As God will enable me, I want
to talk as plainly as I possibly can about the purpose of God,
the purpose of God. You'll find my text in the 14th
chapter of Isaiah's gospel, Isaiah 14. While you're turning, in 1 John
2 and verse 18, The Apostle John was inspired of God to say to
us, to us today, and to the Church of God in his day, in that first
century of Christianity, little children, it is the last time. And ye have heard that Antichrist
shall come. Even now there are many Antichrist
whereby we know that it is the last time. When you read in scripture
about the last day, the last time, the last days, don't ever
just push out into the future. The last time began with our
Lord's first advent and his work as our mediator, as God's servant
upon this earth, accomplishing eternal redemption for us by
his obedience unto death. But the last time is brought
to its conclusion, its finality, at our Lord's second advent,
when he comes again, raises the dead, makes all things new, and
we reign forever with our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. As you read
the book of Revelation, John is given seven visions of the
last time. Each vision begins with the first
advent of Christ and concludes with the second advent of Christ.
And each vision tells a story. The story is the same in all
seven visions. The sure triumph of Christ and
his church by the gospel. The sure triumph of Christ and
his church by the gospel, no matter how things look. No matter
how things feel, no matter what we experience, Jesus Christ has
come in the last time. And he began the new creation
when he redeemed his people from their sins. He continues that
new creation when he makes us new creatures in Christ. And
he will consummate the new creation when he makes all things new,
having consumed the present heavens and the present earth in the
fire of his wrath. Now, if you'll turn with me to
Isaiah 14, Let's begin by reading verses 26 and 27. And here God,
the Holy Ghost, gives us the message of the chapter. Isaiah
14, 26. This is the purpose that is purposed
upon the whole earth. Now you'll see in just a moment,
it's talking about Lucifer's braggadocious, arrogant rebellion. He's gonna take over being God.
And the Lord God says, this is the purpose that is purposed
upon the whole earth. And this is the hand that is
stretched out upon all the nations. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall disannul it? And his hand is stretched out,
and who can turn it back? Now I want you to just hold your
Bibles open at Isaiah 14 as we look at these 32 verses of inspiration. Isaiah 14 was written by divine
inspiration for us. When you read the book of God,
always understand, if you're one of God's, if you're a believer,
this is God's word to you right now, June 3rd, 2018. It's written
to us, as I read through this chapter, I'm fully aware of the
fact that it was a prophecy written and given to the nation of Israel,
assuring that nation that though they must for a time be oppressed
by the Philistines, the Assyrians and the Babylonians, Though they
must for a time be in captivity, God at last would deliver them
to their own place and to their own land, and he would destroy
their enemies. This is God's purpose. Now I
know the prophecy relates to those historic facts, but the
more I read and study this book, the more I read and study this
chapter, the more increasingly convinced I am that there is
much, much more here than what is described in the historic
events. This is not written just about
a period of Jewish and Babylonian history that ended more than
several thousand years ago. This chapter, as is true with
regard to all Scripture, was written for us, for our learning
and for our admonition that we, through patience and consolation
of Scripture, might have hope. This inspired prophecy, I am
certain, if properly understood, is as practical for you and me
today as it was for the children of Israel when it was written
to them. It is as practical for you and
me today, this 14th chapter of Isaiah, as the 14th chapter of
Romans is to us as well. It is at least, has at least
as much to say to God's church in 2018 as it did to the nation
of Israel when Isaiah gave it in the year that King Ahaz died.
