FOUNDATIONS OF WORSHIP PART 2

 

In Foundations of Worship Part 1, I introduced worship as a work of obedience, submission and a life of sacrifice. Let us expand on this some more from another angle which is very familiar to us-the association between praise and worship-. The link between the two is real as most people think about worship along with praise.

Praise and worship complement each other but there is a difference which I will explain. Praise is recognising God for who He is: "you are holy", "your name is worthy", "no one can compare to you", "you are Jehovah Jireh, our provider". 

Praise creates a space and purifies the atmosphere that allows holiness to exist within; "Yet You are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel" (Psalm 22:3). 

God dwells in our praises. But worship takes us a step further. Worship does not just recognise the characteristics or the acts of God, worship acknowledges that He is God. Praise can be given to humans but worship sets someone as being sovereign over you. 

Praise can set the mood or be used to focus on God. But as a mood you can be fooled and this is where most people are led astray. They have difficulty in understanding the relationship between praise and worship. 

Both praise and worship can be done in song. In fact, most people only know it as song. But worship songs are different to praise songs. Each has a function and sometimes, songs of worship and praise are a distraction. When we hear a song that we like we sing it and forget the subject matter is God. The purpose of the song is not about becoming emotional or to get caught up with the music. Saints be careful you must NOT worship the songs.

Many people worship on emotion. Emotion is still about self, indicating that only when I feel to worship or have a particular emotion, I can worship God. This is not worship. This is a false emotion. This is why God desires true worshippers. 

True worshippers are worshippers who worship truth. Our Father in heaven is the Father of Truth. What is the truth that we must accept? God is God all by Himself. He does not need us to be God. He is God with or without our emotion. God is not an emotion. Ha! He can raise up stones to worship Him!

A main scripture used to understand worship is:

“Believe Me, woman,” Jesus replied, “a time is coming when you will (proskuneo) worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You (proskuneo) worship what you do not know; we (proskuneo) worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. But a time is coming and has now come when the true (proskynetai from proskuneo) worshippers will (proskuneo) worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to (proskuneo) worship Him. God is Spirit, and His (proskynountas from proskuneo) worshippers must (proskuneo) worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:21-24).

We have to go beyond our emotions and worship God. Our emotions are in the soul. We must settle in our spirit that Jesus is God. Our faith is in Jesus as the Son of the Living God who is our Saviour, Lord and Master! This must be embedded deep inside our spirit. We worship Him in spirit and in truth. 

Worshipping God in spirit has different levels and worshipping Him in truth has different levels. I look forward to the continuation of this theme in more blogs to come.

FOUNDATIONS OF WORSHIP PART 1

 It has been quite a while since I did any blogging. To my readers I apologise. I can only say that I keep fighting the good fight of faith. Any fight of faith is a good fight. But I have learnt so much over the period that I feel like bursting. My desire with the blogging is to encourage and build faith in Christ Jesus as our LORD AND SAVIOUR. 

I want to share with you what I learnt about worship. It is a good point to re-start. Understanding how to worship is foundational and necessary. I have discovered many Christians do not understand how to worship and what it really is. 

Worship proves our dedication to Him, our reverence, our love for Him, and shows that we chose Him and say "yes" to Him while denying self and others. The question now is "How can we love God and worship Him only?" 

To answer we refer to the scriptures. There are several words in the Bible used for worship so let us start there. Worship according to scripture has several meanings but you will find that It is more about obedience, submission and a life of sacrifice. 

The three main words used to mean worship are: "shachah" (Hebrew), "proskuneo" (Greek) and "abad" (Hebrew). However, I will include a few other words used.

Shachah is the most commonly used today but used only 172 times in the Bible. It means "to bow down" or "prostrate self". It is an act of submission to the authority of God as found in Genesis 22:5, “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”

The Greek word for shachah is "proskuneo" and it is also the most commonly used in the New Testament. This is probably why most people think that worship is a show or display of submission. It means to "bow down", "kneel down", "kiss the hand". I have found that many people forget that along with the outward action there should be an inward adoration of God. 

