Here Am I Send Me — Isaiah 6

0:00 Sorry for this picture. That's... It's my son's desktop. Anyways, it's good to be here with you here at Westlake. We're just so happy to be back, and and we're happy to have the nice warm weather.

0:17 We got back in December. First thing after Christmas, first thing we did, we headed south to Florida. And my daughter's working in The Bahamas, so we went to visit her. So that's... We planned it that way.

0:32 So we'd be down there during those months. And then we headed up to New Jersey and was greeted with many feet of snow and cold weather. And then from there, we headed to California. And now we're here. So, it's good to be with you.

0:50 Sorry for the technology problem here. I hope everything works well. You know, remember the days when we had the projector with the real slides, you go click, click, click, click, you know? The technical problems you had would be if the slide was upside down or backwards or the bulb would burn out. But anyways, those were the days.

1:15 So let me see if I can get this started. I'd just like to share with you some of the Lord of what the Lord is doing in Zambia, these pictures and then then I'll share a little bit from god's word and then and if it works with a with a song. So, anyways, that's our family. We we only only my wife and our son, Josh, who's in the brown there, he's, are the only ones here with you today. Our daughter, Jeanie, in the green there, she, as I mentioned, she's working as a teacher in The Bahamas.

1:56 She was, she graduated from Emmaus Bible College last year and she she got this job offer at the school in The Bahamas. And she asked me, dad, should I take this job in The Bahamas? Yes, yes, yes. So it gives us a great reason to go visit her, which we did just after Christmas. So it was good to be with her.

2:24 And then our other daughter, Julie, in the in the red there, she's in at Spring Arbor University of Michigan. And then our son, Nathan, he... Well, I'll talk about him in a bit here. Well, there's Nathan there. This is Chicago.

2:45 Now, this was taken just at the end of our last furlough. And just about a week before we went back to the field, Nathan comes up to me and says, dad, will you go with me to Chicago to the Ezekiel Project Seminar. Now, you familiar with the Ezekiel Project? Okay. I know wherever you are.

3:09 In fact, just as I was sitting there just a couple minutes ago, I noticed that blue board, that display board, I wonder if that kind of looks familiar. Anyways, so he wanted to go, me to go to Chicago with him for the seminar. And I said, Nathan, we're going back to the field and just in a week and if if any of you know about missionaries of their last week or two before they go back to the field, it's chaos. You know, packing up everything and trying to get everything ready to go. So I said, Okay.

3:47 Well, we'll plan on doing our packing before we go, and then we'll go to Chicago. And so I went there with him. And it was a good time of receiving some instruction under with Chris Schroeder. And the seminar lasted for about a week. And then Greg also gave us instruction on on the sketch board.

4:15 The next day, they sent us out to the streets of Chicago, Downtown Chicago. Know, they normally say, you know, as we were taught how to do the paint board and all that, well, so then we will go out together tomorrow and Will you do it first and then Nathan and I will do it? They didn't answer that question. The next morning we arrived, okay Nathan, John, you go out, we're staying here. Wait a you mean you're not going with us?

4:51 I said, well okay, so off we went. You know, the the the theory behind this, normally, they go as a team but the theory behind this is if you can go out on your own to a place like Downtown Chicago and and present the gospel there. Well, if you can get over the fear of that, then, you can get over the fear of anything and so, off we went and it was a kind of shock to us, you know, and it's kind of difficult preaching to the air. You can notice these people over there sitting with their face turned. This was located in a plaza.

5:31 There's a fountain and there's other things going on during that time. It wasn't a very good location. There was a lot of traffic, just people and noise. And it was a bit discouraging and no one was listening. And then I noticed, see up at that sign there, it says, no stopping, no standing.

5:55 That's why they weren't stopping to listen. Okay. Well, anyways, it wasn't a very good location and a bit discouraging. Discouraging. And during, in that plaza there, there was a sort of like a platform.

6:09 You know, there's different booths and different things going on during the summer. And there's a little platform like this. And there's these Indian nature spirit dancers, you know, singing and and all this singing to the spirits of nature. And here, I was trying to compete with these guys and and try to speak over that their the noise that they were making. And and then suddenly, right behind me across the road there, there's a big bill, a big cathedral.

6:43 And suddenly, the bells start to ring ring out. Joyful, joyful, we adore thee. That made my day. Thank you, lord. I needed that.

