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Speaker 1: Let us pray after these things. The word of the

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Speaker 1: Lord came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, fear not, Abraham,

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Speaker 1: I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Genesis

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Speaker 1: fifteen one. Dear Heavenly Father, when the season comes, help

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Speaker 1: me to make the choice to separate and move on,

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Speaker 1: when a relationship must transition and come to an end.

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Speaker 1: When I must choose a new location to move to,

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Speaker 1: I will not only look at the outward appearance, but

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Speaker 1: will look intently at the new land and opportunity to

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Speaker 1: make sure your spirit and presence are there. As I

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Speaker 1: continue to move in sync with your commands. I thank

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Speaker 1: you that you will continue to bless me and send

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Speaker 1: words of encouragement through various people Like Abraham. I declare

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Speaker 1: that multiplication is in my future. I declare that you

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Speaker 1: will not depart from me nor leave my side until

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Speaker 1: you've accomplished your covenant and promises through me. Thank you, Lord,

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Speaker 1: that you are for me like you were for Abraham

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Speaker 1: in the book of Genesis. In Jesus name, Amen, thanks

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Speaker 1: for making prayer a priority in your life. To hear

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Speaker 1: the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the Bible.

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Speaker 1: In a year brought to you by Bible in a

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Speaker 1: Year dot com.

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Speaker 2: Abram and Lot separate. Before this story, we learned about

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Speaker 2: how Abram was called by God to leave his country,

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Speaker 2: and God would bless him, make his name great, and

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Speaker 2: make him into a great nation. Yet in Abram's heart

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Speaker 2: was imperfections, fears, and faithlessness. Now we will learn about

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Speaker 2: how Abram and Lot separate and go their own ways,

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Speaker 2: and how God's faithfulness to Abram saves Lot from danger.

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Speaker 2: Then we see a promise made by God that would

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Speaker 2: change the course of history. Inspired by the Book of Genesis.

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Speaker 3: Hello, I'm pastor Jack grayheb with today's episode of the

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Speaker 3: Bible in a Year podcast. Yesterday we looked at the

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Speaker 3: story of Abram leaving his home and journeying to a

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Speaker 3: new land to Canaan. When he left, he brought with

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Speaker 3: him his wife Sarah and also his nephew Lot. Today,

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Speaker 3: we're going to cover a lot of ground, starting with

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Speaker 3: Lot in Abram and how their stories differ. You're about

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Speaker 3: to see lot story. Though he was with Abram, he

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Speaker 3: took a decidedly different direction. It's a sad story about

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Speaker 3: decisions being seduced by the apparent beauty of a place

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Speaker 3: while neglecting to see the wickedness, the toxic wickedness that

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Speaker 3: was brewing beneath the surface. We contrast that with the

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Speaker 3: choices made while seeking God and depending upon him. You'll

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Speaker 3: also hear how Abram is coming into his own as

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Speaker 3: a wise man who worships God and who cares more

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Speaker 3: about honoring the Lord than receiving honor to himself. Finally,

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Speaker 3: we'll see how Abram has learned, at least for now,

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Speaker 3: to wait on God's timing and to plead with him,

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Speaker 3: to plead with God for answers when the promise of

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Speaker 3: descendants is still not fulfilled. It's a lesson for how

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Speaker 3: you could approach God. How you can approach God honestly,

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Speaker 3: asking for the desires of your heart, even as you

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Speaker 3: wait faithfully on His timing. Now Here is today's reading.

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Speaker 2: Abram and Lot both increased in riches and influence, so

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Speaker 2: much so that their livestock, servants, and warriors could no

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Speaker 2: longer hunger inhabit the same land. To keep their people

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Speaker 2: from warring against one another, Abram proposed, they separate, separate

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Speaker 2: from me. If you take the left, then I will

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Speaker 2: go to the right. Or if you take the right,

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Speaker 2: then I will go to the left. Lot took Abram

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Speaker 2: up on his generous offer and looked out at the

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Speaker 2: Jordan Valley and saw that it was full of fertile

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Speaker 2: plains in the direction of Zor. The plains were watered

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Speaker 2: everywhere and reminded him of the old stories of the

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Speaker 2: Garden of Eden. Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley and

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Speaker 2: everything east of them. He then took his flocks and

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Speaker 2: servants there, then parted with Abram and settled in the

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Speaker 2: land of Sodom. Though the land was beautiful, Lot had

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Speaker 2: wandered into a city filled with all kinds of evils,

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Speaker 2: men and women, plagued with a wicked and debased culture.

