Holy War

Invite you now to open your Bibles with me to the Book of Numbers will be in numbers this morning, again, chapter 31, as we're on the final stretch of This Book of Numbers.

Soldiers, learn some lessons in training but other lessons, some of those two important ones can only be learned in actual combat, for example, at the start of World War II program to train dogs, bearing, explosive satchels to approach and disable enemy tanks. The mine would detonate when the dog made contact with the Hall of the tank. Of course, it was a suicide mission for the dog, but the Army decided that was an acceptable trade-off. So, the handle is carefully, selected the dogs trained them to associate food with the bottom of a battle tank. The plan worked flawlessly and we're games, but when the dogs were actually deployed in combat, it turned out the dogs Associated food with Russian tanks, not German tanks. It was a complete disaster. Forcing more than one Russian tank formation to withdraw from Battle. Beating a hasty Retreat as the dogs happily chased. After those tanks only be learned in Wartime and as we approach Numbers chapter 31 Morning. We're going to find that some lessons had to be learned an actual Warfare. Then chapter 31 is a chapter, it really starts the first battle if you will of Conquering the promised land as it sets. The pace, as it sets the pattern, as we approach this part of the Book of Numbers, the Hebrews had already experienced occasional combat during The Exodus but now they're about to enter a full and your full scale War. The land of Canaan had large well-equipped armies. They had for Chris has some with walls over 60 ft tall. They had archers, they had Chariot said, all kinds of things that the Hebrews have never faced before so they were about to face major challenges in the numbers 31 the Lord gives them a dress rehearsal. If you were late prototype campaign designed not only to defeat the midianites to detect them already but also to set the pattern by which the Hebrews would conquer the promised land. This was a holy war that's kind of a loaded term, isn't it? But it really is a Holy War 1 declared by God I can't Jane ordered by God for Spiritual purposes. Let's be careful though. Before we unload this chapter before on packet to distinguish, what applies to them as a nation and what applies to us as Christians, there's some things that are different and some things that are the same. Let's begin with what's different is real, was bird was building a Earthly Kingdom in Earthly Kingdom. Where is Christians are building a Heavenly Kingdom. Understand that important distinction. They were building a literal kingdom here on Earth. We as Christians are part of a Heavenly Kingdom. Remember what the Lord said before his crucifixion, my kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight. So that it should not be delivered to the Jews, but now my kingdom is not from here. Jesus is saying, this is not the kingdom. He's going for, he's going for one in heaven, and eternal lasting Kingdom. Let me see it. Another way Christians are not called to establish a physical Kingdom. It's not like some religions building Caliphate or Earthly Kingdom. That's not what we're about. We're building a, Heavenly Kingdom, a lasting Kingdom. Not a temporary one here on Earth. Hopefully, our nation and braces Christian values, which will bless the people that choose them. But at the end of the day, our kingdom is in heaven and that's our lasting home and our hope. Let me give you another contrast between battles in our battles, both of us and battles, but they're different. Here's another distinction between the two Israel's enemies were physical. The Christians enemies Are Spiritual. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesian 6, we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities against Powers, against the rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the Heavenly places. No notice. Well, our enemies are not people or persons were government's. If you will, our enemies Are Spiritual spiritual powers and forces they might work to in. The visuals were governments or organizations but those are not our enemies. Let me say it another way. People that don't know Christ or not our enemies. There are mission field where it, where to reach them to redeem. As Paul said, we, we appeal to all men, week, we implore you be reconciled to God, and that's what we're supposed to be doing. Not killing people, not threatening people, but winning them to Christ. They're not our enemies. What, let's show when last contrast Israel was found by the law of holy war, Christians are bound by the law of love and God told Israel their enemies were pledged to Sacred destruction, as an offering an active obedience. Christians do not take life for religious purposes. We do not attack people to make Converse, we appealed to people, to be reconciled to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, those are some differences. What are some similarities? Those things are different? What things are the same well-liked is real. We're also in a conflict Similar principles, apply this morning from Numbers, chapter 31, I'd like to share with you three Lessons Learned as they entered this first real battle of the conquest campaign. Let's look at Numbers, chapter 31. In this process, the Hebrews are transitioning from Wanderers to Warriors and had learned some lessons. Let's look at the first one is found in the first paragraph chapter 31, verse 1, by the Lord spoke to Moses sang, take Vengeance on the midianites for the children of Israel have to wear. You should be gathered to your people. So spoke to the people saying, I'm some of your child for warm and let them go against the midianites to take Vengeance for the Lord. On Midian a thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Israel. You shall send to the war. So they were recruited from the divisions of Israel. 