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- Near Bibles to the second chapter of first generation first Thessalonians first generation
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- I'm sorry. She's not here for yourselves brethren
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- Know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain He's telling them
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- We didn't come to you with some kind of entertainment We didn't declare to you something that was like a novel
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- In other words, you couldn't write a book about it It was not a theory
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- It was not our philosophy First of all, he's speaking to believers
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- Paul did not come to them out without a purpose So I find that we must all have a purpose in our life
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- Greg what is the overall? all inclusive purpose in your life
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- That's right pleasing God We must all have a purpose that Purpose is to please the
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- Father now Greg How do you do that?
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- Well, we can be a little more specific John how do you do it?
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- Well, these are all good Answers it's about time you showed up with that Bible I Want to ask him a question
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- How is it that we go about pleasing the
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- Heavenly Father Every day Bob Now you spend every day
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- You spent yesterday you're spending today How do you please the
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- Father in doing that Alright doing his will
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- Dennis fill in the Word that they have left out Do we have any bad days?
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- They're bad because you think so Well, David, do you feel up to answering a question this morning
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- All right, explain this situation to me Yes That's the answer
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- Doing your best And whatever you're doing
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- Is pleasing the Father? Now Greg's answer was right
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- Bob's answer was right and anybody else that answered was right But please understand it's making the very best
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- Of whatever you have Wherever you are right now
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- Because Bob we're only alive right now too
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- But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as you know
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- At Philippi we were bold in God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much
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- Contention notice that Paul is telling them that he gets his power to speak to them from being in God He says so Paul and those with him had been through a lot, but this hadn't deterred them any
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- We find that one of the hazards of Preaching or teaching the gospel
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- Is the danger that you run That you will be accused of everything
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- From killing the house cat to World War three for our
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- Exhortation was not of deceit nor of uncleanliness Nor in guile
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- Greg. What is guile? There is always a danger by reason of affliction and persecution the devil our adversary
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- Is a subtle tempter Who seeks an opportunity to trick and destroy us even though he can not touch our soul
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- He will take advantage both in time of prosperity and adversity
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- Paul Paul's labor He does not want any of them to slip back into their old ways
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- It's the devil designed to hinder the good fruit of the gospel On those teaching or any success it may have no one likes to labor in vain
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- We must keep our life sincere this is why Paul's ministry was such a success for But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust
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- With the gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men, but God Which triath our hearts?
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- Bob what does he what does he mean when he says I'm not doing this to please men. That's right
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- There's a difference between judgments of God and judgment of men
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- What is the main difference Dennis? All right
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- Then when we choose we choose based on a thing.
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- I have to choose by what you do Does God find the reason of his counsel only in himself
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- Greg? Does God find the reason of his action only in himself
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- Greg? Does God find anything? What?
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- Do you see the difference? God doesn't find anything
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- Therefore it follows that we are Not able to think a good thought
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- David I thought you had some good thoughts But whosoever
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- God elects to the performance of an action Even though they're not able he will make able if it's your lot to do the thing he will make you able
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- Now that doesn't mean that you do it John it means that you
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- It may mean that you find someone else but it had to pass through your brain to do that For neither at any time used we flattering words as you know nor a cloak of covetousness
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- God is our witness John he calls God to witness this statement
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- They had not used religion to conceal any Covetous or selfish purpose
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- Paul didn't have any selfish purposes So many people do this
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- They will use their religion religiosity As a cover they think if man can't see them neither can
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- God I've been guilty of that and you have too nor of men
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- Sought we glory neither of you Nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the
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- Apostles of Christ now Dennis did
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- Paul have a perfect right to expect the church to take care of him
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- Yes for his daily living If a man preaches without money being provided for him he preaches for God non -man if man joy
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- Preaches without any money involved in his salary. He's preaching for God Is that right?
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- But we were gentle among you even as a nurse cherished her children.
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- So being affectionately Desirous of you. We were willing to have
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- Imparted unto you not the gospel of God only But also our own souls because you were so dear to us
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- Paul didn't give them the written gospel only
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- He lived the life before them to consider the people that are committed to him as more important than his own life
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- Is That true John? There's something
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- I've found in an old old old antique book It's called the diffusion of the gospel
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- It begins in the individual's heart It's silent as the dew of heaven but is
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- Saturating also like a sweet stream. It runs along many a mile in silent beauty you may trace its course not by the roaring rapids and rolling boulders and rent rocks, but by the belt of foliage the greenness and Fertility that extends along its border.
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- The fact is all great forces are silent Strength is quiet All great things are still
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- It is the vulgar idea That thunder and lightning are the mightiest forces because they are the most audible
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- Gravitation which is unseen and unheard Binds suns and stars into harmony and puts forth a force
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- Vastly greater than that of lightning the light which comes so silently
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- That it does not injure an infant's eye Makes a whole earth burst into buds and blossom and yet it is not heard
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- Thus love and truth The compound elements of the gospel are silent but mighty in their action mightier far than the hate and persecution and Bribes and falsehoods
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- Knife and gun souls are instructed Not by might or power
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- But my spirit saith the Lord of hosts David the strength of man
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- Cannot shout it cannot
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- Be seen We see the results of it We see the results of prayer
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- We see the results of our life Whatever it is
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- You don't see the life Nine for you remember
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- Brethren our labor and travail for laboring Night and day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you
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- We preached unto you the gospel of God Paul let go of his own rights
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- Rather than to be a cost to the sheep We have such a pastor and I'm proud to say so I Don't want us to get lulled into a situation where we think he owes it to us.
