The Eternal Standing O

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (2Tim 4:18).

And the Crowd Goes Wild!

A spectacular performance results in an enormous ovation. Like the packed house at a concert jumping to its feet when the band rocks their encore. Like the standing-room-only crowd at a stadium celebrating a score. The better the show, the longer the cheers.

You might think this would be the last thing a prisoner on Death Row would be writing about. There’s not much to celebrate when you’re in your final days of walking the Green Mile. Prison? Cheers? Ovations? Celebrations? Unless you’re the Apostle Paul.

A Letter from Death Row

It’s late in the year 67 AD. The place is Rome, specifically a nasty dungeon known as the Mamertine Prison. Paul is a condemned man (2Tim 4:6-7). He’s writing one last letter to his spiritual son, a young preacher named Timothy (2Tim 1:2).

While he’s desperate for one last chance to see him (2Tim 4:9, 21), the apostle knows his situation is about to change. Drastically change. Radically change. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (v18).

Busting out of the Joint

Paul knows he’s getting out of the joint soon. Very soon. But not because the emperor will grant him a pardon. Not because a judge will overturn his conviction. Not because of some plot to bust him out of the joint. No, he’s not walking through the prison doors to freedom. He’s walking through the door of death and into the gates of Heaven.

Jesus is coming to his rescue as He’s done so many times before. But this time it’s different. This time it’s permanent. This time it’s paradise. And when Christ carries him home, the apostle is going to cheer like never before. He’s going to celebrate God with the rest of creation.

The applause will be loud and long because the performance has been unmatched. Great big cheers for our great big God. It’s going to be the Eternal Standing O. And nobody deserves it like Jesus.

Double Deliverance

Maybe you’re wondering the reason behind all the raving applause. Specifically, Paul says it’s because “the Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom” (v18). This is double deliverance. Out of evil. Into joy. Talk about going from worst to first!

First of all, the apostle tells Tim how Jesus is the ultimate Lifeguard who “will rescue me” (v18). He uses a Greek verb here (Gr. ρυομαι/ruomai) which means to bring someone out of severe danger, deliver, draw out of desperation. 

It actually comes from a root word which describes a fast-moving current, rip tide, or raging river. Picture a lifeguard jumping down out of the tower and sprinting into the surf.

The Gospel according to Baywatch?

Okay, I realize this conjures up images of David Hasselhoff and the Baywatch gang running in slo-mo down the wearing red swimming suits. But seriously, have you ever seen a highly trained lifeguard risk their own life to save someone who’s struggling to survive in the surf? Maybe you’ve been the one they’ve brought back and rescued.

When your lungs are filling with water, a lifeguard doesn’t stand up in his chair and shout swimming instructions to you over a bullhorn. This is no time to learn the backstroke or butterfly. You don’t need an education. You need a rescuer who will get personally involved and come to you!

Jesus to the Rescue

That’s exactly what Jesus has done for Paul, for you, and for me. When we were drowning in the sea of our own sin, He didn’t yell for us to swim harder. Christ jumped up from lap of Heaven’s luxury and dove headlong into the mess we made in order to save us.

We can’t save ourselves. None of us can. Not you. Not me. Not them. We can give it everything to get out of this rip tide of rebellion but it won’t happen.  We don’t earn our rescue. We can’t obey our way to safety. The only way we’re going to make it is when our Lord does what He does best. Save. That is, after all, why we call Him our Savior!

The Great Exchange

Our salvation is all part of a crazy swap that some folks refer to as the Great Exchange. In one of his letters to Corinthian Christ followers, Paul talks about how Father God had His sinless Son grab our utter rebellion and give us His absolute obedience (2Cor 5:21). 

He does for us what we could never do for ourselves. Christ doesn’t teach us how to swim. He dives in to take our sin. But He doesn’t stop there. Jesus graciously exchanges our badness for His goodness. I told you it was a crazy swap.

But there’s a bit of problem. Too many of us don’t think we need to be saved. We don’t realize we’re being carried away by the current. When Jesus comes to our rescue, we tell Him to leave us alone. We’re fine. We fight against Him like so many drowning victims struggle against the lifeguard. Relax. He’s got you.