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Speaker 2: Lingered there, and Lot later on would find himself in

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Speaker 2: great danger. Abram looked to the west towards Canaan, God

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Speaker 2: who had promised fruitful land to Abram, met him there

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Speaker 2: and spoke, lift up your eyes and see where you are, north, south, east,

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Speaker 2: and west. Every piece of land you see, I will

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Speaker 2: give to you and your descendants forever from you. I

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Speaker 2: will fill the earth with my righteousness. So Abram moved

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Speaker 2: his tent and settled by the oaks of Mamory. Beside Hebron,

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Speaker 2: and there he worshiped the Lord with a full heart.

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Speaker 2: Towards the east, a great war spread like a plague

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Speaker 2: across the region. The four kings of the cities in

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Speaker 2: Sodom and Gomorrah rebelled against the confederation of five kings

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Speaker 2: ruling over them. War, bloodshed, theft, and rape burned through

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Speaker 2: Lot's land like a wildfire. A fierce and brutal battle

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Speaker 2: traveled towards the valley of the Dead Sea. The four

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Speaker 2: rebel kings clashed against their overlords, with thousands of men

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Speaker 2: behind them. Running into battle, the armies of Sodom and

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Speaker 2: Gomorrah were gripped by the tar pits below the valley,

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Speaker 2: trapped and slaughtered slowly by their enemies. While some were

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Speaker 2: mercilessly torn apart, others fled to the hills to die

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Speaker 2: slowly in shame. In the aftermath stood Lot helplessly, robbed, beaten,

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Speaker 2: then kidnapped by the confederate kings. They had taken everything

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Speaker 2: he owned, including all of the women and children under

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Speaker 2: his care. Lot was now totally consumed by the wicked

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Speaker 2: land he had chosen as a home and a slave

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Speaker 2: to the people he chose to dwell with one of

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Speaker 2: Lot's spies, escaped the confederate kings and ran towards the west,

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Speaker 2: where Abram lived in peace with his allies Mamory, Escorl

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Speaker 2: and an Air. The word of Lot's captivity came to Abram,

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Speaker 2: and there was no time wasted. Abram assembled three hundred

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Speaker 2: and eighteen of his trained men and prepared them for battle. Together,

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Speaker 2: they traveled a great distance to retrieve Lot. Abram's land

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Speaker 2: was at peace. This was not his war, yet God

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Speaker 2: was grooming him to be a hero. Abram did not

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Speaker 2: storm the valley on horseback, nor did his army charge

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Speaker 2: into battle with the horns of war behind them. They

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Speaker 2: waited for the dark quiet of the night. Abram divided

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Speaker 2: his army and had them swiftly take over the enemy.

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Speaker 2: With quiet tact and swiftness. Abram took back Lot, his possessions,

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Speaker 2: his people, and drove the rest of the enemy out

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Speaker 2: to the north to be killed. Afterwards, Abram was met

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Speaker 2: by a mysterious king and priest named Melchizedek. He brought

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Speaker 2: Abram bread and wine, then blessed him, saying, blessed be

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Speaker 2: Abram from the most High God, the creator of Heaven.

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Speaker 2: And Earth. Blessed be the most High God, who delivered

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Speaker 2: your enemies to you. Melchizedek spoke of Abram's God and

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Speaker 2: a land that did not know him, and was a

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Speaker 2: priest of God before priests existed. Melchizedek's blessing mirrored that

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Speaker 2: of God's, and Abram was astounded. Of all the possessions

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Speaker 2: Abram had, he gave Melchizedek a tenth. This interaction between

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Speaker 2: Abram and Melchizedek would be important for years and years

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Speaker 2: to come. Shortly after, Abram was approached by the King

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Speaker 2: of Sodom. The king desired to reward Abram for his

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Speaker 2: victory and offered Abram the spoils of war. Yet Abram

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Speaker 2: knew the wickedness lying beneath. He saw the king lying

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Speaker 2: through his teeth. He knew that the king wanted Abram

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Speaker 2: to be indebted to him. Abram, in a moment of honor, said,

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Speaker 2: I have fought for the Lord, owner of heaven and earth.

