Good morning. My name is Bo. I'm one of the elders of the church.
I'd like to thank the other two elders who tried to help me with my microphone just now.
Thank you.
Holy, holy, holy.
As we hear what you heard, Simon reading the verses from the Bible today,
I hope that we can sense the holiness of God.
But you see, what was happening in the nation of Israel with their priests
was that they somehow lost contact with God,
and God became something routine, something common,
something that is in competition with the world.
But if they realize that there's no competition,
their attention would not be so diverted.
And what God has said in Malachi would not need to be said.
Today, the sermon, the title, From the Rising of the Sun,
I'm taking it from chapter 1.
We're talking more on chapter 2 of Malachi,
because in chapter 1, God said,
For from the rising of the sun, this was 11,
to its setting, my name will be great among the nations.
Let us pray before we start.
Almighty God, we know that we are so much like those people
whom you have spoken to in Malachi,
that we are so quick to forget your greatness and your goodness.
May you have mercy on us and bring us back to you,
bring us back to the cross as we consider your words,
as we want to lay your word in our hearts today.
Thank you, Lord.
We pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
So, in thinking about greatness,
I've been trying to find out
what is considered great in the world in our day and age.
In the world where God is not considered great,
what is?
What is actually great?
We have, during the children's talk,
we look at the young children.
As Catherine asked them about
whether their fathers were great.
They were a bit hesitant, weren't they?
But even as Catherine asked them how they would respond to their father's greatness,
again, they had some problem answering that.
It's, yeah, you know that children, young children,
they would consider their parents great,
but if you ask teenagers,
then I suppose it's very hard to get anyone who raised their hand.
It's just that we are so self-focused, self-centered.
Even from young, as we get older, as we are more realized about ourselves,
what we can do,
then we are,
we are considered,
it's hard to consider anybody else great.
So,
who is a great person to us?
So,
it's someone who influences our decisions and directions in life,
a person that we look up to,
and in a world without God,
who would that person be?
I think usually it's our own self.
I don't think I'm the greatest,
but I want to be great in any case.
Many things that we do each day can show us that.
Think of a time when we argue with someone.
In an argument,
we usually want to win.
Otherwise, we wouldn't argue.
I mean,
if we don't want to win,
we won't argue.
The fact that we argue,
we want to win the argument.
And why do we want to win the argument?
Because we want to be great.
And if we do,
we lose the argument,
then we will replay that in our mind,
until we win the argument inside us.
That's how we are.
That's what we are making up of.
And we are looking at Malachi,
and these people,
they were trying to argue with God.
The fact that they,
to try to argue with God,
is just that they are putting themselves
at the same level as God,
sort of,
at least they are not giving the respect
that they should have towards God.
So the book of Malachi
deals with the nation of Israel
about 500 years ago,
before Christ.
So it's about 200,
2,500 years ago now.
And Malachi was a prophet,
sent by God to speak to the Israelites.
Israel,
Israel was a unique nation.
So it was a nation that was chosen
by God to make his name known among the nations.
And to help Israel to fulfill that mission,
God made a covenant with them,
with the people of Israel.
Israel.
And Israel became the only nation
that governs itself,
solely based on God's law.
You see,
what are the nations
govern themselves with?
Usually based on,
if there's a king,
the king's law.
In a democracy like Australia,
it's mostly to do with
economic,
what would give people the most wealth
that make decisions.
But Israel was different
to any other country.
They need to base
what they do on God's laws.
So by the time Malachi
conveyed God's message
to the Israelites
was about 1,500 years
when they first make the covenant
with God.
So it's quite a long time already.
And we know that
God's name,
so over the 1,500 years,
God's name did not actually
become great
among the nations
over those times.
It wasn't even great
among the nation of Israel.
And what,
by the time,
I mean,
maybe during David,
King David's time,
God's name was considered great
for 50 years.
Among that,
that's over the 1,500 years,
there's only that short period
of time after that.
people just forgot about it.
And they consider God
as the helper,
mostly.
And so they would give God
some sacrifice
and return
to God's help
to fulfill their wishes.
So usually,
people just like us
will pray to God
to pass our exams
or find a job.
God.
And if we don't get it,
like in chapter 2,
verse 13,
it says that
those people
cover God's altar
with tears.
They were disappointed
that their prayer
didn't turn up.
And we can be the same
as well.
So they would follow
God's ways
if it was convenient
to do so.