You see, all scripture All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
All scripture is profitable for instruction, for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect, complete, truly furnished, prepared
unto all good works. The subject of this chapter is
the spiritual conflict. that exist in all ages, and it's
conflict that began before God created the heavens and the earth,
before ever a man was put upon the earth. It's a conflict of
the ages, a conflict between light and darkness. between God
and Satan, between Christ and Antichrist, between the Church
of God and Babylon, a conflict between the Prince of Darkness
and the Prince of Heaven, a conflict between Lucifer and our blessed
Lord Jesus Christ, a conflict that rages constantly without
end. This conflict has a certain termination. This conflict that's constantly
going on between the children of God and the children of the
devil. It's a conflict that we must understand. Unless you understand
this conflict, you will not understand history. And unless you understand
this conflict, you will not understand this book. And unless you understand
this conflict, you will not understand what's going on day by day in
our lives. Now listen carefully. It is the
purpose of Satan to overthrow the throne of God, to defeat
the purpose of God, and to destroy the people of God. And the principal
weapon by which he wages his warfare is religion. It is the
purpose of Satan to overthrow the throne of God, defeat the
purpose of God, and destroy the people of God. And the principal
weapon of warfare he uses is religion. It is the purpose of
God to destroy Satan, utterly to destroy Satan. His works and
his followers for the salvation of his people and the glory of
his own great name. I won't attempt to explain everything
in this chapter, nor do I pretend to understand everything written
in the chapter, but I know the message of the chapter and I
want to call your attention to four things as we go through
these 32 verses. Here's the first, verses 1, 2,
and 3. The Lord God will have mercy upon Jacob. The Lord God will have mercy
upon Jacob. Now this is the long and short
of that. God must and shall save his elect. in every part of the
world, in every age of time, God will have mercy upon Jacob. Doesn't matter who the president
is, doesn't matter who's sitting in Congress, doesn't matter what
laws are passed, be they such as we would invoke or such as
we would despise. God will have mercy upon Jacob. Look at Isaiah 14, one. For the
Lord will have mercy on Jacob. and will yet choose Israel and
set them in their own land. And the strangers shall be joined
with them." That is Gentiles shall be joined with Jews. And
they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall
take them and bring them to their place. And the house of Israel
shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and
handmaids. And they shall take them captives,
whose captives they were. And they, the house of Jacob,
the children of Israel, they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in
that day, or in the day, that the Lord shall give thee rest
from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage
wherein thou wast made to serve. Jacob is God's elect. The house of Israel is God's
chosen. The nation of Israel, all through
the Old Testament scriptures, from the beginning of the nation,
through the days that our Lord Jesus, by his judgment in 70
AD, destroyed the nation. The nation of Israel was representative
and typical of God's church, the Israel of God, typical of
God's kingdom. That physical kingdom was typical
and representative of God's spiritual kingdom, the Israel of God. And
we who believe are God's Israel. Please, please, please hear that.
We who believe are God's Israel. Hold your hands here and turn
to Philippians chapter three. Philippians three. I could show
you this in many places. Galatians three. If you believe,
you're the children of Abraham, the seed of Abraham. Romans two,
he's not a Jew outwardly, but one inwardly. We who are God's
elect are God's Israel. Now, personally, my own opinions
about what's going on over in that land called Israel today,
I have some opinions about that, but that's got nothing to do
with the Israel of God. That is nothing except as they,
like all other nations, exist for the saving of God's people,
for the preserving of God's people, and for the glory of God's name.
They, as well as the Palestinians with whom they are constantly
at war, all serve the saving purpose of God for his Israel. And God's Israel, God's holy
nation, is his church. Listen to Philippians chapter
3. Paul writes, Finally, brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write
the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, for you
it is safe. I keep telling you the same thing
because you need to hear it. Beware of dogs, especially the
ones that have collars. Beware of dogs, you'll catch
that in a little while. Beware of evil workers, beware
of the concision. dogs, religious dogs. These were described in the Old
Testament scriptures as prostitutes. And Paul here speaks of religious
deceivers in the pulpit as male prostitutes, men who sell themselves
and sell the truth of God for a little bit of cash, for a little
bit of reputation, for a little bit of name. Beware of evil workers. These are not folks who teach
you how to practice fornication and ungodliness and drunkenness
and revelry and theft. These are folks who teach religious
stuff, religious obedience, religious deeds. Beware of the concision. These are people who teach you
to mortify the flesh physically to make yourself spiritually
holy. Teach you to do things to cut
your flesh, to commit circumcision, to do away with this part of
your diet or that part of the diet to make yourself holy. Beware
of them, they're dogs. For we are the circumcision.
