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In the name of the glorious 
Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

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Spirit, forever Amen. 
Glory be to the. 

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Everlasting mercies which? 
Sent you to us, O Christ, the 

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light of the world and the life 
of all. 

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Give us wisdom by your law and 
enlighten our impulses by Your 

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knowledge. 
Sanctify our souls by Your 

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truth, and grant that we may be 
obedient to Your words and may 

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fulfil Your commandments at 
every hour. 

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O You who enlightens the 
rational with the knowledge of 

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Your greatness. 
Do enlight, O my Lord, our 

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thoughts, that we may meditate 
upon Your holy and divine 

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Scriptures at all times, O Lord 
of all, Father and Son and Holy 

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Spirit. 
Forever. 

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Amen. 
Just imagine yourself. 

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Being locked up for no reason, 
No crime for no. 

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Fault whatsoever Locked. 
Up in a cell guarded by prison 

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guards chained to the prison 
guards chained to the. 

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Wall, What would your reaction 
be? 

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Let's continue reading the Acts 
of the Holy Apostles of Our 

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Lord, chapter 12. 
And we'll continue from verse 6.

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Last week we started verses. 
1:00 to 5:00. 

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And let's see what Simon does 
after being captured. 

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Now, just to recap, the church 
in Jerusalem is being 

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persecuted. 
James, the brother of John, the 

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sons of Zebedee, has been 
beheaded, preserving his 

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physical head. 
I'm sorry, forfeiting his 

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physical head. 
He was beheaded and preserving 

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his eternal spiritual head, 
which is Jesus Christ according 

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to one Corinthians 11/3. 
But I want you to know, writes 

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Saint Paul, that the head of 
every man is the Christ praise 

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between his name, Simon. 
Simon is captured and the church

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is earnestly praying. 
And let's see, we're going to 

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now witness what that earnest 
prayer achieved that was offered

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by the church. 
And we learn, and I think we 

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discussed this, when bad things 
come upon us, when we are 

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unfairly judged or we end up in 
a prison cell for no crime, no 

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fault, no sin, nothing 
whatsoever. 

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The best thing to do is pray. 
And there's something else that 

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comes along with that. 
And we'll read from, learn from 

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Simon Peter. 
So verses 6 to 9, let me read 

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those to you. 
And when Herod was about to 

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bring him, that is Simon, out 
that night, Peter was sleeping. 

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Peter was sleeping bound with 
two chains between two soldiers,

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and the guards before the door 
were keeping the prison. 

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Now behold, an Angel of the 
Lord. 

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Here is the the fruit of earnest
prayer. 

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Now behold, an Angel of the Lord
stood by him, and a light shone 

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in the prison, And he struck 
Peter in the side, and raised 

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him up, and saying, Arise 
quickly, and his chains fell off

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his hands. 
Then the Angel said to him, Gird

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yourself and tie on your 
sandals. 

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And so he did and he said to 
him, Put on your garment and 

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follow me. 
So he went out and followed him.

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And they don't know that what 
was done by the Angel was real, 

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but thought he was seeing a 
vision. 

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Again, putting ourselves in 
Peter's shoes, what would we 

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have done? 
And I always when I, you know, 

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when we, when we converse about,
you know, prisons and jails, I 

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always give this disclaimer that
if I ever end up in a prison 

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now, right now, I know that I 
will cry myself to death. 

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But reading the scriptures, I'm 
so rebuked now, if it's my 

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fault, if I've committed a 
crime, if I have acted 

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unlawfully, well, yes, I need to
be locked up. 

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And if I'm crying myself not to 
death, but that may be the point

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of my repentance in return, but 
having done nothing wrong 

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whatsoever, and in particularly 
being persecuted for Christ's 

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sake, I stand corrected. 
Peter gives us the the model of 

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how we are to conduct ourselves.
Why was Peter sleeping? 

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Why was he so assured and so at 
peace that he is in the in the 

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prison and he is sleeping well, 
let's read some scripture. 

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John chapter 21 John chapter 21,
verse 18. 

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Now this is after Peter restores
him and during breakfast by the 

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sea. 
Jesus after restoring him three 

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times, asking him that he if he 
loves him more than these, 

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meaning more than the world, 
more than the disciples that 

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were there, more than everything
around him. 

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And Simon replies, yes. 
And the third time he's a little

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bit disappointed and he says, 
Lord, you understand you, you 

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comprehend that I love you. 
Jesus then goes on to say, 

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Simon, when you were young, you 
girded yourself and walked where

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you wished you. 
You did what you pleased. 

