Trinity Matthew 28:16-20

These past weeks have been filled with tragedy. Last weekend a deadly cyclone struck the small Asian country of Myanmar. Cyclone Nargis came ashore on May 3 and moved across the coastal towns, killing a number estimated near 50,000 and leaving hundreds of thousands more in desperate need of aid to provide food and shelter after the destruction left by the powerful storm.

And then this past week, on Monday an earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan, China. The latest death toll as of this morning was near 30,000 with thousands more still trapped beneath the rubble of broken buildings. Beyond all those who have died, there are the injured and the homeless, there is the likelihood of the outbreak of disease, especially in Myanmar where there could be water borne infections and poor sanitation. These past weeks have certainly been marked by tragedy.

Our text for today, the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 28 is a very well known text. It is one that most Christians could quote from memory. It even has a name, a tag line to help us remember it. The text is known as the Great Commission. It is Christ’s great command to his church, the marching orders that the newly resurrected Christ victorious over sin and death gave to the disciples while he was still with them and before he was taken up from them. In many ways, this text is the summary and the culmination of the work of Jesus. Jesus has completed his work, he has done all he came to do, he defeated sin death and the devil. As he was preparing for his departure he left behind the gifts that are the benefits of his victory – namely baptism and His Holy Word, (the things he has commanded the 11 to teach).

This text is chosen for today because today is Holy Trinity Sunday. Today is the Sunday that the Christian Church throughout the world remembers Who we pray to. Who is the one true God? What is His name? How do we know Him? He is the only God, who has revealed himself as the Triune God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Our text from Matthew 28 is often sited as a Biblical proof text for the doctrine of the Trinity against those who doubt this doctrine. Here we have Jesus’ command to baptize into the name of the three person God – Father Son and Holy Spirit.

Yet there is much more to be said than just that our God is Triune. This doctrine is important because it distinguishes for us who are to pray to. It is a marker to help us differentiate between the true God and false gods. But there is much more in our text than just a reminder of whom we agree with and who we disagree with. There is God’s wonderful promise in our text, God’s Word of Gospel and forgiveness and there is God’s Word of comfort, especially in the face of the horrible tragedies that have afflicted the World these last few days.

We cannot but see these horrors on our television screen and wonder how something so terrible could happen. Loss of life. We see images of parents, spouses, horror stricken as they realize that they have lost loved ones. Families broken. Entire communities destroyed. The aftermath of such a disaster can often be even worse than the initial incident as individual, families, and communities must find a way to rebuild and move on. The obstacles can be insurmountable. We wonder how such horrible things could happen. Where is God in the midst of such tragedy?

He is right in the middle of it!

Before Jesus gives the command to go and make disciples Jesus first says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

That statement is so incredibly powerful. “All Authority,” says Jesus. The right, the ability to command, to say what goes, to say who does what and when they do it. To say what happens and when it happens. To say what does not happen. Jesus has all authority.

Jesus has authority in the Church. He can command. He establishes doctrine. He makes Christians by calling them to faith. He makes pastors by setting aside certain men to be his preachers and proclaimers of his Word of Law and Gospel. He forgives sinners and welcomes them into heaven.

Jesus has authority on earth. He commands armies. He gives victory in battles and in war to nations. He gives wealth and takes it away. He provides food for the hungry and he provides healing for the sick and the injured. Jesus has authority over the affairs of men.

Jesus also has authority over the affairs of Satan. When Jesus ascended into heaven he cast Satan down – out of his presence and away from his attention. He has bound Satan. Satan cannot come and go as he would please. Satan cannot do as he would please. He is bound by the authority and thus the will of Him to whom all authority has been given. Satan is chained and can do only so much as he has been given to do.

If this is true. If it is true that Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth, why would he not extend that authority over the regions in our world of Myanmar and in Central China. Why would he not diffuse the cyclone as it was forming in the Indian Ocean? Why would he not stay the forces that created such chaos and carnage in such populated areas of the world? Why would God allow such events to occur?

