Back in Psalm 115, our text will
be taken from verse 15. You are blessed of the Lord,
which made heaven and earth. And I hope that the message will
be beneficial in simply reminding us of that blessed fact that
we are blessed of the Lord, which has made heaven and earth. Notice
again how the Psalm begins. David says, not unto us, Oh Lord,
not unto us, spoken twice. It's needful that we be reminded
of that. Who has blessed us and why? To be reminded that all that
we have All the blessings that we have in Christ are a matter
of absolute free mercy and grace. This is always an appropriate
prayer for God's people at all times and every circumstance
to pray and be reminded, oh God, not unto us. Meaning simply this,
God, you've done it all. That's what David is saying.
You've done everything. You have blessed me. You deserve
all the glory. As we sometimes sing that old
hymn, Jesus paid it all. Jesus paid it all. Every farthing
that we owed, all of our debt of sin to God's divine justice,
it's all been wiped away. It's always a blessing. When
you make that last payment, isn't it, Lonnie, on a loan or a debt,
and you get that coupon back, they stamp on it, paid in full. Lord, that's what Christ did
on the behalf of his people. He paid the debt in full. They had nothing to pay, but
they owed a debt, and Jesus Christ paid it all. If that's true,
if Jesus paid it all, then it just stands to reason, all to
Him I owe. There's a short article, you
perhaps have already noticed it, in the bulletin on the front
page, or inside page rather, says this, by a man who lived
many years ago by the name of James Smith. But he wrote this. Who can say where I would be
or would have been this morning? When I read this, I thought,
that's my testimony. Who could say where I would have
been this morning but for the grace of God? But for the grace
of God. Most probably, I would have been
in hell. where the worm never dies and
the fire is never quenched. Oh, what a debtor to grace I
am. If anyone should magnify sovereign
grace, surely I should. For to God's sovereign grace,
I owe everything. And that's why we sing, not unto
us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory for
your mercy. for your mercy, for your grace,
for all your blessings on your people. Turn, if you will, and
then we'll come back to the psalm. But turn to 1 Corinthians 1,
a very familiar passage. But just to introduce us to what
the psalmist says in verse 15 of Psalm 115. In 1 Corinthians
1, again, we read these words of the apostle. who said, I am what I am by the
grace of God. And right into the church at
Corinth, he says in verse 26, for you see your calling brethren. You see what God does. You see
how God magnifies his grace by those he calls to himself. For
you see, your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called, But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise. And God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.
And base things of the world and things which are despised
hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not to bring to naught
things that are. Why? Why does God act in this
way? For this reason, that no flesh
should glory in His presence. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us. Verse 30. But of Him. But of
Him. And there is good cause, good
reason why no flesh should glory in the presence of God. Because
of Him, that is of God, are ye in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus,
how often we find that sweet expression throughout the writings
of Paul. In Christ Jesus, chosen in Him,
accepted in Him, redeemed in Him, in Him, brought to glory
in Him, presented before the presence of the Father in Him. Oh, what a blessed state of being
in Him. Verse 30, for of Him are ye in
Christ. And being in Christ, we have
everything that God Almighty requires, everything that justice
demands, we have given to us in Him. Of Him are ye in Christ
Jesus. who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Now looking back in Psalm 115.
Look at verse 3, or rather verse 2. You have the mockery of the
enemies of God's people. And they ask this question, where
is now their God? Where is your God now, David? Your own son has rebelled against
you. You're being chased by your own
son. He himself wants to take the
throne that God has promised to you. Where is your God now? Does that not sound familiar
to you, child of God? Does Satan not at times of great
trial and difficulty in darkness when heaven seems like it's shut
up to your prayers that they rise no further than your own
head? Does that not sound familiar to you when Satan comes and whispers
in your ear, where is your God now? Where is He now? Oh, but we have an answer. By
the grace of God, we have an answer. Verse 3. Where is our
God? Where is our God? He's where
He's always been. In every age, in every circumstances,
our God is in the heavens. He's where He's always been. In glory, ruling and reigning
over everything. If He doesn't, He's not God. Oh, here's the happy answer.