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Speaker 2: I will not take even a sandal strap from you,

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Speaker 2: lest you think it is you who has made me rich.

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Speaker 2: So Abram allowed his allies to take their share, but

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Speaker 2: he took nothing and returned home after rejecting the reward

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Speaker 2: from the King of Sodom. The Lord then visited Abram

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Speaker 2: in a vision. Again. He made a promise to Abram, saying,

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Speaker 2: I am your shield, and I will provide you with

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Speaker 2: a great reward. Abram, filled with sadness, looked to God, saying, O, Lord,

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Speaker 2: you say you want to bless me and my descendants,

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Speaker 2: Yet I remain childless. Shall I be forced to give

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Speaker 2: all that I have to a servant of my household?

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Speaker 2: Shall he inherit my land? God, with tender love and compassion,

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Speaker 2: spoke gently to Abram. Look to the skies. See how

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Speaker 2: the stars are countlessly scattered throughout the universe. Your descendants

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Speaker 2: will be just as these stars, great in number and

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Speaker 2: abounding in beauty. Abram, despite the doubt and anguish in

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Speaker 2: his heart, believed God. It was this faith that God

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Speaker 2: counted as righteousness. It was this faith that God would

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Speaker 2: bless him with. Again, God spoke, saying, I am the

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Speaker 2: one who brought you out of Erth and the land

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Speaker 2: of the Chaldeans. I brought you out to give you

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Speaker 2: this land to take possession of because I am the Lord. Abram,

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Speaker 2: still in faith, asked how he would take possession of

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Speaker 2: the land already inhabited by so many people. God responded

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Speaker 2: with a task, Bring me a female calf who has

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Speaker 2: not given birth, a goat, and a ram, all three

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Speaker 2: years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.

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Speaker 2: So Abram brought all of what the Lord asked for,

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Speaker 2: cut them in half, and arranged the halves opposite of

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Speaker 2: each other. The birds he did not cut in half,

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Speaker 2: though blood scattered all around Abram, and his hands stained

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Speaker 2: in red. Abram fell into a very deep sleep, and

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Speaker 2: a dreadful darkness came over him. God met him in

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Speaker 2: his sleep, saying, know for certain that your offspring will

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Speaker 2: be sojourners and strangers in a land that is not theirs.

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Speaker 2: There they will be servants, and they will be afflicted

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Speaker 2: for four hundred years. But I am faithful, and I

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Speaker 2: will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and

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Speaker 2: afterward they shall come out with great possessions. This he

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Speaker 2: spoke of, regarding the captivity of Egypt. As for you,

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Speaker 2: you shall go to your fathers in peace. You shall

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Speaker 2: be buried in a good old age. The night had continued,

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Speaker 2: and Abram awoke to a burning flame between the pieces

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Speaker 2: of flesh, and just as God had provided a covering

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Speaker 2: for Adam and Eve in the garden with the furs

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Speaker 2: of an animal, and protected Noah from the flood using

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Speaker 2: the ark. So God provided a promise to Abram. There

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Speaker 2: that day, the Lord made a cover with Abram, saying,

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Speaker 2: I give this land to your descendants. And God would

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Speaker 2: not depart from Abram's side for the rest of his days,

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Speaker 2: nor would he forsake his children.

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Speaker 3: Today's reading opens with two men who are greatly prospering

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Speaker 3: in the land God has brought them into. Abram is

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Speaker 3: older and wiser, and he sees the potential for conflict

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Speaker 3: even within a family, over land and prosperity and property.

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Speaker 3: And as he and Lot both grow in riches and

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Speaker 3: in influence, so he gives Lot the first pick of

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Speaker 3: which land to settle, and he agrees that he will

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Speaker 3: take what Lot does not choose. Lot sees the beauty

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Speaker 3: and the glory and the riches of the land near

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Speaker 3: the Jordan River, where the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

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Speaker 3: were located. This is the land he chose. Perhaps he

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Speaker 3: was blinded by the abundance and lush of the area,

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Speaker 3: but for whatever reason, he did not take into account

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Speaker 3: the wickedness, the vile wickedness of the people in that area. Abram,

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Speaker 3: on the other hand, went to God, and God showed

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Speaker 3: him where he would settle. So we see the contrast

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Speaker 3: of acting based on our own wisdom as Lot did,

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Speaker 3: versus seeking God's counsel and guidance in every aspect of life.