6:54 So, so we're so now the team, the next day, we went out and the team is with us and it works a lot better because the theory is when the team everyone is the team members are around and standing around then the theory is a crowd draws a crowd and so the crowd start to to draw near. And as Nathan was preaching there, I'm standing right behind this lady in the white there. And I could see tears flowing down her eyes from her on her cheeks. So it was she later trusted put her trust in Christ and we had opportunities to talk to other individuals after presenting the gospel. And then off to Zambia we went.

8:24 There, next to the airstrip, They grow a lot of pineapples in Zambia. In just part of Zambia, they grow a lot of pineapples in this. They're very delicious. Here they cost like $3 each at the supermarket. Here they're 25¢ or there is 25¢.

8:46 Mission Flight Services. This is what we used to call ourselves CMML Flight Service but we've recently changed the name to Mission Flight Services. In two thousand and well, this is Bruce and Marilyn Poytevan. He's they started the flight service in 1993. And so this is Bruce and I.

9:10 We've been the only pilots there for the past twenty year, twenty one years. So so we're really in need of younger blood as you can see. So, just before we came on furlough, I was able to evaluate and check out these two guys. They're both pilots. Luke has gone back to The UK to to get to make preparation and coming out full time, lord willing.

9:40 And Drew there, the guy with that guy there, he's also an aircraft engineer, a mechanic, and so he's helping. He's still there, he's helping with aircraft maintenance. He's also a pilot, so I was able to check both of these guys out before coming home. So, they're helping Bruce with the maintenance and the flying, which is a big help for Bruce. So, the flight service has two planes.

10:07 The one on the left is the Cessna two zero seven and the one on the right is the Cessna 182. The 182 is a four seater. The two zero seven is an eight seater. There's Kalani Hill right up there. And I think we need to get these planes in before the storm hits.

10:25 So, anyways, here's another picture of the hangar. The hangar facility, it's a licensed certified AMO, Aircraft Maintenance Organization, which requires a lot of requirements, a lot of red tape with the government, and other... A lot of inspections and so on. And so, it's a it's a very good facility in which we can maintain the planes. So every fifty hours, the plane planes come in for a fifty hour inspection, a routine inspection and servicing, and every hundred hours as well.

11:07 This is Joseph, our Zambian aircraft engineer. He's been there since 1994, but he's now retired. And so the workload has really increased for us. But anyways, we're thankful to the Lord that that he sent out Drew Taylor, who has joined us. He may only be there for a couple of years, but we'll try to twist his arm and get him to stay longer.

11:37 But and his wife also joined him. Kim, she's a really big help in the office. But it seems like most of my work is doing paperwork and so she has been a really big help. In that office. Nathan, as I mentioned, he's been a really big help with the maintenance this past year.

11:59 Nathan went to Moody Bible Institute. He he got his aircraft mechanics license. And so he is able to... And then also he went to Tepsy. He went through the the whole the year long school at the Ezekiel's project, nine months actually.

12:20 So, getting his training in aircraft mechanics and evangelism and discipleship there at Tepsy, he was able to help in both of those areas there in Zambia. So, he was commended for one year to help us, and he's now back in Michigan. They just finished year there in Michigan at Tepsy. And these two guys came out to help us with the aircraft with the engine change. We actually have a...

13:27 The as we fly over head of the mission station, we come over Kalani Mission Hospital below and you can see the the mission maintenance workshop as well below. And and also you can see the hospital complex as well as the school of nursing here. And so also there's the dormitories for the School of Nursing and also the book room down there in the bottom corner. And I'll talk about that a bit later. And this is just the front of the hospital complex.

14:06 Things are really busy, quite busy all the time in the hospital. I think twins are being born in the Operating Room. And these are just some of the pictures in the hospital with the children there. The mother is usually at 10 with her children. It's usually with...

14:29 There... These mosquito nets you can see is to protect from mosquitoes. Malaria is a really big problem. Ages and many other diseases and especially malaria is a really big problem. And so the flight service is in support of the hospital there during medical evacuations.

14:51 Recently, we had this medical evacuation of a newborn infant. This is a medical evacuation of this newborn infant going to, I think it was Chichokalole Hospital. And quite often, a nurse or doctor would accompany the patient to the hospital. And so we begin every word, every flight with a word of prayer and we're off. Our wives are very much involved with keeping track of where we are during the flight following.

