"And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Good Morning my beloved,
We welcome you to worship today in the name of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you for joining us today. It is truly amazing to reflect upon all the Lord has done as He has continued to build His church over the last several millennia. I've only been around 60 plus of those years, in some ways, in some ways it feels like a long time, and at other times, it feels like I've only just begun. However, I've come to recognize that I stand on the shoulders of those who have faithfully served, pouring their lives into the church— meticulously caring for one another, preaching, teaching and living out the Word of God—so that I, like so many of us, benefiting from both divine grace and the innumerable blessings that were sown in faith by the labors of our predecessors, who did not see their own harvests. I want to personally let all of you know just how thankful I am for your continued prayers. Prayer is such a powerful tool, and a mighty weapon against the adversary. And through your continued sharing, God continues to bring a significant number of people, from all over the globe, to faith in Jesus Christ. To God be the glory!
I believe that, some where along the way, many Christians have lost the art of worship in the Western church. It has gradually shifted from God-centered adoration to more of spiritual self-service; becoming performance-driven, preference oriented, and emotionally manipulative, prioritizing personal experience, focusing on how the worshipper "feels" about the service rather than whether God is honored. There really doesn't seem to be a biblical theology anymore, we just have to get them in the door, get them saved, get them to join the church, and then makes sure they serve the church in some way, often taking on many of the responsibilities of the pastor, and in doing so, everything sort of gets all fouled up. Church-goers tend to develop a leadership-centered loyalty, rather than Christ-centered worship, prioritizing the reputation of their pastor, a denomination or religious institution, thereby, becoming indifferent to the Truth of His life and utterly unmoved by His sacrifice on behalf of sinners, though they may actually know many of the details. If you think I'm kidding, criticize someone's church or pastor and watch the claws come out in defensive aggression when the leadership or the church is criticized. By the way, I find it interesting, that these same people are willing to remain completely silent when someone blasphemes Christ's character or teachings His, because they don't want to offend anybody, which sharply contrasts with the boldness expected of believers in the New Testament, who were called to speak Truth, even when it was unpopular. However, just as a presumedly physically healthy person sees no need to see a doctor, many presumably spiritually healthy Christians feel they have no need for the transformative truth of the Gospel, because they believe their religious activity or loyalty to a spiritual leader makes them "right" with God, confident of their acceptance into Heaven. You know, Scripture repeatedly confronts and condemns worship that looks outwardly religious but is inwardly corrupt with misplaced zeal.
We live in a culture consumed with "self." Congregants, many not believing in the God of the Bible or have a wrong view of Christ, typically ask new visitors "Did the service meet your expectations? Was the message different than what you are used to?," rather than "Were church members friendly toward you? Did the pastor introduce himself? Overall, do you believe that God was pleased with the service?" Historically, pastors and under-shepherds were bondslaves, subjected to the authority of our Master, signing away his own rights, whose role is to point people to Jesus Christ, not to themselves. Christian worship was defined by reverence, sacrifice, and obedience to God’s commands. The Hebrew word "shachah" means to bow down, to kneel, to prostrate oneself, embodying humility and surrender. The Apostle Paul defines biblical worship as offering our bodies as "a living sacrifice" and being transformed by the renewing of our minds, which means worship is totally surrendered life, not a self-display. Every true bondslave of Christ presses on through many trials, endures false accusations and persecution, resulting in increased godliness. There have been some who have threatened my life, threatened to "cancel me and silence my speech" however, they cannot break my conviction to uphold my faith, my courage to stand for the Truth, because when you wake up every day and accept the reality it may well be your last, there’s nothing that anyone can do to break you. So, as long as God will allow, I will boldly continue to proclaim the Truth faithfully with absolute courage and devotion to my Lord, because this is no small privilege, but a sacred calling entrusted to me by His grace, for the glory of Christ and the salvation of souls.
Strangely enough, I believe that many Christians today are caught up in a cycle of religious busyness, that leaves them distant from the very One they claim to worship, due to the lingering effects of sin, the constant pull of earthly distractions, we seem to have forgotten a fundamental truth: Worship is not about us, it's about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and He alone is worthy of our adoration. Worship is not an entitlement, or a transaction for personal gain, but a tremendous privilege granted by the grace God, Who we are called to glorify with our lives, can you imagine receiving a greater gift?
Strangely enough, I believe that many Christians today are caught up in a cycle of religious busyness, that leaves them distant from the very One they claim to worship, due to the lingering effects of sin, the constant pull of earthly distractions, we seem to have forgotten a fundamental truth: Worship is not about us, it's about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and He alone is worthy of our adoration. Worship is not an entitlement, or a transaction for personal gain, but a tremendous privilege granted by the grace God, Who we are called to glorify with our lives and with that comes a massive responsibility.