We are those who are truly circumcised, not in the flesh, but in the
heart, born again by God the Holy Spirit, which worship God
in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus. Brother Mark Medley,
back in the office in praying, asked God to teach us, teach
us, teach us, not to trust our works. We do not rest in or trust
in the flesh, but in the spirit, in Christ Jesus, and we have
no confidence in the flesh. We trust his blood and his righteousness. We trust his power and his grace. We trust his wisdom and his rule,
not ourselves and not others. We trust Christ the Lord we who
are God's Israel in all that God does or allows to be done
And I don't even like that term allows When God allows that he
purposed it in all that God does and allows to be done He will
have mercy upon his elect. That's the message of Romans
828. Having chosen us in Christ in eternal election before the
world was as the objects of his mercy, God will never turn from
us to do us good. having chosen us, his elect,
his Jacob, his Israel, as the objects of his mercy, he will
never turn from us to do us good. He will yet choose Israel. God will bring his elect into
the land of promise, called here their own place. That's not that
literal piece of land over on the other side of the world.
Their place is in Christ. Their place is grace. Their place
is God's salvation. Their place is heaven. Their
own land, the land God has promised, is the land of everlasting life.
God will bring his elect to their place by his promise, by the
purchase of our Savior's blood, by the power of his grace, and
by all the works of his providence. In the end, when God has finished
all that he purposed from eternity, he will cause his people to rule
over their oppressors. If we have time, we'll read about
it in a little bit in Revelation 18 and 19. But God in the end
will cause his church to rule over the nations of the world. You shall sit in judgment over
the nations of the world with God so that his church will tread
upon the necks of their oppressors. And he will give us everlasting
rest. The Lord shall give thee rest. Rest from all sorrow. Rest from
all trial. Rest from all bondage. Rest from
all fear. Rest from all that troubles us.
Now, look at verses four through 23. And learn this second thing. The Lord will have mercy on Jacob.
And the Lord will overthrow and destroy all his enemies. Come here and listen to me. Let
me tell you who God's enemies are. Everybody who opposes you. Everybody who opposes his people. Everybody. I didn't say Somebody
being my enemy makes them God's enemy. Somebody being God's enemy
makes them my enemy. And they oppose me as God's. They oppose me because I belong
to Him. See if I can illustrate it. When
our daughter was in the second grade, she loved school. She
loved school. And suddenly she got to a place
she didn't want to go. She'd been going to school every
time she could since she was three years old. She started
with Shelby in kindergarten. She loved going to school. And
suddenly in second grade, she didn't want to go to school.
And we couldn't figure out what was going on. So finally, Shelby
and I made an appointment. She was teaching at the school,
but she taught at the same school, but she taught at a one-room
school down in Winona. But it was the same system. And we made
an appointment to see the principal. We knew him pretty well. And
he said, I'm surprised you waited so long to get here. And I said,
Albert, what's going on? I might have said Mr. Pennington
since we were in his office, but we knew him pretty well.
I said, what do you mean? He said, well, I know Faith's
been having some trouble. And he recognized that her second
grade teacher had been calling her out, ridiculing her. If she'd say yes, ma'am, she'd
poke fun at her for saying it. If she'd say no, ma'am, she'd
poke fun at her for saying it. She was being real hard with
Faith and couldn't figure out why, so he called the teacher
in. The teacher had nothing against Faith. She wasn't upset with
Faith. She was upset with me. And she
didn't even know me. She didn't know me. She finally,
she said, well, I know you don't approve of my lifestyle. I said,
I called her by name. I won't do that now. I said,
I don't even know your lifestyle. She said, well, I know you don't
approve of me living with this man. I said, I didn't know you
lived with him. Didn't know anything about it.
