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This morning I read to you a portion

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of scripture, 2nd epistle of Paul to the

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Corinthians, and then we reminded ourselves of that

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very familiar chapter, chapter 3 in the Gospel

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of John.

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Now this evening I want to read 2

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portions of scripture in the Old Testament, and

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then we're going to turn our attention again

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to that 3rd chapter of the Gospel of

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John.

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So if you have a Bible with you,

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will you turn to the book of Ezekiel?

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The book of Ezekiel, and we'll read in

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chapter 36.

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Ezekiel chapter 36, reading from verse 21.

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Ezekiel 36 verse 21.

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But I had pity for mine holy name,

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which the house of Israel had profaned among

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the heathen, whither they went.

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Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus

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saith the Lord God.

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I do not this for your sake, O

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house of Israel, but for mine holy name's

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sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen,

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whither ye went.

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And I will sanctify my great name, which

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was profaned among the heathen, which ye have

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profaned in the midst of them.

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And the heathen shall know that I am

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the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I

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shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

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For I will take you from among the

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heathen, and gather you out of all countries,

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and will bring you into your own land.

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Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you,

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and ye shall be clean.

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From all your filthiness and from all your

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idols will I cleanse you.

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A new heart also will I give you,

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and a new spirit will I put within

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you, and I will take away the stony

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heart out of your flesh, and I will

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give you a heart of flesh.

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And I will put my spirit within you,

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and cause you to walk in my statutes,

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and ye shall keep my judgments and do

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them.

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And ye shall dwell in the land that

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I gave to your fathers, and ye shall

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be my people, and I will be your

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God.

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Now look at chapter thirty-seven.

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The hand of the Lord was upon me,

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and carried me out in the spirit of

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the Lord, and set me down in the

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midst of the valley which was full of

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bones, and caused me to pass by them

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round about.

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And, behold, there were very many in the

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open valley, and, lo, they were very dry.

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And he said unto me, Son of man,

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can these bones live?

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And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

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Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these

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bones, and say unto them, O ye dry

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bones, hear the word of the Lord.

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Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones,

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Behold, I will cause breath to enter into

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you, and ye shall live.

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And I will lay sinews upon you, and

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will bring up flesh upon you, and cover

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you with skin, and put breath in you,

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and ye shall live, and ye shall know

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that I am the Lord.

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So I prophesied as I was commanded, and

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as I prophesied there was a noise, and,

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behold, a shaking, and the bones came together,

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bone to his bone.

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And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and

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the flesh came up upon them, and the

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skin covered them above, but there was no

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breath in them.

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Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the

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wind.

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Prophesy, Son of man, and say to the

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wind, Thus saith the Lord God, Come from

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the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon

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these flames, that they may live.

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So I prophesied as he commanded me, and

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the breath came into them, and they lived,

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and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding

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great army.

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Then he said unto me, Son of man,

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these bones are the whole house of Israel.

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Now we can leave our reading there, and

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once again turn our attention to that third

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chapter of the Gospel according to John.

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Very well known chapter.

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We reminded ourselves this morning that this man

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Nicodemus came into the presence of the Lord,

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and evidently he wanted to speak to Jesus

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about the kingdom of God.

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He probably had questions to ask.

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And when he came into the presence of

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the Lord, he admitted a fact.

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He said, We know that thou art a

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teacher come from God.

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And then we saw that the Lord Jesus

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as much as said, Well we don't need

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to waste any time.

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You know that I am a teacher sent

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from God.

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Now I am the teacher, you are the

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student, and the subject is the kingdom of

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God.

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Now the first thing I want to tell

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you about that kingdom is this, that except

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a man be born again, he cannot see

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that kingdom.

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He cannot understand it.

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He cannot comprehend it.

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It is just beyond him.

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And when the man Nicodemus said, But how

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can a man be born again when he

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is old?

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Then the teacher began to explain this a

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little further.

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And he said to him, Except a man

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be born of water and of the Spirit,

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he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

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In the first word, he could not see

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the kingdom of God.

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In the second word, he cannot enter the

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kingdom of God.

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And then we went on to see how

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the teacher added a little more as he

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went on talking of this man Nicodemus.

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Went on to say, You know that which

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is born of the flesh is flesh, and

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that which is born of the Spirit is

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Spirit.

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And having said that, as much as said,

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Well now you needn't marvel when I say

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to you, you must be born again.

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And yet this man still would say, But

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how can these things be?

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And then Jesus looked at him and he

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said, Art thou a master in Israel?

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Art thou a teacher in Israel?

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And was not these things?

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I'm surprised at you.

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You ought to know what I'm talking about.

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Why say, How can these things be?

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You ought to know.

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And then went on a little further and

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said, You see the wind bloweth where it

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listeth, thou hearest the sound thereof, cannot tell

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whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth.

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So is everyone that is born of the

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Spirit.

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Now then, this morning I got you thinking

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about that particular verse where the Lord said,

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That which is born of the flesh is

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flesh.

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And we tried to understand that.

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It would take a long time really to

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go into the matter thoroughly, but we did

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glean a few things this morning as to

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what the flesh really meant.

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We had to go back to the book

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of Genesis in order to see something of

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man's constitution and of what happened to the

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man when he sinned, how he became other

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than he was, how that now instead of

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thinking God's thoughts and desiring God's desires and

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willing God's will, that man has become entirely

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different.

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He is now thinking his own thoughts and

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desiring his own desires and willing his own

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will.

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He is quite different.

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Before he was a spiritual man and now

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he's a natural man.

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That is the flesh.

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When that man took of that tree he

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became other than he was.

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He became a natural man.

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He became a soulish man.

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He became a self-thinking, self-desiring, self

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-willing, self-centred, selfish, sensual.

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That's what he became.

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Now that's the flesh.

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So this morning we were thinking of that

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and trying to lay hold of the facts

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and we began to see that God never

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intended to mend it or repair it or

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make it any different.

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When that took place God had finished with

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it and he was going to put it

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away.

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And we saw God showing us clearly enough

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that his intention was to put that flesh

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away once and for all and he did

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it in the person of the Lord Jesus

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Christ on that cross.

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When that one died for all, well that

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was it finished.

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In that way God pronounced ascendance upon the

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whole world and he saw them as dead.

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Now we know that the Lord Jesus Christ

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rose again from among the dead but he

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didn't rise with what he took to the

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cross.

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That was finished with.

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But he rose as the head of a

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new creation.

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If any man is in Christ he's a

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new creature.

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Now these things we laid hold of this

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morning.

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Now I'm centering your thoughts on this other

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verse.

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When the Lord said to this man Nicodemus,

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except a man be born of water and

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of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom

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of God.

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Now let us pay a little attention to

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this verse.

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Except a man be born of water and

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of the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom

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of God.

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Now I looked at the verse very closely

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and I noticed this, that in the original

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the definite article is not there.

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So that if we leave the definite article

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out then the verse would read, except a

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man be born of water and Spirit.

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Not the Spirit.

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Except a man be born of water and

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Spirit.

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Not the Spirit.

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Now then, as we think of it in

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this way it may help us a little

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bit to get this clear.

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That word Spirit comes before us again a

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little lower down in the chapter.

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You say where?

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Well where the Lord said the wind bloweth

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where it lifteth.

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Now that word is the same.

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See?

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Except a man be born of water and

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Spirit.

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Now he said the wind bloweth.

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Now we could change those two words so

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we could say except a man be born

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of water and wind.

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And then the Spirit bloweth where it lifteth.

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You see?

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It's the same word but because those who

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translate were thinking well it must mean this

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and it must mean that, then they said

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alright we translate it and it says except

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a man be born of water and of

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the Spirit.

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And then, well now it says the wind,

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the wind bloweth.

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Well now, this is going to help us.

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Except a man be born of water and

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wind.

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Now we can take it as that.

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Water, wind.

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You see?

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And a little lower down we can say

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the Spirit bloweth or breatheth.

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00:14:03,180 --> 00:14:05,780
The Spirit breatheth where it lifteth.

277
00:14:06,060 --> 00:14:07,900
Now here is the sound thereof.

