Sermon
Recorded December 01, 2024, 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 1017 Bay FM. morning
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and welcome to Champions in Christ broadcast.
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So nice to have you with us today. We're gonna
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look into the Word of God and we're gonna talk
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about more of the goodness of God. You know in
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Psalms 23 the Word of God says the Lord is my
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shepherd I shall not want. That's right he doesn't
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want you in need of anything so he's provided
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everything. His word goes on to say, he makes
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me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside
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still waters. Hallelujah. That means rest and
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peace. That's right. He restores my soul. He
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will restore to you everything the enemy has
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stolen and he will restore to you that peace
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of mind. He'll restore to you. He'll heal that
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broken heart. He will restore your soul. He leads
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me by the paths of righteousness for his namesake.
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Hallelujah. That's right. He will be your lead,
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your guide. He's a lamp unto your feet. Glory
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to God. Yea, though I walk through the valley
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of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.
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We have nothing to fear. God says he has not
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given us the spirit of fear, but power, love,
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and a sound mind. For you are with me, your rod,
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your staff, they come for me. That's the Holy
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Spirit of God. That's who our comforter is. He
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goes on to say he prepares a table in the presence
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of our enemies and anoints our head with oil
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and our cup runneth over. You remember last week
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we talked about those rivers of living water.
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Guess what? When he anoints your head with oil,
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that's the oil of gladness. That's the Holy Spirit
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and your cup runneth over. You're going to spill
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over that joy into others because they will want
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what you have because it's the goodness of God.
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and the bible says goodness and mercy will follow
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us all the days of our life and we will dwell
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in the house of the lord forever which we talked
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about heaven last week we talked about that place
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in heaven that we're going to see where he they
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are preparing mansions and it's going to be a
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glorious time but let's turn to philippians 4
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4 19 it says but my god shall supply all of my
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need, your need, according to his riches and
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glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God our Father,
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be glory forever and ever. You know, he doesn't
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provide according to your checkbook or according
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to... um what you know in the natural he has
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his riches and glory and he will supernaturally
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get those to you a lot of times through people
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sometimes supernaturally as he did in the old
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testament when when the ravens fed elijah that
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was supernatural for birds to bring food to a
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man right so there god has all kinds of ways
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he's god so he can do it many many ways His goodness
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and his mercy follow us all the days of our life,
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all the days of our life. We will dwell in the
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house of the Lord forever and forever. You know,
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in Ephesians chapter three. Verse 14, we're going
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to read a few verses here. It says, For this
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cause I bow my knee unto the father of the Lord
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Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven
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and earth is named, that he would grant you according
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to the riches of his glory to be strengthened
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with might by his Holy Spirit in the inner man,
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that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith,
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that being rooted and grounded in love, you'd
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be able to with all saints what is the breadth,
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the length, the depth, the height, and to know
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the love of Christ that passes knowledge, yet
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you might be filled with all the fullness of
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God." That's a mouthful. That's abundance. That's
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abundance he has provided for us. And in verse
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20 it says, now unto him, speaking about you,
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unto him I'm sorry unto him speaking about Jesus
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is able to do exceedingly abundantly okay exceedingly
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means far far -reaching right way more way more
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than just normal abundantly overflowing above
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all you could ask or think according to the power
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that works in you so above anything you think
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you could ask God for or think God could do for
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you he can do exceedingly abundantly above all
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that but it's according to the power that works
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within you which is the Holy Spirit and it says
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unto him be glory in all the church by Jesus
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Christ throughout all ages world without end
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amen. That's right, all ages, the world, without
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end, glory, glory, glory. He not only has an
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abundant supply for you, but we reach that supply
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through faith. We receive that mercy and goodness
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and grace through faith. We shall not want through
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faith. It's all through faith in Him. So let's
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go and watch this in action. Let's look at Luke
Luke 13 chapter mention
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chapter 13. and we're gonna go starting in verse
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10 it says that he was teaching one in one of
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the synagogues on the Sabbath speaking about
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Jesus and behold there was a woman who had a
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spirit of infirmity for 18 years and was bowed
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over she could in no way stand up herself For
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18 years, that's a long time to suffer with an
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infirmity, but here we see it's a spirit of infirmity.
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And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him
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and said unto her, woman, you are loosed from
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this infirmity or you are free from this sickness.
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And he laid his hands on her and immediately
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she was stood up straight and glorified God.
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Hallelujah. She stood up straight and glorified
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just by him speaking to her because his word,
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which he's filled at this point with the Holy
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Spirit, the Spirit of God's upon him, so he's
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using that life of God to deliver someone the
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same way he'll use it for you. He'll do it for
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you. She had to believe. You have to believe.
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I have to believe. Faith. comes by hearing and
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hearing by the word. So we're building our faith
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while we're reading these exciting stories about
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the goodness of God. And so this woman was healed
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instantly after 18 long years of suffering, right?
