The Ministry of the Two Witnesses

Transcript

GR 1536
06/28/09
The Ministry of the Two Witnesses
Revelation 11:3-6
Gil Rugh

The book of Revelation in your Bibles, the 11th chapter. As we move through the book of Revelation when we come to chapters 10-14, we come to material that does not move the book along but relates material that will help us understand what is going to take place in the last half of the seven-year tribulation. We have material presented here, information and individuals introduced that will play a major role during the last half of the 70th week of Daniel. The seven-year period divided into two 3½ -year segments and basically we'll come to matters relating to the last 3½ years. In chapter 11 verses 1-2 we noted that the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem by the time we come to the middle of this seven-year period. So either before the seven-year period begins or shortly after it begins, the temple will be rebuilt, because by the time we get to the middle of the seven-year period it is fully functional. Sacrifices are taking place and so on in the temple. So we looked at other passages that go together with these opening verses. And so the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem.

The antichrist is the dominant figure during this period of time and under his leadership a tremendous persecution is going to break out against Israel. During the first 3½ years of the tribulation the antichrist is operating under a covenantal agreement with Israel, but it is an artificial peace. At the middle of that period of time he will break that agreement and so we have Jerusalem, the end of verse 2, tread underfoot for 42 months, this last half of the seven-year period. There will be more information on that when we get into chapter 12 and the persecution of Israel for that last 3½ year period. But here we are noted that the holy city is tread underfoot for 42 months. We become aware of these things, the fact that Israel took possession of Jerusalem in recent years as well as become a nation, then took possession of Jerusalem, has possession of the temple site even though it functions under Muslim authority now. All these things move us to a greater awareness that perhaps we are moving closer in a real way to the return of the Lord for the church as the starting of the seven-year period.

Another event of great interest presented to our attention in Revelation 11 is the ministry of the two witnesses. And that will cover verses 3-13. And if you are at all familiar with the book of Revelation, you are well familiar with the two witnesses and their role and their ministry. There is some discussion over the identity of these two witnesses, two basic views. 1. They are resurrected Old Testament saints, one of whom will be Elijah, the other one will be either Moses or Enoch. That's one view. 2. A second view is they are two men raised up at this time with a prophetic ministry who will have a ministry like Elijah had, like Moses had, but it won't be resurrected Old Testament men specifically.

We're going to look first at verses 3-6 on what the scripture says about these two men, then in our next study we'll look at the details of their identity and what conclusions we can come to. So note verse 3 begins with the conjunction and. And I will grant authority to my two witnesses and they will prophesy for 1260 days clothed in sackcloth. This indicates that this is closely connected to what has preceded where he talked about the temple and its operation and it has been measured and the outer court given to the Gentiles and the city trampled underfoot for 42 months. And as part of this whole scenario I will grant authority to my two witnesses. And even though Jerusalem is going to suffer terribly and the Jews are going to suffer terribly during this last 42 months, God will maintain a strong testimony in Jerusalem for Himself. Two prophets who will prophesy over this period of time.

It says I will grant authority to my two witnesses. Indicates God here has given power to these two individuals in a significant and mighty way to have an impact upon the Jews in particular, but upon the world generally as well, as we see as we move through the rest of the discussion on these two individuals. They are two witnesses. That indicates the function that they have. They are to be witnesses, testimonies for the living God. They will be bringing the message of God to the nation and to the world. They will prophesy, they'll be speaking of God and of things to come. I take it a major part of their ministry will be drawing together the people of Israel, and again their impact will go beyond Israel. But they are prophesying here in Jerusalem to the Jews, but that ministry will spread out in the world.

They will be speaking of events to come. There will be clarity given on what is happening on the judgment of God that is pouring out, on the events that are going to climax at Armageddon and so on. They'll be calling Israel to repentance because remember two things going on during this 70th week of Daniel, and in particular then in the last 3½ years in an even more focused way. Judgment is being poured out on an unbelieving world and the nations Israel is being brought to its knees so that by the time we get to the end of this seven-year period, 70th week, the nation Israel will turn enmasse to Jesus as their Messiah. And then He will return in glory to bring them deliverance.