278
00:14:08,140 --> 00:14:10,640
Cannot tell whence it cometh nor whither it

279
00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:11,140
goeth.

280
00:14:11,140 --> 00:14:12,700
We come back on that.

281
00:14:13,220 --> 00:14:14,620
But now let's look at it this way.

282
00:14:14,980 --> 00:14:17,340
First of all he said except a man

283
00:14:17,340 --> 00:14:18,340
be born of water.

284
00:14:19,660 --> 00:14:21,180
Now what did the Lord mean when he

285
00:14:21,180 --> 00:14:21,780
said that?

286
00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,240
Oh, say some people, he meant baptism.

287
00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:26,420
Did he?

288
00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:29,460
Oh no.

289
00:14:30,180 --> 00:14:31,580
Oh no, he didn't mean baptism.

290
00:14:31,580 --> 00:14:33,800
Except a man be born of water.

291
00:14:33,940 --> 00:14:35,620
Except a man be baptised.

292
00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:37,760
Except a man be christened.

293
00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,100
No, no, no, he's not talking about that.

294
00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,760
Except a man be born of water.

295
00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:49,540
What did he mean by that?

296
00:14:50,100 --> 00:14:54,340
Remember when Nicodemus said how can these things

297
00:14:54,340 --> 00:14:54,740
be?

298
00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:58,220
The Lord said, art thou a teacher in

299
00:14:58,220 --> 00:15:00,420
Israel and knowest not these things?

300
00:15:00,420 --> 00:15:02,900
Nicodemus, I'm surprised at you.

301
00:15:03,240 --> 00:15:06,480
When you heard me say, except a man

302
00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,800
be born of water and wind, your mind

303
00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:12,560
should have taken you to the writings that

304
00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:13,740
you know so well.

305
00:15:14,940 --> 00:15:18,100
Your mind should have taken you away back

306
00:15:18,100 --> 00:15:19,940
to the book of Ezekiel.

307
00:15:19,940 --> 00:15:23,560
You should have remembered straight away when I

308
00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:25,340
said water and wind.

309
00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:27,500
You should remember.

310
00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,600
I'm surprised at you that you don't remember

311
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:31,000
that.

312
00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,320
So we went back to that book of

313
00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:35,960
Ezekiel.

314
00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:37,320
And what did we read?

315
00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:39,780
Now this had to do with the children

316
00:15:39,780 --> 00:15:40,560
of Israel.

317
00:15:41,180 --> 00:15:43,440
It has to do with the new birth

318
00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:46,120
of a nation and that nation is Israel.

319
00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:49,080
You notice again and again it referred to

320
00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:49,900
Israel.

321
00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,740
And so there we have the new birth

322
00:15:52,740 --> 00:15:53,340
of a nation.

323
00:15:53,580 --> 00:15:55,100
How is it going to be brought to

324
00:15:55,100 --> 00:15:55,400
pass?

325
00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:57,460
God said I will gather you out of

326
00:15:57,460 --> 00:16:00,000
all nations, bring you into your own land.

327
00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,840
Then will I sprinkle you with clean water

328
00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:04,680
and ye shall be clean.

329
00:16:05,460 --> 00:16:08,300
From all your filthiness, from all your idols

330
00:16:08,300 --> 00:16:09,880
will I cleanse you.

331
00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,300
And I'll give you a new heart and

332
00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:14,180
I'll give you a new spirit and I'll

333
00:16:14,180 --> 00:16:16,300
put my spirit within you and you'll be

334
00:16:16,300 --> 00:16:18,320
my people and I'll be your God.

335
00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:19,040
You see that?

336
00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,060
Now there are the evidences of new birth.

337
00:16:23,780 --> 00:16:24,100
You see?

338
00:16:24,380 --> 00:16:26,120
The new birth of a nation.

339
00:16:27,020 --> 00:16:30,700
I'll cleanse you from all your filthiness, from

340
00:16:30,700 --> 00:16:31,940
all your idols.

341
00:16:32,100 --> 00:16:32,460
How?

342
00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,940
By sprinkling upon you clean water.

343
00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:37,900
Ye shall be clean.

344
00:16:38,540 --> 00:16:39,980
Then what follows?

345
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:41,500
Well here's the new birth.

346
00:16:41,780 --> 00:16:43,480
A new heart I'll give you.

347
00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:45,120
A new spirit I'll give you.

348
00:16:45,300 --> 00:16:47,020
I'll put my spirit within you.

349
00:16:47,180 --> 00:16:48,100
You'll be my people.

350
00:16:48,340 --> 00:16:49,440
I'll be your God.

351
00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,780
That is, that's new birth.

352
00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:52,620
You see?

353
00:16:52,900 --> 00:16:54,480
The new birth of a nation.

354
00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,300
But a picture of new birth in the

355
00:16:57,300 --> 00:16:57,900
individual.

356
00:16:58,860 --> 00:17:00,860
And God is using it with this man

357
00:17:00,860 --> 00:17:01,620
Nicodemus.

358
00:17:01,860 --> 00:17:04,960
Nicodemus, you ought to know what I'm talking

359
00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:07,460
about when I say except a man be

360
00:17:07,460 --> 00:17:08,460
born of water.

361
00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:09,560
See?

362
00:17:09,880 --> 00:17:13,180
So I will sprinkle clean water upon you

363
00:17:13,180 --> 00:17:15,099
and ye shall be clean.

364
00:17:15,099 --> 00:17:19,700
Now, to these people, to Nicodemus and others

365
00:17:19,700 --> 00:17:22,740
who knew the Old Testament Scriptures so well,

366
00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:28,260
when they heard this sprinkling with clean water,

367
00:17:28,740 --> 00:17:30,840
there was something else at the back of

368
00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:31,180
it.

369
00:17:31,820 --> 00:17:34,180
Oh, they wouldn't just think, oh yes, that's

370
00:17:34,180 --> 00:17:37,800
right, just water, clean water and that's all

371
00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:39,000
would be sprinkled.

372
00:17:39,260 --> 00:17:40,940
No, there was something back of it, you

373
00:17:40,940 --> 00:17:41,360
see.

374
00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:42,960
Now let me tell you this.

375
00:17:43,780 --> 00:17:47,420
You know, in the book of Leviticus, you

376
00:17:47,420 --> 00:17:50,100
have brought before you the law for the

377
00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:51,520
cleansing of a leper.

378
00:17:52,340 --> 00:17:54,980
And this is a very remarkable law.

379
00:17:55,300 --> 00:17:58,280
It says that the priest should examine the

380
00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,440
man who was the leper, and then he

381
00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:06,300
would command that two birds, alive and clean,

382
00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:07,320
be taken.

383
00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:10,440
And one of these birds was to be

384
00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,920
killed in an earthen vessel over running water.

385
00:18:15,220 --> 00:18:18,900
And then the living bird was to be

386
00:18:18,900 --> 00:18:20,860
taken and it was to be dipped in

387
00:18:20,860 --> 00:18:22,860
the blood of this dead bird.

388
00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,060
And then lifted out and it was to

389
00:18:26,060 --> 00:18:29,280
be let go and it would fly away

390
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:33,100
back into the heavens from whence it came.

391
00:18:33,100 --> 00:18:35,500
And then he that was to be cleansed

392
00:18:35,500 --> 00:18:39,740
would be sprinkled seven times, how?

393
00:18:40,740 --> 00:18:44,040
With that blood of the bird that was

394
00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:45,560
killed in the earthen vessel.

395
00:18:47,120 --> 00:18:49,920
Now then, this is a very simple little

396
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,560
picture for the cleansing of a leper.

397
00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:55,700
But back of it there's a tremendous lot

398
00:18:55,700 --> 00:18:58,400
that is of great interest to us.

399
00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:00,320
So first of all, let us think of

400
00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:00,560
this.

401
00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,940
Two birds were to be taken, alive and

402
00:19:03,940 --> 00:19:04,360
clean.

403
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:06,480
Not one bird, two.

404
00:19:07,300 --> 00:19:09,020
And in the margin of your Bible it

405
00:19:09,020 --> 00:19:11,660
may say two sparrows, or it may say

406
00:19:11,660 --> 00:19:14,180
two pigeons, or two turtledoves.

