Psalms 150:1-6 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. 2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness. 3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, 4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals. 6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
 
WE have viewed the psalms through God’s promises written at various points and under many circumstances in Israel’s history. From Moses, the Lawgiver, to David, the poet, king and prophet, to Asaph, the Sons of Korah and unknown songwriters through and after the exile, we have a remarkable picture of God’s interaction with his people. This concluding psalm reinforces God is a Promise Maker, and he is a Promise Keeper.
   God can speak his will to the earth and all who are in it because he is the LORD, and he is God. Throughout these lessons on God’s promises, we  have used LORD often to emphasize the Jews’ name for God. “LORD” is Yahweh. This name is the interpretation of God’s identify to Moses in the burning bush: Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” In essence God said, “I am who was and is and will always be.” He says this at the end of the Bibe, too: Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” We can Yahweh will keep his promises because he is creator from eternity past into eternity future. He has paid the price to redeem our sins. He has been faithful  to do as he promised – both in blessing and in judgment. He has made a covenant to bless the world, and he is keeping it as we continue toward the Day of the LORD.
   Then the psalm says, praise God. This name is Elohim, meaning “One of Power”. Praise the Eternal One, who is Power to promise and keep his promises. 
   Where do we praise him? We praise him in his sanctuary. God instructed Israel how to build his sanctuary in the desert and then in Jerusalem. The early church began to worship God in synagogues, homes and public rooms. Around the world today God’s people worship him in simple structures and in extravagant cathedrals. Wherever we worship God, we must do so with praise, focused on him, not on ourselves or our needs. Worship is foremost the opportunity to exalt God, ourselves. He is in his mighty heavens awaiting our worship.
   Worship God for his acts of power and his surpassing greatness. And let him hear your joy! Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, with the harp and lyre, with tambourine and dancing, with the strings and flute, with the clash of cymbals and with resounding cymbals. There were cymbals that gave a clear sound and cymbals that produced a loud sound. Use them both to praise God.
   Many churches have what is called a Praise and Worship Team. God wants this to be everyone in the church. Some are gifted to play instruments, some to sing. But know in Christ, all are gifted to praise God. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD is the only appropriate response of all Christians to praise the LORD, who has given us breath. Acts 17:25b he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. 
   Everything else is the sum of God’s great power to reveal to us all we need to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. (Westminster Shorter Catechism) Praise the LORD.  
 

Psalms 149:6-9 Praise the LORD. May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, 7 to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, 9 to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his saints.
 
ONE way God prepares his people to worship is with a call to arms. Here he exhorts the Jews to sing and pray to the LORD. At the same time they are to have a double-edged sword in their hands, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples. Nehemiah 4 tells us the Jews had to literally have a sword at their side as they rebuilt Jerusalem after the exile. Their enemies threatened to destroy their rebuilding efforts. God’s people were prepared to aggressively defend God’s call to rebuild the temple and the city.
   Have you ever considered your worship is a time to prepare for battle? As we praise God, pray, hear a sermon, sing hymns and spiritual songs, and read Scripture, we must keep in mind the opposition awaits us as we exit the sanctuary. The worship space is called a sanctuary because it is a safe place away from the enemy. The sanctuary is also a preparation place for battle. When you depart for home and enter into the next week, the enemy will surely assault you.
   Satan wants your worship. That’s why he confronted Adam in the Garden (Genesis 3) and Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4, Luke 4). He was even willing to buy Jesus’ worship: Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Adam rejected God’s commands as his weapon against temptation. In contrast, Jesus’ every response to temptation was God’s Word. “It is written.” Jesus said. The Living Word defended his soul with God’s two-edged sword. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
   Faithful worship trains you to read the Bible, memorize the Bible, pray the Bible and sing hymns of praise and salvation based on Bible truth. God’s Word faithfully used in your hand will become an active power in your heart to aggressively destroy sin.
    From the time the Jews’ left Egypt to the early church’s persecution, Scripture speaks quite plainly about the visible and invisible warfare that rages against the church’s final victory over the devil. We know the church is victorious because God has called his faithful saints – members of his church – to have in hand the gospel of redemption. Faithfully lived and spoken, the gospel will lead us not into temptation, but will deliver us from evil. And we will have the Spirit’s power and protection to carry out the sentence written against Satan: Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 
   This is the glory of all his saints. Prepare for war. Prepare for victory.