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But when you are old, there's 
going to be a time you will 

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stretch out your hands and other
people will gird you and carry 

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you where you do not wish to go.
Now that pertained to the death.

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But Simon remembered this. 
Simon must have remembered that.

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Here I am now, and my Lord has 
pre warned me, and specifically 

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to Simon. 
So he doesn't speak in plural 

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terms. 
He's speaking one person 

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singular. 
You, Simon. 

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Simon must have remembered this.
We're going to talk about how 

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this, this can help us as well. 
He remembered that hey, my Lord 

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had already pre warned that this
is going to happen. 

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And he probably, he most 
assuredly, I think would have 

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thought this must be the end of 
my life. 

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I just witnessed James being 
beheaded and now because of the 

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feast that's that was coming, 
Well, this man is going to Herod

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is going to Take Me Out and 
he'll probably do the same 

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thing. 
So I'm going to die. 

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And what does he do? 
He sleeps because he was at 

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peace. 
He accepted it. 

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He remembered this beloved. 
And how? 

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How did he remember what Jesus 
had told him many years ago, 

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10/15/20 years ago, what have 
you? 

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John chapter 14 verse 26, Jesus 
says to his disciples, But the 

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helper paraclate the Holy 
Spirit, not another person as 

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some claim that this is talking 
about a person, no the Holy 

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Spirit. 
Because in Matthew we read that 

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Jesus says he who is in you, no 
other person's in me, thank God 

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that person is not in me. 
It's the Holy Spirit he's 

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referring to, but the helper, 
the Holy Spirit whom the Father 

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will send in my name. 
Praise be to your name, Lord 

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Jesus Christ, He will teach you 
all things and bring to your 

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remembrance all things that I 
have said to you. 

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So the Holy Spirit is reminding 
Simon, this is how Simon 

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remembers through the Holy 
Spirit, Simon, the Lord, your 

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Lord, whom you proclaim that if 
anyone would desert him, you 

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wouldn't. 
And you did three times, but you

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were reinstated. 
And now your love for him is 

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evident. 
Well, that Lord, remember, he's 

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already foretold this, He's 
already pre warned that you're 

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going to go in through these 
situations, these difficulties, 

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these predicaments. 
So rest assured. 

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So right at this moment, Peter 
thinks, well, praise God again, 

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that's it, I'm going to die. 
Hallelujah. 

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Just as Nebuchadnezzar when he 
was trying to influence or he 

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was trying to encourage Daniel, 
persuade Daniel to just worship 

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that statue of mine. 
I don't want to put you to 

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death. 
And this is on their way to the 

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den of lions. 
What does Daniel say? 

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Daniel says, if this is the way 
that my Lord, well in my life, 

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I'm paraphrasing it, let it be 
his will, praise be to his name.

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If I'm going to be devoured by 
lions, praise be to his name. 

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If not, the Lord will send and 
vindicate me. 

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The Lord will save me. 
And surely the Angel close the 

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mouths of the lions. 
See, Simon was probably 

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remembering all of these, 
beloved, and Simon too was at 

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the same peace, Peace of Mind, 
heart, soul. 

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If I die, praise be to God. 
Simon remembered the prophecy of

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King David in Psalm chapter 23, 
verse four. 

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And we always, we always claim 
and read this, but we should 

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understand it too, and we should
live by it too. 

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Don't only use Scripture to 
comfort others and to rebuke 

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others and to somehow admonish 
others. 

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Use Scripture to comfort 
yourself as well, to rebuke 

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yourself as well, because then 
the ground becomes hypocrisy. 

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Psalm, chapter 23, verse 4. 
Even if I shall walk in the 

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valleys of the shadow of death, 
there's a song about that, 

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right? 
I will not be afraid of evil and

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notice, notice, walk, not sit, 
not be complacent in evil. 

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No, no, no, walk, go past it. 
We must always walk through 

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evil. 
We must always run away from 

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evil. 
Run past evil, not sit and be 

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complacent in evil. 
I will not be afraid of evil 

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because you are with me. 
Oh God, King David says you are 

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with me. 
Your rod and your staff, they 

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comfort me. 
What are the rod and the staff? 

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What are they? 
What is what is David referring 

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to? 
It's a prophecy and every 

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prophecy referred to some 
something pertaining to Jesus 

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Christ. 
Praise be to his name and you 

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say Amen. 
Each time I praise Jesus name. 

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Listen to me, beloved listeners,
you better be saying Amen. 

