Our Daysman

September 28, 2020 at 3:59 pm | Posted in Biblical Days, Job | 2 Comments
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Bildad the Shuhite had a real problem with anybody questioning the righteousness of God, and at first glance faithful Christians would agree wtih him. However, Bildad believed that the righteousness of man was a cause-and-effect transaction. “If you’re doing well in life, it must mean you’re righteous; if you’re having trouble, it has to be because of your sin.” He could see that Job was in BIG trouble, so he reasoned that Job must be an especially terrible sinner. He even accused Job’s kids of being terrible sinners.

Bildad’s theology was partly correct. He understood the idea of sowing and reaping, and it may be that Job’s children were exposed to God’s wrath because of their sin, but Bildad forgot about God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness.

Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will he help the evil doers:

Job 8:20

We know these statements are true as general principles, but suffering and sickness are not always immediately caused by specific sins, and health and prosperity are not always the result of righteous living. God sees a bigger picture. When we read certain sections of the Book of Job, and Job is saying that God has been unjust to him, he’s not really doing what Satan claimed he would do. Job understood that God was God, and Job was a man, but he longed for some intermediary to go between them and work this out. Job knew he couldn’t win an argument with God, but he wanted God to hear his argument, and answer him.

For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me: Then would I speak, and not fear him; but it is not so with me.

Job 9:32-35

We have that Daysman in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament calls Him our Mediator.

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

I Timothy 2:5

Praying through Lists of Names?

September 24, 2020 at 3:55 pm | Posted in Biblical names, Biblical prayer, Uncategorized | 4 Comments
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Question: We were praying through the Wednesday night prayer journal, and we got into a disagreement over how to pray for some of the longer lists of people who we don’t personally know. Should we pray for each name individually or can we just ask God to save or heal “everyone on this list?”

Answer: That’s a good question, and I could not find a Bible verse that specifically addresses it, although I do believe that it would be best to pray for each name specifically, for the following reasons:

1. Individuals are significant to God. The Bible contains several long lists of genealogies. We don’t know all the people named in all of them, and few, if any, details are given about many of them in Scripture, but their names are apparently important to God since He put them in the Bible and wants us to read them.

2. There are times in the Bible when we are told that the Apostle Paul prayed for people specifically by name (Ephesians 1:16; Philemon v. 4).

3. Praying for people by name will help us to remember their names and circumstances, so that if we meet them later, or hear of an opportunity to minister to them, we will be informed and “prayed up” concerning their situations.

Having said all that, though, I know that you probably have a lot to pray about in your personal prayer time that is not in the Wednesday night prayer journal, and that time is limited, so praying for “everyone on the list” is a better alternative than not praying at all.

Finally, I want to commend you and thank you for praying, regardless of what method you use. For those who don’t attend regular prayer meetings at the local church to which you belong, the “prayer journal” mentioned above is a pre-printed pamphlet updated and handed out at each prayer meeting. If your church does this, let me encourage you to pick one up and pray for your church family, friends, and missionaries throughout the week.

Rahab’s Confession of Faith

September 22, 2020 at 12:57 pm | Posted in Joshua | 4 Comments
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Rahab’s great confession of faith in Joshua 2:11, which is actually the centerpiece of an action-packed chapter, was based on what she had heard about God.

And she said unto the men, I know that the Lord hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

Joshua 2:9

Somehow she had heard the truth: The God of Israel had brought His own people – through many miraculous adventures – out of Egypt and to the land of Canaan. The inhabitants of the land were scared, but Rahab believed that this land had already been GIVEN by God to His people. Hiding, running, fighting wouldn’t help… but what if this God of the Israelites was the One on Whom even pagans could throw themselves pleading for mercy?

For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

Joshua 2:10

This was an observation – a common sense reaction to reputable reports – but it was more than that. It was a rejection of the false pagan gods in exchange for a belief in the monotheistic God of the Hebrews.

And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.

Joshua 2:11

Rahab was calling upon Him for help the best way she knew. Those who come to the real God for help must believe that He “is” – that He is real – but also that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. They must beleive that He is worthy of hope.

Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.

Joshua 2:12-13

She now expressed concern for her family – a sure sign that she believed the God Who had decreed her people’s destruction could grant a pardon to her.

And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the Lord hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.

Joshua 2:14

She exhibited the three ingredients of faith:

1. Its object changes your mind: you hear the truth and change your way of thinking.
2. Its object affects your will: you internalize it in your new worldview and seek to better know the object of your faith.
3. Its object affects your life: you take action based on what you know and believe.

Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

Joshua 2:15

Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.

