The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ

The Glory of God in the Face of Jesus Christ

            The Glory of God is “the highest of all topics and the grandest of all subjects.” To display God's glory was God's purpose in creating the entire universe and its people. And in the process His grace is central so we sing praise to His glorious grace ^“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:7

            The Glory of God is who He is in His essential Being and all that He has done and is doing. The visible manifestation of the Glory of God is the glorious light that surrounds Him. God “alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light. . . .” 1 Timothy 6:16 ESV Moses and the children of Israel saw the glory of God as the Shekinah Glory led them through the wilderness. The glory of God was in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. It showed itself as the Glory Cloud during the day and as a pillar of fire at night. Moses saw the Glory of God in the burning bush and on Mount Sinai when God gave “the Law of Moses.”

             The Hebrew and Greek words for glory are both weighty and beautiful. That's precisely what scripture says: ^“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” 2 Corinthians 4:17 And there is no greater majesty and splendor and inherent beauty than the glory of God.

            Used of man, glory speaks of radiance and praise, reputation, and wealth. Vanity and pride is associated with it. It is finite, transitory, and fickle, dependent on the whims of the crowds and the image makers. “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25 ESV And so does the glory of God in His absolute perfection. His holiness, his majesty, his character, His power, His works all contribute to His glory.

           And the glory of God was demonstrated in the Person of Jesus who is the highest revelation of God. He is “the image of the invisible God,” Colossians 1:15 ^“the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholds all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:3

             In the Incarnation “the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14 They all saw the excellence of His character, and Peter, James, and John saw the visible manifestation of His glory in the transfiguration. He “was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun,” “and his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow. . . .” Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:3 Years later Peter wrote, “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” 2 Peter 1:16

           There is also the glory of God's beautiful creation. ^“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 ESV ^“There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory.” 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 ESV

          Does man have intrinsic glory? Well, yes, he does! God gave it to him when He created man in His own image, to reflect in a small, finite way, SOME of the things God can do though infinitely different, still man can think, feel, act, love, make moral and ethical judgments, be creative, love beauty, accomplish worthwhile projects, build, improve. All of the things God gave us to do in the cultural mandate of Genesis 1:26-27. That is the dignity and worth of mankind.

           ^“For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” Psalm 8:5-6   So man created in the image of God should be accorded the deference and dignity that God has conferred upon him. That's why we should treat everyone with dignity and respect, because we know who they are!--created in God's image.

           But fallen man's conception of “glory” is quite different from that. And to describe it we need a Greek word quite different from doxa which means glory. For this we must use kenodoxos which means man's desire of praise, being conceited and boastful. Man wants to be the center of his own universe and claims to be autonomous or independent of God. When the truth of the matter is that we cannot even breathe our next breath without God.

           In the Graeco-Roman world of Bible times fame and glory were among the most important values in life. And the Jewish rabbis also highly esteemed the honor and praise of man—characteristics that Jesus warned against. In contrast the apostle Paul told the Thessalonians, “We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.” 1 Thess. 2:6

         The Glory of God and the Beauty of God are so closely related they could almost be used interchangeably. Here's how Sam Storms expressed it, “God’s glory is the beauty of God unveiled. Glory is the resplendent radiance of His power and His personality. Glory is all of God that makes God God, and shows Him to be worthy of our praise and our boasting and our trust and our hope and our confidence and our joy.”

“Glory is the external elegance of the internal excellencies of God. Glory is what you see and experience and feel when [you see the beauty of the works of God in creation.]

“Understanding God is but a means to enjoying God. We tell others of this glory and [thus increase our joy and theirs] at what we have told. . . .

“Treasure God. Prize Him. Delight in Him. Enjoy Him. In doing so you magnify Him, you show Him to be the most wonderful and sweet and all-sufficient being in the universe.

“. . . Enjoying God is not a means to a higher end. This IS the end. Enjoying God is not a pathway to the pinnacle. It is the pinnacle, the purpose for which you and I live. As such, it is the solution to our struggle with sin. The antidote to apathy is the enjoyment of God. It is the divine catalyst for human change.”

