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[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] [MUSIC PLAYING] Let it breathe on me.

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Let it breathe on me. Let the breath of the Lord now breathe on me. Let it breathe on me. Let it breathe on me.

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Let the breath of the Lord now breathe on me. For the working Lord in your bed and your here, I can do no more if I aren't there. Oh, come, blessed Lord, just so close to me

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♪ That I may be ♪ ♪ To breathe on thee ♪ ♪ Let it breathe on me ♪ ♪ Let it breathe on me ♪

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♪ Let the breath of the Lord ♪ ♪ Now breathe on me ♪ ♪ Let it breathe on me ♪ ♪ Let it breathe on me ♪

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♪ Let the words of the Lord ♪ ♪ Now breathe on me ♪ ♪ Breathe on me ♪ ♪ Death way Lord ♪

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♪ I cannot see ♪ ♪ When the way is gone ♪ ♪ Lord breathe on me ♪ ♪ We praise to you Lord ♪

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♪ We love our King ♪ ♪ Oh, our praising Lord ♪ ♪ We praise our King ♪ ♪ Let it ring, our King ♪

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♪ Let it breathe on me ♪ ♪ Let the well of the Lord ♪ ♪ Now breathe on me ♪ ♪ Let it breathe on me ♪

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♪ Let it breathe on me ♪ ♪ Let the words of the Lord ♪ ♪ Now ring for thee ♪ - In a vision appeared to Paul in the night,

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there stood a man of Macedonia and prayed him saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." And after he had seen the vision, Immediately, we endeavored to go into Macedonia,

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assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Acts 16 verses 9 and 10. The subject, help wanted. Come over

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into Macedonia and help us. While I was director of a mission center in Dallas many years ago, we were responsible for helping indigent families,

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individuals or families in need would come to the mission center for help. Sometimes it was food. Sometimes it was clothes.

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Sometimes it was shoes. Many times it was a combination of all of these things. And on one occasion a lady came to the mission. She said, "Is this the place where you're giving help?"

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I said, "Well, that depends. What Help do you need? She said, well if you've given out help, whatever it is, I need it. Well, I suppose this is the kind of cry that we make to God for help, whatever help he can and will provide.

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One of the distinguishing marks of the early church is that the church helped people. The church helped people. The church is not an institution centered in itself, but it is in the business of giving help to people who are sincerely

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seeking help. I guess in some ways there may be some exceptions to the kind of help we are available to give. I remember a story of a pastor friend of mine in in New York who said that he had a member that came into the church on Sunday morning and after having joined the church after the

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records were given by the church clerk and the vote was taken by the congregation He remained after the benediction and he Went to the pastor And said he wanted some help

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So the pastor referred him to the deacons the deacons investigated his claim or his situation and They decided that it was not something that they would

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respond to And he came back to the pastor He said I came to you for help and he said well I referred you to the deacons

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Well, the deacons said that this was not something they could do anything about And he said, "Well, to the pastor," he said, "You mean to tell me I joined this church this morning and you're not going to help me?" He said, "Well, whatever the deacon said." He said, "Well, I quit." So he quit right then.

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Well, the help which the church in the beginning sought to provide was for those people who were sincere in seeking help. So the church is that body of believers

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reaching out to others seeking to help them. So it is the spirit of helpfulness that motivates

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these early missionaries as they move from place to place. place. Bonibus and Paul are together on the first missionary journey and now they have decided to go their separate ways. Bonibus takes John Mark and goes in one direction. He sails to Cyprus. Paul takes Silas and departs for Asia Minor

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and Europe. It is in Troas, which is situated near the ancient city of Troy, that Paul has a vision in the night. There stood a man in this vision who begged him saying come over into Macedonia and help us. First, let us look at this as saying to us something

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concerning a vision of people in need. Paul had a vision in the night. The darker the night, the brighter the stars, we say. Paul sees a people in need.

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A vision of human need is essential for persons who engage in ministries of human helpfulness. Sometimes needs surround us, but we do not have eyes to see.

