Seal of Approval

John 6:27 "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

My Dad was an excellent engineer and there were many evenings in our household when I would just sit and watch him at his desk. He would pore over blueprints and designs for machinery for hours, checking all the specifications, whilst rotating all the gears, belts, and axles in his mind. His skills amazed me, and to this day I wish that I had that capacity.

I remember he came in one day very excited. He had some large blueprints with him and a packet of Kellog's Corn Flakes. He took out a pair of scissors and he cut something from the side of the box. I saw that it was a crown, with the letters ER in italics. He stuck it to his blueprint with some scotch tape. I didn't understand, but my Dad's face was beaming.

"What's the crown for?" I asked.
"It's a seal of approval, John," he answered. "The machine that I'm designing is being made for one of the Queen's Own Regiments, so when this blueprint is finally finished, it will have her seal of approval on it."

I felt really proud of my Dad and I know that he did, too.

Jesus talks about us working for eternal life, and that when we do so, we receive God's seal of approval. It's Christ's way of telling us that we can please God with the things that we do in our lives. If we work for money, food, shelter and clothing all of the time, then we are only working for ourselves; but if we are willing to serve God with our time, talents, and treasures, then we are living our lives for Him. When we do that, we delight in God's approval and are sealed with His love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to serve You in every way that we possibly can. Teach us to make good and godly uses of our time, our skills, and our resources. Enable and encourage us to work for Your Church, to fulfill Your Mission, and to support Your Ministry in our community, country, and across the world. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

A Way Out

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Because I was a teenage alcoholic, I still feel tempted to go out on a binge, especially when I'm under pressure or tired. Even the other night, when I was entertaining with our band Glenfinnan at a Scottish Burns Supper, I wanted to slake my thirst with the profusion of single malt whiskies that were freely offered and displayed all over the banquet hall. I'm not saying that it took a great deal of will power to abstain, but I was glad that my erstwhile companions in the band were also there. Who knows what I would have taken if I had been on my own.

We all face temptations each and every day. For some of us, the struggle is easily overcome by another distraction. For others amongst us, it's only the power of prayer and God's strength that enables us to overcome our weaknesses and triumph over temptation. The good thing is that God doesn't want us to fail and, as it says in scripture, He always provides us with an opportunity to avoid sinning. He doesn't take us away from the sin; He just gives us the way out.

People are dealing with temptation every moment of the day. Some are addicted to bad habits like greed, pride, and bitterness. Others are caught in the trap of addiction with food, drugs, alcohol, and even pornography. The weaknesses of the human soul and its sinful longings are deeply tied to human misery and despair. It's only when we look up and reach out to God that we can begin the real journey of healing, release, and reformation. It's only when we trust Him and seek His guidance that we can be the people He meant us to be, that we can become the heirs of His Kingdom and the servants of His Son.

Prayer: Father God, You know us completely and are fully aware of our weaknesses, sinful habits, and secret addictions. We cannot fool You, nor can we shut You out from what's going on in our lives. Help us, Lord, to faithfully endure the arrows of temptation that seek to pierce and damage our souls. Grant us the courage to overcome our failings and enable us to see the opportunities that You lovingly grant us to escape from each sin. In Christ's Name, we pray. Amen.

Nigerian Scams

Acts 5:4b, 5 You have not lied to men but to God." When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

Do ever get those emails from Nigeria where someone claims to have $20 million ready to deposit in your bank account? Quite often, the sender writes that he or she is a Christian, and that the Lord has told them to contact you. Of course, it's a load of baloney, and the sender is just trying to scam greedy people into sending them bank account details, social security numbers, and computer passwords in order to steal their personal identities.

When I receive them, I send back a message that contains Acts 5: 1-11, letting the sender know of the seriousness of the sin that he or she is involved with. I don't know if it does them any good, but one thing that it does do is this: if they continue with the scam, then they are now lying against the Holy Spirit and putting themselves under a terrible judgment. It's a crime to con people out of their money. It's altogether a worse thing to do it in the name of the Lord.