1,000 men from each tribe, twelve thousand armed for war than Moses sent them to the war. 1000 from each tribe. You sent them to the war with Phineas the Sun Valley is are the pre With the Holy articles and the signal trumpets in his hand and they warred against the midianites, just as the Lord commanded Moses. And they killed all the males. They killed the kings of Midian with the rest of those who were killed Evie and her and rebuy the five Kings of Midian Balaam, the sun, Abby, or they also killed with The Sword. And the children of Israel took the women of Midian captive, with their little ones, and took us spoil, all their cattle, all their flocks, and all the goods. They also burned with fire, all the cities where they dwelt in all their Forts and they took all the spoil and all the booty of man and Beast this morning, want to look at three lessons learned from this first. Real battle, here's lesson. Number one, we learn that the Lord judge's evil the Lord judge's evil, he judges and condemns those who resist him with Wicked intentions. The purpose of this campaign was to fold. It was a reprisal for the midianites already attacked Israel. Setting a pattern kind of a norm for the coming war in Canaan noticed that the Lord took. This personally, he says, you should get Vengeance for the Lord and other words for the saying this battle, you're about to engage, it's not really your fight. It's my fight because these people attacked me when they attacked you, the Lord is on their side. That's a holy war if you will. And so the Lord is setting that standard very clearly, an attack on God's people is in attack on God. Even today when the world persecute Christians and attacks Christians. They're not really attacking Christians, not attacking us. There really attacking the Lord who is called us and saved us. And one day, they will pay a price. If they do not repent for that action. A select few were used in this campaign just a thousand guys from each tribe. Why is so small? A force one hundreds of thousands of men were available or perhaps that was all that was needed or perhaps the leaders were not yet. Skilled enough to manage a full art. Me and this smaller force to be a better starter starter project, more mobile more manageable at any rate, the 12,000 prove more than adequate and were quite successful. In fact it was a textbook Victory and there was a bonus for say they netted Balaam. The man who was behind all his troubles with median and Moab member few chapters back, I'll bail and was the guy that was hired by the king's. The common curse is real. And each time instead of cursing them, he blessed them. Well, it says, he went to his own place either, he went there and came back or he stopped along the way. And he advised these guys on how to trouble Israel. And so they gave this Council to entice them sexually and spiritually to be unfaithful and it caused an outbreak of wrath from God and kill thousands of Hebrews in judgment failing. Once said, during his prophecies, let me die. The death of the righteous and let my end be like his, how tragic that? He did not fulfill that promise. His death was anything like that he died at the end of a sword died and unable to enjoy all that money that he had. So coveted in labor to attain what Phineas is also mentioned that he's attached to the fighting for his presents. And if he went sort of us, the chaplain, his presence was a reminder of the Lord in their midst as they fought. This battle little upset about the actual campaign, only a few sentences, describe the battle. The rest of this very full chapter is really about the implications, were the meaning of the battle and that's what we're going to focus on this morning after the battle. A problem came up the soldiers return, not only with the plunder but with a large number of captives, including women and children. Now, listen very carefully. This next section of the chapter presents, one of the most difficult ethical questions of the Old Testament. If not the Bible where the Lord told his people to, to, basically destroy all the people of pain and that they would encounter all the people that they would. Pose as they did. The midianites. In this case, only the young females were spared, but let's look at the next passage that highlights this command, which is been very Converse in the minds of many. Let's take a look at it from chapter 31, verse 12, then they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoiled to Moses to LAX, are the priest. And of the congregation of the children of Israel to the camp in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho and Moses. Elliot's are the priest and all the leaders of the congregation went to meet them outside the camp, but Moses was angry with the officers of the army with a captain's over thousands and captains over hundreds. We could save Italian and Company level commanders