Psalm 148:2 Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts….7a Praise the LORD from the earth…12 young men and maidens, old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens, 14 He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones, the people of Israel who are close to him.
 
COULD you sing, “Praise the LORD!” to God if he were only your friend, if he had no absolute control over the universe or your life? You might say, “I’m thankful for my friend, Jesus. He loves me.” But would you believe he has the power to save you into eternal life if you do not know him as the Divine Son of God? Friends can’t save you. But the Almighty God can.
   The psalm is a call to worship God for his majesty over the universe (verse 1-6), the earth (verses 7-10) and mankind (verses 11-12). In response to his infinite, glorious creation, God’s people should praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted.
   One purpose of worship is to help us to remember the height of his power over the universe and the depth of his personal love for us. To properly worship God, we must know he is more than a friend. He is LORD God Almighty.
   Out of his manifest goodness has come a universe that follows a precise order to display his glory. No thing in God’s creation is an accident. All is under the perfect creation. He calls us to worship him, so we may exercise the privilege to exalt his name.
   One way this is done is with the Doxology, which means “an expression of praise to God”. The Doxology is often sung at the receiving of the weekly offering, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly hosts. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” This restates Psalm 148 – a call to the heavens, the earth and all people to praise and exalt God’s name. Indeed, he has made his people strong to honor his name, to live in faithful obedience to his laws, so by his grace we live in peace.
   As God prepared to give Israel the Ten Commandments and other laws he said to Israel: Exodus 19:5 “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” God’s will was that Israel would be a nation of strength, and he would honor his faithful ones, the people of Israel who are close to him.
   This promise points to the potential of your life in Christ now and forever. Faithfully honor God’s name. Worship all he is. You will know he is close to you. 

Psalms 147:1-3 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!  2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
 
THE Jews had returned from their exile in Babylon. Think for a minute of their circumstances. Have you ever lost a home due to flood, wind or war? What was it like for you when you had to live away from home? How was it when you returned to find your home broken or gone? Was your heart broken? Did you feel the wounds of your loss? Is there any way you would sing, “Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” In your loss, you might find it difficult to paise and worship our God. Or you might not. What would make the difference?  
   We can believe these are the questions the Jews needed to answer when this praise and worship psalm was written. The Jews were returning from Babylon’s exile. Many of them had lost great-grandparents, grandparents and others connected to their family in Babylon’s conquest. Other relatives and friends had died in Babylon during the 70 years exile. Along with these emotional scars, the returning Jews encountered a desolate and devastated Jerusalem. The temple was gone. The fortified walls were broken. The fields, vineyards and orchards were untended and unproductive. God had judged Judah. Now he’s returned the Jews to restore the Jews’ fields, city and hearts. Would the LORD, could the LORD do this?
   The Jews would answer this with a determined, “Yes, he can, and he will!” when they consider v 4 he determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our LORD and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
   They would be sure of God’s care when they saw him through God’s care for their ancestors. The Bible tells us of people such as Joseph, Gideon, David, Jeremiah, Daniel and others. They faced life-threatening challenges. They could have turned from God because of their enemies’ threats and persecution that continued even on their return. But the Jews remained humble, full-hearted in their faith to know v 6 the LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. The psalmist also reminds them how God’s grand universe cares for mankind. V 8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. Our LORD also tends to the animals who rely completely on his provision. V 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
   With patient, faithful eyes on God, you can know he will heal the brokenhearted and sustain his faithful people. We have this remarkable promise from his throne: V 11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
   Jesus later said it this way: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) Be with God, who promises to be with you. Be restored.
 

