the day did not shine, and likewise at night.

And so here are the first group of the trumpet judgments. In a sense, these judgments thus far have been divided in this way where there's the first four that are dealt with, and then the last three come later. And you remember the seals? It was the four horses. And now we have these. And notice that they are directed at creation.

And they're reminiscent, if you know your Bible, if you've read your Bible, if you've been here for any length of time, reminiscent of something we've heard before in the distant past somewhere. Many of these are reminiscent of the judgments that the Lord brought on Egypt prior to the exodus of Israel out of Egypt. Some commentators have tried to make these mean various things. a means of interpretation that is more symbolic.

But as I look at what is here, it seems to me, as Dennis Hayes would say years ago, if the plain sense makes good sense, why seek any other sense? And that seems to be appropriate here. So we have this judgment where hail mixed with fire and mingled with blood is thrown upon the earth.

In Exodus chapter 17, the Nile was turned to blood. And the The Lord was seeking, if you will, the purpose at that time. Of course, it was for Israel to be brought out of Egypt and brought back to the promised land. But over and over again, What the Lord's design for those judgments in Exodus, Exodus 7 and 8 and 9, was that the people of Israel, and particularly the people of Egypt, and especially Pharaoh, would know that I am the Lord.

When the hail fell on Egypt, he says, for at this time I am sending all of my plagues to you personally and to your servants, he's talking to Pharaoh, and he says, your servants and your people, so that you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. And he went on and said, for the sake of showing you my strength in order to proclaim my name in all the earth. And there was hail and fire and there was flashing back and forth in the midst of the severe hail. And at that time, Pharaoh said, I have sinned this time.

The Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are wicked ones, he says. Stop asking that the hail would be stopped, and this is Exodus chapter nine, and he says in verse 29, of the stopping of the hail, so that you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. In Romans chapter 1, beginning of verse 18, it says this, For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

Because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things which are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, neither were thankful, but became futile in their own thoughts, imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. God had given creation and it revealed who he was. And again, in these judgments, God is revealing who he is, his eternal power and Godhead, that he is the Lord God, that the earth belongs to him. that he is the sovereign, that he is the one in control. So the first one was on the land itself. And all the green things were burned up, the trees, and it says, and all the green grass.

But notice that it's only one third of the earth. It's not a universal judgment on all the earth. It's just one third. And then it describes this something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. So this wasn't a mountain, but it was something like a mountain.

And so it would make us think of maybe some kind of asteroid or meteor that comes flaming through the atmosphere. and hits the sea, and it turns it to blood, but only a third of the sea, and it kills a third of the creatures that are in the sea, but it also destroys a third of the ships. How does it happen? I don't know. It may be some kind of tsunami, tidal wave kind of thing that destroys the ships. But it says they are destroyed.

And then it talks about a great star that fell from heaven. And again, maybe some kind of meteor or asteroid or something. Sometimes we go out at night when it's really dark and we look for what? Shooting stars. Maybe this is that kind of thing that comes. And so we have the land struck and we have the sea struck. And now we have the fresh water struck.

They say that it says that this star that fell from heaven, the name of the star was Wormwood. And it fell on the rivers and the springs of water and turned them to Wormwood. And wormwood, it's a bitter substance. And in some way, it maybe not only made the water bitter, but it made it toxic because it concludes by saying that many men died of the water because it was bitter.

But anyway, a third, a third of the fresh water And then the fourth trumpet. And the heavens were struck, the celestial bodies, the sun and the moon and the stars. And it says that the sun and the moon and the stars, a third of them were darkened. A third of the sun, third of the moon, and a third of the stars. And it says, so a third of the day, It did not shine. It had no light. There was no light for a third of the day and a third of the night. What a staggering thought. to be in absolute complete darkness.

There was a judgment on the people of Israel where it was said it was so dark that one man couldn't see another. When we have had opportunities to go into caves or we had the opportunity years ago when my daughter Joanna was in Israel to go in Hezekiah's tunnel. And you get down there, you get halfway, and you turn all the lights out. And it's like a darkness you can feel. Somebody is right next to you, and you can't see anything. And so it says a third of the day, it would be dark. A third of the night, there'd be no lights, no moon, no stars. How does that happen?

