Category: Victory & Power

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What’s That Annoying Sound?

Roaring lion or barking Chihuahua, which one is the devil dressed like today?

“6 Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. 7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him. 8 Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack.” I Peter 5:6-8 CEV

Satan comes as a roaring lion. He isn’t a lion but he does a good job imitating one. He roars and the intense sound can shake us to our core. His roar sounds different to all of us. To some the roar is cancer, to others it’s divorce or financial devastation. It can be death of a loved one or loss of a job. That awful roar is intended to paralyze us with fear.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:57-58 NKJV

Roaring Lion conquered but now for the Chihuahua.

Years ago, we were holding a Camp Meeting at a ranch in Northern Arizona. When we arrived at the ranch, our friends weren’t home and we were greeted by their little dog that lived under the porch. He came out with the most ferocious bark he could muster. As I took a step toward him, he ran back under the porch.

This was a scene that repeated itself a number of times over the next 20 minutes. Finally, frustrated I scolded him and told him to hush. He ran back and stayed under the porch until his owners came.

I heard the Holy Spirit speak to my heart. He said, you know that little dog is a good example of the devil. He’ll yip and bark and annoy but he can’t win. The victory has been given to you through Christ Jesus! Don’t let him distract you from what you were called to do.

Annoying little distractions.

Currently, we are doing some site improvements and we have a list of things that need to be done. The list seems endless and there is an order, some things can’t be done ahead of others.

Yap, yap, yap. I hear that little Chihuahua of distractions barking and trying to frustrate Dave and me.

This morning I’m stomping my foot and sending the adversary running. God knows every detail and step that we need to take and I’m not going to be distracted, worried or frustrated by the enemy’s yapping!

“I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 CEV

Listen. The roaring and yapping have stopped. What you hear now is the sound of victory!

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Going Through

This morning I did a search on the word “bridge”. I wanted to share with you some wonderful thoughts about Jesus being our “bridge over troubled waters” (yes, our church youth choir actually sang that when I was in high school). But there is no bridge Scripture.

I got to thinking about times in the Bible when people would have needed a bridge. Crossing the Jordan, The Red Sea, Sea of Galilee. You know what I found – God either parted the water or gave power to walk on it.

You may be looking for a bridge. Looking for something to help you cross a river of circumstances in your life. I want to offer you a new prospective. Instead of looking for a way over, look for a way through.

“Elijah took off his coat, folded it, and hit the water with it. The water separated to the right and to the left. Then Elijah and Elisha crossed the river on dry ground.” II Kings 2:8 ERV

“But now the Lord who created you, O Israel, says: Don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, your Savior, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 43:1-3 TLB

The Father has victory for us if we keep our eyes on Him.

“At once, Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t worry! I am Jesus. Don’t be afraid.’ 28 Peter replied, ‘Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.’ 29 ‘Come on!’ Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.” Matthew 14:27-29 CEV

The first thing you will hear from the Lord is “don’t worry, don’t be afraid”. In other words I can hear Jesus saying, “I’ve got this!” Peter’s problem came when he got his eyes off Jesus and on the circumstances. We must keep our focus and not become distracted from God’s promises.

But if we do get scared, like Peter, we call out for help and Jesus will grab ahold of us and bring us to safety.

“ But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid! Be strong, and see how the Lord will save you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.’…Then Moses put out his hand over the sea. And the Lord moved the sea all night by a strong east wind. So the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went through the sea on dry land.” Exodus 14:13, 14, 21, 22 NLV

So instead of trying to build a bridge today, keep still, step in and go through with God!

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It’s A Done Deal

This morning I would like us to think about what Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished”.

I know that I have used this Scripture in Colossians on many occasions. It is one of my favorites. It gives insight to what Jesus meant by the statement above.

“God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority. 11 Christ has also taken away your selfish desires, just as circumcision removes flesh from the body. 12 And when you were baptized, it was the same as being buried with Christ. Then you were raised to life because you had faith in the power of God, who raised Christ from death. 13 You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.