But they would follow
the ways of the world
when such ways
offer more comfort
and pleasure.
So,
what happened
to the covenant
their ancestors
had made with God?
In chapter 2,
as we read it,
the breaking
of this covenant
is represented
by the breaking
of their marriage covenant
with the wife
of their youth.
The wife of their youth
also can mean that
during the earlier days
with God
and now they have
forgotten
their first love.
also we can see
that they were
marrying
daughters
of foreign gods.
I mean,
they start
having relationship
with other gods.
So in chapter 2,
while it happened
in the society,
in the families,
but it also
implies
or represents
a bigger picture
of the whole nation,
what they are doing
as we read that.
And as we are reading
Malachi,
bear in mind
that we are reading
God's heart,
the heart of God,
the heart of the Creator,
the heart of the Father
is
with
some
sadness
in that
this thing
will happen.
So
why did Israel
renege
on their covenant?
in your bulletin
there may be
renegade,
but
there should be
a noun
and this is
a verb.
Thanks for
Catherine Gibbons
telling me that.
I've never used
this word before,
so renege
is
the
covenant
with God.
Israel.
So over
those
1,500 years
there have been
a lot of
changes
to the
nation
of Israel.
So they
had civil
wars,
the country
broken into
two parts,
and then they
were conquered
by pagans
and taken
into exile.
They were
exposed to
foreign
governments,
religions,
and cultures.
So by the time
of Malachi,
they had
been
permitted
by the
conqueror
to resettle
back to
their homeland.
It was
difficult for
them to
build their
cities,
which had
been destroyed
by wars,
and consider
their living
condition.
It wouldn't
be very
impressive.
And they
are all
wanting to
make a
living.
There were
some who
remained
faithful to
God and
led them
to rebuild
the nation
starting from
the temple,
and that's
where the
temple we're
talking about.
And those
people like
Ezra,
Nehemiah,
they really
wanted a
place to
worship God.
But there
are not
many of
them,
unfortunately.
Most people,
the temple
to them
is a
place,
yes,
they could
exchange
favour with
God,
but also
temple and
the city
of Jerusalem
become an
identity for
them.
We are the
Jews.
So that's
mostly what
people do,
just like
us.
In the
Western
society,
many years
ago,
the church
become an
identity
issue.
I'm a
Christian,
I identify
with this
culture,
and it's
not much
to do
with their
allegiance
or worship
of God.
And the
people who
were supposed
to help
people to
worship,
the priests,
and they
are from
the trial
of Levi.
Levi.
As you
know,
the tribe
of Levi
are not
allowed to
own land,
unlike other
tribes.
I'm not
sure during
the Malachi
time whether
they had
any land.
They might
have,
because the
society
has been
changed.
But in
any case,
their livelihood
is mostly
dependent on
other people
who give
offerings.
under these
circumstances,
we were
surprised that
these priests
offer animals
if Brahmishes
buy animals
or animals
that nobody
wants.
Because
economically,
it makes
sense.
You sacrifice
the cheapest
animals,
because those
animals were
going to be
burned anyway.
I mean,
why you
sacrifice a
perfect one
while you
can sell
them for
higher
prices?
price.
And in
doing that,
the priests
are making
it easier
for people
to give
offerings.
And they
then can
make sure
that they
have enough
for themselves.
They need
to do
what the
people
want to
do or
what people
are seeking
for.
So they
will only
teach people
what they
want to
hear and
not what
God
wanted them
to teach
or people
to hear.
And that's
why all
these things
gradually
change.
I mean,
it doesn't
happen overnight.
As you
know,
when we
do something
or going
to sinning
or doing
something,
committing a
crime,
it doesn't
change,
happen only
overnight.
It happens
over a
lifetime,
gradually,
with one
step at a
time,
and then we
get to
this state
of Malachi
when people
just somehow
forgot about
the holiness
of God
and the
relationship
with God.
And so
when the
priests
started to
compromise
with the
ways of
the world,
the people
followed them.
And how
did God
point out to
the Israelites
that they
had broken
faith with
him?
He told
them to
look at
their marriages.
They disobeyed
God by
marrying
daughters
of those
who
worship
foreign
gods and
they
divorce
their wives
of their
youth.
So we
need to
think about
marriage first
to understand
this.
Soon after
God created
men and
women,
men and
women,
he decreed
that there
would be
marriage
between a
man and
a woman,
and this
union was
meant to
be binding
for as
long as
they were
alive.
