In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the power of being on one's knees before the Lord. He uses the example of Saul of Tarsus, who was transformed after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus and praying. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of preaching the message of the cross and the power of God for salvation and victory in one's life. The sermon also discusses the effect of the river's flow, using the analogy of needing water in the desert and the significance of being broken before the Spirit of God.

"...brought me through the waters, the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through, the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea. And being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass that everything that liveth, which moveth wherever the river shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there, for they shall be healed, and everything shall live where the river cometh. And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it, from En Gedi even unto En Eglum shall be a place to spread forth nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea exceedingly many. But the miry places and the marshes shall not be healed, they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon its bank on this side and on that side shall grow all trees for food, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall its fruit be consumed. It shall bring forth new fruit according to its months, because there are waters issued out of the sanctuary, and its fruit shall be for food, and its leaf for medicine." May the Lord add his blessing to the reading of his words. Friends, I cannot tell you in words the encouragement I have received from all of you. It has been very easy to talk to you, and as I said last night, I hope each one of us has opened a cave before the Lord, and got those kings that hide inside, those kings that rob us of our rest which is our portion in Christ. There remains, therefore, a rest for the people of God, and this rest is here and now, and this joy that is yours in Christ is here and now. It's not only in the sweet by-and-by, it's for the nasty now and now. Right, and you and I are called to rejoice in the Lord at all times. But let me warn you again, as long as those kings are lurking and hiding in the cave, you will not be able to enjoy the full blessing that Christ has for you. What did the Lord say before he left the disciples? Peace I leave, I give unto you. My peace, my peace, the peace of God which passes all understanding, I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled. So I beseech you this morning in the name of Christ to open that cave before him. Bring those kings up, trample them under your feet. This is your victory. We are on victory's side. How can I do it? How can you do it? This is a beautiful chapter that was read before us this morning. You know in the Middle East, you are never far away from the desert, anywhere you go. On your right hand side, on your left hand side, wherever you go in the Middle East, the desert is very near. And the desert is a very pleasant place in many respects, but a dangerous place in many respects too. If you are in need of water in the desert and you have all the gold of the world with you, this gold of the whole world with you will not avail you anything. Only a glass of water is what you need. Just a glass of water. That's why, you know the Bible is an eastern book with beautiful pictures in an eastern setting. That's why we read a lot everywhere in the Bible, in the word of God, about streams in the desert. I will pour water. You always read about water and you will understand why. Here, this is a beautiful New Testament picture in the Old Testament. I'm sure you've come across the picture a number of times. Very many of us may be very well familiar with this passage. But let us meditate upon it and try to see what the Spirit of God is saying to us. The Lord Jesus Christ on that last great day of the feast stood up in the midst of the people and said, He that cometh unto me, he that believeth on me, as the scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of water. This speaks He of the Spirit. For the Spirit was not given yet, because Christ was not glorified yet. Now He is glorified. He died upon the cross. He rose again. He sits in the right hand of the Father Almighty. The Holy Spirit has been given. And this is a beautiful picture of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Well, let us meditate upon it. First of all, I want you to examine that river. The essence of the river's power. The essence of the river's power. What is the source of it? The source of it is the mercy sea. Verse one. He brought me again unto the door of the house, and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house. Under the threshold of the house. From under the mercy sea. Water flows from under the mercy sea, where the judgment of God and the justice of God met with the mercy of the mercy of God. Mercy and truth have met together. They have kissed each other. Where? At Golgotha. At Calvary. At the cross of Jesus Christ, where He who knew no sin was made sin for you and for me, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. There at the mercy sea, at the throne of God, flows the river, clear as crystal. The Holy Spirit speaking to you this morning, come to Jesus Christ, the only source of salvation. By grace are ye saved through faith, and death not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. You know the gospel