Would you join me this morning
again in the book of Ezra? Ezra chapter seven. It is so good to be home. We're
glad to be with our folks, our family here. We enjoyed our time
in Jacksonville very much, but it's so good to be home. Remember
the saints down there. The book of Ezra chapter seven.
I'd like to read the last two verses of this book of this chapter,
Ezra chapter 7, last two verses. The words of Artaxerxes decree
are concluded with verse 26. And in verses 27 and 28, we have
Ezra in a state of great thanksgiving to the Lord God of his fathers
for that decree. And here he has this to say.
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such
a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house
of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem, and hath extended mercy unto
me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty
princes, And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God
was upon me. And I gathered together out of
Israel chief men to go up with me. I thought when I started studying
these two verses that we would conclude this chapter today,
but we won't. There's more in verse 27 than
I can deal with today. There's such a blessing in that
passage of scripture. Ezra reminds us of the reason
the king ever let the people return to Jerusalem. God in covenant
mercies is why this king let Israel or Judah and Benjamin
go back to Jerusalem to begin with. As it tells us in there,
blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, with us put such a thing
as this in the king's heart. Now he goes back, Ezra goes back
and grabs a hold of a wonderful theme that's found throughout
the scriptures and that is God's covenant with his people. He
goes back, as we heard read there in the book of Exodus just a
moment ago, as God appeared unto Moses, the God of your father,
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I'm the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob. And this is a theme that we find
throughout the Old Testament, and it is brought up again in
the New Testament as we find that God reaches back and illustrates
a point for us just like Ezra was led to do here in this seventh
chapter of the book of Ezra in verse 27. Grab a hold of what
the promise is. Grab a hold of what the covenant
is. Grab a hold of what God has promised from eternity on the
behalf of his people for their eternity time and eternity. Grab
a hold of this. In the book of Genesis, would
you turn there with me for just a moment back up to the very
first book in the Old Testament, the book of Genesis chapter 32. Genesis chapter 32, and we read
a word here with regard to Jacob. I have found out as I've been
studying the word of God, that God deals with two people. Jacob's
and Esau's and he deals with Jacob's through the Lord Jesus
Christ. That's the only way that God
could have favor towards Jacob's is in the person and work and
ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Outside of Christ we have nothing.
In Christ, we have every spiritual blessing. So that's how God deals
with us, is through Jesus Christ, but he calls his people by this
name so often, Jacob. And here in the book of Genesis
chapter 32, verse nine, we have Jacob using these words. Genesis
chapter 32, and there in verse nine, and Jacob said, O God of
my father Abraham, You know it's interesting here are three generations
and not very often do we find that three generations are blessed
by God with spiritual blessings. I could go back three generations
and find there was nobody in my family that was blessed with
this kind of blessing. but Jacob was able to go back
and say Abraham was blessed, Isaac was blessed, I have been
blessed by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in such a capacity
that I have that blessed salvation that comes to the new birth.
Here it tells us again looking at Genesis chapter 32 and verse
9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my
father Isaac, and the Lord which said unto me, Return unto thy
country and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee. as
Jacob grasped that eternal covenant promise that Abraham and Isaac
illustrate to him and to us. It is by that that we are also
able to grasp the eternal blessings of the covenant of grace. It
was God that thought it. It was God that wrought it. It
is God that bought it. And we find that these saints
of old reach back and grasp a hold of that, and say, I am what I
am by the grace of God and for no other reason. We read that
verse, or Brother Craig read that passage there in the book
of Exodus, and what a blessed passage it is as Moses was drawn
aside to see this and to hear this blessing. I am the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But would you move ahead with
me? to the book of Luke chapter 20. Luke chapter 20, we have
the same blessed thought brought up, the covenant mercies of God
brought up here in the book of Luke chapter 20. Now the subject
is not quite here, but the Lord directs it there. How often we
find the subject is another subject in the Lord by his grace and
his mercy. Just as he did the woman at the
well. She wanted to get into a religious
discussion. and he brought it around to the
water of life. Other folks wanted to get into
a discussion. The scribes, the Pharisees, they
wanted to get into a discussion. And even God's people, before
they're regenerated, want to get into a discussion about religious
matters. And it is the gospel that brings
them around to the right point, and that's what Jesus Christ
preached and always preached. Here in the book of Luke chapter
20, And in verse 37, there's been quite a discussion going
on. Oh, there's some Sadducees who don't believe in the resurrection.
