Sermon on the Mount

by Kathleen Petersen

When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward! When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others when you are fasting, but only to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-18 NET

Like other customary Jewish religious practices of Jesus’ day, fasting showed extraordinary dedication to God. Jesus pointed out that these practices, including prayer and charitable giving, had too often become just a show with the hopes of earthly benefits. Such conspicuous practices had not been directed toward our Father in Heaven, but orchestrated to build a reputation that would impress both religionists and common people.  

Because American evangelicals haven’t been bound to observing as many rites, ancient customs and holidays as other branches of Christianity, we can be inclined to think we are more centered on the basics and thus more pleasing to God. But, even if we consider those ancient customs as “show religion”,
have we acclimated ourselves to other religious performances?

The book of Acts describes the inspiring motivation of the newly formed Jerusalem Church:

The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. Acts 4:32 NET

“One heart and mind” What a beautiful description of wholehearted service. Sadly, it didn’t take much time for a couple engaged in this tender environment
to devise a self centered act of giving.

Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. He kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of the land? Before it was sold, did it not belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God!”
Acts 5:1-8 NET

Hypocrisy is just another word for lying. Lying always hurts our relationships with God and tears communities of faith apart. Peter calls this couple’s plot lying
to God. Such irony –- trying to lie to God from whom nothing is hidden! 

Are your Christian activities enhancing your visible dedication to God but leaving you empty? Are you engaging in spiritual exercises, serving others, teaching, music ministry, giving financially, being friendly, etc., secretly angling for others to praise your talent, intelligence, generosity, dedication and warm personal touch? Are you in a respected and needed ministry because the Holy Spirit continues to prompt you, or do you press on primarily because others are impressed with your talents or religious knowledge? 

It’s wise to periodically review your religious involvements and check your motivations. You might want to add a less visible niche area of service that seems of less value to others and see what happens. 

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

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Red Couch Theology Podcast

Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron

There’s only so much we can cover in a Sunday morning gathering!
Each week, you’re invited to tune into our LIVE podcast at 11 am on Thursdays – recorded (and sometimes prerecorded) for later, online viewing.

What can you expect? Pastors Alex, Aaron and the occasional guest, having a casual conversation diving deeper into ideas related to last Sunday’s teaching:

Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:16-18

(See also Isaiah 58)

Questions may be sent through
https://redcouchtheology.com/  

Blog sites:

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCWnNSTN-6XA7oYy6TBfS0LAxqxPvxVjH

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guys-drinking-tea/id1616539767

by Grace Hunter

When you read the book of Job you encounter a common mindset: 

If bad things happen to me or my family, I must have broken God’s rules.
If I live by God’s rules, then good things will happen to me and my family. 

The problem with this philosophy is that it is simplistic, naïve and not a reality in Job’s life nor in mine, how about yours?

This week we are looking at fasting — both the right way and the wrong way. Isaiah said,

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.”  Isaiah 29:13 NIV.

Jesus quotes this verse in Matthew 15:8-9 when he was talking to a group of Pharisees. He makes it clear that God is concerned about the heart,
not rule-following for rule’s sake.

So, let’s take a look at chapter 58 of Isaiah. Isaiah declared to Israel what God thinks of how they are currently fasting. Keep in mind Isaiah 29:13 as we look at this chapter. Find a translation you like and read chapter 58 of Isaiah. Did you notice the many “if,  then” statements? How does God describe their current mode of fasting; and what does He think of it? Did you notice what God’s idea of true fasting is? Did it include more than just denying oneself of food for a meal or for a day? If we behave as a righteous person does: then God will protect, provide, guide, strengthen, and restore. How does this chapter end? How can we find our joy in the Lord?

There is a lot in this chapter; if taken the wrong way, we can end up just like Job’s counselors — thinking that if I just know the right rules and follow them, then God is obligated to bless me, to do what I want. The thing is, God is not a vending machine. He desires our hearts, He desires relationship with us, He desires us to trust in Him, in His love, in His goodness, in His plan for us. We live in a broken world and we are all sinners. God’s plan for us may allow anxiety, disease, death of loved ones, loss of jobs, the birth of a brain injured child, and other heart aches. It certainly did for Job and for me and my family. But, if we deny ourselves in order to draw closer to God — to revere Him — God sees us. He sees our hearts. If we trust in Him, even when our personal circumstances don’t make sense to us, then we are acting righteously. Let’s strive to cultivate the heart God desires, and then we will be able to act as a righteous person everyday as God desires us to, regardless of our circumstances.