Our God is in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever He hath
pleased. And David goes on and says, you
need to understand something. Let me remind you of something
he seems to say. My God is not like your God. Our God, the true God, who's
in the heavens doing whatsoever He has pleased, He's not like
your God. Your God has ears, but they don't
help Him. He can't hear. Pray to Him. He can't answer. He has feet,
but He can't move. He's like you. He's like you. He's the product of your own
making. What good is He? He is no more
powerful, no more able than you yourself are. Our God's not like
that. Oh no, they have nothing in common. Your God needs your help. Oh,
but our God, He's in the heavens doing whatsoever He hath pleased. Our God is unchanged. His providence
is undisturbed. His throne is unshaken. We often, often, ring our hands. Oh, what's going to happen? What's
it going to become of our nation, our country? Well, God is in
the heavens doing whatsoever he had pleased. That man in the
White House, he doesn't have the final say, Lonnie. He's not
running the show. God Almighty is. God determines
who's in the White House and who's not. It's all up to Him. His providence is undisturbed. His throne is unshaken. His purposes
are unchanged. Why should God change His purpose? Why should he? It's not necessary. There's no need to. If he should
change his purpose, the reason is, oops, he made a mistake. That's not God. That's what you
and I do. We have to do things over. We
have to back up because we make mistakes. Not so with the God
that rules in heaven and earth. Now look again, if you will,
at verse 15, our text. Ye are blessed of the Lord. You are blessed of the Lord. This is a particular blessing. It says, you are blessed. Not everybody, a particular people. And it comes from a particular
place. You are blessed of the Lord. And it bears a particular date. You are, present tense. And it's marked with a particular
certainty. You are blessed. It's not a question. It's not a question. Ye are blessed
of the Lord which has made heaven and earth. When I was driving
back yesterday from Crossville, Tennessee, this verse kept coming
to me, kept coming to my mind. And I thought to myself, oh,
I am indeed blessed. I thought about the services
I enjoyed in gospel, the gospel, the glorious gospel I heard preached
so clearly, so distinctly, and the many years I've known those
men. Donnie Bell I met back in the
early 80s. It's the same with Don. It may
have been the late 70s that I met Mr. Fortner. We were both in
our 20s. Our children were just little
tots running around getting under our feet. And I thought, oh,
what a blessed, sweet fellowship I've had with those men all these
years. And I thought, I am indeed blessed
of the Lord. And then I thought to myself
as I drove along, Larry, Who's made you to differ from another? I've thought of those friends
I've had who have died, have gone out to meet God, who, as
we say, have filled a Christless grave, who died without Christ,
who died without hope, who went out to stand before God without
a substitute. Can anything be more horrible? Everybody doesn't go to heaven,
folks. Some people die lost. Multitudes
go out to meet God without a mediator. Can you imagine standing before
the God of all glory, the absolute, holy, just, and righteous God
without anything between me and Him? And I've thought of those
friends of mine who have gone out in such a state. And I've
asked myself again, Larry, who's made you to differ from another? Brothers and sisters, this is
true of you and I, is it not? Certainly, God, the God of heaven
and earth, has blessed us. Note again, the certainty of
the blessing. A man is only as good as his
word, we've heard say. And Abraham believed that what
God had promised, he was also able to perform. Turn back, if
you will, to the book of Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter 32. Jeremiah
32, forward to the book of Jeremiah, I should say. He is in prison.
He is in prison. He's in the dungeon. And he prays to the God of heaven. Jeremiah 32, and here in his
prayer he asks this question, or makes this statement in verse
17 of Jeremiah 32. O Lord God, behold, thou hast
made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched
out arm. And there is nothing, there is
nothing too hard for thee. Nothing too hard for thee. The greatest and only proof I
need of the majesty of God's mighty working grace is to stand
and look in the mirror. Look in the Maritime, at that
sinner looking back at me, and I think, my soul, there is nothing
too hard for God. He brought this rebel to Himself. He reached down His hand for
me. Almighty, sovereign, reigning
grace. Is anything too hard for Him? And look at our Lord's answer
to Jeremiah in verse 26. Then came the word of the Lord
unto Jeremiah, saying, Yes, you're right. You're right, Jeremiah. Behold, I am the Lord, the God
of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for
me? Anything? Verse 40, And I will
make an everlasting covenant with them. Of what good is the covenant
if God's not able to bring it to pass? Oh, but he is. Is anything
too hard for the Lord? I will make an everlasting covenant
with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good.