When the Early Church gathered as a community, they tried to share all of their resources to help one another. They were persecuted as a community of faith and, because of that, they had to depend upon one another to survive. Mostly everyone contributed to the common pool of money, but some, like Ananias and Sapphira, made a big show of what they gave. At the same time, they deceived the Church by retaining a large proportion of what they pledged to give. In other words, they were not being generous. They were being deceitful and it brought about their sudden deaths.

I guess the lesson for all of us is to be careful about what we promise to God and what we actually give. Other people may not know what we choose to do, but ultimately God does, and whether we like it or not, He is offended by false promises and scams, especially when they are made by Christians.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to understand the gravity of our promises when we make them to You or Your church. Teach us to give cheerfully and to seek different ways of contributing our time, talents and treasures to You, Your Church, and Your work on earth. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

The Da Vinci Code

Revelation 17:9 "This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits.

It's very hard to read through the Book of Revelation and get what the writer is meaning. There's all sorts of imagery and symbolism going on in the book, and some of it refers to places and events that are long since gone. But it's an intriguing book and it appeals to our sense of mystery and love of puzzles. There's something in the book that we know is perfectly true, but we just can't picture the events logically, or put them into current world situations.

In a couple of weeks, a new blockbuster movie called "The Da Vinci Code" will be released and everyone will be talking about it. We'll see talk show hosts like Oprah Winfrey and Larry King interview the stars of the movie and the author of the book, Dan Brown. We'll hear about college professors in seminaries who will give credence to what's being promulgated by this movie, and it will cause dents in some people's faith. We'll also read articles about church ministers and theologians who will debunk the myths surrounding the story.

I've read the book, but I won't be going to the movie. It's all about codes and conspiracy theories that are trivial and unreal. It's full of anagrams and puzzles, where words and phrases are solved to reveal new words and other clues. It's a very clever tale, but that's all it is, a tale. The real truth is to be found in the Gospels. What we should really study is expressed by Christ in His acts and teachings.

Perhaps you'll get caught up in the hype and it will cause you to doubt your faith. Well, here's something to chew on. The author is called Dan Brown. Did you realize that it's an anagram for "Own Brand?" He's promulgating his own brand of the Gospels. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life that we all are seeking. Much of life is a mystery and there are many things that confuse us. Keep us focused upon You, and help us to live by Your words. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

A Living Nightmare

Revelation 12:8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.

One of the worst nightmares that I have ever had was about being in heaven. That may sound strange, but let me explain. I dreamed that I was standing inside the Pearly Gates, looking out through golden railings, into the mist that surrounded heaven.

At first, everything was quiet and peaceful, heavenly even, but then I felt tense and uncomfortable. As my anxiety increased, people started walking out of the mist and came up to me, one by one. I recognized their faces - family, long time friends, people in the community, even one-time church members. And everyone of them wailed the same thing, over and over again, "Why didn't you make me listen? Why didn't you make me listen?"

I woke up, drenched in sweat. The dream terrified me, and ever since then, I've tried to preach the Gospel in straight-forward ways. It's not a popular thing to do, and some people get offended or feel uncomfortable at times, including myself, but it's the only way that I know to help people keep on the right path, the right path that will eventually lead them into heaven.

That's the passion for my life, to help people get into heaven. Nothing else is as important. Everything else is either just a delusion or a distraction. I know that most people don't think that way, but I don't have that luxury. If I don't believe enough in Christ, if my faith is not strong enough, then other people may lose their place in heaven. And that is a nightmare to me.