Psalms 146:7-9 He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets prisoners free, 8 the LORD gives sight to the blind, the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down, the LORD loves the righteous. 9 The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
 
THIS psalm and the last four psalms begin with Praise the LORD. When we consider God and our relationship with him, our mind must be continually set to praise his name. We can become too focused on what’s wrong with the world and what’s wrong in our own lives. The Bible speaks to that in many passages. But praise the LORD! The Bible teaches how God makes the wrong right. One summary of the Bible could be, “God tells us what’s wrong, and God tells us the right will remove the wrong.”
   God’s love is God’s reason God’s righteousness removes sin. The Bible’s most quoted verse is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” People know that because it assures them of eternal life. But too many have a false assurance. They read, “God so loved the world.” and then stop. They interpret God’s love for the world as God’s love for everyone regardless of their sins and unbelief. “He loves me for who I am.” Is their own saving assurance. But this kind of uncorrected love will not make the wrong in our hearts right.
   Take notice the psalm tells us the LORD loves the righteous. That’s the full meaning of John 3:16. The Lord Jesus tells us God’s love will be perfectly fulfilled when those who believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And John 3:17-18 underscores repentance of sin and faith in Jesus is God’s assurance, not our own. God’s love gives us the way to come out of our sin through the confession of Jesus’ saving work. The wrong in us becomes right in us through God’s power.
   Paul highlights the extent of God’s love in Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Yes, praise the LORD! Jesus gave himself to the cross to uphold the cause of the oppressed, to feed those hungry for God’s Word, to free sin’s prisoners and teach the blind to see the truth.
   In faith, praise the LORD he will frustrate the way of the wicked. From generation to generation a great tide of evil sweeps over various nations. Many countries have only 1% Christians. Oppression is not satisfied until the oppressed are gone.
   That’s why we praise the LORD for his love. His righteousness will rule the earth. The evil will disappear. V 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. 4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing.
   Praise the LORD. His love will make all things right. V 10 The LORD reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD.
 
 

Psalms 145:4-7 One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. 5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. 7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
 
WHAT is God’s will? It is his purpose to fulfill his promises he has made to us through the patriarchs, prophets and apostles. We must trust God’s purpose will become complete one day in the new heaven and earth. We know he wants us to completely trust in his will because he taught us to pray, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)
   The LORD has very specifically stated his will for mankind beginning with his call to Abraham. Genesis 12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. 2 I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
   Seven times God says, “I will.” to commit his purpose on earth through Abraham, then Israel and ultimately Jesus and his church. This is God’s decreed will. When he decrees, “I will.” you can trust his purpose is set for the world, and he will make it happen. How will he fulfill his will to bless the nations?  
   The answer comes from our scripture today. The Spirit inspired David to reveal God’s will to Israel and now to us. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts…will speak … I will meditate on your wonderful works ... they will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness. God has decreed his Word will move from generation to generation. We can trust the Bible is God’s true word from ages past because God’s people have told of God’s mighty works to each succeeding generation. Very specific methods were established to convey the accuracy of the oral traditions. And copies of the written word were carefully and repeatedly examined for accuracy of words and even the number of individual letters in each copy! To be a scribe of God’s Word was truly a gift of enormous importance that required complete integrity to God’s Word.
   God’s will has always been just one generation from extinction. That’s why Moses was adamant to tell the Jews “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) It’s true, isn’t it, that If the gospel is no longer preached and young people do not know of God, then the Bible will become an ancient book of disregarded information. No one will live in God’s Word because no one will know it.
   But God has decreed one generation will commend your works to another. And one day all of God’s people will celebrate his abundant goodness and joyfully sing of his righteousness. This is God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  

Psalms 144:1-2 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. 2 He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
 