15:29 Karen is here doing the flight following. It's on a new system that we have called SpiderTrax where it uses a satellite position of the plane as we move along the continent. And you can see the position reports by these little green dots. And if you can click on one of those green dots, it gives you more information about the particulars of the of the position of the flight and so on. And so, we're quite involved with Sakaiji Mission School.

16:01 Here's just as we fly overhead the school, you can see the buildings there next to the airstrip with the school. And this is grades five through eight classrooms. Quite often, when Sakeji is understaffed, which seems like they're always understaffed, Karen is a certified teacher and many times they have asked her to come and help out at the school. So if Karen can get away from the duties there at Kalani, she's able to go over there to the school to help assist with them. And so all our kids have gone through Sakeji.

16:39 You can see Julie there, but you can also see it's 2009. That was a number of years ago, but all our kids have really enjoyed going there and growing up basically at Sakeji. Jeanie, as I mentioned, graduated at Emanus Bible College and she came out to do her student teaching there at Sakeji before she went off to The Bahamas. So, the school that she's teaching there at in The Bahamas is called Agape Christian School, which is run and operated by Marsh Harbor Gospel Chapel. So, well, it's the end of term now, and so it's off to do the Sakeji flights.

17:27 Six times a year, we fly the students to and from their homes in various parts of Zambia. Quite, I really enjoy flying these kids. They're lots of fun. Sometimes too much fun, but, you know, quite often I'm flying along, you know, get a tap on my shoulder. Mister Louden, mister Louden, how much longer?

17:52 I say, an hour and a half. Five minutes later, mister Louden, how much longer? Two hours. So I increased the time. That way they they stop asking.

18:06 Yeah. And also, mister Louden, I have to go to the bathroom or, you know. Anyways, some. We mostly fly quite a bit into Lusaka which is the capital city of Zambia. In Lusaka, we, the flight service operates a guest house.

18:25 We call it the flight house where the where our passengers and the pilots are able to have a place to stay there and they're able and and those traveling by road as well. Many people, everyone goes through Lusaka to do business or coming and going on furlough or whatever. So there's a nice place for them to stay and assist some of the rooms here. It's able to accommodate about 22 people at one time, plus some more if we put mattresses on the bed, on the floor. These two containers, these are shipping containers that we renovated to provide additional space.

19:08 Now, we don't call them shipping container. We don't call tell our guests, oh, you're in the container tonight. No, we call it chalet. We're in the chalet. So, we renovated them and it provides nice accommodations for them.

19:28 And then after two or three days there in Lusaka with all the shopping and buying groceries for the ladies upcountry and supplies for the hospital or the mission, we're then need to load up the plane and off we go. It's about a three hour flight from Lusaka to Kalani. And on the way, there's storms that come up especially during the during the rainy season. So, sometimes they can present a a challenge But it's nice to be on the way home and, you know, you have to, during the rainy season, have to make sure that the airstrip is dry or not too wet when landing as the case may be. So it was a bit...

20:38 And the airstrip is quite large, and so I always enjoy getting out of the hanger, out of the office, and start riding the mower. But Josh also likes to help me with the mowing of the airstrip. But then he has another method. He when after a while, the grass becomes dry, and so he gets some matches out and burns away. Now, this is a normal thing that is done there in Zambia around the mission station, around our homes, or people around their villages, they prepare fire breaks so that when they do, when fires do come, they don't get too close to the grassroots of their houses or their buildings.

21:29 So, anyways, Nathan also likes to help with this project. And sometimes it gets out of control, but this is in our backyard. A little bit too close for Karen, but anyways, now they don't have to mow the grass. So why do we need a flight service? Here's here's the roads.

21:55 The roads are pretty bad there for traveling. This is this is the main road from from Kalani to town. You have to go on this road to get to town. And so, kids like to crawl through this canyon. And so it's amazing what a little rain can do.

22:16 Actually, a lot of rain. And if there's the ditches are not properly made on the sides, then it will just will just either crater through the through the road there. You know, actually, I prefer land driving on these roads than the roads around here. I less traffic. I don't like the traffic around here.

22:41 And this young family came out for a visit to do short term volunteer work, and so they thought they'd just go out for a nice Sunday afternoon drive. Well, they sort of ran into some difficulties along the way and sort of got stuck. And so it was quite a mess. So Anyways, we thank the lord that if you can see there's a tractor backhoe just so happens to be coming down the road and and we're thankful that they were able to be pulled out. I think they would they'd still be there if it wasn't for that tractor but anyways, we thank the lord for that and I won't mention any names of who the drivers, who the driver was.