Joshua 2:18

The scarlet thread is an image of the salvation that is in Christ’s scarlet blood. Just as Rahab and her family bore the mark of their faith in God when His wrath visited their city, so those with faith in Jesus and His blood will be saved from the wrath of God.

The Biblical View of Marriage

September 18, 2020 at 12:05 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments
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Marriage is mentioned very early in the Bible, and not just as a coincidental aside. It is a central theme in what we call the creation narrative.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:27-28

In the very first chapter of the Bible there is a direct reference to God creating human beings in two separate but compatible categories, and not just for the sake of variety, and not JUST for the sake of companionship, but with procreation in view: the sustaining and perpetuating and multiplying of this thing God had created that we call “life.”

Remember, Chapter 1 of Genesis is the broad overview. The specifics and the details are fleshed out, so to speak, in Chapter 2.

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Genesis 2:21-24

Already in the second chapter of the Bible we see the first husband, the first wife, the first wedding, and the first marriage. This happens before the first sin, the first law, and the first mention of a Redeemer. This will help us to think about which view of marriage is the Biblical – and therefore correct and accurate and realistic and truthful – view of marriage.

Traditionally, there have been three views of marriage. The first is the sacramental view. The famous and possibly the most influential post-Apostolic theologian of all time, Augustine, called marriage a sacramental union, and the Catholic church took these words, and, misunderstanding (or purposefully misapplying) what he meant, came to view marriage as a holy sacrament of the Church: something by which God mysteriously and supernaturally infuses grace through the authority of the Church itself. What Augustine meant was that marriage was sacred in the sense of being holy and ordained and authorized by God, intended by Him to be an illustration of the Gospel and Christ’s relationship to the Church. When we look at the institution of marriage, before the formation of the New Testament Church, and even before the Law of God was given, we can see that the sacramental view of marriage is wrong. People can enter into marriage without the administration of any holy rites and without the permission of the Church, and people do not receive grace through the ritual or rite of marriage by itself. All grace is given freely from God through Christ and the Cross, and it is not mediated to us by sinful men.

The second view of marriage is the contractual view. This view does not originate from the Church or from ancient theologians. It is a fairly modern view originating from medieval courts, and wasn’t really recognized until the 17th or 18th Century. Rather than seeing marriage as controlled by the Church, this view sees marriage as controlled by the State. It is a view that is not only UNbiblical; it is ANTIbiblical. Contracts between individuals can be regulated by the State, which can approve all sorts of conditions and agreements, but only God gets to define marriage. It is a holy and divine ordinance, institution, and relationship, which has very narrow and clear parameters.

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Matthew 19:4-6

Contracts are of limited duration; marriage is meant to be permanent in this life. Contracts are based on conditions and terms of performance; marriage is based on promises that endure beyond unmet expectations or failed conditions. Contracts are designed to benefit each party separately; marriage is designed to meet the needs of the other party and to benefit the other party. Contracts are subject to narrow interpretation and loopholes; marriage is designed to exhibit grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness. Contract terms can be broad and creative; marriage is specific and cannot be altered by the parties or the government.

Some examples of so-called marriage contracts which have been – or soon will be – authorized by the State, but which are forbidden by God are as follows:

None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 18:8

An incestuous contract is not marriage.

Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.

Leviticus 18:20

Adulterous contracts are not marriages.

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Leviticus 18:22

Homosexual contracts are not marriages.

Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

Leviticus 18:23

Bestiality contracts are not marriage.

The exclusion of the sacramental and the contractual views of marriage leaves a third view, which is the Biblical and correct view of marriage: the covenantal view. Marriage is a covenant relationship involving vows made before God between one man and one woman until ended by the death of one or both of the spouses.

Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

Malachi 2:14

Some of the similarities between contracts and covenants are as follows:

  1. They are typically entered into freely; they are not coerced or normally necessary.
  2. They are publicly declared with objective rules and responsibilities.
  3. They have clearly-described mutual commitments. 

Here are some of the differences that distinguish covenants from mere contracts:

  1. Covenants are sealed with oaths and public signs.
  2. Covenants are intended to last for the lifetimes of the parties.
  3. Covenants call upon God as a witness.
  4. There are penalties for breaking covenants and rewards for keeping them.

Catching the Lord’s Words

September 16, 2020 at 1:20 pm | Posted in I Samuel | 4 Comments
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Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the LORD.

