Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Good evening again to you tonight. Thank you for joining us for midweek prayer service. It is been a rainy dreary day.

I think most of our people are thankful that you didn't have to go out tonight, although I suppose the fact we have been able to meet you would've come out even if it was raining the providence of God still abiding by restrictions in deem it wise to live stream on Wednesday night service and we live stream in our Sunday night service for a while yet gathered for the first time as a church this past Sunday morning and delighted to come together so just a word about that wording didn't know prior to opening things up. How many would come, but we had the hundred and 24 people in attendance.

And as I said here in the auditorium were seated every other pew 6 foot apart.

Husbands and wives together families together. As I sat there and looked around. I thought you know what there's there's room to accommodate quite a few more.

Even here, so just to alert you to that he worked violating that 6 foot social distancing.

We were able to accommodate that many people, so we would encourage you to come out if you didn't come out this past Sunday and if you didn't, we understand world different about this some more more cautious than others there.

There are factors that would cause us to be that way older and have compromised health those reasons to err on the side of caution. So just planning to gather again this coming Lord's morning this coming Sunday morning again so I plan to be with us if you can open the service by reading the text of the hymn that we have in our hymnal rejoice, the Lord is King. This hymn focuses our attention on a God whose ruling, God's majestic God whose enthroned in the heavens and because he is who he is. We worship him, we submit to him, we find peace and consolation in a turbulent world, knowing that there's a God overseeing all things rejoice in the Lord is King your Lord and King. The door, rejoice, give thanks and saying and triumph evermore.

Lift up your heart, lift up your voice, rejoice again I say rejoice.

Jesus the Savior reigns, the God of truth and love.

When he had purged our stains.

He took his seat above. Again, lift up your heart, lift up your voice, rejoice again I say rejoice.

His kingdom cannot fail.

He rules or earth and heaven. The keys of death and hell are to our Jesus given lift up your heart, lift up your voice, rejoice again I say rejoice. He all his foes shall coil shall all our sins, destroy our songs of praise shall swell with ever lasting joy lift up your heart, lift up your voice, rejoice again I say rejoice. And then the final stanza Charles what Charles Wesley's him rejoice in glorious hope, our Lord, the judge shall come and take his servants up to their eternal home.

We soon shall hear the archangels voice.

The trump of God shall sound, rejoice, listen to a short Psalm that draws our attention to a ruling raining sovereign majestic God. Psalm 93 the Lord reigns, he is clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed, he has girded himself with strength.

Surely the world is established so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old you are from everlasting. The floods have lifted up the Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their waves the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.

Your testimonies are very sure holiness adorns your house all Lord forever. Let us pray father we bow before your majestic throne rejoicing that you are seated their ruling and reigning in this world that you have created. We thank you that from everlasting to everlasting you are God, we thank you for your plans and your purposes for your creation would knowledge our God that you are the creator and we are your creatures that we owe our existence to you that it is in you that we live and breathe and have our being that you have a right to demand obedience from us.

We acknowledge our God that apart from your grace, we would be rebel rebellious toward your authority. We would be striking out on our own.

We would be running from you, we would not be in submission to your authority, but thank you for your sovereign grace that is due to our hearts and brought us into sweet surrender.

We ask your God for grace to continue to be submitted to you.

Forgive us for our failings.

Forgive us for our sins forgive us for our disobedience.

Forgive us for our resistance to your authority for questioning your wisdom for not trusting you. The way we ought to for not loving you the way you deserve to be love confess our God that too often our hearts are cold. Our hearts are not warm our affections are not solely toward you with knowledge or God that we have enemies that we must battle against the world the flesh and the devil, but we thank you tonight, the greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. We thank you that Jesus is has overcome this world, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us and gave himself for us. We thank you that we can come together as the people of God to consider the word of God. Informed be instructed be challenged. Lord we need these things. We thank you for the appointed means of grace that you have given for our help and edification for our instruction in righteousness.

We would yield ourselves to you during this hour and asked that you would bless our time together because our hearts to be submissive and warm and affectionate toward spiritual things that we would have a mind that is centered upon you that you would buy your enabling grace, help us to gird up our lines of our minds that we might worship you through these means. Hear us, Lord, we pray for Jesus sake, a man like to consider this Psalm tonight.

