Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 5/31

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Don’t Change A Thing
If Jesus lived today in the flesh, rode in jet planes, lived in an air-conditioned house, watched TV, used a computer, had all the information gained by scientists ... He still would not need to change one word of the Sermon on the Mount. --Author Unknown

Commitment
One pastor defined "commitment" by taking a blank piece of paper and saying, "Commitment is signing your name to the bottom of the sheet, then saying, 'Lord, You fill in whatever it is You want me to do.' "
--(from the newsletter of First Baptist Church, Amber, Oklahoma, November 4, 1979)

Love looks beyond human frailty to see the image of God in each person.

Christ loves our loved ones even more than we do.

The presence of Christ makes us feel alive.

Aim to please God, not others.

A person’s background does not prevent God from working powerfully in their life.

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The Morning After Tragedy by Melinda Clements
You look around you and you wonder what happened and why. One minute things seem normal and routine and the next there is nothing but heartache, pain and the inability to grasp how it all fell apart. How does life take a turn that sends us winding and out of control in such a short time, in the blink of an eye?
It seems there are no explanations, no reason, no understandable concept just events or situations or circumstances that tend to remind us life is tedious and hard to understand. Life is also very fragile. Nothing makes sense and suddenly we are humbled, afraid and
grasping for answers. There are none.
God made us a resilient group. He made us strong and adaptable even when we are pretty sure we aren’t capable of doing anything else. I suppose it isn’t our job to understand or reason why. It is our job to hang on tight with a faith we don’t know we have. It is our job to reach out and help others when our world is crumbling and know God will see us through this as well.
There is darkness everywhere and life’s events change us forever. We will be stronger and wiser but we will also be kinder and more compassionate and thankful. There is no way to grasp how things turn around in such a short period of time. There is no way to understand we can only hang on tight, regroup for the next challenge and attack and know that we know that we know God is in our midst. He is the light on the darkest day and the promise in every hopeless situation. His voice is the one that says, “I’m here and I will never ever forsake you.”
The morning after is always the hardest. The morning after is the reality that things did fall apart. The morning after is knowing somehow someway in some form or fashion it will be okay. God is the promise we will be okay and we will smile again we are just not sure how but it will happen.
Lord, be the light we see, the voice we hear, the healing we need, the promise we follow and the face of hope and healing. Show us you are greater and bigger than anything we ever have to deal with and nothing not even death can take us from you. Be Blessed This Day!

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The Two Brothers from The FAX of Life
There is an old rabbinic story of a farmer who had two sons. He reared them on his place and taught them everything he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When the man died, the two heirs owned the land and farmed it in equal partnership with each other. It was a pleasant and prosperous venture.
In time, the younger brother married and had a large family of eight wonderful children. The older brother, however, remained single his entire life.
In a particularly good crop year, the harvest from their joint labors was greater than ever before. So the bachelor brother thought to himself,
"My brother has ten mouths to feed, while I have only one. But I know him too well to think he will be willing to renegotiate our equal partnership. I know what I will do. In the dead of night, while he is asleep, I will shift some of what I have put in my barn into his to help him feed his family."
At the same time, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me a wife and these eight precious children. My brother has not been so fortunate, and he will need more in reserve for his old age than I will. But he will never renegotiate our partnership. I know what I will do. In the dead of night, while he is sleeping, I will slip some of the harvest already stored in my barn into his."
So on a night when the moon was full, the two brothers came face to face, each of them on a mission of kindness to the other!
According to the story, a gentle rain began to fall. But there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was God weeping for joy because two of his children had gotten the
point about life's meaning. Relationship is everything. To care about another is to exhibit the heart of God. Generosity is the purest exhibition of holiness. Because we are in the image of God, such generosity is also the secret to our own joy.

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And It Came To Pass by The Timothy Report
The story is told of a Sunday class that had been asked the question, "In your time of discouragement, what is your favorite Scripture?" A young man said, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want Psalm 23:1." A middle age woman said, "God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1." Another woman said, "In this world you shall have tribulations, but be of good cheer, I have overcome this world. John 16:33-35." Then old Mr. John, who was 80 years old, with head of white hair and dark skin, stood up and said with as much strength as he could muster, "and it came to pass 85 times in the Bible."
The class started to laugh a little thinking that old Mr. John's memory was starting to fail. When the laughing stopped, he said:
"At 30 I lost my job with six hungry children and a wife to feed. I didn't know how I would make it.
At 40 my eldest son was killed overseas in the war. It knocked me down.
At 50 my house burned to the ground. Nothing was saved out of the house.
At 60 my wife of 40 years got cancer. It slowly ate away at her. We cried together many a night on our knees in prayer.
At 65 she died. I still miss her today.
The pain I went through in each of these situations was unbelievable. I wondered where God was. But each time I looked in the Bible I saw one of those 85 verses that said, 'and it came to pass.' I felt that God was telling me, my pain and my circumstances were also going to pass and that God would get me through it."
“And it came to pass.”