They will prophesy for 1260 days. There is discussion over whether the ministry of the two witnesses occurs in the first half of the seven-year period or the second half. It seems to me in light of the context, it occurs in the second half. We know Jerusalem will be trodden underfoot for 42 months, verse 2, and from what is revealed particularly in chapter 12 in greater detail, we know that takes place over the last 3½ years. And the connection here, he's just said at the end of verse 2, they will tread underfoot the holy city for 42 months and I will grant authority to my witnesses and they will prophesy for 1260 days. Same time length—42 months, 3½ years. So it would be a strange connection here to talk about what is going to happen to Jerusalem during the last 3½ years and then say the two witnesses will prophesy for 3½ years. But I don't mean the same 3½ years. In fact each time this time reference is given in these chapters, it's referring to the last 3½ years. That's true at the end of verse 2, and as we come down to chapter 12 verse 6, here you have the persecution of Israel and its background set forth. Just note the end of verse 6, this is Israel, she would be nourished for 1260 days. That's part of God's protection and provision for the nation Israel over that last 3½ years as we'll see when we get here. Down in verse 14 of chapter 12, the two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, the woman representing Israel, so she could fly into the wilderness to her place. She was nourished for a time, times and a half time. That time, two times and a half time from the book of Daniel, again that period of 3½, which is 3½ years. Down in chapter 13 verse 5, there was given to him, referring her to the coming world ruler, a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies and authority to act for 42 months. Again as we'll see that's the last half of the 70th week of Daniel.

So I take it as we come back to chapter 11 verse 3, and the two witnesses will be prophesying for 1260 days, even as Jerusalem is trodden underfoot for 42 months, 3½ years. That tells what is going on, even in the midst of the tremendous persecution of Israel, their great suffering as the devil attempts in a greater way than ever before to annihilate the nation Israel, in whom the promises of God for a coming kingdom are centered. God has raised up two witnesses that will be invulnerable during this period of time, as they give forth the testimony from God to the nation Israel. Through their relentless ministry, ultimately the nation Israel is going to be brought to salvation as their prophecy and the judgments raining down will bring Israel to a recognition that Jesus indeed is the Messiah.

They are clothed in sackcloth. And that's indicative of mourning and association with judgment. We see in the Old Testament where there are times of mourning, facing judgment, they would put on sackcloth to indicate mourning. They are calling the nation to repentance. So as they are prophesying in these days it will of course be calling the nation to believe in Jesus as their Messiah and to recognize Him so that He can come and bring them the deliverance that the Old Testament prophets had prophesied.

Verse 4 gives an interesting identification. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord. Now again this takes us back to the Old Testament to Zechariah 4. In chapter 3 to lead into chapter 4, the particular reference we have will come from chapter 4, but the background here is chapter 3 verse 1. He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. So you have Joshua the high priest, then when we come down into chapter 4 we're going to have a vision here with Zerubbabel. Chapter 4 verse 6, the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel. Two individuals here—Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor in the ruling line, the kingly line. And you have the prophet and the priest here that will be joined together in the ministry of the Messiah of Israel.

In chapter 3 the filthy clothes of Joshua representing the nation are removed as Satan accuses him and verse 4, the instruction, remove the filthy garment from him. See I have taken your iniquity away from you, I will close you with festal robes. That is anticipating the promises of God to the nation when their iniquity will be washed away and they will be clothed in the garments of the kingdom. Verse 8 reminds us Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you, they are men who are assembled. So we are told that what is happening to Joshua is representative of what is going to take place for the nation. And I am going to bring in my servant, the branch. Obviously referring to the Messiah. And then you have the stone. I have set before Joshua, verse 9, on one stone are seven eyes. And we're told down in chapter 4 verse 10 that these are the eyes of the Lord which range to and fro throughout the whole earth. Referring to the Holy Spirit, we've already seen that in the book of Revelation, that representation picked up.