In
Malachi 2.15
it says
that did
he not
make them
one with
a portion
of the
spirit in
the union.
So the
marital union
was meant
to be a
strong covenant
where the
two parties
became one
body and
God was
in the
union.
So anyone
who broke
this covenant
also revealed
his dishonor
towards God.
So a
nation's
being unfaithful
to their
covenant with
God is
reflected in
their being
unfaithful
to their
marital
covenant.
In the
past,
most culture
would expect
wives to
be faithful
to their
husbands,
but not
the other
way around.
So Israel
saw that
the other
races could
divorce
their wives
easily,
and they
thought this
would be
the way.
In their
thinking,
their careers,
their marriages,
their choices
of friends,
whatever,
were for
their own
personal
happiness,
and God
had no
part in
their
day-to-day
decisions.
They just
did what
was right
in their
own eyes.
So each
man would
want to
find a
wife who
make him
happy,
and as
the head
of the
family,
he should
be entitled
to replace
the wife
who did
not satisfy
him.
In
Matthew
19,
3-10,
there was
an interesting
reading.
Pharisees
came up
to Jesus
and tested
him by
asking,
Is it
lawful to
divorce
one's
wife for
any
cost?
He
answered,
Have
you not
read that
he who
created
them from
the beginning
made them
male and
female,
and said,
Therefore,
a man
shall leave
his father
and his
mother and
hold fast
to his
wife,
and the
two shall
become one
flesh?
So they
are no
longer
two but
one
flesh.
What
therefore
God
has
joined
together
and
let
not
man
separate?
They
said to
him,
Why
then did
Moses
command
one to
give a
certificate
of
divorce
and
to
send
her
away?
He
said to
them,
Because
of your
hardness
of heart,
Moses
allowed
you to
divorce
your
wife,
but
from
the
beginning
it
was
not
so.
And
I
say to
you,
whoever
divorces
his
wife,
except
for
sexual
immorality,
and
marriage
and
another
commits
adultery,
the
disciples
said to
him,
If
such
is the
case
of a
man
before
his
wife,
it
is
better
not
to
marry.
Do
you
notice
how
the
disciples
responded
to
Jesus'
view
on the
permanency
of
marriage?
They
said,
It
is
better
not
to
marry.
What
do you
think
they
said
when
they
said
it
is
better?
What
is
better?
Better
for
what?
Who
is
better?
What
was
in
their
mind?
It's
the
same
in
our
minds.
When
we
say
something
is
better,
it
usually
means
that
it
gives
me
more
comfort,
gives
me
more
pleasure.
It's
better for
my life
if I'm
not
married,
than
if I
got
married
to
a
wife
who
turned
out
to
be
a
major
annoyance,
I
could
not
divorce
her.
That
is
the
idea
about
better.
It
just
betrays
the
person's
heart.
When
we
say
it
is
better,
this
job is
better,
that
is
better,
we
should
ask
ourselves,
what do
we
mean
when
we
say
it's
better,
what
is
better?
God's
way
seems
to
make
it
so
narrow
in
one's
choice
of
a
spouse
and
so
difficult
to
renege
on
one's
marriage
while
we
can
understand
why
the
Israelites
found
it
wearisome
to
follow
God's
laws.
Because
they
want
to
enjoy
themselves,
they
want
to
follow
the
world,
and
God's
law
just
was
in
the
way,
and
they
couldn't
get rid
of it
fully,
so
they
would
try
to
compromise
and do
a bit
of it.
So
we
look at
Israelites,
we look
at ourselves,
we know
that when
we make
decisions,
unless we
know God
and love
God,
we would
make them
according to
our own
pleasure,
what we
think would
give us
the most
comfort or
pleasure.
It's like
choosing to
eat excessively
delicious
takeaway
food,
McDonald's
or Kentucky
fried
chickens.
We may
not know
what long-term
consequences
are in
doing that,
but even
if we
know,
we don't
seem to
care.
When I
was young
50 years
ago,
most of
the
television
programs
were
sponsored
by
cigarette
companies,
smoking
and so
promulgdor
to smoke
cigarettes
is such
a man
eating,
such a
socially
respected
thing,
and people
pick up
cigarette
smoking,
this is
a world,
we just
do
things that
we are
promulgdor,
and we
think that
it's good,
it's better
for us to
do that.