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God Expects Us To Be Orderly by Evelyn
God expects us to be orderly. He expects us to manage our time, to discipline ourselves, to prepare well-planned programs; but if we could learn to pray first and plan afterward, how different would be our homes, our churches, our Christian women’s clubs, our Bible studies—whatever we are doing for Christ. Maybe, just maybe, we are planning in one direction and God’s will is in another direction. God might say, “Hold everything! Turn around and go this way. This is My will for you.”
God wants us to make ourselves available to Him and to say before we start to plan, “Lord, tell me what You want me to do, where You want me to go, how You want me to do it.” Then our omnipotent God, with all the abundance of heaven at His disposal, will pour out His power upon us.

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“Where Did He Go?” “Loves Like a Hurricane” by Gene Krcelic
Sometimes God raps gently at the door, but we don’t know it’s Him, so we ignore the disturbance. He whispers through the door, but His words fall on deaf ears.
A little later, He knocks again, a little louder.
“Go away— I’m busy,” we can be heard saying as we tend to our usual routine.
The knocks keep coming, but the door is never opened. His voice grows louder, but we run from the message.
He beats on the door even harder and more frequently. His presence is known, but we still turn our heads and ignore Him standing in the portal to our room. “Not now— I have
other things and more important to tend to. Stop bothering me.”
God doesn’t leave, He is still watching, caring, loving. He doesn’t intrude because He knows it’s not time. The whole while, He wants to make sure we know He is there, but gives us time to recognize Him and realize that the knock is real and He is there… Waiting. He knows timing is everything.
The knocks increase and are not only known— they are felt, but still, we turn away.
Then, there is silence.
“Where did He go?” We wonder.
All is still.
Finally as sure as the candle lights the dark, the door is kicked open and there is no running from His presence, His power, His grace. He grabs our heart and fills it with His love for us, igniting the fire in our souls that can never be extinguished. We become one with God.
God knows when we are ready.
Timing is everything.

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Drive Your Pipe Deeper!
During Bill Leslie's ministry as pastor of LaSalle Street Church in Chicago, there was a difficult period when he felt as if his soul was becoming a desert. His people were making so many demands that he was becoming spiritually drained.
While in this state of spiritual drought, he struck up a conversation with a devout Christian woman. He told her he felt like a pump, and his people so constantly pumped him that he was running dry. Straight from her heart, she answered, "Didn't you volunteer to be pumped when you prayed to be used by the Lord? Don't ask your people to quit pumping. Drive your pipe deeper. You need
to get down where there's water again."
(--From "Drive The Pipe Deeper," Our Daily Bread, September 29, 1996, Radio Bible Class, Grand Rapids, Michigan)
Dear Christian Servant, You have given and given of yourself, and you feel as if you are being drained dry. This is not something which has just occurred: you've felt this way for a long time. And so far, the only thing which has kept you going has been your commitment to Christ. Don't give up! "Drive your pipe deeper." --The Timothy Report

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God wanted me to tell you..... Author Unknown
The moment you receive this,say: Our Father who 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 and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, now and forever Amen... GOD WANTED ME TO TELL YOU, it shall be well with you this coming year. No matter how much your enemies try this year, they will not succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year. For the remainder of 2013, all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today, God has confirmed the end of your sufferings sorrows and pain because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down. I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me, My child! What can I do for you? And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message. ' It has never been broken. Pass this on to as many as you can. It's the effort and intent that counts. This is a powerful Prayer. Couldn't hurt, can only help. Let's pray for one another. We are asking for God's will to be done here on earth.
GOD BLESS YOU!
God has seen you struggling with something. God says it is over. A blessing is coming your way. Send this message on please to those you know are struggling.