407
00:19:14,660 --> 00:19:16,380
Well I don't take any notice of that.

408
00:19:16,380 --> 00:19:19,020
What I do look at is that in

409
00:19:19,020 --> 00:19:22,960
the original, in the Hebrew language, it says

410
00:19:22,960 --> 00:19:27,780
two fowls of the heavens, or two birds

411
00:19:27,780 --> 00:19:28,460
of the heavens.

412
00:19:28,580 --> 00:19:30,620
Not pigeons, turtledoves, nothing you see.

413
00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:34,860
Only birds or fowls of the heavens.

414
00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,360
The thing is they didn't belong down here.

415
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,140
So these two birds, alive and clean, are

416
00:19:41,140 --> 00:19:43,720
bringing before us the deity of Christ.

417
00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,960
He belonged up there, you see, but he

418
00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:48,900
came down here.

419
00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,340
So then, first of all, two birds, alive

420
00:19:52,340 --> 00:19:54,260
and clean, the deity of Christ.

421
00:19:55,100 --> 00:20:00,040
Then the earthen vessel, that's the perfect humanity

422
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:00,700
of Christ.

423
00:20:00,700 --> 00:20:02,160
When he came into the world, he said,

424
00:20:02,300 --> 00:20:04,740
in burnt offerings and sacrifices and sins, thou

425
00:20:04,740 --> 00:20:05,560
hadst no pleasure.

426
00:20:05,700 --> 00:20:07,460
Then said I, lo, I come, in the

427
00:20:07,460 --> 00:20:08,980
volume of the book, it is written of

428
00:20:08,980 --> 00:20:11,180
me, I delight to do thy will, O

429
00:20:11,180 --> 00:20:14,120
God, a body hast thou prepared me.

430
00:20:14,260 --> 00:20:16,200
So he took the body that God had

431
00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,720
prepared for him, that he might acquire the

432
00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,600
capacity to suffer, to shed his blood, and

433
00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:22,760
to die.

434
00:20:23,180 --> 00:20:25,860
So there you have the earthen vessel, the

435
00:20:25,860 --> 00:20:27,780
perfect humanity of Christ.

436
00:20:27,780 --> 00:20:32,100
Now the bird was slain in the earthen

437
00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:32,540
vessel.

438
00:20:33,620 --> 00:20:36,240
There you have the death of Christ.

439
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:40,460
Why two birds?

440
00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,760
Because if you had only one, then you

441
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,480
could only bring out the death of Christ.

442
00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:49,100
But God wants us to have more than

443
00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:49,400
that.

444
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,000
So he said, now you take the living

445
00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,240
bird, you see, and you dip it in

446
00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,240
the blood of the dead bird.

447
00:20:57,580 --> 00:21:01,660
So it is identified with the dead, and

448
00:21:01,660 --> 00:21:02,700
then it's lifted out.

449
00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:04,760
That is resurrection, it's alive.

450
00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:07,200
Oh, it's been into death, yes, but it's

451
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:07,640
alive.

452
00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:10,500
Now he said, you let it go, and

453
00:21:10,500 --> 00:21:13,360
away it goes back into the heavens, and

454
00:21:13,360 --> 00:21:14,980
that's the ascension of Christ.

455
00:21:14,980 --> 00:21:17,460
Isn't it wonderful that in a little picture

456
00:21:17,460 --> 00:21:19,180
like that, that has to do with the

457
00:21:19,180 --> 00:21:22,220
cleansing of a leper, you have the deity,

458
00:21:22,620 --> 00:21:27,040
the humanity of Christ, and then you have

459
00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:32,240
these other truths, his death, his resurrection, and

460
00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,100
even more, his ascension, even more.

461
00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:38,120
That through the eternal spirit he offered himself

462
00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:39,480
without spot to God.

463
00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:41,120
All of it comes out in that little

464
00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:41,580
picture.

465
00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,740
Now notice, I used to picture this and

466
00:21:45,740 --> 00:21:48,800
say to myself, now what did take, I'm

467
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:50,360
always doing this, when I read my Bible

468
00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:52,220
I try to picture what took place.

469
00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:54,720
So I said, now just what did he

470
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:54,940
do?

471
00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:56,840
So I can see the priest, and he's

472
00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,400
got these two birds, and then it says,

473
00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:01,520
now he shall kill one of the birds

474
00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,080
in an earthen vessel over running water.

475
00:22:04,860 --> 00:22:06,200
Hmm, I know.

476
00:22:06,580 --> 00:22:10,040
So there's the little stream of water, the

477
00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:12,660
water is running, you see, and he holds

478
00:22:12,660 --> 00:22:15,740
the earthen vessel over this running water, and

479
00:22:15,740 --> 00:22:16,600
he kills it.

480
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,060
And then I thought, well that's right, that's

481
00:22:21,060 --> 00:22:21,880
what took place.

482
00:22:22,720 --> 00:22:24,760
And then it says, now you take the

483
00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:30,380
living bird and you dip, you immerse, you

484
00:22:30,380 --> 00:22:32,480
immerse the living bird in the blood of

485
00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:33,320
the dead bird.

486
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:36,360
And I said, he could not do it.

487
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:39,820
You could not get sufficient blood out of

488
00:22:39,820 --> 00:22:41,620
one bird to be able to immerse another

489
00:22:41,620 --> 00:22:42,380
bird in it.

490
00:22:45,460 --> 00:22:48,460
Oh, so I had to think back, when

491
00:22:48,460 --> 00:22:52,620
he held the earthen vessel over water that

492
00:22:52,620 --> 00:22:56,220
was running, then he was to dip the

493
00:22:56,220 --> 00:23:00,590
living bird in, he couldn't do it.

494
00:23:01,790 --> 00:23:04,910
Now wait a minute, oh, now I look

495
00:23:04,910 --> 00:23:08,250
at the margin and it says, living water,

496
00:23:10,490 --> 00:23:11,610
living water.

497
00:23:12,810 --> 00:23:16,050
Not just running water, but living water.

498
00:23:16,170 --> 00:23:19,630
And living water is a type, in the

499
00:23:19,630 --> 00:23:21,810
word of God, of the spirit.

500
00:23:23,570 --> 00:23:27,150
So I said, ah, now then, that living

501
00:23:27,150 --> 00:23:29,730
water is not running water, it's living water.

502
00:23:29,810 --> 00:23:30,410
Where was it?

503
00:23:30,450 --> 00:23:31,630
It was in the earthen vessel.

504
00:23:33,260 --> 00:23:36,980
Ah, so now I've got that water, that

505
00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:39,440
living water in that earthen vessel, and he

506
00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,700
kills the bird and its blood drips into

507
00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:44,080
that living water.

508
00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,580
Now he that is to be cleansed is

509
00:23:48,580 --> 00:23:52,440
to be sprinkled with that blood, but by

510
00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,460
means of that living water.

511
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:59,180
It was the water that conveyed the blood

512
00:23:59,180 --> 00:24:01,160
to the leper for his cleansing.

513
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:01,940
Have you got that?

514
00:24:02,860 --> 00:24:06,920
So that the moment a Jew, or man

515
00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:11,660
like Nicodemus, heard this, I will sprinkle you

516
00:24:11,660 --> 00:24:14,160
with clean water, he knew that back of

517
00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,460
that clean water there was something else.

518
00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,020
There was the blood.

519
00:24:19,660 --> 00:24:22,380
Then again you remember, if a person in

520
00:24:22,380 --> 00:24:25,760
Israel touched a dead body or a bone,

521
00:24:26,060 --> 00:24:28,600
they became defiled, and God said they must

522
00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:29,820
be cleansed.

523
00:24:29,900 --> 00:24:31,100
How were they to be cleansed?

524
00:24:31,340 --> 00:24:33,600
Well they took a red heifer and they

525
00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:36,160
burned it all, burned all of it to

526
00:24:36,160 --> 00:24:38,940
ashes, and then they kept the ashes in

527
00:24:38,940 --> 00:24:39,980
a clean place.

