November 6, 2024

He Stoops

June 16, 2014 by

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Who can be compared with the Lord our God, who is enthroned on high?
He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth.
Psalms 113:5-6

The high and lofty One who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this:
I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.
I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.

Isaiah 57:15

He is enthroned on high and He stoops.  If you imagine God sitting above all the world, then we can fathom “the high and lofty One.”  He sits there and watches what He created.  How easy would it be for Him to be hands off or for us to hear from Him only when He wanted to punish us?  He could have said, “I have made mankind now let’s see what they can do,” but He does not.  He stoops.

God sent His spirit to dwell among us and Jesus to save us from ourselves!  God is pretty dedicated.  Not very long at all after we were put to work on the earth, we screwed up God’s perfect creation.  Disobedience!  At the start of Creation we already thought we knew better than God and had wavering trust in Him, but He stooped.

Could you imagine a newborn telling their mom three days after birth, “Oh, it’s been good…but I can actually take better care of myself.  I mean, I’ve been doing this a whole 3 days, so thanks, but no thanks.”  That’s crazy!  Better yet, what loving parent would say, “Oh, okay. I understand.”  Even though we try to venture out alone, God stays right by our side.  He stoops.  If anyone had the right to be proud, it would be God.  Yet, He stoops.

What more does a loving God need to do to show His love for you?  He stooped! When He didn’t have to.  He came to us, so we could go to Him.  That’s the caring, loving God we serve.  Never doubt that He cares because He stoops.

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Lord, thank You for coming after me. Thank You for chasing me down! You are indeed an awesome God! Amen.

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How To Impact a Nation

June 10, 2014 by

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How do I impact a nation?  Not all of us can be Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., or George Washington, so how can I impact a whole nation?  Think with me for moment….  I am one person.  There are billions of people in this world and tons of nations . I am one person who can barely manage to find time to sleep at night.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
Let them exalt Him publicly before the congregation
and before the leaders of the nation.
Psalms 107:31-32

The answer to my question? I cannot impact a nation and show the world my God—without God.

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled,
ordinary men, they were astonished and
they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:13

In my mind, the thought of being influential to a nation can be overwhelming. Then again, doing anything dependant on my ability alone is overwhelming.  But with God anything is possible!

Here’s the thing—God gives us the desires of our hearts.  God has big plans.  He picks people who are willing to help.  Ability is nothing without being available to do the Lord’s will.  Take a look at what His people can do when we are available!

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:8-11

God sent Moses to free his people. You’ll read further on that Moses wasn’t confident in his ability to speak.  God is awesome.  God’s plans are amazing!  God’s plans are big!

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God, You are awesome and Your plans are amazing.  Please help me to keep my heart available to Your will and to hear Your words.  Amen.

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A Quick Reminder

June 6, 2014 by

“What has God done for you lately?”   Whenever I’ve been asked this question in the past, I thought it was cheesy.  Why does it matter what God has done for me?  (Or better yet) why do you want to know?  I used to think that my struggles were my struggles, and my victories were my victories, and the things that God did for me…were for me.

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of His works with songs of joy.
Psalms 107:21-22

The answer to my questions are simple.

SOMEONE NEEDS TO KNOW OR BE REMINDED THAT GOD IS ABLE.

Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves,
others will praise God for the obedience
that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ,
and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.
And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you,
because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
2 Corinthians 9:13-14

We can forget sometimes that our God is able.  Oh, how we can forget!!  When bills pile high and the fridge is empty…we can forget.  When the bank account says $0 and the gas tank is on ‘E’…we can forget.  Those are times it’s easy to forget that God is able.  But hearing about how God provided for a brother or sister can be a quick reminder of our God’s ability and a spirit-lifter.

When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son.
Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy,
and they shared her joy.
Luke 1:57-58

So. I ask again… “What has God done for you lately?”

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Thank You, God, for being a God who answers prayers and gives perspective. Thank You for being taller than any mountain we could approach.  And thank You so much for providing us with sisters and brothers to help nudge us on when we are temporarily dazed by our circumstances.  What an awesome God we serve.  Amen.