And I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart
from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them
to do them good. and I will plant them in this
land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. Therefore, the blessing is sure. Ye are blessed of the Lord that
made heaven and earth. Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Turn, if you will, to
Isaiah chapter 14. Some other verses that describe
the greatness of our God, that make His purpose to bless His
people with all heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus sure and certain
and steadfast. In Isaiah chapter 14 verse 24,
read these words with me. The Lord of hosts hath sworn,
saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass. And
as I have purposed, so shall it stand. Verse 27. For the Lord
of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? If God wills
something, it's done. And his hand is stretched out,
and who shall turn it back? Turn over a few pages to chapter
40 in the book of Isaiah. Isaiah chapter 40, verse 25. To whom then will ye liken me,
or shall I be equal, saith the Holy One? left up your eyes on
high and behold who has created these things. And bringeth out
their host by number. He calleth them by name, all
by names, by the greatness of his might. For that he is strong
in power, not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and
speakest, O Israel, my way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment
is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? Has thou
not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of
the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is wary, there is
no searching of His understanding. The purpose of God, the blessing
of God, His will to bless His people is irreversible. And it's
absolutely free. Free. Oh, I like that word. Free grace. There's none other
kind. It wasn't earned by merit. There was no merit in us. can't
be lost by any demerit or because if you trace the blessing of
god back to its source, you'll find it flowing forth to god's
people from the fountain of his eternal love for his people. Paul said in Romans eight for
whom he did for no. The word is love beforehand. Love with an that my pastor, Mr. Fortner,
wrote. One of my favorites of the hundreds is, My Soul Consider. Listen to a few verses of it.
My soul consider this great thought. The wondrous works which God
has wrought, his works from all eternity, my God has done them
all for me. Isn't that humbling? God's special
love for all his own, a peculiar love, a special love, directs
the power of his throne, electing precious to my God all things
predestined for my good. My God has never, never failed.
His grace and power have prevailed. My heart, my soul, my life He
holds by sovereign grace within His fold." That's what David
said. That's what he's saying. When
they ask, where's your God now, David? He said, where He's always
been. My God's in the heavens doing
whatsoever He hath pleased. And He has decreed that we shall
be blessed by the God of heaven and earth. Everything God does
for His electing time had its origin here. It began here. The fountainhead is here. God's
eternal love for His own. He says, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love. Therefore, therefore, because
of that alone, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn
thee. Never been a time, never been
a time that God didn't love His people. He didn't begin to love
us when He called us to Christ. He didn't begin to love us when
we bowed before His Son. He didn't begin then to love
us when we believed on Him. Oh no, He loved us everlastingly. There's never been a time that
God didn't love His people. Isn't that something? That's
overwhelming. My little peewee brain just can't
get a grasp of that. Oh, but I bow to it, and I believe
it, and I rejoice in it. Next, next. Resorting from that
blessed everlasting love for his own, he chose us, Paul said
in Romans 8. He chose us. Imagine that. Imagine that. God chose us in
Christ. What was there in us that could
merit esteem or give the Creator delight? T'was even so, Father,
we ever must seem, for so it seemed good in Thy sight. Father, it was Your will. It pleased You. That's the only
answer. Turn, if you will, to Ephesians
chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. Oh, take
the wings of faith. the strongest faith that God
is pleased to grant you. Fly back as far back into time
as you can, before the mountains were brought forth, before God
created the heavens and the earth, and then in Christ, dwelling
alone, to triune God, enter into that blessed, eternal, everlasting
covenant of grace, then He chose His people in Christ. There is such a blessing. There
is such a covenant. The Bible speaks of it. The covenant
of God's grace where He gave us to Christ. He entrusted us
into the hands of our blessed surety. And Christ vowed, He
promised the Father that in the fullness of time He would come
and do everything. Do everything. Not make salvation
possible. Oh, no. Do everything to secure
the salvation of all those the Father gave into His hands. And He did. In Ephesians 1, verse
5, Oh, let's read verse 3 as well.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath, hath, past tense, blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ, according as He has chosen us
in Him. There's the word again. In Him,
before the foundation of the world, chosen in Him, the art
my first elect God said, and that chose us in Christ our head. Chosen in Him, before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him. In Him, in love rather. Those
last two words of verse 4 should really begin Verse 5, "...in
Him having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will."
This choice of sinners unto salvation, this election, was not based
upon anything in you, anything like foreseen faith. You ever
have people tell you that? They want to take the blessed
truth of election out of God's hands and put it into the hands
of man's will. And they say, oh yes, I believe
election. I believe election. God looked
down in time and he saw who would accept his son, who would believe,
so he chose them. which seems like a bunch of nonsense.
Why choose those that are already going to choose Him? But how
could God look down in time and see something like foreseen faith
that did not exist? It wasn't there. It's not inherent
in us. Oh no, that very faith by which
we grasp the Son, that faith by which we see the Lamb of God,
that faith is itself a gift of God that He gives to all His
chosen. Faith is His gift. Don, in his message Saturday
morning, was telling us a story about a friend of his who was
working out in his yard one day and a couple of fellas from one
of the local churches came by and was inviting him to church.