I Samuel 1:20

Sha’al means “asked.” Shama means “heard.” El means “God” or “the LORD.” So Samuel’s name meant “asked of God, heard of God.” He would be a man of God, a prophet, a priest, and a judge. His mother, Hannah, had been barren until she asked God for a child and God heard her and answered her prayer. She had been teased by her husband’s other wife, Penninah, because of her failure to bear a child. The husband’s name was Elkanah, and he appears to have been a kind husband, although he did have one too many wives.

Ruth, the main character from the Book of Ruth, had a son named Obed. Obed’s son was Jesse, and Jesse’s son was David. The Book of Judges describes what happened when God’s people did what was right in their own eyes in a time when they had no king. The Books of I and II Samuel record the time when the people went from having no king, to their own king, to the king that God wanted them to have.

Hannah went to the temple to ask the Lord for a son, and to commit that son to the Lord. We can compare Hannah’s prayer with Mary’s prayer when she went to see her cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1:46-55).

Hannah kept her promise. When Samuel was weaned, she took him to the temple. Eli the high priest was there, and his own sons did not know the Lord.

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

I Samuel 2:12

Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord’s people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

I Samuel 2:22-25

Hophni and Phinehas really corrupted the ministry of the Tabernacle. An anonymous man of God came to Eli.

Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded [in my] habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

I Samuel 2:29

Eli had put his sons ahead of the Lord.

And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;

I Samuel 3:1-3

The hearts of God’s people were dark in those days. Their land was dark. Their eyes were shut and their ears were stopped. But Samuel had an ear opened to God’s Word.

And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.

I Samuel 3:19

To catch the Lord’s Words, we will need to incline our hearts toward Him. You have to be near someone to catch what he’s throwing. We will need to open our eyes. You can’t catch something if you don’t keep your eyes on it. We will have to be interested. You are not going to catch God’s Words unless you are interested in the enterprise of catching God’s message. We will have to be willing to share God’s message. You can only catch so much before your hands are full. We need to teach others what we are being taught from His Word.

In I Samuel Chapter 4 Hophni and Phinehas were chosen to carry the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines. Not only were the Israelites defeated, but they lost the Ark. Eli died of shock when he heard the news.

And his daughter in law, Phinehas’ wife, was with child, near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father in law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed; for her pains came upon her. And about the time of her death the women that stood by her said unto her, Fear not; for thou hast born a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it. And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband. And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

I Samuel 4:19-22

A Nagging Wife?

September 14, 2020 at 12:28 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments
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Question: As a wife and mother, I’m the one who has to get the family up for Sunday School on Sunday mornings, and everyone but me acts like they don’t want to go. My husband will stay in bed if I let him, and I have to try to get him up over and over, and we usually end up running late, but doesn’t the Bible say I’m not supposed to nag him about going to church?

Answer: It depends on your definition of “nag.” I Peter 3:1-2 describes a situation where the wife is a Christian but the husband is not, and that passage cautions against the wife using her words disrespectully to try to nag or shame the husband into becoming a Christian. The situation you are describing is different, though. In your situation (presumably) the husband has already made a decision to go to Sunday School the night before, but just won’t get up in the morning. While you should not have to be the one responsible for taking the lead in this area, I wouldn’t consider repeated attempts to stir him from slumber and remind him of his commitment to be “nagging.” Rather, you should be commended for standing up for your family and encouraging them to do the right thing.

Pursuing Peace in Marriage

September 10, 2020 at 4:31 pm | Posted in Ephesians, Uncategorized | 7 Comments
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If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Romans 12:18

This is a verse that might make us think of just trying to get along with others in general, or a reminder not to go around starting trouble. (My wife likes to say, “Don’t start nothin’, won’t be nothin’!”)

chuck norris

We could also emphasize the part of the verse that says “if it be possible,” because it almost sounds like an excuse when we find ourselves in a conflict: “I wanted to live peaceably with that jerk, but it’s just not possible.” However, when we start to list all the areas where we want peaceful relationships, certainly marriage has to be at the top of that list.

Knowing the often-stressed importance of communication in marriage, and recognizing that there are tremendous differences in how husbands and wives communicate, we remember that these differences are designed by God, and hopefully we learn from our spouses as we “complement” each other.

The phrase “as much as lieth in you” should exhort us to put in maximum effort to try to prevent the kind of conflict which would force us to fight a defensive battle in our sanctification. It reminds us to go on the offensive in preempting conflict and in showing love: to take the initiative.