Dirty Deeds

Paul points out that he’s counting our Savior to pull his sorry carcass out of danger from “every evil deed” (v18). Not just some evil deeds. We’re talking all of them. Every. Single. One. If you’ve been following the apostle’s current situation, that would include anything thrown at him by guys like Alexander who’s been a real pain (2Tim 4:14).

When we serve the Lord and start spreading His message, we’re going to face opposition. Moments before He’s betrayed and murdered, Jesus warns His team how they can expect to be hated since the world hates Him (Jn 15:18-20). 

Christ also tips us off to our supernatural enemy known as Satan. The devil is out to steal, kill, and destroy anything and everything that has to do with God’s kingdom and Jesus’ followers (Jn 10:10).

Self-Inflicted Wounds

But there’s a massive pile of “evil deeds” (v18) from which the Lord saves us as well. Those self-inflicted wounds. Those dirty deeds I’ve done to myself. Paul tells believers in Rome of his own struggle with sin after Jesus saved him (Rom 7:14-20). He desperately wants to do the right thing but all too often he is his own worst enemy.

Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt. Taken the t-shirt to Goodwill. Too often my biggest enemy is the goofball looking back at me in the morning mirror. As if I don’t have enough problems dealing with a culture which opposes Christ and the devil, I’m also in a cage fight with my own flesh.

The apostle reassures Tim that Jesus will eventually rescue us from all of them. Sound familiar? Paul seems to echo the words of Christ when He coaches up His crew on prayer. The Lord closes His model prayer by saying, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver (Gr. ρυομαι/ruomai) us from evil” (Mt 6:13).

From the Outhouse to the Penthouse

The man from Tarsus goes on to say that the Lord won’t just pull him out of trouble and leave him there. Picture an accident scene on the shoulder of a busy interstate. A good samaritan pulls an unconscious person out of a burning car. But instead of calling 9-1-1 and waiting for an ambulance, the dude drives away, leaving the victim in his rearview mirror.

Paul knows our Savior won’t just save his eternal bacon but promises to “bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom” (v18). This is double deliverance we talked about earlier. From the outhouse of evil. To the penthouse of paradise. Just like we can’t imagine what the Son of God left to come to our rescue, there’s no way we can wrap our minds around what it will be like to spend eternity with Him.

Draw Us out to Draw Us in

The phrase in the ESV “bring me safely” is actually one single word in the original language. And it’s a very familiar word: σωζω/sozo. The writers of the NT drop this little jewel a grand total of 118 times. So yeah, it’s kind of a big deal.

This is the word we normally translate as “save,” as in Jesus “will save (Gr. σωζω/sozo) His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). It’s Peter’s cry for help when his own attempt at water walking doesn’t go so well. “Lord, save (Gr. σωζω/sozo) me!” (Mt 14:30). There goes Jesus being a lifeguard again!

Christ pulls us out of our own sin in order to pull us close to Himself. As Matt Chandler says, He draws us out in order to draw us in. That’s because Jesus wants to give us Himself. Forget all the other bennies you’ve heard about Heaven. Gates made of massive pearls. Golden pavement. Crystal rivers. The most awesome thing about eternity is God. Being with Him is THE Blessing! Nothing else comes close.

Death as the Doorway

So instead of freaking out about his certain execution date, Paul explodes in praise to his Savior! “To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (v18). The closer he gets to it, the more he realizes his death is simply a doorway to eternity with the Son of God. It’s that same thought that’s behind the tough he mentions to his Philippian friends. “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

Because of who Jesus is, all He’s done and all He’s going to do, Paul says the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter deserves an unlimited ovation. When we give God glory He so rightly deserves, we do everything we can to make Him famous. We raise up His name higher than any other. We shine the light on His righteous rep. We use our lives as a magnifying glass so that others can get a good look at the Lord.