We didn't
even know
the effects
of cigarette
smoking,
but even
so,
in this
age,
even if
you know
that the
base of
cigarette
smoking,
there are
still so
many people
still smoking.
It's just
how we
are.
So the
consequence
of
reggeting
God's
way,
not just
following
our own
way,
we have
to look
at the
nation of
Israel,
so that
the priest
who choose
to not
to honour
God,
but follow
the ways
of the
world,
will
become
weak
in their
characters.
The
weakness
in their
characters
will in
turn
establish
a
nation
that
will
put
individual
pleasure
as
a
goal
in
their
life.
No one
will be
willing
to
sacrifice
their
comfort
or their
life
for their
country.
So when
an enemy
came to
invite them,
they were
defeated
quite easily.
A nation
which does
not fear
God
will fear
the
enemies.
The
priest
who
choose
to follow
the
ways
of the
world
will also
be
enslaved
by the
world.
The
world
does
not
know
kindness.
It
is a
place
where
the
powerful
would
consume
the
weak.
So one
day,
as God
said,
this
priest
would
be
led
away
by
the
conquerors
with
the
dunks
of
their
blemished
offerings
on
their
heads.
The
dunks
of
animals
in the
Old
Testament
were
the
unclean
things that
were
burned
outside
the
camp
or
outside
the
city
or
outside
the
temple.
So dunks
on the
heads of
the
priests
imply that
they were
no longer
fit to
serve in
God's
temple.
Because they
disregarded
God's laws
and choose
to marry
anyone they
like,
and to
divorce
anyone they
like,
their
community
would
break
apart.
By
marrying
those
who
worship
idols,
they
introduced
idol
worshiping
in
their
families.
By
divorces,
they
created
many
broken
and
unstable
families.
God
was
seeking
the
family
to
bring
up
godly
offspring,
but
they
were
producing
offspring
who
worship
idols
and
who
live
for
their
own
comfort.
So,
what's
wrong
with
idol
worshiping?
We
will
become
what
we
worship.
If
there
are
many
idol
worshipers
in
the
community,
then
we
will
live
in
a
community
with
people
like
the
idols
that
they
worship.
So,
would
you
like
to
live
in
a
community
that
people
would
like
their
idols?
Or
would
you
like
to
live
in
a
community
that
everyone
lives
like
the
holy
God
if
they
worship
that
God.
And so,
you can
imagine
how the
society
or the
community
gradually
degrades
and becomes
difficult
to live
but
people
don't
have
choice.
We
just
live
like
that
because
their
parents
live
like
that.
The
children
are
doing
the
same
and
it
seems
there's
no
way
to
get
out
of
it.
So,
when
a
nation
does
not
honor
God,
men
will
not
honor
their
roles
as
heads
of
the
family
and
they
have
nothing
bigger
than
themselves
to
live
for.
They
use
their
head
to
satisfy
their
little
pleasures
and
they
will
not
sacrifice
themselves
for the
nation
or their
families
and
they
want
others
to
sacrifice
for
them
instead.
So,
we
can
see
why
God
insisted
on
Israelites
keeping
their
covenant.
There are
two reasons.
In
verse 10
of Malachi
chapter 2,
it says that
God is
their father
and their
creator.
So,
one reason
is who
God is.
Who
God is
to
Israelites
even more
special
than
non-Israelites
because
God
rescued
them from
Egypt
and
called
them to
be
God's
children.
And so,
God
is their
father.
Not only
that,
God is
their
creator,
so God
created
them.
So,
on these
two
counts
alone,
the
Israelites
were supposed
to obey
God,
because of
what God
has done
for them
and who
God is
to them.
In
verse 2,
we actually
say that
we have
one father
and one
creator,
and the
one is
there to
emphasize the
fact that
Israelites
are like
one family,
and they
should be
faithful to
one another
besides being
faithful to
God.
So,
but it's
not only
who God
was to
them or
what God
did to
them,
but keeping
a covenant
is good
for their
characters and
for their
societies,
for their
communities,
and when
they did
not keep
it,
then the
community
broke
apart.
sometimes
we may
not
understand
the
purpose
of
God's
ways.
In the
covenant,
why do we
have to
sacrifice the
perfect
animals?
Couldn't
we just
do something
with
premises?
We think
deeper,
we look
back,
we know
the perfect
animals
represents
the
perfect
son of
God
who was
to come,
but the
time
Israelites
may not
understand
that.