A key verse is Romans 12:1, "Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Here "latreuo" (Greek) meaning "to serve" or "minister" is used. It highlights priestly service or spiritual service to God. 

The Hebrew version to "latreuo" is the verb "avad/abad" which is used about 290 times, to describe serving a master, tilling the ground, or worshipping God. There is a related noun "eved/ebed", meaning "servant," "slave," or "subject," which appears an additional 800 plus times. The noun "avodah/abodah" meaning "service," "labor," or "work", occurs about 145 times. This meaning is the most used in the Bible for worship. 

"Yare" is also used and it is Hebrew for "fear" and "awe". It is great reverence for God's sovreignty and greatness. The Greek version would be "sabomai" indicating that it is a permanent show of devotion.

Nowhere in the Bible does it say worship is to sing songs specifically. In fact in Luke 3, John the Baptist charged the Pharisees who were the spiritual leaders of the Jews with not producing fruit;

"Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”" Luke 3:7-9 

When the "The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.” Luke 3:10-14

Worship is mostly about obedience and service. The first commission in the Bible is to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). In Matthew 23:13 Jesus says;

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter"

But if you read from verse 1-7 you will see why today many people focus on the outward action of demonstrating worship and not on having a ife of worship.

A LESSON OF LOVE

One of the most effective strategy of the devil is that of offence and perceived offence. If I were to point my finger at the most popular reason people stop going to church or stop praying or stop believing in God, it would be this, taking offence. It has been used against us since the time of the Garden of Eden.

"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field that the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’ ” Genesis 3:1

"but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You must not eat of it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” Genesis 3:3

God was and is always right. We now understand that it was spiritual death that God spoke of, but at that time Eve did not know of this. She did not understand sin either and how it corrupts and erodes one's life. Neither Adam nor Eve had experience with sin and death. The serpent told her a half truth. He saw an opportunity to get into her thinking and her emotions and plant doubt. His approach is usually similar to this day.

Many people sound like they care and want to teach or mentor but they are really planning to pull us away from the church by causing doubt and hurt based on an offence that does not even exist. Think about it. How many people do you know stop going to church because the pastor preached a message on giving tithes? 

In fact, I have seen many instances where recruiters for terrorism or Islam would enter chats or comment on Christian YouTube channels and use this same strategy. They use hooks to bait the ones who do not the word of God, those who are weak minded and not focused on God.

Some people don't go to church because they cannot sit where they want to. There are many things that are used to create the negative feelings that affect our decision-making. Tithes belong to God. If the pastor cares he will teach on it. It is not a pastor's decision to say, 'Don't give the tithes' because the money belongs to God not him/her. Offering is different. The pastor is not greedy. God will not bless your money if you don't give tithes. It is an act of obedience to God not the pastor. 

What is offence? It is when we feel that we are treated less than what we are worth. Sometimes that would be, less than human. In order for the devil to tempt Eve he started with this approach. Firstly, the Bible says he was crafty.

His lead up was what we know as FOMO (the fear of missing out) a marketing principle of making people feel left out and excluded. The way the question was asked, was casual and deceptive enough to cast doubt. He made Eve think that maybe God did not mean for her to be excluded. He was suggesting that she was not included. This is where Eve had a perceived offence. 

She thought she had the right to feel disrespected or treated differently. The concept of "perceived" is that it is not real but understood to be true. God's intentions in warning her was not to exclude her, but to keep her pure and holy. He knew man could not handle it. 

When we are offended it is usually because we take our eyes away from the principles of living in a kingdom. The kingdom is God's kingdom. Jesus is Lord over the kingdoms of the earth. He is coming to rule with a rod of iron. He is not gentle and merciful alone. He is also judge and King of Kings. 

Before you take offence or think about yourself, think about the word of God. What does it say? Of all the fruits of The Spirit who lives in you, humility is key. It is as important as all other fruits. There can be no fault found with humility.

It is unfortunate that so many of us feel offended and not forgiving. We should repent of those feelings that pull us away and separates us from the love of God. Adam and Eve were separated from the perfect will or perfect life offered in the garden. They were living in the abundance and did not know it. When we feel offended or perceive offence, we separate or isolate ourselves. This allows the enemy, the devil, to put us out of the abundance of God.  

