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Category Archives: Hymns and Songs

“Worth it All” by Rita Springer

07 Aug

“Worth it All” by Rita Springer

I don’t understand your ways
Oh, but I will give you my song
Give you all of my praise
You hold on to all my pain
And with it you are pulling me closer
And pulling me into your ways

Now around every corner
And up every mountain
I’m not looking for crowns
O

 

r the water from fountains
I’m desperately seeking
And frantically believing
That the sight of your face
is all that I’m needing.
I will say to you…

It’s going to be worth it
It’s going to be worth it
It’s going to be worth it
It’s going to be worth it all
I believe it
It’s going to be worth it
It’s going to be worth it
It’s going to be worth it all

 

Dear God, I felt like I just needed to spend some time in worship this morning. I have some things happening around me that are overwhelming me, and yet I have found you meeting me “around every corner.” There are some things happening that make my heart hurt–some personal, some professional–and yet I still find you.

I had a friend some to me a few days ago and express her own frustration at some things that are happening in her life, and, frankly, they are similar to something my wife and I are experiencing. As I’ve thought about her situation and my situation, I’ve thought about how much you have helped me. You’ve helped me to be at peace. You’ve helped my wife and me work together to face some tough issues. You’ve brought us miraculous, providential kindness. And I literally don’t know where I would be without coming to you as an individual and praying with her daily.

Father, you offer so much. You aren’t offering us earthly crowns. If those come, it is because…well, I don’t know they rhyme or reason for earthly crowns. But I know that I really am at peace without one. I just want to be your servant, play the role in my surroundings that you want me to play, and worship the God in heaven who makes my life worth living.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 7, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Multiplied” by Needtobreathe

31 Jul

God of mercy, sweet love of mine

I am surrendered to your design

Excerpt from “Multiplied” by Needtobreathe

Dear God, I was watching a slideshow of a mission trip to Mexico on Sunday, and this was one of the songs that came on. I really like it, and I decided to take a listen to it this morning to see if anything caught my ear, so to speak. What I noticed was the idea of being surrendered to your design.

I wonder what my life would look like if your plan was to let me have my design for my life and the lives around me. If I had that much control how much worse would things be, for me and everyone around me? It’s not that things are perfect now, but if my selfish will were able to change your will and design then the world would certainly be a worse place. And I would be a worse person. My soul is healthiest when I am letting go of my agenda and surrendering to your design.

Father, I need your mercy to guide me. I need more and more humility as I strive to find your perfect plan for my life. That plan might cost me something. It might cost me everything. If so, help me to sing, “God of mercy, sweet love of mine, I am surrendered to your design.”

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 31, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

“The Love of God” by Rich Mullins

25 Jul

“The Love of God” by Rich Mullins

There’s a wide ness in God’s mercy

I cannot find in my own

And it keeps this fire burning

To melt this heart of stone

Keeps me aching with the yearning

Keeps me glad to have been caught

In the reckless, raging fury

That they call the love of God

Now I have seen no band of angels

But I’ve heard the soldiers’ song

Love hangs over them like a banner

Love within leads them on

To the battle on the journey

And it’s never going to stop

Ever widening their mercy

And the fury of His love

Oh, the love of God

Oh, the love of God

The love of God

Joy and sorrow are this ocean

It’s in their every ebb and flow

Now the Lord ad door has opened

That all hell can never close

Here I’m tested and made worthy

Tossed about, yet lifted up

In the reckless, raging fury

That they call the love of God

Dear God, I’ve always love this song—the reckless, raging fury. That’s not normally how we describe your love. We want your love to be gentle and warm, but that’s how we love. That’s how mortals do it. The omnipotent brings something else to the table. The perfect father has a love that I cannot fathom. And your desire is to break us down and mold us into the people we need to be.

As I think about the words to this song this morning, I have to confess that my heart is distracted by a difficult situation. I have a difficult thing to do, and it has to be done well. I woke up this morning thinking about it, and what I’m really wondering is how can I do it in love? How can I do it compassionately? What I’m facing feels like part of the ocean ebbing and flowing. It’s part of the sorrow that you use to form me. Oh, how I need you to help me.

