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Speaker 1: Let us pray. And when all the people saw it,

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Speaker 1: they fell on their faces, and they said, the Lord,

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Speaker 1: he is the God. The Lord, he is the God.

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Speaker 1: First Kings, eighteen thirty nine. Lord, I want you to

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Speaker 1: know that you can trust me with challenging and difficult assignments.

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Speaker 1: When I am faced with having to stand strong in

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Speaker 1: my faith and to stand on the side of godliness,

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Speaker 1: I will not waver to gain the acceptance of the masses,

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Speaker 1: like the King and prophets in First Kings eighteen Instead,

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Speaker 1: I will stand side by side with you, Lord, awaiting

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Speaker 1: your directions and guidance. I confess to day that I

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Speaker 1: am not afraid to be the only one. I am

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Speaker 1: not afraid to be the only one to operate with integrity.

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Speaker 1: I am not afraid to be the only one who

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Speaker 1: follows your word when others choose compromise. I am not

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Speaker 1: afraid to declare your might. He works in a world

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Speaker 1: who wants me to take credit for what I have.

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Speaker 1: When there's doubt in the lives of your children, I

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Speaker 1: will rest in your power to speak boldly and to

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Speaker 1: point them back to you so that they can flourish

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Speaker 1: once again. I hear the sound of rain in the distance,

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Speaker 1: and I thank you in advance for refreshing the dry

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Speaker 1: areas in my life. In Jesus's name, Amen, thanks for

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

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Speaker 1: Bible come to life, Stay tuned for the Bible in

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Speaker 1: a Year brought to you by Bible in a Year dot.

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Speaker 2: Com Elijah on Mount Carmel. In our last story, we

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Speaker 2: learned about the faith full provision of God in Elijah's life.

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Speaker 2: A great drought filled the land of Israel, yet God

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Speaker 2: continued to meet Elijah's needs.

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Speaker 3: The drought was.

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Speaker 2: A symbol of Israel's spiritual state. They had strayed away

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Speaker 2: from the Lord and worshiped other gods. As a result,

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Speaker 2: they were destitute. In this story, Elijah showcases the mightiness

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Speaker 2: of God against the false gods of Israel. Elijah stands

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Speaker 2: in direct opposition to the prophets of bel in a

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Speaker 2: cosmic battle of nature inspired by the Book of First Kings.

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Speaker 4: Hello, I'm pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of the

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Speaker 4: Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous time together,

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Speaker 4: we saw God provide miraculously for Elijah in the midst

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Speaker 4: of a drought that was devastating Israel. God's people were

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Speaker 4: experiencing the judgment of a righteous and holy God from

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Speaker 4: whom their hearts had turned as they worshiped Bail, the

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Speaker 4: false gods of the Pagans. The Lord had used this

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Speaker 4: period of need and provision in Elijah's life to strengthen

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Speaker 4: and deepen his faith as he prepared for many battles ahead.

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Speaker 4: And today we'll hear how the clash between God and

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Speaker 4: the prophets of Bail and Asherah leads to an amazing

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Speaker 4: display of God's power at a place called Mount Carmel.

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Speaker 2: The country of Israel was scorched and forsaken. For three years,

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Speaker 2: the soil received no reign, the land was parched, and

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Speaker 2: the people of Israel were lost in a daze of

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Speaker 2: thirst and misery. King Ahab was forced to govern Israel

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Speaker 2: in dire circumstances. Deep down, though he would not admit it,

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Speaker 2: he knew that it was the Lord who kept the

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Speaker 2: rain from falling. One morning, the Lord spoke to Eliza.

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Speaker 2: The Lord spoke as if giving a commission and a warning.

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Speaker 2: Go to King Ahab. He said, tell him that rain

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Speaker 2: is coming. So Elijah took off. Ahab had been seeking

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Speaker 2: out Elijah for quite some time, for he knew that

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Speaker 2: Elijah was someone who could entreat of the Lord to

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Speaker 2: send rain. Elijah knew he would not receive a warm

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Speaker 2: welcome from the king. Meanwhile, back in Samaria, a deathly

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Speaker 2: famine was spreading throughout the land. King Ahab sent his

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Speaker 2: most faithful servant, Obadiah, to search for sources of water.

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Speaker 2: Obadiah was a faithful follower of the Lord and had

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Speaker 2: a proven past of bravery in the midst of great distress.

