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[ Silence ] [ Music ] If I never live another day, if I never see a smiling face, if I never take another breath, take another step,

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I want to say thank you. [ Music ] ♪ And if I never hear what's to be heard ♪ ♪ If I never speak another word ♪

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♪ If I never see another sight ♪ ♪ Taste another bite ♪ ♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ Thank you for all that you've done ♪

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♪ Thank you for all that you've done thus far ♪ ♪ Thank you for being the God that you are ♪ ♪ Thank you for food on my table ♪ ♪ I know you're able ♪

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♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ If I never scale the China Wall ♪ ♪ Take a flight out and see the Taj Mahal ♪ ♪ If I never find that special friend ♪

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♪ Search the world over again I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ Oh, if I never hear what's to be heard ♪ ♪ If I never speak another word ♪ ♪ If I never see another sight ♪

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♪ Taste another bite ♪ ♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ Thank you for all that you've done ♪ ♪ Thank you for all that you've done thus far ♪

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♪ Thank you for being the God that you are ♪ ♪ Thank you for food on my table ♪ ♪ And all you're able ♪ ♪ I wanna say thank you ♪

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♪ Thank you for all that you've done thus far ♪ ♪ Thank you for being a God that you are ♪ ♪ Thank you for food on my table ♪ ♪ I know you're able ♪

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♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ Oh, and if I never escape ♪ ♪ On the China wall ♪ ♪ Take a flight out and see the Taj Mahal ♪

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♪ If I never find a special friend ♪ ♪ Search the world over again ♪ ♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ I'd like to say one more time ♪

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♪ That if I never live another day ♪ ♪ If I never see a smiling face ♪ ♪ If I never take another breath ♪ ♪ Or take another step ♪

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♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ Thank you for all that you've done ♪ ♪ Thank you for all that you've done ♪ ♪ Thank you for being the God that you are ♪

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♪ For being the God that you are ♪ ♪ Thank you for food on my table ♪ ♪ Thank you for food on my table ♪ ♪ I know you're able ♪

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♪ I'm gonna say thank you ♪ ♪ Oh, thank you for all that you've done thus far ♪ ♪ Thank you for all that you've done thus far ♪ ♪ Thank you for being the God that you truly are ♪

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♪ I'll give you the car that you want ♪ ♪ Thank you for food on my table ♪ ♪ For food on my table ♪ ♪ I know you're able ♪

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♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ ♪ I wanna say thank you ♪ (audience applauding) [applause]

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[indistinct chatter] Praise the Lord. Come before his presence with praise and... [indistinct chatter]

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Hear this word, which is the basis of the morning message. It's recorded in 1 Thessalonians, the second chapter, verses 19 and 20. 1 Thessalonians, the second chapter, verses 19 and 20.

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Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I, Paul, once and again. But Satan hindered us. For what is our hope and joy or crown of rejoicing? Or not even ye in the presence of our Lord Christ that is coming.

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For ye are our glory and joy. the subject when the devil gets in the way. A visit to the Christians in Thessalonica by Paul and his company

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enable them to share in witnessing the good news of God's presence in Jesus Christ. They have done so in the midst of great trials and afflictions. Now, the Thessalonians look forward to a second visit. They enjoyed the first visit so much

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that they can hardly wait for Paul's return. Evidently, he left them under the impression that he would return in a short time. But the weeks have stretched

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into months and Paul and his company have not appeared. And word has circulated among the church members

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that possibly Paul has not come because of disinterest, and possibly because of the way things were when he was there the last time. Some of his personal experiences, along with those of Silas and Titus. When you read the story, and it's recorded over there in Acts, the 18th chapter I believe

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it is, when you read that story, Paul and Silas and Titus were run out of town. That's Not a good way to leave, but that was the way they had to leave. So this particular passage in the letter is to clear up the matter of Paul's visits, his prolonged absences and his plans regarding a future visit.

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His absence is caused by the truth expressed in the words, "We want you to come again and again and again." You know, sometimes we tell people, "Come back." as soon as you can. We'll be so glad to have you, knowing deep in our hearts that we don't mean it.

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We wish they'd stay away. So, the Thessalonians are concerned also about how he left. And they were pressured. They were driven by forces over which they had no control as they planned, so Paul suggests, over and over again to visit them. But he says the fact that we have not been there earlier is due to the fact that there were circumstances over which we had no control.