Please, whoever you are and wherever you are today, make and take time to reconnect with God. Pray for your loved ones to do the same, and help them, in every way you possibly can, to make them listen to the Gospel.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all want to go to heaven and to live forever in Your company. To do this, we've got to listen to Your message and give You our hearts. Help us to stop putting this important act of faith off, and enable us to encourage all our loved ones to do the same. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

Seeing Ourselves

Psalm 19:12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

I'm teaching two English literature classes today in my daughter's High school class. It all came about when Lauren's teacher referred to Britain as 'England.' Lauren took offense at this, and reminded her teacher that Britain is made up of several nations, which includes Scotland. Thankfully, her teacher accepted what Lauren had to say and, in the ensuing conversation, I somehow got volunteered to teach two classes about Scotland's contribution to English literature, especially the works of Robert Burns, the world's greatest poet.

This verse from the psalmist reminded me of something that Burns once wrote. The psalmist talks about hidden faults, and how each of us are blind to all the mistakes that we make. In the past, ministers would calls these the 'sins of omission,' the things that we neglect to do, as well as the mistakes that we unconsciously commit. In one of his poems, Burns put it this way:

'O the pow'r that God wad gie us, to see ourselves as ithers see us.'
(O the power that God would give us, to see ourselves as others see us)

Sometimes, we are blind to the sins we commit and the mistakes that we make. If only we had the power to see ourselves making those mistakes, which others around us notice.

Perhaps today, we could all make a conscious effort to watch what we do or say; to be careful about the witness to Christ we project, to be aware that we are not perfect all of the time. And at the end of the day, as we make our confessions and give thanks to God in prayer, let's also remember to ask forgiveness for our hidden faults.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we unknowingly hurt other people and offend You. Sometimes the things we say and do, or the things we neglect to say or do, cause us to disappoint others and sin against You. Help us to recognize our mistakes and give us the ways and means to make up for our sins of omission. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

On a Mission for God

Real Guys Don't Ask for Directions

Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

I used to keep this verse taped to the driving wheel of my car, especially on long trips out of state because, as you perfectly well know, guys like me don't often ask for directions. Whenever I got lost anywhere, I would just stubbornly keep on going until I would eventually have to stop and talk to a local. Usually, I did the stopping, and Evelyn would get out and do the asking.

I can remember our first year over here, when we were staying at Disney World, getting lost somewhere in Kissimee, Florida. Instead of heading back to the resort, I was stubbornly taking us all out into the swamps. We'd probably still be there, if Evelyn hadn't insisted stopping at a gas station to get directions.

Just as guys like me are bad at asking for road directions, people are also bad at asking God for guidance. We sometimes get ourselves into bad situations and have chronic problems, but instead of seeking God's counsel, we stubbornly hold on to our own beliefs and stick to our own ways of handling our problems. You would think that we would all learn from experience, but we don't. I guess that's why God kept calling the Israelites stubborn and stiff-necked. If only they had taken His advice and followed His ways, perhaps they wouldn't have spent forty years wandering in the wilderness!

Anyway, whatever we're facing, whatever we fear, whatever problems or issues we have in our lives, let's ask God for help and take time to listen to Him. Otherwise, we're going to go around in spiritual circles and unresolved cycles.

Prayer: Father God, help us to make the time to talk to You about what we're going through right now. Enable us to be patient and quiet, ready to receive Your counsel and to accept Your guidance. Protect us from our stubborn selves and help us to resolve those issues that cause us anxiety, burdens, and stress. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.

Worship

1 Timothy 3:4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.

Last night, at the end of a long Session meeting, we discussed a current issue of the behavior of some of our older kids in the church. It's not easy to do, because somewhere along the line, someone is going to be offended. The trouble is that behaving in church is just part of a larger problem that civilization is dealing with right now : the problem of raising our kids in a narcissistic society.

We want our church buildings to be safe and welcoming places for families, but we also need to keep our sanctuaries sacred and our worship of God reverent, as well relevant. For too long, we've allowed ourselves to become the center of our church life, pandering to our needs, seeing to our convenience, fulfilling our desires. That's what being narcissistic means. The trouble is, there's no room for narcissism in the Christian church.