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Speaker 2: One time, when the wicked Jezebel tried to kill one

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Speaker 2: hundred of the Lord's prophets, Obadiah hid them safely in

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Speaker 2: caves night and day.

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Speaker 3: He tended to their.

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Speaker 2: Needs and kept them safe. Obadiah was well known for

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Speaker 2: his compassion and bravery. Ahab commissioned Obadiah to find springs

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Speaker 2: of water. Obadiah in one way, and Ahab went the other.

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Speaker 2: As Obadiah was on his search, he saw Elijah walking

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Speaker 2: towards the palace. Obadiah stopped dead in his tracks, quivering

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Speaker 2: with excitement and fear. He fell at Elijah's feet and said,

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Speaker 2: is that really you Elijah. Elijah smiled. He was happy

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Speaker 2: to see a friendly face. He helped Obadiah to his

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Speaker 2: feet and said, yes, my friend, I have come to

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Speaker 2: see the king. Go and tell him I am here.

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Speaker 2: Obadiah shook his head and grabbed Elijah by the shoulders. No,

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Speaker 2: he shouted, If I go and tell Ahab you are here,

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Speaker 2: he will harm me for letting you get away. He

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Speaker 2: has been searching for you for months. He blames you

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Speaker 2: for the drought. Obadiah composed himself and forced a smile.

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Speaker 2: If I go and tell the king you are here

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Speaker 2: and you do not show up, he will surely kill me.

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Speaker 2: Elijah tried to reassure Obadiah that all was well, but

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Speaker 2: Obadiah shook his head again and said, Ahab's wife, Jezebel,

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Speaker 2: began an inquisition of God's prophets. I had to hide

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Speaker 2: them in caves. You are not safe here, Elijah. Elijah

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Speaker 2: planted his feet firmly in the ground and took Obadiah's hand.

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Speaker 2: He looked him in the eye and said, I swear

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Speaker 2: by the Almighty I will be there shortly.

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Speaker 3: Take courage.

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Speaker 2: Obadiah clenched Elijah's hand and let out a sigh. A

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Speaker 2: slight grin came upon his face, a grin that could

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Speaker 2: only come from a man with true faith in God.

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Speaker 2: He nodded his head and left to go tell King

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Speaker 2: Ahab of Elijah's return. Elijah did not get far before

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Speaker 2: Ahab and his men came out to meet him.

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Speaker 3: The king came with.

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Speaker 2: A large crowd behind him. Rumors of Elijah being the

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Speaker 2: cause of the drought had spread throughout Israel.

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Speaker 3: Elijah could feel.

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Speaker 2: Their glares burning through his skin. Ahabs sat upon his camel.

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Speaker 2: He was a taller man, muscular and handsome, yet three

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Speaker 2: years of drought and conflict had aged him rapidly. Weariness

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Speaker 2: could be seen from under his eyes. Ahab glared down

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Speaker 2: at Elijah. Ah it is the trouble maker Elijah, Ahab said,

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Speaker 2: with a slight slur. Ahab was unsteady, involatile. He and

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Speaker 2: his wife Jezebel already proved they were capable of intense violence.

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Speaker 2: Yet something in Elijah gave him boldness to speak truthfully.

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Speaker 2: I have made no trouble, Elijah exclaimed. He projected his

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Speaker 2: voice so every one present could hear. He pointed to

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Speaker 2: Ahab and said, you and your family have brought this

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Speaker 2: on yourself. You worship the God's bail and Asherah. They

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Speaker 2: have brought you only pain. Elijah held his arms open wide.

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Speaker 2: Some in all of Israel to join me at Mount Carmelle.

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Speaker 2: Bring with you the four hundred fifty prophets of bail

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Speaker 2: and the four hundred prophets of Asherah. We shall see whose.

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Speaker 3: God is worthy to be praised.

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Speaker 2: The next morning, Ahabs summoned thousands of people to watch

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Speaker 2: Elijah stand against the eight hundred fifty prophets of Bail

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Speaker 2: an Asherah. Elijah looked at the sea of people. He

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Speaker 2: loathed that there had to be a spectacle to show

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Speaker 2: them the error of their ways. Elijah found a large

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Speaker 2: stone to stand on so he could be seen by

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Speaker 2: every man and woman present. He raised his hand into

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Speaker 2: the air and shouted, you waver and hobble between two masters.

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Speaker 2: First you serve God, and then you serve Bel and

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Speaker 2: Asherah no longer. If the Lord is worthy, follow him. However,

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Speaker 2: if bel shows himself to be God, then follow him.