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

--Sam Storms, One Thing: Developing a Passion for the Beauty of God. Christian Focus Publications 

“What is the chief end of man?” “To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”

–Westminster Shorter Catechism, 1643

“One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord. . . .” Psalm 27:4

The Pleasure of Reminiscing and the Comfort it Brings

The Pleasure of Reminiscing

and the Comfort it Brings

Have you ever noticed when you haven't seen someone for a long time how much the two of you or several of you talk and laugh about what happened to you a long time ago? Do you remember this or that? And the warm-hearted memories cheer the conversation. That's because when you love someone, you want to share the good things of life with them—and the good memories. And Minnie often quoted Elisabeth Elliot's book “All That Was Ever Ours. . . .” [Still is!] That's because you carry those things in your heart and in your memory and they have become a part of who you are. Whatever was yours, still is. The memories remind you of your love for one another and the faithfulness of God. They are an intrinsic part of who you are.

But have you also noticed how quickly our wonderful experiences slip from the present into the past? I'm presently on another very rewarding project. During the 1970's and 1980's Minnie and I took pictures mostly as slides and only had a few of them printed to put into our photo books. So I'm going through hundreds of slides—probably 2000 or more—and having many of them transferred to CD's or DVD's. The resulting resolution is excellent and the whole family can now have copies to see on their computer screens what had been only a sampling of small photos in the photo books. So I'm thankful to the Lord for technological improvements making it easy to share with others.

And yes! There's an important theological and practical lesson to this experience. Those wonderful pictures of happiness and joy with all those sweet grandchildren the Lord gave to Minnie and me can be enjoyed again in our memories while seeing them again on the screen. But—and this is profound! And should be pondered—those sweet little children are not sweet little children anymore! They've grown into adulthood and have their own families. And yes, we still love them and are close to them. And yes, they're still a joy to be with! But the little ones are not there any more. And yet we haven't lost them! And there's where the deep profound theology comes in! In a very similar way, I haven't lost my wife either—and you can make the application to your own life. She is with the Lord and all the wonderful growing together and building into each other's lives has taken fruit and made us both into the kind of persons we actually are. And through it all God was working out His purposes in our lives and gradually transforming us more and more into the image of Christ from one degree of glory to the next. (2 Cor. Chs. 3 & 4)

Now for Minnie, she has actually seen the Lord face-to-face and has become like Him! just as scripture promised. And we have the reassurance that we will see her again someday! What an enormous comfort it is to know where she is and with Whom and that we will see her again not many years from now. And all the good things God has poured into our lives in Christlike character is still there and always will be. Time doesn't erase, it just adds on more of God's blessings for us to enjoy in eternity future.

--Pastor Burnside

"Be of Good Cheer!"

“Be of Good Cheer”
One of the ways God blesses and encourages my heart is through those many, many friends and family He has given Minnie and me through the many years of our life together. So when I returned from those refreshing two weeks with Jon & family in Petaluma, a beautiful town in California, and Jeannine & Chris in their lovely “Evergreen” village in the mountains of Colorado, I was pleased to find so many Christmas cards and Christmas letters and e-mails awaiting me. And I think there will be more still coming. Some of you I hear from only once a year at Christmas time and that’s fine. It’s a good way to stay in contact with many whom we have loved through the years. And I have several that I will be responding to before long.

They were cheerful letters and e-mails and they told a bit of the story of their lives in this past year. (By the way, I have started on my Christmas Letter and expect to finish it and send it before January 13.) So many of you have expressed love and comfort for me in this first Christmas since 1955 without Minnie. And you told me of so many of life’s problems–cancer and other health problems; jobs lost; homes vacated; financial problems; separations from loved ones; children not walking with the Lord; depression and discouragement; uncertainty of the future; some have even faced divorce. And others have had the stability and support of family and friends to help them.