A lesson of love is also a lesson on offence or perceived offence. We are supposed to show love because God first loved us. We are to forgive because Jesus gave His life for us. By being offended or hurt without forgiving or without repentance we rob ourselves of God being able to judge the situation for us. We rob ourselves of the blessings of God. We rob ourselves of His forgiveness. "Lord, forgive us as we forgive those who have offended us".

I pray you are encouraged in the ways of Almighty God. That you have the strength, courage and boldness needed in this time to keep walking in His word. I pray you are able to put all offences and hurt at the feet of God who is our Father in heaven, in Jesus name.

 Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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WHEN THE STORMS COME YOUR WAY

 

   It seems that life is made up of storms. We cannot avoid them. Storms have a tendency to rage and become unpredictable. In fact the storms themselves tend to come when least expected. The disciples were in a boat with Jesus and a storm threatened their lives. Jesus was awakened and He commanded it to be still. Can we command the storms in our lives to be still?

Like the disciples I resent the appearance of a storm. I may panic or I may get into a zone. Was Jesus in a zone? However, as a Christian am I allowed to react this way? The answer is no. While it is the human thing to do it is not Christian. Jesus gives us the perfect peace that passes all understanding. Think about it, we only need peace in the midst of the storms. Aha! I had a revelation.

The revelation is that even in the storm there is the eye of the storm that provides a window of calm. A breathing space. That is funny don't you think? I am very grateful for the eye of the storm but would rather not have to deal with the storms at all.

When experiencing one of life's storms, everything seems to be out of balance. I don't sleep when I am in this state. I find it easier to deal with things that happen than with people who happen. I have had the privilege of knowing a few people who are storms in their own right. When they pass through they leave a wake of destruction.

Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Mark 4:38

During the storm it is natural to feel abandoned or alone. The disciples were emboldened to ask Jesus the Saviour of the world, if he cared. They felt desperate. Often in such a state I would need to talk. But this is dangerous. The right person rarely comes by to speak with.

He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. Mark 4:39

I have had many upsets in my life. As a Christian we have authority to calm the tempest. We can subdue the demonic activity around us. After all we have dominion. As a word, 'dominion' is found 44 times in the Bible. You can refer to:

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26

Although Adam had dominion in Genesis, the word was used in the Bible more often after 1 Samuel. This was a time of transition for Israel as they moved from the judges to the reign of a king. When we rely on the leadership of men and women and not on The Holy Spirit we have to learn to face the storms. 

In a storm it is important to harness your own emotions and use it wisely. Get fed up and take control. Rise up and subdue. To subdue the environment around you and the demons working through people, requires prayer. 

To find peace in the storm we have to go to the Prince of Peace Himself. Like the disciples who went to Him. But unlike the disciples we act in faith. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Mark 4:40

Jesus had to ask them, Where is your faith? Jesus was asleep inside of faith, in the presence of God. Where is your faith? Understand that you have the authority through Christ. 

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19

In this context the following verse it is a bit corny. Jesus was literally lying down, laying down His life in the boat. Could they not understand no harm could come to them with Him there? If they did not know who He is then can they have faith? 

Right after he subdues the storm they asked, As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10:15

Remind The Father in heaven, what you did for me before do it again. As you did with (call the name of the person in the Bible or whom you know) do it for me.

Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I say to you, I do not speak on My own. Instead, it is the Father dwelling in Me, performing His works. John 14:10

On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. John 14:20

If you dwell in the presence of God, there is no storm that can shake you. If you are a tree planted by the river of life, you will not bend nor be shaken. When the storms come I try to find a quiet space and worship God for who He is. I find my peace in doing this and re-establish who God is in my life. 

 

I pray you find peace knowing who your God is. I pray you dwell in the presence of God in the secret places of the Almighty in Jesus name.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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COMMUNION INTERWOVEN PART 3

    

    There is so much bubbling inside of me to share with you. I recommend that you read Part 1 and Part 2 to catch up. I am taking my time to ensure that I say it right and within order so that you can follow and have revelation. Communion is NOT to be taken and forgotten until the next time we take part. Communion involves curses and therefore very serious. I confess that what I am about to share with you blew me away. It is my hope that when next you take communion it has more substance and sustenance for you as you remember what you read here.