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Take time to re-evaluate your life. Take stock to see what is really important to your well-being on every level. But, remember to put first things first, and that would be your spiritual wellness. I am doing a particular work in this season to prepare My people, says the Lord, to be dedicated to My kingdom and consecrated to do and to be all that I have called you to. This is not a work according to man's doctrine or end-time scenarios. This is a true spiritual work that will begin and end with your vital connection with Me. Psalms 10:17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear.

Beloved, I know that your flow in the Spirit has seemed distant and undefined. This is because your have been out of your comfort zone and at times felt like you were out of control. The truth is that you are in the flow of My Spirit, but this particular flow is not what you have become accustomed to. You are in a time of intense training to develop a deeper level of discernment. Let Me take you deeper, says the Lord. Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."

I am uncovering that which has been hidden. I will bring all pretense and hypocrisy to light so that you can be free to have a vital and genuine connection with Me, says the Lord. Our relationship depends on complete honesty and pure motivations. You cannot see things around you in the light of truth and in accurate discernment when you are keeping things hidden in darkness. Come to the light! Matthew 10:26 "Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."

Set a watch for those who would put you under the burden of obligation. I would have you be free to journey on with Me. I call you to that place of freedom to be led by My Spirit to just do the next thing, without a sense of obligation or duty to fulfill the expectations of others. Refuse to be a man-pleaser, says the Lord, but rather seek to serve Me with sincerity of heart.
2 Corinthians 1:12 For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.

You are making progress whether or not it is apparent to you. The real key is that you stay in absolute, unwavering faith in Me to bring you through this difficult process to perfection. Your attitude will reveal the true nature of your belief. Stand strong in what you know to be the truth of the situation, and refuse to allow fear to have any place in you at all, says the Lord. Know that I am with you and for you. Psalm 91:1-7 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.

Even though change is sometimes frightening and difficult, you will begin to see the advantage in the changes that are now taking place. Things that are no longer relevant or advantageous to your walk in the Spirit will suddenly be removed. And, you will be relieved and free rather than experiencing a sense of regret or loss. Set your heart to be willing to let go, says the Lord. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Get ready to move with the flow of this spiritual river. There is a new depth today. There is a spiritual order coming that will release My power through My vessels. It will no longer be a matter of hoping that I will move; you will walk in full authority because I am with you, for I will bring you into a greater depth of My power. Do the work to break the powers of darkness that have restricted the fullness of My flow, says the Lord.

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Father of Lights by Nancy Burr
You O Lord shine down on me
for You’re the Father of lights.
You shine your love down on me Lord
and guide me through long nights.
I always know that You’re with me
for Your light keeps shining down.
When sadness strikes and I lose hope
You shine away my frown.
You shine on me Lord, night and day
You shine on me each hour.
And when I have no strength to walk
You shine on me your power.
I never have to be afraid
for You shine down on me.
You brighten up my darkest days
with light that helps me see.
It helps me see that you are God;
that you will never leave.
That even though I sin each day
You’ll stay cause I believe.
I may not see You here with me
but in my heart I know.
I know You shine Your light on me
everywhere I go.
You’re the Father of Lights O Lord
You shine Your light on me
When clouds and darkness cover me
Your light helps me see.
I could not live without Your light
It brightens all my days.
And for that light I thank you Lord
by giving you my praise.

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A New Life by Nancy Burr
Lord I’m ready for a new life to begin,
I’m tired of the old life for it’s so filled with sin.
I want to rid my guilt and shame, my selfishness and pride,
Surrender everything to You and let You be my guide.
I long for You to set me free from these heavy chains
Break them lose and calm my soul and take away my pains.
Please keep on reminding me that no matter what I face
You will always hold me close and all my fears erase.
Some days my old life will sneak back for Satan’s trying hard,
To pull me far away from You, so Jesus be my guard.
I know that You will never leave but sometimes I am weak
And I need You to cover me with strength week after week.
Please remind me Jesus at the start of each new day,
That you are there beside me and You’ll help me not stray.
Please show me how to my life, a life that’s pure and true,
Cause Lord I’m ready to begin a new life filled with You.