Glory Words

We celebrate our Savior “forever and ever” (v18). The apostle actually repeats the same word (Gr. αιων/aion). You can easily translate this as “eternity and eternity.” In other words, we’re to join the unending, everlasting cheers for Jesus. It’s been going on longer than anyone can remember. And it’s not stopping anytime soon. This is the Eternal Standing O that only Jesus deserves.

Paul busts loose with this little ditty which theologians like to call a doxology. That’s a two-dollar word that simply means “glory words.” You bump into doxologies all throughout the Bible. Sudden explosions of praise which detonate whenever one of the writers of Scripture can no longer contain themselves when considering who God is and what He has done.

They’re littered all over the Old Testament (Ex 15:18; 1Chr 29:10-13; Ps 41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48; 146:10; 150:1-6; Is 6:3). The words of glory keep on keeping on when you flip over to the New Testament. In the Gospels (Mt 21:9; Mk 11:9-10; Lk 2:14; 19:38). In the letters (Heb 13:20-21; 1Pet 4:11; 2Pet 3:18; Rev 4:8-11; 5:9-14; 7:12; 19:1). The apostle is personally responsible for this and four more (Rom 11:36; 16:25-27; Eph 3:20-21; Phil 4:20; 1Tim 1:17).

Never Stop Never Stopping

Long before Andy Samberg’s mockumentary, the inspired biblical writers were all about never stop never stopping when it comes to giving God the glory. It’s the never-ending applause for the only One who really rates. It’s the everlasting cheers for the only One who is truly entitled. It’s the Eternal Standing O that only Jesus deserves.

It’s amazing what happens when I get my eyes off my pathetic little pity party and look up to my awesome Savior. Can we be honest? Whatever you and I are facing probably finishes a distant second to Paul’s situation as he writes this letter. 

If he can spontaneously combust in worship of Jesus while walking the Green Mile, what’s stopping you and me?

©2017 Jay Jennings

The Mail Man

“Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus” (2Tim 4:12).

Coming through in the Clutch

NBA great Karl Malone earned one of the greatest nicknames of all time. “The Mail Man.” What does playing basketball have to do with being a letter carrier? The hall of famer always delivered. Fans and teammates could count on Karl to come through in the clutch.

Long before Dr. Naismith cut the bottom out of the peach basket, there was another Mail Man. His name was Tychicus. He was one of the true go-to guys in the early church. The early followers of Jesus could count on him to come through in the clutch. The Big T always delivered.

Paul’s Final Words

Here in the final words of Paul, we see Tychicus’ reliability once again. The year is sometime around 66-67 AD. The apostle is walking the Green Mile as a condemned man in a Roman prison (2Tim 1:16; 2:9; 4:6-7). He writes one last letter to a young pastor named Timothy (2Tim 1:2).

The epistle has a pair of overriding purposes. First, Paul looks to handoff the ministry of the Gospel to his spiritual son (2Tim 2:1-4:5). Second, he wants to see Tim’s face one last time before his execution (2Tim 4:9, 21). 

The Apostle Gets Personal

As he lands the plane on this last letter, the apostle gets personal. He updates Tim on the rest of the team. Demas has deserted him (2Tim 4:10). He’s sent Crescens to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia on assignment (2Tim 4:10).

At this point, only his old buddy Luke is by his side (2Tim 4:11). He tells Tim to grab their old friend Mark and head to Rome so they can get the band back together one final time (2Tim 4:11).

An Underrated Dude

Which brings us to the Mail Man. “Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus” (v12). When we combine this verse with everything else the writers of the New Testament have to say about the Big T, we get a picture of a clutch performer.

I gotta tell you, I think Tychicus might one of the most underrated dudes in the entire Bible. No, he doesn’t get the ink of other folks like Titus, Barnabas, or Silas. People don’t name their sons Tychicus. He may not make headlines but he’s an awesome example of someone God uses as a faithful and courageous servant.

An Apostolic Recommendation

This guy is a biblical beast (in a good way!). Check it out. Dr. Luke lets us know that Mr. T is from Asia (modern day Turkey) and was buddies with another believer named Trophimus (Acts 20:4). That’s because Paul handpicked him to be part of the team responsible for delivering the relief money from various churches back to Jesus’ followers under persecution in Jerusalem.

