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 the entire first

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epistle of St. Paul to the Thessalonians, chapters

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1 through 5. Chapter 1. Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

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to the Church of the Thessalonians, in God the

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Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, grace to you

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and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus

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Christ. We give thanks to God always for you

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all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering

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without ceasing your work of faith, labor of

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love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus

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Christ, in the sight of our God and Father, knowing,

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beloved brethren, your election by God. For our

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gospel did not come to you in word only, but

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also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in

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much assurance, as you know what kind of men

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we were among you for your sake. And you became

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followers of us and of the Lord, having received

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the word in much affliction, with joy of the

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Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all

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in Macedonia and Achaia who believed. For from

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you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not

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only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every

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place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so

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that we do not need to say anything. For they

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themselves declare concerning us what manner

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of entry we had to you, and how you turned to

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God from idols to serve the living and true God,

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and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he

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raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivers

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us from the wrath to come. Chapter 2 For you

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yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to

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you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered

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before and were spitefully treated at Philippi,

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as you know, we were bold in our God to speak

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to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For

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our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness,

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nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved

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by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even

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so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who

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tests our hearts. For neither at any time did

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we use flattering words, as you know. nor a cloak

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for covetousness, God is witness. Nor did we

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seek glory from men, either from you or from

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others, when we might have made demands as apostles

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of Christ. But we were gentle among you, just

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as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.

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So affectionately longing for you, we were well

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pleased to impart to you not only the gospel

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of God, but also our own lives, because you had

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become dear to us. For you remember, brethren,

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our labor and toil. For laboring night and day,

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that we might not be a burden to any of you,

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we preached to you the gospel of God. You are

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witnesses in God also how devoutly and justly

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and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you

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who believe, as you know how we exhorted and

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comforted and charged every one of you, as a

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father does his own children, that you would

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walk worthy of God who calls you into his own

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kingdom and glory. For this reason we also thank

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God without ceasing, because when you received

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the word of God which you heard from us, you

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welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it

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is in truth, the word of God. which also effectively

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works in you who believe. For you, brethren,

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became imitators of the churches of God which

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are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered

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the same things from your own countrymen, just

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as they did from the Judeans, who killed both

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the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have

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persecuted us. And they did not please God and

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are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak

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to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as

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always to fill up the measure of their sins,

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but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

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But we, brethren, having been taken away from

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you for a short time in presence, not in heart,

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endeavored more eagerly to see your face with

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great desire. Therefore we wanted to come to

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you, even I, Paul, time and again, but Satan

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hindered us. For what is our hope or joy or crown

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of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence

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of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For you

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are our glory and joy. to establish you and encourage

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you concerning your faith, that no one should

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be shaken by these afflictions, for you yourselves

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know that we are appointed to this. For in fact

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we told you before when we were with you that

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we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened,

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and you know. For this reason, when I could no

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longer endure it, I sent to know your faith,

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lest by some means the tempter had tempted you,

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and our labor might be in vain. But now that

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Timothy has come to us from you, and brought

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us good news of your faith and love, and that

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you always have good remembrance of us, greatly

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desiring to see us, as we also to see you, therefore,

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brethren, in all our affliction and distress,

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we were comforted concerning you by your faith.

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For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord.

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For what thanks can we render to God for you,

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for all the joy with which we rejoice for your

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sake before our God? night and day praying exceedingly

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that we may see your face and perfect what is

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lacking in your faith. Now may our God and Father

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Himself and our Lord Jesus Christ direct our

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way to you, and may the Lord make you increase

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and abound in love to one another and to all,

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just as we do to you, so that He may establish

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your hearts blameless in holiness before our

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God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus

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Christ with all His saints. Chapter 4 Finally

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then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord

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Jesus that you should abound more and more, just

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as you received from us how you ought to walk

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and to please God. For you know what commandments

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we give you through the Lord Jesus. For this

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is the will of God, your sanctification, that

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you should abstain from sexual immorality, that

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each of you should know how to possess his own

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vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion

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of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God,

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that no one should take advantage of. and defraud

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his brother in this matter, because the Lord

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is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned

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you and testified. For God did not call us to

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uncleanness, but in holiness. Therefore he who

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rejects this does not reject man, but God, who

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has also given us his Holy Spirit. But concerning

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brotherly love, you have no need that I should

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write to you, for you yourselves are taught by

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God to love one another. and indeed you do so

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toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.

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But we urge you, brethren, that you increase

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more and more, that you also aspire to lead a

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quiet life, to mind your own business, and to

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work with your own hands, as we commanded you,

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that you may walk properly toward those who are

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outside, and that you may lack nothing. But I

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do not want you to be ignorant brethren concerning

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those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow

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as others who have no hope. For if we believe

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that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will

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bring with him those who sleep in Jesus. For

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this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that

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we who are alive and remain until the coming

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of the Lord will by no means Therefore, comfort

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one another with these words. But concerning

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the times and the seasons, brethren, you have

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no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves

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know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes

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as a thief in the night. For when they say peace

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and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon

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them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and

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they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are

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not in darkness, so that this day should overtake

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you as a thief. you are all sons of light and

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sons of the day you are not of the night nor

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of darkness therefore let us not sleep as others

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do but let us watch and be sober for those who

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sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk

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get drunk at night but let those who are of the

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day be sober putting on the breastplate of faith

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and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation

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for God did not appoint us to wrath but to obtain

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salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who

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died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we

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should live together with him. Therefore comfort

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each other and edify one another, just as you

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also are doing. And we urge you, brethren, to

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recognize those who labor among you, and are

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over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to

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esteem them very highly in love for their work's

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sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort

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you, brethren, warn those who are unruly. Comfort

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the faint -hearted, uphold the weak, be patient

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with all. See that no one renders evil for evil

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to anyone, but always pursue what is good both

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for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray

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without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for

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this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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Do not quench the spirit, do not despise prophecies.

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Test all things, hold fast what is good. Abstain

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from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace

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himself sanctify you completely, and may your

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whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless

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at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who

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calls you is faithful, who also will do it. Brethren,

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pray for us. Greet all the brethren with a holy

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kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle

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be read to all the holy brethren. The grace of

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our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Ameen. I hope

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you enjoyed today's reading as much as I did

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and I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow

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to continue on our journey. God bless you and

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have a great day.