14 God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. 15 There Christ defeated all powers and forces. He let the whole world see them being led away as prisoners when he celebrated his victory.” Colossians 2:9-15

Here’s a brief recap of the above. All the fullness of God lives in Christ and since we are in Christ all God’s fullness lives in us. All of His power, faith, love and righteousness are ours – we need to renew our minds to what God has done for us.

By Christ’s death and resurrection, we have been raised to new life and our old sinful nature has been circumcised – it has been cut away. All of our sins have been forgiven and we have been made alive unto God – a new creature, a whole new species of being.

God the Father wiped out all the charges of sin that were against us when He nailed them to the cross and they were blotted out by Jesus blood. I like to think of it as this – He crashed the hard drive and all the evidence of our sin was lost forever!!!

On the cross Jesus defeated all the forces of hell. The picture painted here is of a Roman ruler parading a defeated monarch through the streets of his capital city, naked. He did this to prove to the monarch’s subjects that their king had been defeated completely, humiliated and he was unable to control what was forced upon him.

This is what Jesus did to Satan when He was placed in the tomb. He marched into hell; gather up Satan and paraded him through all the streets of hell – naked – striped of the keys of death, hell and the grave – striped of all his power – to prove that Jesus is Lord!

Oh, my goodness, if you’re not shouting by now – you’re in need of resuscitation!

He did this for you and me. He didn’t have to come to earth to have power over Satan, He had it since the beginning. He came to die and in death defeat Satan for us – we were the ones under his rule. What He did in hell, He did as our substitute and he defeated the devil and sin on our behalf so that we could have the fullness of the Father operating in our lives!

It’s a done deal.

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Harness the Wind

Dave and I enjoy watching shows on sailing. I’ve never been on a sailboat but I find that mode of transportation fascinating. There are a whole new set of pioneers who are crossing the waters of the world in their sailing vessels.

Recently we watched a movie, Kon Tiki, based on the travels of a Norwegian explorer, sailing from Peru to the Polynesian islands on a balsa wood raft with a crew of five men. They were subject to the power of the trade winds.

Another movie we watched was the chronicling of a young, 16-year-old, Australian girl who solo circumnavigated the globe. It took her 210 days to complete her trip. The movie shows how depressed she became when she was left without wind for seven days. No wind, no forward movement.

These modern day sailors, like their ancient counterparts, learned to harness the wind and navigate their way through the seas.

This morning the wind is blowing. I’ve been awake for several hours listening to it gust and die down only to gust again. That’s what prompted my thoughts on sailing but then it also guided my thoughts to God’s power and provision.

I’ve been thinking about the followers of Christ in the book of Acts. These were the men and women who stumbled in their faith while Jesus was here on earth but became an unstoppable force after His resurrection.

What made the difference?

The wind.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes into your life. You will tell about Me in the city of Jerusalem and over all the countries of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NLT

They had been timid in the face of adversity. Peter had denied even knowing the Lord when he was confronted on His association with Christ. Thomas had doubted the resurrection. Their testimonies were dead in the water, so to speak.

But then…

“On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit…” Acts 2:1-4 NLT

The wind of the Holy Spirit touched their lives and propelled them forward with the bold testimony of Jesus and salvation through His name.

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. 33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today…38 Peter replied, ‘Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'” Acts 2:32-33, 38 NLT

The presence of the Holy Spirit is vital to our lives as Christians. He empowers us to live the life God has designed for us. We will be emboldened the same way they were almost 2000 years ago.

“The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Romans 8:11 NLT

It’s not a physical wind that propels us forward but something much greater – the power of the Holy Spirit. Harness the wind!

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ALWAYS

You’ve heard the old expression “Practice What You Preach”; well, I’ve had that opportunity many times. Sharing thoughts about peace and how keeping our minds STAYED on the Lord is the only real way to a life in peace.

To me, it is one of the most important seeds from God’s word that I can plant in my life.

Like many of you, I’ve had the invitation to attend a big old pity party. The guest list is small – me, myself and I plus my thoughts. When trying to figure out where all these thoughts come from, we should realize we need to take action against them. The source of these thoughts is our enemy and the one who would like to rob our peace.

