Sermon
Recorded March 16, 2025, with Rhonda Harrison.
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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It's time for the Champions in Christ broadcast
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with Rhonda Harrison on 1017KFN. Good morning
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and welcome to Champions in Christ. We're so
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glad you joined us today. This is the day the
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Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad
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in it. Glory to God. He is a great God and we
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are blessed to know him. And if you don't know
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him, we'll give you a chance at the end of this
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program. But let's turn in the Bible today. We're
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going to go into Exodus 32. And during this point
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in time, Moses is up on the mount with God talking
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with God. The children of Israel are down below
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with Aaron and who is a priest and they began
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to again worship idols and turn their heart away
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from God while Moses is up talking to God. And
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so the Lord begins to speak to him in verse seven
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and says, and the Lord said, Moses, go get down.
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for your people which you brought out of the
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land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. Now
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he had just brought them delivered them from
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the land of Egypt through the Red Sea, right?
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And so they had just seen a mighty miracle and
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though they knew God's miracle power, they didn't
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know him. You know, it's when we know him that
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we will be our most faithful to him usually.
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because when you know someone well and you love
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them with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength
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as commanded us to do in the Word of God, then
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you will less likely turn to the ways of the
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world. And so here they are and the Lord is telling
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him they've turned aside quickly out of the way
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which I commanded them and they made a molten
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calf out of gold and have worshipped it and sacrificed
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thereunto. saying these be the gods o Israel
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which have brought you up out of Egypt and so
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this you know the Lord was not happy with this
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because here it was the God's power that brought
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them out and here they're giving credit to a
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molten calf you know and and an idol something
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made by hand and the Lord said Moses I have seen
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this people and they behold have become stiff
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-necked You know just stiff -necked now, therefore
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let me alone the Lord said my wrath will wax
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hot against them and I that I may consume them
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and I will make a great nation out of you You
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know, he was gonna wipe out the whole nation
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of Israel and start over with Moses He was so
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angry with the people and Moses Sought the Lord
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and said Lord, why do you? Why are you so angry
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and your wrath hot as wax against the people
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which you brought forth out of the land of Egypt
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with great power and with a mighty hand? Therefore
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should the Egyptian speak and say for mischief
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he brought them out to slay them in the mountains
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and to consume them from the face of the earth.
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Turn from your fierce wrath and repent of this
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evil against your people. You know, Moses was
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standing in the gap for the children of Israel.
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he was standing in the gap and he was praying
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he was talking to God about them and That's what
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we're to do for others, you know when you know
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Jesus and he's done something awesome in your
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life like Save you and you're going to heaven
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You know, it's like a man finding a treasure
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and he wants to run out and bring everyone to
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it and show him that you want to pray for those
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that need Jesus and that's what Moses is doing.
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He's praying that God will turn his wrath that
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these people will not be destroyed for their
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sin. And so verse 13, he continues, remember
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Abraham, Isaac and Israel, your servants to whom
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you swore by your own self, I will multiply your
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seed as the stars in the heaven and all this
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land I have spoken of, I will give to your seed
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and they will inherit it forever. So Moses reminded
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God of his own word. God loves that. He loves
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when you know his word and you remind him of
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his promises, just as Moses reminded him of his
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promises to the children of Israel. And verse
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14 says, and the Lord changed his mind of this
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evil that he thought to do his people. Hallelujah.
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You know, because Moses prayed, God granted him
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his answer. Isn't that amazing? That he stood
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in the gap. He didn't have to he wasn't going
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anywhere. God was gonna make a whole new nation
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out of him But he loves the people and he loves
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God and those are the two greatest commandments
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God tells us in the New Testament that hang all
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the other commandments is to love God with all
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your heart mind soul and strength and To love
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your brother as yourself and that's what Moses
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did by standing in the gap. That's what he did
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by praying He stood in the gap. Are you standing
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in the gap for someone? Are you praying for people
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to believe and to receive from God the way you
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have? If not, let's get together and do that.
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You know, we want to pray for the lost. We want
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to pray for those that don't know. They're blinded.
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They're blinded. You know, I once was blind and
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now I see. You know, God was so good to send
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someone my way. So we want to pray and we want
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to share the love of God. And we thank God for
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stories such as this, historical things that
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happened. And it moved the heart of God. You
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know, it moved God's heart that Moses would not
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be greeting, go, yeah, let's just make a people
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out of me. You know, let's just, let's just be
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micey. No, he remembered what God promised the
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children of Israel, what he promised the father
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of father Abraham. And it's a beautiful story,
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beautiful, beautiful. And there's another one.
