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Acts chapter 10 · Scripture Unscripted

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  Acts chapter 10 let us pray our Lord God Almighty who reigns on
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  high, we thank you Father, for another day to come and worship
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  you in spirit and truth. The Spirit and the Bride say
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  come, Maranatha, come, you have come.
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  You are coming. Lord, come.
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  Lord, we pray for your will to be done.
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  Lord, we pray for your Kingdom to come.
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  Lord, we pray for your name to be exalted above all names.
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  Lord, help us not to take your name in vain, Father, but help
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  us to lift it up high over all of our circumstances and
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  emotions and feelings. God, help us to lift it up high
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  over every thought process. God, I pray that we can make our
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  thoughts subject to the reality of the Word of Godfather.
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  I pray as we open up your word today that you will be well
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  pleased with the reading and the teaching of it.
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  Bless us today, God, bless our hearts, bless our minds, bless
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  our families, bless our bodies. God, as we bless you.
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  Lord, let our prayers and let this reading be a pleasing aroma
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  unto you. Lord, you are the Most High.
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  God, you are the only one true living God and Lord, we pray for
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  your Rhema today, Your spoken word, Lord, let it be bread and
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  living water unto us, Lord. It is the bread of life, God,
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  and we dine sumptuously upon it. Father, I pray God that you will
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  come and have your will and have your way in our lives.
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  Lord, let us get out of our own way.
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  Let us get out of our own selfishness.
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  God and we pray for the Holy Spirit to increase in our lives.
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  God, I pray for the baptism of fire.
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  God, I pray that you, Lord, will come and sit here in this room
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  and teach us, Holy Spirit, teach us the eternal paths, teach us
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  all of the things that we need to know for today.
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  Let today take care of itself, God Almighty.
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  And we do not worry about anything, God, but we put our
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  full faith and our full trust in you, Lord, and we replace every
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  lie of the enemy, God, with the truth and the reality of your
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  word that you have given us. God, I pray that I will decrease
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  as you increase. And it's all about you, King
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  Jesus. We love you, Father, heal us
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  today, God, heal our broken bodies, heal our families.
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  God heal this nation and heal all the hurt in the world.
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  Lord, we love you Father, and it's in Jesus Christ, holy and
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  precious name that I pray, Amen. Let's start in verse one.
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  There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a
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  centurion of the band called the Italian band.
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  So here this centurion would have been a despised man of the
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  Jews, and here we know he was a Gentile, and here we know that
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  he was a God fear. And we're going to see that as
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  this chapter plays out, that God has a divine purpose for
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  Cornelius in his house. And it is, it has affected you
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  and me as the unnatural grafted in, and you're going to see it
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  get birthed right here as God speaks to Cornelius and then to
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  Peter. Verse 2A devout man and one that
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  feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the
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  people and prayed to God always. We know that we can't come unto
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  God except through the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  So a lot of Cornelius's affection towards God was well
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  meaning, but he was about to show him the true path in the
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  way that he must come to himself, which is through Jesus.
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  Through he saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour
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  of the day, an Angel of God coming in to him and saying unto
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  him, Cornelius. So here we know that God can
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  speak to us in a myriad of ways, and sometimes He will speak
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  audibly as He has many times in the past that we have seen and
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  read about. But here he's coming in a vision
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  as Cornelius has postured his heart in the right manner.
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  Here we're going to see that God is well pleased to speak to him.
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  Four. And when he looked on him, he
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  was afraid and said, What is it Lord?
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  And he said unto him, Your prayers and your alms are come
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  up for a memorial before God. What a deep dive theological
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  discussion that we could have about this.
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  Imagine how this man is not yet saved, but his prayers are
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  coming up as a memorial unto God.
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  What an amazing thought, friends, and we can see here now
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  our conscience bears witness, and in the day of Jesus Christ
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  we will either be accused or excused.
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  And you can see that God's ways are not our ways.