It is very easy for us to forget the transcendent wisdom of God. His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. Our thoughts, our wisdom would have a world in which nothing ever went wrong, a world in which there was perfect peace and happiness. This was the world that God created. As we saw in our Old Testament lesson from Genesis 1, after God finished creating the world he said that it was “Good”. This world was ruined by sin. Adam and Eve fell into sin and that sin has destroyed God’s perfect creation. Because of sin you and I do not seek God as we were created to do. Instead we seek our own glory and our own comfort. When God simply leaves us to ourselves, that is exactly where we return – to seeking what is best for ourselves. Often God gives such tragedy to help us remember how weak we are and how desperately we need Him. How hopeless we are without Him.

We so often forget that we are beggars at God’s table begging for His blessing. We so often forget that we stand before God with nothing to give and with nothing to offer. Yet so often we demand that God treat us as princes and kings. So often we expect God to recognize our dignity and self worth. It is only because of God’s goodness that every one of us has not suffered such terrible tragedy.

Even then, God has dealt with us, not just according to His Goodness. God has also dealt with us even in His mercy and love. God has given to us so much more than earthly goods and relationships. God in His infinite love sent to us Jesus. And Jesus sacrificed himself for us to wash away every one of our sins, to remove from us that guilt that would demand and require our suffering, that would send us to hell. God for the sake of Jesus does not count our sins against us. Instead for the sake of Jesus he does count us as His own sons and daughters, as princes and princesses in His heavenly Kingdom.

You see, God loves each and every one of us. Every person who died from the cyclone, every person trapped and crushed beneath the weight of those crumbled building, every grieving father and mother, every orphaned child, every homeless family. God loves them all. And God sent Jesus who knows each one of them by name and who died for each one of them personally and individually. Jesus has called them. Tragically, as we remember today that the one true God is the Triune God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, many of those who died these past weeks, died outside of the Christian faith. They died in the hardness of their hearts and will suffer God’s just judgment for their sin. While we mourn the loss of any life, we especially mourn the death of unbelievers.

Likewise we do not pretend to understand the mind of God so that we can explain what has happened and why it has happened. We leave these things up to Jesus, who has all authority in Heaven and on Earth, who alone is worthy to judge all things and who is wise beyond our knowing. These things are not for us to understand. We leave them in the hands and in the wisdom of the one who does not turn a blind eye to human suffering but who loves each man, woman and child.

And when these tragedies occur, when we see them in the world around us and when we see the suffering we respond to them even as Christ has responded to us. We respond with a memory of this text. “Go into the all the World, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all things that I have commanded.” And so we go. We send missionaries who will go to these distant parts of the world and who will carry with them the gospel. Who will share with them the one true hope that God has given to all men – that Jesus the Son of God was crucified for them, has risen from the dead, has ascended into heaven, that he loves them and calls them to believe in him.

We send missionaries who will go to these foreign lands and will make disciples the way that Jesus commanded this to be done – we send pastors who will baptize, who will teach these people of the God who loved them so much that he sent his only Son to die for them and to forgive them for their sins and to give to them the gift of life forever in Heaven.

And we respond to these situations of need the same way that Jesus responded – we respond with love and compassion. And just as Jesus responded when he saw multitudes of hungry people by feeding them with bread and with fish, we respond by feeding those who are hungry. Just as Jesus responded to those who were sick by touching them and healing them, we send doctors and medical supplies to help heal. Just as Jesus responded to those who were mourning the loss of their loved ones by resurrecting them from death, we respond to the death of sin by offering the true life that God gives in and through Baptism, that God connects to the teaching and preaching of His Word. Christ has given us to be his hands and his feet and his mouth. Christ has called us to see his face in the poor and impoverished and suffering people of the world. Christ has called us into the world to care for those that he loved so much that he came to shed his blood and die for them.

Certainly we do not know or understand the things that God does but we know the God is a god of love and a god of mercy that God is a god who has given to us more than we could ever ask for and more than we deserve. It is to him that we give all glory and honor and praise.

Amen. Now may the peace that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pentecost

It was 10 days after Jesus Ascended into heaven. The 12 obeyed the words of Jesus that he spoke just before he was taken up – they went back to Jerusalem and they were waiting for him to come and send them his Spirit as he said he would. They were gathered together in the upper room and suddenly they heard a sound like a loud rushing wind. They saw flames of fire separate and take their place on the head of each of the 12. The Holy Spirit had come just as Jesus said. Jesus promised that they would receive the Holy Spirit and Power and here is the fulfillment of Jesus’ Words.