I've lost count of the number of times I've heard, "You're still stuck in the past, the times have changed, the Bible doesn't fit in the world today. So, today's church needs to adapt to accommodate the culture." Frankly, that's the most ridiculous thing I believe I've ever heard. Being a Christian is far more than simply believing in Christ, that's just where it starts. We're called to be salt and light, to be different, a light in the darkness, that extends beyond corporate gatherings. We're not called to reach the world by fitting in, we're commanded to stand out, so that when we out in the world they can see that we're different, to make people hungry and thirsty for the righteousness of Christ. God doesn't seek people who come to church to gratify themselves, seeking social status and prominence within a hierarchy based on human religious traditions, or cultural preferences, He seeks worshippers whose hearts are fully surrendered to His authority, aligned with His truth, whose life and lifestyle are dedicated to His glory. Satan's agenda is to corrupt the church any way he can, he does this by using false teachers to make his false Christianity appear as close to the Truth of God as he can, while damning those who follow it. As pastors, we have been entrusted with the responsibility of producing a congregation that embodies what God requires—love and devotion toward Him, and encourages a genuine affection and compassion toward those who belong to Him, who hate sin, especially their own, and live in obedience to His Word.
The people of God must become serious about worship, we can no longer afford to be content with insipid, shallow worship music that makes us feel good but lacks true reverence, filling awkward moments pleasant platitudes to avoid difficult conversations. I believe its time to reclaim the sacred honor of true worship and fix our eyes on the One, Who is truly deserving, rather than ourselves. Because every moment we spent living distracted from our God-given purpose, is a moment we trade glory for triviality. We must not merely believe in Jesus—we must behold Him, treasure Him, and worship Him as supreme. Could any gift be greater than that? I don't care how long you have attended church, the bottom line is you can’t worship until you’ve been redeemed. God doesn’t want to hear those empty words coming from an unconverted heart unless there has been true repentance leading unto true salvation. We don't just make up our own self-created worship, to worship a version of god or a god of our own devising, expecting to glorify the One True Living God. That's utterly ridiculous.
True worship is saying back to God all that He has revealed about Himself in Scripture. Its really not complicated. Everything has literally already been spelled out for you, if you'd just read the Bible. Its all there. How do we prove to an unbelieving world that we are disciples of Christ? How do we reveal that to others? By living a life of righteous behavior, our pure conduct, our contributions of love toward those in need, and by our communication, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that blesses others. In other words, by practicing what we preach. Christ often told people to count the cost and understand exactly what they were really signing up for. And then He actually told His own disciples how difficult it is to become a true follower. It’s difficult because it’s the end of you must "Deny yourself." Something that is, needless to say, difficult for most today, as we're living in an age of self-entitlement, narcissistic generation. And it could cost you your life: "Take up your cross." It’s a life of obedience, true obedience. "Follow Me." But nonetheless, there were always, and still are, people who attach themselves to Jesus in some sort of superficial way. We must stop disillusioning ourselves, believing that the darkness in us is light. Judas is the archetype of a true hypocrite, the example of a false Christian, a false believer and for three years a professed follower of Christ, he walked as closely with Him as anyone could, yet he ultimately denied Him with his life. Sadly, he is the example many follow today.
The text before us today appears, at first glance, to be quite straightforward and simple—but do not be deceived, yet upon closer inspection, it carries immense, far-reaching implications, a spiritual earthquake that shatters every illusion we cling to about our own righteousness, with substantial impacts across multiple areas, however, the core theological implication is that we cannot judge, in moral superiority, the actions of others, while excusing excusing ourselves by our own good intentions. Observable actions, typically lead to harsher judgments of character, than inward intentions, since observers lack access to others' internal thoughts and motivations. I am always amazed at our Lord's uncanny ability to tell a such simple, straightforward parable, that is not just outrageous, profoundly counterintuitive, the one who appears righteous is rejected, but also defies all existing religious standards, with such life-altering implications, the one who collapses under the weight of his sin, pleading only for mercy, and is forgiven—not because of the resume, but the repentance, clearing up any misunderstandings about self-righteousness. Jesus makes it plain, no amount of moral effort, religious performance, or outward obedience can justify a sinner before a holy God, not only challenging our outward behavior—but directly confronting the very posture of our heart, stripping away the hidden pride that dangerously compares, measures, and excuses the subtle deception that says, "I may not be perfect, but I am certainly not like them." I am so thankful that the same Lord who resists the proud and exposes our self-righteousness, gives grace to the humble, inviting us not to come boasting and comparing, but broken and confessing.