You come down into chapter 4 verse 2, he said to me, what do you see? I see, behold, a lampstand all of gold with its bowl on the top of it and its seven lamps on it with seven spouts belonging to each of the lamps that were on top of it. So here you have this lampstand, seven-branched, and you have the bowl that holds the oil that feeds each of these oil lamps that give off the light, each of these branches. And it's indicative of the fact that a testimony is being given, light is being given. Verse 3, also two olive trees by it, one on the right side of the bowl and the other on the left. And what these are is the olive trees provide a continual and immediate supply of oil because the oil lamps are fed by olive oil. So the abundance of the provision for the lampstand. The bowl is constantly fed because it is right there with the olive trees. This is a bowl and then the bowl gives this abundant supply of oil for the light.

You come down to verse 6 as the question has been asked by the angel. Zechariah, do you know what these are? I said, no, my lord. He said to me, verse 6, this is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord of hosts. So here we are told that what is being done is done by the power of the Spirit of God. So this oil that is abundantly provided here is representative of the ministry of the Holy Spirit and God's work does not depend on men. Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit. And the work that God is going to do will be done by Him, ultimately not accomplished by the power and might of men. And incidentally that is true today as well. We give off a message that the world considers weak, foolish. But it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. That's why we want to be careful as believers about thinking if we have political power, if we have this or that. We have the gospel which is the power of God that is used by the Spirit of God to accomplish what only God can do.

Let's move down to verse 11. Then I said to him, what are the two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left? I answered a second time and said to him, what are the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes which empty the golden oil from themselves? So he answered me saying, do you not know what these are? I said, no, my lord. Then he said, these are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth.

These verses identify Joshua the high priest and Zerubbabel as the two olive trees. And they are supernaturally empowered by God to do His work, to represent Him in the carrying out of the ministry that He has given them. Its clear verse 14 is our direct connection to our verse in Revelation 11:4. These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of all the earth, two olive branches here. Take from the olive tree and the oil that it's not by might nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord.

So you come back to Revelation 11 and you have these two olive trees, the two lampstands that stand before the Lord. Both representing these individuals. Now that Old Testament background reflected and we have these two individuals just like Joshua and Zerubbabel. Now we have two raised up to be testimonies for God at this crucial time and to accomplish His work in the power of His Spirit in the world in these crucial days.

Look at verse 5, if anyone wants to harm them fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies. So if anyone wants to harm them he must be killed in this way. So now verse 5 and verse 6 will continue this presents the power that these two witnesses have in these last 1260 days, 42 months of the 70th week of Daniel that will climax with their deaths and the return of Christ to the earth. It's carried out in supernatural power that has been foreshadowed by Old Testament events. It's going to take place on a greater scale than ever happened before. They have the power to destroy anyone who would try to harm them, they have the power to wipe them out with fire. This obviously has its background in Elijah's ministry.

Come back to II Kings 1. It's interesting to me, we're in the book of Revelation and we've noted there are hundreds and hundreds of references to Old Testament passages and yet you remember that the book of Revelation is addressed to the seven churches in Asia Minor, the Gentile part of the world. And special blessing is promised to those who study the book of Revelation and obey it. We're expected to understand it. And a reminder that these churches established in Gentile parts of the world are expected to be so saturated with scripture that they are going to know and understand the book of Revelation and be able to live in light of it and experience God's blessing. So God expects His people to be serious students of the scripture. We can understand the Jews were raised with the Old Testament, they would know it. But you have these Gentiles coming out of pagan backgrounds and the book of Revelation is saturated with these allusions to the Old Testament that would be very difficult to grasp and appreciate and understand if you didn't know something about the Old Testament. So we can be sure that these Gentile believers were seriously involved in the study of the scriptures so that they could be well versed in what God revealed.