What happened next is absolutely amazing. These 12 men, these Galileans, men of mixed background, made their way out into the street and began to preach. They began to speak to the crowd that was gathered in Jerusalem at that time. The day was a feast day – the Jewish feast of Pentecost – a feast Commanded by God from the Book of Moses to commemorate God’s gifts to them in their harvest. As such the city of Jerusalem was filled with religious pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire – from parts of what is modern day Europe and Italy, Asia Minor, Turkey, Northern Africa – both Jews and converts to Judaism. Many whose native tongue was not the customary Aramaic that these Galileans would have been used to speaking. Yet each person, each foreign pilgrim residing in Jerusalem during the days of the feast heard his native tongue being spoken by one of these 12 men. Truly this was a miracle!

What followed was the preaching of Peter and conversion of three thousand of these devout Jewish pilgrims to the Christian faith. They repented of their sins, they were baptized. They were believers in the crucified and risen Jesus. The Christian church was born. In one day, through the bold and outspoken actions of the 12 the Christian faith exploded from a small seed planted into the hearts of a handful of men to a veritable harvest of thousands. The Hand of God was certainly at work in the preaching of Peter and the Apostles.

As we, the people of God, read these texts we can’t help but see the actions of Peter and the others, we can’t help but be impressed. We can’t help but be excited by the tremendous number of conversions to Christianity. We can’t help but be inspired and awed by this wonderful and miraculous event. We can’t help but wonder if such an event could occur in our day and in our time. If only we could see such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit!

From there, our thoughts often will turn to ourselves – our own actions, our own words. Peter spoke. Why can’t we? Peter boldly stood up before a crowded city and called them murderers – he held them responsible for the death of Jesus, the Son of God. He went out on a limb, he took a risk speaking such things to such a mixed audience. He was not exactly safe or conservative in his preaching. His message was bold and risky. And then we remember that Peter himself later even went on to write that we “should always be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in you.” (1 Pt. 3:15)

“If only,” we tell ourselves. “If only I was bold enough.” “If only I had the confidence to speak.” “If only I had the Words to say.” So often we hold our tongues and cower away from giving witness and speaking the reason for our hope. So often we are afraid to offer a clear confession of the Christian. So often we lack the boldness that was displayed by Peter and the Apostles.

In some ways that is only natural. After all, God has not given to each person the call to preach. Not every man is a pastor. That is a duty that God gives to some. Others he calls to many other areas of service in His creation. Some who God has called are pilots and college professors, executives and farmers and engineers and managers and accountants. They have not been given to preach. Likewise God has given to women their callings – as teachers, as doctors, as lawyers, professional workers and technicians, house mothers. Not everyone is a preacher. There are some God has called to this task, whom he has commanded to do this work. Certainly Peter and the apostles had this work. Certainly Pastors have been placed into the office given by God to do this work. Not every one is a pastor.

Perhaps no. But Peter has still written to you that you should always be prepared to give a ready defense for the hope that you have in Christ Jesus. In your relationships, with your friends and your family members, with your coworkers or classmates and with your acquaintances you carry with you the Christian Faith that you are to confess with your mouth and believe with your heart. Words of faith are given into your heart and these words should be on your lips.

That is a frightening prospect for so many us. We are intimidated when it comes to giving a confession of our faith. We are intimidated to speak the words of faith and to let people know what we believe. We are after all Christian people, who have received the gift of the one true faith but we are often afraid to let people know what that faith is. All kinds of fearful thought run through our heads. What will I say? What should I say? What if I say something wrong? What if I offend someone? Won’t I sound ignorant? Ironically Christians know the gospel, Christians are assured of their faith yet they are so often so intimidated to speak this thing that they know to be true.

Peter and the apostles shared these same fears. After all, when they still thought that Jesus was dead they locked themselves in the upper room for fear of the Jews. They were terrified of what the world around them would do to them because they were followers of Jesus. They were afraid that they would be arrested and locked away or worse, that they would be beaten or even murdered because of their faith. It was only a matter of weeks before the day of Pentecost that the apostles were too afraid to confess their faith. It was after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on them that they were emboldened to preach about Jesus publicly and openly.