Psalm 93 was on my mind earlier this weekend. I had encountered some devotional material that was related to this, just a couple of days ago I had on my mind last night around my yard and it came in this morning, my mind went to a couple of other resources to help me get my mind around these five versus want you to listen to what Steve Lawson has to say about this supreme doctrine of the sovereignty, listen to what he says the foundational truth of all Christian theology is that bedrock doctrine of all doctrines, the sovereignty of God. Here is the immovable mountain.

The towers above all theology the Mount Everest of all truth. The absolute reign of God represents is undisputed right to govern all that he has created God's reign is the continual unhindered free exercise of his supreme authority over all this must be the first article of doctrinal creed. The chief cornerstone of all divine truth. Every other doctrinal teaching must be brought into alignment with this God exalting truth and rest squarely upon the sovereignty of God means quite simply that God is God, not merely in name but in full reality that is God always does as he pleases when he pleases, where he pleases how he pleases, and with whom he pleases herein is the truth of divine sovereignty is unrivaled right to rule over all the works of his hands at the powerful statement about the sovereignty of God and as we look at Psalm 93. I'd like for us to look at it under these three heading.

I want you to see number one. The sovereign reign of God in verses one and two. Secondly, the sinful rebellion of the world.

In verses three and then thirdly the shore revelation of God in verse five notice with me. The sovereign reign of God.

Verses one and two, the Lord reigns, he is clothed with majesty.

The Lord is clothed, he has girded himself with strength. Surely the world is established so that it cannot be moved. Your throne is established from of old you are from everlasting.

The sovereign reign of God, the Psalms begins with this declaration of the ultimate truth about God, what is that the Lord reigns. That's is clear as it can get. He reigns, he has a throne he's enthroned upon it, and upon that throne.

He is ruling and he is raining, he's enthroned in the heavens and he's there constantly exercising his will and exercising rule over everything.

Notice what it says he is clothed with majesty is describing the regal garments worn by a victorious king is clothed with majesty. It's a word picture to get our minds around who this God is and how we are to understanding is not weak. He's not at the mercy of men in circumstances know he's robed in majesty.

He is a victorious king notice says he has girded himself with strength that speaks of power speaks of omnipotence. He's armed with strength.

He's girded himself with strength.

It's the might, that's appropriate to a victorious king because God is sovereign the world in which he created is established. Notice that he has girded himself with strength shortly. The world is established so that it cannot be moved. It cannot be moved here something that certain here something that's unmovable here something that's dependable here something that's not moved by wind and circumstances. The world is established when we talk about the world are not just talking about the physical world itself. The planet were talking about the moral the social the spiritual aspects of the world. All those laws that he has made that he is fixed, that he has ordered that's how he rules and reigns in his world, the Lord is put everything in its proper place and it is fixed, he reigns over the earth, and it cannot be moved by men or nations.

In spite of threats of earthly powers the eternal counsel of the Lord cannot be altered by the plans of mere men notice verse two, he says psalmists is your throne is established from of old you are from everlasting. This God is uncreated. This God is from everlasting. No beginning, no end. He's been the sovereign ruler went since before the foundations of the world. Your throne is established from of old you are from everlasting. So, our first truth that the psalmist is expounding for us is the sovereign reign of God settle that in your mind. Secondly notice with me. The sinful rebellion of the world verses three and four. The floods have lifted up the Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice, the floods lift up their waves the Lord on high is mightier than the than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea was he saying here. This is a picture is a word picture of the sinful rebellion of the world. The cc talking about the seas. Notice there at the end of verse four.

Then the mighty waves of the sea. The seas have lifted up their voice. The season lifted up their pounding waves. This rolling thunder from their chaotic waters is a poetic representation of the moral disorder that's present in this world and like the relentless pounding of the waves against the beach, the sea symbolizes all that comes against and opposes the Lord's kingdom and his reign. Man's sinful rebellion is set against the sovereign, but in spite of that, in spite of that verse four says the Lord on high is what he's mightier he's mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea. The strong resistance of God is far greater. Yes, there's rebellion. Yes, there is resistance but God has power to subdue it all is not moved.