It's just
like a
child may
not
understand
why the
parents
forced
him to
eat
broccoli
or
broccoli,
but
keeping
covenant
with God
was the
way to
know God
and eventually
to enjoy
God,
and it
was the
way to
build up
a person's
character
and wisdom.
Character
cannot be
given,
we have to
understand
that.
We can
be forgiven
in Christ
and have
the status
of righteousness,
but the
character
of righteousness
cannot be
given to
us like
magic and
change,
because that
means it's
not us
anymore or
not me
anymore.
The character
can only be
learned.
Even Christ
learned
obedience as
a son.
And the
process of
learning,
we grow,
we change,
we get
to know
God,
we get
to know
ourselves
better,
and that
is all
part of
life.
A person
may not
want to
do things
God's way
at first,
but because
he fears
God,
he would
do it
God's
way.
And as
he looks
back,
such a
person will
always be
thankful that
he was
able to
live by
God's
way and
not
his own
way.
A person
who is
not
willing to
do hard
things,
it's
hard to
build a
character.
If you
ask God
to make
your
patience,
God will,
and a
lot of
things will
happen to
try your
patience,
and it's
hard to
go through
that.
But if
we do
not want
to try
hard
things,
we will
never
enjoy the
fruit of
hard work.
If our
fallen
nature,
we choose
to follow
the easy
way of the
world rather
than follow
God's
ways.
in one,
I mean,
actually the
people who
do hard
things in
our midst
as well,
not only
can't say
that nobody
wants to
do hard
things,
there are
people who
finish HSC
this year,
and there's
a hard
thing,
and there
are people
here who
finish
uni this
year,
and it's
hard.
People
finish
the
fellowship
exam,
like Sarah,
passed that,
there are
so many
people here
who would
do hard
things.
As Paul
said in
1 Corinthians
9.25,
he said
that athletes
would try
very hard
to discipline
themselves,
everything,
to get
a crown
that is
temporary,
but he
said for
spiritual
discipline
it's an
eternal
crown,
and to
have that
spiritual
discipline
is even
harder,
and I
hope that
we would
take heart
and be
willing to
sacrifice
the small
comfort that
we enjoy
every day
when we
can spend
our time
to know
God in
a deeper
way.
So what
do we
think God
means when
he said
his name
would be
great among
the nations?
We may
think that
God wants
people to
fear him.
This is
half correct.
The other
half is that
God wants
people to
love him.
Why does
God want
us to
fear him
and to
love him?
Does he
think that
he is the
center of
the universe?
No,
God does
not think
that he is
the center
of the
universe,
but God
is the
center of
the universe.
He
doesn't
think that
he is.
And he
is the
ultimate
beauty,
purity,
and wisdom.
So who
else should
we fear
and love
besides God?
And when
we fear
and love
God,
we will
follow his
ways.
The
Israelites
had written
laws and
covenant
to help
them to
keep
following
God.
They
failed to
do so.
They
simply
loved
themselves
too
much.
What
else
could
God
do
for
people
to
fear
him
and
love
him?
God's
covenant
will stand.
His covenant
with Levi,
the tribe
of Moses,
will not
fail.
He will
have a
priest who
will be
faithful to
the
covenant.
This
priest will
honor God.
He will
walk with
God in
peace and
uprightness.
He
will speak
the truth
regardless of
opposition from
the world.
He will
teach the
way of God
truthfully.
He will
challenge
our
conscience.
In fact,
he challenged
our conscience
so much
that we
wanted to
kill him.
He obeyed
God's
way despite
suffering.
He was
nailed on
the cross
to die
slowly for
his
obedience
to God.
We know
that Jesus
Christ was
the priest
that was
to come
to fulfill
God's
covenant
with man.
he did
not pay
for Jesus
to obey
God
because the
world
would be
against him.
Why did
he do
that?
Because
Jesus knew
and he saw
that this
world is
broken.
It's not
going to
be permanent
and it's
not going
to be
the ultimate.
Why will
we enjoy
this world?
It will
be nothing
compared to
the world
that is to
come.
Because
Jesus had
much bigger
purpose to
live for
and to
die for.
For the
joy that
was set
before him
he enjoyed
the cross
and despite
the shame
which he
suffered in
the world,
Jesus knew
that all
that was in
the world
in this
world is
transient and
trivial.
He was
looking forward
to the
godly world
which was
to come
and he
wants to
bring with
him many
people.