528
00:24:39,980 --> 00:24:44,920
And when a person became defiled by contact

529
00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:46,860
with the dead, they took some of those

530
00:24:46,860 --> 00:24:52,920
ashes and they mixed them with clean water,

531
00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:55,400
living water, you see.

532
00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:57,800
And then the person to be cleansed was

533
00:24:57,800 --> 00:24:59,280
sprinkled, what with?

534
00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,640
With the ashes by means of the clean

535
00:25:03,640 --> 00:25:04,140
water.

536
00:25:05,140 --> 00:25:07,560
So that now as we're thinking of type,

537
00:25:07,860 --> 00:25:12,200
we realise this, that as we see the

538
00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:19,160
priest sprinkling this leper with that blood by

539
00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,540
means of that clean water, it is a

540
00:25:22,540 --> 00:25:26,960
picture of what takes place in new birth,

541
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:28,680
when we are born again.

542
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:32,860
That there is applied to us, in the

543
00:25:32,860 --> 00:25:36,120
power of the Spirit, the living water, all

544
00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:38,500
the value of the precious blood of Christ,

545
00:25:39,140 --> 00:25:43,000
having in view our cleansing, our being cleansed

546
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,160
from all sin.

547
00:25:45,700 --> 00:25:49,000
When the Lord said that Nicodemus, except a

548
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:52,220
man be born of water, come on Nicodemus

549
00:25:52,220 --> 00:25:55,740
now, you're a teacher in Israel, what do

550
00:25:55,740 --> 00:25:56,380
you make of this?

551
00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:02,680
He should have said, ah, I remember Ezekiel,

552
00:26:04,220 --> 00:26:06,680
then will I sprinkle clean water upon you

553
00:26:06,680 --> 00:26:07,540
and ye shall be clean.

554
00:26:07,660 --> 00:26:07,980
That's it.

555
00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:11,960
I remember too that behind that sprinkle of

556
00:26:11,960 --> 00:26:13,900
clean water, there was something else.

557
00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:16,280
There was blood, there was ashes, ashes the

558
00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:20,060
evidence of a completed work, the evidence of

559
00:26:20,060 --> 00:26:23,240
the finished work of Christ, all applied in

560
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,500
the power of the Spirit, having in view

561
00:26:25,500 --> 00:26:29,500
our cleansing, being cleansed from all sin.

562
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:30,340
You get that?

563
00:26:30,340 --> 00:26:34,060
All right, so now we know something about,

564
00:26:34,220 --> 00:26:36,240
except a man be born of water.

565
00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,660
But, he goes on to say, and Spirit,

566
00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:41,920
no wind.

567
00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,120
All right, let's keep to wind.

568
00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:47,440
Now, we turn again to chapter thirty-seven

569
00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:48,600
of the book of Ezekiel.

570
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,980
Oh, now Ezekiel is brought into a valley,

571
00:26:52,380 --> 00:26:54,560
and that valley is full of dead bones,

572
00:26:54,680 --> 00:26:56,420
scattered all over the valley there were these

573
00:26:56,420 --> 00:26:56,980
dead bones.

574
00:26:57,300 --> 00:27:00,060
And he was looking at them, not a

575
00:27:00,060 --> 00:27:01,400
very nice place to be in.

576
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,580
And he was told that these dead bones,

577
00:27:05,780 --> 00:27:07,080
they were Israel.

578
00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:10,440
Now, God says to Ezekiel, have a good

579
00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:11,360
look at these bones.

580
00:27:12,260 --> 00:27:13,580
And he says to him, now, do you

581
00:27:13,580 --> 00:27:16,180
think that these dry bones could live?

582
00:27:17,780 --> 00:27:19,180
I reckon he looked at them and he

583
00:27:19,180 --> 00:27:20,660
said to himself, no, I don't.

584
00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,240
But he didn't say so, he said, well,

585
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:25,840
you know whether they can or not.

586
00:27:26,740 --> 00:27:28,900
He put it back, you know whether they

587
00:27:28,900 --> 00:27:30,720
can or not, all right, son of man.

588
00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:34,620
Now, you prophesy unto these dry bones.

589
00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:37,840
And he prophesied.

590
00:27:38,380 --> 00:27:41,480
And then to his amazement, when he prophesied

591
00:27:41,480 --> 00:27:46,220
unto these dry bones, there was a shaking,

592
00:27:47,060 --> 00:27:50,360
there was a noise, and bone began to

593
00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:51,640
come to his bones.

594
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,820
Until at last, now scattered all over the

595
00:27:54,820 --> 00:27:56,840
valley, there were completed skeletons.

596
00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,360
Not just bones, but skeletons that were complete.

597
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,140
Bone had come to his bones.

598
00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:04,640
And he's watching this.

599
00:28:04,860 --> 00:28:06,480
And as he looked at it, he could

600
00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:10,060
see now the sinews and the flesh coming

601
00:28:10,060 --> 00:28:12,380
up upon those bony frameworks.

602
00:28:13,180 --> 00:28:16,340
And then he saw the skin beginning to

603
00:28:16,340 --> 00:28:17,000
cover them.

604
00:28:17,640 --> 00:28:18,540
And there they were.

605
00:28:19,260 --> 00:28:21,500
Now the valley was full of bodies.

606
00:28:24,410 --> 00:28:25,610
No breath in them.

607
00:28:26,470 --> 00:28:28,070
There was no life in them.

608
00:28:28,430 --> 00:28:33,070
Son of man, prophesy unto the wind.

609
00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:40,260
Except a man be born of water and

610
00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:41,260
wind.

611
00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:45,000
Son of man, prophesy unto the wind.

612
00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:52,280
Come, O wind, breathe upon these slaves, that

613
00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:53,040
they may live.

614
00:28:53,740 --> 00:28:56,760
So he prophesied as he was commanded.

615
00:28:57,450 --> 00:28:59,760
And he saw all this taking place.

616
00:29:00,580 --> 00:29:02,740
But there was no breath in them.

617
00:29:03,460 --> 00:29:07,140
And then, prophesy unto the wind.

618
00:29:07,580 --> 00:29:08,860
And he prophesied.

619
00:29:09,580 --> 00:29:12,200
And there is the action of the wind.

620
00:29:13,100 --> 00:29:16,420
The breath, the breathing, the spirit.

621
00:29:16,420 --> 00:29:18,200
You see?

622
00:29:19,360 --> 00:29:20,040
That's it.

623
00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,000
The same thing, the spirit, the wind, the

624
00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,420
breath, the breathing, all of it has to

625
00:29:26,420 --> 00:29:27,440
do with the spirit.

626
00:29:27,900 --> 00:29:29,200
And this was a quickening.

627
00:29:29,660 --> 00:29:31,140
There was no life in them.

628
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:33,600
But now they are made alive.

629
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:34,520
They are quickened.

630
00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:35,920
They sit upon their feet.

631
00:29:36,060 --> 00:29:37,940
An exceeding great army.

632
00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,420
So said the Lord, except a man be

633
00:29:41,420 --> 00:29:46,360
born of water, that's cleansing, and of wind,

634
00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:47,780
that's quickening.

635
00:29:48,860 --> 00:29:50,680
He cannot see the kingdom of God.

636
00:29:50,860 --> 00:29:52,760
He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

637
00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,700
All this is absolutely necessary.

638
00:29:58,780 --> 00:29:59,520
Now listen.

639
00:30:00,180 --> 00:30:02,820
Here if we read into it, the wind

640
00:30:02,820 --> 00:30:04,660
bloweth where it lifteth.

641
00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:07,580
Thou hearest the sound thereof, cannot tell whence

642
00:30:07,580 --> 00:30:09,220
it cometh and whither it goeth.

643
00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:10,300
Well I say I do.

644
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:15,000
And so I'm not happy at all to

645
00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:17,280
accept that as being wind.

646
00:30:20,300 --> 00:30:22,020
I know from whence it cometh and whither

647
00:30:22,020 --> 00:30:22,520
it goeth.

648
00:30:22,540 --> 00:30:23,340
I'll tell you why.

649
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,760
Out in Africa doing missionary work, we were

650
00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:28,460
well away from any township.