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

Sherry Sommer

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:16-17 (NIV)

Jesus talks about fasting as he does about giving and praying. He says “when you…”  He could say “when you fast” to his audience because it was a normal discipline in the ancient Jewish world. It’s not clear that fasting is required for modern day followers of  Jesus, and fasting is foreign to many of us, including me.  We can make Jesus’  teaching on fasting relevant to our situation by interpreting it as reinforcement, not to make a show of religious practices. However, there is another way to unpack his teaching.

Even though fasting was a customary practice for Jews in Jesus’ time, they lacked a full  understanding of it.  Apparently, the prevailing norm was abstaining from food while making a dramatic show of piety.  If we look at the book of Isaiah, we can see that this was not a new problem for the Jews. In Isaiah, the prophet criticizes shallow and transactional interpretations of fasting that sounded like:  “God, we will fast and you will reward us. What? We have fasted…why aren’t you rewarding us?” Isaiah points out that the sacrifices the Jews of that time were making didn’t address their heart issues. They thought they could fast  while mistreating their workers and fighting. Isaiah makes it clear that God could not be manipulated into producing blessings. He wanted transformed hearts and a people who cared for others.  

The prophet proposes that his audience fast, not just from food, but from being self centered and self absorbed. He asks that people work toward justice in their communities and to refrain from being judgemental and aimless. Properly practiced, Isaiah says fasting is not about being self focused at all.  It’s about saying no to something that we normally rely on, in order to realign our values.  Jesus’ way is to remember to care not only for our own needs but for the needs of others. 

Application

I’ve  been trying intermittent fasting in this season — which is eating during an eight hour window. I’ve found that it has helped declutter my days — with less time spent thinking about, preparing, and cleaning up after meals! I’m also trying to compress my screen time. This frees up so much time and brain power when I stick with it! 

Today I was reminded of Revelation 3:20: 

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person,
and they with me.

Perhaps if we take the time to fast from food or other things we normally rely on, we can be freed up to hear Jesus. We can be refreshed and transformed by sharing the meal he provides.  

Pray about what God might teach you about fasting during this season of Lent. 

“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
    Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
    and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
    they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
    and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
    and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
    ‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
    and you have not noticed?’

“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
    and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
    and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
    and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
    only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
    and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
    a day acceptable to the LORD?”

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
    and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
    and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
    and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
    and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness] will go before you,
    and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
    you will cry for help, and he will say: ‘Here am I.'”

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
    with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry
    and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
    and your night will become like the noonday.
The LORD will guide you always;
    he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
    and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like a spring whose waters never fail.
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
    and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
    Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the LORD’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the LORD,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 58

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Bruce Hanson

Fasting

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:16-18

While this week’s scripture is specifically about fasting, my job for the week is to step back and examine just how the passage above fits in with the entirety of Matthew Chapter 6. To do so, we need to back up and take a look at Matthew 6:1.

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” 

Jesus is attempting to turn around a world that is entirely saturated with legalisms. Consider the rich young man who approached Jesus with
the following question.

“Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life ?” Matthew 19:16

This was a world caught up in doing. What must I DO to receive eternal life? The moment it becomes all about us and the things we do, our world gravitates to one that is highly concerned with comparing ourselves to others. We must measure up. We want to look good, so we put on a show. Create a scene.
When we give bread to our needy neighbors, we do so with much pomp and circumstance. It’s not so much about them as about us. The same is true of prayer. Jesus warns of praying publicly in order to be seen. Using big words and long sentences. All about our heads. Not about our hearts. How do we look?
And this week, Jesus emphasizes the same perspective in regards to fasting. The purpose of fasting was/is to separate oneself from the things of the world
in order to draw closer to God. It is not about sacrifice. No tit for tat. That’s a head thing. It’s about mercy. That’s a heart thing. What is our purpose?

Let me finish by hearkening back to one of my favorite Old Testament verses.

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

Jesse didn’t even consider David when he paraded his sons before Samuel, extolling their virtues and achievements. It was about what they’d done and
how they looked. God set both Jesse and Samuel straight. 

If our hearts are right, our actions will follow. And we will be seen by God. Seen and rewarded.