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- He owes it to God Bob we all owe our own life to God.
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- I think that every preacher should support himself He should work at a trade or and be employed to give himself in this necessary Goods to live your witnesses and God also
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- How wholly and justly and unblameably we behave Behaved ourselves among you that believed
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- How we exhorted What care is spoken of here? They were
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- Continually teaching and instructing the people this was their general work and they did it
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- Wholeheartedly, did you realize? Dennis that every day
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- When you wake up, and I suppose that's most of them That you are preaching and teaching the gospel
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- We lose sight of that so easily Greg we get wrapped up in our own goals our own things so just so easily
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- But we should keep keeps the
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- Picture of Christ before us Twelve that ye would walk worthy of God who has called you unto his kingdom and glory
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- Dennis tell me what does worthy mean? Alright David he has not only called us, but he has given us glory and this is as it should be but How many of us do walk worthy of him?
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- I? Fear we all We're out of step once in a while It's all given us to use as our own
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- But it's not ours It is the glory of God That's what you have
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- Dennis Greg Bob David all of us it is his glory that you are showing a
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- Child walks worthy of a parent When he lives in such way as to reflect honor on that parent for the manner in which he was he had raised him
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- When he lives so as to bring no disgrace on him when the child does not cause him pain and disgrace
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- You know you either cause one John or the other disgrace or honor 13
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- For this cause also. Thank we God without ceasing Because when you receive the word
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- Of God which he heard of us you received it not as the word of man
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- But as it is in truth the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe
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- When you receive the word Notice he did not say when you accepted the word
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- This word works in you as it should It is the word of truth and You are a believer for ye brethren
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- Because followers of the churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen
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- Even as they have of the Jews Now, please notice these churches are in Christ Jesus You will suffer in these churches if They are in Jesus the
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- Christ He goes on.
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- He says who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us and They pleased not
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- God and are contrary to all men now
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- Who has killed the Lord Jesus As far as they were concerned that was true
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- Greg. We know a little bit more Was that true they didn't kill him
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- He decided to die It was decided when that's an awesome thought if you think it through Then think through it the
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- Fact Just the fact David that all of it was decided way way before There was ever anything
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- And it wasn't really decided it just was These men did everything to kill
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- Jesus, but they didn't It would have killed a normal man, but not
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- Jesus the Christ His Soul Christ returned to heaven to the father which gave it
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- It was Jesus that died and he decided when 16 forbidding us to speak to the
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- Gentiles that they might be Saved to fill up their sins all way for the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost
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- They thought by keeping By keeping the
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- Christians from talking to the Gentile They could keep them from being saved now
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- Bob Was that true? if I Shut you away someplace.
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- You haven't heard of God or Christ and you're growing up and not hearing well that prevents you from being a
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- Chosen sheep I Think that is so mind -boggling
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- It makes no difference as far as man is concerned man cannot scheme and Plan And see how he can keep someone
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- Greg from hearing the truth When he's a chosen sheep
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- God overrides everything To fill up their sins always.
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- What does that mean David? I Can't imagine someone having evil thoughts all of the time
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- But the world is full of them The vengeance of God has come upon them.
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- It has overtaken them and they are not aware of it while they were seeking to destroy others and Will speedily
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- Complete their destruction It is upon death that a person seals his doom
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- There would be no action after death There'll only be judgment after death.
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- I Find myself thinking quite a bit about death It's not a very popular subject
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- But to God it makes no difference if you're his sheep whether you're alive or dead
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- He controls that But we brethren 17, but we brethren being taken from you for a short time in presence not in heart endeavoring
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- Endeavored the more abundantly to see your face with great desire Now Why is it that Paul could not see their face?
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- What? No not physically it was because Satan and his instruments
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- His people his persecutors They lay in wait for him
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- They did that on the one hand and cause some arguments on the other in the churches Which stopped him from coming to them that those that prevent the preaching of the gospel and persecute the promoters of it are
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- Satan's instruments Is that true joy? I?
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- Don't think so. I know so That such as do
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- Satan's work They shall bear his name I'm very popular in today to call people the seat of Satan.
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- Yes Tell us tell us about and That just happened in school
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- University yes.
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- Yes, we are And That's happening right now today in a
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- Christian school I Hate to think what the world school would be like Well, let's go a little further for what is your our hope our joy our crown of rejoicing
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- Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming What does he mean
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- Greg when he says? They were his hope Yes All right their conversion
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- Their salvation was one of the grounds of his hope the future blessedness
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- It was an evidence that he was a faithful servant of God and that he would
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- Reward be a reward in heaven What is our crown and our rejoicing
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- As the victor of games could point to his crown as the proof of his powers
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- So Paul pointed to the Gentile churches as the proof of his ministry
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- At His coming Paul took pride in the thought of how great work the
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- Lord at his coming would behold Which he had wrought in the gospel
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- For ye are glory You are our glory and joy
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- Sinners who are converted and saved will be the jewel in the crown of everlasting joy well, we've received a
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- Word or two of the present -day school. I Didn't have anything like that when
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- I went to school Of course I didn't know as much as I know now or I might have had
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- I'm so proud of Katie and Jenny And they're not backing down And I'm proud of you of not backing down Just remember it's easy to be a
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- Christian while you're here But you can't be a Christian here and not a
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- Christian tomorrow It has to be everything in your life every day
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- As we go quietly about our way Is there something from someone now?
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- Anything else that you want to mention? Yes That's right
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- Yes We're in him, how could we escape being in him?
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- So, well, you're right remember you are where In God in Christ, there's no escape for you