In that
world,
God's name
will be
honour.
In the
world where
God's name
is honour,
people can
live in
peace and
freedom at
last.
He could
only bring
us into
this godly
world by
dying for
our sins.
I suppose
that we
all want
to have
a happy
life and
we also
want our
descendants to
have a
happy life.
Like our
ancestors,
we will
try all
sorts of
ways to
be happy.
We often
consider
ourselves as
the smartest
and cheat
our ways
to get
what we
want.
Even the
Israelites in
Malachi,
they were
cheating their
ways with
the covenant
of God.
We will
do the
same in
whatever we
do in
life.
And we
are often
disappointed.
It is not
only because
we often
fail,
even as
we try
our best to
be happy,
but even
as we
succeed in
getting what
we want,
it often
has unexpected
side effects.
The world
is full of
all these
unexpected
side effects
from just
like I said
about the
cigarette smoking
50 years
ago.
It was in
fashion,
but now we
know that
it will
kill you.
And many
things that
we do
turn up
the same
because we
don't have
the wisdom
to know
the future
and we
just
hold on
to
pleasure
so much.
So we
are like
the Israelites
often end
up with
choices which
will bring
destruction
and sorrow
to us
and our
descendants.
In
Malachi,
God is
not standing
there
helplessly
blaming the
Israelites
for their
unfaithfulness
and foolishness,
but he's
there to
pronounce
judgment
and mercy.
We will
look at
this in
the future
two weeks
as we
look at
chapter 3,
chapter 4,
and he
is there
to proclaim
what he's
going to
do.
His name
will be
great among
the nations
regardless of
Israel's
response.
Since the
time of
Malachi,
Jesus Christ
has come
and become
the perfect
priest and
the perfect
sacrifice.
Through the
cross,
the church
has been
established.
God's name
has been
made known
throughout the
nations.
We see
changes in
people's
lives as
they begin
to worship
God.
35 years
ago when
Lei and
I were
serving
in Malaysia
the
Bonniak
Evangelical
Mission,
we were
in contact
with a
tribal
people
called
Long
Bao
Wang
people.
The
Hmong
people
were
considered
as the
worst
tribal
people
in
Malaysia
about
70
years
ago
because
they
were
drunker.
They
just
want
to
have
wine
to drink
until
they
become
drunk.
They
hardly
do
anything.
They
are
very
dirty,
filthy,
immoral.
Basically,
the government
has given
up on
them and
let them
die off.
70
years
ago,
one
event
mission
came to
that
tribe.
35
years
ago,
when we
were in
contact
with
them,
most
of the
leaders
in the
church
were
Long
Bao
Wang.
Even
doctors,
lawyers,
political
leaders,
the
Long
Bao
Wang.
It's
such
an
amazing
turnover
to
their
lives
just
because
God's
name
was
great
among
these
people.
And
this
thing
happened
over
and
over
again
in
the
world,
in
different
tribes
and in
our
life
as
well.
From
the
rising
of the
sun
to
his
setting,
God
is
making
his
name
great
among
the
nations.
We
can
choose
to
either
submit
to
his
sovereignty
and
continue
to
seek
or
continue
to
seek
our
own
small
fortune.
Through
the
covenant
of
blessings
and
curses
with
Israel,
God
accomplished
his
justice
by placing
all the
curses
on
his
son,
Jesus
Christ.
It
was as
if the
dung
of the
animals
were placed
on
Jesus'
head
as he
was
crucified
outside
the
camp.
Jesus
has
shouldered
all the
judgment
of God
on the
cross.
Jesus
has
fulfilled
the
requirements
of the
covenant.
What
more do
you think
God
should
do
for
us
to
submit
to
him
in
love
and
in
fear?
Jesus
said,
while you
have
the
light,
believe
in the
light,
that you
might
become
sons
of
light.
Let
us
pray.
Father,
we
thank
you.
Thank
you,
Father,
for
your
goodness
to
us.
Despite
our
frequent
regret
of
you,
you
keep
calling
us.
We
want
to
acknowledge
that
you
are
great
and
good.
We
want
to
live
a
life
that
is
worthy
of
your
calling
and
your
character.
May
you
help
us
to
do
so.
For
those
of
us
who
are
yet
to
know
you,
may
you
also
help
us
to
do
so.
Thank
you,
Lord.
We
pray
in
Jesus'
name.
Amen.