Father, guide me. Guide me, please. And don’t let the pain of this situation be in vain. Make it count. Make it count for me and everyone else involved. Help me, please.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 25, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Jesus” by Rich Mullins (performed by Ashley Cleveland)

21 Jul

“Jesus” by Rich Mullins (performed by Ashley Cleveland)

Jesus

They say You walked upon the water once

When you lived as all men do

Please teach me how to walk the way You did

Because I want to walk with You

Jesus

They say you taught a lame man how to dance

When he had never stood without a crutch

Well here am I Lord holding out my withered hands

And I’m just waiting to be touched

Jesus

Write me into Your story

Whisper it to me

And let me know I’m Yours

Jesus

They say You spoke and calmed an angry wave

That was tossed across a stormy sea

Please teach me how to listen how to obey

‘Cause there’s a storm inside of me

Jesus

Write me into Your story

Whisper it to me

And let me know I’m Yours

Jesus

They drove the cold nails through Your tired hands

And rolled a stone to seal Your grave

Feels like the devil’s rolled a stone onto my heart

Can You roll that stone away?

Dear God, this is one of those great songs that it’s a crime isn’t know better. Rich Mullins wrote it shortly before his untimely death. I say untimely, but I suppose everything is in your time. But it sure felt untimely at the time.

Anyway, I love the connection between Bible stories about Jesus and an aching heart here and now. I try to imagine Rich writing it and the emotions he felt that drove the request he makes in the song.

It opens simply enough: “Please teach me how to walk the way you did because I want to walk with you.” The more I become like Jesus the more closely I can be to him. No, that’s wrong. The closer I get to him and you the more I will walk like him and be like him. My salvation is one thing. My discipleship and transformation is another that I must grow into.

Then he moves on to needing healing: “Well here I am, Lord, holding out my withered hands. And I’m just waiting to be touched.” One of the first stages of the walk is seeking your healing. Healing my soul. Chris Pratt recently said in an awards show, “You have a soul. Be careful with it.” Well, a lot of us are careless with our souls, or others damage our souls. It’s really a combination of both. But we need your healing before we can really move along in our journey with you.

The next thing is tuning into you: “Please teach me how to listen and how to obey because there’s a storm inside of me.” It’s interesting that he made a connection between the storm Jesus calmed with listening to and obeying you. I don’t think I would naturally have made that connection, but I can see it. The storms that rage inside of me—the fear, the unsettledness, and the selfishness—all combine to drown out your voice. I need your healing and your calm to bring me to a place where I can hear you.

And finally: “Feels like the devil’s rolled a stone onto my heart. Can you roll that stone away?” Father, I can’t do this myself. I need you to do it. My wounded soul. My stormy heart. My sin. My selfishness. I cannot will it to be gone, and I cannot will myself to be acceptable to you. I am acceptable to you because of Jesus’ sacrifice and because you choose by your will to accept me. Thank you for this freedom.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 21, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“I Will Sing” by Rich Mullins

19 Jul

“I Will Sing” by Rich Mullins

I will sing for the meek

For those who pray

With their very lives for peace

Though they’re in chains

For a higher call

Their mourning will change into laughter

When the nations fall

In spirit poor, in mercy rich

They hunger for your righteousness

Their hearts refined into purity

Lord, let me shine for them

Lord, let me sing

Lord, let me shine for them

Lord, let me sing

Dear God, I used to sing this as part of a trio of songs I sang for my children when I would put them to bed when they were little. This was the lead-off song. I hoped at the time it would plant seeds of compassion in them. I still hope it did.

The truth is, there is a lot of suffering in the world that I have zero clue how to address or as to what my role in alleviating it should be. What does “shining for them” look like?

I guess the conclusion I’ve come to is that shining for them is all about following my convictions and callings. There are some things I can do and there are many more things I cannot do. And no matter how much I do, it will not come close to helping even a percentage. But you didn’t call me to solve the world’s problems. You called me to respond to your still small voice. As long as I don’t find myself living in denial, hiding in a cave like Elijah, I am more than likely on the right track.

Father, bless the work of my hands. Help me to know what to do, what not to do, and to do everything through your leadership and for your glory. Help me to be shrewd and wise. Help me to be encouraging and to point people to you. And help all of us through these difficult worldly times.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 19, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

“Growing Young” by Rich Mullins and Beaker

16 Jul

“Growing Young” by Rich Mullins and Beaker

I’ve gone so far from my home
I’ve seen the world
And I have known
So many secrets
I wish now I did not know
‘Cause they have crept into my heart
They have left it cold and dark
And bleeding
Bleeding and falling apart

And everybody used to tell me
Big boys don’t cry
Well, I’ve been around enough to know
That that was the lie
That held back the tears
In the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well, we are children no more
We have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits
And He watches down the road
To see the crying boys
Come running back to His arms
And be growing young, nah, nah
Growing young, nah, nah, nah, nah