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All right, praise God. So we're going to go to
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chapter 14 now. Same book, Luke, and we're going
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to start in verse one and read about another
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one. And it came to pass as Jesus went into the
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house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread
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on Sabbath day, and they were watching him closely.
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And behold, there was a certain man that stood
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before him which had dropsy, which is kind of
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like swelling. It causes the body to swell all
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over. and hold fluid and Jesus said unto the
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lawyers and the Pharisees is it lawful to heal
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on the Sabbath he was saying this because he
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knew what their thoughts were and they held their
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peace and he took the man and healed him and
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let him go and then answered and said to them
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the Pharisees which of you would have a donkey
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or ox fall into a pit and would not quickly pull
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him up out of that pit on Sabbath day and they
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could not answer him against these things. Why?
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Because he was trying to show them, look you're
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calling this work, but yet if you saw one of
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your animals fall in a ditch and were hurt you
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would pull them out. How much more should I heal
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this man even though it's the Sabbath day? Healing
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is a blessing. Healing is a blessing. Praise
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God and mercy. His mercy on that person. Hallelujah.
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You know God is such a gracious and good God
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and he will always show his mercy to you. It
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says his mercies are new every morning, every
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morning. Cry out for that mercy. Thank God for
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his goodness and his mercy. We're going to go
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to Acts now, the book of Acts chapter 9. We're
Acts 9 chapter mention
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going to look again at another example of God's
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goodness and mercy and how he provides all that
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we need. Acts chapter 9 verse 32 it says, and
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it came to pass, Peter passed throughout all
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the quarters, he came down also to the saints
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which dwelt at Lydda and there he found a certain
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man named Aeneas and he had kept his bed eight
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years and was sick with palsy or was paralyzed
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and Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ
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makes you whole arise and make your bed. and
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he arose immediately. So what did Peter do? He
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spoke the word of God. He said Jesus Christ makes
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you whole. Why did he say that? Because before
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Jesus died on the cross he took 39 stripes on
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his back that by those stripes the word of God
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says we would be healed. So this man, you know,
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when Peter passed through the quarters He ran
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into this man. He found him. He didn't ask him,
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how long have you been sinning? He didn't ask
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him, was he saved? He just showed the mercy of
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God. He extended the life of God to this man
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that Peter had received, the power of God on
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the day of Pentecost. And he said, arise, make
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your bed. And he arose. The man had to do it.
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He had to stand up and do it. There's always
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an action when our faith's involved. and all
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that dwelt at Lydda, this is verse 35, and Saran
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saw him and turned to the Lord. This one miracle
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caused all of that area to turn to the Lord.
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Praise God, why? Because it was a sign and a
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wonder miraculous from God through man. God,
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we are his hands and his feet on the earth. Any
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of you that are born again, you have more power
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in you. The same power that raised Christ from
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the dead lives in you, and you can give that
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out freely. The Bible says, freely you receive,
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freely give. Let's continue in 36. Now there
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was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha
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which by interpretation is called Dorcas and
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this woman was full of good works and did alms
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which she did and it came to pass in those days
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she was sick and she died. whom when they had
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washed and laid her in the upper chamber for
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as much as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, the disciples
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had heard that Peter was there and they sent
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him two men desiring that he would not delay
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but come to them. Peter arose and went with them
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and when he came he brought him into the upper
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chamber and all the widows stood by and they
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were crying, showing the coats and the garments
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which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
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Peter put them all out and he kneeled down and
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he prayed turning to him to the body turning
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himself to her body and said Tabitha arise. So
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we're here we have a situation a woman who sounds
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like a wonderful person very did a lot of good
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works for people and made blankets and things.
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and she died, she got sick and died and they
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were weeping and two of the disciples, they sent
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for Peter and they asked him to come. So he put
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them all out because they're crying thinking
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she's never coming back and he wanted just the
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room to be full of faith I believe and he knelt
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down and he prayed and then he turned to the
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body and he said Tabitha arise. Now how could
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he do that? Because the power of God was within
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him. and he knew it and then he gave her his
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hand and lifted her up and when he called the
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saints and the widows presented her alive wow
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what a huge miracle do you mean christ the power
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of god can raise the dead absolutely here's the
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perfect example it says and it was known throughout
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all of choppa and many believed on the lord You
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know, it's interesting that we just read in Litta
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that when that man was healed from eight years
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of being paralyzed, it said all who dwelt in
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that area turned to the Lord. But yet with this
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miracle and this woman being raised from the
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dead, it says many believed in the Lord. Wow.
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You would have thought all would have believed
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after that. That's amazing. It's something. You
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know, God gives us free will. He gives us free
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will. He will not try and force you to believe
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Him or trust Him. It's up to us. It's up to us
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to make that choice. We cannot expect God. to
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force you to do anything, because he won't. He's
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loving, he's kind. He doesn't want to make you
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love him. He wants you to love him because it's
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your choice, because of how good he is. I mean,
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he's done so much for us, continues to do it,
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has given us so much. Why wouldn't we want to
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serve him? Why wouldn't we want to love him?