The Apostle Paul gives us instruction on recognizing our enemy and he tells us how to fight him.

“Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11 Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world.” Ephesians 6:10-12 CEV

“For though we live in the body, we do not wage war in an unspiritual way, 4 since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments 5 and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 CEV

I love the part in this verse that says “taking every thought captive to obey Christ”!

Those thoughts of self-pity aren’t in line with God’s kind of thinking and so they have to go. I’d love to say that victory is instantaneous, but it probably won’t be. However, each time those thoughts try to come back, we should shift our focus and keep our mind stayed on God and His amazing love. Peace will return. When we stay focused the peace stays…just like He said it would.

Years ago, our oldest granddaughter came to visit. It was just her and I for almost two weeks. We had a great time together. One Sunday morning we were watching a pastor on tv. He was preaching a message on victory in Christ.

“ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume.” II Corinthians 2:14 ERV

Always leads us in victory!

Fear likes to hold us captive – there are so many what ifs and unknowns. But Christ leads us to victory and gives us peace. For many years my granddaughter and I have just written the word “Always” in some of our communications. We both know it describes the message we want to convey.

Today I share it with you, may you ALWAYS have victory and stay in the peace of God.

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Prayer Warriors

This is one of those rainy nights when I find myself up praying. Praying for those specific needs I know and praying by the Spirit for needs that are beyond my understanding.

First of all, I prayed for myself that I would know God’s will for my life in the day that will break in the next few hours. I prayed that I would be able to minister to you and to others I’ve not yet met.

“‘Be sure you watch. Pray all the time so that you may be able to keep from going through all these things that will happen and be able to stand before the Son of Man.’

37 Everyday Jesus taught in the house of God. At night He went to the Mount of Olives and stayed there. 38 Early in the morning all the people came to the house of God to hear Him.” Luke 21:36-38 NLV

We all face difficulties. None of us experience the troubles, defamation, and persecution that Jesus did. He is our example of a prayer warrior. Notice the verse above says he went to the Mount of Olives at night – everyone else went home but He went to the mountain top to pray. He lived what the Apostle Paul wrote.

“Never stop praying. 18 In everything give thanks. This is what God wants you to do because of Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:17-18 NLV

The role of a prayer warrior isn’t glamorous. Every follower of Christ is commissioned to it, it’s our calling.

“You must pray at all times as the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. Pray for the things that are needed. You must watch and keep on praying. Remember to pray for all Christians.” Ephesians 6:18 NLV

The Old Testament prophet Elijah was a man of prayer. He prayed and the dead were raised. He prayed and the Lord sent him to a widow woman and her son during time of drought and he saw their provisions miraculously sustained. He prayed and God held back the rain for 3 1/2 years. He prayed and God sent fire from heaven to consume a sacrifice, proving to the unbelievers that our God was the only true God. Then he prayed again and the rain returned.

These instances weren’t the work of a super saint, but they were the outpouring of God on behalf of a man, a man like us, who believed God and prayed.

“The prayer given in faith will heal the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Tell your sins to each other. And pray for each other so you may be healed. The prayer from the heart of a man right with God has much power. 17 Elijah was a man as we are. He prayed that it might not rain. It did not rain on the earth for three and one-half years. 18 Then he prayed again that it would rain. It rained much and the fields of the earth gave fruit.” James 5:15-18 NLV

Never think your prayers don’t mean much. When you are praying for others and for your own needs, much power is released.

Thank you to all who have accepted the calling of the prayer warrior!

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Commander-in-Chief

Some of you may wonder how the Bible connects to our everyday life and traditions. I hope that as you have become a regular reader of my morning blogs you are seeing more clearly how God’s word can bring a clearer focus to all we do.

Today, we focus on saying thank you to our soldiers, men and women, who have given of their lives to protect our country, our freedom and our well-being. We are all so grateful for their sacrifices.