But she thought that I was her enemy. And so she would take
it out on my child. That's a good thing for teachers
to do. I've seen a lot of that. But that's exactly what Satan
does with God's people. And those who are God's enemies
are all who oppose you, his people. The Lord God will overthrow and
destroy his enemies. Look at verse four. Thou shalt
take up this proverb against the king of Babylon and say,
how hath the oppressor ceased? Look at that big fella now. How
hath the oppressor, you think you're somebody? Look what God's
done to you. The golden city ceased. The Lord
hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the
rulers. Without question, the immediate
reference here is to the king of literal Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar
or Belshazzar. But no limits can be placed on
this passage in that regard. To limit it just to Nebuchadnezzar
or Belshazzar is a great mistake. The prophecy looks beyond those
men. It looks beyond the days of Israel's
deliverance from Babylon in a physical way to the end of time, the time
of the restitution of all things. It looks even beyond the day
of judgment to the new creation. and the redemption of God's creation
from all the consequences of the fall. When our Lord Jesus
Christ came here and redeemed us by his blood in his sin atoning
death, he came making all things new. When he comes by his grace
in regeneration, making us new creatures in Christ, he makes
all things new. He says in prophecy later on
in Isaiah, said God will wipe tears from their eyes. And then
we read about him coming again in his everlasting glory and
his great glorious second advent and making all things new. And
he says he'll wipe all tears from their eyes. So that the
new creation has these three stages. Redemption by blood,
redemption by grace, and redemption by the creative power of Christ
our King. Look at verse seven. The whole
earth is at rest and is quiet. Won't that be something? Won't
that be something? When God makes all things new,
the whole earth at rest. They break forth into singing. Yea, the fir trees rejoice at
thee, and the cedars of Lebanon saying, since thou art laid down,
no feller is come up against us. Isaiah must have been a southern
feller. No feller has come up against
us. No opposer, nothing to oppose, nothing to injure, nothing to
harm. God will ultimately destroy Babylon. all false religion and the king
of Babylon, Satan. He will deliver his creation
from the influence of evil and he will wipe the slime of the
serpent off the face of his creation. And then the whole earth shall
be at rest. God will destroy Satan and the
religion of Satan. Babylon, the golden city, the
God of peace shall tread Satan under your feet shortly. The
powers of darkness, all of them shall be destroyed. He tells
us in verse five, the Lord has broken the staff of the wicked
and the scepter of the rulers. The persecutor shall then be
persecuted. Verse six, he who spoke to people
in wrath with continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in
anger is persecuted and none hindereth. What does that mean? It means exactly what it looks
like it means. When God has finished, you and
I will have our will over the prince of darkness, and he will
never have his will over us. Look at verses seven and eight.
At last, the whole earth will be delivered into what Paul calls
in Romans chapter eight, the glorious liberty of the sons
of God. The whole earth is at rest and
is quiet. They break forth into singing,
yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon
say, since thou art laid down, no fetter has come against us,
because the creature itself shall be delivered from the bondage
of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Some
years ago, Brother Mahan and I were driving down to the meeting
in Cherokee, North Carolina. We always went in the fall. And
we stopped at an overlook, overlooking the mountains. Ah, just beautiful
that time of the year. And we stood there and chatted
for a little bit. He said, he said, Brother Fortner, you know,
there wouldn't be much wrong with this earth if there wasn't
any sin in it. This would be a good place to
live if there weren't any sin. and soon there shall be no sin,
none to oppose, and God will make all things new. I don't
pretend to know what heavenly glory will be. I know it shall
be, and I know it shall be glorious, but I have not seen nor heard,
neither has it entered into the heart of man what God's prepared
for them that love him. But somehow I suspect, somehow
I just suspect, that when God makes all things new, we will
live serving our God in the perfection of humanity, in the image of
Christ, very much, Lindsay, as we do right now, with no sin,
and nothing to oppress, and nothing to hinder. Perfectly, forever,
agelessly. Perfectly, forever, agelessly. Oh, I can't imagine such. But our God will make all things
new. Satan and the man of sin will then be cast into hell.
