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[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] I don't have a causative religion. I can't find the God I serve.

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I got to let the world know wherever I go, I'll praise and serve the Lord, serve the Lord. I don't have a causative religion. ♪ I can't find the God I serve ♪

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♪ I got to let the world know ♪ ♪ Wherever I go ♪ ♪ I've got to say then ♪ ♪ Serve the Lord, ooh, serve the Lord ♪

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♪ King Darius made a decree ♪ ♪ There won't be no praying around here ♪ ♪ Whosoever call on any God's name ♪ ♪ Will be cast into the lion's den ♪

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♪ Daniel didn't pay the king no attention ♪ ♪ Three times a day he prayed to God anyway ♪ ♪ And confronted with the consequences ♪ ♪ Of the lion's den ♪

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♪ I can hear old Daniel say ♪ ♪ Oh and I don't ♪ ♪ I don't ♪ ♪ I don't ♪

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♪ I can't part the God I serve ♪ ♪ I got to let the world know ♪ ♪ Wherever I go ♪ ♪ I've got to praise and serve the Lord ♪

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♪ Ooh, serve the Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, night, take care of yourself in the lion's den ♪ ♪ In that morning to the king's surprise ♪ ♪ God sent his angels to set the lions' jaws ♪

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♪ And Daniel rocked Santa to sleep ♪ ♪ Daniel used the lion for a mattress and a pillow ♪ ♪ And an angel rocked Daniel to sleep ♪ ♪ And when he got up, Daniel let everybody know ♪

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♪ I'm not afraid of the God I serve, Lord ♪ ♪ And I don't, I don't have the call to be late ♪ ♪ I don't, I don't have the call to be late ♪ ♪ I've got to let the world know ♪

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♪ Wherever I go, wherever I go ♪ ♪ I've got to praise and serve the Lord ♪ ♪ Ooh, serve the Lord ♪ ♪ All night, Daniel stayed in the lion's den ♪

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♪ In that morning to the king's surprise ♪ ♪ God sent his angels to shut the lion's jaws ♪ ♪ And Daniel was still alive ♪ ♪ Daniel used a lion for a mattress and a pillow ♪

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♪ And an angel rocked Daniel to sleep ♪ ♪ But when he got up, Daniel let everybody know ♪ I'm not afraid of the God I serve. Oh, and I don't--

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I don't have a cause in me. I don't-- I don't have a cause in me. I don't--

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I don't have a cause in me. I don't-- I don't have a cause in me. I'm not afraid--

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I don't have a cause in me. I don't-- ♪ I don't have a closet religion ♪ ♪ I don't have a closet religion ♪

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♪ I don't have a closet religion ♪ ♪ I got to let the world know ♪ ♪ Wherever I go ♪ ♪ I've got to praise and serve the Lord ♪

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♪ Serve the Lord, Lord ♪ Lord. Amen. Amen. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of You." And He said to them, "What is it you

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want me to do for you?" And they said to Him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, 'You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized

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with the baptism that I'm baptized with?' They replied, 'We are able.' Then Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink drink, you will drink. And with the baptism with which I'm baptized, you will be baptized. But to sit at my right hand or

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at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it prepared. When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles, those whom they

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recognize as their rulers, the Lord is over them, and their great ones, a tyrant over them. But it is not so among you. But whosoever wishes to become great among you, you must be--you must be your servant. And whosoever wishes to be first among you

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must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Thus endeth the reading of our Scripture. The subject of the message is special seats in heaven. When I was a boy, I listened to many of the prayers of our elders, and some of them ended

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like this, asking the Lord to save a seat in heaven. [LAUGHTER] I can just make it in. So we can praise your name throughout eternal ages.