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Another time, there's many times in the Bible
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where someone intercepts and believes God for
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someone else. And a lot of them are in the New
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Testament, which is where we live because we
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have a new covenant since Jesus died and rose
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again. Glory to God. And the Bible says it's
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based on better promises. You know, so praise
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God for that. God is so faithful. And if we turn
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backwards into Genesis, we'll see where Abraham
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also had an opportunity. And so we're going to
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Abraham chapter 18. We pick up the story in verse
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16, and it says the men rose up from there and
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looked towards Sodom and Abraham went with them
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to bring them out in the way. he was talking
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to the Lord and two angels that had came and
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they talked to him about another situation and
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now he's kind of saying goodbye and as they walk
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they look towards Sodom and this is the conversation
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that went on verse 17 the Lord said shall I hide
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from Abraham the thing which I'm going to do
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seeing that Abraham is surely become a great
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and mighty nation and all the nations of the
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earth will be blessed in him for I know that
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he will command his children and his household
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after him and they will keep the way of the Lord
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to do justice and judgment that the Lord may
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bring upon Abraham which he has spoken to him
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and the Lord said because of the cry of Sodom
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and Gomorrah is great because of their sin is
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very grievous I will go down and I will see whether
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they have done altogether all that I've heard
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in my ear according to what has been said to
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me. And if not, I will know and the men turn
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their faces from there and they walk towards
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sort of Sodom. But Abraham stood yet before the
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Lord. So these two men which were angels in disguise
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started walking towards Sodom and Abraham stood
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before the Lord and Abraham came close and said,
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Are you going to destroy the righteous with the
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wicked? Suppose there were 50 righteous within
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the city. Will you also destroy and not spare
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the place for 50 righteous? That be a far from
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you to do after this manner to slay the righteous
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with the wicked and the righteous should should
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be as the wicked thus so far from what you're
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saying shall not the judge of all the earth do
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what's right? You know, he's coming before the
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Lord and he's saying, Hey, Hold on a minute.
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And then verse 26, the Lord said, if I find inside
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of 50 righteous, I will spare the city for their
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sake. And Abraham said, I behold, I now have
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to speak with you again, Lord, but I am nothing
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but dust and ashes. So suppose there lacks five
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from 50. In other words, 45. Will you destroy
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the city if there were 45 righteous? the Lord
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spoke and said yet again suppose there I mean
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I'm sorry Abraham spoke again and said suppose
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there were 40 found there and he said I will
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not do it for 40 sake and he said oh well let
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not the Lord be angry but I will speak again
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suppose there were 30 to be found that were righteous
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and he said I will not do it if you find 30 and
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then Abraham said I've taken upon me to speak
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unto you Lord suppose that there be 20 and he
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said I will not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah for
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20 sake and then Abraham said Oh Lord please
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don't be angry but I want to speak to you again
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once more suppose there were 10 found and the
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Lord said I will not destroy it for 10 sake and
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the Lord went his way as soon as he left communing
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or speaking with Abraham. Abraham returned to
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his place and there came two angels to Sodom
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and lot in the gate of Sodom and lot seeing seeing
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them rose up to meet them and he bowed before
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his face toward the ground and he said behold
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my Lord I pray it please come into the servants
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house and stay there with me tonight wash your
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feet and you will rise early and go your way
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and they said no we'll wait out in the street
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at night and he pressed them Greatly and so they
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turned to him and entered his house and he made
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a feast for them and he baked unleavened bread
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and they ate and Before they laid down the men
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of the city outside the city of Sodom compass
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the house round about both young and old so around
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his house there were all these men gathering
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and here he had these two angels in his house
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and They must have seen him go in because it
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says in verse 5 They called to Lot and said unto
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him, Where are the men which came to you at night?
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Bring them out that we may know them or other
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words that we may sleep with them. This was a
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very wicked and evil city. And Lot went out the
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door unto them and he shut the door after him.
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And he said, Listen, brethren, don't be so wicked.
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Behold, I have two daughters which have never
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laid with a man. their virgins, let me bring
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them out and you do as is good in your eyes,
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but leave these men alone for they for therefore
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they are under the shadow of my roof." So he
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was willing to give up his virgin daughters so
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that these men would not harm these men. He was
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fearful and Lot was very wayward, very tossed
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to and fro back and forth in the things of God.
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He compromised a lot and they said, stand back.
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And they said again, this one fellow came to
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stay a little while and he will need to be a
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judge. Now we will deal the worst with them.
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And they pressed sore among the man and Lot came
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near to the door. The men pulled, but they were
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beating on the door, trying to break down the
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door. But the men put forth their hands, talking
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about the angels, and pulled Lot into the house
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and shut the door behind him. And they smote
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the men. In other words, they slayed the men
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that were at the door with blindness both small
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and great so that they were wearied themselves
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to find the door. In other words, the men were
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struck with blindness by these supernatural angels
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and they were trying to find the door and they
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couldn't find it because they were blinded. And
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the men said, Lot, how are you here all besides
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your son -in -law, your sons and your daughters?