651
00:30:29,140 --> 00:30:32,360
Twenty days journey, walking to get to a

652
00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:32,600
town.

653
00:30:32,980 --> 00:30:34,900
We had lots of people who would travel

654
00:30:34,900 --> 00:30:37,960
fifteen, twenty days to get some relief from

655
00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:39,460
some disease.

656
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:42,140
And we had to feed these people when

657
00:30:42,140 --> 00:30:42,580
they came in.

658
00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:43,940
They didn't come in alone, they brought their

659
00:30:43,940 --> 00:30:44,660
families with them.

660
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:46,280
And we had to feed them.

661
00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:48,320
And that feeding was quite a problem.

662
00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,060
We could get plenty of flour, or mealy

663
00:30:51,060 --> 00:30:53,060
meal as we called it, things like that.

664
00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,440
But you couldn't get meat or fish to

665
00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:56,940
feed them.

666
00:30:57,520 --> 00:30:59,000
So very often I had to go off

667
00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,220
into the bush and do a bit of

668
00:31:01,220 --> 00:31:01,560
hunting.

669
00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,440
And I took with me an African, an

670
00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:07,300
elderly man, very good man.

671
00:31:08,100 --> 00:31:09,760
And I noticed that whenever I said to

672
00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:11,100
him, alright you better get out into the

673
00:31:11,100 --> 00:31:12,480
bush there and try and kill off a

674
00:31:12,480 --> 00:31:14,720
few antelope, you know, to feed all these

675
00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,340
sick people, he said yes.

676
00:31:16,700 --> 00:31:18,260
And he used to come out, as he

677
00:31:18,260 --> 00:31:21,900
came out, fastening a cat skin to his

678
00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:22,180
hip.

679
00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,320
And at first, you know, I wondered, what's

680
00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:26,240
he doing that for?

681
00:31:27,660 --> 00:31:29,700
But we went off and we walked through

682
00:31:29,700 --> 00:31:31,480
the bush here and there, a few miles,

683
00:31:31,660 --> 00:31:31,880
you know.

684
00:31:32,180 --> 00:31:35,620
And he was looking for tracks that he

685
00:31:35,620 --> 00:31:36,200
could follow.

686
00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:39,020
And at last he said, right we've got

687
00:31:39,020 --> 00:31:40,780
some here and let's go.

688
00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:42,840
So he would lead on and I would

689
00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:43,240
follow.

690
00:31:43,860 --> 00:31:45,360
And after a while he would slow down

691
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:47,040
a bit and I would tread softly because

692
00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:49,260
they were somewhere in front, just there, you

693
00:31:49,260 --> 00:31:49,420
see.

694
00:31:49,420 --> 00:31:51,940
And, you know, if they hear us, they'll

695
00:31:51,940 --> 00:31:53,220
be away and we'll have another two or

696
00:31:53,220 --> 00:31:54,660
three miles to go before we get up

697
00:31:54,660 --> 00:31:54,920
with them.

698
00:31:55,260 --> 00:31:56,960
So, gently, gently.

699
00:31:57,220 --> 00:31:59,200
So, alright, alright, I don't want to go

700
00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:00,360
another three or four miles.

701
00:32:00,820 --> 00:32:02,000
So, gently, gently.

702
00:32:02,280 --> 00:32:04,240
So we're stepping carefully, you see.

703
00:32:04,500 --> 00:32:07,600
And then he stops and he says, they're

704
00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:11,000
very close but, you know, they've got noses.

705
00:32:11,820 --> 00:32:13,620
And they stick their noses up and they

706
00:32:13,620 --> 00:32:15,620
sniff and if they get wind of us,

707
00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:17,240
they'll be away.

708
00:32:18,180 --> 00:32:19,520
So I say, what do we do?

709
00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:20,480
He says, wait a minute.

710
00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:22,820
So I see him plucking off some of

711
00:32:22,820 --> 00:32:24,520
the hairs off that cat skin.

712
00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:30,520
He pulls a few pinches of hair and

713
00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:32,800
holds them up like that and then he

714
00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:34,640
springs for some and he watches them coming

715
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:35,080
down.

716
00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:39,100
He wants to know which way the wind

717
00:32:39,100 --> 00:32:41,840
is blowing or which way the breeze is

718
00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:44,540
coming or even which way the atmosphere might

719
00:32:44,540 --> 00:32:46,280
be moving because if it's moving in the

720
00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:49,220
direction of those antelopes, they'll be away.

721
00:32:49,580 --> 00:32:50,600
They'll smell us.

722
00:32:51,360 --> 00:32:53,580
So he sprinkles a few of these hairs

723
00:32:53,580 --> 00:32:55,640
and down they come and he watches them

724
00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:58,320
coming down and he says, ah yes, the

725
00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:00,900
wind's coming from there and it's going there.

726
00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:02,960
We know from whence it cometh and we

727
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:04,020
know whither it goes.

728
00:33:04,260 --> 00:33:05,900
From whence it cometh and whither it goes,

729
00:33:05,940 --> 00:33:06,100
you see.

730
00:33:06,340 --> 00:33:07,100
We know.

731
00:33:07,620 --> 00:33:09,480
So he said, now, we'd better make a

732
00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:11,980
circular tour round there a bit, you see,

733
00:33:12,180 --> 00:33:14,740
so we've got the wind blowing to us

734
00:33:14,740 --> 00:33:16,360
instead of to them.

735
00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,560
Then one day I was walking, I was

736
00:33:19,560 --> 00:33:22,160
in England, and walking along Country Lane, I

737
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:23,800
saw an old lady in front of me

738
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:25,420
and she had a walking stick and she

739
00:33:25,420 --> 00:33:26,100
was going along.

740
00:33:26,480 --> 00:33:28,220
So I watched her and every now and

741
00:33:28,220 --> 00:33:30,160
again she stopped and she looked up.

742
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:32,760
Well, I looked up.

743
00:33:33,580 --> 00:33:34,560
I couldn't see anything.

744
00:33:35,420 --> 00:33:36,460
I thought to myself, well, if she can

745
00:33:36,460 --> 00:33:38,280
see an aeroplane up there, she's got better

746
00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:39,420
eyesight than I've got.

747
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:40,580
I can't see a thing.

748
00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:43,320
So she walked on a little bit and

749
00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:46,460
then, so I thought, well, maybe she's listening.

750
00:33:47,660 --> 00:33:48,740
So I thought, well, if she can hear

751
00:33:48,740 --> 00:33:50,520
anything up there, she's got better hearing than

752
00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:51,000
I've got.

753
00:33:51,280 --> 00:33:52,300
I can't hear a thing.

754
00:33:54,020 --> 00:33:55,900
So she walked on and then she stopped

755
00:33:55,900 --> 00:33:56,940
again and she looked up.

756
00:33:58,120 --> 00:33:59,620
Well, I don't know what this is.

757
00:33:59,620 --> 00:34:02,860
So I went along by her side and

758
00:34:02,860 --> 00:34:04,180
she turned and she saw me.

759
00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:05,980
Oh, she said, excuse me, sir.

760
00:34:06,260 --> 00:34:08,040
She said, the wind is blowing from the

761
00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:09,440
north-west, isn't it?

762
00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:14,199
There was the old weathercock on top of

763
00:34:14,199 --> 00:34:15,760
the church steeple, you see.

764
00:34:16,139 --> 00:34:17,199
She was looking up there.

765
00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,920
She said, it is blowing from the north

766
00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:20,739
-west, isn't it?

767
00:34:20,739 --> 00:34:23,239
I said, yes, mother, that's right.

768
00:34:23,639 --> 00:34:24,060
It's blowing.

769
00:34:24,239 --> 00:34:26,440
We do know from whence it cometh and

770
00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:27,820
whither it goeth, you see.

771
00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:30,560
So I said, the wind blows where it

772
00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:31,080
listeth.

773
00:34:31,560 --> 00:34:33,139
Now, hearest the sound thereof?

774
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,199
Cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it

775
00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:35,299
goeth?

776
00:34:35,299 --> 00:34:36,179
Yes, we do.

777
00:34:36,900 --> 00:34:37,260
Well, listen.

778
00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:40,980
Instead of the wind, the spirit.