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Freedom

May 28, 2014 by

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For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
2 Corinthians 3:17

Freedom isn’t something most of us have to worry about.  Frankly, it’s a privilege that is easy to take for granted.  Simple freedoms like the ability to worship whom we please…freedom to aspire to do as we please…freedom to make choices like where we will eat, work, live…freedom to choose who we will or will not associate with…freedom to pick what kind of car you will drive. Given some of these freedoms may take a little work, but they ARE possible.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He broke down their prison gates of bronze;
He cut apart their bars of iron.
Psalms 107:15-16

The Lord isn’t a fan of us being bound!  In Matthew 8 and 9 alone, Jesus

  • healed the leper,
  • healed the centurion’s servant,
  • healed Peter’s mother-in-law,
  • healed many demon-possessed,
  • calmed the storm,
  • raised a dead girl,
  • healed a sick woman,
  • healed the blind,
  • healed the mute.

Jesus came to give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10).  Please don’t be mistaken though!  This applies to your mental and spiritual life just as much as it does your physical, tangible life.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim
that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.
Isaiah 61:1

We can take heartache, fear, guilt, doubt, struggles, addictions, condemnation, shame, mistakes, questions and any type of burden you can think of to the Lord!  Trust him and do as He says in regards to the matter…and behold!  The new creation He makes.  God can make anything useful for His purpose if we will only give it to Him.  Emotions tend to hinder our willingness to believe this truth, but our God is a God of newness. He can make new that which was old and clean that which was dirty.

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Thank You, Lord for making me free. Thank You for taking that which I feel is untouchable and making it into something beautiful and useful. May I never take for granted the freedoms You have provided and may I never sit bound and crippled by the schemes of the enemy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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What More Could You Need?

May 23, 2014 by

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Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

A car?  A house?  An awesome job?  A family?  Romantic husband?  Perfect health?  No debt?  Desires…aren’t they fun things!  Desires can be limitless. Nothing can stop me from desiring to go to the moon or to be a millionaire! (Well…aside from the negative chatter in my head and those people around me who would tell me that you could not…but that’s a totally different topic.)

Desire isn’t all bad; it’s when desire is left unchecked that we can run into problems.  Before any desire, Christ should always reign.  Christ needs to be Number One for everything else to make sense.  As well, we need to be very careful not to mix up wants with needs and to remember that Christ can provide us with all we need.

It’s important to make sure we are trusting God for our needs and not just things. We must focus on the Giver not the given.

Let them praise the Lord for His great love
and for the wonderful things He has done for them.
For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
Psalms 107:8-9

Immediately, when I read these verses I thought of the woman at the well (John chapter 4).  Jesus told her He was the Living Water.  Then, I remembered that Jesus also referred to Himself as the Bread of Life, in John 6:35.  Those are some pretty large claims to make.  Jesus wasn’t saying, “I’m all that and a bag of chips!” He was saying, “I’m a never-ending five course meal.”  But! Look what He did!  He went to Calvary for us.  I think it’s safe to say He can make those claims.

So, what do you need Christ for today?  Let Him satisfy you.

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Thank you, Lord, for being all that I need.  And for being able to satisfy any, every, and all my needs.  You are wonderful and worthy of all my praise!  Amen.

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Refuge In An Able God

May 12, 2014 by

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I am one of those people who reads the Bible and then asks tough questions.  So, of course I had questions when I read Psalms 5:11-12.

But let all who take refuge in You rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever. Spread Your protection over them, that all who love Your Name may be filled with joy. For You bless the godly, O Lord; You surround them with Your shield of love.

Do those who take refuge in God truly rejoice? Do they find protection? Do they rejoice?  I found my answers in the well-known story of David and Goliath told in 1 Samuel, chapter 17.

Summarized:  God’s army, led by King Saul, was up against the Philistines. Goliath proposed a one-on-one challenge to any man willing.  All of God’s army was afraid (verse 24).  David, a shepherd boy, challenged Goliath.  David defeated Goliath with a single stone.

Is God able to do as Psalms 5:11-12 says?  According to 1 Samuel 17, yes!  Let me point out some things in this story that I noticed.

Saul and the army of God ran in great fear—not fear of God but fear of Goliath. Lack of faith?  GOD’S ARMY ran in fear…something is not right about that.  Seeking refuge in God is a choice.