He's not intimidated mightier than the thunder of the great waters mightier than the breakers of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty again. Verse four the Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea and then the third heading here is the shore revelation of God.

The shore revelation of God. Notice verse five. Psalmist says your testimonies are very sure holiness adorns your house so Lord forever. Final stands of the short Psalm declares two more characteristics of God's kingly rule.

First his kingdom is a kingdom of fixed law. Your testimonies are very sure my translation says the ESV says it this way your testimonies are very sure the Lord's commands stand firm. They are life giving directives and they are completely trustworthy and the second thing. The second characteristic of God is being highlighted in verse five is holiness. Holiness adorns your house all Lord forever.

God is unchangeable E holy.

He's unchangeable in his holiness and because of that is justice is an inflexible justice. We must understand that we must understand that our God is holy because he's holy sin must be punished is justice demands that the wages of sin is death.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

All not some not. A few not most, but all have sin and fallen short of the glory of God in the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, because God is a God of compassion and mercy and grace he satisfies his own justice by punishing sin in the substitute. Jesus Christ will rejoice in that this evening because apart from that, we would perish, we would have no hope. We would be eternally separated from this holy God. God has imputed righteousness to us that he demands of us.

He clothes us in a perfect righteousness that righteousness is in his son the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Jehovah sitting you Lord our righteousness and we rejoice in him this evening because that is what allows us to come into this. The presence of this holy God and find acceptance out. I want you to know this evening that the subject of the sovereignty of God, the rule of God.

The reign of God is not just for high-minded people is just not for theologians is not something to be debated in theological discourse is a bedrock truth that sustains us and keeps us in dark times. I came across a statement concerning Johnny Erickson taught abroad with me tonight. I want you to hear this or did I put it here is Jamila who is the director of Christian communication is worldwide demand we've had here at our church. She is ministered among us is a brother and his brother Tom asked Johnny how she made it through the difficult battle with her paraplegia. Listen to what she said, quote I suppose what helped make what I'm sorry.

I suppose what help me get through the more than get through that more than any one thing was reading Lorraine Bednar's formed doctrine of predestination and of quote that's amazing of all the things that have helped that woman become the incredible Christian that she is. She points to that her understanding of the sovereignty of God in salvation. Lorraine Bednar's reformed doctrine of predestination while so I trusted your heart in rejoices in this truth that your life is anchored to it that you're not resistant to it that you're not contending with the Lord about who he is. It is what makes God. God RC Sproul was now with the Lord said if God is not sovereign over all that if is not Lord. Overall he's not Lord at all. He has to be logic demands it.

The Scriptures attest to it, but it is not embraced by a large majority of Christendom. Many people argue over it and resisted do not submit to it. One of the devotional books that I made reference to when I began the services. This book by Theodore Cuyler see you why LAR God's light on dark clouds written in the late 1800s. The man lost two children in infancy lost a daughter 21 years of age and he writes well the back cover here says it is been said that second Corinthians 14 deserves to be written in letters of gold for it is one of the hardest and noblest works in all Christianity to be able to bring divine comfort to others in trouble. And yet, by sufferings, God fits and prepares his people for this noble and difficult service.

This man was prepared by God to minister to others and he writes so powerfully there's a chapter in this book entitled the Lord reigns now you've heard me walk you through Psalm 93. Listen to what he has to say here. He says the Lord reign. If he is clothed with majesty. The Lord is clothed with strength wherewith he had herded himself by throne is established of old thou art from everlasting to listen to what he says here we have the Empire love royal robe girl of omnipotence in the immovable throne.

The psalmist would seem to have been thinking of the problems of life. It's dark things and its mysteries. So many things seemed irreconcilable with the divine goodness that he admits that clouds and darkness are round about him. But this truth flashes out through the clouds, the Lord reigns, and that is enough. He does not try to put into the Council so he does not try to pry into the Council chamber.

He cannot get behind the cloud, but love reigns.

There and justice and righteousness are the foundations of that throne in this chapter he talks about God's chastening and some of the purposes that God has for chastening his children. Sometimes he chastens his chastisements or punitive. Sometimes they are preventative and then he says. Still others are sent to purify character.