The ministry of Elijah the prophet, II Kings 1. And the context, wicked Ahab married to Jezebel has died. Now Ahaziah is on the throne and as he is strolling through his palace, verse 2, he fell through the lattice in his upper chamber which was in Samaria. He became ill and he was hurt, seriously injured. So he sent messengers and said to them, go inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron whether I will recover from this sickness. Going to send him outside of Israel, go to inquire of a pagan god to find out if I'm going to recover from these injuries. So the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, arise, go meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say to them, is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? I mean this is an offense to God. The king is to be acting as God's representative. He is a pagan godless man but he is held accountable by God. So Elijah says, where are you going? You take a message back to your king. What do you mean? There is no God in Israel that you would send to the pagans to ask of their god. Therefore thus says the Lord, you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, you shall surely die. And Elijah leaves.

So the messengers go back to the king and he knows they are back too soon. Why have you returned? Well, a man met us and told us to tell you this. And they repeat it. Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone, but you shall surely die. Now the king has a good idea. Who would have this kind of boldness to confront my messengers? So he's going to ask the question, verse 7, tell me what he looked like. They answered, he was a hairy man with a leather girdle about his loins. And he said, it is Elijah the Tishbite.

You know the messenger of God ought to stand out. He's saying something that not everybody else is saying, he's saying the word of God even in the most unfavorable of circumstances. So the king, he's the king, he doesn't have to put up with this, send a captain with his fifty soldiers and he is supposed to bring back Elijah to the king. And so he finds Elijah sitting on a hilltop. And he said to him, oh man of God, the king says come down. Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, if I am a man of God let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. So verse 11, then he sent to him another captain of fifty and we have the same scenario. Verse 13, so he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. When the third captain of fifty went up he came and bowed down on his knees before Elijah and begged him and said to him, oh man of God, please let my life and the lives of these fifty servants of yours be precious. I mean here you have smoking bodies all around. I mean, you realize there is no future here. So all you can do is plead for mercy and really what he does is given the honor to this representative of the living God of Israel, the honor that is due him. And so the Lord says, Elijah, you can go with him.

You understand God is sovereignly in control here. Can the king bring Elijah into his presence when God doesn't want him brought there? It is clear if Elijah comes before the king it is because God sent him before the king, not because the soldiers brought him before the king. And you know what Elijah does? Gives the same message. Verse 16, thus says the Lord, because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal-Zebub the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up. You shall surely die. And so Ahaziah died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken.

You see the setting here. A prophet of God confronted by His enemies and the enemies of the living God, he calls down fire from heaven and they are consumed. Any who would attempt to harm him, to put an end to his ministry, destroyed.

Same thing happens back in Numbers 16. And this is the rebellion of Korah. And Korah and his family, the ground opened up and swallowed them for their rebellion against Moses and Aaron and their leadership. And then there were 250 key men in Israel who joined the rebellion of Korah and tried to lead the nation in rebellion against Moses and thus against God. And so we are told in verse 35, fire also came forth from the Lord and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense. So you have this destructive fire from God destroying those who would oppose his servant.

That's the background for what we have when you come back to Revelation 11. If anyone wants to harm them, verse 5, fire flows out of their mouths and destroys their enemies. This doesn't necessarily mean that literal fire has to come out of their mouth, but they have the power to call down fire from heaven like Elijah did. Of course God could give the power for fire to come out of their mouths, but in light of the Old Testament background the way He did it, Elijah could speak the word and in effect he called down the fire. So the fire came out of his mouth because it was at his word that the fire comes and destroys those who would harm him or try in some way to prevent his ministry.

If anyone wants to harm them, verse 5, he must be killed in this way. So you see these men are invulnerable. You have great persecution of Israel going on, Jews being martyred in great number. But the testimony for God going on by two men that can't be touched and they are boldly giving out the message in the power of the Spirit. They are lights in the darkness at this time. They are two olive trees, two lampstands that are empowered by the Spirit, giving off the light of the knowledge of the living God in this terrible time.