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And if you're, if you got your, 
what are these called airport 

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headphones on and the apple, 
whatever you're in a, you're in 

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a library or you're, you're 
listening in a restaurant, you 

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say Amen. 
Don't worry about what people 

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say. 
And if they say, what was that 

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for you say I'm just praising my
Lord Jesus Christ. 

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I'm agreeing to a praise that 
was ascribed to my Lord and my 

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Savior Jesus Christ. 
Saint Theodore of Sire who was 

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an Antiochian Bishop and 
theologian and this is late 3rd 

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century, comments on this on the
rod and the staff that apply to 

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the cross. 
You see, the cross is assembled 

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from 2 rods, 2 pieces of timber 
with the upright staff that is 

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going from the earth to the sky.
With that we are confirmed in 

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our faith, in our assurance of 
the risen Lord, and we are 

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directed, beloved, directed from
the heavenly, from the sorry, 

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from the earthly to the 
heavenly, through our walk in 

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life, through our spiritual 
life. 

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In that rod we are strengthened.
In that rod our our weaknesses 

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are strengthened, our 
foolishness. 

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Foolishness is made wise when we
embrace. 

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When we embrace that rod, that 
stick that is vertical on the 

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cross, and using the crossbar 
where Christ's hands and arms 

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pertaining to strength were 
enforced, that crossbar, that 

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rod is a rod in our hand against
Satan and his demons who attack 

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us. 
Let us to beloved embrace, be 

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confirmed in the faith in the 
risen Lord, be directed from 

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earthly to the heavenly by the 
upright, the vertical staff of 

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the Holy Cross, and let us take 
hold firmly the cross bar of the

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cross by which we can strike the
demons who are continually 

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attacking us through various 
temptations. 

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So Simon not only remembered, 
but believed and rested. 

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He was assured in these promises
of God by the power of the Holy 

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Spirit, by God the Holy Spirit. 
He remembered Isaiah chapter 54,

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verse 17, though his time there 
was no verses and lines. 

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There was no verses right? 
Simon remembered the prophecy of

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Isaiah chapter 54 verses 17, 
though there was no chapters and

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verses back then. 
But for our own understanding 

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sake reference which reads No 
weapon that is formed against 

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you shall prevail, and every 
tongue that shall rise against 

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you in judgement you shall 
condemn. 

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This is the inheritance of the 
servants of the Lord God and 

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their vindication that is their 
righteousness, they're clearing 

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from blame, which is from before
me says God, says the Lord God. 

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Simon remembered this beloved, 
see this teaches us something. 

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In every circumstance, in every 
predicament that we are in, in 

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any mess, in our ups and our 
downs, our highs, our lows, our 

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health, our sickness, our 
happiness, our joy, our sorrow. 

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We should remember scripture. 
We should remember the pre 

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warnings of Jesus Christ. 
We should remember the promises 

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of Jesus Christ. 
We should remember the 

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commandments of Jesus Christ. 
And we should. 

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There is no excuse. 
We have the Holy Spirit, 

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beloved, the Holy Spirit that 
was leading Simon and all the 

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disciples and the apostles which
they vested on the day of 

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Pentecost we receive in Holy 
Baptism. 

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There's no excuse for you. 
Don't make excuses. 

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That's Satan trying to fool you 
and condemn you. 

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There is no excuse. 
You cannot stand before the Lord

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and say, I did not know, I did 
not remember. 

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No, because the Lord will reply 
and say no, no, no. 

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You did you. 
You chose not to know. 

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You chose not to remember. 
So our, so our comfort, our fear

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at times, our concerns at times,
our joy should be from the 

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promises of the Holy Scriptures.
When we end up in messes such as

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this and verses 7 to 9, we now 
see the fruit and witness the 

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fruit of the prayer, the earnest
prayer, and we now witness the 

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fruit of Simon's remembrance of 
the promises of Jesus Christ. 

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We now will witness the 
vindication of Simon. 

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Simon was all happy, all joyful,
rested, content, ready to die 

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for the Lord. 
He didn't know this was going to

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happen. 
He was waiting for the Lord's 

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vindication. 
But then just as Daniel would 

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have probably, probably 
convinced himself or or calmed 

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himself, encouraged himself to 
say if I die, well my Lord has 

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pre warned me and I will be with
the Lord. 

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He is presented with a miracle, 
yet he perceives a vision. 

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This just shows that he was so 
ready to die. 

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A miracle is happening. 
An Angel is going to appear. 

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Beloved. 
You see, God works His miracles 

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according to His will, according
to His time and according to His

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way. 
And that is what Simon had 

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resigned to. 
I will wait for the Lord. 