Paul gives Tychicus his props in a couple of letters to local churches. He recommends him as “the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (Eph 6:21) to the folks in Ephesus. 

Meanwhile the apostle goes one step further in a note to the Colossians and adds “fellow servant” (Col 4:7) to his endorsement. I don’t know about you, but a reference from the Apostle Paul would look pretty sweet on any resume.

The Big T clearly proved himself to be somebody Paul could count on to deliver. As matter of fact, he was the courier for at least three of Paul’s letters to Ephesus, Colossae, and his buddy Philemon. There’s also a pretty good chance the apostle leaned on him to carry a note to Titus as well as this last letter to Timothy.

Coming out of the Bullpen

Tychicus did a lot more than transport documents. He may well have come out of the bullpen to relieve Titus in his work on the island of Crete. “When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there” (Titus 3:12).

Which brings us to what Paul writes here in chapter four of 2nd Timothy. “Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus” (v12). In the previous verse, the apostle tells Tim to get Mark and hit the road for Rome. Our last location for Pastor Tim was leading the big Ephesian church Paul planted a few years back (1Tim 1:3).

Sent with Authority

Paul makes it clear that he’s dispatched Tychicus as his special rep. He uses a word the ESV translates as “sent” (Gr. αποστελλω/apostello), which means to be sent with authority or special commission. It comes from the same root word as “apostle,” an official representative in the Greco-Roman world.

It’s the very same word we read when Jesus prays to His Heavenly Dad for His followers. “As You sent (Gr. αποστελλω/apostello) Me into the world, so I have sent (Gr. αποστελλω/apostello) them into the world” (John 17:18). 

The Father sent the Son on a rescue mission. The Son sends us to tell others the Gospel. Paul sends Tychicus to relieve Tim so he can see his mentor one last time.

Time after time, Tychicus faithfully delivers. As we’ve already seen, he hand-carried three of Paul’s prison epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, probably on the very same delivery. 

If that doesn’t impress you, imagine being the person the apostle trusts with what he knows will be the last letter of his life. The Big T is one amazing messenger. The Mail Man always delivers.

On Mission with the Message

Like Tychicus, we’re all on a mission. In many ways, it’s the very same assignment. While we don’t have the original handwritten letters of Paul, we have been entrusted to carry the life-changing message of Jesus to the world. The message of forgiveness and grace found only in Christ.

God’s message of grace MUST get through. People’s lives hang in the balance. But I’ve got good news for you about the Good News. We’re not traveling alone. Jesus Himself is at our side. And He’ll make sure you and I succeed if we accept the assignment.

The Mail Man delivered. Will we?

©2017 

Jay Jennings

Breaking News

“and at the proper time manifested in His Word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior” (v3).

The term “breaking news” has gotten a bad rap in recent years. Before cable news started slapping it on everything that happens in Hollywood, breaking news was some incredibly critical new info that needed to hit the air immediately. TV newsrooms would scramble to be the first on the air with this urgent bulletin. Here in the opening lines of his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul writes that Jesus handed him the breaking news about God’s salvation and eternal life. Let’s call it Breaking Good News.

Everything he says in this verse is dependent upon what we read in verse two. God has been planning the glorious truth of eternal life with His people through Jesus before He even created time (Titus 1:2). This was classified information. Top secret. For God’s eyes only! At some point, the Trinity would release all the details of everlasting life through Christ. God leaked important details over thousands of years. In the garden (Gen 3:15). To Abraham (Gen 12:2-3). To David (2Sam 7:11-16). Through a series of handpicked prophets. Then God Himself made a personal appearance in Jesus and blew the doors off the joint. After His resurrection, Christ selected Paul to break the news that EVERYONE is invited into God’s salvation, not just the Jews (Acts 9:15). Everyone can experience a deep and eternal friendship with Jesus. Now THAT’S Breaking Good News!

