Ewald Frank

preached on 02. 08. 1992, 10:00, Krefeld, Germany

Topic: Matthew 11:28: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!"

broadcast on 01. 11. 2026

Praise the Lord for the privilege of being here once again to worship, to hear the Word of the Lord, to hear it in its original form, not interpretations, not opinions, but the original Word of our God. It also struck me what is written in Psalm 34. Psalm 34:

[1] I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

[2] My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

[3] O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.

When we read the Psalms and take their message to heart, we can all join in.

It has been announced that there will be first a child dedication, afterwards we shall once again ask Brother Goldner to share what is on his heart.

As we already said here last evening, we are after all more intimately connected with the people of Israel than with our own people or with any other nations. Every child of God throughout the world, in every nation, is most intimately connected with Israel. And anyone who cannot love the people of Israel should be told today that they cannot love God either. You cannot have one without the other.

Before we proceed with the child dedication, let us read the Word of the Lord from Mark chapter 10, Mark chapter 10, verses 13 to 16:

[13] And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.

[14] But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

[15] Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

[16] And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

As we must expect that some, out of tradition, know only that in churches children’s foreheads are sprinkled lightly with water, followed by a few signs of the cross and the recitation of a formula, it should be noted here that this is not biblical. What is biblical is that the children are brought to the Lord, that they are consecrated to him, consciously consecrated, not sprinkled, but blessed in the name of the Lord. As we have indeed read: “Let the little children come to me, and forbid them not.” [Mar 10:14] But now the word is addressed to us adults. “Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child…” [Mar 10:15]

That too is very important.

Adults find it difficult to be childlike and to believe. They want everything to be proven, they want to see and then believe. A child believes with childlike faith. And so we too, who are already adults, should believe with childlike faith in what God has told us in his Word and what he offers us by grace.

[15] Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

This statement too is very important. It is not others who lead us into the kingdom of God through any spiritual acts. Everyone must personally accept and embrace it and in this way establish a connection with God and be born into the kingdom of God according to the Scripture in John 3: “Verily I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [Joh 3:3]

And so, may these few words take root in all our hearts and anyone who has not yet consciously accepted the kingdom of God for themselves may do so today even during the blessing of the children.

Two further scriptures come to mind in this connection. When John the Baptist began his ministry, he did so with the words: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [Mat 3:2] When our Lord began his preaching, he uttered exactly the same words. [Mat 4:17] And then in Acts chapter 2, following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter acted on the Lord’s behalf, showed those who were coming to faith their way to salvation and what needed to be done. May the same thing happen here today. That God’s way may be shown to us and that we may walk this path and reach our destination.

Now I would like to ask the parents to come forward with their child.

I’m sure you will understand. Brother Goldner and I have shared many experiences together in Israel. I believe I have been there at least ten times, if not more. But the most beautiful experience was probably the one in Jericho. We spoke about the Old and New Testament time and again. And whilst we were in Jericho, all of a sudden, yes, was it even a thunderstorm, in any case, clouds covered the land and it rained heavily. And then a huge rainbow appeared, followed by a second huge rainbow. And we all looked, we looked on two mighty rainbows spanning the entire sky from one end to the other. And I said to Brother Goldner: “The one God made the Old and New Covenant.” Here we have the confirmation.

Oh yes, the God of Israel lives. We have already heard this from the prophet Isaiah.

And then I was reminded of the passage from the Gospel of John, chapter 1. I shall read only verse 4 here, and perhaps verse 9. Verse 4. Yes, one really ought to read a little more. Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 4 to 9:

[4] In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

[5] And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

[6] There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

[7] The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

[8] He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

[9] That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

[10] He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

What a powerful summary! And once again, the center of it all is our Lord. He is the way, the truth, and the life. [Joh 14:6] He is the bread, he is the light, he is all in all. And as is testified here, through him the world was made yet people did not recognize him. [Joh 1:10]

As for the people of Israel, I would just like to read two verses, very briefly, from Jeremiah 30. Jeremiah 30, verses 2 and 3:

[2] Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying, Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.