who had come from the battle and Moses said to them. Have you kept all the women alive, look these women cause the children of Israel to the Council of Balaam to trespass against the Lord in the incident of pure, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord now therefore kill every male. Among the little ones and kill every woman who has known a man intimately, but keep alive for yourselves. All the young girls who not known a man intimately now. That's pretty sober. Passages of not pretty hard words for us to hear it sounds so strange, so tough. So barbaric. In fact, many people take it that way. It is the word sanctioning ethnic cleansing or genocide atheists Like Richard Dawson like the point two cases like this and make moral judgments against God accusing of being brutal and uncaring. And vindictive, by the way, as an aside, isn't it ironic that someone who does not believe in an ultimate moral Authority is quick to make moral judgments and what they perceive God to be doing. What, what is the question? The question is this, why did the Lord order the destruction of the Canaanites? Or in this case that the midianites were part of the greater Canaan region? Why would the Lord do that? It seems so cruel. So uncaring. What would the Lord do that? But let me give you an answer. The answer is God will not keep striving with those who resist him. The Reason God did is because he would not keep striving. He would not do that. Listen, there's a similar incident in a sense. Back in Genesis 6, when the flood of Noah's day came and wiped out the Earth and all its population. It reminds us what the Lord said then in Genesis 6, verse 3, the Lord said, my spirit shall not strive with man forever for, he is indeed Flash. Get his day, should be 120 years. It's as if God and Noah, stay set. The timer and said things are getting bad. They're getting worse. I'm going to give another hundred twenty years for repentance to come. I'm going to leave it for a hundred, twenty years and it's 10. That's what the Lord is doing here. He sets the timer resets, the limit, he will strive with people to bring them to repentance, but at some point he says time is up. Time is up. You had your chance. Apart from God, all people, of course, are lost and guilty. All its end and fall short of the glory of God, we're all worthy of God's judgment. The people of Canaan, no less than we are all hips in the world is guilty before righteous God. So, what triggers his judgment in a case like this, where it's so dramatic and Universal, it seems, let me suggest that there are several observations, several requisites, if you will, what the Lord does. Before he unleashes his judgment. We read about in Numbers, chapter 31, what does solar do before he brings that judgment pierce? The first thing he reveals himself, the Lord reveals himself not to begin with everybody on Earth knows there is a God of all creation testify as of his existence right? So I'm 19 says his language and communication is going to all the world 24/7. They can look in the sky. They look at creation around them and no there's got to be a Creator, a designer behind that. So all people know there's a God Romans 1, amplifies it and says, the problem is not that people don't know, there's a God. The problem is, people don't want to know there's a God because it says, the wrath of God is revealed against men because they suppress the truth. In other words, they don't I have ignorance of the truth, they they want it currents of the truth. So in a sense, all people everywhere are accountable to God, but let's take that a step further. What about this particular group of people? How did God reveal himself? Well, God, put Abraham and his family in that same land for many years. He was a prophet and a witness God. Waited four hundred years to bring judgment. If you're familiar with the Book of Genesis, Abraham appeared to our god up here to Abraham in Genesis 15 and said yet 400 years. Before the inequity the amorites is complete. Damn right. You're one of the tribes of Canaan and get this. God is saying, here's the future of your descendants are going to go into bondage in Egypt for 400 years and then to come back because The iniquity that sends the guilt of the amorites is not yet complete. In other words got saying, I want to give another for Century. See if they can turn this thing around and of course they didn't and he knew that but God was still revealing himself, giving them that time that opportunity then came and got an extra forty years because it is real failure. To enter the land. The fact is the midianites knew about the Lord, they were familiar with the Exodus story and all God's works. That's why that's why they hired Balaam, because they knew God was working through this people and they wanted to get some extra help to try to resist them Moses. Father-in-law you might recall was a Middy night of a relative tribe that lived in the Sinai. Peninsula, he knew and Worship the Lord. So some among the greater land or domain of the midianites, knew the Lord, they heard balaam's prophecies about the Lord. And yet, instead of repenting and humbling himself before the Lord, they determined to resist. And seduce and Trouble. The people they could have repented. In fact in the Book of Joshua it says that Rahab the Harlot who lived in Jericho New all about the story, The Exodus and she repented and was spared when God