Paul and his crew can’t get the news out fast enough. No TV. No radio. No interweb. They had to take their act on the road in order to get the word out. In this case, Titus is on the island Crete. It’s the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean and just south of Greece. At some point, the apostle and Titus spent time there telling folks about Jesus. Paul has moved on, possibly just across the water to Corinth. Titus has now taken the seat behind the anchor desk to continue this breaking news coverage. 

We find out that God had a very specific timetable on releasing this amazing info. While the decision about eternal life for believers goes back before creation, He planned all along to reveal it “at the proper time” (v3). Just about every Bible translation uses the word “proper.” This is the Greek adjective idios, which means one’s own, personal, private, or belonging to someone. Think of it this way, God would break this news in His own time. This was on His timetable. Nobody would rush Him. Nobody could force Him. He would do it in His sweet time.

Is there anyone better to know the best time to break this news than God? He’s ALWAYS on time. Never late. Never early. Always. Right. On. Time. Yahweh has been working right on schedule for eternity. And why wouldn’t He? After all, He created time in the first place. Over and over and over, God’s Word tells us to wait on God’s timing. “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Is 40:31). We can be sure that God breaks His Good News at the proper time. “For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time” (1Tim 2:6 emphasis added). You and I can ALWAYS trust God’s timing. He’s got a much better handle on the clock and calendar that we do.

Paul then lets us know a couple critical facts about the dissemination of the details. He’s breaking this Good News “through the preaching” (v3) of God’s Word. The man from Tarsus certainly is a prolific biblical author. God uses him to write at least 13 documents in the New Testament (I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that our man Paul had something to do with the book of Hebrews as well). But his primary assignment is as a preacher. Preaching the Good News of Jesus is the focus of all three missionary tours. He spent three years in Ephesus preaching and teaching about Jesus (Acts 20:31). Preaching is the primary means which God uses to communicate His truth. Jesus did a boatload of miracles but He spent most of His time before and after His resurrection preaching and teaching. Bible study is great. Worship music is important. But preaching is a priority.

The apostle tells Titus that his preaching assignment isn’t just something he dreamed up on his own. This is “by the command of God our Savior” (v3). In a note to the folks in Galatian church network, Paul made it VERY clear that the Good News he teaches “is not man’s gospel” (Gal 1:11). The resurrected Jesus broke the news to him personally (Gal 1:12). Christ didn’t suggest this assignment. He didn’t give Paul a list of choices. He gave the apostle an order. What has Jesus told you to do? What burden has He placed on your heart? 

Paul says he’s under orders from “God our Savior” (v3). Savior is one of those words that’s just lost its oomph over the years. If you’ve spent anytime in Sunday School growing up, it just goes in one ear and out the other. It’s the Greek noun soteros. It means rescuer or deliverer. I think the best way to think of it is hero. God is the Hero who comes to rescue us when we have no way to rescue ourselves. Over and over in the letter, the apostle talks about our supernatural Superhero. “God our Savior” (v3; 2:10; 3:4). “Christ Jesus our Savior” (1:4). “Our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2:13). “Jesus Christ our Savior” (3:6). Paul wants us to be absolutely sure that we see Jesus as both our Hero but our God as well. Do you see Jesus as your Hero? Do you see Him as God?

Despite everything you see on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, there’s no more urgent breaking news than the bulletin Paul broadcast almost 2,000 years ago. Jesus is the One God promised for centuries would come. He lived the perfect life that we completely failed to live. He died the bloody death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to give us a spectacular new life that we don’t deserve. 

Let’s call it Breaking Good News.

The Ultimate Transporter

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy” (v24).

In the action flick franchise “The Transporter,” Jason Statham’s character always delivers. He will transport anything, anywhere—for the right price. He’s the best in the business. But Jude would beg to differ. Not so fast, my friend. His big Brother makes Statham look like a lazy slacker. Jesus has the power and skills to keep you from falling flat on your face. He will always get you from where you are into the presence of God without one smudge. Jesus is the ultimate Transporter.

