Hello, I am Shelley Quinn.
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Today on "The Grace Pipeline,"
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we will examine the
reality of relationship
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between God and His
born again children.
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And we're gonna spend some
time together contemplating
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what the Bible says about
the immeasurable love of God.
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Please join us now.
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Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline."
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On our last program,
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we discussed the
process of being born again
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by the transforming
power of God's gifts of grace.
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And today we will reflect
on the reality of relationship
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that exist between
our loving Heavenly Father
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and His born again children.
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And we're going to get
a glimpse of the wonders
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of His redeeming
and unutterable love.
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You know, the Bible
says that God is love,
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but I don't think that
we really understand it.
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This series
follows a Bible study
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that I was privilege to write
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also titled
'The Grace Pipeline."
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And if you are following along
in the series companion book,
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today we're
beginning on chapter 3.
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In Romans 5:8,
scripture tells us that
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"God demonstrates
His own love for us
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in that while we
were still sinners,
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Christ died for us."
Now let me ask you this.
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Can you think of
the more dramatic way
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for God to prove
His love for humanity?
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Now, just for a minute,
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try to wrap your mind around
the privilege of the promise
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that John tells us in John 1:12,
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where he says that
"As many as received Him,
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whoever has received Christ,
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to them He gave the
right to become children of God
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to those believe in His name."
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So we see that God loved us
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while we were
still habitual sinners,
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before we accepted Christ as our
Savior and became His children.
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And all who believe by
faith in Christ merits,
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to save them, accepting
Him as Lord and Savior.
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To them that are given the
right to become children of God.
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Of course, that
means whoever rejects Him
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is not a child of God.
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People often will say that,
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all of humanity
are God's children.
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That's only true
in regard to the fact
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that we are a
product of His creation.
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Sin severed
humanity's relationship
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to God as our Father,
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when Adam and Eve disobeyed
and suffered spiritual death.
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Their spiritual
nature was passed on to us.
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Let's think about the
Genesis account of creation
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and the fall of
mankind for just a moment.
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First we must consider
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what the Bible teaches
us though about immortality.
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And we find this scripture that
Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:16
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where he speaks of God as
"the blessed and only Potentate,
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the King of
kings, and Lord of lords,
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who alone has immortality,"
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Paul says, "dwelling
in unapproachable light,
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whom no man has seen or can see,
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to whom be honor and
everlasting power. Amen."
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So it's clear from scripture
that God alone is immortal.
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The Bible tells us in
the Genesis 3:22-24 account,
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that through an
act of divine mercy,
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God denied Adam and Eve
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the right to the tree of
life after they sinned. Why?
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He didn't want them to
become immortal sinners
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if they were to
eat and live forever.
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So when do Christians
actually receive immortality?
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Is it at the
moment of our rebirth?
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Let me read what the Bible
says in 1 Corinthians 15:51-54.
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And listen carefully.
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Paul writes and he says,
"Behold, I tell you a mystery.
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We shall not all sleep,
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but we shall all be
changed, in a moment,
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in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last trumpet."
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So when is this happening?
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It's happening
at the last trump.
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He says "For the
trumpet will sound,
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and the dead will be
raised incorruptible,
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and we shall be changed.
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For this corruptible"
speaking of our natural bodies
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"must put on incorruption,
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this mortal must
put on immortality."
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So when we see,
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"When this corruption
has put on incorruption,
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and this mortal
has put on immortality,
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then shall be brought to
pass, when at the last trump,
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then shall be brought to
pass the saying that is written,
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"Death is
swallowed up in victory."'
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And you know Paul
also clearly teaches
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in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.
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That it is when the last trumpet
shall sound and Christ returns,
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that those who sleep
in their graves will rise
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and together with the saints
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who remain alive
at His second coming,
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they will put on immortality
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and be caught up together in
the air to meet Jesus Christ.
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Now, let's consider
the presence of God.
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Psalm 104:2 it says,
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"That God covers himself
with light as with a garment."
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The Jewish writer described
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this brilliant
presence of the Lord
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as His Shekinah Glory.
