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[ Silence ] [MUSIC PLAYING] [Music] We come to praise the Lord.

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We come to glorify the Lord. We come to lift up holy hands. We come to sanctify His name. We come to worship the Lord.

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♪ We come to praise the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to glorify the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to lift up holy hands ♪ ♪ We come to magnify his name ♪

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♪ We come to worship the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to praise the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to glorify the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to lift up holy hands ♪

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♪ We come to magnify his name ♪ ♪ We come to worship the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to praise the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to glorify the Lord ♪

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♪ We come to lift up holy hands ♪ ♪ We come to magnify his name ♪ ♪ We come to worship the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to praise the Lord ♪

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♪ We come to glorify the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to lift up holy hands ♪ ♪ We come to magnify his name ♪ ♪ We come to worship the Lord ♪

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♪ We come to praise the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to glorify the Lord ♪ ♪ We come to lift up holy hands ♪ ♪ We come to magnify his name ♪

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♪ We come to worship the Lord ♪ ♪ Stand up, give God the glory, stand up ♪ ♪ Stand up, give God the glory, stand up ♪ ♪ Why don't you stand up ♪

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♪ Stand up, give God the glory, stand up ♪ ♪ Stand up, give God the glory, stand up ♪ ♪ Stand up, give God the glory, stand up ♪ Stand up, give God the glory.

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Stand up. Stand up, give God the glory. Stand up. Stand up, give God the glory.

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Stand up. Stand up, give God the glory. Stand up. Stand up, give God the glory.

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Stand up. Stand up, stand up, stand up, stand up, give God the glory. Stand up. Stand up, give God the glory.

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Stand up. Stand up, stand up, stand up, stand up, give God the glory. Stand up! Stand up!

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Give God the glory. Stand up! Lift up holy hands. We come to magnify his name.

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We come to lift up holy hands. We come to magnify his name. We come to lift up holy hands. We come to magnify his name.

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We come to worship the Lord. Stand up. Amen. After John had been arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God.

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The time has arrived. The kingdom of God is upon you. Repent and believe the gospel. Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon and his brother Andrew at work

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casting nets in the lake. For they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me. I will make you fishers of men."

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At once they left their nets and followed him. For the last three messages, we have focused on the Lord's Prayer. If we continue that today, would you bow and repeat the words of the model prayer Jesus taught his disciples?

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Let us pray together. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.

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Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread.

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Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread.

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Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread. Give us this day our daily bread.

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Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. That portion of those words in the prayer which we asked your prayerful attention, "Thy

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kingdom come." This is a petition. Jesus wants his disciples to ask for what they want. Followers of the master are not to suffer silently.

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They are to ask for their needs. They are to earnestly seek that which satisfies body and soul. The faithful disciple is to passionately pray for the coming of God's kingdom. Now there are many kingdoms from which we receive special benefits, the plant

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kingdom, the animal kingdom, and of course the human kingdom, the kingdoms of this world. The worldly kingdoms, like others, come and go. Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, "Thy kingdom come." thy kingdom acknowledges that God is in charge, that God rules. God rules. That's rather strange

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in the kind of world in which we live. God rules. God rules. God rules. God rules. God to earnestly and fervently pray, "Thy Kingdom come." Just this morning when I was preparing to come to the early service, I heard announcements concerning starving children over the TV.

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And in a world where little children, innocent, defenseless children, are starving for the lack of food, and for us to affirm the fact that God rules, that's rather strange. That's rather strange. God rules.

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And when we recognize the fact that there are many people who are dying of AIDS in Africa and other places, when medicine is not available to them, that they need. And even in this country, as prosperous as we are, we have problems with Medicare and health care.

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And to affirm that God rules sounds rather strange. God rules, and if He does, we say, why doesn't he do something about it? If he rules, if he's in charge,

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we have courts that are dedicated to justice, and yet injustice runs rampant in our land and in our world. God, however, is still on the throne. As Kipling wrote, "God of our fathers, known of old,

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Lord of our far-flung battlegrounds, beneath whose awful hand we hold dominion over time and time. Lord God of hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget. The tumult and the shouting die, the captains and the kings depart.

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All our power of yesterday is one with minotaur and tyrant. But God is in control. This is the message that a young man bears witness to in the prime of life as he comes to Galilee, comes from the hills.

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In fact, scholars tell us that Galilee, where Jesus grew up, like we think of people today as hillbillies. And here he comes from that place as if one comes from the ghetto

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and announces the fact that the kingdom of God is at hand. He comes as a messianic messenger to declare that God is still on the throne, that he has control of his world. God is in charge.

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During the days of the Depression, when Franklin Roosevelt came to power, people were in great distress. I remember the song that was sung, it seemed to have been his theme song, "Happy Days Are Here Again." The skies above are clear again. Let us sing a song of cheer again.

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Happy days are here again. Well, we sang that song, but there were songs that were sung during a time of suffering, during a time of great challenge, and one would have some difficulty as many did in that time seeing how God rules.