[3] For, lo, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah, saith the LORD: and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.

Amen. So it is written, and so it is happening before our very eyes.

As for the powers that have made themselves known on the Euphrates, Brother Goldner, we have a direct reference to this in Revelation chapter 9. Revelation chapter 9, here we shall read only verses 13 to 15:

[13] And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

[14] Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

[15] And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

On the Euphrates, and the powers that have recently made themselves known, that have already announced their arrival, will at that time have to carry out the task for which they are destined, as we have read, in order to then destroy a third of humanity, a humanity that wanted nothing to do with God, as we showed here in the article last night and referred to shortly afterwards. “Farewell to God” was the headline. Farewell to God.

We live in a time when people have turned their backs on God. There are only a few who come to him and believe him with all their hearts. Today I would like to read two scriptures that are intended to help us to have an encounter with the Lord. Sometimes we preach the Word in such a way that we seek to address non-believers and outsiders, using the words from Matthew 11, verse 28, for them, and today we shall consider it valid and beneficial for all of us.

Matthew chapter 11, verses 28 and 29:

[28] Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

[29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

It is not only outsiders, but also believers, who may be weighed down by various kinds of hardship, who may feel oppressed or discouraged due to certain circumstances. The Lord calls us all to himself today. He calls out to us: “Come unto me, all ye.” He does not say believers or unbelievers; he does not mention any nationalities, but everyone. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.”

Dear brother, dear sister, dear friends, the Lord has extended this invitation to us all. Today we may come to him. We may also bring others to him, and lay them at his feet. To this end, I shall read from Matthew 15, verse 30, simply a marvellous passage. May it come true amongst us today.

Matthew 15, verse 30:

[30] And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them:

[31] Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

I like the way it says that they laid all these people at the Lord’s feet. He could not step over them. He could not pass them by to the right or to the left. Wherever he wanted to go, there were these people. And our Lord certainly cannot walk past anyone and leave them lying there in that condition. Before he could go any further, he had to heal them one by one, in order to continue on his way.

Shouldn’t today’s service with the Lord be just as biblical as it was back then and as is recounted to us here in this Word, if we believe what is written in Hebrews 13, verse 8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”? Should we not also today lay at the Lord’s feet all those who are weary and burdened, all those who are in distress, whether in soul, in spirit or in body, and say: “Lord, you have called, and we have come. You said: ‘Come to me, all of you,’ and now we have all come. Lord, you cannot pass us by. You will do us good. You will save, forgive and heal. You will bless just as you blessed back then”?

May praise to God also rise up from amongst us because of the things he is visibly doing here. As we briefly mentioned yesterday evening, the sister who had been unable to see for 26 years, she was born blind, has received her sight through the power of God. We must trust God more, expect more from him. And sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we cannot help ourselves. That is when we need others to lay us before the Lord, to lay us down in faith.

Yes, that is how it is. We are much better at believing for others than for ourselves. Have you ever noticed that? And most believers have tremendous faith as long as they are not in any distress at all. They believe in healing to the hilt as long as they are healthy. And then when the slightest trouble comes along, oh, then the little boat starts rocking back and forth.

Why is that? God has made it so that we depend on one another, carry one another in prayer, bring one another before the Lord and expect and believe that he helps us. So whoever cannot get through it alone should not be ashamed, but should call upon their brothers and sisters for help, so that together we may press upon the throne of God, and say: “Lord, we are in distress. Here are the cases, one after the other: the blind, the mute, the lame, and whatever else there may be.”