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We are in the darkness. We are blinded by the darkness. Paul has other plans, but his course is altered when he receives this vision.

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He had planned to go in another direction, but when he sees this vision in the night of a man begging him, saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us,"

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then he changes his course. Some people need help, but fail to recognize the need. They need help, but they don't know it.

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They need someone to make them aware of it. This man is at a different level. He is aware of his need for help. Now there are those who are aware of an existing need,

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but they do not desire to do anything about it. This man is aware, and his awareness is coupled with the desire to secure help.

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This vision is a divine revelation which communicates to Paul SOS message, so to speak, to minister to the needs of Macedonia.

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I remember when I was in my early 20s, Fresh out of seminary and I was trying to get a job. I was responding to What ads in the Cleveland plain dealer

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and The ad said help wanted and I get up every morning, you know with the ads so to speak and I check off the ones and I'd go to that place and They would take your application and say if we need you we will call you. They already had said

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that they wanted help and in many instances back in those days when you went to interview and they looked and they saw what color you were they just

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Said that they had filled it or they didn't but it was frustrating to me as a youngster to respond to the call help wanted and to discover time and time again those who gave that call so to speak through the ads did not respond when

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persons appeared seeking help so Here is the call

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come over and to Macedonia and help us We as a people, we as a family, we as a church, have the need of being sure that we have a vision, we ought to have a vision of the needs of the neighborhood in which this church is

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located. Now it's one thing most of us who gather here Sunday after Sunday live in various sections of the city and it is possible for us to come from this place and that place and congregate here right here at this location and not do anything much

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about ministering to the needs of the immediate neighborhood in which the church is located. You know sometimes the darkest spot in a house is right underneath the lamp. You know sometimes that's possible and so first of all we need to have a vision of the need of this neighborhood which we

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Re-communicate to the people and you can't do that without being associated with the people. I mentioned from time to time that some time ago we had one of the brothers of congregation to give us a certain number of turkeys and he said these turkeys I would like to have given to families that are in need.

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And you know we were sort of hard-pressed to find families that needed those 20-some turkeys. We were hard-pressed to find. So first there needs to be on the part of the people of God a vision. Paul has a vision. He had planned to go somewhere else, but somehow in this vision he becomes aware of the need that's right

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around him. He sees this man cry in the night, "Come over into Macedonia and help us." Now sometimes these needs are all around us. We've been engaged in some conversations with the school superintendent in which it was brought out and it's been in the newspaper that the lowest test scores the lowest test

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scores have been over here in East Austin lowest test scores have been. Well if we think that all of these things of educating our children that all the education our children need the school is going to provide you're in for a rude awakening a rude awakening and some parents well you know the teacher didn't do this

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didn't do that well you don't have a perfect anything so you you you have to participate in that process and have to be responsible and so we have to first of all recognize our needs and what do we do about them if the lowest education scores over in this area where we serve what do we what are we seeking to do

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about it the next the next thing is the greatest unemployment in Austin is in East Austin. That's the need. Come over into Macedonia and help us. The greatest percentage of substandard housing is in East Austin. And the cry in the night is come over into Macedonia and help us. Most people who are victims of these

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conditions they can't deliver themselves. This man cannot deliver himself. He recognized that he needed some help that was beyond him and so he cries in the night in this vision, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." Now there are those who look at these conditions and they're inclined to say to the sick, "Heal

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thyself." They pass by the wounded traveler on the Jericho Road as the priest and the Levite did. They fail to hear the mournful cries of the wounded. They prefer not to be identified with pain and suffering so they pass over on the other side. A vision of human need involves being sensitive. It is the

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ability to put oneself in another's place, to walk a mile in another's shoes. It is to have compassion. When Jesus saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion. He saw their need and His was not a quick glance. He had a clear vision. He saw fully and completely. So Paul's vision causes him to alter his journey.