23:32 And here's another here's another reason for the the flight service. There Even the tar roads can be pretty bad. You know, you get potholes along the road or on the side. The side of the road starts breaking up. And I've even been at 9,000 feet, and I would look down at the road there, at the tar road and I could see big potholes.

23:52 So, they must be pretty big if if I can see them from 9,000 feet. Anyways, the reason this is the reason why we are out there to to be involved in the spiritual outreach, various ministries of Kalani Mission. When we went back about the day after we arrived at Kalani, there was a general Bible conference with all the assemblies and our daughter, Julie, and our son, Joshua was baptized at that time in the local river along with about 36 others. And so this is Zambezi River. They often have baptisms there as well.

24:33 And it's a good good opportunity for those visiting, walking by to see what's going on. It's a great testimony to the Lord. And so during the conference, various the saints from the various assemblies gather around for a few days there in the bush to to... Well, here they are breaking bread together and then the ministry of God's word. And then the Kalani Book Room where Karen and Marilyn are quite involved with selling Bibles and and bible studies and other books in in various languages.

25:11 And Frank is a big help selling the books. This is my discipleship class. We meet every week. They're in the library section or sorry, in the, yeah, the library section of the book room where we have discipleship training. And when Nathan came out, he also demonstrated the use of the sketch board to use this sort of tool to go out and witness to to those.

25:40 And so it's a great tool for people to see, to understand, to better understand the good news. And so Nathan did a training session, several sessions. We would teach them how to do the sketch. Now, these guys, they, you know, I said, how many have ever painted with a brush? No, they they've never painted with a brush, you know?

26:09 Or, you know, they've never grew up like we did with Crayola crayons, you know, and paints and all that. But so it's a new experience for them. They were very happy. They actually really did good job. And so after learning and studying about that, then we went out and put it into practice.

26:32 We went into the oh the outpatients department of the hospital when where they are waiting to see the doctor. They have a place where they can sit and hear the good news. And then also we go off to the market to present the gospel as well. And here there's... You can't see the crowds, but behind the camera, there's a big crowd of people listening to the gospel.

26:58 And they're always eager to receive any literature that you may give out. So so thank you. So pray for this work. Pray for our family in the various places. And so this is the reason why we are out there.

27:59 Who is King Uzziah? Who is this king? If we read in second Chronicles, we read that we we we see that King Uzziah was a a young king. He started his reign at the age of 16. It's hard to believe my young my son is 15 and it's hard to believe that you know, he would be king but a 16 year old king and he reigned for fifty two years and he was one of the kings that did right in the sight of the lord.

28:32 You know, there were those who did evil in the sight of the lord, those who did right in the sight of the lord. He was one of the good guys. At least for most of his reign. And he he prospered greatly. He had a great army and but then his role sir he he exceeded his role as king.

28:55 He wanted to be priest as well. He wanted to and so we read in second Chronicles that he entered into the temple to burn incense. And the problem and he was met by the the chief priest Azariah And the problem is that Azariah says, you're not supposed to be in here. You need to get out because this work is for the priest only. The sons of Levi, Aaron, you're you're not supposed to be here.

29:25 And he got angry. And when he got angry, then leprosy broke out on his forehead right there in the temple. And when they saw that, he quickly got out. They rushed him out and he was a leopard. He was unclean.

29:41 It says, he was cut off. He was cut off from from from the throne, from... He was cut off from the temple. He was a leper. He was unclean for over for over ten years, ten to fifteen years.

29:59 And so, we see that that he he ended his days. Cut off from both the throne and the temple. And so here in the beginning, we see two kings. The king Uzziah who died but but then we see a king who's living, the king of kings, who's on the throne. We have an empty throne and also we have a occupied throne.

30:31 And and the the difference between these two temples, the the temple that Uzziah was in, the temple, the difference between the temple in Jerusalem and the temple that the lord was there was in is that the temple in Jerusalem did not have a throne. He did not have a throne and so, here's the difference between these two kings. Jesus Christ is both king and priest. The king of kings and lord of lords and the great high priest. And then then we we read on in a oops sorry.

31:10 We read on in verse two and it and it stood and it stood Seraphim. Above it stood Seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two, he covered his face and with two, he covered his feet and with two, he flew. Six wings, two covered his his face, showing reverential awe.