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It was the desire to have a seat, but just not a special seat, but any seat, as long you in the kingdom. So we also have songs, spirituals and the like, that have to do with when it's all said

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and done, sitting down and eating at the welcome table. I'm going to eat at the welcome table some of these days, some of these days. We anticipate a struggle, a struggle that has to do with our service, but we believe that in the end it will all be worth it, because we'll reach the sumum bonum, the highest good, and celebrate throughout the years,

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well, many years, and throughout time, throughout eternity, the goodness and the grace of God. But we are concerned here in this message about a request, a request. And Mark, that request is made by the mother of James and John. She comes to Jesus and asks him that he would grant that her two sons, James and John, would

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sit one on the right hand and one on the left hand when he comes into his glory, when he establishes his kingdom. In other words, when they get to heaven. Special seats, special place.

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And down here we are accustomed to that. Whenever we had visitors, particularly of the race in our church, they always had a special seat, special seat. And we like to get reservations so that we can be assured of a special seat.

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And we are quite disturbed when something happens to the reservations that we made. I have the number here of the code, whatever they call it, and we say why is it I made this reservation and where is my place? We don't talk a great deal about heaven.

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One of the members of our choir said to me before she crossed over to the great beyond, she said, "Rev. Arnold, I'd like to hear more about heaven." God rest her soul.

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Well, we have special seats here being considered by this dear mother. Can't you see her? She wants to satisfy the ambitions of her two sons, that they might get special consideration. We can also recognize the fact that here is a loving mother.

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One translation of this is, "She seeks to steal a march to get ahead of the others." Steal a march in order to have a special seat. In the paper a few days ago when we were celebrating the University of Texas victory, a national championship, well some said that they stayed up practically all night so they'd be sure

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to get a ticket to the game. We prize having special seats. When we read this passage in the Synoptics, Mark says that this request is made by the and the other account says that it's made by the desire of the boys,

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whether it was the mother of the boys, or whether it was the two sons, They're making this request of Jesus. And it just could be that both of them, they were so concerned about getting this privilege that the mothers made an

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approach to Jesus about it, and later or before the sons made that, they wanted to be sure. And they were using all of the prestige and power that they had to get the master to say, "Yes, when you come into your kingdom,

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let my sons have a conspicuous place. One can serve as Secretary of State, and the other as Secretary of War. These two most prominent positions, Lord, I want for my sons. Well, what will Jesus say?

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This is a request. And many times we have--we go to God with special requests that infringe upon somebody else their rights or their joys. And some people don't care how they get it. "Hand me down, throw it down in the way you get it down as long as you get it."

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And so many have that attitude. Now, Jesus is open, He listens, and He says to them that, "This is not mine to give." Beloved, you do not recognize what you are asking for. Do you really know what you are asking?

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This is not mine to give. So, this clamor for special seats in heaven is not something that I can grant that you would receive. This is the request and the answer is, my beloved,

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your request is denied. Now that's quite disturbing. When we feel close to someone, we feel that they ought to do what we ask.

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And the boys, her boys, have been very close, very faithful. In fact, when Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and a Samaritan village refused to grant him permission to pass through, they said, "Lord, permit us to call down fire

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from heaven and burn up this city." They were hot-headed patriots. They were willing not only to fight for Jesus, but they were willing to go to Jerusalem and die with Him. Now they want a special favor. Many times when people do something

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for us when they're very loyal. They want something for themselves. Not altogether an unselfish thing. So they want something in a way of a payback.

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You know. You invite somebody to dinner, are you expecting them to invite you to dinner? And do you get upset if they don't pay back that invitation?

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Well, Lord, this is a special request coming from some of Your special friends. And you say to us that this is not something that we should ask you for, well, you have the power to grant it. So Jesus, in the question he asks and the answer that he gives, it does not matter whether

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it's the mother or whether it's the son, the answer is the same. He's asked for special favors and for the best seats, best seats. My mind often runs back to the experience I had when I was a

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child there were several of us staying with my grandmother and I can remember sometimes when the preacher came and ran out of food out of chicken and they had to prepare something else for the kids

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so I got in the habit of eating in the kitchen when company comes. And I can understand what Langston Hughes is talking about in his poem, talking about our race, our people, that they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes. But one day I'll be strong and I'll no longer eat in the kitchen.