And they bring up, you know, these questions. They didn't
bring up questions for answers. They brought up questions to
make Jesus look foolish. And they never could because
they didn't realize who he is. He's the son of God. He is Jehovah. He is Emmanuel. He is God with us. But here in
Luke chapter 20, and there in verse 37, now that the dead are
raised, Even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the
Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob. For he is not the God of the
dead, but of the living, for all live unto him." Now what
a wonderful statement Ezra is making as we reflect on what
Moses is recorded saying here. The God that led us here to this
point, Ezra is saying, is not the God of the dead. He's the
God of the living. Let's recap what He is to us. He's the God of our fathers,
and He's not the God of our dead fathers. He's the God of our
living fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the rest of
the saints of the Old Testament. that stand in array before the
throne of grace and declare worthy is the lamb that was slain. So
here we have this wonderful thought that Ezra brings up, that the
Lord Jesus brings up with regard to Moses. He's not the God of
the dead, but he's the God of the living. And would you carry
on with me into the book of Acts for just a moment? A couple of
verses over there in the book of Acts along the same theme.
We declare the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And what is
that declaration? The God of all grace, the God
of all mercy, the Covenant God the God has taken care of the
problem before there was a problem We're looking to him and to no
other and that is what Ezra is sharing with us there in the
book of Ezra chapter 7 and in verse 27 he is sharing with us
the God of our fathers the God that is alive and he has live
people in his presence here in the book of Acts chapter 3 and
We have this wonderful passage of scripture that ties it again
together of what Ezra had to say and what Jacob had to say
and what Moses had to say there in the Old Testament in the book
of Acts chapter 3 verse 13 Acts chapter 3 and verse 13 we have
this recorded And the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob,
the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son Jesus. Now, Ezra could have just simply
said that too. He draws us to this very recognition
of the fathers and what the fathers held to. Abraham didn't hold
to the law. for his salvation. In fact, Paul
is very distinct in saying the law was given after Abraham believed
God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Moses didn't
hold to the law. He was the declarer of it and
I appreciated that thought this morning in the Bible class that
Moses had to go up to the mountain. There's where he met God on Mount
Sinai in thunderbolts and lightning and all of that. And yet the
Lord Jesus Christ came down to us on a plain place, a flat place
where there's neither Jew nor Gentile, male or female, bond
or free. We have these things in Christ
Jesus. So here it says in Acts chapter
three and there in verse 13, The God of Abraham, and of Isaac,
and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son
Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence
of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied
the Holy One, and the just, and desired a murder to be granted
unto you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised
up from the dead, whereof We are witnesses. Well, these same
disciples would quickly say, he went as it was determined.
They would quickly say, this was God's plan. They would quickly
say, this is what Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob believed. That Jesus
Christ, the Messiah, Christ in the New Testament is Messiah
in the Old Testament. The Messiah would take care of
the problem that developed there in the Garden of Eden. and he
would do it so completely, so fully, that there would be no
sin left to the folks that he saves. Ezra, well one other passage
here in the book of Acts, and this is when Stephen revisited
the history of the Old Testament before those folks that were
soon going to take his life. Saul of Tarsus in the midst.