It is not for you or me to do the work. He, the great God, the Creator of heaven and earth and the entire universe, of the visible and the invisible, he has the power. A single word from his mouth is enough. When he says to the leper: “Be cleansed,” then he is cleansed on the spot. [Mat 8:3] And when he says to the blind man: “Receive your sight,” then you may be assured that he will receive his sight. [Luk 18:42]

The Word of the Lord must always bring about what has been spoken. It is not possible for God to say: “Let there be light,” and for there not to be light. [Gen 1:3] That is impossible. When God says: “Let there be light,” then there must be light. And let no one ask where the light comes from or how it came into being. There is no need to explain or fathom that. But then it must be just as God has said. For he stands behind his Word with his omnipotence.

There is that beautiful scripture in Hebrews 1: “He sustains the universe through his almighty word.” [Heb 1:3] And if we realize here today that it is not the work of man nor the word of man that prevails here, but God’s Word and God’s work, and that God’s people are gathered here, and that we can indeed and are permitted to rely on God’s help, then great things can happen to us all today. Then we will pray for one another and believe, and that is what we shall do today. Together we shall take God at his Word and ask him to confirm his Word as true to us. Just as what the prophet Isaiah had spoken in chapter 35 was fulfilled in those days. May this be repeated, for the Lord has risen and is still doing the same today.

In Isaiah 35, from verse 4, it says: “Say to them that are of a fearful heart: Be strong.” Isn’t that marvelous? Those whose hearts are faint, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, you who have no way out and no longer know what to do. “Say to them that are of a fearful heart: Be strong, fear not, behold, your God will come.”

Why then should we still be afraid and remain despondent any longer? Redemption has taken place. The Lord himself has brought salvation and given it to us. Here indeed is the reason why we should not be despondent. “Behold, your God!”

We may look to God the Lord, who stooped down, took on human form and walked here on earth. “Say to them that are of a fearful heart: Be strong, fear not, behold, your God will come.”

Are these merely human words intended to comfort us here today? Or are they the words of God which must touch our hearts today and simply grant us what is written here? So that we may look to the Lord God and thus be snatched from our despondency and trust in the Lord who can make all things well, and has indeed made them well. I shall read on: “He will come and save you.”

We spoke about this yesterday, didn’t we? God did not send just anyone, fold his hands and stand by watching how things would turn out. That would not have been fair. God did send someone, but he himself was present in the one he sent. I believe we could read a verse from the Gospel of John, chapter 14, which illustrates this very clearly, namely John 14, from verse 10:

[10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

[11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

A very clear statement, requiring no interpretation or explanation whatsoever. Let us read on here in Isaiah 35:

[4] … he will come and save you.

[5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

[6] Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing…

Has all this come to pass in the ministry of our Lord? It has happened. John the Baptist sent word: “Are you the one, or should we wait for another?” [Mat 11:3] The answer was: “Go and tell John, The blind see, the lame walk, and the gospel is preached to the poor.” [Mat 11:4-5]

On this day, in this place, let us bear in mind that in our Lord and Saviour, everything that was written concerning him has been fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled until the end of the time of grace. Our Lord must remain the same from beginning to end. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. [Rev 22:13] He cannot change. Nor can his actions change. They must be and remain as they have been from the very beginning.

Let us experience a part of the Book of Acts for ourselves in these days. All the blessings reported there are what we too wish to recount, namely that God’s Word finds confirmation in us. Just as we have read here in the Gospel of Matthew and can also read in many other scriptures. But please, let us not simply move on from this verse to the agenda, but let us really focus on the matter at hand today.

There really are so many hardships wherever one looks. There are hardships everywhere. And the enemy has set out to destroy the believers, to turn everything upside down. Trials of the worst kind are indeed everywhere. And we have also realized that we are not in a position to resolve all these hardships. We have good suggestions, but that is not enough.

Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. [Psa 121:2; Psa 124:8] Our help comes from him who calls out to us: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest unto your souls.” [Mat 11:28-29]

Shall we not take a chance in faith and lay these individual cases at the Lord’s feet, as it is written here? The dumb, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and all manner of sick people were brought. And I’m glad to read this again: they were laid down at Jesus’ feet. [Mat 15:30] That is what is written here.