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Now, when God created
Adam and Eve in His image,
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He clothed them
with His radiance.
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They were
representatives of all humanity,
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with whom God sought
a relationship of trust,
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but sin shattered this trust,
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when the first
couple disobeyed God,
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and they ate from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.
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And He removed
the Shekinah covering
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and when this was withdrawn,
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the two recognized their
guilt and their nakedness,
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and they hid from their Heavenly
Father in fear and shame.
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To restore the relationship
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between the
creator and His created,
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God instituted the
sacrificial system.
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Divine justice
demanded death for their sin.
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But divine mercy
provided an innocent substitute
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that was slain and that
pointed to the Calvary praying
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and the promised Lamb of God
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who would take away
the sins of the world.
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So to cover their shame of sin,
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the merciful Heavenly Father
again clothed His children,
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this time with
tunics of the skin
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from the sacrificed animal.
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And Adam and Eve
obviously coached their children
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in the
significance of the sacrifice
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of innocent
substitute as God's grace
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giving plan of reconciliation
for remission of sin.
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We know from the
Genesis 4 account
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that the sacrifices
offered by Cain and Abel,
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it is evident that
both men were familiar
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with the sacrificial system,
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but the hardy and self will Cain
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rebelled against
following defined regulations.
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In fact, in
defiance he offered God
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a sacrifice of his own works.
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Hebrews 11:4 says, "By
faith Abel offered to God
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a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain,
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through which he obtained
witness that he was righteous,
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God testifying of his gifts."
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Now that Cain knew better
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and to offer the fruits
of his own labor is obvious,
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because he did not accused
the Lord of unfair preference
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in accepting Abel's
sacrifice and rejecting his,
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but in an outrage of jealousy,
Cain murdered his noble brother.
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If he had only
repented and confessed his sin,
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if he had felt
sorrow for his sin,
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the Lord would
have forgiven him.
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Nevertheless Cain did
not and God expelled him
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from the land of his birth
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to lead a life of
exile on the earth.
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Through Adam, the
representative of humanity,
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sin gained entrance
into the world and death
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both spiritual and
physical was a result of it.
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Romans 5:12 confirms that,
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"Through Adam sin
entered the world,
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and death through sin."
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Now most of us are
familiar with this idea,
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but surprisingly
many people don't realize
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that the
children of Adam and Eve
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were born in their likeness,
rather than the image of God.
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Genesis 5:3 clearly states that
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"Adam begat a son
in his own likeness,
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after his own image,
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and that the fallen
state of human nature
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was passed on to
all of humanity."
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Now it is only
by the sacred blood
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and our sacred bond with Christ
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that we become God's
recreated spiritual children.
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It's the result of
accepting His sacrificial death
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and being born again.
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Most Christians
find it relatively easy
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to say we are God's children,
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however it
requires a serious stretch
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of our finite
minds to understand
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and accept the overwhelming
multitude of blessings
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that flow to us through
this privileged relationship.
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Divine love has no
equal, I can't explain it.
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But today, we will share
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some of what our Heavenly
Father does for His children.
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We'll briefly consider a
number of the many scriptures
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from both the
Old and New Testament
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that revealed
the manner in which
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God relates to
anyone who is His.
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It's important to recognize
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that God shows no
partiality among people.
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You know, both the Old Testament
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and the New Testament
makes this fact very clear
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and actually specifically
it is stated in Acts 10:34,
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Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9,
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that "God is not a
respecter of people."
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He shows no partiality.
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So the manner in which
He demonstrated His love
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for any other person in
history is in manner in which
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He will demonstrate His
love for you and for me.
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So let's take a little time
to consider our perfect Father,
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our Heavenly Father,
whose very nature is love.
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More than anything
you need to recognize,
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how the Lord loves you.
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You can only love
Him in the measure
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that He wants you to
when you first recognize
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how much He loves you.
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And it may
require a paradigm shift,
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but if you ever
accept these truths by faith,
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it will be life changing.
