WEBVTT

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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today's reading is from the book of

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Acts, chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 8 Now Saul was

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consenting to his death. At that time a great

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persecution arose against the church, which was

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at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout

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the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the

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apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his

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burial. and made great lamentation over him.

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As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering

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every house and dragging off men and women, committing

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them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered

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went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip

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went down to the city of Samaria and preached

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Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord

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heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and

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seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean

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spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of

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many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed

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and lame were healed. And there was great joy

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in that city. But there was a certain man called

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Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the

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city, and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming

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that he was someone great, to whom they all gave

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heed from the least to the greatest, saying,

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This man is the great power of God. And they

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hated him because he had astonished them with

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his sorceries for a long time. But when they

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believed Philip as he preached the things concerning

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the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ,

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both men and women were baptized. Then Simon

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himself also believed. And when he was baptized,

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he continued with Philip and was amazed seeing

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the miracles and signs which were done. Now when

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the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that

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Samaria had received the word of God, they sent

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Peter and John to them, who when they had come

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down, prayed for them that they might receive

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the Holy Spirit. For as yet he had fallen upon

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none of them. They had only been baptized in

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the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands

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on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And

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when Simon saw that through the laying on of

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the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given,

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He offered them money, saying, Give me this power

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also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive

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the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, Your

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money perish with you, because you thought that

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the gift of God could be purchased with money.

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You have neither part nor portion in this matter,

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for your heart is not right in the sight of God.

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Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and

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pray God, if perhaps the thought of your heart

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may be forgiven you. Then Simon answered and

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said, Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip,

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saying, A man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great

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authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians,

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who had charge of all her treasury and had come

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to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting

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in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

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Then the spirit said to Philip, Go near and overtake

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this chariot. So Philip ran to him and heard

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him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, Do you

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understand what you are reading? And he said,

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How can I unless someone guides me? And he asked

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Philip to come up and sit with him. The place

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in the scripture which he read was this. He was

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led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb

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before its shearer is silent. So he opened not

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his mouth. In his humiliation his justice was

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taken away. And who will declare his generation?

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For his life is taken from the earth. So the

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eunuch answered Philip and said, I ask you, of

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whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or

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of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth,

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and beginning at this scripture, preached Jesus

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to him. Now as they went down the road, they

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came to some water. And the eunuch said, See,

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here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?

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Then Philip said, If you believe with all your

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heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe

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that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded

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the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and

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the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized

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them. Now when they came up out of the water,

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the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away so

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that the eunuch saw him no more, and he went

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on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at

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Azotus, and passing through he preached in all

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the cities till he came to Caesarea. Chapter

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9 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder

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against the disciples of the Lord, went to the

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high priest and asked letters from him to the

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synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any

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who were of the way, whether men or women, he

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might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed,

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he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone

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around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground

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and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul,

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why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who

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are you, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus,

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whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you

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to kick against the goads. So he, trembling and

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astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to

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do? Then the Lord said to him, Arise, and go

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into the city, and you will be told what you

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must do. And the men who journeyed with him stood

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speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one.

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Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his

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eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led

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him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

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And he was three days without sight, and neither

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ate nor drank. Now there was a certain disciple

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at Damascus named Ananias. And to him the Lord

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said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Here

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I am, Lord. So the Lord said to him, Arise and

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go to the street called Straight and inquire

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at the house of Judas for one called Saul of

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Tarsus. For behold, he is praying. And in a vision

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he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and

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putting his hand on him so that he might receive

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his sight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have

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heard from many about this man, how much harm

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he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And

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here he has authority from the chief priests

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to bind all who call on your name. But the Lord

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said to him, Go, for he is a chosen vessel of

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mine, to bear my name before Gentiles, kings,

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and the children of Israel. For I will show him

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many things he must suffer for my name's sake.

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And Ananias went his way and entered the house,

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and laying his hands on him, he said, Brother

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Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on

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the road as you came, has sent me that you may

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receive your sight and be filled with the Holy

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Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes

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something like scales, and he received his sight

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at once, and he arose and was baptized. So when

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he had received food, he was strengthened. Then

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Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

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Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues,

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that he is the Son of God. Then all who heard

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were amazed and said, Is this not he who destroyed

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those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and

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has come here for that purpose, so that he might

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bring them bound to the chief priests? But Saul

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increased all the more in strength, and confounded

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the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that

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this Jesus is the Christ. Now after many days

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were passed, the Jews plotted to kill him. But

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their plot became known to Saul, and they watched

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the gates day and night to kill him. Then the

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disciples took him by night and let him down

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through the wall in a large basket. And when

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Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join

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the disciples, but they were all afraid of him

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and did not believe that he was a disciple. But

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Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles,

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and he declared to them how he had seen the Lord

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on the road, and that he had spoken to him, and

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how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the

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name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem,

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coming in and going out. And he spoke boldly

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in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against

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the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.

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When the brethren found out, they brought him

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down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus.

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Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee,

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and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking

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in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of

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the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Now it

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came to pass, as Peter went through all parts

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of the country, that he also came down to the

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saints who dwelt in Leda. There he found a certain

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man named Agnes, who had been bedridden eight

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years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him,

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Agnes, Jesus the Christ heals you. Arise and

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make your bed. And he arose immediately. So all

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who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned

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to the Lord. At Joppa there was a certain disciple

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named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This

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woman was full of good works and charitable deeds,

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which she did. But it happened in those days

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that she became sick and died. When they had

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washed her, they laid her in an upper room. And

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since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples

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had heard that Peter was there, They sent two

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men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming

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to them. Then Peter arose and went with them.

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When he had come, they brought him to the upper

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room. And all the widows stood by him weeping,

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showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas

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had made while she was with them. But Peter put

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them all out and knelt down and prayed. And turning

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to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she

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opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she

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sat up. Then he gave her his hand and lifted

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her up, and when he had called the saints and

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widows, he presented her alive. And it became

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known throughout all Joppa, and many believed

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on the Lord. So it was that he stayed many days

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in Joppa with Simon a tanner. I hope you enjoyed

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today's reading as much as I did, and I look

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forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue

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on our journey. God bless you and have a great

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day.