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Speaker 2: The people were silent at Elijah's words. They waited. They

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Speaker 2: needed proof, they needed a show. It was truly ironic.

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Speaker 2: Beil was supposed to be the god of fertility and weather,

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Speaker 2: Yet the heavens closed and gave no rein all the

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Speaker 2: people's prayers to beil were never answered. Elijah stood among

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Speaker 2: the people and said, here Bell has four hundred fifty prophets.

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Speaker 2: The Lord has only me bring two bulls forth. The

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Speaker 2: people brought two bulls and killed them for a sacrifice.

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Speaker 2: Elijah continued saying, the prophets of Bell may choose whichever

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Speaker 2: bull they think is best. We will lay our bulls

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Speaker 2: on the wood for sacrifice. Elijah lifted his staff in

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Speaker 2: the air and yelled, call upon the name of your God,

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Speaker 2: and I shall call on mine. Whoever answers with fire

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Speaker 2: upon the altar shall be the true God. Elijah's words

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Speaker 2: rolled like thunder. He stepped down, His eyes did not

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Speaker 2: leave the false prophets. His righteous anger burned deep. Elijah

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Speaker 2: allowed the prophets of Bell to go first. They prayed

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Speaker 2: from morning until noon. They shouted, sang, and danced around

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Speaker 2: the altar. Elijah watched them as they hobbled on one leg,

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Speaker 2: fell on their faces towards the ground, enchanted in ancient dialects.

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Speaker 2: For hours, he suffered the incoherent babbles of these false prophets. Finally,

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Speaker 2: as the sun was at its highest in the sky,

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Speaker 2: Elijah began to mock them. He yawned and folded his arms.

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Speaker 3: You may have to.

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Speaker 2: Shout louder, Elijah scoffed. Perhaps he is lost somewhere day dreaming,

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Speaker 2: or perhaps he is relieving himself out back. It could

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Speaker 2: also be that he is away on a journey or

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Speaker 2: a sleep. Maybe if you shout louder, you could wake

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Speaker 2: him up. The prophets continued their shouts, as was the custom.

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Speaker 2: The prophets took out their blades and swords and began

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Speaker 2: to cut themselves on the altar. Blood gushed from their

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Speaker 2: arms and legs, spilling out onto the floor. They writhed

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Speaker 2: in pain, rolling around in their own gore. The sun

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Speaker 2: was beginning to set, and Elijah could take no more

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Speaker 2: of their nonsensical idol worshiping clouds slowly crept into the sky,

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Speaker 2: making their way over the people below.

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Speaker 3: Elijah drew people towards the altar.

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Speaker 2: He set up twelve stones to represent the twelve tribes

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Speaker 2: of Israel, and dug a large trench around the altar.

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Speaker 2: The people filled the trench with three gallons of water.

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Speaker 2: They poured more water over the wood. Again, Elijah said, so.

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Speaker 2: They drenched the wood again with water. Again Elijah repeated, so, again,

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Speaker 2: they dumped more water over the wood and offering. Elijah

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Speaker 2: knelt before the sopping wet altar. The whole area was silent,

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Speaker 2: listening in on Elijah's prayers to God, Lord, God of Abraham,

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Speaker 2: Isaac and Jacob, prove yourself today, answer me and answer

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Speaker 2: these people. Make them understand your deliverance. As Elijah was speaking,

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Speaker 2: a great flash of lightning fell down from heaven. The

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Speaker 2: altar erupted into flames, sending ash and debris flying into

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Speaker 2: the air. The offering, the wood, and the stones were

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Speaker 2: grounded into a powder, and the water evaporated into the

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Speaker 2: intense heat.

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Speaker 3: Of the flames.

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Speaker 2: The might of God had descended upon the altar. The

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Speaker 2: same God that sent fire spilling from heaven against the

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Speaker 2: Egyptians had proved himself to be just as present as before.

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Speaker 2: The people of Israel fell on to their faces and

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Speaker 2: began to repent before the Lord.

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Speaker 3: The Lord. He is God, The Lord is God, they shouted.

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Speaker 2: Elijah looked at the bleeding and babbling prophets and pointed

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Speaker 2: to them, take these prophets away. Do not let a

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Speaker 2: single one of them escape. So the mob of people

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Speaker 2: took them. The false prophets were dragged into the Kishan

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Speaker 2: valley and slaughtered for their wickedness. Their blood painted the

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Speaker 2: valley red. That day, Bell did not answer them. Thunder

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Speaker 2: began to roll in through the clouds. Elijah looked up

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Speaker 2: to Heaven and then looked down again to King Ahab.