brought destruction Upon Our People. There's the fact, the people could have chose to repent. They had a revelation of God. The problem is, I didn't know about God, that's not the problem. The problem is I didn't want to know about God, they resisted him Here's the second thing before judgement comes, got another one reveals himself, he waits until he's been rejected again, God, gave them 400 years, plus 40 more. If God gave a group of people, four and a half centuries to repent, would you call that patient previous say, he's giving the benefit of the doubt? He's given every opportunity for them to see things correctly, then humble themselves before God. And yet, as far as we can, tell the great majority fail to do that, think of Balaam how gracious God was with him speaking to him, warning him even making his donkey talked to him, to try to get his attention yet. He too died. Didn't unbelief. The problem is God's, patience is often mistaken for permissiveness. In fact, Peter spoke about that in the New Testament. He said this, where people will say this in the day, where is the promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep? All things continue as they were saying Some people misunderstand God's long-suffering his patience and not quickly bring in judgment on her. Since some people interpret that as a license or permit sadness from God and therefore, miss the chance to repent. Stay put off that repentance that is so needed because judgment is not swiftly executed some people misinterpret that and grow bold and stuff secure in their sins. Something else before God brings judgment judgment, comes when the greater good requires it. This is a hard thing to understand, but the greater good at some point. Prevails the Judgment of the Canaanites was necessary, because the Canaanites persistent and harming both themselves and others. The Canaanites continued in their hard-hearted ways, I did some research on the Canaanites because I've never met a Canaanite to the best of my knowledge, who were the Canaanites, the Canaanites, our culture that's been increasingly study. Let me share some perspective, from historians and archaeologists on this group of people What was the culture of Kane and white, one Old Testament scholar summarizes it this way, even by ancient standards. The Canaanites were a hit is hideously nasty Bunch. Their culture was grossly. Immoral decadent to its route. It's debauchery was dictated primarily by its fertility religion that tied eroticism of all varieties to successful cycles of planting and harvest. In addition to divination Witchcraft and female and male prostitution Hannah night at Dollar Tree and Compass a host of morally, disgusting practices that mimic the sexually abused conduct of their Canaanite, gods, and goddesses. So adultery homosexuality. Transvestite isn't abusive children and could I say the list goes, much farther. But I'll stop there, but they were wide-open any kind of sin and every kind of send, there's some data suggesting venereal disease, was rampant in the culture and without antibiotics, you can imagine how quickly that would get out of control. The Canaanites practice child sacrifice tossing their children into the arms of a red hot and burning Idol as offerings to that God IQ logical, evidence indicates that the children does burned to death. Sometimes numbered in the thousands and thousands and credible brutality. But the point is the Lord judge's evil. And if there's any surprised about the word, judging evil, frankly, the surprises piece of patient as he is to know that God is the same patient god with you and me, and she glad that she's glad that God is longsuffering. Not quick to judge, prefers Mercy over judgement, but don't make the mistake. Don't misinterpret God's patience and forbearance for indifference turn to him today. If you're not a Believer turns him today that it's really the same dilemma dilemma or dynamic today, is it not? It's the same situation that God sent his son Jesus. He revealed himself to Jesus. Lived among I sent died on the cross for our sins and rose again from the dead, he revealed himself to us. And yet so many reject him. And at some point, the window of opportunity to repent is closed, if you're in that window, today is the day of salvation, don't regret, don't pull up, pull back, don't delay. But repent, come to faith in Christ. His patience is lasting, but not Everlasting. With Sinners come to him. Did not mistake patience for indifference as the Canaanites and fortunately did. Well, that's the first lesson of very difficult and sober lesson. Let's look at a second blessing that we learned from Numbers, chapter 31, that only do we see that the Lord judge's evil, but the lord requires Holiness. Let's look at the next section here. The next section chapter 31, verse 19, and as for you remain outside, the camp 7 days. This is Moses speaking to the soldiers who came back from Battle, any person who ever has touched any slang purify yourselves and your captives on the third day, and on the seventh day purify every garment, everything made of leather, everything wilbon of goats hair and everything made of wool. Then Elias are the preset of the men of War who gone to the battle. This is the ordinance of the law, which the Lord commanded Moses, only the goal, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the 10, and the lead, everything that you can. And that