One might say: “That was not quite proper. The manners didn’t seem quite right.” But they are in fact quite right. When people are in need, they don’t pay attention to proper etiquette. They have only one concern, that they and those they bring to the Lord may be helped. And in such cases it is always right to lay people at the Lord’s feet.

And we can all be sure that he will not turn away and walk off in another direction, leaving those laid at his feet behind. Or do you think that if everyone is laid at the Lord’s feet, he will simply turn away and leave them there? No. He does not turn away. He turns towards us and he helps us. And then we follow him.

We read time and again in Holy Scripture that the people to whom he showed his love, his grace, and his power followed him. They knew and recognized that he is the Lord, the Savior. Some did not do so straight away, like the ten lepers. Nine went on their way, whilst the tenth gave thanks on behalf of them all. [Luk 17:13-18] In any case, let us take to heart today what we are contemplating here. What happened back then can be repeated today. Do you all believe that?

He will not turn away from us. He has called us, and we have come. If we could have found help anywhere else, that would have been fine. But our help truly comes only from the Lord. Even if we try this or that ourselves, it does not work. We are truly dependent on God the Lord.

I would like to read briefly from the Book of Acts chapter 7. Here Stephen delivered one of the longest sermons recorded in the New Testament. I shall read from Acts chapter 7 from verse 30:

[30] And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.

I would like you to pay close attention to the wording and to what is written in connection with it. An angel appeared to Moses in a flame of fire in a bush. This is recounted to us in Exodus 3. We are all familiar with these particular scriptures. I’ll read verse 31:

[31] When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the LORD came unto him…

I think an angel had appeared, and now the voice of the Lord rings out. So who was actually there, the angel or the Lord? I’ll read on. It gets even more interesting, verse 32:

[31] The voice of the Lord came unto him,

[32] Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

So who was actually there? Was God there? Was the Lord there? Was the angel there? You see, even in the Old Testament, the Lord God revealed himself visibly in the form of an angel in a spiritual body. Yet he was still the Lord and could say:

[32] I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

[33] Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

[34] I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

Here we see something truly marvellous, namely the work of the Lord God on this earth. And these days we are genuinely interested in experiencing God’s work here on this earth. It is not enough for us merely to read what God did in the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the days of Moses and the prophets, or even at the beginning of the New Testament. We have the right, in these days, the final days of God’s plan of salvation, to witness God’s work.

Please, let us once again consider together what is reported here in the New Testament from the Old Testament. Verse 33: [33] Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

Why was this land suddenly holy? Because the Holy God had set foot upon it, because he was personally present. The Lord God is not some vague idea. God is a personal Lord and God, who has made himself known, revealed himself and spoken to those whom he intended to use for specific tasks in his plan.

We read on here in verse 34, and this is what I like most about this description: “I,” so the Lord:

[34] I have seen the affliction of my people, which is in Egypt.

The Lord takes the cause of his people personally to heart. He may send prophets, he sent Moses too, to carry out certain tasks in his name, but he takes the cause of his people personally to heart.

And as we read this, let us apply it to the new covenant and simply see him who has taken the cause of his people to heart with such boundless love. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [Joh 3:16]

A person does not perish because they have sinned; a person is lost because they do not believe that they have been saved, justified, and acquitted by God. A person is lost, even though they have been saved, if they do not personally accept that salvation.

And that reminds me of Brother Branham’s statement. You all know the story of the condemned man in the United States. I believe it was Abraham Lincoln, the president at the time, who had written on a piece of paper: “I forgive you,” or you, or this man, and signed it. But this document did not bear the White House letterhead, was not an official document, but simply a sheet of paper. And the condemned man could not believe that it really came from the president, because it did not look official. And then, as the story goes, this man whom the president had forgiven, who could have been released from prison, was nevertheless executed. And then there were the headlines in the daily newspapers: How was it that the man who had been acquitted by the president himself was nevertheless executed?