We desperately need our divine action Hero because of the bad guys who stand between us and our destination. Jude tells us that a crew of false teachers are infiltrating local congregations looking to blow them up with their perverted message (Jude 4, 10-13). This is no chick flick. This story is loaded with sex (Jude 4, 7-8), prison (Jude 6, 15), wild animals (Jude 10), corruption (Jude 10), rebellion (Jude 10), meteors (13), slander (Jude 8), trash talk (Jude 16), citywide infernos (Jude 7, 23), and amazing rescues (Jude 14-15, 23). But this isn’t some formula film manufactured in the mind of some hack screenwriter. This is a TRUE story! And it stars the greatest action Hero of all time. Jesus is the ultimate Transporter.

Jude wraps up his little letter by reassure us that our Hero can and will come to our rescue. Just about every Bible translator tells us that God is the One “who is able” to make this happen. Can I be honest with you for just a second? That phrase just doesn’t deliver the goods, in my humble opinion. In the original Greek, Jude uses the verb dunamai. This is the same word where we get our words dynamo and dynamite. We’re talking incredibly power here. It means to have the power by virtue of one’s own ability and resources. It describes someone or something to be capable, strong, and powerful. Is God able? You betcha. But that makes it sound like He just barely has the strength to inch the ball over the goal line. No, our Lord lowers His shoulder and throws off defenders like they’re rag dolls. 

God is not barely able to get the job done. He’s not just hoping that all the breaks fall His way so that maybe and just maybe, possibly, hopefully accomplish His mission. Nope. That’s not what Jude means at all. He wants to know without a doubt that God easily has the power in Himself to make it happen. He ripples with strength. He drips with raw energy. As impossible as it would be for me to do this, this is a walk in the park for God Almighty.

God fills His Word from cover to cover with promises of His limitless ability. Think of them as scriptural power gauges. When Abraham doubted Yahweh’s ability to give his family a child, God asked him, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen 18:15). David’s buddy Jonathan knew “nothing can hinder the LORD” (1Sam 14:6). Once God saw Job through his horrible storm, he made it clear, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). As the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem, Jeremiah declared, “Nothing is too hard for You” (Jer 32:17). Gabriel the angel assured a pregnant teenager named Mary, “Nothing is impossible with God” (Lk 1:37). And Jesus let His team know, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26). Without God, there’s no way. When He gets involved, Mission Possible.

Now that we know that God is more than powerful enough to accomplish His mission, Jude tells us that a big part of that work is “to keep us from stumbling” (v24). A closer look at the original language lets us in on the fact that Jesus is closely guarding and protecting you and me. He’s our Bodyguard. He’s right there with us every step of the way to make sure we don’t trip and fall. Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t stub my toe every so often. As King David’s lyrics say, “Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his right hand” (Ps 37:24). I may trip and fall but He will make perfectly sure that any fall is not spiritually fatal. Our divine Bodyguard is always on the job, 24/7/365. He never sleeps. He never slumbers (Ps 121:4). That’s because Jesus is the ultimate Transporter. 

So where is He taking us? Who’s on the receiving end of His delivery? You’ll be interested to know that Jesus is making the delivery to Himself. Christ transports us “to present us blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy” (v24). We’re headed to His presence. Back in verse one, Jude gets the ball rolling by telling his readers that they are “called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1). The Apostle Paul confirms the delivery when he writes to the Ephesians does all of this “so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor” (Eph 5:27).

Not only can I can count on God who has the power to keep me from stumbling and eventually present me blameless before God, He makes sure I have joy all along the way. This is just the opposite of what Isaiah experienced on His stunning visit God’s throne room (Is 6:1-7). The holy-holy-holiness of Jesus so exposed his own sin that the prophet was a totally broken man. For Ike, there was awe and worship. For you and me, there will also be joy unthinkable when we arrive. We have absolutely nothing to fear. Nothing to worry about. There’s unspeakable joy once He delivers us into His glorious and holy presence. 

Statham’s character is pretty good. But there’s absolutely nobody better at delivering believers from wherever they are into the presence of God than our Savior. That’s because Jesus is the ulti