And yet your attitude was one of good cheer and encouragement as you face an uncertain future. (Uncertain in the immediate future, but not uncertain in the longer perspective of eternity.) It seems to me this reflects what Jesus told His disciples just before His death, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” And He gave them His legacy of peace so that they might face the difficulties of life: “ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.” “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 16:33; 14:27 We can be of good cheer because He has already won the victory on the cross and His Presence abides with us now and forever. Our future is assured and secure. Take the long perspective.

The Apostle Peter said the same thing: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

Accept the difficulties of this life as part of the cross we must take up daily to follow Christ and realize that God is accomplishing eternal values in what He, in His providence, brings your way or allows into your life. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are [temporary], but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Cor. 4:16-18 ESV

Let me offer you a suggestion for the New Year which begins tomorrow: get a copy of Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening and read it every day along with your regular Bible reading. In the morning, as you know, Minnie and I read the Psalms together for 54 years and during her last three years we read and re-read the New Testament aloud together and Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening and other good books. It was such a blessing to both of us and Minnie, even when she was nauseated or suffering, she was always of good cheer. In fact during her last week when she saw the sorrow in our eyes, she tried to cheer us up–and she did!

And one of the ways she cheered those around her bedside was with her thankful spirit. She was thankful for the simple things of life and for whatever came to her from the good hand of our God. Shouldn’t we be thankful that we are not starving or suffering great pain? We are not in a slave labor camp. And you’re not enslaved by drug addiction or alcoholism (at least I hope you’re not!) You have friends and family and adequate resources and a relatively peaceful life to live. Think of the persecuted church in so many places in the world and be thankful for the peace and freedoms we have.

Minnie often said that one day she would see our Lord “face to face.” And now she has! Think of how much better off she is Christmas 2010 compared to what she was experiencing just a year ago Christmas 2009. She would not want to return from the glory she is presently experiencing in the presence of the Lord where all is peace and joy and love. She has complete satisfaction and happiness because scripture says, “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15

It also says “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!" Rev. 14:13 “Blessed” means “favored of God,” but it also means perfect “happiness.”

My oldest great-granddaughter asked me today when we were walking from Walmart to our car what Mimi was doing and did she have a body. And I told her that she would have a glorified body after the Resurrection but now if she is just “spirit,” that it is quite all right because she is with the Lord (“absent from the body, present with the Lord”) and Jesus Himself has told us that He has gone to prepare a place for us. John 14:1 And that place is prepared especially for Mimi and she is very happy where she is living now. (It is so encouraging to me that our 11-year old would ask questions like that. We often speak casually about Minnie and how much better off she is now than when she had pancreatic cancer.)

Anticipate what lies ahead. The future is glorious. We often speak of the return of Christ as “the blessed hope” but we have “another blessed hope,” our anticipation of living eternally in heaven and sharing life with the Lord Jesus and His people. “Hope” in scripture means “expectation” or “anticipation” of what must surely take place. “We shall meet Him ourselves face to face, To the Praise of His glorious grace!”
–Pastor Burnside
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/morningandevening/550586/

"Strength in my soul"--Psalm 138

“In the day when I cried you answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.”

Today’s Psalm is just what we need on a Monday morning–strength in our soul! And we begin as always “with my whole heart”–not half-heartedly following the Lord:
Psalm 138:1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
[2] I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. [What God has exalted, we should also.]

[3] On the day I called, you answered me; [He answers us more quickly than we realize sometimes, but He often gives an answer we had not expected–or strength that we didn’t realize He had already given us: “as thy days so shall thy strength be.”]
“and strengthened me with strength in my soul.” (kjv) “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:2 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” 2 Cor. 4:7

[4] All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
[5] and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
[Learn His ways so that you will know how to live.]
for great is the glory of the Lord.
[Aye, indeed! Catch a glimpse of the glory and beauty of God and you will never be the same! “Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. . . .” Psalm 90:16-17]

[6] For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly, [Take your proper place before the Infinite God who made heaven and earth and now holds it in place and sustains the universe just as He gives you life and sustains you. Humility always before our Glorious God.]
but the haughty he knows from afar.