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You know, he is the good, good goodness of God.
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He can't be anything but good. That's who he
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is. You know, we're going to go look in one more
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place in Acts. And why are we doing this? Because
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I want you to see that the power of God worked
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all throughout time, not just before Christ died,
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not just when Jesus was on earth, but even when
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Jesus has gone from the earth. He gave us the
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Holy Spirit that the works of God would be made
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manifest so that all would see the goodness of
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God. everyone would see the goodness of God and
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we know the holy the holy word of God in the
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Old Testament many I mean every single book there's
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some goodness of God he was pouring out on his
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people and he used man to do it just supernatural
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things so in the book of Acts chapter 3 it says
Acts 3 chapter mention
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now Peter and John went up together to the temple
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the hour of prayer being the ninth hour which
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was about three o 'clock in the afternoon and
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a certain man lame from his mother's womb was
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carried and laid daily at the gate of the temple
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which is called beautiful to ask of alms who
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all from all who entered the temple who sing
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Peter and John about to go into the temple asked
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for money and Peter fixing his eyes upon this
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man with John said look on us and he gave attention
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unto them expecting to receive something from
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them so he was looking expecting for money but
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surprise he gets much more than money because
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peter said silver and gold i don't have but what
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i do have i give to you in the name of jesus
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christ rise up and walk Glory to God. He took
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him by the right hand, lifted him up, and immediately
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his feet and ankle bones received strength. Praise
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God. That's a miracle. It says, and he leaping,
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stood up, walked, and entered with them in the
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temple, walking and leaping and praising God.
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Wow, all the people of God were watching that
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were in the temple. and they saw this man and
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knew him because every day every day of the temple
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he was put there to ask alms to get receive money
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to help him every day and then now he's leaping
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and praising God in the temple. and verse 10
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says and they knew that it was he that sat for
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alms at the gate beautiful and they were filled
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with wonder and amazement at that which happened
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to him he was a sign and a wonder this miracle
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made them wonder that's what a sign and a wonder
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is it makes you wonder and it says in verse 11
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and as the lame man which was healed held peter
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and john all the people ran together unto them
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in the porch that was called solomon's greatly
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wondering They were like, wow, this is the same
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man. And Peter saw it and he said unto the people,
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you men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?
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Why do you look so earnestly at us as though
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we by our own power or holiness made this man
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whole? But the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac,
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the God of Jesus, I mean, the God of our fathers
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who have glorified his son, Jesus, whom you delivered
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up and denied him in the presence of Pilate when
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he was determined to let him go. But you denied
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the holy and just one. desiring a murder be granted
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unto you. You killed the prince of life whom
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God has raised from the dead and whereof we are
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witnesses and his name through faith in his name
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has made this man strong whom you see and know
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and now the faith which is by him has been given
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to him in perfect soundness in the presence of
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you all." Wow! Wow, he's telling them, he's telling
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them the same God that you guys crucified on
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a cross and denied him rose from the dead and
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has empowered this man to live that it wasn't
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anything they did on their own or their own goodness.
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It was the power of God working through them.
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Glory to God, glory to God. Wow. Well, we have
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a lot to think about, don't we? A lot to be thankful
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for the goodness and the mercy of God. We're
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going to go to a song right now and we're going
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to come back at you and share a little bit more
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before we close. I wanna dance like David, I
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wanna faith like Paul I wanna sing like Silas
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tearing down the prison wall I wanna face that
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fire, it won't burn me though God's got my back
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shot, rack me shack up and then go I wanna walk
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like Moses, right through the waves One day I'll
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see that promised land no longer slain Though
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the fear is talking, no one can take out my faith
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I'm gonna - I wanna sleep like Daniel, even in
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a lion's cage I'm gonna get that promise, just
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like Jericho like I've got no more precious time
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to waste. I'm gonna give Him glory with all my
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thanks, because there's no greater, stronger,
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higher name, and that's who I praise. Will you
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be my light when I cannot see? And when I can't
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take another step, Lord, would you care? When
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I've lost my fight, will you be my strength?
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Will you set me a table in the presence of my
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enemies? I shall not want, I shall not want.
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Oh, my soul's got a shepherd in the valley and
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I shall not want. I shall not walk cause my car's
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running or running over and I shall not walk
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and I will live my life we shall not want oh
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we shall not want the goodness and mercy of our
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god if you've never received this jesus as your
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lord and savior maybe you've been to church maybe
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you've seen things on tv and you know god is
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but you've never accepted him pray this prayer
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with me dear heavenly father we come to you lord
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i am a sinner i repent forgive me of my sin i
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turn my back on sin and i turn my face towards
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you and i receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my
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Lord and my Savior. I thank you for it. In Jesus'
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name, amen. If you prayed that prayer today,
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you have just been born again. We want to send
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you a new Bible. You can contact me on championsinchrist3
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at gmail .com. We want you to go out and make
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it a wonderful day today. Thank you for listening.
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Please know that we love you, God loves you,
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and you are a champion in Christ.