As we are looking to come to grips with these fears, the first thing that we need to remember is that if we truly want to erase our fear of speaking up and giving the reason for our hope, we need to be prepared. We need to have done our homework and our study ahead of time. Often people make the mistake of assuming that on the Day of Pentecost the disciples climbed up on this very public stage and opened their mouths to speak without any previous study or education, without any preparation. People will claim that they were simple men of little training and they just stood up and the Spirit gave them the words to say. This is not entirely true.

The apostles were students of the Scriptures. They studied the Old Testament and knew the |Word of God. In fact, they had the benefit of studying this Word under the instruction of the Word made flesh. Their professor was none other than Jesus the Son of God and Author of the Scriptures. They called him “Rabi” which means teacher. The apostles studied under Jesus for three years. Every day he taught them and instructed them from the Word of God. They learned how to read it and how to interpret it, they learned to see that the scriptures were written to testify about Jesus. By the time the Apostles stood up on Pentecost Day to preach they were well studied and well versed in the Word of God and were well prepared to give evidence for their faith.

As such, when Peter preached his Pentecost sermon, he did not simply open his mouth to speak from the heart. These days people often believe that true speech, sincere speech is that which comes from the heart. Jesus tells us that what comes out of our heart is slander and hatred and sin. Peter did not speak from his heart. He spoke from the scriptures. In his sermon Peter quotes the Prophet Joel, he quotes the Psalms all as authoritative evidence that Jesus was the Christ and that the events of that day were foretold in the Scriptures.

The new testament records for us that Jesus claims that the scriptures were written to testify about Him. The entire Bible is the story of Jesus. As Peter quoted the word of God he was sure to talk about Jesus. The entire message that he preached was about Jesus; Jesus who they crucified, with their guilt and their sin; Jesus who because of his death took away their sin – Jesus who died so that they could live.

Because he was well prepared and well versed in the Scriptures Peter’s message was the same message as the Biblical message – that Jesus was the Son of God sent to save sinners. Peter’s sermon was what all Christian dialog should be – Christ centered and Cross focused.

We need to keep these things in mind. We can anticipate that we will have opportunity to give confession of our faith. We too ought to be prepared. We ought to study the scriptures just as the Apostles did. We ought to learn it as we read it and study it. We ought to learn to understand it. We ought to learn to read it as the Word of God that testifies about Jesus. We ought to learn that our speech should confess Christ crucified to forgive us for our sin and wash us clean from all of our guilt.

But so often, even when we are prepared, even when we have read and studied the Word of God, even when we have immersed ourselves in the language of faith – all of our study and all or our preparation doesn't make us bold. We still are afraid. We still are not sure what to say, we still hesitate to open our mouths and speak. We still feel foolish and unprepared.

And that's okay. We are fools. We are weak. We are fearful. Christ did not call us to faith because of how smart and well spoken we are. It was not our intellect or our eloquence – far from it.! Christ called us to faith, to believe in Him because we are fools. Because we have weak hearts and stammering tongues. Christ called us to faith because he loves us. He called us to faith because we have nothing to give and nothing to offer. He calls us to faith not because of our words but because of His Word – His Promise. His truth. He has called us to faith by His Power spoken by the Holy Spirit in His Word. He has bound up our weakness and opened our Lips that our mouths might show forth His Praise.

That is joy of Pentecost. When Christ has work for you to do, when He has words for you to say he will speak through you. He will work through you. He will even speak in spite of you.

How often has it occurred that you have been sitting in church and the words of the sermon were exactly what you needed to hear? Do you think that is me? Do you think that I have been following you around watching your every move and then tailoring the sermon specifically to your situation. No! That is the work of the Holy Spirit speaking to you through me.

And likewise, as you are at your job, with your friends, in your classroom the Holy Spirit who has been poured out on you in your baptism is with you. His Words of faith are in your heart. He has pointed you to Jesus and He has given to you faith. When He feels that the time is right He will open you lips for you to confess the reason for the hope that is in you.

In His Name. Amen.