We are meant to think less of ourselves as we enter into God's presence. We are meant to respect His holiness as we come into His house. A whole generation of people have grown up with the mistaken idea of being pally with God and that He's okay with everything that we say and do. Our fierce independence and staunch pride makes it hard for us to accept that there are important rules and traditions in the church. To allow ourselves the luxury of doing our own thing, or behaving however we like, or to disrespect God's presence, is to set ourselves up as narcissistic idolaters - people who love to worship themselves.

So, I guess we have an education problem at Erin. I guess we have to re-educate ourselves about re-honoring God in the one place, at the one time where our focus is supposed to be on Him. Anything less is idolatry. Anything other is hypocrisy.

Prayer: Lord God, for too long we've taken You for granted and sought to serve ourselves in our churches. Instead of caring about what You want, we've made sure that we get what we want. Forgive us for being foolish and help us to return to You the worship, praise and honor You truly deserve. In Jesus' Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

Iniquities

Isaiah 53:11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

What some of you don't know, is that I was the Boys' School Captain for my last three years at Senior High. Coincidentally, Evelyn was the Girls' School Captain of her Senior High school , too. I don't know what the equivalent is over here, perhaps valedictorian is the nearest, with a mixture of athleticism thrown in for good measure. It meant that I had to represent the school at different functions and also listen to the voices of the students on the School Council.

One of the responsibilities that I had was to read the Scripture at our school church services. At the end of each semester, the whole school would walk across the road to the local church and pack it until it was overflowing. Standing in front of all my peers and reading Scripture was never easy, especially because none of us really took it seriously. It also didn't help to be reading aloud words that weren't a part of general conversation. The word 'iniquities' was a stumbling block for me. I kept saying 'inquinities' every time we practiced the readings. My English teacher, who had been given the responsibility of helping me practice, was really frustrated. He kept telling me how to pronounce it, and I kept saying 'inquinities.'

'What's the matter with you? " he asked. "Why can't you read this simple word?"

"Because I don't know what it means, so I can't get it into my head," I answered.

It was as if a light went on for my teacher. He had been trying to teach me to say the word, without knowing what it meant.

"It means the mistakes that we make, which separate us from God. Just like each time you mispronounce this word, and you feel disconnected to the passage."

I never said inquinities ever again. Now that I understood, I could confidently say, "iniquities."
There might be some iniquities in our lives that leave us separated and disconnected from God. What Isaiah says is that God has provided someone special to bear our iniquities and to suffer on our behalf. We know Him to be Jesus, our Savior, who restores us to God's favor and blessing, His Kingdom and everlasting love.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You bore all our iniquities and took upon Yourself the punishment due for our sins. You have given us the opportunity to be reclaimed by God and to be acquitted of our past mistakes. We rejoice in our redemption and praise You for our salvation. In Your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

Ian

1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin.

As I'm writing this, my family back in Scotland are gathered together for the funeral of my Uncle Ian. He was only seven years older than me and I've got some fond memories of him. He was the first person to take me riding on a motor bike. He played soccer for my Dad's amateur football team. He was an electrician and he did some work in all of our houses. He was a good person and I'm sorry to see him die so young, at 57, which is the same age that my mother was when she died.

Ian suffered from one of the curses of living in the West of Scotland. Alcoholism. It took over his life. He lost his wife and children through it. He couldn't keep a steady job because of it. And, ultimately, it took his life because of the years of alcohol abuse. He was rushed into hospital last week because his organs started to fail, setting up a chain reaction that he didn't recover from. There was nothing anyone could do. There was no way to stop the dying process.

All week, I've been thinking about him and also about myself. If it hadn't been for Christ coming into my life, I probably would have gone down the same road, to the same end. Alcohol took a fierce grip on my life during my teenage years. If Jesus hadn't turned me around and rescued me, I probably would have been in my grave long ago.