Right there, listening to the words that Stephen brought out
about the Old Testament. In the book of Acts chapter 7
and verse 31, book of Acts chapter 7 and there in verse 31, when
Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. This is that burning
bush. And as he drew near to behold
it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the God
of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob. Then Moses trembled and durst
not behold. Then said the Lord to him, put
off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest
is holy ground. I have seen, and I have seen
the affliction of my people, which is in Egypt, and I have
heard their groaning. and have come down to deliver
them, and now come, I will send thee into Egypt. I have come
down to deliver them. That's what God did. All right,
go back with me to the book of Ezra chapter 7, and in that verse
that we're looking at, Ezra chapter 7 and verse 27, There's something,
as Ezra reminds us, of who it was that was involved with setting
the people free, who it was. It was the covenant God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the living and not the God of
the dead, the God that would give to us the Lamb, the Lamb
of God, which takes away our sin. Here in the book of Ezra
chapter 7, in that same verse of scripture, verse 27, we have
Ezra bringing up this point now. He says, blessed be the Lord
God of our fathers and amen. They had something. and they
shared something. And that sharing continues to
go on to this day in the preaching of the gospel. Jesus Christ and
him crucified is the message of the fathers. When Abraham
offered a sacrifice, he was declaring to his family and the rest of
the people that observed it, I am a sinner in need of a savior. I am a sinner in need of a substitute. Abraham, Isaac, Isaac became
a wonderful picture of that very substitute. Jacob, we'd say, there is a rascal. There's a rascal. There's a sinner. And God said, yes, you got that
right. But I love that sinner in Jesus
Christ the Lord. I love him in my son. Jacob have
I loved. Enough said. God loves you. He loved Jacob. That's enough
said. He can do what he wants. He can
say what he wants. Because it took the redemptive
work of Jesus Christ to save that rascal. Just like it says
that he came to die for sinners. Alright, it goes on in that verse
of scripture. He shares with us something that
God did for that king. King Artaxerxes. Now, I find
no reason to believe that he ever went beyond just a physical
level. I find no reason to believe that
Artaxerxes had anything else but just a physical responsibility
that God gave to him to let the children of Judah and Benjamin
go back to Jerusalem. There is nothing recorded in
the word of God that it ever went higher than that. But thanks
being to God, that is where it stood. God did deal with him.
It tells us here, it says, which hath put such a thing as this
in the king's heart. We see in the scriptures that
God uses many Esau's to bless Jacob's. God even deals with
their hearts to do material things for Jacob's. I was very thankful that God
touched the heart of somebody, male or female, to go to pilot
school so that they could drive that airplane, that jet airplane
that I went on. Now we landed safely. I had to
compliment the pilot because it was probably the easiest landing
I'd ever been in. And I'm thankful that God touched
his heart as a young person to go get that education and now
he's a pilot and he carries God's people around. But I don't think
that it was any deeper than that. He touched his heart to go to
school, and I'm thankful for that. He touched the king's heart,
it's time to let these folks go. He touched Cyrus' heart,
it's time to let him go, 70 years is up, and they went back. We
find that God does this. God used Artaxerxes' heart to
bless the folks in Jerusalem to beautify the house, the temple
of the Lord there. In other words, God moved in
his heart. God is able to do this even in
natural man's heart to do what he intends to have done, and
he purposes them to do it for his glory, his honor, and his
praise, and it may be nothing more than providing physical
blessings to the children of God. God put in his heart. God made the king want to. Now that's an interesting thought.
God made the king want to do this for the children of Israel.