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Increasing numbers of people become poor each year. And here today as we celebrate the opening of school for another year and we have emphasis being placed on Tots receiving shots and we understand that many of them are not receiving the shots. There's some discussion about whether

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they should pay for them or whether they should not. But with all of the technology that we have and all of the money that we spend for war and peace to see the problems that still exist in our world makes one wonder how does God rule if he is in charge well the king is in charge of his kingdom there's a war going on

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between the flesh and the spirit, but the King is in charge of his kingdom. There is conflict between the demons and the divine, but the King is still in charge. Truth may be on the scaffold and wrong on the throne, but that scaffold sways the future and behind the demon on stands the Almighty God our Father. God is in

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charge. The King is on the throne and he keeps watch over his own. He is the creator who keeps watch over his creation. He's not confined to some island in some distant place but he's present he is with us that's that's the meaning of the kingdom the good news of the gospel of God is that the king is

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with us he hasn't left the throne and disappeared and and we have to wonder where he is that that's that that's the message of salvation that the king is with us he's not confined to some remote place he's on the throne he's in the midst of so no matter what's happening in your life and no matter how you may

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wonder where God is I've come to say that he's present he's right there he's He says, "As close or closer than the breath you breathe, God is there." You don't have to look for Him, He's there. You may not recognize His presence, but God is there.

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So, this is His world. When I say God is in charge, I mean this is His world. He hasn't given this world over to the devil. This is God's world.

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This is my father's world. Oh, let me never forget Although the round seems up so strong God is the ruler yet He's in charge

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So he controls not only creation Just as the Sun shines every day stars come out in rotation Just as he's in charge of creation, he is in charge of his creatures.

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God is in charge. So the announcement is made by his messianic messenger. Kingdom of God is at hand. Skeptics may doubt it.

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And they may wonder, "Where is the kingdom?" But the announcement is made by this young man who appears there in Galilee, 30 years of age, over 2,000 years ago, the kingdom of God is imminent. And he makes this announcement to people who are under the yoke of the Roman Empire.

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Subjects are compelled to submit to the orders of their superiors who are foreigners, but God nevertheless rules. A long night of Babylonian captivity has ended, yes, and God demonstrates His power. The fact that God is king shows that he's in control.

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When we look at life and wonder about his power, the answer comes back to us in his word that he is with us. Where is the kingdom?

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Where is it? Where can you locate it on the map? Where's the kingdom? Kingdom of God is within you, is what Jesus says.

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Neither shall you say, "Lo, here, look here, look there." The kingdom of God is in you. That's why it's so difficult to locate. (congregation laughing)

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Difficult to locate the kingdom. It's sort of hidden. Like Jesus said, it's like the weed and the pad. They look alike.

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And many of us, we just look at the body, look alike. Where is the kingdom? How can we locate it on the map? That was Pilate's problem.

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Jesus came before him, and they said He claims to be a king and Pilate was concerned about that when he heard that he claims to be a king and he wanted to have a private audience. Come with me. And he took him into his private chambers and he said to him, "Are you a king?" and dances you you say so but if you are king where is your kingdom?

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My kingdom is not of this world because if my kingdom were of this world then would my servant strike. But nothing is not of this world. So this violence is not of the kingdom of God. This violence that runs rampant in the world today is not of the kingdom of God.

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Violence rages. Many of us are afraid to come out at night. Violence. Violence in our communities.

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Violence in our schools. Violence in churches, the burning of churches, no respect for anybody. Violence, rain. But, the good news is, God is in control.

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Good news. God is in control. We need not worry about how the ocean waters may soar or roar. Matters not how the heathen may rage, God is in control. And his kingdom is not of this world.

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There's another world. There's another world. There's a world beyond the diseases of this flesh. (Yes, yes.) But we sometimes, we think that that's the world that matters most.

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It's the world of the spirit. There is a world beyond this veil of wrath and tears. We're all on our way to the end of this world. But it's suffering and with its experience of disaster and despair.

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But there is a world beyond this world. And God controls not only this world, but he's in control of the world beyond. So that's why, that's why we ought to pray our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. In other words, the Father who is in heaven, we can communicate with him on earth.

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There is a world beyond this world. And the one who is sent by the Father to lead us on our journey to heaven tells us, in communicating with the Father, to pray, "Thy kingdom come." In other words, "Your kingdom, Lord, your kingdom, let it come, let it come."

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Now, how badly do we want the kingdom to cut? I have a feeling that some of us may be like the man who prayed to God to take him to heaven. And when God answered that he was ready to take him

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to heaven, he said, "No, Lord, not right now." (audience laughing) Let me get my business straight. Don't take me right now.

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So many of us would pray, "Thy kingdom come," but not now. We'd like for it to come after a while. But Jesus tells us to pray, "Thy kingdom come." In other words, He announces the imminence of the presence of the kingdom right now.