“My heart is with the commanders of Israel, with those who volunteered for war.
Praise the Lord!” Judges 5:9 NLT

Every one of us who champion the name Christian are also called to be soldiers for the Lord. We aren’t drafted but we voluntarily enlist to serve.

The service of a good soldier requires discipline, dedication and selflessness. A soldier does what their commanding officer says without question or complaint. A good soldier goes where they are assigned and does what they are told. They drill constantly while preparing for service and are disciplined in every area – eating, sleeping, uniform and tactics.

“Put up with your share of hardship as a loyal soldier in Christ’s army. Remember: 1) That no soldier on active service gets himself entangled in business, or he will not please his commanding officer. 2) A man who enters an athletic contest wins no prize unless he keeps the rules laid down. 3) Only the man who works on the land has the right to the first share of its produce. Consider these three illustrations of mine and the Lord will help you to understand all that I mean.” II Timothy 2:3-7 Phillips

As soldiers, it’s our duty to know the commanding officer and follow His orders for our day. It’s also important to realize the training He puts us through is for our best; to see that we are prepared for battle, able to come through it as the victors and that we protect those around us. The Commanding Officer has the welfare of His soldiers at heart and His goal is to see them prepared to the best of His ability.

It’s the same with our loving heavenly Father!

“ Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11  Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities…13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13 CEV

As we say thank you to our veterans today, remember we have also enlisted in service.

We follow the lead of our Commander. We are training to serve and protect those believers and unbelievers around us who aren’t ready to take on the enemy. Young David faced his Goliath with a sling, but he knew it wasn’t his strength or skill.

“All these people gathered here may know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s and He will give you into our hands.” I Samuel 17:47 NLV

We all must learn to trust our Command-in-Chief. I’m grateful I’m not in this battle alone. The battle belongs to the Lord!

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Call to Battle

I was reading about King David this morning. The account in II Samuel 21 is long past his days of youth when he defeated Goliath but here he is leading the Israelites in battle against the Philistines again.

David had grown weary in the fight and the Philistines knew it. A warrior had come to destroy him but King David’s aide defended him and destroyed the enemy. The Israelites were victorious, and the Philistines were once defeated once again.

Do you feel like King David? Have you grown weary in the battle?

I don’t know why Christians think that we won’t have troubles or battles. We do and we will. But our battles aren’t against flesh and blood, they are against the spiritual evil and darkness that has so much influence in our world.

“We live in this world, but we don’t act like its people 4 or fight our battles with the weapons of this world. Instead, we use God’s power that can destroy fortresses. We destroy arguments 5 and every bit of pride that keeps anyone from knowing God. We capture people’s thoughts and make them obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 CEV

We fight against thoughts and arguments that take hold of people’s thinking, leading them away from obedience to Christ. The weapons we used are given to us by God and don’t conform to man’s way of thinking.

“Finally, let the mighty strength of the Lord make you strong. 11  Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks. 12 We are not fighting against humans. We are fighting against forces and authorities and against rulers of darkness and powers in the spiritual world. 13 So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.

14  Be ready! Let the truth be like a belt around your waist, and let God’s justice protect you like armor. 15  Your desire to tell the good news about peace should be like shoes on your feet. 16 Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17  Let God’s saving power be like a helmet, and for a sword use God’s message that comes from the Spirit.

18 Never stop praying, especially for others. Always pray by the power of the Spirit. Stay alert and keep praying for God’s people.” Ephesians 5:10-18 CEV

Young David said he battled Goliath not with sword and spear but with the name of the Lord. Joshua went to battle in the power of the Lord. We also go to battle in the same way.

“ So put on all the armor that God gives. Then when that evil day comes, you will be able to defend yourself. And when the battle is over, you will still be standing firm.” vs 13

Each piece of armor listed in the verses above, truth, the gospel of peace, salvation, righteousness, faith, sword of the Spirit, are all found in God’s word. He gives them freely to each of us to use.

When we grow weary, like David did, we pray for strength and the Lord will provide that too. The armor that God gives us prepares us for battle and assures us ultimate victory!

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Which Box?

Do you have a tendency to compartmentalize your life?