God has given such a thing as this in his heart. So every time
we look at it, from every aspect that we look at it, it was God
that moved in him. If he was left to himself, he
would have not let those people go. but not left to himself because
God moved in him. God came upon him. God stirred
him in such a capacity and it's a physical thing at the very
most. Just as we find in the book of
Proverbs chapter 21 and verse 1, the king's heart is in the
hand of the Lord. Now what does that mean? He has
the ability of moving a king, a queen, a president, a city
councilor, a dog catcher, whatever it is, to perform his eternal
purpose on the behalf of his people. And it may be nothing
more than a physical heart dealing. we find with regard to Joseph. Would you turn with me to the
book of Genesis chapter 45? As Ezra said, I'm just so thankful
for the covenant mercies to the fathers, to the God of the covenant
mercies of the fathers. to the God that touched the heart,
moved the heart of Artaxerxes to do this very thing, that we've
read this long decree that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra to carry
as he went back, that what you're doing you are authorized to do. And here in the book of Genesis,
chapter 45, we have that Joseph realized this Though it was difficult
in the beginning, and sometimes it's difficult for us to realize
that God is doing his business just like he intends to do his
business, and he may use the pilot to do it. He may use the
king to do it. He may use 11 brothers to do
it. Genesis chapter 45 and verse
5. Genesis chapter 45 and verse 5. We have these words, now therefore
be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye soul me hither. He's being honest, but grace
has gripped his heart. For God did send me before you
to preserve life. For these two years hath the
famine been in the land, and yet there are five years, in
the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. It's not
going to be worth a thing to plant a crop, because there will
be no harvest. And God sent me before you to
preserve you in posterity in the earth and to save your lives
by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent
me hither. Now God moved in their heart
like he did Artaxerxes. Now we say Artaxerxes did a good
thing. Well in retrospect we find that Joseph realized that
God moving in their heart did a good thing. It was hard on
Joseph for a short time, and I'm sure that he went away saying,
what in the world are these brothers doing to me, as they sold him
to the Ishmaelites to carry him off into a foreign place, down
to Egypt. But God had revealed to him,
this is my purpose. And he says this, God, he hath
made me a father to Pharaoh. So, verse eight, so now it is
not you that sent me hither, but God. I find delight to find
places like that in the Bible, that God has brought us through
the deep water, God has brought us through whatever travail,
but it's God that brought us through. He brought the deep
water, He brought the travail for His own glory. I read in
the book of Exodus chapter 12, after God set his people free
from Egypt. Now they didn't go down there
as punishment. I've been taught in religion,
they're there being punished. No, they went down there and
they were enjoying the hospitality of Egypt. until a pharaoh arose
who knew not Joseph. And he said, there's too many
of them, we're just going to put them in slavery, and that's
what he did. Now God is going to use that
on purpose to demonstrate the glorious redemptive plan. It must be a substitute, the
blood of a substitute must be seen. before I'll set them free. And when the blood was on the
doorpost and the lentils, when I see the blood, I will pass
over you. And he let him go. But there's
something that the people of Egypt did for the children of
Israel. He moved in their heart, and
that's in Exodus chapter 12. Would you read there with me
Exodus chapter 12 as we think about Ezra rejoicing in the God
of his fathers and then saying the God of heaven moved in the
king's heart to do this. And we find this throughout the
scriptures. Exodus chapter 12. And there in verse 33, how did
the children of Israel get all the gold and silver and bronze
and jewelry for the building of the temple out there in the
wilderness? They've been paupers for 400
years. They haven't been paid much but
some mush. And then they talk about going
back and getting the leeks and the onions and But they're not
very rich people. But how in the world are they
able to do all of that? Well, notice right here in the
book of Exodus, Exodus chapter 12, verse 33, and the Egyptians were urgent
upon the people that they might send them out of the land in
haste, for they said, we all be dead men. And the people took
their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being
bound up on their clothes, upon their shoulders. And the children
of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they borrowed
the Egyptians' jewels of silver, jewels of gold, raiment. And
the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians,
so that they lent unto them such things as they required, and
they spoiled the Egyptians. Who moved on them to do this
for the glory of the Lord and for the building of the house?