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Our presentation will be
saturated with scripture,
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but it is not
only possible today
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to look at every reference
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that the Bible uses or even
every reference that I will use,
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because nearly
every thought presented
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from this point on will
come directly from scripture
00:12:06.31\00:12:10.44
and what we can
share in this short time
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is just a glimpse of His love.
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But I hope it will be
sufficient to open your mind
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and your heart to understanding
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and accepting all
that God has for you.
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Let's read first
in Zachariah 3:1-5.
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I'm gonna read that to you.
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This is a wonderful
story, and it says in the Bible.
00:12:36.86\00:12:41.03
"Then he showed me
Joshua the high priest
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before the angel of the Lord,
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and Satan standing at
his right side to oppose him.
00:12:45.95\00:12:49.16
And the Lord said to
Satan, 'The Lord rebuke you.'"
00:12:49.19\00:12:52.79
Interesting, The Lord said,
"the Lord rebuke you Satan.
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The Lord who has
chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!
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Is this not a brand
plucked from the fire?"
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.35
Now Joshua was
clothed with filthy garments
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and was standing
before the angel.
00:13:07.53\00:13:10.20
Then he answered
and spoke to those
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who stood before him saying,
and this is the angel speaking.
00:13:12.29\00:13:16.78
"Take away the
filthy garments from him."
00:13:16.81\00:13:20.11
And to him, to
Joshua, the angel said,
00:13:20.14\00:13:23.36
"See, I have removed
your iniquity from you,
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and I will clothe
you with rich robes."
00:13:28.61\00:13:32.46
And I said, "Let them put
a clean turban on his head."
00:13:32.49\00:13:37.65
So they put a
clean turban on his head,
00:13:37.68\00:13:40.33
and they put the clothes on him.
00:13:40.36\00:13:42.36
And the Angel of
the Lord stood by.
00:13:42.39\00:13:45.45
In vision Zachariah sees
how the Lord restores Joshua
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and what He has done for
Joshua, He will do for us.
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We see in these verses
that God removes our disgrace.
00:13:54.56\00:13:59.23
He restores our dignity,
taking away our filthy garments
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that are stained
with sin and clothing us
00:14:04.07\00:14:07.41
with His robe of
righteousness in salvation.
00:14:07.44\00:14:10.59
And silencing most
importantly Satan, our accuser,
00:14:10.62\00:14:15.27
because of His grace
we have reason to rejoice.
00:14:15.30\00:14:19.77
When we accept this by faith,
00:14:19.80\00:14:22.01
our joy will be
that of Isaiah 61:10,
00:14:22.04\00:14:27.05
that's where Isaiah says,
00:14:27.08\00:14:29.17
"I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord,
00:14:29.20\00:14:32.40
My soul shall be
joyful in my God,
00:14:32.43\00:14:35.81
for He has clothed me
with the garments of salvation.
00:14:35.84\00:14:40.35
He has covered me
00:14:40.38\00:14:42.77
with the robe of
righteousness." Halleluiah.
00:14:42.80\00:14:49.65
But that's not all, God
confers upon us the privileges
00:14:49.68\00:14:53.44
and powers of His kingdom.
00:14:53.47\00:14:55.46
Making us His heirs,
00:14:55.49\00:14:57.85
He gives us a share in
the inheritance of Christ,
00:14:57.88\00:15:01.99
this imperishable inheritance,
00:15:02.02\00:15:04.52
reserved for us in heaven will
not vanish before we obtain it.
00:15:04.55\00:15:09.05
It is a sure thing for
those who are in Christ.
00:15:09.08\00:15:12.51
Listen to two
supporting scriptures
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of these marvelous truths.
00:15:15.55\00:15:17.63
First I will read
Romans 8:16-17 and it says,
00:15:17.66\00:15:23.41
"The spirit himself
bears witness with our spirit
00:15:23.44\00:15:27.61
that we are children of
God and if children then heirs.
00:15:27.64\00:15:33.45
Heirs of God and
joint heirs with Christ,
00:15:33.48\00:15:37.49
if indeed we suffer with Him
00:15:37.52\00:15:40.14
that we may also be
glorified together."
00:15:40.17\00:15:44.11
Are you a Christian?