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Speaker 3: The difference could not be more pronounced. Abram was blessed

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Speaker 3: and continued to grow in riches and influence, but Lot.

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Speaker 3: It wasn't long before Lot was in deep, deep trouble.

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Speaker 3: Wars and rebellion threatened Lot's very life, and he was beaten, robbed,

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Speaker 3: and kidnapped. Abram steps in as the hero and comes

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Speaker 3: to the rescue of his nephew. We see Abram not

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Speaker 3: as a nomadic traveler, but a warrior who comes in

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Speaker 3: and conquers the enemy, driving them out of the land

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Speaker 3: and restoring his nephew Lot. This wasn't Abram's war, but

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Speaker 3: he intervened. As a result, Abram has an encounter with

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Speaker 3: a high priest named Melchizedek, who worship Abram's God. This

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Speaker 3: priest blesses Abram and astounds him as his blessing reminds

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Speaker 3: Abram of the blessing God has given him. There is

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Speaker 3: another lesson we learn in this story, and that is

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Speaker 3: with Abram's interaction with the king of Sodom, who tries

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Speaker 3: to align himself with Abram. But Abram, rather than accepting

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Speaker 3: the glory and the honor, trust in the Lord, he

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Speaker 3: turns back to the Lord. We can be tempted to

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Speaker 3: accept praise from other men for our victories, but Abram

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Speaker 3: reminds us that God is the source of our strength.

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Speaker 3: He is our victory and the one for whom we

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Speaker 3: live and strive. Finally, we see Abram pleading with God

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Speaker 3: for his promises to be fulfilled. He is yet without descendants,

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Speaker 3: and rather than taking matters into his own hands, he

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Speaker 3: goes before God. I love the honesty of his interaction

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Speaker 3: with God and the Lord Lord's gentle and loving response.

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Speaker 3: Here is what Genesis fifteen, verses two through six says.

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Speaker 3: But Abram said, Lord God, what will you give me?

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Speaker 3: Since I am childless and the heir of my house

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Speaker 3: is Eliezar of Damascus. Abram also said, since you have

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Speaker 3: given me no son, one who's been born into my

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Speaker 3: house and is my heir, Then behold the word of

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Speaker 3: the Lord came to him, saying, this man will not

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Speaker 3: be your error, but one who will come from your

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Speaker 3: own body shall be your heir. And he took him

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Speaker 3: outside and said, now look toward the heavens and count

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Speaker 3: the stars. If you are able to count them, And

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Speaker 3: he said to him, so shall your descendants be. Then

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Speaker 3: he believed in the Lord, and it was credited unto

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Speaker 3: him as righteousness. God comforts Abram and adds to the

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Speaker 3: promise he will give him more than he could ever

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Speaker 3: even fathom. How gracious of God to not only reaffirm

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Speaker 3: the promises he made to Abram, but to point to

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Speaker 3: the night sky as a reminder of that promise. You

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Speaker 3: can just imagine how every time Abram grew discouraged or

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Speaker 3: tired and felt that his faith was giving way, he

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Speaker 3: looked up into a brilliant night sky lit up with

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Speaker 3: the stars, and remembered God's promise. In response, Abram offers

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Speaker 3: a sacrifice, and the Lord makes a covenant with him.

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Speaker 3: Then and there, this is where we leave Abram for today.

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Speaker 3: Once again, his story offers you a wonderful example of

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Speaker 3: faith and submission to God, and the timing the Lord brings, oh,

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Speaker 3: that we would trust in our Lord so fully as Abram,

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Speaker 3: dear Father in heaven, Thank you that we can trust

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Speaker 3: you and seek you for wisdom in every aspect of

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Speaker 3: our lives. We are so grateful for Abram's story and

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Speaker 3: how it teaches us to always live by faith and

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Speaker 3: not sight, and to trust in his promises always in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 3: I'm pastor Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot

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Speaker 3: com app and make prayer a priority in your life.

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Speaker 3: If you enjoy this podcast, share it with someone you love.

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Speaker 3: By sharing this podcast, you can make a difference in

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Speaker 3: someone's life. And if you want more resources on how

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Speaker 3: to tap into God's power for successful Christian living, be

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Speaker 3: sure to visit Jack Graham dot org. God bless