Let's pray
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for Your Word, we humbly come before You not as the self-righteous Pharisee, who trusted in himself, but as the broken tax collector who could not even lift his eyes, crying our "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner." We confess—there are places in our hearts where self-righteousness and pride has quietly taken root in our lives, hidden from view. But You see it all. Forgive us Father for having become all to familiar with Your grace, no longer trembling at Your Word. Strip us of every hidden layer of pride and expose the subtle lies we have believed about our own goodness. O' Lord, my heart grieves deeply for those who have grown indifferent, or in some cases, worse, no longer feel the weight of their sin, trusting in their own righteousness. You know that Satan is relentlessly doing everything that he can to attack the church, manipulating and twisting Your Word, dulling spiritual sensitivity, weakening conviction and producing believers who are confidently sinning in Your presence without fear and honest repentance, destroying the conventional family to create a generation of reprobates who are confused about their identity, engulfed in sexual perversion. Awaken Your Church, cleanse us of all sin and unrighteousness, create in us a clean, with new longings that we might become vessels of Truth in a confused generation. We ask and pray these things in Christ's name, for His sake and for Your glory and Your increase in the Kingdom.
Today's Message: The Danger of Comparison
We've been talking about the church, and as we look at what the church should be, not merely as a building, not as an institution, not even primarily as a gathering place—but as the living people of God, called out, redeemed, and set apart for His glory. There are certain attitudes that must characterize the professed people of God. It is entirely possible to look like the people of God…to sound like the people of God…to gather like the people of God…and yet carry within us attitudes that are completely foreign to the Child of God, to be clear, we are not free to define Christianity by personal preference. The greatest danger facing the church today is not persecution from the outside—it is distortion from the inside. Therefore, we must allow Scripture shape our vision of what characterizes a true Christian. Among these attributes required of a true Christian—one who has been genuinely transformed by grace is humility, expressed through prayer and God-honoring, Christ exalting worship. Jesus, knowing the tendency of the human heart, directly addresses the issue of humility and self-righteous pride.
Open your Bibles with me, to the Gospel of Luke chapter 18, and please keep them open if you would, as we examine verses nine through fourteen, where Jesus tells a very simple parable about two men went up into the temple to pray with a profound spiritual message. You cannot study this passage and remain unchanged. You have to deal with what Jesus exposes and warns all of us against, self-righteousness, trusting in our own righteousness, listing all of our religious deeds, while regarding others with contempt. It is not by coincidence that this comes after His teaching on persistent prayer, because how we pray, what we pray for important. But it also follows His teaching on the Kingdom. So, the logical question that follows, is how does one enter the Kingdom? Isaiah 64:6, describes human righteousness as ceremonially unclean, often compared to "filthy menstrual rags," indicating that a
sinner could never obtain righteous on his own. Self-righteousness is the direct result of spiritual blindness, which prevents us from recognizing our need for God. So, Jesus’ objective is to dismantle the erroneous belief that our performance-based, substandard righteousness pleases God and replaces it with humility and trust in God’s mercy, clarifying that true righteousness, by God's standard, is not produced by human effort but is a gift received from God. There is plenty of religious activity going on in today's churches, that is driven by self-glory, where people desire to call attention to their humility, holiness, love for their neighbor and Instagram devotion to God, even though their hearts remain far from Him. Religious performance, such as fasting, tithing, prayer, and adhering to moral laws
is nothing but idolatry dressed in Christian clothing. Christians who lack spiritual discernment, who lack spiritual wisdom, making them vulnerable, and are being seduced by what initially sounds like God's divine Truth, but upon closer inspection, is nothing more than satanic deception from the father of lies. I find it very startling that so many Christians today are eager to accept and believe virtually any religious claim, simply because someone mentions the name of Jesus, often falling for the "retail Christianity" with bizarre and dangerous unbiblical religious practices, originating from the Charismatic movement, like mantle grabbing and grave soaking, which involves lying on the grave of a deceased preacher or to allegedly "absorb" their spiritual anointing being marketed by religious hucksters at Bethel Church in Redding, California for personal gain. Using the Name of Christ for manipulation, turning God's grace into licentiousness, is seriously misguided, desperately wicked and ultimately ineffective for salvation. Jude 1:4 emphasizes that these individuals have been long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. Scripture explicitly forbids seeking power from the dead in Deuteronomy 18:10–12, it is an abomination.
I would like to encourage you to follow along with me in your Bible, so that you can see that this message comes directly from the inspired Word of God and not from human philosophy or the thoughts and opinions of a fallible man. I pray that you will listen for the voice of our Lord. Luke 18:9-14.