When Saul heard David would go fight, even though he was an inexperienced shepherd boy, he didn’t do much to stop him. For instance, he didn’t, oh, you know, GO FIGHT INSTEAD.  No!  He told David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”  So, God could be with David, but not with the entire army of God?  Seeking refuge in God is for everyone who calls Him ‘Abba’ !

David’s oldest brother, along with King Saul, and Goliath, all tried to discourage David, but he didn’t believe their lies. In fact, his faith was unshakeable.  Seeking refuge in God can shield us from discouragement!

I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too,
for he has defied the armies of the living God!
The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear
will rescue me from this Philistine!
1 Samuel 17:36-37a

David had faith in an unfailing God. This is why we should choose to take refuge in our God—He said He’s got our backs and He does!

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Lord, thank You for giving me a safe place to go when I need refuge.  May I forever dwell in the safety of Your presence.  In Jesus’ name, amen

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Boldness

May 4, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.   Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:11-12

Last week I wrote about rejecting Christ. Is denying Christ to be accepted by man acceptable in your eyes? Who truly is the Lord of your life? Are you a God-pleaser or is people-pleasing more important? As easy as it can be to point out the negative, it’s only fitting that the positive be addressed. Standing for Christ or having boldness can be scary; it’s one of those things that is better shown through example. And I know exactly where to find some great examples!

Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Daniel 6:10

On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
Esther 5:1

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Esther 1:17

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised men. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”
1 Samuel 14:6

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
1 Samuel 17:45

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
Daniel 3:17

Each of these verses is pulled from a record in the Bible of an ordinary person standing boldly for Christ. Boldness isn’t about our ability, but about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Boldness is about what He can do—not what we can do. Boldness is saying “No, I won’t cheat” when everyone else is. Boldness is not being different for the sake of being different, but with godly purpose.

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.
A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction;
whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Galatians 6:7-8

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Dear Lord, give me the strength to be bold for Your cause and Your cause alone. In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

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Rejection and Persecution

April 29, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution.
The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
Matthew 5:10

  • Stephen was stoned to death (Acts 7:54-60)
  • The Apostles were put in jail for teaching in Jesus’ name (Acts 5:17-33)
  • John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12)
  • Jesus was crucified

As Americans we are blessed and privileged to have the luxury of not being likely to suffer extreme persecution.  Our modern-day persecution largely consists of Christians being labeled as intolerant.

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
2 Timothy 3:12

Christian’s are destined for persecution.  Our Lord’s teachings go against everything the systems of this world idolizes.  God’s children were not made to be accepted by the world.  No!  We were called to be salt and light to the world (Matthew 5:13-16).  Different.  Godly.

I think one of the toughest tests of faith is persecution, right alongside hardship and loss.  Even Peter failed to stand for Jesus and he walked to Him on water! Standing up and openly claiming Jesus as your Lord can be scary.  Nowadays, the worst that we face is denial from people (people we were never suppose to be accepted by), thank God for America.

Rejection isn’t an easy thing to face.  Jesus himself was rejected, though, but of course that doesn’t make it any easier.  Here’s how I’ve decided to look at rejection.  When faced with the choice to stand for Christ or not—to face possible rejection or not—if we choose to deny Christ to be accepted by people, we are rejecting Christ.  Is rejecting Christ worth not being rejected ourselves?

I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth,
the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels.
Luke 12:8-9

Will you stand for Christ in front of man?

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Lord, I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry about being beheaded!  Give me the strength to stand for You, regardless of whether it’s easy or not.  Right is right and Your truth is truth.  One easy, but wrong, choice can set us on a road we never intended to take.  Help us to make the right tough choices now so we won’t have to pay the consequences later.  I pray that I do not shy away from proclaiming Your name to the world!  Amen.

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What Truly Matters

April 23, 2014 by

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Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight.  That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
Matthew 5:9 MSG

This verse immediately made me think of the peace I experience internally. To have the ability to spread the Prince of Peace’s peace sounds awesome! But first we need to make sure we are showing what peace looks like in the Church.

And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
And always be thankful.
Colossians 3:15

Formal clothes…jeans.  Tie…no tie.  Saturday…Sunday.  Three hour service…one hour service.  Bible study…no bible study.  Some things which we allow to come between us as a Church are… trivial.  God called us to be One Body.  One.  Yes, we all have different functions, but we are still one Church.