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00:17:28,480 --> 00:17:32,320
And here it is. 
It pleased the Lord to have 

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00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:35,680
Simon released. 
Why hindsight now? 

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00:17:35,800 --> 00:17:38,440
Benefit of hindsight, the 
scriptures knowing the history 

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now. 
Because Simon had a lot of work 

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to do in the field of our Lord. 
Question. 

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Why did God not just save him 
from Herod? 

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We may ask these questions. 
Why did he just not save him 

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from Herod in the 1st place? 
Why allow him to be captured? 

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Bring him in the dungeon in the 
prison, tie him up with 3000 

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chains and have 16 gods sitting 
there guarding him and then 

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release him through an Angel. 
Well, God works in mysterious 

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ways. 
Praise his name. 

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You know, if he would have just 
allowed Simon to walk through 

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the people just as Jesus did, 
because his time had not come to

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be captured. 
He just walked among the people,

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know and saw. 
He just didn't escape Christ 

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00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,720
didn't escape the people. 
He walked among the people and 

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00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,520
they just found that he's not 
there. 

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00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:30,040
He could have done the same with
Simon. 

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But no, that people would have 
been amazed then it would have 

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been amazing. 
It would have been something, 

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something wow. 
And then in few weeks time, few 

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00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:39,840
months time, people would have 
forgotten it. 

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But this is everlasting, 
beloved. 

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00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,600
This was beyond the thoughts and
imaginations of the people. 

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00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,680
This brings to mind Ephesians 
chapter 3, verse 20. 

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God can do greater things than 
what we asked or imagined 

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00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,520
according to His power that is 
active in us. 

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00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,280
So when sometimes we're asking, 
Lord, why didn't you just give 

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00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:05,800
me this now? 
Why did you? 

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00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:07,600
Why do you let me go through 
this? 

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00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,200
Why not now? 
I trust in you, Lord God, if I'm

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00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:13,520
going to die, Hallelujah, praise
your name. 

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00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:17,840
Take me now and then 3 is later.
You're still asking the Lord or 

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00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:19,240
to take you. 
Now you know why? 

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00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:24,360
Because God has a plan that when
you do leave, for example, you 

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00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:27,640
leave a legacy. 
If not for the whole world, if 

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00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:29,960
God wanted for the whole world, 
but if not for the whole world, 

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a story for your great, great 
grandchildren. 

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00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:38,640
To to say that my grandfather, 
in pain and suffering for three 

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00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,120
years, continued to ask the Lord
to take him, but the Lord 

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00:19:42,120 --> 00:19:44,200
didn't, and he was still 
praising the Lord. 

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00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:50,560
See, there's the power of God. 
You know, I've always said don't

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00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:55,720
ask God for something according 
to your will, your time, your 

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00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:57,760
knowledge, your understanding. 
Don't do that. 

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00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,760
That is only temporal. 
You just want to receive it then

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00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,360
and you want to go and give that
testimony. 

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00:20:02,360 --> 00:20:04,920
Oh, God did this for me. 
And then, wow, excellent. 

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00:20:04,920 --> 00:20:06,760
Praise God. 
And few months down the track, 

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00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:07,800
it's forgotten. 
No, no, no. 

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00:20:07,800 --> 00:20:11,080
He can do something where your 
children's children's children 

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00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:16,720
will be telling the story. 
Why an Angel and not just wake 

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00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:23,440
up Simon, a voice coming to him,
Wake up the chains falling, and 

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00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:27,960
walk out of the prison. 
One of the fathers writes this 

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00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:32,480
so amazingly that it is God 
honoring him. 

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00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:37,960
You see, you see, if God had 
allowed Simon to depart or to 

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00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,280
escape, Simon would not receive 
this honour. 

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00:20:42,360 --> 00:20:48,120
An Angel of the Lord is sent to 
save Simon, an Angel of the 

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00:20:48,120 --> 00:20:49,520
Lord. 
This comes to mind. 

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00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,360
St. 
Stephen the first Deacon, Acts 

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00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:54,920
Chapter 7. 
When he was being stoned to 

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00:20:54,920 --> 00:20:59,240
death, he lifted up his head, 
his face was bright and shining,

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00:20:59,520 --> 00:21:02,280
and he looked up into heaven, 
and he saw Jesus standing, 

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00:21:02,280 --> 00:21:05,800
beloved, standing. 
A king does not stand before 

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00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:10,440
servants when they enter His 
auditorium or His His presence. 

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00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,600
The King remains seated on his 
throne. 