779
00:34:41,699 --> 00:34:44,400
The spirit breatheth where it listeth.

780
00:34:45,560 --> 00:34:47,520
You hear the sound thereof?

781
00:34:48,380 --> 00:34:50,960
You cannot tell from whence it cometh and

782
00:34:50,960 --> 00:34:51,960
whither it goeth?

783
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,300
So is everyone that is born of the

784
00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:54,580
spirit.

785
00:34:54,659 --> 00:34:55,980
Oh, I can understand that.

786
00:34:56,060 --> 00:34:57,340
That's clear enough to me.

787
00:34:57,720 --> 00:34:59,200
I'm quite satisfied with that.

788
00:34:59,580 --> 00:35:00,000
Yes.

789
00:35:01,040 --> 00:35:04,160
The spirit breatheth where it listeth.

790
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:05,080
You hear the sound.

791
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:06,660
That's the gospel, of course.

792
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,080
And the gospel is heard.

793
00:35:10,620 --> 00:35:13,000
And the spirit is there.

794
00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:14,980
There's the breathing.

795
00:35:15,620 --> 00:35:16,920
You hear the sound.

796
00:35:18,220 --> 00:35:23,420
And if there's any response, if a person

797
00:35:23,420 --> 00:35:27,580
responds to that appeal being made by the

798
00:35:27,580 --> 00:35:31,220
spirit, to that breathing of the spirit, then

799
00:35:31,220 --> 00:35:34,320
there will be cleansing.

800
00:35:35,060 --> 00:35:38,160
There will be the application to that person

801
00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,120
of all the value of the blood of

802
00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:43,800
Christ in the power of the spirit.

803
00:35:44,740 --> 00:35:47,640
There will be applied to that person all

804
00:35:47,640 --> 00:35:49,760
the value of the finished work of Christ

805
00:35:49,760 --> 00:35:51,320
in the power of the spirit.

806
00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,340
First of all for the cleansing, and then

807
00:35:57,340 --> 00:36:00,660
for the quickening, that they may be truly

808
00:36:00,660 --> 00:36:02,640
born again.

809
00:36:04,950 --> 00:36:08,230
Now then, I want you to understand this.

810
00:36:09,630 --> 00:36:11,630
We have looked at it and we've had

811
00:36:11,630 --> 00:36:14,550
this before us, and we still might find

812
00:36:14,550 --> 00:36:18,630
that it's not too easy to follow, not

813
00:36:18,630 --> 00:36:19,910
too easy to understand.

814
00:36:20,570 --> 00:36:22,610
Well, as to whether you are born again

815
00:36:22,610 --> 00:36:25,930
or not doesn't depend upon you understanding it

816
00:36:25,930 --> 00:36:26,230
all.

817
00:36:27,490 --> 00:36:31,070
It depends on this, that as you listen

818
00:36:31,070 --> 00:36:35,450
to the gospel, as your condition is brought

819
00:36:35,450 --> 00:36:39,410
before you, as the spirit of God takes

820
00:36:39,410 --> 00:36:41,610
up the word of God and works in

821
00:36:41,610 --> 00:36:44,370
your heart and conscience to convict you of

822
00:36:44,370 --> 00:36:48,750
sin, of righteousness, of judgment, then it will

823
00:36:48,750 --> 00:36:52,150
lead you to repentance and to faith in

824
00:36:52,150 --> 00:36:57,510
the Lord Jesus Christ, if you are willing

825
00:36:57,510 --> 00:36:59,130
to cooperate.

826
00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,380
You see, you, I mean, for instance, if

827
00:37:05,380 --> 00:37:07,360
the Lord had been speaking to me and

828
00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:08,680
he'd said to me what he said to

829
00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,460
Nicodemus, if he'd said, you must be born

830
00:37:11,460 --> 00:37:14,360
again, you know, I would have been inclined

831
00:37:14,360 --> 00:37:16,260
to say, well, just a moment, what do

832
00:37:16,260 --> 00:37:17,640
you expect me to do about that?

833
00:37:19,150 --> 00:37:21,250
Well, you say to me, you must be

834
00:37:21,250 --> 00:37:23,270
born again, well now, will you tell me

835
00:37:23,270 --> 00:37:25,690
just how I can accomplish that?

836
00:37:26,290 --> 00:37:27,570
Can I be born myself?

837
00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:33,000
Well, now, you say you must be born

838
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,960
again, you're telling me I've got to be

839
00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:37,620
born again, but how do I do it?

840
00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:39,440
Well, I can't.

841
00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:41,360
You can't born yourself.

842
00:37:42,380 --> 00:37:44,700
When a child is born, it's passive.

843
00:37:46,700 --> 00:37:50,460
The child doesn't born itself, neither can I

844
00:37:50,460 --> 00:37:52,040
born myself, you see.

845
00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:54,000
So the Lord said to him, you must

846
00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:56,520
be born again, but I can't do anything

847
00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:57,120
about it.

848
00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:00,380
But listen, whilst I cannot accomplish this, I

849
00:38:00,380 --> 00:38:04,900
cannot born myself, nevertheless, as to whether I

850
00:38:04,900 --> 00:38:06,960
am born again or not depends on me.

851
00:38:09,110 --> 00:38:10,430
It doesn't depend upon God.

852
00:38:11,630 --> 00:38:13,890
God has made this gloriously possible.

853
00:38:13,890 --> 00:38:16,410
In the personal work of the Lord Jesus

854
00:38:16,410 --> 00:38:19,370
Christ on that cross, in the precious blood

855
00:38:19,370 --> 00:38:21,770
of Christ, in the finished work of Christ,

856
00:38:22,230 --> 00:38:25,490
there is that which will meet my need.

857
00:38:26,830 --> 00:38:30,310
If I repent and believe on the Lord

858
00:38:30,310 --> 00:38:33,570
Jesus Christ, I shall be cleansed from all

859
00:38:33,570 --> 00:38:33,950
sin.

860
00:38:33,950 --> 00:38:36,370
I shall be quickened and be brought into

861
00:38:36,370 --> 00:38:39,390
a relationship with God himself.

862
00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:43,160
That depends on me.

863
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:47,000
God has made that gloriously possible, but as

864
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,240
to whether it takes place or not depends

865
00:38:49,240 --> 00:38:49,720
on me.

866
00:38:50,340 --> 00:38:52,320
God is not willing that any should perish,

867
00:38:52,600 --> 00:38:54,940
and whenever the gospel is preached, God will

868
00:38:54,940 --> 00:38:56,540
be there in the power of the Spirit

869
00:38:56,540 --> 00:38:59,360
to convict of sin and righteousness and judgment,

870
00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,560
and he will seek to lead people to

871
00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:03,500
repentance and to faith in the Lord Jesus

872
00:39:03,500 --> 00:39:04,000
Christ.

873
00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:10,600
So it depends on you, as to whether

874
00:39:10,600 --> 00:39:11,900
you are born again or not.

875
00:39:13,450 --> 00:39:14,370
What I mean is this.

876
00:39:15,630 --> 00:39:17,690
I was given to understand that way up

877
00:39:17,690 --> 00:39:20,390
on the Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River

878
00:39:20,390 --> 00:39:23,730
there, there is a piece of land jutting

879
00:39:23,730 --> 00:39:26,370
out that was called Past Redemption Point.

880
00:39:27,190 --> 00:39:30,070
And we were told that any ship or

881
00:39:30,070 --> 00:39:33,370
any person, any boat that was in that

882
00:39:33,370 --> 00:39:37,370
river and it went past Past Redemption Point,

883
00:39:37,450 --> 00:39:38,850
it would never come back again.

884
00:39:40,130 --> 00:39:41,010
It would be lost.

885
00:39:42,310 --> 00:39:44,490
And many years ago there was a sailing

886
00:39:44,490 --> 00:39:47,930
ship on the river and they wanted to

887
00:39:47,930 --> 00:39:49,710
get it across to the other side.

888
00:39:49,710 --> 00:39:53,150
So they brought along a tug and they

889
00:39:53,150 --> 00:39:55,050
made fast a big rope.