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So, here we face this question. Are you able to suffer the pain, the agony, the crucifixion that I will endure? Are you able to do that? You don't know what you're asking.

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Are you able to do that? We want the glory, but not the suffering. But the suffering is not to be divorced from the glory. It's all together.

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It's not mine to give. Are you able? And they said to the Master, "Yes, we are able." In other words, Jesus calls us to be willing to die for Him,

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to be crucified with me. Are you able? Some people run away at the least provocation. Man has a little problem with his wife and if they're in the same church, they must leave.

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They don't want to see each other even in church. This is true. Someone can say the least little thing that rubs us the wrong way and we are gone. You're out.

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But are you able? Jesus is asking his disciples, so to speak, "Are you able to bear the pain that's involved in being a follower of mine?

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Are you able?" Do you have the kind of robust faith that will cause you to hold on in every condition and circumstance. Lord, we ask of you in this time, at this place, here in Ebenezer, on this day,

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the question of ourselves as to whether we are able. Some time ago, we attended a Broadway production, Phantom of the Opera. And we were in New York in a short time.

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It was all sold out. Sold out. But we wanted to see it. Said, well, you can go down to the place

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and get some tickets for "Standing Room Only." So I said well let's try that. So we went down and we got tickets for "Standing Room Only." We knew that from the outset.

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And we were there standing the time, prior to the time the opera was to begin we had a place standing. And glad to stand. to get to see what we wanted to see standing.

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And my wife was standing just in front of me. Some man came out and walked down and said, "You want to go ahead and see this show?" I said, "Yes." "So here's a ticket."

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And she said, "Well, I'm with my husband, so here's a ticket for him too." And we went in and we sat down right the second row. I was worried about how I was going to feel standing the whole play and here we get both of us at the second row.

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And then the lady who worked there, one of the attendants came and said, "Did you know who that was?" I said, "No, I don't want to." See, this is the man who produced and she named this

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show about Vietnam. This is the man who did--who gave you the tickets. God has a strange way of showing you that He is God. And beside Him, there is none other.

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It's a mystery how these things happen, but you know that God did it. you did, no honor you deserve, no credit at all, but God in His goodness and in His grace, God did it all. So, He has a way

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of providing for us what He wants us to have. So, those who to the pearly gates need not be disturbed by whether there's room but you can be sure one thing there are no special seats no special seats no special seats for the preacher some people want to have special provisions

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for him they they want him to walk the straight and narrow path while they take the turnpike of special place. But there's no special place for the preacher, there's no special place for the choir, and no special place for the deacons, no special place for the leaders of the various auxiliary, no special seats in heaven.

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But if we would go to heaven, it's by the grace of God. There's an old saying that when you get to heaven, you look around, you'll be surprised by the number of people you expect to be there, who will be there. And the people who are there, you didn't expect to be there.

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And then you'd be surprised to find yourself there. [laughter] When we get to heaven. So, in this world, Jesus says, take a lesson from this.

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in this world, rulership, being in charge, ruling, is a mark of greatness. But in the kingdom, service is a mark of greatness. In the world, comfort, ease, and luxury are are marks of success, but in the kingdom of heaven, suffering and endurance are the marks of victory.

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So what about special seats, Lord? The mother and the sons have asked for them. They haven't left any stone unturned when it comes to that. about this anxious mother? What must we say to her? What about these ambitious sons?

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No, sorry, your request is denied. They really want to know? The answer is in the scripture, and the answer comes from the lips of Jesus. To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but for whom it has been prepared." So that's the word that Jesus has for us. The request is denied.

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Well, I've been disturbed many times about a special seat. Once I was standing in Dallas and I was there early, I had my reservations, and I was there reading the Dallas Morning News, waiting until they boarded the flight. And when I finally got up to get on the flight, they said, "We've given your ticket to somebody

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else, supposed to be on the plane a few minutes early. And I was sitting right there. And it was quite painful. I was first of all angry with myself for being that stupid to have the ticket, to have the

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reservation and to sit there and not be able to use it. But so often that happens to us. are made, the planes fly. You have the money to get the tickets, but somehow you miss it.