"And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Let's look at verse 9, "And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt." I want to begin by saying only a heart filled with gratitude can properly respond to God's grace. God does not grade on a curve, He demands righteousness, and the only way to be right with Him is through perfect holiness, which according to Romans 3:10-12, man is incapable of achieving on his own, being the religious guardians of the Scriptures, they should have known that better than anyone. They memorized the Law, taught it daily, not to honor God but to twist and manipulate it into a weapon to be used for their own self-glory. Their religion was their theatre, holiness was a religious performance, they wanted to be seen and praised by men (Matthew 6:1-2, 23:5-7), for which Jesus called them out with the pinpoint precision and crystal clear clarity of a surgical diagnosis of their religious self-deception. The often overlooked yet critical point Jesus is making is that self-righteousness inevitably leads to contempt for others. Self-righteousness is never vertical only; because once a person begins to believe he is acceptable before God by his own merit, everyone else becomes the benchmark of inferiority. True righteousness, received through faith in Christ, inevitably produces humility and dependence on God, whereas self-righteousness breeds pride and a superiority complex, believing they can do no wrong, damaging interpersonal relationships. Self-righteousness permeates various aspects of human behavior, manifesting as judgmental attitudes towards others to support a glorified version of oneself and has often been described as the "ugly cousin" of self-confidence, which is strongly related to "good" mental health that fosters growth and improved relationships.
Verse 10, "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector." The two men in Jesus' story represent polar opposites of the religious and social spectrum of first-century Judaism. So, immediately we understand the target audience to whom He was speaking this parable. Since Luke doesn't offer any specific transitional statement, we can't be dogmatic as to whether or not Jesus said this on the same occasion as He was speaking about the kingdom discourse, however, the parable does fit right in with the general theme, emphasizing the importance being prepared for the Kingdom and how one enters the Kingdom found in the surrounding passages. The Pharisees were the religious elite, members of a strict religious sect known for their meticulous adherence to both the written Law and oral traditions; they were the architects of a self-righteousness through human achievement system that dominated life in Israel. Generally speaking, they were well respected and highly esteemed by the people for their piety, power and influence, however, they were frequently criticized by Jesus for neurotic pride, hypocrisy and their inflated sense of self-worth. The term "Pharisee" as a whole became synonymous with self-righteousness in the Gospels. The other character is Jesus' story is a tax collector, also known as publicans. These "low-life individuals" were often Jews working for the Roman Empire, viewed as traitors for being collaborators with the occupying foreign oppressors. They were commonly associated with widespread corruption and they were known for extorting their fellow Jewish citizens for excessive personal gain, which made them among the most hated groups in Israel and rendered them social outcasts, ranked even lower than occupying Roman soldiers. They were generally ostracized from synagogues, the place where Jews worshipped, for being ritually unclean due to their close associations with pagans and their testimony was considered worthless, and was therefore rejected in Jewish courts. By Jewish standards, they were considered the worst of the worst, The fact that Jesus sought to redeem such marginalized individuals through mercy and repentance, would been incomprehensible to them, they were embedded in self-righteousness. They invented laws just to create the appearance of holiness among the people. The most widely believed damning deception is that you can earn your way to heaven just by being moral enough and religious enough. The problem with that is the standard is absolute perfection, you must be as good as God, Who is the absolute embodiment of perfect goodness. This is what the Pharisees claimed for themselves, the people bought into it. James, quoting Proverbs 3:34, reminds us that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. If you'll recall, before Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and was converted, he was known as Saul of Tarsus, a strict and zealous Pharisee, claimed to be "blameless" regarding the righteousness demanded by the Law, he was so passionate about his zeal for God and his religion, that he persecuted the church as a "defender of the faith." Jesus said in Matthew 5:20, at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven," the Sermon on the Mount. They were the most exemplary examples of righteous in all of Israel, how could anyone surpass that? However, their standard of self-righteousness fell short of the true righteousness God requires.