890
00:39:55,530 --> 00:39:57,710
And the little tug began to chug-chug

891
00:39:57,710 --> 00:40:01,670
its way across the river, drawing the sailing

892
00:40:01,670 --> 00:40:02,910
ship behind it.

893
00:40:04,050 --> 00:40:06,150
When it got into the middle of the

894
00:40:06,150 --> 00:40:12,430
river, the current was very strong and there

895
00:40:12,430 --> 00:40:16,070
was a tremendous strain put on the rope

896
00:40:16,070 --> 00:40:18,050
and the rope parted.

897
00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:22,200
And the sailing ship began to go along

898
00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:24,280
with the current down to the Niagara Falls.

899
00:40:25,240 --> 00:40:28,420
So the little tug fussed around past the

900
00:40:28,420 --> 00:40:31,100
line, made fast another rope and tried to

901
00:40:31,100 --> 00:40:32,040
hold that ship.

902
00:40:32,380 --> 00:40:34,160
But she got some way on her now,

903
00:40:34,640 --> 00:40:36,460
and as the strain came on the rope

904
00:40:36,460 --> 00:40:37,480
it parted again.

905
00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,020
And the sailing ship went down a little

906
00:40:40,020 --> 00:40:42,260
further towards the Niagara Falls.

907
00:40:42,260 --> 00:40:44,560
The little tug fussed around again through another

908
00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,940
line, made fast, but now it was even

909
00:40:46,940 --> 00:40:52,120
more impossible to stop that sailing ship.

910
00:40:52,580 --> 00:40:54,500
So the strain came on the rope and

911
00:40:54,500 --> 00:40:56,520
it parted, and that was it finished.

912
00:40:56,940 --> 00:40:58,840
And so the sailing ship was going right

913
00:40:58,840 --> 00:41:01,100
away down, nothing to prevent it from going

914
00:41:01,100 --> 00:41:03,200
over the Niagara Falls.

915
00:41:03,780 --> 00:41:05,800
Well a lot of people were standing around

916
00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:07,140
and they were watching it and they were

917
00:41:07,140 --> 00:41:09,820
groaning and saying, oh my, all those sailors,

918
00:41:10,100 --> 00:41:12,320
all on board, they're going over there, this

919
00:41:12,320 --> 00:41:12,880
is death.

920
00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:16,060
The ship will be destroyed, the people will

921
00:41:16,060 --> 00:41:16,660
be lost.

922
00:41:17,820 --> 00:41:18,740
Nothing could be done.

923
00:41:18,820 --> 00:41:20,820
If anybody had jumped overboard they would never

924
00:41:20,820 --> 00:41:21,640
have got out of it.

925
00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:23,560
Over the falls they would have gone.

926
00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:26,660
And so the people were groaning and they

927
00:41:26,660 --> 00:41:29,960
watched it and as it went past, past

928
00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,760
redemption point, they said, she's lost.

929
00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:34,960
That's it, she's gone.

930
00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:37,500
But there was a man standing there and

931
00:41:37,500 --> 00:41:39,640
he said, you can see the top of

932
00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:40,280
the mast.

933
00:41:40,980 --> 00:41:43,180
They said, yeah, she's going.

934
00:41:43,960 --> 00:41:47,840
He said, no, I reckon she's stopped, she's

935
00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:48,620
pulling up.

936
00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:51,900
No, she'll never pull up, she'll go over.

937
00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:54,940
You look, he said, those masts are coming

938
00:41:54,940 --> 00:41:56,160
slower and slower.

939
00:41:56,680 --> 00:41:58,260
And they watched and they said, yes, that's

940
00:41:58,260 --> 00:41:58,500
right.

941
00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:00,500
And then he said, she's stopped.

942
00:42:00,700 --> 00:42:02,400
No, she'll never stop, she'll go.

943
00:42:02,700 --> 00:42:04,520
He said, look, she's stopped.

944
00:42:05,360 --> 00:42:06,960
And they said, yes.

945
00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:10,300
He said, and she's coming back.

946
00:42:10,520 --> 00:42:11,040
Never.

947
00:42:11,800 --> 00:42:16,440
You look, yes, she's coming back.

948
00:42:17,020 --> 00:42:21,060
And after a little while, sure enough, here

949
00:42:21,060 --> 00:42:23,840
was the sailing ship coming back, past past

950
00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:24,740
redemption point.

951
00:42:24,740 --> 00:42:26,600
And as she came past, they saw that

952
00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:27,540
the sailors were set.

953
00:42:27,780 --> 00:42:29,900
And the sailors were still busy setting other

954
00:42:29,900 --> 00:42:30,300
sails.

955
00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,380
And she rounded the point and everybody cheered

956
00:42:33,380 --> 00:42:34,720
and they said, she's saved.

957
00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:39,560
How was she saved?

958
00:42:40,460 --> 00:42:43,760
Because when that ship, that sailing ship rounded

959
00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:47,220
that point, past redemption point, the captain felt

960
00:42:47,220 --> 00:42:50,920
a breeze blowing on his cheek and straight

961
00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:52,600
away said, all sails set.

962
00:42:52,680 --> 00:42:54,300
And it didn't take those sailors long to

963
00:42:54,300 --> 00:42:56,180
get some of those sails set.

964
00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:58,540
And she steadied up and then she stopped

965
00:42:58,540 --> 00:43:00,760
and then more sails and she began to

966
00:43:00,760 --> 00:43:01,440
come back.

967
00:43:02,310 --> 00:43:03,400
She was saved.

968
00:43:03,540 --> 00:43:03,920
How?

969
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,380
Because the captain cooperated with the wind that

970
00:43:07,380 --> 00:43:07,940
was blowing.

971
00:43:09,220 --> 00:43:11,440
After whether you were born again or not

972
00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:16,440
depends upon you cooperating with the wind that's

973
00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:16,780
blowing.

974
00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:20,040
Cooperating with the Spirit of God.

975
00:43:21,300 --> 00:43:23,980
If he's working in your heart to convict

976
00:43:23,980 --> 00:43:26,840
of sin and righteousness and judgment, seeking to

977
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:29,120
lead you to that repentance and faith in

978
00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:30,920
Christ, it's for you to cooperate.

979
00:43:33,960 --> 00:43:35,220
It depends on you.

980
00:43:36,140 --> 00:43:40,800
If you fail to cooperate, then you're lost.

981
00:43:41,880 --> 00:43:43,120
There's no hope for you.

982
00:43:43,120 --> 00:43:46,280
But if you cooperate, the Lord is there.

983
00:43:46,540 --> 00:43:48,220
He's not willing for any ship to perish.

984
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:55,160
And the moment you hear that sound of

985
00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:59,080
the Spirit, the Gospel, and you repent and

986
00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:01,880
exercise that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,

987
00:44:02,360 --> 00:44:06,580
then God himself, in the power of the

988
00:44:06,580 --> 00:44:10,300
Spirit, will apply to you all the value

989
00:44:10,300 --> 00:44:11,860
of that precious blood of Christ.

990
00:44:11,860 --> 00:44:14,900
All the value of that finished work of

991
00:44:14,900 --> 00:44:15,260
Christ.

992
00:44:15,620 --> 00:44:18,320
For your cleansing, for your quickening, for your

993
00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:21,700
being brought into that relationship with himself.

994
00:44:22,920 --> 00:44:24,340
Born of the Spirit.

995
00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:26,920
That which is born of the flesh is

996
00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:27,660
flesh.

997
00:44:28,080 --> 00:44:30,460
That which is born of the Spirit is

998
00:44:30,460 --> 00:44:30,960
Spirit.

999
00:44:30,960 --> 00:44:34,320
Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye

1000
00:44:34,320 --> 00:44:36,180
must be born again.

1001
00:44:36,700 --> 00:44:39,100
If only born of the flesh, no hope

1002
00:44:39,100 --> 00:44:39,500
for you.

1003
00:44:39,900 --> 00:44:43,120
If born of the Spirit, yes, quickened and

1004
00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:45,880
brought into that relationship with God.

1005
00:44:45,880 --> 00:44:48,140
I hope this has been clear.