I want to read from this page page 67 in part of page 67 report 66 apart at page 67. What he has to say here about God's chastening. His afflictions are sent to purify character. It's so rich he so able to communicate wonderful truth, he says, quote God sits as a refiner beside his furnace.

He hates it, until the metal melts and the dross runs away. He keeps his silver in the furnace until he can see his own face reflected in the clear metal of the heart, as in a mirror. Then the affliction has done its work God has made the vessel undo his own honor. There is such a wretched amount of self-will and pride, and covetousness and unbelief even in undoubted Christians that they require the finding pot very often.

Many a man and woman has been the worst for want of this kind of discipline. It is a wholesome process to be taken down occasionally. The grass in every law requires to be taken down by a mower, the oftener it is mode the richer and the thicker is the growth. The lawn never looks so beautiful as after the edged cutter is gone over it. I have observed that some Christians in my charge have never appeared so attractive in their humility and heavenly mindedness, as when God's mowing machine has been passed over them, and then he comes to the conclusion of the chapter he says we have discussed in this short chapter just one aspect of God's government, namely his personal rule of our own personal lives and want his sovereignty on the grander scale of the natural world and of his vast spiritual kingdom.

We leave out of sight is a blessed thought that the Lord reigns over little short lived me as truly as over the whole church or the whole universe he numbers the hairs of my head and orders my steps, let it be my daily and devout, is staying to lay the plan of my life on God's plan. If his immovable laws push me back and heads me and from sin, then all the better. If a sharp knife, prunes may that I am only the more sure that he loves me. Afflictions are like the cactus plant of his making very unsightly and full of thorns, but they bear marvelous flowers in their time. God's government is the solidus ground of my confidence and joy. It underlies all my theology and is the very rock bed on which I rest my salvation while Jehovah reigns. Let me rejoice, to obey him to oppose him is to invite is retribution's.

And that means hail to submit to him is to win his favor, and to secure his love and that means heaven.

The nearer we get to the throne, the more loudly, shall we say the Lord of omnipotence rain. A man and a man I trust this is been helpful to you tonight as I said I tried to be faithful to the text in Psalm 9301 and two, bring it to bear practically and help you to see that even in the throes of life when life is hard when it's difficult to come to been any harder for Johnny Erickson taught a what sustained or what helped her more than anything Lorraine Bittner's book on predestination the sovereignty of God and what is this man speaking to the very same thing lost two children in infancy and then a 21-year-old daughter. What is he say is anchored his life to this Dr. nothing else will keep you nothing else will stabilize you. The foundations of this world will shake God will see to it and only those things that are standing and resting on solid ground will remain so here this receive this rejoice in this tonight. Let me share just a couple of correspondences with you. This is from Randy Cornelius Harbor and the light in the wind would, he says they're in the West Indies just one paragraph here. He says it never ceases to amaze us how the Lord provides for his work to continue were constantly reminded that it is not by might nor by power but by my Spirit, Saiz says the Lord. Recently we received a lovely gift from a second-generation second-generation listener. She says that as she was growing up. Her mother always turned on the Harbor light in the mornings and listened all day. Now as an adult she is listening and finds blessing and help the programming for her own life and walk with the Lord. Her gift was a Thanksgiving offering to the Lord so that others will continue to hear and be blessed by the programming as she has been God uses many people to meet the needs of the work here. We, along with many listening thank the Lord daily for those whom he is enabled, whether great or small, the fellowship with us and shining the light of the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ here in the WinWord through the radio and around the world through the live streaming so just encourage you and what they're encouraged by. And then this from C Lawson longer composts there in Brazil right dear partners in the gospel. Warm greetings in our Lord's precious name rejoice with us first because we know thousands of people here in Brazil but we don't know anyone who was sick with this virus. Secondly, because all of our daughter and son-in-law's and most of our friends have not lost their jobs. Thirdly, because although we had to cancel most of our church plans and projects over the Internet are preaching of God's word is reaching thousands of people in foreplay because of our certainty that Jesus is the resurrection and life. Whoever believes in him does not have to fear the coronavirus or death.