Then came the answer: “Because he did not accept the forgiveness.”

My dear friends, on Golgotha, God granted a complete acquittal. Humanity has been redeemed. God’s forgiveness, grace, and salvation have been bestowed upon us, but they must be accepted. Whoever accepts it personally for themselves may walk free. Surely that is the very heart of the message of the cross and the crucified one, the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Let me quickly finish reading this passage:

[34] I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.

Then it goes on to say:

[35] This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.

Shall we read on? This is the same angel who was on Mount Sinai. I shall read this verse to you so that you may know that it was the Lord God in visible form. Verse 38:

[38] This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.

Look, here is the great mystery of God. Just as God revealed himself in visible form from the beginning of time, and he is called the angel of the covenant, the angel of his countenance, and is also described here as an angel. For in the Old Testament, he had not yet become human; he was in a spiritual body. In the New Testament, he is the same. He has merely passed from a spiritual body into a body of flesh, because we, because Adam and Eve, and thus the whole of humanity, had sinned in this body of flesh.

The Lord himself had to come into this body of flesh to take upon himself the curse of sin. According to the Scripture: “the wages of sin is death.” [Rom 6:23] He had to take the full curse upon himself according to the Scripture: “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” [Deu 21:23; Gal 3:13] And suddenly he himself was hanged on a tree. In the spiritual body, he could neither suffer nor die, nor could he have felt deep compassion for you and me. He came in the flesh so that he might become a faithful high priest [Heb 2:17], found in fashion as a man, so that he might understand us, feel with us, and not condemn us from on high, but might grant us acquittal on the basis of the grace of God which has been bestowed upon us.

The Lord says: “I have seen the affliction of my people.” [Exo 3:7; Act 7:34] How marvelous, a people chosen by God himself! And the Lord has taken up the cause of his people. The same applies to the New Testament. In the New Testament, he has chosen a people out of every kindred and tongue and people for his name’s sake.

And beloved, as has already been mentioned, there will be a baptism following this service. A word to all who wish to be baptized today: First, accept what God has given us in Christ. Do not merely say: “We are being baptized because baptism is required by the Lord.” According to the Scripture: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” [Mat 28:19-20] These are the last words of our Lord according to Matthew.

And then come the final words according to Mark, which the Lord spoke, telling us to go and preach the gospel. Mark 16 verse 16 states: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”. Faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior is the prerequisite for biblical baptism. The faith that God in Christ was reconciled with mankind, that in Christ he bestowed grace rather than justice, that the condemnation fell upon him, and that by grace we may go forth free to then enter into the covenant of a good conscience with God, the covenant that was established on Golgotha. [1Pet 3:21]

In Matthew 26 verse 26, we find our Lord’s glorious statement. I do not wish to quote it, but rather to read it aloud so that it is reproduced accurately. Here it is written, perhaps we shall read only verse 28. Matthew 26 verse 28:

[28] For this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Here our Lord and Redeemer spoke of the new covenant, just as Moses consecrated the first covenant at that time and sprinkled the people with the blood of the sacrifice, and the book likewise. [Exo 24:8; Heb 9:19] So the same thing happened in the New Testament. Here the Lord shed his holy blood, in which was the holy, divine life, as we have read: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” [Joh 1:4] He gave his blood and his life. He gave himself up for you and for me, to redeem us, to justify us, and to make us his own people.

Anyone who wishes to be baptized according to the Bible must experience a biblical conversion to the Lord, not a conversion to a doctrine or a fellowship, a conversion to the Lord, your God. You must have a personal connection and relationship with your Lord. Before you can step into the water and make a covenant with him of a good conscience, you must have accepted by faith that God has made a covenant with mankind in Christ, and that the blood of the Lamb has been shed for the forgiveness of our guilt and sin. According to the Scripture from Colossians chapter 1: “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”. [Col 1:14]

And if you can believe this from the heart today, and as we have read, come to him according to the Scripture: “Come unto me, all ye”. [Mat 11:28] Once again, not to a doctrine, not to a church. “Come unto me,” saith the Lord. This is his call.