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Satan hindered us. Satan hindered us. Satan thwarted us. Satan put difficulties in our way

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Satan did not defeat us But He kept us from Reaching our goal according to our time schedule he hindered us

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So I've entitled this message When the devil gets in our way Jesus and Paul left recorded instances in which Satan took certain moves to get in the way.

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I don't need to spend a great deal of time arguing theologically about the existence of the satanic spirit. We know that. We've experienced it.

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There's no one listening to me that doesn't have some testimony about Satan getting in the way. Sometimes when you get ready to get going to church, get ready, Satan gets in the way.

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Sometimes your friends schedule their arrival in such a way they come right in when you were trying to go right out to church. Satan gets in the way. So after Jesus' baptism he's driven by the Spirit into the wilderness where he is tempted of Satan. So we may be walking in the straight and narrow

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narrow way we may be moving forward and making praiseworthy progress but there are times when Satan gets in the way he comes where we are you don't have to go Him. He comes where we are. Jesus goes into the wilderness to be alone with God. He goes there to commune with the Eternal before beginning His public

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ministry but the devil gets in the way. There he is seeking to tempt the master there he is trying to persuade the Lord to turn stones into bread. The devil gets in the way. He doesn't succeed on that occasion then he takes Jesus up to the pinnacle of the temple and invites Jesus to desecrate the whole earth and he

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urges him to jump down. Then the devil takes Jesus to an exceedingly high mountain and shows him all of the kingdoms of the world. And says, "All this will I give you if you just bow down and worship me." The devil gets in the way.

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The life of Jesus vividly demonstrates that there are times when the devil gets in the way. So in the early days of the church, Christianity was called the religion of the way. That was what this faith of ours was called the religion of the way And

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Those who were followers of the way were judged By the manner in which they walked in the way We all the same road

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But we walk different ways on the same road. Man is making the journey from Jerusalem to Jericho and he falls among thieves who strip him of his clothing and beat him and leave him half dead in a pool of blood. There comes a priest along that way, there comes a

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Lehite along that way, there comes a Good Samaritan along that way. They were all walking in different ways. The bandits walked one way and the others walked another way and another way and the devil has a way of getting in the way no matter how good you live no matter how often you read the scriptures no matter

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how many times you get on your knees and call on the name of the Lord the devil gets in the way. Paul says we would have come there we had every good intention of being there with you people but Satan hindered us. So the Bible tells us that when the Lord God Almighty called a meeting of the heavenly court and the

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sons of God were there that Satan came along with him even in the heavenly court when the Lord himself calls him even Satan is there and the Lord said Satan when shall you come? He's going up and down in the earth walking up and down here and seeking what I can devour Satan gets in the way gets in the way even he has the audacity to try to

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to try to thwart the plans of the eternal you know he's gonna get in your our way if he does that. So there are times when he does. Matters not how we seek to avoid it, it happens. Paul knew this to be a fact in his own experience. He tells us that there was given him a farm in the place.

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When you read the life of Paul, this great man, read in a pious Jewish home, educated at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most learned teachers of his day. And Paul sat at his feet.

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And yet, when he gives himself to Christ, and it's a wonderful story. How he dedicated himself and how he risked his life time and time again. How he was beaten, how he was in prison, how he was mistreated. All of that. But, he said, "That was given me."

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a farm in the flesh and he said it was a messenger of Satan so Satan got in his way he speaks plainly in this little letter he said now we wanted to come we We looked forward to a visit with you a second time, but Satan got in the way. How many times can this be repeated over and over again?

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Oh, I would have finished college, but Satan got in the way. I would have had a successful marriage the first time around, but Satan got in the way. So he speaks plainly when he says Satan got in the way. We have great ideas.

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We wish to achieve great things. We have tremendous, meaningful expectations. We have wonderful, wonderful plans for our future, but the devil gets in the way. And when the devil gets in the way, he spreads trash along the road.

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We would have come, he says, we long to visit you people in Thessalonica. Satan hindered us. The Lord God himself created a perfect God. He planted it himself. Everything was good and he evaluated it himself. Self-evaluation. He said it's very good. And then he put the human family in his garden and had them

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and it wasn't long before there was a serpent in the garden and this serpent was wiggling and squirming and finding its way into the soul of humanity in a garden planted by the Lord God himself and a garden of perfection Satan hindered. So don't get disturbed when Satan gets in your way. That's his mission. To get in the way. To

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discourage you, to cause you to give up. They said that, said he had an auction sale and he decided that he would auction off some of his tools. Discouragement, many more and more of the other tools were there. And he auctioned off the other tools.