Notice that these are not natural occurrences. These are divine works, the act of God himself. But remember, it's only a third. And then we come to the final announcement, the final section of our piece of our chapter. And I looked and I heard, and my translation says, an angel flying.

Many translations, and really a better translation is an eagle or a vulture. It may well be an angel. We've noticed from earlier chapters in this book that there are angels and creatures in heaven that look like different animals that we can identify. And it is possible that this is an angel that looks like a bird of prey. or like a vulture circling.

And this is his announcement. He's flying in the midst of heaven saying with a loud voice, woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth because the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound. This declaration of woe, of where you are indicted, you are, bad things are gonna happen. you think this is bad, it's gonna be much worse, and it's going to be on you, is the declaration here. And we will come to chapter nine next time, and we will see the terrifying events that these next trumpets bring. The judgment of God is an awful and awesome thing. So as we conclude, what does this passage reveal about Christ? And what are we, as people today, looking at what is going to take place? How does that affect us? What should we do? First of all, Christ. What do we see in this passage? We're reminded that these judgments reveal the wrath of the Lamb. That was the end of the sixth seal. And so we see that he is the judge. In John chapter 5 verse 22 it says, the father does not judge but he has committed all judgment to the son.

In Acts, Paul is talking to the people of Athens and he says, He's talking about they have an altar to the unknown God in verse 23 and he says, therefore the one whom you worship without knowing him I proclaim to you, verse 24 of Acts 17, God who made the world and everything in it since he is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not dwell in temples made with hands nor is worshiped with men's hands as though he needed anything. since he gives to all life and breath and all things and he made from one blood every nation to dwell on the face of the earth and has predetermined their appointed times and boundaries and dwellings. And then I will run down to, to verse 30.

Truly, these times of ignorance God had overlooked. The times of ignorance is that they didn't know Him and They were worshiping idols of gold and silver and stone. It says, God has overlooked those, but now commands all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he ordained.

And he has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. And so Christ is the judge. He is the one who here is doing this work. He is sovereign. He said to the disciples before he left at the end of Matthew, Matthew chapter 28, right at the end of that passage, he goes, all authority is given to me in heaven and earth. The earth belongs to him. He is the creator and sustainer of the world, Hebrews chapter 1. God, who in various times and in various ways spoke in time past through the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he made the worlds, who is the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power.

And when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. He at this time is sustaining everything, keeping it going the way it is. And so for him to make the sun and the moon and the stars dark is no big deal. But I think also in this passage, he is revealed as a God of grace and of mercy.

Why do I say that? Because the judgment at this point only fell on a third. Why? Let me read. I don't agree all of what Dr. Barnhouse said about this chapter in this passage, but he said this, and I thought it was good. These first judgments are only partial, a third. They're not universal. A measure of mercy. Why would the Lord spare two-thirds? Why would only a third suffer?

Is it not a call to the others to turn to God and live? My time is gone. Let me just read one more passage, and then I'll let you go. the end of 2 Peter, Peter chapter 3. Beloved, I write to you this second epistle, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder. that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before of the holy prophets and the commandment of us, the apostles of our Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts and saying, where is the promise of his coming?

For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation. Nothing's changed. Everything's just going. He's not there, it's not gonna happen. For this they willingly forget that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of water and in water by which the world that then existed perished being flooded with water, Noah's flood. But the heavens and the earth, which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and the perdition, the destruction of ungodly men.

But beloved, do not forget this one thing. That with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day. How long, O Lord, until you work? But the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some man can slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that is in them will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of person ought we to be in holy conduct? and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of the Lord, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace without spot, blameless, and consider that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. And then I'll skip over the rest and come to one of my favorite verses. Ye therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.

But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory, both now and ever. Amen. Let's close in prayer. Indeed, Lord, as we look at these terrifying things, we ask that you would help us to stand in this evil day, and not only to stand, to be a testimony for you and to grow in grace and in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. For we ask it in His name, amen.