So then, let us aim for harmony in the Church and try to build each other up. Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat! Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble.

Romans 14:19-20

I’ve been told before, by non-believers, that they don’t believe in God because of the inconsistencies in churches. This, along with “not living right enough,” and religion (vs. relationship) are common reasons I’ve heard.

To me this is saying that we as the Church need be mindful of how we represent our God. It irks me when Christians teach/preach the Bible and it’s incorrect. If someone came to me with a list of things I couldn’t do, I’d be turned off by it, too. Tell me about a Maker who cares about the hurts and heartache of this world AND wants to have a relationship with me and you’ve got a better chance!

Yes, sadly there are going to be those people/organizations that claim to do things in the name of the Lord that are off-balance, but our representation of the One, True, Living, Loving God can outshine anything. God’s character is so fantastic and we have got to portray it right!

As long as the true Gospel, from the Bible is being preached (nothing more, nothing less), we the Church, should be able to link together and represent a united and whole God to the world.  One God.  One Christ.  One Church.

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Lord, help us not let our differences hinder people from seeing You.  Instead let the Church’s light shine bright on the path leading to You because You care more about people than traditions and appearances.  Thank You that we do not have to shine Your light on our own, but have brothers and sisters to help us! Help us to be kind to one another and stay focused on who truly matters—You!  Amen.

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Create In Me a Pure Heart

April 15, 2014 by

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We have now entered the season of Lent.  For many Christians, Lent is taken as a time of preparation for the celebration of Easter where God miraculously redeemed mankind by resurrecting His Son from the dead. It is also a time to consider what Jesus said and did; and how we should be living in light of His Words.  ✞ ♥

During this season, here on the Seeking Him devotional blog, we have chosen to focus our devotionals on Jesus’ instructions and admonition communicated in Matthew chapter 5—the Beatitudes.  Jesus said, “Blessed are…” and He went on to give instruction as to how to be “blessed.”  To be ‘blessed’ is to ‘be happy, or to be envied.’   Truly for the Christian, we ARE blessed—oh, how very blessed we are!  Those who observe our lives should clearly be able to tell that we ARE blessed—and that we KNOW it! ✞ ♥

Please consider Jesus’ instructions along with us.  We pray that our words will encourage you and spur you on to be prepare your hearts for the joyous celebration of His Resurrection!  ✞ ♥

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
Matthew 5:8

You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right.  Then you can see God in the outside world.
Matthew 5:8 MSG

Create in me a clean (pure) heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.
Psalm 51:10

I remember when I found this gem of a verse.  For months afterward, I prayed Psalms 51:10-12 over myself.  As a result I witnessed godly change in myself and my life.  Was I perfect during this time?  Ha!  Far from it, but daily I turned my eyes to God and asked Him to create a pure heart in me.  I don’t think I’ve ever been closer to God in my life.

A pure heart is a focused, undivided, unburdened heart.  There is no way for you to dwell in the Presence of God daily, hourly, minute-by-minute and hold on to lust, hate, bitterness, unforgiveness, guilt, condemnation, or any sin forever. God’s Presence is Holy and if you seek Him, He will shed His Light on your life and show you what He does not find pleasing…and then you will experience conviction.  Not condemnation, but conviction.

I know that I’m not the only one who can say that they have tried to run from conviction before—which eventually is running from God.  AlthoughI did manage to run from God for twenty-two years, He eventually caught me.   Needless to say, running from God can be difficult.

I struggled with figuring out what to write this devotional about until the Lord reminded me of Psalm 51:10 and my own personal experience with the verse. And then He asked me why I had stopped pursing a pure heart wholeheartedly. (To which I, of course, had no answer.)

Knowing where I’ve come from and where I am now, I thank the Lord for all He has done for me and how He has transformed me to be more like Him.  But He’s not done and I should never stop seeking to have a pure heart.  Plus, if pure-heartedness is what helps me see God this side of heaven, I most definitely want to strive after it.

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Lord, a pure heart—this is what I ask.  You alone can transform my heart.  Show me that which is unpleasing to You, and give me a steadfast spirit to sustain me. In Jesus’ name, I pray.  Amen.

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