of Mark is the gospel of the servants. And we in the Middle East used to have, not so many these days, but some time ago, almost every middle class family had a servant. And the servant would not be allowed to sit down until he has finished all the work. He would do the work first, then he would sit down. Mark is the gospel of the servant. How does the gospel of Mark end? We see that Jesus Christ sitting, He finished His work, and He sat down at the right hand of God the Father. Yes, He has finished the work. It is finished. It is a complete, it's a finished work. Friend, come to the throne of God now. Come to the mercy sea where Jesus Christ is sitting. Finish the work. Please go with me across the trails of memory into that tabernacle of old, and let us examine the furniture of the tabernacle. There as you enter in, you find a brazen altar, the altar of sacrifice. You pass a little bit ahead, and you find the laver. Then you go into the holy place. There was a candlestick. There was a table of showbread. There was the altar of incense. Go inside the holy of holes. If you are allowed, you are not allowed that day. Praise God, we are allowed now to enter into the very holy of holes, into the very presence of God, because the way has been opened for you and for me. And what do you see there? The Ark of the Covenant. How many chairs are there in the temple, in the tabernacle? How many seats? Not one. No seats. No seats in the tabernacle. Why? Because the work was never finished in the tabernacle. The work was never finished in the temple. It has to be continued. The offerings had to be offered continually, because the work was never finished. But Jesus Christ was one sacrifice forever, made atonement forever for you and for me. That's why he cried, it is finished. Nobody can add to Calvary. It's all done. It is done. The great transaction is done. Praise God. Friends, I invite you this morning, if you have not known Him yet, to come to a finished work offered to you by the great Savior, the Savior of the world. It is finished. Turn with me, please, to Psalm 49. I'm going to read to you just a few verses from Psalm 49. Look at verse 6, please. They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him. For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever. The redemption of your soul is precious. It is precious, indeed. You know, we read of the parables of our Lord, that the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking after costly pearls. And when he found a pearl of great price, he went and sold all he had, and bought this pearl of great price. I'm aware of a number of interpretations, but I would like to think of it that the man who seeks costly pearls is Jesus Christ Himself. And the costly pearl is what? It is not heaven. It's not the angels. It's not the archangels. It's not the whole universe. It's you. It's me. We read that great verse that is sung especially at Christmas time. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his what? In the singular, please. The government of what? The whole world, the whole universe on one shoulder. But when the good shepherd finds the lost sheep, he lays it on what? His shoulders, in the plural sense, please. In the plural number. What does the Holy Spirit wish to say to us? One soul in the sight of God is much worth more than the whole world and the whole universe. What shall it profit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his own soul? This is how precious your soul is in God's sight. It is so precious, even the Father gave His Son with a smile for you and for me. Isaiah 53, 10. It pleased God to bruise Him. What does it mean? It means that when the Son of God was hanging between heaven and earth, God was well pleased. He gave Him with a smile, for your sake, for my sake, that you and I should be saved. O friend, the love of God, surely it passes knowledge. That's why the Apostle could cry, Behold! Behold! What manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us! How do you answer the God, the love of God? What does He reply? What does He reply? I come, I come. Yes, I come, I come. The source of it, the mercy sea. Right? What is the course of it? The source of it, the mercy sea. The course of it is Calvary, because the latter part of verse 1 says, For the fire for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house, and the south side of the altar. The course of it, the blessing of it, the victory of it, for you, child of God, is still Calvary. There is no victory outside of Calvary. I'm crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live. Yet not I, but Christ lives within me. Where do you live today, friends? Are you living in the victory of Calvary? Because, praise God, the tomb is empty. On the third day He rose again. He rose from the dead. Why seek He the living among the dead? He is not here. He is risen. I serve a risen Savior. Yes, the course of it, the course of victory, is through the cross of Calvary. And friend, let me tell you something. Are you overcome of something which is not according to God's will? You can never gain the victory in your own strength. Victory is at the cross of Christ. That thing you're overcome of is so binding, so strong, like a habit. You know, habit is a very binding thing. You try to get rid of it by your own strength. You cut off the H, you still have a bit. You cut off the H-A-B, you still have it. But come to the cross of Calvary! The law of the Spirit of God has set me free from the spirit, from the law of sin and death. Calvary, the victory in Jesus Christ, my