I’ve seen silver turn to draw dross
I’ve seen the best there ever was
And I’ll tell you, it ain’t worth what it cost
And I remember my father’s house
What I wouldn’t give right now
Just to see him
And hear him tell me that he loves me so much

And everybody used to tell me
Big boys don’t cry
Well, I’ve been around enough to know
That that was the lie
That held back the tears
In the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well, we are children no more
We have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits
And He watches down the road
To see the crying boys
Come running back to His arms
And be growing young, nah, nah
Growing young, nah, nah, nah, nah

And when I thought that I was all alone
It was your voice I heard calling me back home
And I wonder now Lord, what was it that made me wait so long
What kept you waiting for me all that time
Was your love stronger than my foolish pride
Will you take me back Lord
Take me back and let me be your child
Because I’ve been broken now, I’ve been saved
I’ve learned to cry and I’ve learned how to pray
And I’m learning, I’m learning even I can be changed

And everybody used to tell me
Big boys don’t cry
Well, I’ve been around enough to know
That that was the lie
That held back the tears
In the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well, we are children no more
We have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits
And He watches down the road
To see the crying boys
Come running back to His arms
And be growing young, nah, nah
Growing young, nah, nah, nah, nah

 

Dear God, I first heard this song nearly 25 years ago, and although I loved it at the time, I never knew how much it would come to mean to me. At the end of the day, we all need to have our wills broken to the point where we are willing to submit to you. And it comes easier to some that it does to others. The harder the heart, the more time it takes to break.

I have those in my life now for whom I pray this song and the sentiments of this song. Some are relatives. Some are friends. And I am in there too. You are still working on my heart and drawing it into yourself. I’m still learning to get over myself. I’m still learning to repent and pursue holiness. I’m still learning to look to you for my happiness and fulfillment.

Father, I’m willing to cry, so that’s a start. I’m willing to express my hurt and my faults. That’s a start too. The last 25 years have brought wounds and scars, but they have also brought me compassion, wisdom, love, and humility. Be glorified in me and please help those whom I love.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 16, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Make My Life a Prayer to You”

13 Jul

“Make My Life a Prayer to You” by Melody Green

Make my life a prayer to you
I want to do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers. No compromise

I want to shine the light you gave
Through your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you’re really there

Well I want to thank you now for being patient with me
Oh, it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what you say
Oh, you’re coming again, coming to take me a way

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave to me
A love that set me free

I want to tell the world out there
you’re not some fable or fairy tale
That I’ve made up inside my head
You’re God the son. You’ve risen from the dead

Oh, I want to thank you now for being patient with me
Oh, it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me
I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what you say
Oh, you’re coming again, coming to take me away

I want to die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave to me
I want to share the love that set me free

 

Dear God, this song is just great. The lyrics are really a perfect prayer.

I was lying in bed right after I woke up and I read the verse for the day from Bible Gateway (Phil 2:9-11) and, frankly, it really didn’t do anything for me. So then I started looking at YouTube to see if there was anything interesting there while I kind of killed a little time before getting out of bed. As it turned out, a live video of Keith Green playing this song came up and I watched it. I hadn’t heard this song in a long time. He introduced it by saying that his wife wrote it, and it was really something to be able to sing your wife’s song. It made me think I should probably look for opportunities to read my wife’s poetry out loud–even if it’s just for me.

So I listened intently to the words and sang along (I’ve known this song since the 80s). Like I said, it really is a perfect prayer.

Make my life a prayer to you, I want to do what you want me to

Of course. My life as a living prayer. If that were to happen at a 100% level, what would that look like?

No empty words, and no white lies

How much of my communication with others throughout the day is just empty, thoughtless words? I don’t know that white lies are a problem, but certainly empty words are.

No token prayers, no compromise

Yes. I want my prayers to be meaningful, thoughtful, and consistent. I want to live a life that is completely surrendered to you and does not look out for myself.

I want to shine the light you gave through your son you sent to save us from ourselves and our despair. It comforts me to know you’re really there

That’s what it’s all about. When people see me, they should see you and they should see something that they want in them.

Oh I want to thank you now for being patient with me. Oh, it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me.

Yes. You are patient. You are loving. You expect a lot from me, but you know better than I do the journey I am on in discipleship. If I can turn my eyes from myself to you then I will be able to see a lot more around me.

I guess I’ll have to trust and just believe what you say. Lord, you’re coming again. Coming to take me away.

I have very little thoughts about you coming back in rapture form during my living life, but I will say that I have every confidence that you’ll be there to take my soul when my earthly time is done.