And the man knew they didn't preach or believe the gospel,
and he wasn't going to go and hear someone, as Brother Scott
used to say, tell lies on God. So he was trying to be polite
as possible and said, no, I really am not interested. They said,
oh, you need to come. He just couldn't get rid of them.
And he thought, well, let me ask him this. What do you believe
about election down there? What do you teach about election? This is really sad. And the fella,
one, looked at his buddy and this was their answer. He said,
well, I think most of us down there are Republicans. That was
their definition of election. Oh, no. Not so according to God's
Word. We bow to it. We rejoice in it. And we thank God for it. And
we sing from our hearts, not unto us, O God, not unto us,
but unto thy grace and mercy be all the glory. Turn, if you
will, to Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy chapter 6. Oh, this
everlasting choice of God's people. It's a matter of pure, free,
and sovereign grace. Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse
7. And thou shalt teach them diligently.
Unto thy children, thou shalt talk of them when thou settest
in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when
thou risest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind
them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon
the post of thine house, and on thy gates all the mercies
The everlasting mercy written upon the hearts of God's people
forever. Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 11. Romans chapter 11. Turn over there for a moment,
if you will. Romans 11. Thank God for this blessed truth
of God's purpose to save a people, of choosing a people, because
if he didn't, none would be saved. Romans 11 verse 1. Paul says,
I say then, had God cast away his people, God forbid, God forbid,
that'll never, never happen. Paul says, for I also am an Israelite
of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not
cast away his people whom he foreknew, whom he foreloved.
God doesn't love someone today and then hate them tomorrow.
God doesn't love someone enough to save them today and then cast
them into hell tomorrow. Oh, no. Won't ye not what the
scripture saith of Elias or Elijah? How he maketh intercession to
God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets,
and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone, and they seek
my life. But... There's that blessed word. But, Elijah, you're wrong. Elijah,
you're wrong. Oh, you're just depressed. You're
looking at everything through that depressed vision. Oh, but
you're wrong, Elijah. You forgot. But, what saith the
answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven
thousand men who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Even so then, at this present time, in Elijah's time, in Paul's
time, in our time, at this present time also, there is a remnant
according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then
is it no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace.
But if it be of works, then it is no more Grace otherwise work
is no more work. Oh yes. Even then at this present
time, it's true. It's true. God had reserved himself
a people. That's true. Louis, whether folks
like it or not, whether folks believe it or not, it's still
true. God chose a people. And consider
this. Consider this. In remembering
that we are blessed of the Lord that made heaven and earth, He
redeemed us. Christ redeemed us. Effectually. What does that mean? What does
that word mean? Effectually. It simply means
this. It got the job done lord. Effectual. It worked. He finished
the work. Turn if you will to Speaking of our Redeemer, we
read in Galatians 4 verse 4, When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under
the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. That's why Christ came. He came
into this world on purpose. Imagine that. Imagine that. The God of heaven does things
on purpose. With purpose and on purpose and
for His own glory. When the fullness of time must
come, God sends forth His Son. God sent forth His Son, made
of a woman, made under the law. Oh, great is the mystery of godliness. God Almighty was manifest in
the flesh. God sent forth His Son for this
purpose, for this work, for this reason, to redeem them that were
under the law. Did He succeed? Did He succeed? Was He successful? Did the Son
of God redeem those that were under the law? Did He do that
which God sent Him here to do? Did He succeed? Did He accomplish
their eternal redemption? Did He purge their sins? My immortal soul depends upon
that. My everlasting salvation depends
upon Him. Was He successful? It's not what
I do in time. That's got nothing to do with
it. Did He succeed when He went to Calvary? When He ascended
Mount Calvary and was made sin for you and I, was He successful? Turn, if you will, to Romans
chapter 1. And thank God, you know the answer. Glory to His
name. Yes, He was. Yes, He was. He was 100% successful. He then and there accomplished
our eternal redemption. He then and there, by Himself,
purged our sins. Glory to His name! He took them
away. The hymn writer wrote, Oh, the
bliss of this glorious thought! My sins, not in part, but the
whole, are nailed to His cross. Listen, and I bear them no more. Oh, praise the Lord. Praise the
Lord. Oh, my soul. Did God accept His
sacrifice? Remember, Christ offered Himself
to God. His sacrifice wasn't to you. It was to God. It was for His
people, but He offered Himself without spot to God. Look in
Romans 1, verse 1. Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ,
called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which
he had promised to for by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
And what's that gospel about? Who's it about? What's its subject? It's one subject. Concerning
His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of
David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of
God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection
from the dead. There's the assurance. There's
the proof that God Almighty accepted the sacrifice of His Son. He
raised Him from the dead. Had He not accepted that sacrifice,
had He not been satisfied with the offering, He would not have
raised His Son from the dead. But here you have the proof.