I am part of a prophetic intercessory group and it has changed me. Some of what I am sharing today was taught by Apostle Tobi Arayomi founder of the group. You can leave a comment that you are interested in it, if you want to learn more. It is free. Or you can click on the link below to get more information.

More on communion. Sin brought curses in our lives. When the crown of thorns was placed on Jesus's head (explained further in part 1), He took the curse of mental afflictions that occupy this space in us. The mental space. This is how the curse over our mind is broken. Having a sound mind affects our peace and our stability. It affects what we let into our lives and how we live our lives. 

Depression is not from God. Oppression is not from God. It is possible to apply communion to your mind. When you take the communion thank God that the curse over your mind is broken through Christ. Jesus saved you from a reprobate mind.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2

His beard was pulled out. Can you imagine that? It was yanked out with force by human hands. The enemy wanted to emasculate Jesus and embarrass Him. The curses of identity and sexuality, were broken for us. He endured this so we could be sure of who we are in Christ Jesus. No confusion in our sexuality either. God cannot make mistakes. If He did, the sun will fall out of place. Gravity will stop working. 

Jesus was pierced in His hands. The work we do cannot be cursed when we take the communion. 

May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands— yes, establish the work of our hands! Proverbs 19:17

Additionally, you can look at Proverbs 16:3, Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be achieved.

Jesus was whipped 39 times on his back. The curse of sickness, illness, disease are all broken. As Christians we carry healing in us. When you partake in communion we intake healing in our bodies. There are many examples of the healing power of Jesus which transcends from the physical to the emotional and spiritual. He will not withhold anything good from us (Psalm 84:11).

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1 Peter 2:24

Another curse that was broken was that of our dominion. When Jesus was pierced on His feet He broke the curse of not owning property, not being king of our destinies or establishing ourselves in our environment. He returned to us power to subdue or rule over any situation we are placed in or put ourselves in. We are conquerors. I have given you every place where the sole of your foot will tread, just as I promised to Moses. Joshua 1:3

I pray the curses over your life are broken. I pray your relationship with God becomes more intimate. I pray when you take communion you apply these scriptures to your life. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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COMMUNION INTERWOVEN PART 2

    

Image by John Snyder

In part 1 of this mini series, I explained that God, The Father, weaves the theme of the communion through time. He takes the past event and uses it in the present to prophecy into the future. By our participation, we partake in communion, not just remember it as a thing of the past. However, our participation goes further than this. Communion is an act with significance. Many people testify that it helps them stay in the presence of God. You might think that it is what you already know but, do you really?

When we take communion we remember the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. It is in this way interwoven into the history of the world. We should remember that He fulfilled all prophecy by coming to us as a baby born of a virgin mother. Oh dear, I have to specify it is not a virgin man but a virgin woman (hahaha these are the times we live in).  

We should remember that Jesus Christ came as a man and faced temptations like us. He had to tolerate our follies and love us still. When they took Him and questioned Him, He held His peace. He answered but with control and specificity. He took the abuse that was beyond that which was required. 

It is important to understand that the enemy wanted to kill Jesus. The enemy beat Him with a vengeance and tortured Him. The enemy degraded Him in terrible ways. The enemy enjoyed this and had his fill with it. The enemy thought he had the victory over Christ. Jesus on the other hand, tolerated, accepted it, and went through it. He knew the idea was to keep Him from going on the cross. The enemy did not want Jesus to make it through. 

That devil knew that there was more to Jesus's death. Perhaps he did not fully understand. Jesus made it through to the cross. He survived to carry the cross part way and to walk through the streets in shame and incredible pain. It is all part of the communion. We have to get it into our heads that Jesus did not have to do any of it. 

Communion is a celebration of Jesus's death on the cross because He did not have to do it. It celebrates everything that Jesus endured culminating in the cross because the enemy tried to keep Him from the cross. He even gave Him vinegar to drink instead of water. His love for The Father and us led Jesus to the cross. 