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Grace Hunter

Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

‘For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’ Matthew 6:12,14-15 NIV

This section of the Lord’s prayer, also known as the disciple’s prayer, addresses forgiveness in verses 12, 14 and 15. But in between, we are told by Jesus to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,” Matthew 6:13 NIV. Why do you think this is sandwiched between these verses on forgiveness? Especially in light of, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;” James 1:13 NIV.

I got to visit my kids in Ft. Collins this weekend as I was pondering this question. My son-in-law is a pastor of a small church in Longmont, and we enjoy discussing his upcoming sermons and my devotional writings. He suggested I look at his copy of John Stott’s book, Christian Counter-Culture. John Stott’s opinion is, “The sinner whose evil in the past has been forgiven, longs to be delivered from its tyranny in the future.” Perhaps this is one reason why this verse is in between these other verses focused on forgiveness. John Stott explains why we should pray the phrase “lead us not into temptation”. He says, “The probable answer is that the prayer is more that we may overcome temptation, than that we may avoid it.” (Stott, p. 150).

Carolyn Schmidt gave me this little book called Fifty-Seven Words That Change the World, by Darrell W. Johnson. It has many good insights into the Lord’s prayer, and I recommend it to anyone who wants to take a deeper dive into understanding the Lord’s prayer and into praying it more effectively. I like the way he paraphrases this verse.

“Our Father, we cannot stand up under very much pressure. We are not wise enough to recognize and then counter the work of the evil one. When you lead us to the test, when life itself brings us to the test, do not let the test become a temptation, but rescue us. Rescue us from the subtle strategies of the evil one, help us to trust you.” Fifty-Seven Words That Change the World, (Johnson, p. 98).

I want to end with the full “expanded” way that Darrell Johnson prays the Lord’s Prayer (p. 113). May it bless you and give you insights into praying the Lord’s Prayer for yourself and others.

Our Father,
very close at hand,
on the throne of the universe:

Be hallowed(!) your name,
on earth as it is in heaven;

Come(!) your kingdom,
on earth as it is in heaven;

Be done(!) your will
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day all we need to be your people.

Cancel our debts,
as we have cancelled the debts of our debtors.

And as you lead us to the test,
do not let the test become a temptation,
but rescue us from the twisting wiles of the evil-one.
(He wants us to think that you are not as good as Jesus says you are.)

All this, and more, you can do,
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power
and the glory.

Forever!
So be it.

 Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

______________________________

Red Couch Theology Podcast

Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron

There’s only so much we can cover in a Sunday morning gathering!
Each week, you’re invited to tune into our LIVE podcast at 11 am on Thursdays – recorded (and sometimes prerecorded) for later, online viewing.

What can you expect? Pastors Alex, Aaron and the occasional guest, having a casual conversation diving deeper into ideas related to last Sunday’s teaching:

Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 6:13

“but if you do allow me down a path fraught with trials, please help me out the other side”

See also, 1 Corinthians 10:13

Questions may be sent through
https://redcouchtheology.com/  

Blog sites:

Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCWnNSTN-6XA7oYy6TBfS0LAxqxPvxVjH

Apple Podcast:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guys-drinking-tea/id1616539767

by Carolyn Schmitt

My, how time flies!  Just three months ago it was the first Sunday in Advent, then we celebrated Jesus’s birth and the start of 2024 and now we are three weeks into Lent, and in less than a month it will be Easter Sunday.

“One day at a time,” is a comment many of us make as we are going through difficult times. I  wonder if Jesus might have thought, maybe even have said it as he grew to adulthood in Nazareth. 

From the time he was born, the only time we get news of him is recorded in Luke 2:41-52, when, as a twelve year old boy, he is in Jerusalem sitting in the temple courts conversing with the teachers there. The only words we “hear” him say are, “Why were you searching for me. Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Then he went back to Nazareth, was obedient to Joseph and Mary and, “… grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” 

Thirty years have passed, one day at a time, when we see him next at his baptism.

The Baptism of Jesus

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:13-17

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:  

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,”
he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11

So it seems to me that when Jesus teaches us to pray “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one“, He is sharing with us his experiences of being tempted by the enemy, especially when we are going through times of weariness and weakness.  