And as we have often said, in the sermon, the connection is not established from the preacher to the congregation, nor from the listeners to the preacher. Rather, through the direct proclamation of the Word of God, the connection is established from God to the people and from the people to God. Today, it is to happen in this way so that we may all come to realize here: it is the Lord who calls me, it is he who speaks to me. I lay myself at his feet. He cannot go on; he must save me, heal me, and confirm his Word as true in my life.

He saw the misery of his people. The cry of his people reached him, and he came down and redeemed the people of Israel. [Exe 3:7-8] In the same way, the cry of all those who were destined for redemption has risen up to him. He came, redeemed us, and reconciled us to himself in Christ. [2Cor 5:18-19] We can only exclaim with the apostle: “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” [2Cor 5:20]

Do accept this reconciliation today, wholeheartedly and with perfect faith. Do not take it merely as a sermon. Accept it as a divine reality for yourselves personally today, and say: “Lord, today you have truly spoken to me. Today I have understood you. Today I come to you, just as I am, and lay myself at your feet. I cannot go on any longer. I am coming to you. Confirm your Word to me yourself.”

Beloved, the Lord himself has taken charge of the cause of his people. He sent prophets at all times, but he himself has taken charge of the cause of his people. Prophets foretold and announced what he would do, and then he did it himself. The apostles then confirmed, proclaimed, and wrote that the Old Testament promises had been fulfilled in Jesus Christ. And we may exclaim with the Apostle Paul: “All the promises of God are yes and amen to the glory of God through us.” [2Cor 1:20]

Thus it is written in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, verses 20 and 21.

Let us get serious with God today and not leave as we came. From the illustrative teaching, from the sermon to an experience with God, today things are to become serious for you and for me. Today let us experience God together in this place. Amen.

Let us give thanks together. Lord our God, we have come because you have called us. Together we lift up our voices to you, O Lord. You have called and we have come to have a new experience with you. Lord, you are present. Your Word is alive and you confirm your Word to all who believe. And in faith we have come and give thanks to you for redemption, for forgiveness, for deliverance, for healing. We give thanks to you, Lord Almighty God, for you are present and are confirming your holy Word in our spirit, soul and body at this very moment. Lord, together we thank you that you have heard us, that you have forgiven our guilt and covered our sin, that we may be reconciled to you, O God.

Just as surely as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross of Calvary, so surely was God himself in Christ and reconciled the world to himself at that very moment. [2Cor 5:19] We thank you that we are personally included in this, O Lord, and that we have been made your own by grace. Lord, confirm the Word of the cross in each and every one of us today, through salvation, through healing, through deliverance, through the mighty victory of Calvary, which has been proclaimed and experienced here today, in this very place. We thank you for this. Today salvation has come to us. Today you have saved, you have forgiven, and you have bestowed grace and salvation. Now we thank you, O Lord, that you have done this.

Hallelujah. Lord, we are redeemed. We believe that you have taken up the cause of your people. We have accepted this for ourselves personally, and you have now accomplished it in each and every one of us. We give thanks that the victory and the blessing of what happened on the cross of Calvary have taken place within us and upon us today. We are the result of what God has done in Christ, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for this. Hallelujah. Amen.

Have you all believed? Amen. That is all one can do, and God confirms his holy Word. Hallelujah. Praise be to the name of the Lord. Just say hallelujah. Amen. Hallelujah. Praise be to God. Praise be to God.

You know, we are not in a cemetery. This is not a funeral. Jesus has risen. He lives, and we have been privileged to experience him as the living one. Hallelujah. His word is true. Blessed and praised be his marvelous and holy name.