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  And we can't put God in a box. And he realizes that he is Lord,
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  and he is seeing him here in this vision. 5 And now send men
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  to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. 6
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  He lodges with one Simon, a Tanner, whose house is by the
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  seaside. He shall tell you what you ought
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  to do. So here God is inviting the
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  Gentiles in, and he's using Cornelius here, and he's going
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  to speak to Peter. Let's keep going. 7 And when the
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  Angel which spoke unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of
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  his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that
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  waited on him continually. 8 And when he had declared all these
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  things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.
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  So this Cornelius was a powerful man, perhaps over 100 soldiers
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  of the Italian band, and he was working for Rome, and he had at
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  his disposal servants, and he had a soldier who was devout and
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  was ministering unto him. And he's seen this vision.
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  And he was supposed to go to Simon the Tanner's house by the
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  seaside, and to call for a Simon also surnamed Peter.
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  Imagine the whole scene, friends. 9 And on the Morrow, as
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  they went on their journey and drew near unto the city, Peter
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  went up on the housetop to pray about the 6th hour.
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  So here this housetop would have been up on the roof, kind of
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  like a porch, and it was not uncommon for the houses of that
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  day to have a place on the roof for someone to go and to sit.
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  And here Peter goes up to pray. 10 And he became very hungry and
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  would have eaten, but while they made ready, he fell into a
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  trance. So let's lock in.
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  Pay attention, friends. Here Peter is up on the rooftop,
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  and he is meditating upon God, and he's very hungry, and he
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  falls into a trance. 11 And he saw heaven open in a certain
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  vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit
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  at the four corners, and it let down to the earth, 12 wherein
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  we're all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild
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  beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there
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  came a voice to him. Rise, Peter, kill and eat.
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  So we know that inside of this sheet would have been a lot of
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  animals that were considered unclean to the Jews.
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  And God here is telling Peter to rise, kill and eat.
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  And we need to know the words of Jesus Christ when he says it's
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  not what goes in the body that defiles the body, but it's what
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  comes out of the body. And of course, out of the
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  wellspring of the heart comes our deep seated thoughts of man.
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  And we see that bubbling up and whatever bubbles up is what
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  you've got stored down in there, whether it's toxic waste and
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  sludge or whether it is the living water of life.
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  And that is what Jesus wanted us to know, and he's solidifying it
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  here with Peter. And this is how we as Christians
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  do not think that it's wrong to eat pork.
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  And a lot of that was for them at the time because of the
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  diseases that those animals carried.
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  And that we have been able through modern technology, we've
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  been able to overcome a lot of the parasites and a lot of the
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  diseases that those animals carried at the time.
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  So it was protection unto the Jews at the time.
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  And God here is releasing us from so many of the strict
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  Jewish dietary laws that they carried and that so many devout
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  Jews even today try to uphold. And you're going to see here
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  that God has a better way and he speaks a better word, and
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  everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. 14
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  Peter said, No, not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything
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  that is common or unclean. So here he is arguing with Jesus
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  again. We can see that this is one of
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  Peter's knacks, that he has a knack to tell the Lord no.
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  When the Lord wants to wash his feet, he says, You will never
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  wash my feet. This is the boldness of Peter,
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  and he just says what he's thinking, and we can appreciate
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  it. 15 The voice spoke unto him again the second time.
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  What God has cleansed don't call common. 16 This was done three
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  times, and then the vessel was received up again into heaven.
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  Anytime you see something in Scripture mentioned three times,
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  it is completeness. God the Father, the Son, and the
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  Holy Ghost. 3 and 1 And you can see that God showed him the
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  completeness of it, because it was going to lead you and me
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  into the fold. And he says that I have sheep
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  that are not yet of this fold that are going to come in.
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  And he has referenced many times Jesus referenced the Gentiles.
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  He says that when he was lifted up that he was going to draw all
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  men unto himself. And for God so loved the world
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  that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever will believe
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  in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
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  You can see the plan of God through all of scripture in the
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  Old Testament and the New. You can see that it was His plan
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  for every tribe, nation, tongue to come into heaven.
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  He's going to have a representative from all of them
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  there friends, and it is going to be glorious. 17 Now while
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  Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen
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  should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius
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  had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate.