DOES God’s love mix with God’s strength? Of course it does. How could it be possible for a weak, ineffective “god” to love his chosen people? How could his chosen people love God if he succumbed to opposition and even to our every desire?
   David celebrates God’s strength and his love because he has seen the benefits of both. When David had become the king of all Israel, he understood God’s magnificent love had empowered him to military victory. God’s strong love had remained a fortress against David’s sins. And God’s love had subdued political rivals..
   The LORD, the Rock, kept David safe to train his hands for war and his fingers for battle. God is a good commander who prepares his troops for battle. David needed this physically. And David needed this spiritually. The enormous challenges that confronted David would cause many men to call, “I surrender!” and return to the sheepfold. But David knew he reigned because, “It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.” (2 Samuel 22:33)
   Our Christian life requires the same conviction, praise and worship to God the Father, Son and Spirit. Jesus, fully God and fully man, has displayed the depth of the Father’s strong love for you through the tortuous cross of his salvation. In the fullness of his glory Jesus reveals that he is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:26). And he reigns over all: Ephesians 1:22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church.
   Thiis is the Holy Trinity’s great love work that allows you to confess Jesus is my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues people under me.
   How is it Jesus subdues people under you? This may seem a prideful statement as if we have control and authority over others. But think about your Christian life. Are there people in your life who look to you as a person of principle? Does anyone ask you a question about the Bible? Do unbelieves allow you to live in peace with your faith, so you can practice it as you desire?
   In that sense, the Spirit has subdued others. He has brought a peace between you and non-Christians. As you faithfully pursue God’s love, he will suppress conflict against your faith. When you speak of God, some will listen. And some will even respond to want to know more.
   It’s true that those who live under strong persecution for their faith do not know this in the world. Still, there are many stories of the ways God will subdue the persecutors and bring them to faith through a Christian’s strong testimony. Throughout the world each day, thousands of unbelievers come under Jesus’ authority as the Spirit calls them through loving Christians’ testimonies.
   David rejoiced in God’s strong love. May we do so each day.
 

GPsalms 143:1-2 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
 
HAVE you ever confessed your sin to God by praying, “Do not bring your servant into judgment.” You have when you’ve prayed as Jesus taught us to pray, “Forgive us our debts (sins, trespasses) as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12a) He wants you to know two things: Your confession is an admission you are under God’s judgment. And your confession releases you from God’s judgment.
   God’s law and his gospel confirm the just, good news of his righteous forgiveness. For example, in the law God teaches the righteous life to the Israelites. Then he tells them what to do when they break the law: Leviticus 5:5 “When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned.” Obeying this command, one was to then redeem, to pay a price for his sin through the sacrifice of various animals, depending on the sin. Sin costs. It separates us from God. Confession redeems. It restores our relationship with God.
   To violate God’s law is a holy confrontation between the sinner and the Righteous One. As a nation, Israel’s history was to reject God’s law. They did not confess. They did not pay the redemption price. God’s just and righteous response was to sentence Israel into exile. Exile from God’s presence illustrates hell. God showed the world what happens when we ignore sin. Without confession and proper payment, sin has an eternal cost.
   In God’s infinite mercy, we can confidently pray, “Father, forgive my debts.” With faith in Jesus, your Redeemer, you know God will forgive the sin because Jesus committed his broken body and shed blood to pay sin’s cost. Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”  
  The power of your confession today releases the fullness of God’s grace, justice and righteousness into your eternal soul. Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
   The Bible is God’s promise he forgives and redeems your confessed sin. Be faithful to the just and righteous God to obey his commands. With faithful confession, you know he will not bring you into judgment.   
 