Man separated from God because of sin committed by Adam and Eve. Sin continued in the world and further separated us from God. When sin was committed in the garden of Eden, a plan to reconcile man to God was set in motion. Maybe even before this, who knows? Jesus was obedient since that time, knowing it led to the cross. Can you see the interweaving of communion in our history now? The plan of salvation or the perfect work of the cross is what we celebrate in communion.

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”

Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:26-28

 

Jesus said we should eat and drink for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus was not yet on the cross. The mistake a lot of people make is to say that communion celebrates the death of Christ. It is a lot more than this. It celebrates God's tender heart for His people. As the master event planner, God took every opportunity to prepare us. He wanted us to understand how the cross worked. 

God taught the Jews about sacrifice and altars. In fact Most of the people groups in history had an understanding of this. However, God specially chose a people so that we can now say that He, God did this. Blood for forgiveness or sacrifice for an exchange.

According to the law, in fact, nearly everything must be purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22

I pray you are made stronger in your faith in Christ by reading this blog in Jesus name.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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COMMUNION INTERWOVEN PART 1

    I have been a Christian for more than twenty years. It still amazes me that Jesus died on the cross so that I could have eternal life in heaven. He died for you too. I have been learning about the communion and about His life here on the earth. But I am well aware that there is so much more to learn. I get excited because through all that I learn I see the personality and skills of Father God. It is the reason for using the word 'interwoven' in the title of this blog. When it comes to event planning, there is no greater master than The Almighty.   

Communion is taken by Christians all over the world. It is for us to remember and be part of the perfect work of the sacrifice made by Christ. Communion is a celebration, an act of memory, and for us to partake in the victory of it. Through our participation, we can live in it. Let us look at John 6:58. In this verse it is understood that the tense is present continuous. The word 'eating' is 'trogo' or τρώγω which means 'partaking'. 

There are different ways to partake in something. Nowadays, you participate on social media by liking, reviewing, commenting, sharing etc. It works similarly when you partake in the communion. Your participation indicates two things; that you are agreeing that there is meaning and that you want to be part of it. You are sharing in the act of memory of it, therefore commenting on it. Each time you partake, you review what it is and what it represents.

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 'Communion' has two meanings:

1. 'an intimate fellowship or rapport'

2. '... bread and wine are consumed as memorials of Christ's death or as symbols for the realisation of a spiritual union between Christ and communicant or as the body and blood of Christ'

Both meanings indicate a close relationship between parties. Communion began after the ascension of Christ but has roots in history spanning thousands of years. It is supposed to be a regular act. Most churches have a corporate communion at a main service once a month. Then there is personal communion at an individual or family level. I try to take communion daily. 

1 Corinthians 11:26, For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. It is present continuous tense because it is meant to continue until Jesus comes. It is still ongoing. The meaning of the communion will not come to fulfillment until Jesus returns. This makes our participation or our role in it even more profound.

Yes, I mean 'our role'. In participating or partaking in communion, we have a function. We keep it alive. But this is a down-played attitude towards an event that affects billions of people over thousands of years, even all eternity. The crucifixion of Christ would not have been necessary except for the sake of mankind. Communion is for the Christian people or Gentile people. By taking the communion we are testifying to the death of Jesus on the cross and that He will return. Hallelujah!

Just through the present continuous tense we can see how amazingly God interweaves His majesty into our; lives, history, purpose, salvation, and world. God takes the event and continues it through us. He determines the end to be at an appointed time. He fulfils prophecies and uses the celebration of the event to prophecy another grand event. 

The event has a beginning, various acts and scenes, a climax, and an end.  Can any event planner do better? Can any scriptwriter do better? In the following blogs I will explain more on how communion is interwoven in history and the religions of all who call themselves the sons and daughters of Abraham. 

I pray you never stop appreciating the communion and able to partake in it daily. I pray you live in the victory of Christ and everything hindering you from your victories be removed and cast away never to return to humans again, in Jesus name.  

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be. Guide me in these times so I can be used by you to help others in Jesus name I pray. Thank you Father.

 

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