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  Just imagine these men standing outside the gate, calling into
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  the house. Hey, is there a guy named Simon
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  who lives here? Is this Simon Tanner's house?
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  Is there a Peter here? 18 And called and asked whether
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  Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. 19 And while
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  Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold,
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  three men seek you. 20 Arise therefore, and get you down, and
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  go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.
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  So here Peter has already received this vision, Cornelius
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  has received this vision and the two working together and you can
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  see the congruency of the Spirit of God and he's causing these
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  men to come together. And they had such a supernatural
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  divine encounter that was undeniable.
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  And we can see that Peter is called to rise.
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  We are see that Cornelius is called to send.
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  We can see that God is in the action, friends.
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  He's not just seated on the sidelines on the blessed
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  assurance. Let's get in the action and
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  charge the hill. Put on the full armor of God,
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  friends, and let's withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. 21
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  Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from
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  Cornelius, and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek, What is the
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  cause wherefore you've come? 22 And they said, Cornelius the
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  centurion, a just man, and one that fears God, and of good
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  report among all the nations of the Jews, was warned from God by
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  a holy Angel to send for you into his house and to hear words
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  of you. So these men made it plain.
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  They did not stutter or stammer. They said that Cornelius had
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  received a vision and sent them there, and they were to listen
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  to whatever Peter had to say. We could see that Peter's on the
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  rooftop. He's received this divine
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  revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ about clean and unclean,
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  and don't call anything that God has made unclean.
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  And you can see here that it's all working together. 23 then
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  called he them in and lodged them.
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  And on the Morrow Peter went away with them, and certain
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  brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
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  So you can see here that Peter is being broke down from all of
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  his Jewish traditions and all of the laws of the Jews as he
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  welcomes in these Gentiles into the house.
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  And not only does he just give them a place to stay, but he
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  entertains them. 24 And the Morrow after they entered into
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  Caesarea, and Cornelius waited for them, and had called
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  together his kinsmen and near friends.
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  Look at the faith of this centurion Cornelius.
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  Look at how he's so excited. He's called everybody together
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  that he knows. 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met
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  him, fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. 26 But Peter
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  took him up, saying, Stand up. I myself also am a man.
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  So you can see here that Peter had the right reaction.
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  He would not receive worship. If you as a man receive worship,
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  you will be eaten up with maggots.
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  If you as a man try to accept any amount of worship from other
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  men, it will be your demise. Only the Lord Jesus Christ
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  accepted the worship from men, rightfully so.
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  We as just human beings should never accept worship from
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  anyone. It is only the Lord Jesus Christ
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  who deserves worship. Give him his due praise and
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  honor and glory. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in and
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  found many that were come together.
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  So here not only had Peter invited the Gentiles into his
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  abode, but here he goes into the House of a Gentile,
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  systematically, methodically. God is breaking down all of
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  Peter's presuppositions of how God works.
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  And we cannot put God in a box. He is the great I am.
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  God is in heaven, and does whatever he pleases. 28 And he
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  said unto them, You know how that it is an unlawful thing for
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  a man that is a Jew to keep company or come into another of
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  another nation? But God has showed me that I
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  should not call any man common or unclean.
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  Imagine that this twofold vision where Peter has received all of
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  these animals and God is saying get up and kill and eat and then
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  it's relegated to the Gentiles who came and he's saying that he
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  should not call these Gentiles unclean.
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  What a multi faceted amazing God that we serve, that it can be
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  and and or 29 Therefore I came unto you without gainsaying as
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  soon as I was sent for. I ask therefore, for what
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  intent? Have you sent for me?
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  So he's saying, OK, God told me to obey and here I am.
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  What is this whole thing about? 30, Cornelius said.
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  Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the 9th
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  hour I prayed in my house and behold, a man stood before me in
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  bright clothing. So here we can see example after
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  example after example. You saw it on the road to
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  Damascus where Paul fasted for three days.
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  You saw it where Peter was hungry on the rooftop and fell
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  into a trance. And you can see here that
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  Cornelius mentions fasting in Jesus Christ.
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  Our Lord said some things only go out by prayer and fasting.
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  He did not say if you fast, He said when you fast and if we
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  want to last, we must fast friends.