31:32 Two, they covered their feet showing deep humility and two, they flew with showing obedience and service. And one said to the other, holy, holy, holy is the lord god of is the lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of his glory. Holy, holy, holy is the lord god. You know, when I when I witness, I like to use this verse.

32:08 Holy, holy, holy. I I like to emphasize the holiness of god. It's very important to know when when when sharing the gospel that god is holy and god demands perfection. And so often, there are those who who feel that they are good enough to get to heaven. They feel that their their good work works outweigh their bad works.

32:35 They say, I've been to church several times, you know, now and then and and I obey most of the 10 commandments. So, god should let me in. You know, I've been my good works outweigh my bad works but no, that's not how it works. That's not how it is. God demands perfection.

32:53 It says that our sins have separated us from god. What is holy? What is holiness? It is separation. It is it is set apart and god demands perfection but and and our sin has separated us from god.

33:11 The Bible says, all have sinned and fall short of god's glory. We all fall short and in Isaiah in chapter 59 says, your iniquities, iniquities have separated you between you and your god. He has hidden his face from you. That's the result of sin. And even the father, when the lord Jesus hung on the cross, the the father forsakes forsook his son because he bore the sin of the world there on the cross.

33:42 Holy, holy, holy. I I believe that this is referring to is is is they were giving Isaiah the impression of serving a holy god. Serving a holy god. It impress, it must have impressed Isaiah very much about the holiness of god. 25 times in the book that he has written, Isaiah uses the phrase he refers to the lord as the holy one of Israel.

34:21 25 times he uses that phrase and for believers today, in first Peter chapter one verse 15, it says, but as he who called you as holy, you also be holy. In verse 16, be holy for I am holy. Be set apart. Set set separate yourself from the sin of this world. And so their response was, then the doorpost of the the and the post of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out and the house was filled with smoke.

34:58 The doorpost, the the the threshold was shaken, started to shake just by the the mirror proclaimed of them proclaiming the holiness of god. Can you imagine the building here starting to shake? I just heard of a earthquake in Michigan by the way yesterday and and and there's, you know, the the the really bad one there in Nepal. Just Dev was saying but here the the the building, the house was shaken by the voice of one just by the voice of him who cried, holy, holy, holy is the lord of hosts. And so we have and then we have the the this is all about the the the calling of Isaiah And in verse and in verse five, we see the the confession of Isaiah.

36:24 He recognized his uncleanness. He could relate himself with Uzziah who was unclean, who was cut off, and I and you and and Isaiah was feeling the same that woe is me. I am also uncut. I am also cut off. I am also unclean.

36:41 I'm a man of unclean lips. You ever, you know, I I remember I must have had unclean lips from talking back to my mother several times when I was younger. You know, she would get the bar of soap and to wash out my mouth with soap. How many here have had their mouth washed out with soap? Yeah?

37:01 I see lots of hands there. You're probably not allowed to do that nowadays but it's you remember. It drives the point home that we're of unclean lips. He not it's not that Isaiah said some bad words but he he identified himself with Uzziah. He felt himself as morally unclean as a leper would would would come near any other people.

37:32 He would have to cover his mouth, his lips, and say, unclean, unclean. And so, Isaiah says, I'm a man of unclean lips and and I dwell with a a morally unclean nation who also has unclean lips and and you notice that he confesses his own sin before the sin of the nation. And he says, for my eyes have seen the king. My eyes have seen the king, the lord of hosts. Can you imagine seeing the king?

38:00 He felt, he must have felt he was a dead man. He said, you know, scripture says that no man can see god and live but yet Isaiah saw the lord and perhaps maybe that's the reason why the the house starts to fill with smoke to now not only to reveal the presence of god but to conceal his glory. I don't know. But His eyes have seen that, you know, John in Revelation said, he also felt like a dead man. You know, he also felt that I have seen the king and I fell down as dead.

38:44 And in verse six, then the ones of Seraphim flew to me and we sowed so that was the the cleansing or sorry, the the confession of Isaiah. Now, we see the cleansing of Isaiah. One of the Seraphim flew with me having in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the tongue with tongs from the altar and and he touched my mouth and with it, he said, behold, his this has touched your lips. Your iniquity is taken away and your sin purged. And then the lord speaks for the first time and he says, I heard the voice of the lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us?