Verse nine, hell from beneath is moved. for thee to meet thee
at thy coming. It stirreth up the dead for thee,
even all the chief ones of the earth. It hath raised up from
their thrones all the kings of the nations. The kings of the
nations, Babylon's servants. The kings of the nations, Babylon's
servants. Did you hear me? The kings of
the nations, Babylon's servants. and they shall speak and say
unto thee, art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like
unto us? Thy pop is brought down to the
grave, and the noise of thy vials, the worm is spread unto thee,
and the worms cover thee. and the saints of God shall rejoice
and sing forever, taunting Satan, Antichrist, and Babylon. Lucifer,
in this passage, most certainly refers to a man, a mere Babylonian
king. But that Babylonian king was
a type, a picture, a representative, and indeed himself a servant
of the devil. But this is here an obvious allusion
to Satan and his fall. I say that with confidence because
our Lord Jesus said in Luke 10, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven. Look at verse 12, Isaiah 14.
How art there fallen from heaven, O Lucifer? O Lucifer, prince
of darkness. Wicked one, Apollyon, deceiver,
that old dragon, the serpent! How art thou fallen, O Lucifer,
son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the
ground, which didst weaken the nations? For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount
of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds. I will be like the most high.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the
pit. They that see thee shall narrowly
look upon thee and consider thee saying, is this the man? that
made the earth to tremble and did shake the nations? Oh, so
thorough shall be our master, our savior, in his conquest over
Satan, that we shall look upon him who caused humanity so much
trouble. Are you the one that caused the
earth to tremble and shook the nations? that made the world
as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened
not the house of his prisoners. All the kings of the nations,
even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. but
thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and
as the raiment of those that are slain thrust through with
a sword that go down to the stones of the pit as a carcass trodden
underfoot. Other kings are buried in their
palaces like the ancient pharaohs in Egypt, buried in their pyramids
in royalty and splendor, but you, you, Lucifer, you have been
thrown out of the grave like a worthless corpse. But you know,
verse 20, thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because
thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people. The seed
of evildoers shall never be renowned. prepare slaughter for his children,
for the iniquity of their fathers, that they do not rise nor possess
the land, nor fill the face of their world with cities, for
I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and
cut off from Babylon the name and the remnant, the son and
nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession
of the bittern and pools of water. I will sweep it with the besom
of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts. Babylon shall be destroyed. Number three, the Lord our God
will accomplish all his purpose, all of it. When our Savior stands
and says, time shall be no more, then all the purpose of God has
been accomplished, all of it. Nothing lacking, nothing missing. His purpose is unaltered and
unhindered. Many seem to think, foolishly,
that when Satan tempted our father Adam and Adam fell in the garden,
when Lucifer fell from heaven, when this war began before every
time began, when Satan opposed Christ the Lord, the God-man
sitting on his throne, many people had the idea that somehow everything's
out of kilter. God says concerning this, this
is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth. God's purpose
is unhindered, unaltered by anything. God's purpose is unhindered,
unaltered by anything. Look at verse 24. The Lord of
hosts has sworn saying, surely as I have thought, so shall it
come to pass. And as I have purposed, so shall
it stand. I have often used the word plan
referring to God's purpose. And I will probably slip up and
do so again. That's a bad term. That's a bad,
bad mistake. God doesn't make plans. I make plans. Sometimes I write
them down because I can't remember them. and the best plans I make
have ways of getting interrupted. Plans are one thing, purpose
is something else. God said what I thought, what
I thought, I purposed, and when God purposes it, it shall come
to pass. So shall it stand. That I will
break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him
underfoot. I will break the Assyrian, not
in his land, in my land, not on his mountain, on my mountain.