00:15:44.14\00:15:45.59
If so you are a
joint heir with Christ
00:15:45.62\00:15:49.31
and you're inheritance is
reserved for you in heaven.
00:15:49.34\00:15:53.00
As 1 Peter 1:3, 4
say to us, listen.
00:15:53.03\00:15:59.19
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:15:59.22\00:16:04.02
who according to His
abundant mercy has begotten us
00:16:04.05\00:16:07.44
again to our living hope through
the resurrection of Jesus Christ
00:16:07.47\00:16:11.83
from the dead to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled
00:16:11.86\00:16:17.68
that does not fade away
reserved in heaven for you."
00:16:17.71\00:16:23.27
You know, God also
declared in 2 Corinthians 6:18.
00:16:23.30\00:16:28.07
He says, "I will
be a Father to you
00:16:28.10\00:16:31.44
and you shall be my sons
and daughters" says the Lord.
00:16:31.47\00:16:34.98
When we open our
hearts to salvation,
00:16:35.01\00:16:38.44
the God who once
seemed so distant
00:16:38.47\00:16:41.79
and unreachable
becomes touchable.
00:16:41.82\00:16:45.65
Hebrews 4:16 tells us
00:16:45.68\00:16:50.72
that God invites
us to come boldly
00:16:50.75\00:16:54.25
into His
presence through prayer,
00:16:54.28\00:16:56.72
to obtain mercy and
grace in our time of need.
00:16:56.75\00:17:01.99
And let's just take a moment
00:17:02.02\00:17:03.43
and recall our
definition of grace.
00:17:03.46\00:17:05.79
Grace is the
unearned, undeserved gifts,
00:17:05.82\00:17:09.75
bestowed by God of infinite love
00:17:09.78\00:17:12.61
which provide
His divine assistance
00:17:12.64\00:17:16.01
and supernatural
power unto salvation.
00:17:16.04\00:17:18.72
Now here's God inviting us
00:17:18.75\00:17:20.62
before His
throne to obtain grace
00:17:20.65\00:17:24.86
and mercy in our
time of need that means
00:17:24.89\00:17:29.17
that He will
give us divine power
00:17:29.20\00:17:31.91
and supernatural assistance.
00:17:31.94\00:17:34.74
Jesus is God's
greatest gift of grace
00:17:34.77\00:17:38.92
and receiving Him as savior
00:17:38.95\00:17:40.97
gives us the right to
become God's children.
00:17:41.00\00:17:44.34
Our Lord Jesus taught
us to pray in Matthew 6:9,
00:17:44.37\00:17:48.89
with the precious words
"Our Father who art in heaven."
00:17:48.92\00:17:53.82
Do you realize the relationship
00:17:53.85\00:17:55.82
of Father and
child changes everything?
00:17:55.85\00:17:59.84
In the natural realm, the
life of a child is simple.
00:17:59.87\00:18:04.53
He depends upon his
good father for everything
00:18:04.56\00:18:07.75
and he has faith that
his father will deliver.
00:18:07.78\00:18:11.68
God means for his
spiritual children
00:18:11.71\00:18:14.85
to apply this same principle.
00:18:14.88\00:18:17.58
If only we could
grasp the reality of it.
00:18:17.61\00:18:21.11
Our soul would not be downcast
00:18:21.14\00:18:23.55
and our spiritual
struggle would end.
00:18:23.58\00:18:26.31
Our Heavenly
Father loves us perfectly.
00:18:26.34\00:18:29.76
We're the apple of His eye.
00:18:29.79\00:18:31.38
He is the perfect Father whom--
00:18:31.41\00:18:34.86
whose love is
absolutely unfailing.
00:18:34.89\00:18:38.03
Now hear the word of
the Lord from Jeremiah 31:3
00:18:38.06\00:18:44.10
where He says,
"Yes, I have loved you
00:18:44.13\00:18:47.30
with an everlasting love,
00:18:47.33\00:18:49.95
therefore with lovingkindness
I have drawn you."