can endure fire. You should put through the fire and it should be clean and should be purified with a water purification but all that cannot endure fire. You should put through water and you should wash your clothes on. Seventh day and be clean and afterward, you may come into the camp. There's lesson number to the lord requires Holiness from his people. The same concerns, the soldiers who just returned from Battle. They're putting the quarantine if you will, we are familiar with that term. Are we not quarantine for 7 Days outside the camp? Why is that for one reason? Because they've had contact with a dead, it's kind of hard have combat without contact with the dead, so they had to isolate themselves outside the campus to log Moses required. Now, they were some practical side to this for one, but the plunder they take in the soft goods and perhaps the metal needed to be sterilized if you. Well, and so this was not only a ritual cleansing, perhaps it was a practical cleansing or sterilization but there's another benefit I think about this a bit. It almost seems like they're saying okay all You Soldiers that just came back from work. You guys go hang out for a week outside the can And you can sort a process that's experience that it's almost like a warrior transition program, you know, just chill out, take some time to process. What happened? Get some rest, get ready to rejoin. Normal lifespan of a winner in Phase, which makes sense emotionally mentally spiritually. But the main point of the separation was really a purity to make them holy because God requires of Holiness impurity. Let me share an Insight from this. Take away, got makes provision for Purity because Purity matters. Purity matters and there's a principle here. God wants his people to be Sanctified set apart and wholly, and he prescribes that life in a fallen World defiles us. You can't walk through the mud without getting some on you. You can't walk through this life, this Fallen world without being corrupted in some way. So we need cleansing at the right of Hebrews said, pursuit of Holiness without which no. One will see the Lord. This is a a call, a reminder to be sure people be holy as I am. Holy says the Lord. Let's look at another scene. Last seen in this great chapter chapter 31 verse 25. Now, the Lord spoke to Moses saying count up the punter that was taken a man and Beast. You and Elias are the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation and divide the plunder into two parts between those who took part in the war, who went out to battle and all the congregation and Levi, a tribute for the Lord, on the man-of-war who went out to battle, one of every 500 of the persons, the cattle, the donkeys in the Sheep, take it from there half and give it to eliazar the priests as they keep offering to the Lord. And from the children of Israel staff, you should take one of every 50 drawn from the person's the cattle, the donkeys in the sheep, from all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who keep charge of the Tabernacle of the Lord. So Moses and Elias are the priest did as the Lord commanded Moses. Here's the third lesson. We see Natalie that the Lord judge's evil that the lord requires Holiness. But here's a third lesson, the Lord shows To the humble, the Lord shows grace to the humble. Again, a new pattern is being set those who went to war, split equally, the profits with those who stayed behind. They brought back all this wealth of Treasure, of various types. Half went to the 12,000, guys, who went to battle the rest of it. The other half full half, went to the rest of the congregation of Israel. Now, of course, the 12,000, winning the battle receive larger shares because they only had a cut it twelve thousand ways instead of about to get blades. So they had a disproportionate benefits, but still they gave half of all, they brought back away. Fitness became a principal and will become a practice in Israel. Is this is kind of the pattern, the prototype for future battles. Now, I want you to see something else. That's very successful in their battle, there's something else it said at the end of the chapter, look at verse 48, First 48 in the officers, who were over thousands of the army, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds came here to Moses. And they said, to Moses your servants have taken account of the men of War who are under our Command. And not a man of us is missing. Therefore, we brought an offering for the Lord, what every man found of ornaments, the gold armlet and bracelets, and Signet rings, and earrings and necklaces to make atonement for ourselves before the Lord to hear what they said. They said after they got back and they took mustard, not one guy was missing out of twelve thousand soldiers. That remarkable that that had to be a God thing. I mean, think about it, they had they had many engagements, they destroyed multiple cities and Words, they had a series of skirmishes and battles hand-to-hand combat. And I just love being artillery from miles away and a hand up close and personal and not one was killed amazing. That one was lost. Imagine a campaign that was at successful. You know, years ago, used to go on large-scale training exercises with the Marines in the Mojave Desert and we have thousands out there and it was very common to have at least one fatality where there was from heat or an accident or an issue. So even in