[7] Though I walk in the midst of trouble, [Isn’t that where we all walk?! Thank God when things are going well and pleasantly because it won’t always be so! “But He giveth more grace!”
you preserve my life; [That’s the only way you got this far in life!]
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your right hand delivers me.

[8] The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; [Aye! and He will! But His purposes may not be your purposes. He tells us many of His purposes (and keeps hidden other purposes from us so that we will walk by faith and not by sight.) A major purpose is to make us more like Christ. Romans 8:29 Another is to share with us the glories of eternal life “at home with the Lord”: “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose. . . .” 2 Cor. 5:5 NIV And yet a third purpose is to “work all things together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 There’s “purpose” again! God has made so many of His purposes in life clear in scripture if we but have eyes to see and hearts to believe!]

your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. [Do you really believe God loves you! Not because of who you are but because of who He is! “God is love.” “Herein is love not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [“sacrifice” or payment–atonement] for our sins.” 1 John 4:10 Then live like it! Walk in His love and thank Him for it. And remember, “God disciplines those He loves!” Heb. 12:6]

“Do not forsake the work of your hands.” [How could He do that! He has promised–by His Word, by His past actions, by who He is in His character and attributes–that He will “never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Heb. 13:5]
Be well assured that “He who has begun a good work in you will perform it [or bring it to completion]. . . .” Phil. 1:6 Aren’t you glad that it is God Himself “who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” Phil. 2:13 NIV
–Pastor Burnside

God, that comforteth those that are cast down.

From Spurgeon this morning: 2 Corinthians 7:6
God, that comforteth those that are cast down.

And who comforteth like Him? Go to some poor, melancholy, distressed child of God; tell him sweet promises, and whisper in his ear choice words of comfort; he is like the deaf adder, he listens not to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely. He is drinking gall and wormwood, and comfort him as you may, it will be only a note or two of mournful resignation that you will get from him; you will bring forth no psalms of praise, no hallelujahs, no joyful sonnets. But let God come to His child, let Him lift up his countenance, and the mourner's eyes glisten with hope. Do you not hear him sing-
"'Tis paradise, if thou art here;
If thou depart, 'tis hell?"

You could not have cheered him: but the Lord has done it; "He is the God of all comfort." There is no balm in Gilead, but there is balm in God.
There is no physician among the creatures, but the Creator is
Jehovah-rophi. It is marvellous how one sweet word of God will make whole
songs for Christians. One word of God is like a piece of gold, and the
Christian is the goldbeater, and can hammer that promise out for whole
weeks. So, then, poor Christian, thou needest not sit down in despair. Go
to the Comforter, and ask Him to give thee consolation. Thou art a poor
dry well. You have heard it said, that when a pump is dry, you must pour
water down it first of all, and then you will get water, and so,
Christian, when thou art dry, go to God, ask Him to shed abroad His joy in
thy heart, and then thy joy shall be full. Do not go to earthly
acquaintances, for you will find them Job's comforters after all; but go
first and foremost to thy "God, that comforteth those that are cast down,"
and you will soon say, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me Thy
comforts delight my soul."
--Charles Spurgeon, 1834-1892

"Like a weaned child"

"We do not lose heart"

The other day we were talking about how debilitating discouragement is and how the devil (the Old Lion walking about seeking whom he may devour) wants to de-rail all of us and our ministry for the Lord by whispering in our ear "you should be discouraged! It's doing no good. Just quit and be a "defeated person. Then you can wallow in your own self-pity and be useless to yourself, to God, and to everyone else."

I get a lot of e-mails from around the world from all those dear friends in those several places Minnie and I lived and ministered and God gave us so many permanent friends. And the note of discouragement often comes through in spite of trying to "put the best face on things."

So 2 Corinthians chapters 3-4 are so helpful as I've already pointed out in earlier blogs. But I have a habit as most of you know of reading the Psalms every morning after breakfast. (Continuing what Minnie and I did together for 54 years). And presently I am reading the "Songs of Ascents," those 15 Psalms (120-134) that were sung going to and during the three annual feasts of ancient Israel in Jerusalem at the Temple. (Passover (and unleavened bread ) and Pentecost (or Feast of Weeks) in the Spring and Feast of Tabernacles (or Ingathering or Harvest Festival or Feast of Booths) in the fall of the year. Such a joyful time of celebrating the Lord's bounty, goodness, and salvation.