As you are reading this, there may be some of you out there who suffer from an addiction, or there may be someone in your family who is an alcoholic, a chain smoker, has an eating disorder, or is a drug addict. Get help now before it's too late. Don't leave it to chance. Don't let it ruin your life or the lives of others. Look to Jesus for the strength to overcome. Look to Him for the healing that you, your loved ones, or your friends need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, sometimes we waste our lives by giving into addiction, or we live in denial that we have a problem. Help us to look to You for guidance and direction. Show us what to do and protect us from self-abuse. Give us purpose and meaning in our lives, so that we may continue to live by Your grace. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

All the Lonely People

1 Thessalonians 5:5 You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

For the last two years, I've been constantly saying special prayers to God for a certain group of people. In our community, there are many quiet, shy and lonely people, who find it hard to relate to others, or become part of a crowd. They are not seekers of faith, nor do they have dynamic personalities. Most of the time, they want to be left alone, but sometimes they need help and don't know where to turn.

Several years ago, God placed a burden in my heart for these people, because without salvation, they will slip quietly into death and eternal darkness. God does not want that for any of us, for as Paul points out, 'God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." So, I've started to pray for what the Beatles once called, "All the Lonely People."

Our church is growing because lonely people are turning up on our doorstep. They're being called by the Spirit of God and are finding their way to Erin church. It's an amazing thing to see this, and they're arriving here on Sunday mornings in ones and twos. We don't have an evangelistic program. We don't splurge on a neighborhood campaign. All that we are doing is praying for the lonely ones, and, glory to God, they are coming!

Some of you who read this daily devotional are from other churches. Here's a ministry that you can quietly undertake for your own congregation. Pray, each week for the lonely people in your community and ask God not to allow them to retreat into the darkness of oblivion. Pretty soon, you'll be amazed at the new visitors who appear, looking for a sanctuary and a safe place to belong.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us all hearts that care for lonely people. Help us to pray for them, to welcome them, and to help them. May our churches become safe places for those who are cast aside, forgotten and ignored by the rest of our society. Enable us, through Your gracious love, to show them compassion, kindness and care. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Being Offensive

Micah 4:5 All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.

Faith isn't a game, a pastime, a leisure pursuit, or even an extra-curricular activity. It's not even a life-style choice. It's an eternal life-style choice, which too many people take for granted and never take seriously. Everybody is big right now on the rights and religious freedoms of each individual in our society. Everyone wants to set their own standards, moral choices and hold their own sincere beliefs.

But what if they are sincerely wrong? Do we, as Christians, turn our backs on them and say "You're going to hell and so I don't care?" Do we stop being missionaries of the faith simply because it offends other people?

Christianity has always offended other people. Paul called us fools for Christ and Jesus told His followers they would be hounded, harassed, and hunted down for their faith. Are we now supposed to give up on those strong ideals, simply because it's not PC to be a Christian, or that the world is getting annoyed with us?

C.S.Lewis, in his great book, "Mere Christianity" puts it this way.
"Remember, we Christians think man lives for ever. Therefore, what really matters is those little marks or twists on the central, inside part of the soul which are going to turn it, in the long run, into a heavenly or hellish creature."
(Book 3: Chapter 7)

In other words, our purpose is to help people, pull people, and even push people into God's Kingdom and away from the gates of Hell. The world won't like because it's only interested in the 'here and now'. But Christ will be pleased with us, because He's interested in the 'hereafter and forevermore.'

Paul, like the pure devotion of psalmist of old, put it this way: "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12)

Prayer: Lord Jesus, the world attacks because they do not understand us. They want to do their own thing, go their own way, and justify their own choices. We believe that ultimately, these choices lead to an eternal separation from You and all that is good. We don't want them to go to hell. We don't want them to die unsaved and unforgiven. Help us, Lord, to say and do the right things, which will please You, challenge us, and perhaps change the lives of those around us who are blinded by their own beliefs. It's because we care that we want the best of what You can bring for them. It's because we love them that we want to change them. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

What Do They Do?