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thy kingdom come." Well, if we pray that prayer, it means that we ought to also say in our heart of hearts, "Your kingdom comes through me." Yes. "Use me as an agent of your kingdom." If one really prays that prayer, how many of us really want, really want to see Ebenezer to grow and blossom? I mean, really want it deep down.

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To really want it deep down in your heart is to identify with the Spirit and with those things that would cause it to blossom and to grow. You become an agent of the prayer that you pray. That's really what it means. "Thy kingdom come, thy kingdom come, thy will be done."

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Well, I said many of us have problems because we can't see the kingdom. Pilate couldn't see it. Caiaphas couldn't see it, the high priest couldn't see it. Herod couldn't see it.

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And we sing, "Sweet little Jesus boy, didn't know who you were." Couldn't see it. "Walking around about," but couldn't see it. could not see through the eyes of faith.

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Oh, so many in our world today are unable to see, are blind because they fail to see. They do not see through the eyes of faith. And so, this is the crime that we are unable to see and we suffer from being blind. So our eyes are closed to the truth, but Jesus teaches us to pray, "Thy kingdom come."

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to pray for the coming of the kingdom in a world where kingdoms are shaken, to pray for peace in a world where waters are raging, pray for the kingdom of God, the rule of God in us and in the lives of others. That's what we ought to pray for.

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That's... And yes, where is the kingdom? The kingdom is present. So Jesus says, "Look for it."

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Because He announced it, and what He announced will come to pass. The kingdom is coming. The kingdom is coming. And as you move about every day, with all of the conflict, with all of the turmoil, with all of the confusion,

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be assured that the Kingdom is coming. He's coming back. He's coming back again. He's coming back to claim His Church. And the wonderful word is that mine eyes, the song says mine eyes, here's one who says

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I recognize that he's coming, I can tell through the eyes of faith, mine eyes have seen the glory Of the coming of the Lord, he is triumphing out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed his fateful lightning of his powerful swift sword. His truth is marching on. He's marching, marching through history. Marching, yes, he's coming to meet us and to take us with him to that eternal city.

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He's marching. Great God, He's marching. Glory! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on. And so to be in step, He is being in step with His kingdom as He comes. As we see Him marching, to be in step, that's the wonderful thing. to be in step with his coming.

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The wonderful word that comes to us is the last word in the New Testament, is to be ready. [INAUDIBLE] Come, Lord Jesus.

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That's the last word. And I mean, he is a ready church. He is a ready person who says, "Come, I know you're coming. I see the signs of your coming.

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I hear you as you walk." Come, Lord Jesus. For I'm ready to receive you, ready to accept you as my Lord and King.

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That's good news. Thy kingdom come. be in step with the coming of the King. As we sing now, there's room.

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There's a burden for us, for those of us who would work and wait for the coming of the King. There's a burden to carry. But that burden carries also with it blessedness

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as well as the pain of caring it, there's a blessing in it. And as we sing, there's room at the cross for me and you. There's room for all, there's room. There's room.

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And as we sing this, it's an opportunity we extend, an invitation we make to come to the cross, maybe you have not responded to the call. Jesus came and called these disciples one by one, and each one of them followed him.

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This is the call. This is the invitation. Come. There's room, plenty of room at the cross.

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So as we sing, we invite you to come. Confessing Jesus Christ as your Lord, seeking forgiveness for your sins, we ask you to come at the foot of the cross

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that there is redemption for everyone. Amen. ♪ But long for one dear Jesus died ♪ ♪ 'Tis the shattering bridge we can't hide ♪

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♪ And His grace so great ♪ ♪ Is sufficient for me ♪ ♪ And we will own it ♪ ♪ Empire and the sea ♪

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♪ And who will the cross for you ♪ ♪ And who will the cross for you ♪ ♪ The village of love ♪ ♪ There's room for one ♪

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♪ There's a room at the door for you ♪ ♪ The village of love is a place ♪ ♪ And have turned from the sins they have sinned ♪ ♪ God save the dear place ♪

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♪ To open the gates ♪ ♪ And welcome the stranger ♪ ♪ Before his glory ♪ ♪ There's room at the cross for you ♪

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♪ There's room at the cross for you ♪ ♪ Though millions will come ♪ ♪ There's still room for one ♪ ♪ Yes, that's true ♪

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♪ And the Lord for you ♪ ♪ The hand of my Savior is strong ♪ ♪ And the love of my Savior is long ♪ ♪ Through sunshine or rain ♪

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♪ Through the pouring rain ♪ ♪ Our love will proudly reign ♪ ♪ Through the years that we've strayed ♪ ♪ And through the years of war for you ♪

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♪ And through the years of war for you ♪ [Music] [Music] Lord God our Father, we thank you for that blessed assurance expressed in the word, "Thy Kingdom come."

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For we know that your kingdom is present, that you are present with it on the way to that grand fulfillment in history. Grace, mercy, peace be with you, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. Amen.

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Amen. Amen. [BLANK_AUDIO]