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He was so touched by the vision that he changed his travel plans. Now another thing we see in this vision is that Paul recognizes it as a call from God. This is not just something to engage in as a busybody, but Paul discovers that where he was going

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was not the will of God, that he needed to change his plans. These God-called and God-directed missionaries are on a mission that is guided by the Holy Spirit

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And so the Spirit leads them. They make a detour. They had made other plans. They had other ideas about where they ought to be going,

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but they were led by the Spirit of God to change their plans. So it is through the vision in the night that Paul comes to see the light.

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He is made aware through the direction of the Holy Spirit that the Spirit wants him to take a new course. So the Apostle realizes that his vision is the call of God. So many times we recognize human needs that should be met but we do not see them as God's call to us that means that God is speaking

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to us through the experience but the call comes loud and clear come over into Macedonia and help us. Do not stay where you are. Come over to Macedonia and help us. You see the need. What are you going to do about it? Come over into Macedonia and help us. Now Macedonia is remembered in Greek history as an outstanding

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outstanding place. Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, was the king of Macedon. It was a place that was known for its intellect, was known for its military power, it was known for its culture,

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it was a prosperous Roman colony. What help could Paul and Silas give to a people so blessed? Well, but here is a cry, a crying in the night, a cry for something more. Come over into Macedonia and help us. Under the rule of

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Philip and his son Alexander the Great, Macedonia rose to supremacy and became one of the mightiest empires in the ancient world. But the cry is an earnest plea. The man Paul sees in his vision prays, he begs him, he pleads saying come over and help us. Whatever barriers exist come over and help us. Whatever

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handicaps there are come over and help us. Whatever hindrances you may encounter come over and help us. Put aside tradition, put aside prejudice, come over to Macedonia and help us. Come. That means make the journey from where you are to where we are. Don't stop where you are, keep traveling. Travel from Jerusalem to

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Antioch, they did that, but don't stop there. Travel to Asia Minor, but don't stop there. Come on over to Macedonia, come to Europe, come over to Macedonia and help us. You see this man identifies with the people of Macedonia. He does not seek help just for himself alone. He seeks help for the community. Come over to

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Macedonia and help us. We are in the darkness. We cannot find our way by ourselves. We need you to show us the light. Come help us. We're hurting. We need healing health come help us well my brothers and sisters helping people is risky business helping people is painful business helping people is dangerous it

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it caused Jesus to be crucified. He went about doing good, and he ended on a cross between two thieves. But in order for help to be given,

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there has to be this acceptance, there has to be this favorable response, a willingness to serve. So helping people ought to be done in a timely manner.

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The response time is very, very important. That was one of the journalists of our city who made a study of the response time that is taken in our EMS.

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And that's very, very important, the response time. Because if the response time takes too long, lives may be lost. So there needs to be immediate response.

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The writer here says they immediately responded. They made the decision to respond because if the response time is too long, it may be too late.

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So after Paul sees division, the writer says, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia. Now when you follow this as we've been preaching

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through the book of Acts in this particular service, This is the first time that the writer uses the word we. Paul, he's with Paul, he uses the word we. So Luke is no doubt with Paul and he is there,

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he's a witness to these things and he says we, we, we are together in this, we are united. We endeavored to go into Macedonia, Assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel to them there

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So the help they need Is not material The help they need is not economic or political The help they need is of the spirit

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You know, you can have all these things You can have all the comforts that you need and still need the help of the Spirit. And that's what the church is about. The church is about the Spirit of God.

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The church is about having fellowship with the Spirit of God. The church is about depending upon the Spirit of God to guide us, to guide us in our personal decisions, to strengthen us when we are weak, when nobody else is there, to somehow have a relationship with the Spirit that enables us to overcome temptations.