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Delays, procrastination, deception, all those things. But there was this one tool discouraged me. He was reluctant to let that one go. And when asked why, he said,

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Well you see with that too I can get inside a person and I can cause him to yield to my purposes when I can't get near him with any of the others. Satan has many ways to hinder us. I would have come brothers and sisters.

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I would have been there. I know I scheduled a time when I was to come but Satan hindered us. Satan got in the way. Well, Jesus calls 12 disciples and out of that 12, one of them betrayed Him.

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Even in this small apostolic band, following in the steps of the master, Satan gets in the way. He gets in the way. So in this Advent season while we wait, Paul is waiting to go to Thessalonica. It's in keeping with the Advent season, waiting, waiting, waiting. While we wait, Satan gets in the way. Gets in the way. Seems that Paul has already had enough of the Thessalonians, it seems that way.

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He should have had enough maybe on the first visit. He went to the synagogue, they followed him there. Church was in its infancy. Jesus has only been away now for a short time.

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He's only been away about 20 years, probably less than 20 years. It hasn't been long, but they're tired. Tired of waiting. And in addition to being tired of waiting, Satan gets in the way.

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That's a double jeopardy situation. So Paul argues with them, showing them while he was there that the one who they were looking for had not yet come. And they mistreated him, they dragged him, made him a prisoner for a while, but he escaped. And he lived to write this little passage in a letter that we are considering here.

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Satan gets in our way. He's on the road that we travel. And when we read about the experience of Paul and his desire to consider our own,

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we recognize the fact that this is true to life experience and we sing in one of our hymns "Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

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let this blessed assurance control that Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed his own blood for my soul. Satan may hinder but he cannot defeat.

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Son of God defeats him with one word, yet behind me. Not in front of me, Satan, because you're not my leader not beside me because you're not my companion not before or beside but behind. Satan hinders us. So my brothers and sisters take heart. When Satan is on your trail don't think that you've just been selected that he's just carrying

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out business he's conducting business he hindered us Paul says he did everything to but he in other words he put some roadblocks in the way you ever been on a journey and you come to a place where you have a roadblock that's what Satan does. So he hinders us. But let me close by saying no matter how much Satan does

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He's on the job. But no matter how much he does, keep pressing on. I remember a little play they had in the church where I belonged when I was a boy. It was like Pilgrim's Progress. There was this pilgrim who was on his way and he fall down. Satan was in a little red suit, jumping around. Some came and he was enticed in the air. He had some whiskey bottles there and he, others had gambling and all of that.

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And here comes this poor pilgrim, a woman with a big bag, her burden on her back. falling down and getting up. Satan's still dancing around. That's the way life is. Satan gets in the way I tell you but there is a way. Satan will ultimately be defeated. He can't destroy us. He can't prevent us. He can't take the

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victory from us just keep on pressing on and in the end there is victory for everyone who is faithful to Jesus Christ and I like that passage over there in Revelation where we you get to the end you know sometimes we'd like to take a book and and we like to look at it and then we go on to the end to see how this

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end. Yes, it's going to end there. We come on to the end. So, I always like for for my audience to know how the end is

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going to be. And the end is going to be a glorious. Yes. Experience in the end. John said, I looked and I saw I saw

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a new heaven. Yes. The heaven where there there is no Satan. talked about has not only been bound for a thousand years but this Satan has been defeated and this Satan has been destroyed. So keep on singing, keep on

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singing, keep on singing about the victory. Ask the Savior to help you. comfort, strength, and keep you. He is willing to aid you. He will carry you through. That's good news. In a world of bad news, that Satan would be there to come a time when there'll be no more sin, no more sickness, no more crying, no more dying, no

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more sorrow and no more Satan and we'll all be gathered around the throne to sing his eternal praises and no longer would it be said that Satan hindered us and we'll praise God who helped us and carried us through because you see God has the power over Satan. Satan may take us to the floods but God takes us

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through the floods. Satan may put us into the fiery furnace but God air conditions that fiery furnace. Satan may do the worst but God is there to do the best for us and to glorify us and that's what Paul said. If you read that last last line, he said, you are our prize. You, you, you, you, that's an audience. You are our joy.