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  And this is where God is pleased to welcome us into deeper
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  revelations of Himself is whenever we deny the body and we
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  increase our spiritual hunger. So he's saying that he beheld a
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  man who stood before him in bright clothing. 31 and said,
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  Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your alms are in remembrance
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  in the sight of God. So God hears our prayers, and he
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  sees whenever we are sacrificing.
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  And we do not give to church, we do not give to missionaries and
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  ministries. We give to God.
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  We store for ourselves treasures in heaven.
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  We cannot take any of it with us, but we can send it ahead,
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  Friends. And this is a biblical
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  principle, you see, model time and time and time again.
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  This is truth, Friends. 32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call
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  here Simon, whose surname is Peter.
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  He is lodged in the House of 1 Simon of Tanner by the seaside,
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  who when he comes, shall speak unto you. 33 Immediately,
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  therefore, I sent to you, and you have well done that you have
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  come Now. Therefore are we all here
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  present before God to hear all things that are commanded you of
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  God. So this is so many different
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  pieces of the puzzle all coming together to paint a masterpiece,
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  and Cornelius is saying, OK, we are here, we are all gathered
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  together. What is it that God wants to
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  speak through you? 34 Then Peter opened his mouth,
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  and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of
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  persons. 35 But in every nation he that fears him and works
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  righteousness is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent
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  unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ,
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  He is Lord of all. 37 That word I say, you know, which was
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  published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after
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  the baptism which John preached. 38 How God anointed Jesus of
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  Nazareth with the Holy Ghost, and with power, who went about
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  doing good in healing all that were oppressed of the devil.
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  For God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things
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  which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem, who
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  they slew and hung on a tree. 40 Him God raised up on the third
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  day, and showed him openly, 41 not to all the people, but unto
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  witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink
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  with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to
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  preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was
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  ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead. 43 To him
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  give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever
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  believes in Him shall receive remission of sins.
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  So Peter just delivered a powerful sermon unto the
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  Gentiles and he is showing them that they must place their faith
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  in the Lord Jesus Christ to authentically have A to have a
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  relationship with God Almighty. And before this they would have
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  started to adopt all of the Jewish practices.
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  But God is calling them out to a next level, to a higher level of
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  understanding of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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  And Peter is walking them systematically through Jesus's
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  ministry and showing them their need to place their faith in the
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  Lord Jesus Christ, and that Jesus is the way, the truth, and
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  the life, and that no one comes unto the Father except through
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  him. 44 While Peter yet spoke these words, the Holy Ghost fell
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  on all them which heard the word.
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  So we can see that the Holy Ghost fell upon them, and he was
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  increasingly abundant in their midst. 45 And they of the
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  circumcision which believed were astonished as many as came with
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  Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the
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  gift of the Holy Ghost. So we can see that they were
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  partakers of the goodness of God, and they had seen the Holy
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  Ghost in their midst. 46 For they heard them speak with
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  tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter. 47 Can any
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  man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which
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  has received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
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  48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
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  Lord, then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
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  What an amazing scene. We can see all playing out how
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  the Holy Ghost has come upon them and then has come into them
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  as they give their life to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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  And you can see here that this manifestation of gifts in their
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  midst, and you can see that they are speaking in tongues.
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  And perhaps this Italian cohort was hearing the language of
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  their native tongue. Perhaps they were speaking in
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  the angelic friends. And we can see it all played out
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  here. And we know that they had asked
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  Peter to stay with them. When the Holy Ghost comes, it is
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  nothing but a Holy Ghost party and we are undone.
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  And we could see that Peter's denial of how he thought the
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  laws of the Jews in the early church should go, as he did away
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  with his own understanding. God gave him deeper revelation
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  of what his purpose and plans for the ages and for all
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  nations, for all generations to be blessed.
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  And we can look back at this point as God is beckoning us as
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  the wild branches to come and to be grafted in.
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  Praise God, Hallelujah. I hope that you've been blessed
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  by this amazing chapter. I know I sure have.
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  I'm praying for you. I love you.
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  We'll see you back here tomorrow.
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  God bless you.