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That's what the church is about. And so that's what Paul and Silas along with Luke, make the journey far, that is to give spiritual help to the people of Macedonia. Well a young man the other few weeks ago was discussing, we, someone approached him about becoming a faithful disciple of Jesus Christ, hooking up with

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the church, going straight. He said, "Oh, what I want to do that for? As much money as I'm making doing what I'm doing, why would I want to join with the church?" Well, the church seeks to get people to recognize the presence of the Spirit of God in their lives and to respond favorably to it in such a way that you can say that God's Spirit

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strengthens me, God's Spirit guides me, God's Spirit enlightens me, God's Spirit empowers me, God's Spirit purifies our lives and God will give us His Spirit. That's the help that you need, that's the help I need, that's the help all of us need and that's the help we are called to share with our brothers and sisters

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who are helpless in this struggle. One preacher who spent a long time pastoring the church and a great deal of bitterness had risen in the congregation and he was reaching the end of his years and out of that experience he wrote the words of a hymn, a hymn that has become very famous and is sung by churches all

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over the world. The hymn was "Abide with Me." "Abide with Me." And in the course of at him he says help of the helpless oh abide with me and what what joy there is in knowing that God is the help of the helpless that he has helped us when we could not help ourselves and that he continues to help us that's that's the

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meaning of this church that's why we have that stone the Ebenezer means stone of help because God has helped us. Our ancestors look back and said oh we have reached this point we've come to the darkness of slavery hitherto has the Lord helped us and let's name this church Ebenezer Stone of Help. Well all

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of us ought to have a stone of help experience in our lives about God has helped us to be where we are. Is there anyone? Is there anyone that can help us? If we look at our world, as we look at the confusion in our Congress, as we look at what's happening in Haiti and it looks like well we've gone in and maybe

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this is not going to work and we look at what's in Bosnia and we say well maybe that won't work. Well is there anyone that can help us? And the answer come back yes yes there's one only one the blessed blessed Jesus he's the one that's the one that we present to you today and ask you to respond to the call

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to Christian discipleship as we extend the invitation to come by letter by Christian experience as a candidate for baptism in response to the question is Is there anyone? The testimony of scripture is yes, there's one.

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The testimony of human experience is yes, there's one. Jesus is that one. ♪ He is the living, the one ♪ [ Music ]

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[ Music ] ♪ And if you do, dear lady ♪ ♪ Are you still the person ♪ ♪ Who's in the house ♪

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♪ Who will drive the slumbering heart ♪ ♪ Love's no fairy ♪ ♪ In the sea ♪ ♪ That we need ♪

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♪ Deserts grow ♪ ♪ All day long ♪ ♪ God has sent ♪ ♪ Blessed Jesus ♪

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♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ In affliction ♪ ♪ Has brought so ♪ ♪ In faith ♪

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♪ Of the Lord ♪ ♪ And you be afraid ♪ ♪ To the few ♪ ♪ Peace of mind ♪

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♪ Is there any ♪ ♪ One that helps us ♪ ♪ With our only song to bear ♪ ♪ And we thank and hope ♪

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♪ He is in our hearts ♪ ♪ In our home ♪ ♪ Who is Jesus ♪ ♪ Who is blessed ♪

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♪ And the gift ♪ ♪ He gave us ♪ ♪ Can ♪ ♪ Can support us ♪

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♪ To live forever ♪ ♪ As we are ♪ ♪ Yes, we are ♪ ♪ Oh, we are ♪

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♪ God bless him ♪ ♪ Blessed be the ♪ ♪ King of all ♪ ♪ When all is calm ♪

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♪ Rest was all ♪ ♪ When the day ♪ ♪ Of trouble ♪ ♪ Come ♪

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♪ And you need a friend ♪ ♪ To help you ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Yes, you are ♪

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♪ You are worthy ♪ ♪ You can heal ♪ ♪ The sinner is ♪ ♪ He is gone ♪

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♪ In vain ♪ ♪ And now in pain and woe ♪ ♪ You can see ♪ ♪ The burn of war ♪

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♪ That our poor, asleep, relieve ♪ ♪ I will die at last ♪ ♪ And make us ♪ ♪ Pride and joy ♪

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♪ Yes, there's love ♪ ♪ Holy one ♪ ♪ The blessed ♪ ♪ Blessed Jesus ♪

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♪ He's the one ♪ ♪ Where the rich and ♪ ♪ Restful soul ♪ In this house of old,

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I do need a friend to help me ease the mind. Amen. [BLANK_AUDIO]