00:18:49.98\00:18:53.91
There is an abundance
of scriptural evidence
00:18:53.94\00:18:56.69
that proves our God of love,
00:18:56.72\00:18:59.30
our Heavenly
Father is our provider,
00:18:59.33\00:19:02.77
our protector, and our peace.
00:19:02.80\00:19:05.47
In Psalm 32:8 it says
00:19:05.50\00:19:11.04
that "He
instructs us and teaches us
00:19:11.07\00:19:15.03
His divine will,
showing us the way
00:19:15.06\00:19:17.61
and guiding us with His eye."
00:19:17.64\00:19:21.39
Now here's another
one, Hebrews 12:5-11.
00:19:21.42\00:19:27.17
This explains
that our good Father
00:19:27.20\00:19:29.80
as any good father would do.
00:19:29.83\00:19:32.13
God disciplines us
in His lovingkindness
00:19:32.16\00:19:34.79
to train us for righteousness.
00:19:34.82\00:19:36.94
In other words His
right way of living and being.
00:19:36.97\00:19:40.58
You know, I actually
pray for God's discipline
00:19:40.61\00:19:44.93
asking Him to
make me sensitive to it
00:19:44.96\00:19:48.79
and I want to always be
sensitive to His leading.
00:19:48.82\00:19:51.68
Now, don't gasp
at the thought of it.
00:19:51.71\00:19:54.40
Sometimes people
say, you must be crazy
00:19:54.43\00:19:56.64
if you are praying
for God's discipline
00:19:56.67\00:19:58.45
but I know He is going
to discipline me anyway.
00:19:58.48\00:20:02.64
So if He's going
to discipline us,
00:20:02.67\00:20:04.97
we might as well learn to yield
00:20:05.00\00:20:07.45
to the gentle but firm
tone of His voice at once,
00:20:07.48\00:20:12.06
otherwise like any other parent,
00:20:12.09\00:20:14.17
He has to take stronger
measures to gain our attention.
00:20:14.20\00:20:17.91
So when trials and
tribulations come our way,
00:20:17.94\00:20:22.06
we need to remember
that God is not always--
00:20:22.09\00:20:26.29
it's not always God
that's disciplining us,
00:20:26.32\00:20:29.01
but that He is
there to comfort us,
00:20:29.04\00:20:32.56
to walk us through,
00:20:32.59\00:20:34.20
to deliver us
from times of trouble.
00:20:34.23\00:20:37.12
Let me share
some wonderful words.
00:20:37.15\00:20:40.04
These are some of my favorite
00:20:40.07\00:20:41.80
and this comes from Isaiah 43:2.
00:20:41.83\00:20:45.01
And this is the Lord
speaking and He says,
00:20:45.04\00:20:48.29
"When you pass
through the waters,
00:20:48.32\00:20:50.23
I will be with you
and through the rivers,
00:20:50.26\00:20:54.04
they shall not overflow you.
00:20:54.07\00:20:56.35
When you walk through the
fire, you shall not be burned,
00:20:56.38\00:21:00.38
nor shall the flame scorch you."
00:21:00.41\00:21:04.25
What is God saying there?
00:21:04.28\00:21:05.65
He is saying that He will
never leave us or forsake us.
00:21:05.68\00:21:10.97
He is saying that I am
there to carry you through.
00:21:11.00\00:21:15.13
The Bible tells us when we
are afflicted, He is afflicted.
00:21:15.16\00:21:19.66
And Psalm 56:8 says that,
00:21:19.69\00:21:22.35
"He sees our tears
and compassionately
00:21:22.38\00:21:26.58
collects them in His bottle."
00:21:26.61\00:21:29.47
The Bible also says,
"That quieting us with His love,
00:21:29.50\00:21:33.93
he rejoices over
us with singing."
00:21:33.96\00:21:36.94
Let me ask, do you
think of God that way?
00:21:36.97\00:21:40.52
Do you think of the
Creator of the universe
00:21:40.55\00:21:44.56
rejoicing over you with singing?
00:21:44.59\00:21:47.40
If not, let me share
this verse from Zephaniah
00:21:47.43\00:21:51.74
and this is Zephaniah 3:17.