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We come now to the hymn of invitation. Don't let Satan hinder you. Come, come ye that love the Lord, let your joys be known. door the church is open you may come by letter by Christian experience or profession of faith don't let Satan hinder you coming this morning

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come on come on Heal not to temptation, come, come. ♪ Heal not to temptation ♪

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♪ For healing is near ♪ ♪ Each victory will help you ♪ ♪ Son of the true ending ♪ ♪ Find man from their own one ♪

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♪ The precious and new ♪ ♪ Look ever to Jesus ♪ ♪ He will carry you through ♪ Ask the Savior to help you,

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Love to strengthen and keep you, He is willing to aid you, He will carry you through. ♪ Shining old companion ♪

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♪ There dangles his fame ♪ ♪ God's name holy reminisce ♪ ♪ God make it in vain ♪ He fought for man and it's like a hidden truth.

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Look up to Jesus, he will carry you through. ♪ Ask the Savior to have you ♪ ♪ Call from Shreveport and Jehu ♪ ♪ He is ready to aid you ♪

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♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ No, He'll never permit you ♪ ♪ God be with the proud ♪ ♪ True faith we will conquer ♪

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♪ No orphan can tell ♪ ♪ He who is our savior ♪ ♪ Has strength to be new ♪ ♪ Look them up to Jesus ♪

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♪ He will carry you through ♪ ♪ Ask the Savior to help you ♪ ♪ Comfort, strengthen, and keep you ♪ ♪ He is willing to lead you ♪

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He is willing to aid you. He will carry you. Ask the Savior to help you. Comfort, strength, and key.

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Oh, he is willing to aid you. He will carry you through. Amen. Let's all say amen.

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That's a good word. Though Satan may hinder, God is present to give us the victory. Those of you who stood earlier celebrating birthdays this week, would you go now to the rear of the sanctuary as the pianist continues to play "Soft Love" in the organ?

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Would you all go now to those? And then those whose names I call to meet with me, would you come right here for just a few minutes? And I'll add Brother Crawford and Sister Crawford to that name, that named list. Would you all come right here, please, those whose names I called earlier to meet with the pastor, Father Benedict.

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You don't remember who you are? [Laughter] I remember. [Silence]

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Did all of those celebrating birthdays make the pilgrimage back to them? Oh, alright. Lord, we are thankful

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for your presence, for your power, and for the victory that is assured of us through the saving work of your Son, Jesus Christ.

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And as we celebrate anew His coming during this season of Advent, may He come in our hearts, triumphing over all of those things that would hinder us from living the good life.

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Grace, mercy, peace be with you. From God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ Amen ♪

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♪ Amen ♪ [music] [music] He was the bearer of the torch for a better day in the Middle East.

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Several years ago he announced the creation of a new Palestinian state, but that never came into being. It was an expectation that was not realized during his lifetime. According to recent news report, Arafat had billions hidden in various places and no single

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person knew where all the money was, not even his wife. The money was hidden, its location a mystery. Various lieutenants and deputies were supposed to have had certain parts of the money, but no one knew where all of it was. So the world waits, wonders and ponders the hopes concerning the establishment of the

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new Palestinian state. We all have our expectations, some of which Some of which we carry from day to day and year to year. Many Bible readers and believers see the Holy Land as a place God promised Abraham and his seed. In fact, both Abraham and, as we consider the lineage, both the person who is regarded as his offspring, both persons, he had two sons,

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And now both of them claim a portion of the land that's promised to Abraham. Isaac and his brother who was born by the handmaid. So here we are, each having his expectation, and here we have also to lift up today an expected faith.

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Paul, a prominent missionary, was living in expectation. And also William Carey, another missionary of prominence, coined a phrase regarding expectation. He said, "Expect great things from God. "Attempt great things for God."

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Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God. We ought to always be reaching for that which is better is better, that which is bigger, and that which is an indication of our dedication,

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reaching, reaching, reaching. Sometimes we do not accomplish our goals in life because we don't expect much. There is what educators call a self-fulfilling prophecy. I can tell you how it affected me when I was a freshman in college. I And I went to a class and the instructor said,

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"Some of the [ Silence ]