God moved in their hearts to do this. We find over there when
there were four lepers, they heard a whole army coming and
it was a phantom. But God gave them the understanding
the whole army was coming and left everything behind all of
their donkeys, all of their tents, all of their food, all of their
drink, all of their gold, all of their raiment, and here God
blessed God's people with what was left. God does this, he moves
in mysterious ways his wonders to perform, and he moved in Artaxerxes'
heart to let the children of Judah and Benjamin to go back
under Ezra. And we also find that in the
Lord's day when he was standing on trial before Pilate, Pilate
had, you know, I could just see him flaunting himself. He didn't
want to be there really, but he's flaunting himself as a Roman
emperor. He speaks for the Roman emperor,
Caesar. And he's going to tell Jesus,
I've got this power over you. And our Lord and Savior said
right to him, on the plane, right there in front of him,
he said this. Jesus answered, thou couldest
have no power at all against me. I like that, at all. No power
at all against me except It were given of thee from above. Now that tells us who's in charge
right there, has always been in charge, and will forever be
in charge. The Lord is in charge. He was
in charge of Artaxerxes. He was in charge of the confinement
of those people from Jerusalem. He had it tallied up exactly
how long they would be there, and when the tally had run out,
it's time to touch a king's heart to let them go. and there's another
group that need to be taken back also, and so he touched Artaxerxes'
heart, and Ezra realized just how much God was involved with
the delivery of his people, all of it. Ezra couldn't lead them
without permission, and God gave permission for him to lead those
people back to Jerusalem. In Romans chapter nine, would
you turn there with me? Romans chapter nine. Romans chapter 9, this is just
the heart and core of what we're reading about here in the book
of Ezra. This is the heart and core. This
is the separation. This is those twins, Jacob and Esau, Ishmael and Isaac,
the separation. But here in Romans chapter 9,
verse 15, Romans chapter 9 verse 15. For he saith to Moses, I
will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy, and I'll have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So then it is not. And I have to stop there and
ruminate. So then it is not. It is not of any other man's
willing or runnings. It is not from his good desires. It is not from his deeds, his
good inclinations, or actions, or from foresight. It is not
that, for it goes on to tell us here, it is not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but God that showeth mercy. What a blessing it is to hear
the words of Ezra as he recounts this entire decree from the King
Artaxerxes and he says, bless the God of covenant mercies for
he stirred the heart of King Artaxerxes to let me go. Now, one other passage before
we move on to another thought about stirring in the heart And
it's found in the book of Lamentations. Right after Jeremiah, there are
the Lamentations of Jeremiah. Lamentations chapter 3 and verse
37. Lamentations of Jeremiah chapter
3 and verse 37. Who is he? Sayeth and it come to pass cometh
to pass when the Lord commanded it not Say all you want, but if the
Lord commanded it not it's not coming to pass All those false
prophets that Israel had, all that they had to say, all that
they had to do, all their illustrations came to naught because they were
not the commandment of the Lord. Now, why did Artaxerxes permit
the children of Judah and Benjamin to go back to Jerusalem? Because
it was the command of the Lord. God used him in this great way,
to take the children of Israel, Judah and Benjamin, back. Now,
God moved in Artaxerxes' heart to do what God purposed to be
done. He moved on the heart of everyone
to do what he wants to have done. God has moved the hearts of Esau
to serve Jacob's, yet their movements of the heart were merely physical. You know, the Lord, we got some
rain the other day. I heard down in Vancouver you
got quite a bit of rain. And you know what? God doesn't
mark off this house because there's a believer in it and they get
rain. His physical blessings are on the just as well as the
unjust. He sends the sunshine on the
just as well as the unjust. But when it comes to true work
of grace, He only works on his elect. He can use anybody else. The way he sees fit, just like
he did Artaxerxes or like he did the other children of Jacob. But when it comes to spiritual
things, he only deals with his people. God must do more than
move the heart physically. Most of religion is just moving
hearts physically. If you weep enough, If you come
down front, if you sign a card, if you join the church, if you
get baptized, if you take the Lord's Supper, all physical activities,
and most people are satisfied with that, but God doesn't work
his business like that. He may work in the heart of Artaxerxes
like that, and Artaxerxes may give a decree to let the people
go back to Jerusalem like that, but when it comes to the heart,
there must be more than physical activity, Because the heart is
deceitful above all things and dead in trespasses and sin So
God's got to do something there more than he did for Artaxerxes
Would you turn with me to the book of Ephesians chapter 2?
