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781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 307411

Stephen was brought before the high priesthigh priest, with

false witnessesfalse witnesses saying he had blasphemedblasphemed against the templetemple and the Law of MosesLaw of Moses.

September 21, 2011

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Acts 7 1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?

A chance to defend himselfA falsefalse chance

It's a kangaroo courtkangaroo court with false witnesses.

There's no chance of a fairfair trial.

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2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said unto him, Get thee out Get thee out of thy countryof thy country, and from thy kindredfrom thy kindred, and come come into the land which I shall shew theeinto the land which I shall shew thee.

So, insteadinstead of defending himself, he preachedhe preached.

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God told Abraham to leaveleave behind

His countrycountry and his kindredkindred.

Sometimes we need to leaveleave our past behind.

If your familyfamily is dragging you down or back;

If your old friends are pulling you back into sinback into sin;

Walk away and don't look back.

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4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran (Haran): and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 And He gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet He promised that He would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

History Lesson

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In Hebrews 11 we are told that Abraham died Abraham died without receivingwithout receiving God's Promise in fullness.

Yet he died in faith.Faith is not wishy-washy.

Faith doesn't turn off and on like a switch.

Faith is constant and consistent.

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Faith is the fruitfruit of God's Holy Spirit.

He producesproduces faith in us;

Those who are submissivesubmissive unto Him.

Faith enables God's children to be unwaveringunwavering in our walkwalk with our Heavenly Father.

Never looking back

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6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. 7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve Me in this place.

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8 And he gave him the Covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.

The beginningbeginning of the nation of Israel,

God's chosenchosen people.

God didn't choose a largelarge nation,

Or a mightymighty nation.

God chose a nation that was notwas not, that He might build itbuild it from nothing into a kingdom.

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9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with himbut God was with him, 10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

His brothers hatedhated Joseph, but God lovedloved him.

They wanted him deaddead or enslaved for life.

God was preservingpreserving him to savesave his family from starvation.

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"But God was with him."That is allall we need to know:

God isGod is walking with us: loving, saving, providing, protecting, our present helpour present help in time of need.