The following message is by pastor John Piper.

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Desiring God.org The scripture reading this morning is from Romans 9 beginning at the sixth verse. But it is not as though the word of God has failed.

For not all who are descended from Israel, belong to Israel,

and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring.

But through Isaac shall your offspring be named.

This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God,

but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

For this is what the promise said. About this time next year I will

return and Sarah shall have a son. And not only so but also when Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac,

though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad in order that God's purpose of election might

continue not because of works but because of his call. she was told, the older will serve the younger.

As it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau, I hate it.

Let's pray together. Such is our confidence through Christ towards you, Father, not that I am sufficient in myself or we as listeners are sufficient in ourselves.

To claim anything is coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God from you.

Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit for the letter kills and the spirit gives life.

So Father, please, in and through all the words, all the letter, as it were.

Would you, by your spirit, move in power now?

Would you awaken the dead? Would you give eyes to the blind and ears to the

deaf? Would you heal and reconcile and humble and encourage and restore?

And would you grant the mind and the heart of all your people to stretch so that

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