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Speaker 2: Elijah smiled and said, you better go home and eat.

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Speaker 2: Seems to be a rainstorm coming. So Ahab and the

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Speaker 2: people of Israel retreated back into their homes, but Elijah

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Speaker 2: climbed to the top of Mount carmel Ahab stayed awhile and.

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Speaker 3: Watched as Elijah.

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Speaker 2: Climbed there, high above the city. Elijah bowed among the clouds.

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Speaker 2: Thunder surrounded him in every direction. Thick black clouds covered

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Speaker 2: the skies. Elijah preyed on his knees to God, with

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Speaker 2: his face held high to Heaven. Elijah turned back to

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Speaker 2: a servant and said, go and tell Ahab to retreat

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Speaker 2: on his chariot before the rain catches him.

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Speaker 3: The winds became.

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Speaker 2: Violent, and soon it was difficult to stand upright. Elijah

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Speaker 2: tucked his cloak into his belt and began running. The

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Speaker 2: Lord gave him special strength to run faster than the rain,

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Speaker 2: and Ahab's chariot behind him. The rain began to consume

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Speaker 2: the dry and thirsty valley.

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Speaker 4: As we opened today's scripture, Israel is still plagued with drought.

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Speaker 4: Rain had not fallen for three years. King Ahab, a

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Speaker 4: wicked king, ruled the land in this challenging time, and

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Speaker 4: rather than turned to God, AaB continued in his wickedness,

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Speaker 4: letting the worship of false gods destroy the land. The

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Speaker 4: people had suffered greatly for their unfaithfulness, just as God

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Speaker 4: through Elijah had told King Ahab it would. But now

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Speaker 4: it was time for the rains to return. Now is

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Speaker 4: a time for revival. So the Lord spoke to Elijah

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Speaker 4: and told him to go to Ahab, saying God would

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Speaker 4: send rain. So Elijah went off to see the king. Meanwhile,

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Speaker 4: Ahab was desperately looking for solutions to his big problem.

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Speaker 4: He sent his servant Obadiah to look for grass and

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Speaker 4: water for the animals. The king took a search party

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Speaker 4: in one direction, and Obadiah went the other way. Now,

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Speaker 4: unlike the king, Obadiah feared God and had protected God's prophets.

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Speaker 4: When Ahab's wife, Jezebel, a very wicked woman, was hunting

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Speaker 4: them down to kill them. When Obadiah encountered Elijah, he

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Speaker 4: was thrilled to see him, but when Elijah told him

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Speaker 4: to go tell the king he was coming, Obadiah was

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Speaker 4: terrified because Ahab was evil and violent, and if he

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Speaker 4: returned without Elijah, he was sure to have his head.

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Speaker 4: In other words, Obadiah compromised. But Elijah reassured Obadiah that

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Speaker 4: the Lord would protect him, so he did finally go

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Speaker 4: away to tell the king. When Ahab and Elijah finally

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Speaker 4: met up, rather than acknowledge his fault in the drought,

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Speaker 4: Ahab deflected the blame. He called Elijah a troublemaker. But

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Speaker 4: Elijah told Ahab that he was the troublemaker, that he

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Speaker 4: had brought judgment upon Israel. The worship of all the

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Speaker 4: false gods would certainly bring ruin upon God's people. Elijah

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Speaker 4: told Aheb to summon the four hundred and fifty the

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Speaker 4: prophets of Bail and four hundred prophets of Asherah to

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Speaker 4: Mount Carmel. It was time for a showdown. It would

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Speaker 4: be a battle of the gods. Now I want you

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Speaker 4: to picture this scene. Thousands of people gathered on a

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Speaker 4: mountain for a battle of belief. A battle of faith

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Speaker 4: between eight hundred and fifty false prophets against one lone

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Speaker 4: man standing for God, the man Elijah. Elijah was full

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Speaker 4: of faith. He was confident. He knew God would come

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Speaker 4: through just as he promised, and he knew the people

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Speaker 4: had a choice to make. So in One Kings eighteen

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Speaker 4: twenty one, this is what Elijah says to the people,

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Speaker 4: how long will you go limping between two different opinions?

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Speaker 4: If the Lord is God, follow him? But if bail,

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Speaker 4: then follow him. And the people did not answer him

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Speaker 4: a word. In other words, they refused to make a decision.