Knowing that Jesus shared our experience and understands our weakness can give us confidence in coming to Our Father in Heaven for help to resist the evil that would tempt us to turn from him.  As we pray the Lord’s prayer, also rest in the truth that Jesus is also praying in heaven for us.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Kathleen Petersen

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13 NET

When I was young, my parents were involved with Freemasonry organizations. Both encouraged me to join Job’s Daughters, the Freemason branch for young women. I later learned, although this covert organization had biblical trappings, it was entry level occultism which I later renounced. However, the book of Job, the oldest book in Scripture, still intrigued me and his sufferings remain a mystery. Job’s story begins in Job 1:1-5 with describing him as a man who had been experiencing the Prosperity Gospel of his time.

Job was unaware he was about to encounter unprecedented torment because of the following conversation in the Unseen Realm.

One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.”

Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven’t you placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

“Very well,” the LORD told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence. Job 1:6-12 CSB

After this dialogue, Job’s circumstances morphed into a series of horrible nightmares. He had no scripture from which to draw strength. But he did have rich experiences of the goodness of God. In later chapters of the book, the words of advice from his wife and limited understanding of his best friends served only to increase his agony. In Job 19:22-24, Job expresses his longing for all their counsel along with his own words to be recorded for future generations. Guess what? He got his wish.

After his petition to record his experience for succeeding generations, Job’s next words express a sentiment that rings true through the rest of scripture.

But I know that my Redeemer lives,
and at the end he will stand on the dust.

Even after my skin has been destroyed,
yet I will see God in my flesh.

I will see him myself;
my eyes will look at him, and not as a stranger.

My heart longs within me. Job 19:25-27 CSB

Let that sink in! Job, who had no centuries of theological resources, placed his faith in the Unseen One who had always been good to him. He did not let his memory of God’s generosity vanish in the midst of humanly unbearable satanic persecution. In return, God did not permit Job’s faith to fail. Read this portion of Jesus’ prayer again:

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

God has been faithful to those who serve him throughout every phase of human history. It’s revealed in Hebrews 7:25 that Jesus, our Redeemer and High Priest, intercedes for us during every unanticipated test or temptation generated by the evil one. A reminder: 

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way. Matthew 5:11-12 NET 

Are you or someone close to you suffering torment for no apparent cause? Pray this week’s portion of the Lord’s prayer and listen for scriptural insight. Don’t be in a rush for the response — leave room for a clear word from the Holy Spirit. God provides the same supernatural strength to us that he granted to Job.

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.

by Bruce Hanson

“And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.” Matthew 6:13

I know my high school English teacher probably wouldn’t like my use of But, But as a title, but let me explain. The first “but” refers to my writing assignment concerning the passage above. The second “but” was hand-delivered by the librarian at the Heavenly Public Library as I sat down to write. She reminded me of something we ought to “Post-It” in our brains. And yes, I was being noisy!! 

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Living  and Active

What the librarian whispered in my ear was that I needed to slow down and ruminate. If you are like me, the Lord’s Prayer is something I memorized not long after I learned to talk. I have likely recited it many thousands of times. If I am not careful, it can simply slide off my tongue without making an impact on my mind or my heart. God’s Word is LIVING and ACTIVE. Every time I read it and all the rest of scripture, I should endeavor to read it as though I have never seen it before. It has the potential to be new every time. Now to the first “but” from the passage above.

What could possibly be the purpose of tying the two portions of the sentence above with the conjunction“but”.  If we flesh it out as is implied, it would say,
“But if He does”. The thing is, God doesn’t tempt. Numerous scriptures tell us that. Never. Never. So why did Jesus use the word “but”?

Let me start by saying that this is what God is telling me about Jesus’ use of the word “but”. He may have something else for you. The Greek word used here for temptation is the word peirasmos. If you look that word up in Strong’s Concordance, you will find three potential meanings that might be used in translation:  trial, testing, temptation. 

For me, if I employ the meaning of peirasmos as temptation, then that seems to contradict what I know about God’s character. But if I use it in the sense of testing, then things suddenly make sense to me. Not only do they make sense, but they also give me reassurance as I face the challenges of aging.
The GPB, the Grandpa Bruce Paraphrased edition of scripture would look like this:

“God, if I had my choice, I might choose to avoid all trials. Trials aren’t much fun, but if you do allow me down a path fraught with trials, please help me out the other side. I KNOW you will!!”

But, But 

“Testing, Testing”

Thank You Jesus

Note. To access scripture links that don’t appear in the email version, read the web version in your browser.