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But I had the experience of coming back from a meeting a few months ago, and I was disturbed about getting on and getting a seat and all of that, having a reservation that I didn't have. I was wondering where I was going to be seated.

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Some will always try to avoid certain seats. My wife doesn't want to sit over the wings. I'm just glad many times to get a place anywhere on that plane. But I got on the flight and people were lining up.

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They were trying to get in front of each other. And finally I got a, she said, "Don't be disturbed." The attendant said, "Don't be disturbed at all. This is open seating.

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Open seating. I don't have to worry about where I sit. Just get on the flight. I can sit anywhere.

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Because you see God is everywhere. So anywhere I sit is next to God. And that's good news. Don't worry about any special seats in heaven.

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open seating. We may have had a subservient position on earth, but you'll be sitting with the highest and best in heaven. Thanks.

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Thank you, Lord, for open seating, for being there for us all along the way. Thank you. As we sing the hymn of invitation,

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we extend the privileges of the church. You can get in right now in this open seating. Come. "He that loveth the Lord."

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[inaudible] [Silence] [ Silence ] [ Silence ]

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[ Silence ] [ Music ] I'm just a pilgrim, traveling, traveling through this lonely road. I'm just a pilgrim, and I'm traveling to find the making. I got a few more mountains, a few more tears to shed, a few more, a few more.

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I'm just a pilgrim, just a pilgrim, I'm just a pilgrim. Oh, I'm just a pilgrim, traveling, trying to make it. I'm just a pilgrim, traveling, trying to make it. Oh, I've got a few more mountains,

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a few more tears to shed, a few more battles to fight, ♪ You must sleep this night ♪ ♪ But I'm a pilgrim ♪ ♪ I'm just a pilgrim ♪

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♪ I'm just a pilgrim ♪ ♪ Now the road to glory ♪ ♪ It ain't always easy ♪ ♪ He did not say it would be ♪

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♪ Our Lord did not promise ♪ ♪ That our way would always be glorious ♪ ♪ But he said if we keep the faith ♪ One day we'll be victorious.

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Now marching up the King's Highway. Church, you know we're going to get on our knees and pray. I'm just a pilgrim. Just a pilgrim.

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I'm just a pilgrim. Oh, I'm just a pilgrim. Traveling through this world of strife. Through this world of strife.

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I'm just a pilgrim. I'm just a pilgrim. Traveling. Traveling.

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Trying to gain eternal life. But wait, I've got a few more mountains. A few more mountains. A few more tears to shed.

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A few more tears to shed. A few more battles to fight. A few more battles to fight. A few more sleepless nights.

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♪ And I'm a pilgrim ♪ ♪ I'm a pilgrim ♪ ♪ I'm just a pilgrim ♪ ♪ Oh, you know I'm traveling ♪

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♪ Traveling, traveling, traveling ♪ ♪ Satan tried to block me ♪ ♪ But he can't stop me ♪ ♪ Oh, Satan tried to block me ♪

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♪ But I know he can't stop me ♪ ♪ I'm traveling, I'm traveling ♪ ♪ Step by step, step by step ♪ ♪ Step by step, step by step ♪

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♪ Step by step, round by round ♪ ♪ Round by round, round by round ♪ ♪ Round by round, higher, higher, higher, higher ♪ ♪ He's lifting me higher, he's lifting me higher, higher ♪

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♪ Higher, higher, higher, higher ♪ ♪ Over mountains, over mountains, through the valley ♪ ♪ I'm higher, higher, higher, higher, higher ♪ ♪ I'm just a pilgrim ♪

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♪ I'm just a pilgrim ♪ ♪ I'm just a pilgrim ♪ ♪ Now I'm traveling, I'm traveling ♪ ♪ Oh ♪

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[MUSIC]