WEBVTT

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 Looking at how our lives can be transformed by an encounter with certain people.

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! Well, on the Sunday the 17th of March 1963, approximately 8 o'clock, I met a young lady.

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 We were married, had three children, lovely children, eight lovely grandchildren. You

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 could say that my life would transform that night. But more than that, on the 28th of September

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 1972, I had another encounter, but this time with someone who really revolutionised my

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 life. I was standing at work and suddenly I felt, when I say funny, you know what I mean.

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 I felt strange. And I'd heard about the Lord and how He loved me and how my friend had prayed

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 for me. And so I just said, Lord, if you're there, I want to know you. 1972, and still

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 today, I rejoice in that time. My life was transformed. And I was looking into some of the readings of

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 where people have been at an encounter with Jesus, or rather an encounter with someone

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 that had transformed their lives in the Bible. But John, after what you've said this morning,

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 I just feel that maybe we should just focus upon what we see here amongst us. Because I could give

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 you a study on Isaiah and how he saw the Lord lifted up. I could give you a Bible study on the Apostle Paul,

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 who had an encounter on the road to Damascus and revolutionised his life. But we can't say,

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 you know what we've heard John say this morning. But it's really true. And my prayer is that today

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 we will somehow grasp the truth amongst ourselves. Because the last words of that time, it said that

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 that these words have been given so that you might know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour.

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 Full stop. That's it. And today, we need to ask God, maybe where are we in this process of

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 getting to know Jesus for ourselves? And we have to just ask ourselves that question, where do we stand?

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 And when I was preparing this, I thought of some transformation that goes on in nature, you know,

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 and I was thinking about the caterpillar. Yeah. And the cocoon. And what comes out of that,

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 that beautiful, beautiful butterfly. I thought, well, there's some transformation. And then,

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 nautily, I thought, I wonder where they think that they are. Would they be a caterpillar,

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 a cocoon, or a butterfly? Where would you stand in that thing today? And this is, the fact is, you know,

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 it's reality, isn't it? Lives are transformed. When we meet with Jesus, they're completely revolutionised.

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 And we need to acknowledge that. And when we see the reality of it in our own lives, it becomes very real to

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 us. For when he met with the disciples, when Jesus came and stood among them and said,

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 peace be with you. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw it, when they saw Jesus.

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 Jesus told them, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you, receive the Holy Spirit.

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 What a thing. It's like anticipating the day of Pentecost, isn't it? You know,

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 what's that going to happen in 50 days time? Receive the Holy Spirit. And that's what happens when we

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 encounter God. The Holy Spirit comes upon us. It's that time of meeting with him. And the disciples were

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 there that day. And I also have a soft spot for Thomas, I do. Do you? Because although he's, when he was

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 saying, he said, I'm not going to believe her unless I see Jesus for myself with the hands and his feet and

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 sides being pierced. He said, unless I say that for myself, I don't, I'm not going to really acknowledge

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 the fact. And he gets boo, bad press, Thomas. But the response, when he sees him, my Lord and my God.

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 What a response. His life was completely changed. My Lord and my God. And we have to recognize, we

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 stand in those times for ourselves. It says that these things have been written that you may believe

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 that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, in believing you that you might have life. What a transformation.

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 Isaiah did it. Paul the Apostle did it. And hundreds of other people in the Word of God did it. They had a

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 transforming encounter with God. And this morning we can come and my prayer is that the Holy Spirit will

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 somehow let us have an encounter with him today for ourselves. Paul changed from issuing murderous threats

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 to being God's chosen vessel to the Gentiles. And you know what? He's still changing people's lives today.

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 His writings are being read all over the world still today and revolutionizing people's life.

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 It all came from that encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. Life-changing encounters.

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 Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, he is sending us to receive the Holy Spirit.

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 You know, I believe that some of us don't really think we're worthy of really being included in God's plan for the church.

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 I came from a working-class background, always felt that there was far superior people to me,

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 until someone said to me one day, Ken, it's not where you're from, it's where you're going that counts.

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 And I thought, phoo, that's a bit sort of near the knuckle. But it was true. It doesn't matter that in the past,

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 if we're alive, if we have this encounter with God for ourselves, it's where we are going that really counts.

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 And where we are today, whether we're a caterpillar, a cocoon or a butterfly, it doesn't matter.

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 We're on that journey to know Jesus for ourselves.

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 Well then, answer the question.

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 Are you a caterpillar?

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 Still searching for a little bit for yourself?

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 You know it's true. You know it's there. You know that God is real.

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 You haven't really been affected by it at this time.

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 Are you a cocoon? Or a chrysalis or whatever they are.

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 Are you just waiting? Are you feeling something inside you there?

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 And have you ever seen a cocoon actually give birth to a butterfly?

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 It's absolutely magical.

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 Are you a cocoon?

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 Or are you a butterfly?

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 Hasn't God really transformed you into something that is beautiful?