I want to die and let you give your life to me so I might live. And share the hope you gave to me. A love that set me free

Again, this is a song about just getting over myself. I can only imagine what was going through Melody Green’s mind when she wrote this, but I know it must have been a beautiful moment between the two of you.

I want to tell the world out there you’re not some fable or fairy tale that I’ve made up inside my head. You’re God the Son, you’ve risen from the dead.

I am so weak and talking about who you really are and boldly proclaiming you. But may that come as I continue to learn to make my life a prayer to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 13, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Living Dangerously In the Hands of God”

08 Jul

“Living Dangerously in the Hands of God” by Steve Camp

How easily Jesus is forgotten
Amid the comfort of my life
How the flames become a flicker
And faith a brilliant disguise
Oh, Sundays become a holiday
Prayer an empty exercise
And the cost of real devotion
Seems so foreign to my life

Oh, to gladly risk it all
Oh, to be faithful to His call
Abandoned to grace
But anchored in His love
Living dangerously in the hands of God

Our Lord, He is a hiding place
His hold is strong and sure
Though the storms may rage around me
In His love I stand secure
So let me live like I believe it
And though my faith is prone to fail
Though I cower under trial
By His grace, I shall prevail

Oh, to gladly risk it all
Oh, to be faithful to His call
Abandoned to grace
But anchored in His love
Living dangerously in the hands of God

There’s safety in complacency
But God is calling us out
Of our comfort zone into a life
Of complete surrender to the cross
To live dangerously
Is not to live recklessly but righteously
And it is because of God’s radical grace for us
That we can risk living a life
Of radical obedience for Him

You’ve got to walk on
For the Lord, He walks with us
You’ve got to walk on
Oh, though it costs you everything
You’ve got to pray on

For the eyes of the Lord
Move to and fro throughout the earth
That He may strongly support those
Whose hearts are completely His

Oh, to gladly risk it all
Oh, to be faithful to His call
Abandoned to grace
But anchored in His love
Living dangerously
Are you living dangerously
Oh, we ought to be living dangerously
In the hands of God

Are you living dangerously
In the hands of God

Dear God, as I get ready to preach later this morning, I feel like this song holds the key to the message you want me to deliver today. I’m preaching to a church in peril. It is hard to come in as a once-a-month preacher and feel like I am doing them any good. Is  there anything I can possibly say today that will have an impact? Will I leave them with words from you? Am I preaching to an audience of one (you), or is there just one person in the audience this morning who will hear a word from you? I cannot waste this opportunity. 

I want to reference multiple parts of this song this morning. I have some time, so I’m going to try to sink my teeth into this song and see how it might apply to the sermon I’ve already prepared.

“…And faith a brilliant disguise…”

One thing I’ve known about myself for a while is that sometimes my faith in you can become more a philosophy by which I live my life rather than a relationship that draws me into pure and true worship. Worship in my words and from my heart, but also worship in how I live my days, relying on you for directly and strength. One of the real dangers is that I put up such a veneer of “faith” that I use it to mask how empty my life is.

“…the cost of real devotion seems so foreign to my life…”

Some would look at my life and see someone who does a lot of giving, but have I really allowed my devotion to cost me what you’ve called me to give up? The answer to this question might be yes, I am doing exactly what you’ve called me to do. But I also know there are times when I subconsciously throw up walls and don’t allow myself to go down a road that might lead to suffering, even if it might be you calling me down that road.

“…though the storms may rage around me, in His love I stand secure…”

I heard a pastor a couple of weeks ago talk about the disciples in the boat with Jesus when there was a big storm and Jesus gave the “Peace, be still” command to the wind and ocean. He said of Jesus talking to the disciples afterward that he didn’t tell them there was nothing to be afraid of. Instead he asked, “Why were you afraid?” Storms are going to come in my life. “In [your] love I stand secure. So let me live like I believe it. And though my faith is prone to fail.”

“…to live dangerously is not to live recklessly, but righteously…”

If I will wake up every morning and seek you, repenting for my mistakes and embracing you in worship then righteous living will lead me exactly where you need me to be. I will make mistakes. I will miss opportunities. But the Holy Spirit will move me as I work out my faith with fear and trembling. I will be drawn to you. I will be moved. 