peacetime to get fatality, s, how can you go to war and not lose one guy? That's a God thing and it's remarkable. I recall one day, having a conversation, I followed up on a conversation submarine in predict Manders were having. And they were comparing notes about things. And they said, you know, we, we believe training support but at the end of the day when I go to battle, I'd rather be lucky than skill. But that's his way of saying he understands, you're not in control God's in control. And that's what we're told here. That not one perished out of that, not one was lost the soldiers, recognize God as shown them gray so much so that they took a free-will offering as an expression of gratitude to the Lord. The soldiers looked at things that took must have realized I had was gracious and they said what can we do to express our appreciation to give a huge offering a free-will offering? The rest of the text makes it clear was about four hundred pounds of gold. I've never seen four hundred pounds of gold. I looked last week at what's the current scale of gold and it comes out in today's terms to about 9.1 million dollars. I'd call that pretty good offering. When you 9.1 million-dollar, what what they're saying is has been gracious to us. How can we show our appreciation? What what's the inside here? Here's to take away for you and me today. I think the inside When God protects us, when he blesses us, when he takes care of us. We need to express our gratitude to him. We need to show our appreciation to him. Has God been better to you than you deserve. Can't we all say yes? God has protected us, he's blessed us. He watched over us. He kept you safe. He kept you alive. He kept your family together. He took care of things. Give him. Thanks for what he's done. Got his shower, His blessings upon us. He's the Father of Lights from whom all blessings flow, praise him and give him. Thanks, give him your gratitude, express that to him because he is a good and gracious. God, He blesses The Humble, he resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. That's a scripture frequently reminds us this morning from the chapter on Battle and warfare. We learned three principles, three, three lessons learned that. Apply to you and me today. Are Judges evil, he did that in that day. Guess what he still does that today? The wheels of God's judgment turn exceedingly slow but grind exceedingly fine is when his story and put it God's will be Vindicated. One day. The lord requires Holiness in the Lord shows grace to the humble. I think about these. In terms of the Lord Jesus doesn't Christ, do all those same things. One day, he will come back as king of kings and Lord of lords and set the Earth. Right? One day, we'll have a perfect government. When Jesus Christ is the government, we look forward to that day. The lord requires Holiness be holy as he is Holy. The Lord shows grace to the humble and he does all those things today. So as we think about these things, what's your situation, what's your situation or are you here today in need of repentance know that the Lord judge's evil and today is the day of salvation. Don't put it off if you want respond to him now. I think you will respond now. Humble yourself to him. Now, today is the day of salvation. Do you need cleansing from sin? Or are you in pure staying from an immature World confess that for the bible promises, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. You know that the word makes it possible to be 100% clean clear of conscience with him. And with others, humble yourself before him and experience, that Purity, that refreshing that he gives. Are you grateful that God bless you and filled up your bucket. Has he taken care of you in so many ways pause and say thank you Lord. Thank you, Lord. For your many blessings for the many ways. You've shown yourself faithful to me. I think about the Lord Jesus who when he met with the adulterous woman accused before him, he said, neither. Do I condemn, you go and sin. No more. In other words, the Lord is looking to give cleansing, he's looking to give Mercy over judgement, he's quick to show Grace to those who humble themselves before him. Well, our circumstances are not like the Warriors of numbers 31, but we have needs for the battle. We Face. Let's do the thing. The Lord calls us to do today. Will you pray with me about before the Lord? Father we thank you for these things that happened to them as examples may we rightly discern the points. You want us to understand father for those today who, as guilty before God.

May they know that you judge evil and we are accountable. We can't keep rationalizing or explaining or procrastinating. We need to be open and honest and say, Lord, I send forget me. Word for those who need cleansing, maybe find it in you for the blood of Christ. Cleanses us from all sins and father for those of us who have been blessed in so many ways, may we express our gratitude and show her faithfulness to you. May we respond with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving, and generosity towards you and your people. Lord, you blessed us in so many ways. We're almost embarrassed with the many ways you've touched us and helped us and care for us. Father, we want to say thank you today. Lord, may we have hearts full of joy and gratitude and compassion for those in need. Help us in. All these things, we pray in the name of our Lord, Jesus. Amen.