He will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. So he's writing to encourage us to rejoice with him and then secondly, the second part of the short update is pray for Osprey for Brazil. He says we are having the longest quarantine ever and thousands of small businesses are going bankrupt, hundreds of thousands are losing their jobs, our death rate is low but the media keeps terrifying the population. Besides that most of our governors are taking advantage of this situation to get federal emergency funds and to weaken our president. He doesn't play the old corruption game and has traditional values against abortion, gender, ideology and Marxism. 60% of the people support him and like never before are going into the streets to protest peacefully against the dishonest opponents brothers and sisters, thank you very very much for your love prayers and financial support. We love you in Christ, see loss in line to just those two correspondences tonight's take a look at our prayer requests.

See our government official.

The week is US rep representative Mark Walker grateful and thankful for him and to be able to pray for him. I know you're been praying for Drew Guthrie she's home from Brian Center in Durham. She still has a continuous feeding tube, praying for strength for her and for an appetite to return to her that she might renew her strength.

Our pope is having difficulty with his COPD. Shirley Watkins is recovering from some pulmonary issues that she had recently under others. Tonight we are asking you to pray for Amanda Guba. This is the wife of Jared Dube, a grandson of Sheri Kane and nephew of Diana, would Amanda is in real desperate situation she's in need of kidney transplant. They had to slow her dialysis down due to corrective surgery so she's very weak want to stand with her and her husband Sherry with Diana during this time Cynthia Derringer is printed on your prayer sheet. She has MS and some other health concerns.

This is a request that's been submitted by Stephen Sue Lynch would mention to you on Sunday. Max Hudson is an uncle of Jamie and Sean Tracy Airy is a resident at White Oak Manor and has tested positive for covert, 19.

He is very weak. Things are very dire there white white banner.

Michael would call me this afternoon for me that the post an update on Tuesdays and Fridays in the latest update is that it White Oak Manor 37 staff member tested positive for the virus. 66 residents have and 19 residents have died white of Manor so that his really affected.

That place so pray for is a reminder of a number of things. It's a reminder of the critical necessity. The ministries that are Manor carrying on in these restaurant Michael Woods been in there holding services. So many of other of our men were in 1516, maybe 17 different nursing homes or have been, and it's all been postponed for now, but her mentor going in and ministering the word of life and preaching the gospel and for many of our men, their wives and some other families are going, it becomes their own little congregation that there praying over and ministering to its thrilling water men are doing, but we see how absolutely critical it is here people at the end of life and your 19 residents of White Oak Manor died because of this virus. Pray for our men to continue in the work and these opportunities will be given again soon and that God will give success to his gospel is it's given out pastor Eric Johnson had surgery on his neck yesterday aware that says he may go on from the hospital today so I have to check on pastor Eric materialman Smith recovering from surgery to have a tumor removed from her spine and left her numb praying for her. She said since had some tingling and some of her limbs from the waist down. Mrs. Darla reporting this to us. So continue to remember Terry on Smith under missionaries know you praying for Trevor Johnson his wife for Paul Snyder and his family Stewart.

While we do not have an update concerning the situation there in Johannesburg as he waiting for suitable donor for liver transplant. Laverne is there with him. Thank you for praying for them for him and for her under cancer. There are couple of names highlighted on your sheet Don Hammond is married daughter of Eddie and Clara driver Don is in the hospital here at ARMC with blood clots. She's still battling cancer and receiving chemotherapy treatments and then re-Cardwell makes us aware of Randy trailer and his wife Laura that's TR a Y ER and his wife Laura recently retired from Mount Zion Bible Institute in chapel library which the church supports leave Larry re-support Randy has many health issues a fib cancer been on dialysis for years.

In recent months he's been having increased memory issues re-knows than married Randall Rick Larry knows him testify that there are wonderful believers and were being called upon to pray for them so pray here in a moment I wasn't sure whether I have time for this, but I want also draw from another book that I've been reading from this is hardback copy of John Erickson taught his book a place of healing subtitle wrestling with the mysteries of suffering pain and God's sovereignty and in the book chapter 5 that's entitled how can how can I go on like this know it's been a while so in her 60s, but on the 38th anniversary of her diving accident dove into the Chesapeake bay and hit her head on the sandbar and broke her neck heard her husband.