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00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:18,640
Jesus stands because Jesus 
honors those who are martyred. 

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00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:21,320
Jesus honors those who are 
martyred. 

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00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:24,760
We, we want to downplay the 
martyrs today. 

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00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,720
People out there who don't 
believe in the martyrdom and the

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00:21:27,720 --> 00:21:29,800
Saints. 
Well, let me tell you, my dear 

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00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:35,640
brother and sister, before you 
mock the Saints and the martyrs,

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00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:40,360
your Lord and Savior whom you 
claim that you are preaching and

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00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:43,040
you love stands for them. 
It's in the scripture. 

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00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,120
So the Scripture. 
Go and read scripture chapter 

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00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:48,440
Acts Chapter 7, verse Acts 
Chapter 7. 

321
00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:56,080
God works in mysterious way. 
Beloved, God's mysterious ways 

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00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,960
are incomprehensible, 
unspeakable. 

323
00:21:59,880 --> 00:22:05,480
His works, His playing plans, 
His His ways are truly not of 

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00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:08,360
ours. 
Beloved, truly, His thoughts are

325
00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:11,720
not your thoughts, His thoughts 
are not our thoughts, and our 

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00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:15,720
ways are not His ways, according
to Isaiah chapter 55. 

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00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:22,000
And when we are assured by the 
Holy Scriptures, we are assured 

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00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:26,800
by the Holy Scriptures, beloved,
that all things work together, 

329
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:29,800
all things, everything, the bad 
and the good. 

330
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:34,080
All things doesn't mean just 
those holy, pleasing and and 

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00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:38,600
soothing things, everything, 
even the bad God uses evil at 

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00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:43,040
times. 
All things, good or evil, work 

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00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,600
together for the good of those 
who love God. 

334
00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:51,400
Romans chapter 8 verse 22. 
Bad things are happening to you 

335
00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:56,040
and you believe in God and 
you're trusting God and you're 

336
00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,320
always serving God. 
I'm always praying. 

337
00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,560
I fast, I read the scriptures, I
read the lives of the Saints, I 

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00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,880
come to church, I take partake 
in the Holy Mysteries and yet 

339
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:08,440
look at what's happening to me. 
Well, that's all things. 

340
00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:12,200
Whatever is happening to you, 
along with those things that you

341
00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:15,600
want to happen to you, they'll 
work together for the good of 

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00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:17,240
you. 
If you love the Lord and 

343
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:20,160
continue to love the Lord. 
God works mysteriously. 

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00:23:20,240 --> 00:23:24,840
You see, in checked Acts chapter
16, Saint Paul and Silas were in

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00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:27,960
prison too, but they were 
singing hymns. 

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00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:29,560
They weren't sleeping. 
You know why? 

347
00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,920
You know why they didn't sleep? 
You know why God didn't want 

348
00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,120
that to happen? 
It was because the prison guards

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00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:37,160
were going to convert. 
That's why. 

350
00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:42,480
But here Simon sleeps, he's 
being still, and he's waiting 

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00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,480
for the Lord's will either way. 
And the Lord's will was for him 

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00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,280
to be released. 
So let me ask you in conclusion,

353
00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:55,320
what predicament are you in as 
we speak now? 

354
00:23:56,480 --> 00:24:00,680
What is bringing you down? 
What is disappointing you? 

355
00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,640
What is frustrating you? 
Maybe even being frustrated with

356
00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:10,800
God annoying you. 
What is it as we speak? 

357
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:16,480
Well, let me tell you, knowing 
that God knows all, God sees 

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00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:23,280
all, God can do all, and as a 
perfect purpose for all should 

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00:24:23,280 --> 00:24:27,360
give you an eye, the Peace of 
Mind, a Peace of Mind, a peace 

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00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:32,240
of heart and a peace of soul. 
To lay our heads to sleep, and 

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00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:39,480
wait unto Him to be glory, 
praise, and Thanksgiving, now 

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00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:40,680
and at all. 
Times and forever. 

363
00:25:06,930 --> 00:25:08,930
We hope you enjoyed this week's 
message. 

364
00:25:08,970 --> 00:25:12,170
Please don't forget to rate and 
review this podcast and share 

365
00:25:12,170 --> 00:25:15,530
with your friends and family. 
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00:25:15,530 --> 00:25:18,970
or to give us detailed feedback,
please visit our link in the 

367
00:25:18,970 --> 00:25:23,400
show notes. 
Linktr dot EE forward slash 

368
00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,360
double edged sword. 
Until next time, God bless you 

369
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:26,640
all.