Look at verse 6, and they have power to shut up the skies so that the rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying. This is another thing that happened in the days of Elijah. Go to I Kings 17:1, now Elijah the Tishbite who was of the settlers of Gilead said to Ahab. So we've backed up in time from the passage in II Kings 1 where Ahab was dead. But now we're back before his death and he's still king. As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except by my word. We're going to have a drought and it's going to go on. Do you know how long it's going to go on interestingly? 3½ years, 42 months.

Turn over to Luke 4. In this context Jesus says in verse 24, truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown, but I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was shut up for 3 years and 6 months when a great famine came over all the land. There you see how long the drought lasted when Elijah stopped the heavens from raining—3 years and 6 months. Look over in James 5:17. This is the context, the end of verse 16, the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain and it did not rain on the earth for 3 years and 6 months.

So interesting when we come to Revelation 11:6, these two witnesses ministering over the last 3 years 6 months of the tribulation have the power to shut up the sky so that it will not fall during the days of their prophesying. The days of their prophesying were, verse 3, 1260 days, the same as the 42 months at the end of verse 2. So there is a parallel there with what happened under Elijah's ministry. And for those of us who believe the scripture and know what God has said and know it to be true, there is historical precedence as the judgment God brought in the prior days is going to be repeated in the context of greater judgment. So you see the power of these two individuals. And just as Ahab hated Elijah, knew he was the cause of the trouble, but he wasn't the cause of the trouble. When Ahab confronted Elijah, what did he say? Are you the one who troubles Israel? I'm not the one who troubles Israel, you're the one who troubles Israel, Elijah said. It's your sin that has brought the judgment on the nation of God. But you can see people get upset with the messenger of God. Ahab hated Elijah, but if it weren't for the sin of Ahab and the sin of the nation Israel, there wouldn't have been a drought in Israel. It's not Elijah's fault. It's the sin of the people that has brought the judgment.

So they have power to shut up the skies and it will not rain during the days of their prophesying. Furthermore they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire. Go back to Exodus 7. You see these two prophets are in the line of the prophets of the Old Testament. In Exodus 7 as Moses is the instrument God is using to bring judgment on the land of Egypt. Verse 15, thus says the Lord, by this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand and it will be turned to blood. And you see what these men have the power to do to turn the water to blood. Now you see what happens here. These are men who have the power to bring a drought, to stop the heavens for 3½ years. And then they have the power to turn water that is on the earth to blood. Any wonder that the godless people of the world hate these men so much for the suffering they are bringing? They've stopped the rain and they not only stopped the rain but they turned the water we had to blood. And that prepares the way for the rejoicing and celebration that will take place when God finally removes the protection from these men and they suffer death at the hands of the enemies of God.

And it's also said they have the ability to smite the earth with every plague. Come back to Revelation 11. We won't look at the other plagues, you are familiar with the plagues on Egypt. Well they have this kind of power, verse 6, to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every plague as often as they desire. So here over a 3½ year period these men are given great power by God. Now as often as they desire, of course, as the prophets of God it is under the direction of God that they do this. But the indication is this is going on over this 3½ -year period as part of the evidence that they are bringing a message from God. And this will be having an impact on the nation Israel as they see a true prophetic ministry again in their midst, validated by these mighty miracles, the judgment that God is bringing on the world. All part of His work in those days.

The similarity of the ministry of these two witnesses to Elijah and Moses causes many, perhaps most, Bible believers to think that they indeed are Moses and Elijah brought back to earth for their ministry. And in addition to this we have the prophecy of Malachi 4:5, behold I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. We have to wait until our next study to resolve that issue and determine whether indeed this may be Elijah resurrected along with Moses. And interestingly enough in the preview of the kingdom that Peter, James and John were privileged to have on the mount of transfiguration, who happened to appear there? Moses and Elijah. Well, we'll talk more about that.