39:25 Here's the the commission of Isaiah. The lord is looking for willing servants. He's not saying, Isaiah, you go but he's saying, who will, who shall I send and who will go for us? And Isaiah says, here am I. Send me.

39:44 Then he said, go and tell this people. You know, it doesn't say my people. Go and tell this people. Keep on hearing, but do not understand. Keep on seeing, but do not under perceive.

39:56 Make the heart of this people dull and their ears heavy. Shut their eyes. Lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and return and be healed. Then I said, Lord, how long? How long?

40:11 You know, it must have been a very discouraging call to the ministry. He's being called to a people who refuse to hear. They've been hearing over and over again many times. They have heard but now, they're just shutting their ears. They couldn't, it says, they could not believe.

40:30 Why? Because they would not believe. It was the same in the lord's day. The lord refers to this in John and it was the same in in the lord's day. They refused.

40:41 They rejected the messiah. They rejected his word. They rejected the prophets. Over and over again and so, they could not believe because they would not. And Isaiah says, Lord, how long?

40:56 How long? Well, wasn't asking, Lord, how long do I have to do this for? No. He was asking, Lord, how long will this people remain in this condition? Until the land is utterly desolate.

41:13 And and it's foreseen the the the Babylonian Babylonian captivity. But yet in verse 13 but yet a tenth will be in it and will remain and be for consuming. As a terrible tree or as an oak whose stump remains when it is cut down so the holy seed shall be a stump. The lord is faithful. The lord is faithful.

41:38 He, there will be a tenth remaining, a remnant who will remain, who will continue on with the seed, will continue on and follow the lord. You know, I I I compare Isaiah, the call of Isaiah to the call of Jonah. Jonah was just the opposite. He was not willing. He was he was unwilling.

42:30 Here my lord, send me. But yet, he's being sent to a people who would not see and would not understand. But the lord is faithful. Lord is does not measure our success in the number of converts, the number of souls we win to the lord. He measures our success on our faithfulness, on our on our obedience.

42:55 Our obedience to him and our obedience to his word. And so that is what the Lord desires in each of us. Where is our calling? What is our calling, I should say? What is the call lord calling each of us to do?

43:11 The location is secondary. The primary purpose is, are we willing? Are we willing like Isaiah to go? Will we say with Isaiah, here I here I am lord. Send me.

43:31 Now, I think I need to plug something in here. I don't know if this will work. Is that right? Technology. I have heard my people cry.

43:51 All who dwell in... Or should I plug the other one back in? Hand will Mine not work? Let me plug this in. Okay.

44:55 Okay. I don't think it's going to work. So, anyways, there's a great song. I don't know if you know, anyone know of it. It's by this guy here.

45:09 Where'd he go? There he is. By Dan Dan Schutt the pictures and I I took the pictures with Gary Bentley. But it's a great song. But you won't hear the music, but I'll just show share the words with you.

45:49 Hear my lord, is it I, lord? I've heard you calling in the night. I will go, lord. If you if you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart. I, the lord of snow and rain, I have borne my people's pain.

46:13 I wept for love of them. They turn away. I will break their hearts of stone, give them hearts of love alone. I will speak my word to them. Whom shall I send?

46:32 Hear my lord. Is it thy lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.

46:51 I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame. I will set a feast for them, my hand will save. Finest bread, I will provide till their hearts are satisfied. I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?

47:20 Hear my lord. Is it I, lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord. If you lead me, I will hold your people in my heart.

47:35 Let's close in prayer. Father, we just thank you for your call of Isaiah. Thank you for revealing yourself to them, to him, and thank you that he was willing to go even to a difficult people, but he was willing. And we thank you that you have... You was with him and that you promised to be with us.

48:06 Help us, Lord, to have willing hearts. Help us to understand that it is not I or is not we who go that it is you who go with us. And so we pray Lord that wherever it may be, whether it be in Africa or in The States or wherever, we thank you for your promise that you will never leave us nor forsake us, that you will be with us, and that you will give us the boldness and the power to to be your witnesses. We thank you for the witness of this local assembly and we pray that you will use them in a mighty way in the in the gospel that is preached and your word that is taught as well as for our brothers and sisters there in in Africa that you would use them in a mighty way to spread the good news to those who are lost. We commit them into your care.

49:05 We commit ourselves into your care for your blessing as we go forth. We thank you for this time together. In the name of our lord Jesus Christ, pray. Amen.