 

Psalms 142:3-5 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. 4 Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. 5 I cry to you, O LORD I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
 
HAVE you been in a cave? David was. When God anointed David to become Israel’s next king, David became King Saul’s enemy, and Saul then sought to destroy David, God’s anointed. One of the many places David found refuge from Saul’s hateful jealousy was a cave in En Gadi, a remote area of cliffs near the Dead Sea.
   Hiding in a physical cave caused David to experience a dark spiritual cave that threatened to keep him from his future. That’s why he prayed for God’s help. When my spirit grows faint within me, I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” David is saying God has given of himself to David. How does David know this?
   Let’s consider. How do you respond when circumstances force you into a cave? Perhaps an accident causes severe injuries; an illness threatens your life; a relationship breaks apart; a job loss leaves you wondering “What’s next?” Challenges and threats surround you as a powerful army waiting to destroy you. What do you need to walk out of the dark cave into the light of hope and confidence for your future?
   You look for the light that leads you to the exit. Where’s the light? David says the light is in God’s law. Psalms 19:8b The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. That’s why he faithfully prayed: When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. David knew the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. And he also knew the LORD’s way is the only way out of the cave. “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
   That’s why he didn’t kill Saul. God seemed to test David’s faithfulness when Saul entered the cave to relieve himself. The king did not know David and his men were close enough to kill him. Although David’s men urged him to take Saul’s life, He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’S anointed.” (1 Samuel 24:6) David  based his actions on the law. He saw all events as the LORD’s will. David did not see Saul as his enemy. David’s enemy is the temptation to reject God’s law. David confessed God has made him who he is. God has anointed him his wisdom. “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”  
   The LORD had given a portion of himself to David. God’s will became David’s will for his destiny. David was committed to fulfill God’s call, not his own desires. That’s why David could pray in expectation: V 7a Set me free from my prison that I may praise your name. He wanted to be free not only for his own sake, he wanted to praise God’s name, to follow God’s laws and to live in God’s purpose for his life.
   Today, God has given you his portion through Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s full revelation to mankind. He is the Light to point to you the way to your salvation. “When He gave us Jesus Christ, He gave us all that we will ever need.” (Warren Wiersbe) Nothing can remove us from that relationship. If there is some dark “cave” holding you hostage, trust God’s promise. Cry out to him and know he is your refuge and portion in the land of the living.
   As you confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior, God’s Holy Spirit is now God’s portion to anoint you with eternal life. God’s will becomes your will. You walk into the light, faithful to the way God has anointed you.  

Psalms 141:7-10 “As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.” 8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge – do not give me over to death. 9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.
 
ONCE there was a youth camp for atheists. People who reject God felt if Christian youth could have a camp for recreation and sharing like thoughts, so the atheists could enjoy some time celebrating their unbelief in God. They could rejoice in themselves! Things went along well at the camp until the night the conversation turned to death. The young atheists could not grasp the thought of nothing after life. A great uneasiness and despair fell over the group, suddenly consumed with fearful thoughts of the end of their existence. People can easily say, “I don’t believe in God.” until the reality of life without God confronts their hearts.
   David confronted his enemies with this eternal emptiness. He quoted the opposition’s mockery of eternal life: “Our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave.”
   Then he countered that with God’s reality. Our bones spread on the ground are not our eternal truth. Life does not end at the mouth of the grave. Life continues and expands in God’s refuge. If our eyes are fixed on an empty death, a restlessness arises in our soul that cannot find peace. But when we fix our eyes on God, we see our life held firmly in our creator’s hand. His Word is our refuge, our hope and our joy.  
   We pray with David for the LORD to keep us from the snares and the traps set by evildoers. Emotional and spiritual snares are Satan’s methods to disturb our hearts. Unbelief and pride entrap many a heart to believe their wisdom exceeds God’s truth. They gather to celebrate their “wisdom” and mock the “superstitious” Christian mind.
   Snares, though, are just that. We think we’re safe in our self-absorbed truth. But something soon cause us to wonder, “What is true?”  As those young atheists learned, there is no escaping the snares of fear, emptiness and futility that wrap around a Godless heart.
   Pray against the unbelief that imprisons people you know and love. Pray they will turn to the LORD God to find a refuge that will embrace them forever. Help them to know the Lord Jesus Christ has come to show us how to pass by (death) in safety into his home. John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
   There is no grave when you are alive in Jesus.