Verse 11-12, "The Pharisee stood and was praying these things to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector." This would have been very familiar occurrence, the temple, according to Isaiah 56:7, "For My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples." And, Jesus Himself said in Matthew chapter 21, "It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den." Prayer” synonymous with worship, so the temple was a place where people would go to offer your petitions and your praise to God. They were going there to benefit from an atonement that was going to be made for sin, to avert God's displeasure and to be reconciled with Him. So, first we see the Pharisee, a portrait of religious pride disguised as prayer, he begins with "God, I thank You," but the content that follows is not gratitude; it is comparison, contrast by identity, congratulating himself for not being morally as bad as "other people" then, he begins to list those that he deems to be much worse than himself, those he despises: "swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector," setting himself apart, not just physically, as though holiness were something he could preserve by distance, but positionally, for being better by comparison than the others. He was measuring his righteousness horizontally against people, seeking human approval, rather than vertically before the Lord, defined as being chosen by God. Notice, that the Pharisee never asks for anything. There is no confession, no repentance, no hunger for grace, no hunger and thirst for true righteous—only a performance of spiritual superiority. In other words, this man is using God as an audience to bolster his "spiritual resume, using self-justification through comparison. "I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’" Then, he presents what he believes is "evidence" that he is acceptable before God, apart from the need for grace or mercy, while these practices that are certainly not condemned, but nor are they evidence of salvation. Jesus is directly confronting the tendency to make ourselves "feel better" through a false sense of security by being more spiritually disciplined, more orthodox, more moral, or less scandalous than others. Fasting twice a week, typically on Monday and Thursday, because those were market days and and if you wanted to be seen by more people in town those were the days you would want to fast. And, when he tithes, he does so fastidiously, right down to the number of seeds. While he may be in the temple talking to God, in his heart, he's reassuring himself. Pride can masquerade itself as humility while quietly feeding dangerous hidden contempt in our hearts toward others by keeping the focus on self. Is your private spiritual life consistent with the life you publicly display before men?
Verse 13, "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’" This is where the story changes, a picture of humility and surrender to God's grace. It's in spiritual honesty, recognizing your unworthiness, that true grace can begin. It doesn't matter how much better you think you are than others, the truth is, without Christ, you can never be "good enough" for God to accept you. As Christians, our worthiness is not in our own righteousness or human ability to please God, but in the profound truth of knowing that we are defined by His divine love and mercy. In a society where outward religiosity was often mistaken for true righteousness, Jesus uses the story’s most despised, the most defiled, least respected character in the story, the tax collector, the farthest from God in the eyes of the people, to reveal the one who truly understands holiness. Notice the phrase, "standing some distance away," he knows he's a sinner, he understands his unworthiness and has no right to be in the presence of a holy God. This is a portrait of what true humility looks like. This isn't about being alienated from society, this is a man who understands he's alienated from God. He's so overwhelmed with guilt and shame, he can't even lift up his eyes to heaven, because he knows he doesn't deserve God's forgiveness, "but was beating his chest," this is the greatest expression of extreme sorrow, profound anguish, in the most dramatic way, standing before God, he feels the full weight of his sin. He knows he has nothing to offer God but his need and his heart. So, he cries out "‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’" This is the recognition of what Jeremiah 17:9 states, that wickedness originates from the heart, encompassing every thought, desire, and one's moral compass. In Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus said "But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false witness, slanders." Nowhere is the quiet illusion that settles deep within the human heart so dangerous—as when we believe that we have leverage with God. However, Scripture is very clear, God hates all sin...theirs, yours and mine.
That brings us to the powerful, shocking conclusion of verse 14, aimed at those who have trusted in their own righteousness, who have built their religious identity on spiritual performance. "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted." Both the Pharisee and the tax collector believed in the God in the Scripture, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the same One True and living God. They both believed that God was a merciful Savior of sinners, something that is, needless to say, difficult for many Christians today, is that God can save those we deem less worthy of His salvation than we were. Something that is, needless to say, much more difficult for many Christians today to believe, that God can save those we despise, who are hated, who are morally repugnant to us because they sin differently. The Pharisee came with a resume of self-righteousness, the tax collector came only with genuine repentance. And only the tax collector left justified. The Pharisee, who was convinced that he had earned God's forgiveness, went away devastated. How often do we want God's justice for our enemies and God's grace for ourselves. However, Scripture is very clear, God hates all sin...theirs, yours and mine.
I believe this tension stems from believing our sin isn't as bad as that of others, in believing that God will somehow overlook our sin, recognizing that after all, we are "mostly good" or that we have done enough good works to earn His favor and in accepting that God’s grace is for those we feel are "undeserving," illustrating our heart has not fully grasped the reality of God's grace and mercy, because no one deserves salvation, including you and me, but is an act of God’s sovereignty, to save whosoever He chooses, regardless of their past sin or present social standing. And, aren't you and I both glad that He does?
Because true justification, being declared righteous before God is not dependent on our good deeds, but because of our broken and contrite heart and reliance on God's mercy, illustrating that salvation is a gift of grace, received through humility, evidenced by our willing obedience, rather than a checklist to earn divine favor.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
Copyright © 2019-2026 All Rights Reserved