Lord. That's why the apostle Paul could say, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of Jesus Christ. Yes, the course of it, Calvary. Praise God for the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord, in his death upon the cross. All right, what is the force of it? We have seen the source of it. We have seen the course of it. But what is the force of it? Can you number the number of tributaries to this river? How many tributaries? None. None. No earthly tributary pours the water into this river. It flows right from the throne of God. Right from God. It's all His work. It's all His work. By grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourself. No addition. Oh, my heart bleeds for many people who stand on the pulpit today and preach the social gospel, and preach error, spiritual error. Friends, I have no other message but the message of the cross. The Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. This is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes it. And this is the power of God for victory in your life. Open the cave today and come to the foot of the cross. Yes, this is the essence of the river's power. But what about the effect of the river's flow? The effect of the river's flow. Look, please, at verses 7 and 12. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other side. And verse 12 says, And by the river upon the bank thereof on this side and that side shall grow old trees for me, whose leaves shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed. It shall bring forth new fruit according to His month, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary, and the fruit thereof shall be for me, and the leaves thereof for medicine. Yes, the first effect of the river's flow is fertility. Fertility, fruit-bearing, fruit-bearing! You are created in Jesus Christ for good works which God hath foreordained that you should walk therein. Friends, are you bearing fruit to the glory of God? I reminded you of the cry of Rachel to Jacob, Give me children, or I die, or I die! How many souls have you pointed out to Christ this past week? Will you go empty-handed? Will you go empty-handed to meet Him? You know, friends, I'm conscious every day of the nearness of the coming again of Jesus Christ, my Lord. We can't ignore it. We are living in momentous days, in very exciting days, and the very cry of everyone, Behold, He comes! How will you meet Him? Empty-handed? If you are filled with the Spirit of God, you will be fruitful to His glory. You know, I'm aware of many interpretations, but my firm conviction from the Word of God that every believer in Christ is sealed with the Spirit of God. I know what other people might say, but this is the Word of God. If any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. As you accepted Christ as your Savior on the spot, immediately you are sealed with the Spirit of God. You are baptized into the Body of Christ, one baptism, never to be repeated, never to be repeated, once and for all, and born into the family of God, sealed with His Spirit. There are many fillings, but one baptism, one sealing, in Jesus Christ, my Lord, by the Spirit of God. You've been sealed with the Spirit of God, born of the Spirit. You are His purchase, His first possession. Be filled with the Spirit of God. But you can never be filled unless you are empty-faced of self. Is there anything in the way that stops the flow of the Spirit of God through your life, through me? Oh, pray! Again, may I repeat that chorus, the dearest idol I have known. Whatever that idol be, be his. I said, be his, this, be that. Whatever that idol be, help me to tear it from thy throne, and worship only thee. Again, I beseech you, friends, today at this meeting, go to your room, open the cave, and if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Yes, the first effect of the river's flow is fertility, through the glory of God. The second effect is healing. Verse 8, Verse 8, Then said he unto me, These waters if you out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea, which brings brought forth into the sea, being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. Are you on bad terms with someone? If you are filled with the Spirit of God, there will be healing. Healing! Yes, I know sometimes, sometimes someone does something which may not be according to my expectations. What should I do? Give him the absent treatment? God forbid, God forbid, the Spirit of God in me, the Spirit of truth that has reconciled me to God, would help me to be reconciled to my brother, to my sister. There would be healing. Oh, I pray to God that there would be healing today in the hearts of some this morning. The Lord knows the need, and you know the need. Speak it out to the Lord, and there would be healing, and you would enjoy the rest which remains for the people of God. I don't want to go too long on this, but on verse 9 there will also be life in verse 9. What does it say? And it shall come to pass that everything that liveth, which moveth with it soever the river shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come to them, for they shall be healed, and everything shall live with the river coming. Everything shall live. There will be fertility every month of the year. Fertility every month of the year. Fruit bearing. I can understand fertility in the month of September, October, but how about December? How about January? How about February, when everything is dead? When everything is dead, when life seems to be gone? There will be fertility all the time, all the year round, in adversity, in difficulties, in troubles. I am fruitful to the glory of God. Yes, as I said the other day, I glory in infirmities. In these difficult days, in these difficult times, in these times of so much burden, problem, stress, everywhere, there will still be fertility, because there is life. The spirit of life, the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. Are you submissive to the spirit of God day by day? Friends, pride is arrogance. Arrogance. And where there is arrogance, there is aridity, sterility, barrenness. But where there is submission, when you are broken before the spirit of God, when you are broken before Him, when you come to the end of yourself, it begins to work. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me, mold me, break me, use me, so that in all things Jesus Christ might have that reality. Friends, let me go on to another step. We have considered the essence of the river's power, the effect of the river's flow, the depth of the river, and now I come to the river's depth. How deep is the river? Look at verse 3, please. And when the man that had the vine in his hands went forth eastwards, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters. The waters were to the ankles. How far have you gone in your spiritual experience? This man has only reached, the water has reached his ankles. And oh, I say it with pain in my heart, that there are many, many Christians today who are only ankle deep in their spiritual experience. Only ankle deep. We see here a man who's only ankle deep. All he does, all he says is just to show self. Only self. He gives to be known that he gives. He serves to be known that he serves. He speaks to be known that he speaks. He only shows himself. He's a carnal Christian. There's no blessing. Yes, friends, he's only ankle deep. What a tragedy. What a tragedy. You know why? Because there is a compromise somewhere in his life. The way of compromise is a one-way road that leads to a precipice. Are you compromising this morning? Are you compromising? Samson was a great man, a powerful man. He was what you call the superman. He was the most powerful man that ever lived. But he ended up in a tragic situation. Why? He lowered his standard. He lowered his standard. He fell in love with a girl that he should not have any business to do with. One day he came to his parents and said, come on. Ask me, hand this girl for me. Is she a Jewess? No. From your people? No. Does she believe in your God? No. You have no business to be with her. Oh, I'm going to win her to my faith. I'm going to talk her over to come to my faith. What she will do to her faith, or to her no faith? Compromise, lowering his standard. He should not have touched the body of a dead animal. On the contrary, he ate honey from the body of a dead animal. He lowered his standard. And let me tell you something, when you begin to lower your standard, there's no end. There's no end. You lower it, you lower it, you lower it, you lower it until you reach the very bottom. And this is what happened in the case of Samson. He ended up doing the work of a beast, of an animal. Are you compromising today? Let me ask you, friends. How much time do you spend before that monastery at all? How much time? What do you see on that screen? Oh, friends, wake up. Wake up. You cannot live a victorious Christian life when you compromise like this. How far have you gone in your spiritual experience? Only ankle deep? Look at me. Here I am. Oh, no, friends. Go on with the Lord. Go on with the Lord. You have known pardon, but you don't know power. There's a great deal of difference between pardon and power. Jesus Christ has pardoned your sins. You are a child of God, but there's no power in your life because you're only ankle deep. The Spirit of God cannot flow through your life. There's something in the way. Tear it down. Tear it down. Go to verse 4, please. Again he measured a thousand. And again he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters. The waters were to the knee. May I suggest here that this person whose ankle deep got sick of himself, and I praise God he did, and he got on his knee. He got on his knee. The place of power. The place of power. You are no more powerful at any time than when you are on your knees before the Lord. This is the place of power. Remember what happened in the case of Saul of Tarsus and Ananias? Saul of Tarsus saw the Lord on the way to Damascus, and he couldn't see. He was brought to Damascus, and the Lord spoke to Ananias. Ananias, arrive. Go to Damascus to the street called Straight, and there you see a man by the name Saul of Tarsus. Ah, Lord, no, please. I've heard this man is here for a mission. He is here to take us and bind us and take us to court. I can't go. I'm afraid of him. Don't be afraid of him. Behold, he what? He prayeth. Behold, he prayeth. Behold, he prayeth. Something has taken place. This man is broken down. He's broken. He cried, what do you want me, Lord, to do? He's broken down. Oh, I pray to God that many of us today would be broken down before the Lord. On your knees, Christian. On your knees, my friend. Are you weary and heavy laden, comforted with a load of care? On your knees. Are you proud of yourself? Are you in need of power in your life? On your knees. Life is moving very fast. I know there's so many things to do, and unfortunately, they have crowded the Lord Jesus Christ out of His central place in your life. You want to remedy the situation? On your knees. On your knees before the Lord. Yes, the waters were on His