Almighty God, we thank thee for the hours we have spent on this campus.

Every now and then when the way seems dark,

    you give us a little sample of what is better further along.

We have been encouraged this week by the fact that 

    what we have received is a sample of that which is waiting for those 

    who hold out and prove faithful to the end.

We are like the ox who is pulling the load up the hill,   

    and about to give out;

    when the driver gets out of the ox cart and carries a little food up the hill –

    and the oxen know the food is up there,

    by faith they pull harder.

We are gonna pull harder now.

We are gonna cut more deeply.

We are gonna believe more firmly.

We are gonna hold more assuredly,

    because one thing you told Peter,

    “that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church.”

Help us to go back now.

When Samson wanted to burn down the wheat fields of the Philistines,

    he got a hundred or so foxes and tied their tails together.

He struck one match and lighted all those fiery tails and

    turned them loose among the wheat fields of the Philistines.

When the foxes got through,

    the enemies of God didn’t have nothing to feed on.

We’ve been tied together here this week.

The Servant of God has lighted our hearts with the candle of Thy Word.

He’s turning us loose now! 

We’re going out into the world, 

    and we’re gonna burn down hell and the kingdom of Satan in this age!

May the grace of God 

  and the sweet communion of the Holy Spirit

  and the peace that passeth all understanding,

    abide with us until that same Jesus,

        who went into the first airship, manned by two pilots,

        ascended out of sight,

    and the angel said,” In like manner, He’s coming again.”

And when He comes, when He comes,

    all those looking for Him by faith will be with Him

    and shall never separate from that Holy Church.

Where the shadows never fall, calendars never bedeck the walls,

    funerals are never had, and parting is no more.

On the sea of glass, we will retire.

Palms of victory in our hands,

    we will waive to Him who shall reign forevermore.

 

prayer given by W. L. Ransome at the Hampton Ministers’ Conference 1973

 

_______________________________

 

 

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, 

    for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, 

    but encourage one another, 

    especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.