1006
00:44:49,380 --> 00:44:50,600
The Word of God is a very wonderful

1007
00:44:50,600 --> 00:44:52,880
book, and as we look into it very

1008
00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:55,880
often we find some wonderful things there, and

1009
00:44:55,880 --> 00:44:58,840
if we are willing to be exercised before

1010
00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:01,780
God with them, God can do something for

1011
00:45:01,780 --> 00:45:02,020
us.

1012
00:45:02,380 --> 00:45:04,960
He can accomplish that which he longs to

1013
00:45:04,960 --> 00:45:05,660
accomplish.

1014
00:45:06,960 --> 00:45:10,000
To cleanse us, to quicken us, to bring

1015
00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:11,920
us into that relationship with himself.

1016
00:45:11,920 --> 00:45:16,860
But let us remember, it depends upon us

1017
00:45:16,860 --> 00:45:18,680
as to whether we are born again or

1018
00:45:18,680 --> 00:45:19,000
not.

1019
00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:23,520
When the people gathered in a little place,

1020
00:45:24,660 --> 00:45:29,860
heard the gospel, were coming outside, there was

1021
00:45:29,860 --> 00:45:32,260
a young fellow walked alongside an elderly man

1022
00:45:32,260 --> 00:45:35,060
and he said, Bill, did you hear what

1023
00:45:35,060 --> 00:45:36,100
that preacher said?

1024
00:45:36,540 --> 00:45:37,720
Well, he said he said a lot of

1025
00:45:37,720 --> 00:45:38,100
things.

1026
00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:39,880
Yeah, but he said, you know, at the

1027
00:45:39,880 --> 00:45:43,640
end he said, could anybody tell him who

1028
00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:45,420
would be next one to die in this

1029
00:45:45,420 --> 00:45:45,820
village?

1030
00:45:46,660 --> 00:45:48,300
Yeah, he said, I heard him say that.

1031
00:45:48,700 --> 00:45:50,060
Well, he said, Bill, I could have told

1032
00:45:50,060 --> 00:45:50,340
him.

1033
00:45:51,640 --> 00:45:53,680
Oh, he said, who?

1034
00:45:54,660 --> 00:45:57,060
Well, he said, oh, George, you know, he

1035
00:45:57,060 --> 00:45:59,740
said, oh, he said, you know, George, he

1036
00:45:59,740 --> 00:46:01,740
said, he got one foot in the grave

1037
00:46:01,740 --> 00:46:04,560
now, he said, you're hobbling round the village,

1038
00:46:04,720 --> 00:46:06,380
he said, he won't last much longer, you

1039
00:46:06,380 --> 00:46:07,820
mark my words, he will be the next

1040
00:46:07,820 --> 00:46:09,060
one to die in this village.

1041
00:46:09,880 --> 00:46:11,260
Oh, he said, you think so?

1042
00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:13,700
He said, yeah, oh, he'll be the next.

1043
00:46:14,300 --> 00:46:16,380
And about three days later, news went round

1044
00:46:16,380 --> 00:46:17,720
the village, oh, somebody dead.

1045
00:46:17,820 --> 00:46:20,220
Oh, that's old George.

1046
00:46:20,500 --> 00:46:21,180
No, it isn't.

1047
00:46:23,300 --> 00:46:24,180
Not old George?

1048
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:26,200
No, he's still over there, look, hobbling, still

1049
00:46:26,200 --> 00:46:27,420
there with one foot in the grave.

1050
00:46:28,220 --> 00:46:29,780
Well, who's dead?

1051
00:46:30,580 --> 00:46:31,480
Oh, the young man.

1052
00:46:32,920 --> 00:46:34,640
The young man who said, oh, I could

1053
00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:36,220
have told him who would be the next.

1054
00:46:39,600 --> 00:46:40,400
He didn't know.

1055
00:46:41,280 --> 00:46:42,260
He was the next.

1056
00:46:42,260 --> 00:46:44,260
Who will be the next?

1057
00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:45,720
He didn't know.

1058
00:46:46,820 --> 00:46:48,340
Why procrastinate?

1059
00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:49,520
Why put off?

1060
00:46:50,700 --> 00:46:54,740
Why not, when God speaks to you, why

1061
00:46:54,740 --> 00:46:56,740
not be willing and ready to cooperate?

1062
00:46:58,240 --> 00:47:00,740
You know, if you're sick, not feeling too

1063
00:47:00,740 --> 00:47:03,220
good, the doctor.

1064
00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:07,560
You can't live twenty-four hours without you

1065
00:47:07,560 --> 00:47:09,980
go to the doctor and have something.

1066
00:47:10,780 --> 00:47:13,140
But when it's a question of your own

1067
00:47:13,140 --> 00:47:17,400
precious soul that's going on throughout eternity, well,

1068
00:47:17,480 --> 00:47:18,520
you can play about.

1069
00:47:19,380 --> 00:47:21,040
You can procrastinate.

1070
00:47:22,700 --> 00:47:25,600
You can afford to sit back and take

1071
00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:26,360
no notice.

1072
00:47:27,160 --> 00:47:27,620
No, no.

1073
00:47:28,400 --> 00:47:29,760
Let's be sure of this.

1074
00:47:30,060 --> 00:47:32,320
This is a very solemn consideration.

1075
00:47:32,680 --> 00:47:35,600
God has made provision, made possible.

1076
00:47:36,460 --> 00:47:37,200
He waits for you.

1077
00:47:38,760 --> 00:47:40,540
He won't force the issue.

1078
00:47:40,900 --> 00:47:41,840
He won't make you.

1079
00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:44,400
He will help you.

1080
00:47:45,160 --> 00:47:46,600
He'll make it clear to you.

1081
00:47:47,060 --> 00:47:49,060
And He'll wait for you to cooperate.

1082
00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:52,800
May the Lord help you to cooperate tonight,

1083
00:47:53,540 --> 00:47:56,160
if you've never done this before, that you

1084
00:47:56,160 --> 00:47:59,200
may be brought into this wonderful relationship.

1085
00:48:00,580 --> 00:48:01,280
Shall we pray?

1086
00:48:01,280 --> 00:48:08,840
O God, our Father, we give our thanks

1087
00:48:08,840 --> 00:48:10,200
to Thee for Thy help.

1088
00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:13,320
We have been asking Thee for Thy help.

1089
00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:16,520
Much has come before us in Thy precious

1090
00:48:16,520 --> 00:48:17,080
word.

1091
00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:20,060
We have been looking into these things.

1092
00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:22,380
We have been helped of Thee.

1093
00:48:22,660 --> 00:48:24,020
And Thou knowest each one.

1094
00:48:24,620 --> 00:48:26,940
Our hearts are open to Thy gaze.

1095
00:48:27,420 --> 00:48:29,940
Thou knowest us each one through and through.

1096
00:48:29,940 --> 00:48:32,400
And we do pray that if there's anyone

1097
00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:36,080
here tonight who has yet has not cooperated

1098
00:48:36,080 --> 00:48:39,460
with Thy Spirit, to be brought to repentance

1099
00:48:39,460 --> 00:48:42,640
and to faith in Thy beloved Son, that

1100
00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:46,080
they may no longer procrastinate, but that they

1101
00:48:46,080 --> 00:48:48,340
may be only too ready and too willing

1102
00:48:48,340 --> 00:48:53,180
to cooperate, that they might indeed be cleansed

1103
00:48:53,180 --> 00:48:56,860
and quickened and brought into this relationship with

1104
00:48:56,860 --> 00:48:57,700
Thyself.

1105
00:48:57,700 --> 00:49:00,900
That they may have a new heart and

1106
00:49:00,900 --> 00:49:04,200
a new spirit and Thy Spirit within.

1107
00:49:04,920 --> 00:49:07,100
That they shall be Thy people and Thou

1108
00:49:07,100 --> 00:49:08,320
wilt be their God.

1109
00:49:08,980 --> 00:49:11,720
So we ask Thee for Thy blessing upon

1110
00:49:11,720 --> 00:49:12,560
Thy word.

1111
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:14,960
In the name of our Lord and Saviour,

1112
00:49:15,300 --> 00:49:16,100
Jesus Christ.