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Philippians 2:2-4

Thinking about the other person (especially your spouse) sounds like such an easy task. But how often do we really do it? A wife has been at home alone for a significant period of time while her husband has been away. What is she hoping to experience when he first gets home? That he’ll go straight to the television or the computer? That he won’t notice her? That he will find some fault to criticize? What about the husband? What is hoping to experience when he first gets home? Anger? Unkindness? We know that we’re supposed to answer all of these in the negative, but being likeminded and of one accord is more than just gauging the current mood and adapting. It is proactively preparing to bring blessings to your spouse, and then delivering them in person.

Humility is the virtue that cultivates this mindset. Think about the Gospel when preparing to see your spouse. Strife and vainglory are the means to selfishness, but esteeming your spouse better than yourself sets a different goal. If she’s more important than me, what can I do to serve her? And if I’m less important than her, serving is a great way to fulfill my purpose.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Ephesians 4:1

Your “calling” as a spouse is not to be pampered and spoiled and served and waited upon. It is not to be a safe punching bag or a venting zone. No! It’s to love and serve and sacrifice and help someone else to grow in the likeness of Christ even as you yourself grow in Christian maturity.

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Ephesians 4:2

This will only make sense if we reject all the world’s self-help and psychological mumbo jumbo. Admit that you are low. Behave meekly because apart from God you are nothing. Recognize that suffering is one of the BEST times to show love and suffer long. Recognize that being offended/sinned-against is the BEST time to show forbearance and forgiveness.

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

The bond of peace does not just magically occur when you and your spouse happen to have good days at the same time. The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace comes about through ENDEAVORING. Pursuing peace in marriage is an adventure, an expedition, a long trip over rugged terrain requiring planning and courage and perseverance. Those things are hard, but they are also the most rewarding. You and your spouse are not Ozzie and Harriet – you are Lewis and Clark!

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

James 4:1-2

Most conflict in marriage does not come from outsiders interfering. Sometimes it does, but hardly ever. It comes from within us. It comes from desire born of dissatisfaction – which lets us know it’s selfish desire. Redirect your desire to get something OUT OF your marriage toward putting something INTO IT.

A Lesson from the Laundry

September 8, 2020 at 2:35 pm | Posted in Malachi | Leave a comment
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Lord, please help us to endure, and to be focused and energized, not weary. Help us to be excited about Your will, zealous for Your glory, and ready always to give an answer for the hope that is within us. Help us even to look for opportunities to give an answer, as You teach us from Your Word.

In the Book of Malachi the people were ready to argue with God about His love (Malachi 1:2), His name (Malachi 1:6), His plan for marriage (Malachi 2:14), His justice (Malachi 2:17), His plan for giving (Malachi 3:8), and His Lordship (Malachi 3:13). The people were telling God, “We came back to Judah; we rebuilt the Temple; we started worshipping. Why are we suffering while sinners are being blessed?”

Job and Habakkuk had similar questions for God, but they eventually realized that they were not God. They could not do the things God could do. Who were they to question God? The difference in the Book of Malachi, though, is that the people were forced to confront an even tougher lesson: Were they really keeping their end of the Covenant? Do we really want to try to make our claim of sinlessness a basis for our demand to be blessed? Many times we’re trying to claim promises when we need to be begging for mercy.

Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

Malachi 3:1-2

The people were hoping that the Day of the Lord would come soon… but the Day of the Lord will bring both blessings and judgment, and where will judgment begin?

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

I Peter 4:17

God will wash His people like a launderer washes clothes. Agitation is necessary for thorough washing. Strong detergent is necessary for fully clean clothes. Sometimes there are things that wind up in the laundry that are not really laundry – tissues, receipts, and various debris. When I do the laundry at home for my family, I try to sort through and remove these items. Usually, they are thrown out. Laundry reminds me of Christian ministry. Sometimes my family members complain that they don’t have clean clothes to wear, and I have to remind them that I only wash the clothes they bring to the hamper or the laundry room. If they don’t put anything in, they don’t get anything out. If you are not “getting anything out of” church attendance, Bible reading, Christian ministry, it may be because you are not putting anything into them. Don’t ask for justice from God if you are dealing unjustly with others. Don’t ask for gifts from God if you are not giving to others. Don’t ask for His protection if you don’t worship and obey Him as Lord.

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Malachi 3:16-18

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 4:1-3

Here are links to other posts in the category on Malachi:
1. The Name of the Lord (Malachi 1-2)
2. Divorce and Robbery (Malachi 2-4)
3. Turning Up the Heat – Part 1 (Malachi 3:3)
4. Turning Up the Heat – Part 2 (Malachi 3:3)
5. Turning Up the Heat – Part 3 (Malachi 3:3)
6. A Glorious Marriage (Malachi 3:15)
7. Hijacked Hearts (Malachi 4:5)*

*most-viewed post in category


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