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 There's a lovely verse in Ecclesiastes that says that God has made all things beautiful in his time.

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 And maybe this morning we need to hear from him for ourselves.

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 The reality of knowing that our sins are forgiven, that our lives have been changed.

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 That's why John came.

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 His gospel was written for that account that we might know that we can have eternal life.

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 That we can experience the reality of God's presence with us on a daily basis.

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 Be changed in everything that we do.

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 And God wants us to acknowledge the fact.

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 Answer the question.

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 Caterpillar?

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 Caterpillar?

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 Cacoon?

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 Butterfly?

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 Has God changed you and revolutionized your life so much that you are experiencing the reality of God's love for you in your life?

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 It's possible.

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 We can turn our lives around even today.

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 I don't know where you stand before God.

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 but my name's Ken, my wife's name is Rita.

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 We have three children and eight grandchildren.

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 That's maybe all that you know about us,

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 but there are times when somehow things change us completely.

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 And I just want to, I would love this morning for us

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 to acknowledge the fact that we'd be honest with ourselves.

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 Where do we stand before God?

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 Where's the reality of our presence in his life?

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 Are we really at that time of having a transformed life

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 so that we can see the reality of God's love

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 manifest in our hearts and in our lives?

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 Life-changing encounters.

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 As a father sent me, Jesus said,

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 he's sending us.

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 Receive the Holy Spirit.

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 What a transformation happened in their lives.

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 And John, I'm so grateful you said that about this morning.

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 Because lives, even today,

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 we could talk about all the Bible studies

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 and all these things if we could borrow.

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 It's better, far better,

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 if we could grasp something of the reality

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 of what God wants to do in our lives.

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 For people who are struggling,

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 people who mightn't know exactly what's happening tomorrow,

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 my prayer is that somehow God will transform our lives

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 here today, amongst us,

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 as we gather together in his name.

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 Jesus had come to this place.

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 He said he stood amongst.

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 How would you feel that day?

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 He stood there.

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 Wow.

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 But he's here.

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 John said it.

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 He's here.

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 With us today.

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 Didn't you mean?

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 He's with us today.

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 For we're two or three to gather together in my name.

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 There I am in the midst.

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 So Jesus is here.

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 Unless you believe he's a liar.

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 Is Jesus a liar?

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 No way.

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 So he's here today.

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 And I pray that somehow

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 we will have a transforming encounter with him

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 in our own hearts.

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 Not just talking amongst ourselves about it,

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 but in our own hearts.

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 You don't have to be here for it to happen.

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 You can go home.

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 You can get on your knees.

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 You can ask God to come into your life.

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 And he will.

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 For you will listen, you pray.

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 John's Gospel was written

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 so that you might know

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 the Lord Jesus Christ is your Saviour.

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 That's why it was written.

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 And this morning we can have that change

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 for ourselves.

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 That we can be honest with ourselves.

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 Exactly where we stand before God.

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 So that we can have that transforming power

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 that we all long to have, really.

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 Don't we?

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 That's why you're here today.

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 We long for the reality of knowing

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 and understanding God in our lives.

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 And that has to be worked out with you

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 and Jesus.

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 And I pray that somehow today

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 you will accept that for yourselves.

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 That you'll receive him.

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 I would say what Jesus said that day,

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 peace be with you

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 and receive the Holy Spirit.

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 And we can do that today

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 because he's here

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 in this place.

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 He's here.

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 Shall we just pray?

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 Shall we just ask God to help us?

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 That we can really have

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 a transforming encounter

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 with Jesus today.

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 That he's here in our presence.

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 Just talk to him

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 as you would to your mate, friend.

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 Because he is your friend.

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 The best friend that you will ever have.

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 Just speak to him.

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 Tell him what you need.

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 Tell him what's in your heart.

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 Tell him your heart's breaking

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 if it's breaking.

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 Tell him what you need

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 if you're sick.

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 Ask him to heal you.

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 Just let the Holy Spirit

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 just minister to you

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 at this time.

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 And we acknowledge the reality

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 of an encounter

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 with the Lord Jesus Christ.

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 For he indeed is here.

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 he's alive.

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 He's alive.

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 He's alive.

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 Thank you, Lord Jesus.

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 Thank you for the reality

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 of your word

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 that speaks so

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 clearly to us.

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 Father, help us to grasp

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 that truth for ourselves.

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 Help us to

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 somehow

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 change.

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 Maybe we need to change

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 up a notch

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 from a caterpillar

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 to a cocoon

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 this morning.

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 Or maybe

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 God is saying to us,

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 come on,

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 it's time to be released

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 and to experience

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 his presence.

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 Holy Spirit,

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 come we pray.

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 Holy Spirit,

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 come we pray.

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 come on,

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 church.

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 Let's ring those bells

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 and tell the people

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 of Cleveland

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 that Jesus is alive.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Thank you.