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Where do you have others in the city bring them
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out into this place for we will destroy this
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place because the cry of them has grown loud
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before the face of the Lord and the Lord has
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sent us to destroy it. So these angels were saying
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a lot get everybody, you know, that's righteous
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bring them in this house. We're going to save
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them, but we are going to destroy the city. The
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Lord has commanded it and lot went out and spoke
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to his son -in -law's and married daughters and
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said Come on, get up out of this place for the
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Lord will destroy the city. But he seemed as
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one that was mocked by his son -in -laws. And
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when the morning came, the angels hastened and
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said, Lot arise and take your wife and your daughters,
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which are here, or else you're going to be consumed
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in the iniquity of the city. So God had judged
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the city. And so the fire of God was going to
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come down and destroy everyone. And they were
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trying to get Lot and his family out. while he
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lingered the men just grabbed him with his hands
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and his wife and upon the two daughters and the
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Lord being merciful into them the angels brought
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them out and set them outside the city and it
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came to pass when they had brought them out he
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said escape for your life and don't turn around
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neither stay in this plane escape to the mountain
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or else you'll be consumed and Lot said oh not
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so my lord Behold now let your servant find grace
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in your sight that you have magnified your mercy
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and show unto me and saving my life can I not
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escape to them I cannot escape to the mountains
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least some evil come upon me and I die. Behold
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now this city is near flee unto it and it is
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a little one let me escape there and my soul
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shall live. And he said unto me, I have accepted
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that you concerning this thing, and I will not
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overthrow the city for which you have spoken.
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Hey, go fast escape, for I cannot do anything
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till you have gone there. Therefore, the name
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of the city he went to was called Zoar and the
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sun was risen upon the earth and lot enter into
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Zoar and the Lord raised up rained upon Sodom
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and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord
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out of heaven. and he overthrew those cities
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and all the plains and all the inhabitants of
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the cities which grew upon the ground but his
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wife Lot's wife turned back and looked and she
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became a pillar of salt. It's really important
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to obey when God tells you to do something and
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unfortunately Lot's wife didn't obey remember
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the angel the Lord said don't turn around and
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look and she turned around looked and turned
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into a pillar of salt. And so Abraham got up
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in the morning to the place where he stood before
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the Lord and he looked and saw them in Gomorrah
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and toward all the land of the plane behold the
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smoke of the country went up as a smoke in the
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furnace and it came to pass when God destroyed
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the cities of the plane. He remembered Abraham
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and sent Lot out of the overthrow and he overthrew
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the cities which Lot dwelt and Lot dwelt So again,
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we see where someone interceded and God answered
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them. He prayed for the righteous that were in
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that city. Now you say, well, who was righteous
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among us? Well, none of us are because we all
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fall short of the glory of God because we've
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all sinned. But when we ask Jesus in our heart
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and he becomes Lord of our life, we become the
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righteousness of God in Christ. And I want you
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to know the Bible says in Romans 834 that Christ
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Jesus is the one he sits at the right hand of
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God and he ever lives to make intercession for
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you and for me. So we have someone standing in
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the gap. But he also wants us praying. That's
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why in 1st Timothy 2, he says, first of all,
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I urge you that supplications, prayers, intercessions
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and thanksgiving be made for all people, for
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kings and all who are in leadership positions.
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Two, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life,
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godly and dignified in every way. You know, he
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encourages us to pray for one another, to intercede,
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to lay down our life in prayer. Use some of that
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time during your day to pray for someone else.
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It could be the changing thing in their life.
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It will be the changing thing in their life when
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we pray in faith. You know, God is a great God
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and intercession is huge with him. He wants us
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praying for people because people need our prayers.
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We need one another. Prayer changes things when
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it's prayed in faith. There's one more thing
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I want to tell you. There was a time where Paul
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was preaching in Acts chapter 20 and during his
Acts 20 chapter mention
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preaching, a man named Eutychus, a young man,
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fell out of a window. He fell asleep and he fell
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out while Paul was preaching and he died. And
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if you read in chapter 20, verse 10, Paul went
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down and fell on him, embracing him, and he spoke
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life into him. And so the young man in verse
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12 came back to life and everyone was comforted
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with this. I want you to know you can intercede
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for someone and they can come back to life spiritually,
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physically, financially, in every way God will
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bring life back into you. He is, Jesus is the
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resurrection and the life. And if he that believes
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on him will not die but have everlasting life,
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but you can have much more than that. Yes, we
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have eternal life, glory to God, but we have
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a lot more in Christ Jesus while we live here
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on earth. Just listen, read the promises of God,
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grab ahold of them with your faith, put your
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action out there and God will answer. We're gonna
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stop and take a break and listen to this song.
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rejoice about the power of God in our risen Savior
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Jesus. And I'll be right back. I know name It's
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the only name that saves And it's worthy of all
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praise I call you Jesus I call you, I call you
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healer Risen and raining in power Something comes
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out of you say worthy of glory forever something
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comes out of the grave every time I Hallelujah,
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we know a name and his name is Jesus Christ if
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you've never accepted him as Lord and Savior
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We pray that you will right now. Just say these
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words after me dear Jesus Forgive me of my sin
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wash me cleanse me I renounce the things of the
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world and I declare you Jesus as my Savior If
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you prayed that prayer you have just been born
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again If you walked away, you've just renewed
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your relationship with Him and He's forgiven
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you. You are valued. You are valued by Him and
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He loves you. Go out and find you a good church
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that preaches the whole Word of God. Get you
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a Bible. If you don't have one, you can contact
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us at championsinchrist3 at gmail .com. We'll
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send you a new Bible. Remember, You God loves
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you. We love you and you are a champion in Christ