knees. Are you touchy? You can't bear a remark from a friend of yours? You get irritated and you take insults? That's not a good sign. You want to get over it? On your knees. On your knees before the Lord. This is the only blessed place. This is the only place of victory, for when I am weak, then I am strong in Christ. Yes, let me get on, because my watch runs on wheels, you know. And let me go on to verse 5. Afterward he measured a thousand, and he found me. Now, verse 4 again, please. Again he measured a thousand, brought me through the waters, brought me through. The waters were to the loins. This is the inevitable result. When you are on your knees, then the waters will get to the loins, the place of strength and power. Here we have a strong Christ. He has learned the lesson. He has gotten down on his knees, and he has found the strength in Christ. The Spirit of God is flowing through his life, and he has really experienced the source of power. Yes, indeed, a spiritual Christian is a powerful Christian. Let me turn with you, please, to a beautiful place. I cannot end my talk without reference to it. The Song of Solomon, please. Turn with me to the Song of Solomon, chapter 1. You have gotten to your knees. You are meditating upon Christ. He has become the object of your meditation now. And oh, I was reading this portion this morning, and I just could, my tears came to my eyes. Jesus Christ is so precious to us. When we are on our knees before him, and meditate upon his word, look at chapter 1, verse 13. A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me. Preciousness. Speaking of the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to me, a bundle of myrrh, verse 14. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphor. My Arabic word for camphor is hinnam, h-i-n-n-a-m-p-h-i-n-m. H-i-n-n-a, or h-e-n-n-a. I don't know if you know what the hinna is in this country. It's a beautiful flower we have in the Middle East. Small, but beautifully fragrant. A fragrant flower. Hinnam. H-e or h-i-n-n-a-h. He is a cluster of hinnam to me. Speaking of the fragrance of the Lord Jesus Christ, as you kneel on your knees before him, and meditate upon his word, and on his belovedness, on his beauty, on his fragrance, he is fragrant to us. Speaking of the fragrance of the Lord Jesus Christ, chapter 2, verse 1. I am the rose of Sharon. He is the rose of beauty to me. He is beautiful altogether lovely. Indeed, verse 4, the apple among the trees, speaking of the freshness, refreshing, the freshness that we, the refreshment that you get when you sit under the shadow of the apple tree and enjoy the refreshment you get from the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, of course, you sit under his shadow with great delight as we heard last Sunday. His fruit is sweet to my taste and surely he will bring you to the banqueting house. Verse 4, he brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love. And you know, when this takes place, as you are on your knees before the Lord, it is no more his shadow, it is no more his banner, it is no more his fruit, it is his person, verse 8, the voice of my belovedness. The voice of my belovedness. He comes in all his sweetness, in all his fragrance, in all his beauty, his person, his voice. The voice of my belovedness. Behold, he cometh. Behold, he cometh. And what does he say? Verse 10, my beloved spake and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. Rise up and come away. The winter is past, the tempest is past, the temptations are past. I forget everything. I forget all these difficulties. I get over them. Over, over, hallelujah, over. Because he has come to me, his person, my beloved is mine and I am his. Praise God. The day will come when the winter will literally be past and we shall see him face to face and we shall sing that glorious song. You know, those who are alive shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the earth and they will sing. What will they sing? Oh death, where is thy sting? Oh death, where is it? You cannot sting me. Where is thy sting? And those who are asleep, they will rise up and they will meet him and they will also sing. What will they say? Oh grave, where is thy victory? So together, oh death, where is thy sting? Oh grave, where is thy victory? Christ, my life, has come to me. Rise, my love, my fair one. Yes indeed, praise God. Praise God. This man is up to the loins now. And later on, look at verse 5, afterward he measures a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. He is out of his depth now, he is swimming. And let me tell you something, when someone is swimming, how much of him is seen? Only his head. And who is the head of every man? Christ. Christ. Only Christ is seen in me. He must increase, and I must decrease. Is this the desire of your heart? Are you filled with the Spirit of God? Are you swimming in your experience? Is Christ only seen in you? Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you. Yes, there in shame and scoffing he grew, in my place congemned he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! What a day it is! Shall we pray? Our loving Heavenly Father, we praise Thee and we thank Thee for the opening of Thy Word that giveth life, understanding. We bow before Thee now in the quietness of this hour. Father, as Thou speakest to each one of us now, we pray that we may be obedient to Thy bidding, doing Thy will and Thine alone, so that the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in all that we say, in all that we do. We ask in His name and for His sake. Amen.