It was 10 days after Jesus Ascended into heaven. The 12 obeyed the words of Jesus that he spoke just before he was taken up – they went back to Jerusalem and they were waiting for him to come and send them his Spirit as he said he would. They were gathered together in the upper room and suddenly they heard a sound like a loud rushing wind. They saw flames of fire separate and take their place on the head of each of the 12. The Holy Spirit had come just as Jesus said. Jesus promised that they would receive the Holy Spirit and Power and here is the fulfillment of Jesus’ Words.

What happened next is absolutely amazing. These 12 men, these Galileans, men of mixed background, made their way out into the street and began to preach. They began to speak to the crowd that was gathered in Jerusalem at that time. The day was a feast day – the Jewish feast of Pentecost – a feast Commanded by God from the Book of Moses to commemorate God’s gifts to them in their harvest. As such the city of Jerusalem was filled with religious pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire – from parts of what is modern day Europe and Italy, Asia Minor, Turkey, Northern Africa – both Jews and converts to Judaism. Many whose native tongue was not the customary Aramaic that these Galileans would have been used to speaking. Yet each person, each foreign pilgrim residing in Jerusalem during the days of the feast heard his native tongue being spoken by one of these 12 men. Truly this was a miracle!

What followed was the preaching of Peter and conversion of three thousand of these devout Jewish pilgrims to the Christian faith. They repented of their sins, they were baptized. They were believers in the crucified and risen Jesus. The Christian church was born. In one day, through the bold and outspoken actions of the 12 the Christian faith exploded from a small seed planted into the hearts of a handful of men to a veritable harvest of thousands. The Hand of God was certainly at work in the preaching of Peter and the Apostles.

As we, the people of God, read these texts we can’t help but see the actions of Peter and the others, we can’t help but be impressed. We can’t help but be excited by the tremendous number of conversions to Christianity. We can’t help but be inspired and awed by this wonderful and miraculous event. We can’t help but wonder if such an event could occur in our day and in our time. If only we could see such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit!

From there, our thoughts often will turn to ourselves – our own actions, our own words. Peter spoke. Why can’t we? Peter boldly stood up before a crowded city and called them murderers – he held them responsible for the death of Jesus, the Son of God. He went out on a limb, he took a risk speaking such things to such a mixed audience. He was not exactly safe or conservative in his preaching. His message was bold and risky. And then we remember that Peter himself later even went on to write that we “should always be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in you.” (1 Pt. 3:15)

“If only,” we tell ourselves. “If only I was bold enough.” “If only I had the confidence to speak.” “If only I had the Words to say.” So often we hold our tongues and cower away from giving witness and speaking the reason for our hope. So often we are afraid to offer a clear confession of the Christian. So often we lack the boldness that was displayed by Peter and the Apostles.

In some ways that is only natural. After all, God has not given to each person the call to preach. Not every man is a pastor. That is a duty that God gives to some. Others he calls to many other areas of service in His creation. Some who God has called are pilots and college professors, executives and farmers and engineers and managers and accountants. They have not been given to preach. Likewise God has given to women their callings – as teachers, as doctors, as lawyers, professional workers and technicians, house mothers. Not everyone is a preacher. There are some God has called to this task, whom he has commanded to do this work. Certainly Peter and the apostles had this work. Certainly Pastors have been placed into the office given by God to do this work. Not every one is a pastor.

Perhaps no. But Peter has still written to you that you should always be prepared to give a ready defense for the hope that you have in Christ Jesus. In your relationships, with your friends and your family members, with your coworkers or classmates and with your acquaintances you carry with you the Christian Faith that you are to confess with your mouth and believe with your heart. Words of faith are given into your heart and these words should be on your lips.

That is a frightening prospect for so many us. We are intimidated when it comes to giving a confession of our faith. We are intimidated to speak the words of faith and to let people know what we believe. We are after all Christian people, who have received the gift of the one true faith but we are often afraid to let people know what that faith is. All kinds of fearful thought run through our heads. What will I say? What should I say? What if I say something wrong? What if I offend someone? Won’t I sound ignorant? Ironically Christians know the gospel, Christians are assured of their faith yet they are so often so intimidated to speak this thing that they know to be true.

Peter and the apostles shared these same fears. After all, when they still thought that Jesus was dead they locked themselves in the upper room for fear of the Jews. They were terrified of what the world around them would do to them because they were followers of Jesus. They were afraid that they would be arrested and locked away or worse, that they would be beaten or even murdered because of their faith. It was only a matter of weeks before the day of Pentecost that the apostles were too afraid to confess their faith. It was after they received the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out on them that they were emboldened to preach about Jesus publicly and openly.