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 4 I'm like Mike we should start
in chapter 1 and read through here. You'll have to do it. That's
your assignment. I But here in the book of Ephesians,
chapter 2, verse 4, there is a work in the heart that God
performs on His people, in His people, for His people, that
is much different than what He did for Artaxerxes. Artaxerxes,
to everybody that stood around him, said, he woke up one morning
and said, I think we need to let Ezra go home. And probably
some of his advisors took some convincing of that. But Ezra
said, after a while, they all were in favor of it. Now, whether
it was like those Egyptians or not, I don't know. They were
all in favor of Israel leaving, because we might all become dead
men. But here, when it comes to the heart, where God works
of work, where it is required that he alone do this, and it's
not physical, it's spiritual. Ephesians chapter 2 and verse
4 we have these wonderful words recorded for our edification
our instruction, but God who is rich in mercy is Wherewith
he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened
us together with Christ, for by grace are you saved, and hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. It doesn't say a thing about
that with Artaxerxes, because his moving in his heart was to
accomplish physical blessings for the children of Israel. But
when it comes to spiritual blessings, God must go deeper. He must raise us from the spiritual
dead. It is only then can we do what
Ezra did and praise the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the
God of the living and not the God of the dead. It is only then
that we can truly appreciate what God's word has to say. Thou
hast the words of eternal life. It is only then that we can love
him, and then we find out we love him because he first loved
us. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power, is what we read over in the book of the
Psalms. And we also hear Isaiah's words saying, I am sought of
them that ask not for me. Now there's a whole bunch of
Israelites that say, well, we're serving God, we're serving God.
And he said, the Lord Jesus said, if you believe Moses, you would
believe me. My sheep hear my voice and they
follow me. You believe not because you're
not of my sheep. Philippians chapter 2 and verse
13 says, for it is God which worketh in you both to will and
to do of his good pleasure. It takes God doing more than
he did for Artaxerxes. Artaxerxes could say, I did a
really good thing. I'm going to write that in the
tablets of history. Most people who do really good
things thinking that it's for religious reasons do write it
down. They don't let many people forget what they've done. But
when God works a work of grace, it is what Ezra said, oh, blessed
be the Lord God of our fathers. For it was him that stirred the
heart of this king to let us go back and beautify the temple. And besides that, he's blessed
me to go back. In the book of Ezekiel chapter
36 and verse 26, we're going to close with this passage of
scripture, the book of Ezekiel chapter 36. Ezekiel chapter 36
and verse 36. And again, this is just a passage,
excuse me, verse 26. We should begin at the beginning
and read, but we'll let you have that. This is what God said about
the heart. I can move in Artaxerxes heart
and I'll get him to do my purpose. But when it comes to salvation
and a new heart, also will I give you. That heart isn't worth anything. I can manipulate. I move. I get
people. I get Esaws to do my purpose
for my people. They're the ones that cut down
the lumber so they can build their house. They're the ones that milk the
cows so they can have milk. They're the ones that grind the
flour so they can have bread. They're the ones that take care
of my people. But when it comes to my people, I must work a greater
work than that work. A new heart also will I give
you and a new spirit will I put within you. That's the Holy Spirit. And I will take away the stony
heart. I looked that word stony up and
it means common stone in natural state. I'll take away the natural
state. and give you a heart of flesh,
and I will give you out of your flesh and will give you a heart
of flesh." So God does so much more for his people in giving
them a new heart, in raising them. I'm thankful for God what
he does in the physical state. I like my mail delivered. I like
my gasoline pumped. I like all of those things that
we get to enjoy. And by and large, they're probably
a high percentage of Esau's. But when it comes to spiritual
things, God must work a work of grace. He must give us the
new birth. He must give us a new heart. He must give us, and then we
find out He hath not only enable me but cause me to do his will,
to believe him. Well, that next verse over there
in the book of Ezra, Ezra goes on with some more blessings that
we're just going to count and look at next time. That verse
of scripture shares this, and this king hath extended mercy
unto me before the king. and his counselors and before
all the king's princes, and I was strengthened as the hand, now
notice this, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me. He's going to continue. May we
pray. Gracious Father in heaven, we're
thankful for your abounding grace. We're thankful for that physical
grace that you give and that physical blessings you give. But more than that, we count
it so blessed that you've reached back into the council halls of
eternity, that you've laid out a lamb slain from the foundation
of the world, that you have a purpose of shed blood on the behalf of
your people, you have redemptive work already taken care of, and
then in time, you come With the gospel and your spirit's activity,
and you give us something that we could not work up ourself,
we could not do for ourself. Only the physical things could
we do. You've done something spiritual. And that is you've
given us Christ and his righteousness. And it's in his name we now pray.
And with thanksgiving, we come before you. Amen. And as Brother Mike says, be
free.