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Speaker 4: He then had two bulls brought, one for God and

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Speaker 4: one for the false idols. The prophets of Bail could

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Speaker 4: choose the bull they saw fit. Then each bull would

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Speaker 4: be killed and laid on the wood and be sacrificed.

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Speaker 4: The challenge was a simple one. Each party would call

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Speaker 4: them their deity to bring fire upon the altar and

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Speaker 4: consume the animal, and they would see which God answered,

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Speaker 4: because the God who is God, would answer with fire.

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Speaker 4: The prophets of Bail, of course, failed because their God

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Speaker 4: was a nonexistent god. He was indifferent because he did

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Speaker 4: not exist. They began to cut themselves and bleed on

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Speaker 4: the altar, and to cry out and to shout, but

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Speaker 4: to no avail. The gods that Israel had given their

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Speaker 4: lives to, turning from the Lord to follow after these

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Speaker 4: bales were powerless and silent. Just a word of application here.

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Speaker 4: The false gods of our own age are powerless to

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Speaker 4: meet the deepest needs of the human hearts. Never give

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Speaker 4: your energy, or your devotion, or your faith to what

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Speaker 4: does not really exist. In the end, as is always

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Speaker 4: the case, the false gods would never come through. And

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Speaker 4: then it was Elijah's turn. A mere fire wouldn't do.

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Speaker 4: The people needed a sign that they could not reject

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Speaker 4: or ignore. So he had gallons of water dumped on

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Speaker 4: the altar, drenching the bull and the wood. Why did

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Speaker 4: he do this? I like what someone said. A god

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Speaker 4: who cannot burn wet wood is not a god at all.

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Speaker 4: So the wood is wet. But Elijah pray to prayer

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Speaker 4: to remind everyone that God is God, the God of

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Speaker 4: their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And when he called

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Speaker 4: upon the Lord in prayer to show his power, a

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Speaker 4: great explosion took place. A great fire like a nuclear attack,

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Speaker 4: fell from heaven and consumed everything east, woods, stone, and water.

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Speaker 4: The people then fell on their faces praising God. Elijah

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Speaker 4: then had every last prophet of bail put to death.

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Speaker 4: He knew that their evil deception could not remain in

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Speaker 4: the land. The cancer had to be cut out. Our

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Speaker 4: passage closes with rain gathering in the skies. Elijah tells

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Speaker 4: King Aheb to run back to Jezreel before the rain came,

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Speaker 4: and Ahab takes his chariot and rode away. God then

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Speaker 4: strengthened Elijah with supernatural strength, and he sped to outrun

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Speaker 4: Aheb's chariot and arrive in Jezreel ahead of the king,

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Speaker 4: ready to serve as God's counsel to a king who

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Speaker 4: needed to turn the nation back to God. Would Ahab

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Speaker 4: change his ways and what would happen to Elijah, who

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Speaker 4: had killed Jezebel the Terrible Queen's prophets we'll find out

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Speaker 4: in our next reading. Dear Lord, we are reminded from

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Speaker 4: this powerful story just how much we need revival in

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Speaker 4: our world today. We ask that you would send the

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Speaker 4: fire to your people and your churches, the fire of

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Speaker 4: your spirit, that it would ignite us in true devotion

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Speaker 4: to you. May we tear down the false idols of

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Speaker 4: this world, and may we worship you and You only

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Speaker 4: with our whole hearts. Lord, help us not to limp

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Speaker 4: between two opinions, believing one thing one day and another

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Speaker 4: thing the other. But may our strength and our convictions

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Speaker 4: be strong as we walk with you in Jesus' name. Amen,

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Speaker 4: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.

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Speaker 4: I'm Jack Graham from Dallas, Texas. Download Theprey dot com

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Speaker 4: app and make prayer and Bible study a priority in

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Speaker 4: your life. If you enjoyed this podcast, share it with

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Speaker 4: someone you love, share it with a friend, pass it

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Speaker 4: on because this podcast can make a huge difference in

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Speaker 4: people's lives. I'm hearing wonderful stories of the impact of

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Speaker 4: God God's Word as a result of listening to Bible

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Speaker 4: in a Year. And if you want more biblical resources,

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Speaker 4: resources from God's Word that will enable you and assist

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Speaker 4: you in your walk with God, then be sure to

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Speaker 4: visit Jack Graham dot org. That's Jack Graham dot org.

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Speaker 4: God bless you.