As we are looking to come to grips with these fears, the first thing that we need to remember is that if we truly want to erase our fear of speaking up and giving the reason for our hope, we need to be prepared. We need to have done our homework and our study ahead of time. Often people make the mistake of assuming that on the Day of Pentecost the disciples climbed up on this very public stage and opened their mouths to speak without any previous study or education, without any preparation. People will claim that they were simple men of little training and they just stood up and the Spirit gave them the words to say. This is not entirely true.

The apostles were students of the Scriptures. They studied the Old Testament and knew the |Word of God. In fact, they had the benefit of studying this Word under the instruction of the Word made flesh. Their professor was none other than Jesus the Son of God and Author of the Scriptures. They called him “Rabi” which means teacher. The apostles studied under Jesus for three years. Every day he taught them and instructed them from the Word of God. They learned how to read it and how to interpret it, they learned to see that the scriptures were written to testify about Jesus. By the time the Apostles stood up on Pentecost Day to preach they were well studied and well versed in the Word of God and were well prepared to give evidence for their faith.

As such, when Peter preached his Pentecost sermon, he did not simply open his mouth to speak from the heart. These days people often believe that true speech, sincere speech is that which comes from the heart. Jesus tells us that what comes out of our heart is slander and hatred and sin. Peter did not speak from his heart. He spoke from the scriptures. In his sermon Peter quotes the Prophet Joel, he quotes the Psalms all as authoritative evidence that Jesus was the Christ and that the events of that day were foretold in the Scriptures.

The new testament records for us that Jesus claims that the scriptures were written to testify about Him. The entire Bible is the story of Jesus. As Peter quoted the word of God he was sure to talk about Jesus. The entire message that he preached was about Jesus; Jesus who they crucified, with their guilt and their sin; Jesus who because of his death took away their sin – Jesus who died so that they could live.

Because he was well prepared and well versed in the Scriptures Peter’s message was the same message as the Biblical message – that Jesus was the Son of God sent to save sinners. Peter’s sermon was what all Christian dialog should be – Christ centered and Cross focused.

We need to keep these things in mind. We can anticipate that we will have opportunity to give confession of our faith. We too ought to be prepared. We ought to study the scriptures just as the Apostles did. We ought to learn it as we read it and study it. We ought to learn to understand it. We ought to learn to read it as the Word of God that testifies about Jesus. We ought to learn that our speech should confess Christ crucified to forgive us for our sin and wash us clean from all of our guilt.

But so often, even when we are prepared, even when we have read and studied the Word of God, even when we have immersed ourselves in the language of faith – all of our study and all or our preparation doesn't make us bold. We still are afraid. We still are not sure what to say, we still hesitate to open our mouths and speak. We still feel foolish and unprepared.

And that's okay. We are fools. We are weak. We are fearful. Christ did not call us to faith because of how smart and well spoken we are. It was not our intellect or our eloquence – far from it.! Christ called us to faith, to believe in Him because we are fools. Because we have weak hearts and stammering tongues. Christ called us to faith because he loves us. He called us to faith because we have nothing to give and nothing to offer. He calls us to faith not because of our words but because of His Word – His Promise. His truth. He has called us to faith by His Power spoken by the Holy Spirit in His Word. He has bound up our weakness and opened our Lips that our mouths might show forth His Praise.

That is joy of Pentecost. When Christ has work for you to do, when He has words for you to say he will speak through you. He will work through you. He will even speak in spite of you.

How often has it occurred that you have been sitting in church and the words of the sermon were exactly what you needed to hear? Do you think that is me? Do you think that I have been following you around watching your every move and then tailoring the sermon specifically to your situation. No! That is the work of the Holy Spirit speaking to you through me.

And likewise, as you are at your job, with your friends, in your classroom the Holy Spirit who has been poured out on you in your baptism is with you. His Words of faith are in your heart. He has pointed you to Jesus and He has given to you faith. When He feels that the time is right He will open you lips for you to confess the reason for the hope that is in you.

In His Name. Amen.