1 Thessalonians 4:13
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.

Years ago, when I was a seminary student, I spent a whole semester as an assistant at a church in a deprived area. It was a very humbling experience, for it taught me how much faith people can have, even when they have so little of anything else. I remember one poverty-stricken senior couple whose faith shone in their home, at their church, and anywhere else they happened to be in the community. Alex and Bessie were such kind-hearted, good people, and they really exemplified what it means to be a Christian. I felt that I had been blessed to know them, even though it was for such a short while, and they helped me shape my ministry.

Years later, I happened to be in their neighborhood and I met Alex walking in the street. "How are you, Alex, and how's Bessie doing these days?" I pleasantly asked.

A pale sadness came over his face. "Bessie died a couple of months ago, John," he said. I told him I was sorry and asked him how he was coping with his grief.

"I'm okay, John," Alex answered. We were both silent for a while, and then Alex asked me a question that has never left me.

"John, what do people do when they lose someone they love, if they have no faith?"

Throughout my years in ministry, I have seen the answer to that question unfold. People with faith accept death as part of the journey that leads to eternal life. They believe that their loved ones are in a better place and that one day, through the Lord's grace, they will see one another again.

But people without faith are lost and fearful of death. They get angry with God and end up being bitter, lonely, isolated and depressed. They cannot cope with their loss, because they have no future hope of eternal happiness.

That's why we're Christians and that's why Christ wants us to share His Gospel, His Good News with everyone. He doesn't want to leave anyone bitter and lonely, fearful and lost, because that's what Hell is. Rather, He wants to embrace them in the midst of death and dying, to give them hope and everlasting life, because that's what Heaven actually is.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, what would we be like without faith? How could we cope with pain and loss, death and dying, loneliness and grief without having faith in You? Come into our hearts and minds today. Grant us peace and belief, comfort and strength, hope and assurance. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Turn around

Ephesians 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Jackie was the local town drunk. He had once been a great singer and entertainer, and had dreams of taking the music world by storm. Initially, he had some success, but then he began drinking too much and taking drugs. He fell into obscurity and when I first met him, he was desperately trying to hide from the other alcoholics in the town.

He had come up to the manse and I was in the garden, feeding a young crow that I was helping to recover, which had broken its wing when it fell from its high nest. Jackie was astounded and his first words to me were, "My God, I've heard a lot about you minister, but I didn't know you could talk to animals as well!"

I laughed and within a couple of minutes, Jackie was telling me his story. Evelyn was preparing lunch, so we invited him in to have something to eat. He was wild eyed and scruffy. He felt out of place, but Evelyn's charming ways managed to put him at ease.

Jackie told us that he needed somewhere to get away from the other drunks. Our manse garden was surrounded by high trees and bushes, which offered him the privacy he needed. He had reached a low point in his life, where he would steal anything from anybody just to get a drink. He was a tormented soul and our hearts went out to him.

After lunch, he wanted to do something for us. He liked to garden, and our rose bushes needed pruning. He asked if he could tidy up them up, so we gave him permission. He not only pruned the roses, but he weeded the entire area. For the next several years, he kept coming to our garden and we paid him to do the work. He sobered up and began to take care of himself. It was a remarkable change. And instead of stealing money for drink, he used his scant resources to help others in need.

He had family in Chicago and he went out to visit them for the first time in years. They were astounded at the change and grateful to God for the miracle. And when our family moved to America, he came down from Chicago one year, to spend the day and night with us.

It was all the Lord's work and through His mercy, God allowed Jackie to do something useful with his hands, so that for a while, he could have something to share with those in need. Perhaps, we could all apply that today by not just working for ourselves, but using some of the blessings that God gives us to share with those who have the greatest need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You challenge our lives and ask us to make changes in our life style choices. You want us to help those who are struggling, and give what we can to those who are in need. Grant us opportunities to put this teaching into action. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.