Let me summarize some things here with you and then just remind you of something I think is tremendous for us to never lose sight of. But just to remind you of what we've seen in this passage. In the context of the fierce wrath of the Gentiles directed toward Israel in the last half of the tribulation, God raises up two testimonies for Himself. I mean, what grace God has that He would raise up these two men to give out the message of life, to demonstrate His power to bring the nation that He has called His own to Himself. They will be empowered by the Holy Spirit just as Joshua and Zerubbabel were in Zechariah 4. They will be able to call down fire from heaven like Elijah did. They will be able to stop the rain for 3½ years like Elijah did. They'll be able to turn the water to blood like Moses did. They'll be able to smite the earth with all kinds of plagues similar to Moses. So even in wrath there is mercy, even the time of greatest wrath upon the earth there is mercy. The message of life in Christ is going out powerfully. God is a God of grace and mercy. In reality the only time mercy is said to be withdrawn totally is when men and women are cast into the lake of fire forever and ever. Then, this will be chapter 14 where it is spoken of, it won't happen until chapter 20, we have the wrath of God unmixed with mercy. But here the worst of the worst time on this earth and there is mercy. The message of salvation is going out through these two prophets.

What strikes me is these two men pictured as lampstands. We saw the churches pictured as lampstands. We just studied Matthew 5 where Jesus said to His disciples, you are the light of the world. Interestingly in John 8:12 Jesus said of Himself, I am the light of the world. But we who have come to believe in Him have come into the light of life, John 12:46 puts it.

Turn over to Philippians 2, talking about us as believers as those, verse 12, who are to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Look at verse 13, for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Stop and think what an awesome ministry the prophets had, the Spirit of God accomplished the work of God. Then I read it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Note this, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. You know the ministry we have is something of a carry on of the prophetic ministry. It is something of an anticipation of the great ministry of these two witnesses. Now God will choose to bestow on them greater power and an even greater demonstration of His presence. But you understand it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. And we are lights in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We are not surprised at the corruption of the world, its perversity, its vulgarity, its relentless opposition to our God. They are in darkness, we are bringing them light, the message of life that can bring them out of darkness into light. Any wonder it says, do all things without grumbling or disputing. We walk around discontent, walk around complaining. I mean, should Elijah be living like that? Or the two witnesses? Things are so hard. Here we are, who are we? What a blessing. Easy for me to study the ministry of these prophets and say, what an honor given to them to represent the living God at a time like that. What an honor given to you and to me to represent the living God at a time like this. We may be on the very brink of the return of Jesus Christ for His church. What greater time to be a light in the world in the midst of darkness, right? And we are all caught up, so frazzled, so distracted. And it is God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure. We may appear as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. What a ministry God has given each of us in the days ahead of us this week. We're not just plodding on, waiting, hoping for the return of the Lord. We're here carrying on a ministry that is unique and wonderful and awesome. We are lights in the world at this crucial time in the plan of God, awaiting the return of the Lord, anticipating the return, and holding forth the word of life so that those in darkness might come to the salvation that is found only in Jesus Christ.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the unfolding of your truth concerning future events, the awesome ministry of these two witnesses that someday will stand on this earth and minister in the most difficult of times. But under your sovereign protection they will give forth the message of Jesus Christ in demonstration of power that men and women might come to salvation. Lord, you are a God of grace that you would provide to men to stand and declare truth during those days of judgment, stand and offer salvation to those who will repent of their sins and believe in the Savior, the Messiah of Israel. Lord, we are reminded of the privilege that is ours as those who have come to know Christ and have come to the light from the darkness. We have the light of the life that He has brought to us, an eternal life and now we are lights in this world of darkness, privileged to carry on a ministry of light and life, holding forth the message of life to those who are lost in the darkness, without hope in the world. Lord, may our focus be upon you in these days and the awesome privilege given to us as those who have entered into your salvation to be lights in the darkness. May we not lose our focus, may we not be attempting to put our light under a bushel but to shine as brightly as we can so that the message will be as clear as possible so that in your grace your Spirit will use us in the greatest possible way to convict the people of this world of sin, righteousness and judgment so that in your grace men and women might come to salvation. We look forward to the privilege of service for you in the days of the week ahead. We pray in Christ's name, amen.