This was in July were on that particular day.

She said they were celebrating.

She says celebrate you say they had some friends over and they were eating crabcakes you'll see in a minute why that significant.

She says celebrate you say. The dictionary defines the word as observing a day or commemorating an event with ceremonies or festivities. Honestly she says I can't think of a better word, given all the good things that have happened as a result of my wheelchair this particular anniversary marked exactly 38 years since that fatal day of my injury and we commemorated it with craps and why not. She says we all knew I'd be dead were not for the feisty Chesapeake Bay blue crab that bit my sister in the water when that crab snapped at her toes. She whirled around and scream to me Johnny watch out for craps. Kathy had no idea I had just dived off the raft. She didn't know my head struck the sandbar cracking my neck and that I was floating facedown holding my breath and desperately hoping she'd see me that she come and rescue me. Thankfully, God got her attention with a crab and when Kathy couldn't see me. She became alarmed. That's when she caught sight of my blonde hair floating on the water. Serve Johnny CL Johnny, are you okay.

Little did she know I was within seconds of drowning.

She swam to me in the thick of in the nick of time as Kathy hoisted me out of the water. I sputtered and gasped for oxygen.

When I saw my arm slung over her shoulder yet couldn't feel it I became nauseous. I knew something terrible had happened from that incident.

Life would never be the same and it was so long ago.

This is again there celebrating the 38th anniversary. She says later after we finished dinner, we took a minute to close out the anniversary dinner with a short reading from John chapter 5 this is John five verses two through six. Now there is in Jerusalem near the sheep gate a pool which is which in Aramaic is called the SATA and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades here great number of disabled people used to lie the blind, the lame, the paralyzed one was there had been an invalid for 38 years when Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been there in this condition for a long time. He asked him do you want to get well, Johnny says. At that point we stopped, look at that I said smiling. Here it is my 38th anniversary of quadriplegia and actually states that Jesus thought 38 years of paralysis was a long time. What an anniversary present the Lord of the universe who lives outside the confines of time the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end who existed before time began.

This Jesus feels that living without the use of your legs for 38 years is a long time.

I'm glad for that. I said, shaking my head because I sure think it's a long time there been occasions, I will admit when I wondered if God empathize. I mean really understood how I felt. How I groaned in my paralyzed body and her as each year brought more aches and pains. I wondered because of verses like first Peter 510 which says in the God of all grace. After you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong firm and steadfast. I like the part about being made strong, but that passage seems to imply that 38 years of suffering is considered only a little while. In other words, the Bible makes it sound as if those years of anguish are but a blink of an eye.

Doesn't God know how long 38 years is in particularly in a wheelchair. Isn't he aware of how and lessons how endless a sleepless night, shot through with searing pain can sing, what kind of wristwatch is he wearing. In fact, he does know he is aware and for me the sweet passage in the Gospel of John lays the issue to rest when Jesus saw the paralyzed man lying on the straw mat by the pole of the SATA we can picture his eyes welling with tears. He saw more than a lonely disabled man waiting without any real hope by the waters rumored to heal.

We can imagine Jesus kneeling down to gently touch them. The Savior's heart went out to that course soul whose legs were withered and useless. It's no mistake that holy writ says that God thinks 38 years of paralysis is a long time, but that was a wonderful story. She's such incredible Christian God has manifested his grace in remarkable ways and has used her in ways he could've never used her apart from her quadriplegia.

Thank you for joining us tonight.

Let me ask you to join me around the throne of grace as we remember some of these requests. Father, we thank you tonight for this reminder that you are ruling and reigning in your universe. You can be trusted that you're not affected by what affects us. Nothing moves you.