00:21:51.77\00:21:54.59
I hope this will
change your perspective.
00:21:54.62\00:21:58.17
It says, "The Lord
your God in your midst,
00:21:58.20\00:22:00.86
the Mighty One, will save.
00:22:00.89\00:22:03.42
He will rejoice
over you with gladness,
00:22:03.45\00:22:06.98
He will quiet you with His love,
00:22:07.01\00:22:10.40
He will rejoice
over you with singing."
00:22:10.43\00:22:16.62
Can't we see, the Bible tells us
00:22:16.65\00:22:19.00
so many things
about God's watch care?
00:22:19.03\00:22:22.47
Our Father God
calls us by our name,
00:22:22.50\00:22:25.25
knowing our thoughts
before we speak them.
00:22:25.28\00:22:27.79
He is watchful of our
comings and our goings
00:22:27.82\00:22:30.83
and aware of the
smallest detail of our lives.
00:22:30.86\00:22:33.95
He can even number the
very hairs on our head.
00:22:33.98\00:22:37.93
You know, Deuteronomy 33:27
is one of my favorite verses
00:22:37.96\00:22:42.78
and it reveals the same
thing that Hebrew 13:5 reveals.
00:22:42.81\00:22:47.63
That God is
constantly embracing us
00:22:47.66\00:22:51.31
in His everlasting arms of love,
promising to never leave us.
00:22:51.34\00:22:56.45
He will not forget us.
00:22:56.48\00:22:58.39
We are indelibly
inscribed on the palms
00:22:58.42\00:23:02.77
of His hands the Bible says.
00:23:02.80\00:23:04.95
No wonder the Apostle
John wrote in 1 John 3:1.
00:23:04.98\00:23:09.94
"Behold what manner of love
the Father has bestowed on us,
00:23:09.97\00:23:15.62
that we should be
called children of God!"
00:23:15.65\00:23:20.84
You know, it is
difficult for us to comprehend,
00:23:20.87\00:23:25.83
but we are children
of the King of Kings
00:23:25.86\00:23:28.63
and the blessings of His love
are immeasurable. God is love.
00:23:28.66\00:23:34.78
The very essence
of His nature is love.
00:23:34.81\00:23:38.57
By the grace of our
relationship with Christ,
00:23:38.60\00:23:41.76
the gift of God's love is
magnified and manifested to us.
00:23:41.79\00:23:47.79
Ephesians 1:3 explains
that God has already blessed us
00:23:47.82\00:23:52.45
with every
spiritual blessing in Christ.
00:23:52.48\00:23:55.28
He who was willing to sacrifice
his own son to save us,
00:23:55.31\00:24:00.33
is also willing
to freely grant us
00:24:00.36\00:24:03.05
authorings in
Christ through His grace.
00:24:03.08\00:24:07.95
Paul emphatically
states this fact in Romans 8:32
00:24:07.98\00:24:14.52
and here he says, "He who
did not spare His own Son,
00:24:14.55\00:24:19.60
but delivered Him up for us all,
00:24:19.63\00:24:22.88
how shall He not with him
also freely give us all things?"
00:24:22.91\00:24:28.86
It's amazing to
consider isn't it?
00:24:28.89\00:24:31.28
Perhaps you can believe
these beautiful synonyms
00:24:31.31\00:24:34.47
because scripture records them,
00:24:34.50\00:24:36.67
but the question is, are
you walking in appreciation
00:24:36.70\00:24:40.51
of this all
inspiring perfect love?
00:24:40.54\00:24:43.40
I must admit, when I was
first writing the chapter
00:24:43.43\00:24:46.82
on the reality of relationship
00:24:46.85\00:24:48.76
for the book
"The Grace Pipeline."
00:24:48.79\00:24:50.94
I had to ask
myself the same question.
00:24:50.97\00:24:53.80
Do I believe these
things by mere mental assent
00:24:53.83\00:24:58.83
or am I--I actually
acquainted with the width,
00:24:58.86\00:25:02.25
the length, the depth,
and the height of this love
00:25:02.28\00:25:05.65
that surpasses
human understanding.
