The text for Pastor John's message this morning is taken from 2nd Thessalonians,

chapter 2, verse 13 through chapter 3, verse 5. But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God

has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the spirit and faith in the truth.

And it was for this he called you through our gospel that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then brethren stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught whether by word of mouth or by letter

from us.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,

comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified

just as it did also with you, and that we may be delivered from perverse and evil men for not all

have faith. But the Lord is faithful and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. And may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of

God and into the steadfastness of Christ.

Sermons on prayer and meditation are like books on marriage on marriage.

You might... books on marriage, you might read them and find yourself pointed toward some rich and deep and precious experiences in marriage, but the secrets and the

secrets and the joys and the blessings of marriage are found in the act of marriage,

not in books about them. And so it is with communion with God. I can talk about speaking

to God in prayer and hearing from God in the word,

I can tell you that it is a precious and deep

and wonderful thing to know God through his word and experience his voice

through his written word and express your heart back to him and carry on a sweet and deep

and growing communion with him, but you will discover it in the doing of it, not just in the hearing about it.

So my prayer is I take this message under my effort here is to my prayers that you would do it.

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