“…abandoned to grace, but anchored in His love…”

Father, I am abandoned to your grace because it is my only hope. But my abandon does not just allow me to foolishly live my life, taking advantage of your love. My grace and my life and anchored to you. You are guiding me and leading me. You are calling me in every moment. I fail at home with my wife. I fail with my children. I fail at work. I don’t have a right to that failure. That failure is mine and I own it. BUT there is a grace. There is grace in your plan, but if I am going to be at all tolerable in any area of my life, I had better set my anchor straight into you and hold on. I must learn to draw deeper and deeper into you so that I might really understand what to do in any given moment and others might be blessed by my life.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 8, 2018 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Nothing is Beyond You”

25 Jun

Nothing is Beyond You

Where could I go, where could I run

Even if I found the strength to fly

And if I rose on the wings of the dawn

And crashed through the corner of the sky

If I sailed past the edge of the sea

Even if I made my bed in Hell

Still there You would find me

‘Cause nothing is beyond You

You stand beyond the reach

Of our vain imaginations

Our misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold You

And deep cries out to deep

Singing that nothing is beyond You

Nothing is beyond You

Time cannot contain You

You fill eternity

Sin can never stain You

Death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way You came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond You

Nothing is beyond You

If I should shrink back from the light

So I can sink into the dark

If I take cover and I close my eyes

Even then You would see my heart

And You’d cut through all my pain and rage

The darkness is not dark to You

And night’s as bright as day

Nothing is beyond You

You stand beyond the reach

Of our vain imaginations

Our misguided piety

The heavens stretch to hold You

And deep cries out to deep

Singing that nothing is beyond You

Nothing is beyond You

And time cannot contain You

You fill eternity

Sin can never stain You

And death has lost its sting

And I cannot explain the way You came to love me

Except to say that nothing is beyond You

Nothing is beyond You

Nothing is beyond You

Songwriters: Mitch Mcvicker / Rich Mullins / Tom Booth

Dear God, the verse of the day was Jeremiah 23:24, and it made me think of this song. Nothing is beyond you. Whether it’s the places I might try to hide in my sin or my shame, or it’s your involvement in the problems and challenges I face, nothing is beyond you.

The pastor in church yesterday was talking about Jesus calling the storm on the boat and Jesus challenged the disciples asking them why they were afraid. “Notice he didn’t say there’s nothing to be afraid of,” the pastor said, “but, ‘Why are you afraid?’” I liked that. There’s plenty to fear. From nuclear wars all of the way down to the real challenges I face at work, but there’s no reason to fear.

Father, nothing is beyond you. I have a work problem that has haunted me all weekend and yet I have only prayed about it a little. This deserves much more prayer than that. Everyone involved deserves me to really be throwing myself before you and requesting your help in solving these vexing problems. So please help me. Please help us. Guide us exactly where you want us to go. I will spend more time praying about this today, but let it start here.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 25, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Jeremiah

 

“You are My Supply”

08 Jun

“You are My Supply” (Antioch Community Church version, not Chris Tomlin version)
The seasons have dried my soul
The Sun is hard beating down
And my temptation
Is to look at all that’s gone
But you are here,
You are here

You are my supply
Your my fountain of blessing
to the ends of the earth
You are my supply
And you wipe away my tears
And you take away my fears
With the strength of your love
The strength of your love

And after all is said
After all’s been done
I sit here empty
But my heart is yours
And you are here.
You are near.

And you are my supply
You’re my fountain of blessing
To the ends of the earth
You are my supply
And you wipe away my tears
And you take away my fears
With the strength of your love.
The strength of your love
Your perfect love drives out all my fear
Your perfect love drives out all my fear

 

Dear God, this song has meant a lot to me in the past. I love the opening words to the first verse: “The seasons have dried my soul.” Talk about poetry using six words to say what would otherwise take me 300 to explain. I’ve had some remarkably dry seasons. This, thankfully, isn’t one of them, but when I look back on the times when the seasons dried my soul the most I can take some lessons from those times. So the dry seasons weren’t wasted.

While I guess I can go back and give specific lessons from each drought, I think the overarching lesson is the chorus–you are my supply. And you have room for my soul to be dry. You understand I’m not always going to be at the top of my game. I could even consider some of those trials as training for later in life. One of the things top athletes will tell you is that practice should be so hard that the games or competitions are easy by comparison. Well, my lessons learned in the past have certainly prepared me for challenges that came later in my life.

Father, I just want to sing this chorus with confidence and conviction this morning: You are my supply. You’re my fountain of blessing to the ends of the earth. You are my supply. And you wipe away my tears–you take away my fears–with the strength of your love. Your perfect love drives out all my fear.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 8, 2018 in Hymns and Songs, Uncategorized

 
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