You are from everlasting to everlasting. Thank you for this reminder that despite what our five senses might tell us the truth of your word remains steadfast. Thank you for your the revelation of yourself to us. Help us to anchor our hearts and minds and lives to this Lord help us that we might be used of you to instruct others to have their lives anchored as well were living in troubling times, not just the coronavirus is affecting the United States of America, but it's affecting countries all over the world, scarcely a country perhaps no country has escaped the effects of it in here we have this report from C Lawson Brazil sickness around them quarantine jobs being lost. Lord, we pray that you will accomplish your divine purposes in all of this that we would trust you that we would rest in you that we would believe you that we would not be unsettled that we would know peace that passes understanding because we know the God of peace that you are working all things for the good of your children and for your own ultimate glory tonight want to pray for Drew Guthrie 20 would ask you to encourage this dear sister, her appetite would return to her strengths would be renewed. Bless those who are ministering to her for our cope for Shirley Watkins thank you that Shirley has recovered somewhat. Thank you that Patty is caring for her mama. Thank you for arts dear wife, Lord, please save her or use art. Use others to bring her to Christ. We pray for Amanda Dube were burdened when we hear of her condition will be pray that you would superintend her life that you strengthen her that you would facilitate this dialysis that she needs an acceleration of it that it would cleanse her system and allow her to continue to live in Lord if it would please you that you provide a transplant for sustainer. In the meantime for this friend of Stephen Sue Lynn Cynthia guarantor with MS ministered earnings for Max Hudson and so many others who were affected the white widow manner Lord for the staff. The 37 who contracted the disease. We would ask you to be merciful. There restore health.

Lord, we thank you for the courage of the frontline healthcare workers Lord sustain them, help them not to become weary in well doing, preserve them, protect them.

We pray for Pastor Johnson is had surgery. Pray that that is going well for Terry on Smith paraded she would know continuing amount of feeling returning to her limbs Trevor Johnson and his wife Paul Snyder and his family for Stewart on sister Laverne were these needs seem immense to us only when we forget were praying to the God of the universe.

The God who has no limitations.

The God was able to meet all of our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Lord your sovereign over every what appears to be delay your sovereign over every what seems to be an obstacle. We rejoice in this meet the needs of these we know and love and support, encourage their hearts.

Help them to look to you in believing faith strengthen them in the inner person we pray pray for Don Hammond and asked that you would cause the treatment she's receiving to break up these blood clots and that the chemotherapy would have its desired effect. Pray for Randy trader, who has multiple issues going on. We thank you for their life for their ministry there with A library. Thank you for the investment of their lives. We thank you that you have the broad improvement to Marty's. She's recovering from these fractured ribs, we thank you that they been able to get away for a few days. Pray that you would grant them time of refreshments time of relaxation together.

Lord were mindful that perhaps more so now than what we were conscious of and yet it didn't matter whether we were conscious of it or not we are always constantly daily.

Moment by moment dependent upon you, Lord of nothing else comes out of this a greater awareness of our weaknesses a greater weakness of how uncertain life is and how little control we have of it in the God who does have control over everything strengthen our faith and our trust in our confidence in you and help us to trust ourselves less and less and be reminded of really how weak we are and how dependent we are upon you. Thank you that we were able to gather as a church body this past Sunday mindful that many of our folks were not able to for various and sundry reasons, some away on vacation because was world a weekend others just being careful and cautious Lord continue to protect us leaving direct and guide continue to meet the needs that we have as a church will be long and look forward to the day that will be able to gather without restrictions, without concern laced without this concern. No doubt will be others that will replace this one is the way life is in a broken world Lord, thank you that you are redeeming this world from this curse from the corruption man's disobedience has brought, thank you for full salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you that we have a Savior who is a friend of sinners who is redeemed us was reconciled us to a holy God. Thank you that the Spirit of God lives within every believer that you are working in us both to will and to do according to your good pleasure. Encourage us with the fact that you have begun a good work in us will continue until the day of Jesus Christ. So Lord, please hear our prayers receive our prayers answer our prayers according your own wisdom and power causes to be ready to give you thanks for the answers to those prayers.

We remember Mark Walker tonight. We thank you for him and we ask that you would give them courage. Given the mind of God cause him to be a God-fearing help him to be principled.

Help him to be scriptural in his thinking is he interacts with other other legislators has influence over the lives of people in our in our area. Thank you for him Lord were mindful that the king's heart is in your hand and is a rivers of water flow. You turn it the king's heart whithersoever you will rejoice in this tonight dismisses now with your blessing. We pray in Jesus name, amen