Family, work, health, friends, finances, social activities. Everything has to be kept in its own little box, not touching or interfering with the others, like vegetables on a dinner plate, we don’t let them blend.

Many people do that with the Lord. It’s ok for Him to have their Sunday or days when times are tough, but they aren’t ready to allow Him to permeate each area of their everyday lives.

Yesterday’s blog dealt with opening our heart’s door and letting Jesus in. Welcoming Him in a warmer way than we do with family and friends. Today, we need to look at giving Him full access to every area of our lives.

I found an interesting assessment of the Lord in the book of I Kings. Benhadad, a foreign king, had attacked Ahab, king of Samaria. The Israelites had gone to aid in the fight. King Benhadad was defeated, his officers needed to find a reason for his defeat and this is what they told him.

“King Ben-Hadad’s officers said to him, ‘The gods of Israel are mountain gods. We fought in a mountain area, so the Israelites won. If we fight them on level ground, we will win.'” I Kings 20:23 ERV

God won’t be kept in a box. God won’t be limited. This was the Lord’s reply to their attempt to confine his involvement.

“A man of God came to the king of Israel with this message: ‘The Lord said, “The people of Aram said that I, the Lord, am a god of the mountains and not a god of the valleys. So I will let you defeat this great army. Then all of you will know that I am the Lord, wherever you are!’” I Kings 20:28 ERV

The same holds true in our lives.

The Lord wants to show that He is the Lord, wherever we are. God wants to be involved in every aspect of what we do. He has the knowledge, the plan and the power to bring us through in victory. He wants to be Lord over every area of our lives.

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:16-17 CEV

Our lives should be completely filled with the message of Christ, letting Him have every area, holding nothing back. Then whatever we say or do will be done to honor Him.

We have all given the Lord limited access in our lives at one time or another. Isn’t it time to let Him have it all? No more putting Him in a box. Let the Lord bring the victory we need in every area.

“Then all of you will know that I am the Lord, wherever you are!”

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Keep Your Hands Full

The last couple of days the blog has focused on words – God’s Word and our words. This morning we’re going to see how the two of them line up.

When the Lord called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt Moses felt unprepared. The Lord told him the shepherd’s rod that he carried would be used as a sign of God’s power.

“‘The Lord answered, “What’s that in your hand?” “A walking stick,” Moses replied. 3 “Throw it down!” the Lord commanded. So Moses threw the stick on the ground. It immediately turned into a snake, and Moses jumped back.4 “Pick it up by the tail!” the Lord told him. And when Moses did this, the snake turned back into a walking stick.5 “Do this,” the Lord said, “and the Israelites will believe that you have seen me, the God who was worshiped by their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’” Exodus 4:2-5 CEV

Moses held that rod up, before God and the enemy, as a remembrance that God said He would fight for Israel and defeat their enemies and lead them into the Promised Land. God has promised to fight for us and defeat our enemies.

God has placed a rod in our hands but it’s more powerful than any sword or physical implement of battle.

“God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God’s word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. 13 Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. He can clearly see all things. Everything is open before him. And to him we must explain the way we have lived.” Hebrews 4:12-13 CEV

When we know and speak God’s word it reinforces us with courage and hope. It keeps us from falling into the sin of worry and discouragement.

God’s word is powerful enough to give us new life in Christ. It is rich enough to provide salvation – wholeness, soundness – in every situation. A centurion captain came to Jesus and asked that his servant be healed.

“But the officer said, “Lord, I’m not good enough for you to come into my house. Just give the order, and my servant will get well. 9  I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. I can say to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he will do it.’ 10 When Jesus heard this, he was so surprised that he turned and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you in all of Israel I’ve never found anyone with this much faith!” Matthew 8:8-10 CEV

The centurion knew the power of words spoken by one in authority. He knew the words spoken by Jesus would bring results.

In our battle today we have a rod, a powerful sword in our hand and the word of God in our mouth – we have all we need to defeat our enemy. Jesus is our example – when He was tempted by satan His weapon of defense was “it is written, it is written, it is written”.

Our response should be the same!

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