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Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you. Psalm 55:22

57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58

Submit to God, Resist the Devil
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:5-11

20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:20-22

Seeing the Invisible
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Appreciation of the Mystery
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:14-21

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13

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Never Discouraged Author Unknown
Imagine that I dump 10,000 plastic eggs in your back yard. I assure you that inside one of those hollow eggs is a check for $1 Million dollars with your name on it. Would you get discouraged if you opened the first 100 eggs without finding the check? How about the first 1000 eggs? Of course not! You'd just keep opening those eggs, just waiting for the moment when you'd find the check.
Paul knew the meaning of the word "suffering." He had been beaten, stoned, imprisoned, shipwrecked, starved, and rejected. And yet Paul said that his sufferings were nothing compared to the glory that would come. In other words, Paul had opened a lot of empty eggs, but he never gave up or got discouraged. He believed that something great was in his future - God's glory revealed in him.
Perhaps it feels to you as if your life has been nothing but empty eggs. You've already opened 9,900 of them and you're not sure you've got the will to go on. Let me encourage you today. Don't give up. I don't want to trivialize the challenges you are facing, but I do want to help you put them into perspective. They are only temporary, and God has something much greater in store for you. Compared to the glory that will be revealed in us one day, our suffering doesn't merit discouragement.
Hang on. Don't give up. Keep going. One day God will replace your discouragement with incomparable glory!
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us." Romans 8:18

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Dear God, thank you for those who have loved us. Direct us to show others how to love sacrificially and unconditionally. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
1 Chronicles 1
The Family of Adam—Seth to Abraham
1 Adam, Seth, Enosh, 2 Cainan, Mahalalel, Jared, 3 Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, 4 Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 5 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras. 6 The sons of Gomer were Ashkenaz, Diphath, and Togarmah. 7 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshishah, Kittim, and Rodanim. 8 The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan. 9 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabta, Raama, and Sabtecha. The sons of Raama were Sheba and Dedan. 10 Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth. 11 Mizraim begot Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, 12 Pathrusim, Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines and the Caphtorim). 13 Canaan begot Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth; 14 the Jebusite, the Amorite, and the Girga****e; 15 the Hivite, the Arkite, and the Sinite; 16 the Arvadite, the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. 17 The sons of Shem were Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram, Uz, Hul, Gether, and Meshech. 18 Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber. 19 To Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided; and his brother’s name was Joktan. 20 Joktan begot Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, 21 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, 22 Ebal, Abimael, Sheba, 23 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan. 24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25 Eber, Peleg, Reu, 26 Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27 and Abram, who is Abraham. 28 The sons of Abraham were Isaac and Ishmael.
The Family of Ishmael
29 These are their genealogies: The firstborn of Ishmael was Nebajoth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 30 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, 31 Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These were the sons of Ishmael.
The Family of Keturah
32 Now the sons born to Keturah, Abraham’s concubine, were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. The sons of Jokshan were Sheba and Dedan. 33 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
The Family of Isaac
34 And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac were Esau and Israel. 35 The sons of Esau were Eliphaz, Reuel, Jeush, Jaalam, and Korah. 36 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zephi, Gatam, and Kenaz; and by Timna, Amalek. 37 The sons of Reuel were Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.
The Family of Seir
38 The sons of Seir were Lotan, Shobal, Zibeon, Anah, Dishon, Ezer, and Dishan. 39 And the sons of Lotan were Hori and Homam; Lotan’s sister was Timna. 40 The sons of Shobal were Alian, Manahath, Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. The sons of Zibeon were Ajah and Anah. 41 The son of Anah was Dishon. The sons of Dishon were Hamran, Eshban, Ithran, and Cheran. 42 The sons of Ezer were Bilhan, Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan were Uz and Aran.
The Kings of Edom
43 Now these were the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before a king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor, and the name of his city was Dinhabah. 44 And when Bela died, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his place. 45 When Jobab died, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his place. 46 And when Husham died, Hadad the son of Bedad, who attacked Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his place. The name of his city was Avith. 47 When Hadad died, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his place. 48 And when Samlah died, Saul of Rehoboth-by-the-River reigned in his place. 49 When Saul died, Baal-Hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his place. 50 And when Baal-Hanan died, Hadad reigned in his place; and the name of his city was Pai. His wife’s name was Mehetabel the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 51 Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were Chief Timnah, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth, 52 Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon, 53 Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar, 54 Chief Magdiel, and Chief Iram. These were the chiefs of Edom.

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Dear Lord, When we face tough days, help us to remember that you have promised to bring good out of all our circumstances. Give us courage and strength to endure hardship, in the knowledge that you walk beside us, step by step. Fill us with desire, strength, and perseverance to grow in Christlikeness. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.