That is, out of Zion I will crush the serpent. Then shall his yoke
depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their
shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole
earth. And this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the
nations. Whose hand? God's hand, Christ's
hand. I rule that I've got my hand
stretched out over that nation, and that nation, and that nation,
and that nation, and this nation. My hand is stretched out over
the nations so that I rule them like a man maneuvers puppets
on a string. For the Lord of hosts hath purposed,
and who shall disannul it? His hand is stretched out, and
who shall turn it back? Our God will accomplish and is
accomplishing his purpose in all things. Our God will accomplish
and is accomplishing his purpose in all things, everywhere, by
everything, and by everybody. He accomplishes his purpose by
everything that comes to pass, by everybody who lives on this
earth, and he does it everywhere all the time. In creation, in
providence, in grace, in heaven, in earth, in hell, God has his
way. In creation, in providence, in
grace, in heaven, in earth, in hell, God has his way. thou has done whatsoever thou
has pleased. Therefore the prophet's words
come with great power. Oh, how they ought to settle
our hearts and our souls. Say ye to the righteous, it shall
be well with him. It shall be well with him, no
matter what. And woe to the wicked, it shall
be ill to him. Number four, God will build,
preserve and save his church. Verse 28, in the year that King
Ahaz died was this burden. Isaiah was inspired to give us
the time of the prophecy so that when the prophecy was fulfilled,
no one could say, well, he was looking back and this was written
at a later time. He wrote about it before it came
to pass. Israel's enemies rejoiced when Uzziah died. They thought
nobody could be more hard against us than this man Uzziah. We prefer
Ahaz. but God raised up Ahaz and gave
Ahaz greater power and greater usefulness for his people than
Uzziah had. The wicked always rejoice when faithful
witnesses go down to the grave. Read Revelation 17. The two witnesses
are slain and fall in the street and the whole world throws a
party. when faithful witnesses go down to the grave. But Christ
is still on his throne, and he will raise up others in their
place to the destruction of Babylon and the salvation of his chosen.
That's the message of Revelation 18 and 19. Read on, verse 29,
Isaiah 14. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestinia,
because the rod of him that smote thee is broken. Don't rejoice
because Uzziah is dead, for out of the serpent's root shall come
forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor,
the firstborn of God's chosen, the poor of this earth, shall
feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety. And I will kill
thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl,
O gate! Cry, O city! Thou whole Palestina,
all who oppose God, art dissolved. for there shall come from the
north a smoke and none shall be alone in his appointed times. If in the end God destroys the
Babylon, destroys the Philistines, they will surely flee from before
him and his church and kingdom is safe. And as God cast the
wicked into hell and they cry for the mountains and hills to
fall on them and hide them from the face of the lamb, God's church
is forever safe. Look at verse 32. What shall
one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the Lord
hath founded Zion and the poor of his people shall trust in
it. Trust in the Lord who founded
Zion, who made this promise. The Lord founded Zion, his people,
and his people shall be gathered into Zion. If God be for us,
who can be against us? You see, Zion is the Lord's.
He chose her. He established her. He will defend
her. And though Zion's enemies may
for a while seem to triumph, Though the transgressions of
Zion may at times bring us into captivity, yet the Lord loves
Zion still and will bless her. Oh, how we ought to thank God
for his immutable faithfulness. His love for us is in no way
dependent upon or determined by our love for him. His faithfulness
to us is in no way dependent upon or determined by our faithfulness
to him. The Lord will yet bless his own. The poor of his people know this
and are assured of it and depend upon it. The Lord God says, I
will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor
people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. And
in the end, Satan, Babylon, Antichrist, and
all who receive the mark of the beast, all who follow the way
of will worship and works religion, the way of Babylon, the way of
Cain, the way of Lucifer, the way of Antichrist, all shall
go down to the pit in judgment. And the kings of the earth and
the peoples of the earth, made drunk with the wine of Babylon's
fornication, made drunk with the religion of this world, shall
forever be trodden underfoot by the people of God as we rejoice
and give thanks to Him who sits upon the throne, our Savior,
and sing, Alleluia, Alleluia. The salvation of our God is come. and the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. This is the purpose of God and
this is what God is doing and this is what God shall do to
the end of time until at last his purpose is accomplished. How that ought to sustain and
rejoice our hearts as we seek to serve him. We all like to be on the winning
side, don't we? Some years ago, Will, when he
was just a boy, had a University of Tennessee baseball cap. And
I said to him, I said, Will, why are you wearing a UT cap? And he's talking about the Cats
football team. He said, because we're not any
good. Like to be on the winning side. Christ Jesus, the captain
of our salvation, always prevails. He always conquers. And he and
his cause shall prevail over all at last. Amen.