00:25:05.68\00:25:08.69
I'm actually thunderstruck
at the thought of it.
00:25:08.72\00:25:14.40
Children often little
understand the parents love.
00:25:14.43\00:25:18.32
They simply take it for granted,
00:25:18.35\00:25:20.41
yet the ignorants of
immaturity does not cause
00:25:20.44\00:25:23.85
them to miss
their experience of it.
00:25:23.88\00:25:26.47
Appreciation for the
sacrifices and blessings
00:25:26.50\00:25:29.73
that are the product of
parental love is magnified
00:25:29.76\00:25:33.32
only as a child begins to mature
and increases in the ability
00:25:33.35\00:25:38.27
to reciprocate love through
respect and honor of the parent.
00:25:38.30\00:25:42.71
As it is in the natural realm
so it is in the spiritual realm.
00:25:42.74\00:25:46.82
The more we grow in grace,
00:25:46.85\00:25:48.64
the more we
understand God's love
00:25:48.67\00:25:50.59
and appreciate His
amazing love for us.
00:25:50.62\00:25:53.94
Galatians 4:6 tells us
that because we're His children,
00:25:53.97\00:25:58.20
God has sent forth His Son,
00:25:58.23\00:26:00.71
sent forth His spirit of His Son
into our hearts crying out Abba,
00:26:00.74\00:26:06.03
Father, now, you know, the
word Abba is an Aramaic word
00:26:06.06\00:26:10.37
and it's an
intimate name for Father.
00:26:10.40\00:26:13.09
It's an expression
like papa or daddy.
00:26:13.12\00:26:16.88
How difficult it
is for the human heart
00:26:16.91\00:26:19.98
to conceive the
intimacy of relationship
00:26:20.01\00:26:23.86
God longs to share with us.
00:26:23.89\00:26:25.92
The mystery of God's love is far
too marvelous for me to unravel.
00:26:25.95\00:26:31.84
Perhaps the most
amazing idea of all is that
00:26:31.87\00:26:35.21
when we are in Christ, we
become one spirit with God.
00:26:35.24\00:26:40.36
Paul tells us this in 1
Corinthians 6:17 saying that,
00:26:40.39\00:26:44.72
"He who is joined to the
Lord is one spirit with Him."
00:26:44.75\00:26:49.55
I vividly recall the day
that I was praying the scripture
00:26:49.58\00:26:53.77
as an affirmation of my faith,
00:26:53.80\00:26:55.44
thanking the Lord for
making me one with Him.
00:26:55.47\00:26:59.53
You know what, I
didn't feel one with Him.
00:26:59.56\00:27:02.34
I couldn't comprehend
00:27:02.37\00:27:04.33
what it meant to
be united in this way
00:27:04.36\00:27:06.40
and suddenly I was
just seized with morning
00:27:06.43\00:27:09.62
for the mediocrity of
my relationship with Him.
00:27:09.65\00:27:13.24
So I cried out to God
for better understanding,
00:27:13.27\00:27:16.65
to latch on to oneness,
00:27:16.68\00:27:19.00
the Lord wanted
me to share with Him,
00:27:19.03\00:27:20.98
I had to unravel
the mysterious oneness
00:27:21.01\00:27:24.93
of what man calls the trinity
00:27:24.96\00:27:27.48
"the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit."
00:27:27.51\00:27:30.16
The Lord led me in a
fascinating study of His oneness
00:27:30.19\00:27:33.33
and we're going to
share a small portion of that
00:27:33.36\00:27:36.88
with you in our next program.
00:27:36.91\00:27:39.07
We must understand
God's divine oneness
00:27:39.10\00:27:42.47
to understand the promise
that we are one with Him.
00:27:42.50\00:27:47.39
We thank you so much
for joining us today.
00:27:47.42\00:27:50.26
I hope you'll take time
to study these scriptures
00:27:50.29\00:27:52.97
and more contemplate God's love.
00:27:53.00\00:27:55.25
And until the
next time grow in grace
00:27:55.28\00:27:57.92
and in the
knowledge of our Lord.
00:27:57.95\00:27:59.94