Browse through those Psalms with me and gain some insights in how to deal with the ongoing struggle of discouragement as we journey through this fallen world with our own impediments of being fallen creatures ourselves, realizing that often we are our own biggest problem--when we don't have the right attitude or Biblical perspective. "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy!" 130:1-2 ESV The Psalmist is in desperate shape and he tells us why "Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth" and reminds himself, "yet they have not prevailed against me." 129:2

So how does he find encouragement in the midst of his discouragement?

1) He reminds himself of the greatness of God and what He has done for us: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." Psalm 126:1-3
2) He reminds himself of our dependence on the Lord: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep." Psalm 127:1-3

3) He reminds himself of the blessings of the Lord: Psalm 128:1-4 ESV

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.

4) He reminds himself that his troubles are temporary and the Lord will bring him through them:
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him. 126:5-6 ESV

5) He reminds himself that we are in an endurance race and "have need of patience that we might receive the promise" Heb. 10:36 and 130:5-6
"I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning."

6) He quiets and calms himself like a weaned child:

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore. Psalm 131 ESV

And what means the picture of our behaving "as a weaned child"?? Think of a nursing child and how warm and content he/she is on their mother's breasts. It's a beautiful picture of contentment and sharing between mother and baby, another of God's wise provisions in His providence. But there comes a day when the baby needs to become "a weaned child" and no longer a baby and often there is a struggle and protest on the part of the little child who doesn't understand what is happening. He doesn't really want to "grow up" and go to the next stage of life. But he needs to. The hour has come and it's time for him to grow up and mature.

"To the weaned child his mother is his comfort though she has denied him comfort. It is a blessed mark of growth out of spiritual infancy when we can forego the joys which once appeared to be essential, and can find our solace in Him who denies them to us . . . and every childish complaint is hushed. If the Lord removes our dearest delight we bow to His will without a murmuring thought. . . . This grows out of humility and lowliness, and it is the stem upon which peace blooms as a fair flower. . . . Blessed are those afflictions which subdue our affections, which wean us from self-sufficiency . . . which teach us to love God not merely when He comforts us, but even when He tries us." (Spurgeon, Treasury of David, III, 131)

We behave "like a weaned child" when we learn that "In returning and rest shall you be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:" Isaiah 30:15 "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." Psalm 27:14 Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, "In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 --Pastor Burnside

1. 2 Corinthians 1.1-11 Comfort from God

We had our first small group Bible study tonight and here are a few of the highlights from 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.
1. God is the "God of mercy and the God of all comfort." How wonderful that with every affliction, God Himself comes to comfort our hearts and strengthen us directly.
2. The word comfort divides into prefix and root like this com- = with + fort = strength so comfort is "with strength" and this is real strength from God Himself to give us the strength we need to meet any trial He calls on us to face. 1 Cor. 10:13 ESV "No temptation [or testing] has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted [tested] beyond your ability, but with the temptation [testing] he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
3. We have a "fellowship of His sufferings" by participating in the sufferings that He calls on His body, the church, to undergo. And "the greater, the sufferings, the greater, the comfort" that comes to us from God.
4. The suffering and the comfort from God are productive and fruitful and accomplish great good. They "produce in you patient endurance." 1:6 NIV
5. One of the reasons God allows suffering in our lives is so that we can help and encourage others who are similarly afflicted. God "comforts us in all our troubles, so that [purpose statement] we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God." 1:4 NIV
6. Another purpose statement in v. 9 after Paul told of the hardships they suffered that were so terrible they "despaired even of life" and "felt the sentence of death." And then the purpose statement: "But this happened [so] that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."
7. And then the verse showing the value of prayer that Minnie and I used for three years as missionaries in Taipei (when we taught at Christ's College): "as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many." 1:11 NIV