Here you have the blessed assurance of God's acceptance and our acceptance
in Him. He raised Him from the dead and
said, I've given you a name. of every name, that at your name,
the name of Jesus, every knee is going to bow and every tongue
confess, oh, but God, but God, ye who once were far off, Paul
tells us in Ephesians 2, are brought nigh, but now, but now,
Paul says, right now, right now. Think about that. Oh, ye are
blessed of the God who made heaven and earth. Ye are blessed. But
right now, in Christ Jesus, we've been brought nigh by the blood
of Jesus Christ. Right now, if I'm His, if I believed
on Him, if I'm one of His, I've been brought nigh by that very
blood that He shed for me on Calvary's Mount. How now? How near? How accepted? As Christ himself, brother of
the Lord. As near as he. As accepted as
he. Oh, he made him to be seen for
us that we might be made the very righteousness of God in
him. Turn with me, if you will, to
1 Peter. 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter
1. You're blessed of the Lord who
made heaven and earth. Not only did He love us everlastingly,
and choose us in Christ, and sent Him to redeem His people
from all their sins, He's promised to keep us, to keep us by that
same grace that called us unto that day. Verse 3 of 1 Peter
1, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a
lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you. In my Father's house
are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go
and prepare that place for you, I'm going to come back and receive
you that where I am, there ye might be also. And in the meantime,
between God's purpose to call us home to glory, until we actually
enter that place where there'll be no death or heartache or crying
or sorrow, What about until then? Verse 5. Who are kept by the
power of God. Who are kept by the power of
God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last
time. The Pharisees came around one
day and asked our Lord, how long do you make us to doubt? If you
be the Son of God, tell us plainly. He said, I've told you and you
believe not. You believe not because you're
not my sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and they
follow Me, and they'll believe. I came down from heaven, not
to do My own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this
is the will of Him that sent Me, that all which He had given
Me, listen, The captain of our salvation says, of all which
he has given me, all that he's put into my hands, all that he's
entrusted to me, all that I promised him I would bring back to glory,
I shall lose none, he said. Not one. Not one. My soul, what a redeemer. I give them eternal life and
they shall never perish. While we remain here in this
life, God will bless us. And when we're called out of
this world to heaven, God will bless us. He prayed, our Lord
prayed in John 17, I will also, Father, that those whom thou
hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my
glory that I had with thee before the world began. And John said
in John 22 in verse 4, they shall see his face. They shall see His face. 1 John chapter 3. Let me read
a couple of verses there and we'll wrap this up. 1 John 3,
verse 2 verses. John says, Behold. Behold. Oh, stop. Stop and consider this. Oh, behold. What manner of love
the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. Sons of God. And if doth not
yet appear what we shall be, But we know that when he shall
appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Oh, we are blessed of the Lord
that made heaven and earth. Oh, how blessed we are because
God has been pleased to allow us the blessed honor of having
this place together in and to worship him. the blessed privilege
to hear and to proclaim the glorious gospel of the blessed God. He promised, where two or three,
two or three, are gathered together in my name, that is for my honor,
for my glory, there am I, I'll be there with them. I'll be there. If they meet in my name, in my
name, I'll meet with them. I'll be there in the midst of
them. Just yesterday, and just about
every conference I attend, especially in Danville, I meet some of God's
dear saints from various parts of the country that have no place,
no place to worship God, no place within reasonable driving distance
that they can gather week after week and hear the gospel. They just don't. They just don't.
That's why they count the conferences to be such a blessing. Oh, brothers
and sisters, how blessed we are to have this place. Psalm 133
speaks of that blessedness, and then I'll close. Psalm 133, turn
there with me, only three verses, and I'll read it. Speaks about
the blessed fellowship of God's saints here on earth. Psalm 133, behold, behold, how
good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity. It is like the precious ointment
upon the head that ran down upon the beard. Oh, it comes from
Christ our head down to the body, which is his church. Even Aaron's
beard that went down to the skirts of his garments. And as the dew
of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains
of Zion, for there the Lord commanded blessing. There, his church,
he'll be in the midst of them, even life forevermore. May God be pleased to remind
us this day that we have been blessed, are blessed, and will
be blessed of the Lord that made heaven and earth. God bless you.